WALKING the talk: Moving from theory to PR practice

Photo courtesy: http://cdn.theatlantic.com/

By Clive Mutame Siachiyako

Moving from theory to practice can be frustrating and depressing when your employer thinks as a graduate you are well 'baked' to zigzag all corners of your profession. When it comes to public relations (PR) it gets more subtle because communication is the most visible single activity we engage in, which requires extra delicacy. Anything incorrectly presented in the communication could have lasting and severe career damage as well as other injurious effects to the employer’s name and brand. 

Sometimes PR practitioners find themselves getting into some ‘gamble’ due to lack of an effective, distinct and appropriate communication strategy for the employer. This is truer in cases where an organisation operates without a communication strategy. Worse still, at times those organisations that have them tend to have old ones that have been overtaken by events. As a result, new technologies and other communication tools that need to be integrated to the PR communication kit may not be added to the basket of the strategy. Some institutions even make it as serious issue to have a Facebook page for the institution simply because it is not part of the communication basket. 

It gets nastier when you graduate without the required savvy to design a basic communication strategy. Unfortunately, most training institutions do not include this aspect. Learners are only trained to practice PR without having the right acuities to design a platform to practice PR. Having knowledge about communication strategies places the practitioner at the edge of effectively beating others at the art of PR. The ability to walk the theory of PR requires intellectual and practical acuity on shaping a communication platform. 

WHY communication strategy? The workplace necessitates frequent internal and external communication. Networking communication between colleagues, human resources and management staff within the organisation is simply vital ingredients to the PR. Institutions also communicate with outside entities. They network with suppliers, clients and the general public using varied platforms. Therefore, a corporate communication strategy plan lays out how to handle the various forms of communication dispersed by the institution. Understanding the benefits and purpose of the plan helps you develop your own communication strategy.

A communication strategy creates standardised ways to interact with colleagues, managers and other business contacts. Instead of leaving the method up to the employees, the plan spells out how they should communicate. It helps maintain an institutional brand. An external communication would fit within the standardised elements of the communication. Elements such as logos, format, language, colours, and others all have to be spelled out.  This creates consistency in workplace communication, helping to reduce confusion or missed information.

The strategy ensures that all significant information is dispersed to the correct people, both internally and externally. Having all people on the same page is essential to a highly efficient workplace. If some staff members are unaware of key information, they may be unable to complete their duties properly, or do work that they don't actually need to perform. Without standardised communication strategies to external business contacts, you may have clients or suppliers who are unaware of policy changes, upcoming events and other relevant company information.

An institutional communication strategy affects its image. If the institution has a standardised, professional method of communicating with the public and its external business contacts, it would present itself as a professional institution with strong organisational standing. If communication is sporadic and information comes from different people inconsistently, as a PR person, you present your institution as a disorganized unit. You also risk having conflicting information released if you do not have a specific communication plan in place. 

It is also a morale stimulator to staff. Lack of communication or inconsistent information dispersal leaves employees feeling frustrated. Staff members may feel left out, particularly if management fails to communicate key information. By sharing information consistently with employees, the company creates a sense of transparency that allows staff members to feel they know what is going on. As Demand Media emeritus Shelley Frost puts it, “if there is a lack of strategic communication, employees may be left wondering what is going on with the company and may start feeling that the management team is intentionally withholding information.”

South Africa is becoming too short sighted

By Clive Mutame Siachiyako

You call it xenophobia, I call it organised crime. That’s not “fear of foreigners” as the term xenophobia tends to mean. That’s pure criminality masked under fearing of foreigners. If it is real fear of foreigners, why is it only the fear of black foreigners? Are they more foreigners than others? Does it mean white foreigners are not getting jobs in SA? Of course they are also getting them.

That’s why I argue that this is organised crime taking advantage of weak government, weak policing system and a mix bag of short sightedness, lawlessness and absurdity. It’s very strange to see two police officers smiling, laughing, being tickled as a small boy gets burnt on the street. Adults enjoying the death, the burning of a boy by tire wrecks and to them it’s entertainment. Quite absurd!

The reasoning of South Africans attacking ‘foreigners’ is totally unacceptable under any standard; it’s not helpful to anyone. It won’t result into more jobs nor is it going to improve their livelihood. Those foreigners may leave the jobs, but they won’t give you the knowhow and competences they applied in getting things done in those jobs. The fight is aimed at wrong targets. It’s not the foreigners fuelling poverty and unemployment. It goes beyond it. Face the real cause and man-up.

What will happen after they have chased all those they are saying are nauseating them, causing intense fear in their socio, economic and financial lives?  Are those street gangs going to occupy those positions...are they going to become engineers, IT experts, legal brains, lecturers, metallurgists, or entrepreneurs running a maze of businesses run by those they are killing? Unfortunately, those who are gardeners will remain gardeners, carpenters will remain carpenters, street hawkers will remain hawkers, etc.

Trends of organised crime leave very long term blizzards on society. SA should know and mark these words, “what’s happening to foreigners may happen to you too...instigated by the same gangs, same style and same vehemence,” if you don’t get to the root of this chaos.Those criminal elements you have allowed to terrorise the streets will come for you. Once those things they are looting are finished, they will look for the next person to blame and thump out. It may be the working class, those they will consider to be failing them or denying them their good life.

It happened in India when the Bollywood, one of the most prolific and profitable film industries in the world; became the target of underground mob. The underground mob had initially helped Bollywood with financing when government refused to finance the industry. After a bloody decade in the 90s, the fabric of the underworld changed. The ruthless and brash gangsters who had replaced the old dons and their ‘work ethics', toned down their activities. Instead of contract killings and extortion, they got involved in the corporate sector, especially real estate.

The mob looked at the next target. They needed continuity. The system which thought was doing a favour to them by letting them do things their way to get around life’s hurdles had long term headache to bring sanity to that messy.

Similarly, Russia faced organised crime after switching to a free market economy. The Red Mafia took advantage of that economic freedom and took control of close to 40% of the Russian economy, doing all sorts of things to get what they wanted. Sadly, most of the things they did were crime laden. The Red Mafia earned themselves the name of the “the most fearsome, violent, creative, and well-educated criminal organisations in the world.” The Red Mafia has been difficult to locate and shut down [http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/]

The two examples show how allowing notorious criminal elements to reign pays back badly. It really backfires. SA leadership can now seem to be not seeing. Sit on the terraces and watch, smile and pat the gangs on their backs for systemically removing foreigners out of SA; but the day is coming when the same gangs will vent it on you. This is truer in the sense that chasing all foreigners won’t result into economic liberation or an avalanche of jobs to those hawkers on the streets. Whatever miracle one may wish to happen, it won’t turn out that way.

It’s better to learn from foreigners how they are making it while South Africans seem to be stuck. It’s valuable to adopt traits the foreigners are exhibiting that make them more employable and desired in the business sector. That could be the best fear for foreigners. It would be creative fear...well paying off use of phobia. It will then make them managers of their own economy and employers won’t have the reason to employ foreigners who could be paid at a higher premium.

Throwing insults at your neighbours, killing them and scorning them won’t add value to anyone’s livelihood. Collaborating and learning from them would be cooler than this heinous approach. If one may ask, from the time xenophobia started; how many South Africans got jobs after killing job holders? How many businesses were started and sustained after haunting out the owners? It would be nice to know.

SA needs good phobia. A phobia that drives them to learn from those they feel are taking their jobs and be part of the race. It’s not helpful to be sited sipping tea and expect to be part of the race. Winners get involved. They become part of the race. They get dirty. They apply themselves. They don’t wait for freebies to fall from somewhere. Manna only fell from above during biblical times.

What is happening in SA is not good for anyone. If some South Africans think they are helping create employment for their unemployed, they are using a wrong formula. You don’t thrive on bloodshed. You don’t empower citizens using violence. What’s happening is planting a seed of hate, violence and criminality with impunity.

Prepare those people to apply themselves in the economy. Prepare them to work and earn. Don’t prepare a generation of criminal minds. It will cost the country badly in the long run, if in the short term is seems working for you. The President has to get the grip of things. Traditional leaders should shake off Stone Age mindsets and try to fit into a competitive and modern society they have been ushered into. It’s time to sober up and end the rot!! 

Democracy v Psychology: Why People Keep Electing Clods

Clive Mutame Siachiyako  

A Turkish friend once said “good people; those who are more sober minded or with good leadership qualities never rule because they tend to be too moderate. Evil ones however, rule because they cunningly sweet-talk voters and make them fall for it.”   

I thought those words were too strong until I took interest in elections goings beyond mere campaign messages during and after; in different countries. I read political campaign rumblings from Africa and other continents. I listened also to what those candidates were saying during campaigns and few days after they were in power. It's surprising how voters’ patience and loyalty is taken for granted. Politicians simply puke in their faces in mockery for voting them into power through bizarre pronouncements, policy blunders and sheer uncaring attitude for the masses.

It is clear that doing or saying unintelligent things is no barrier to political success. Unfortunately, there are several psychological mechanisms that lead to apparent clods being elected into powerful positions.

POLITICIANS

Their reputation is very poor. In fairness, this is largely their own fault, but it would be foolish to assume every politician is like this. If they were, the whole infrastructure would collapse before you could say “can I claim this on expenses?” Still, everyone assumes they’re despicable, so always assume the worst.

Politician enacts a bad policy? They’re a terrible person. They change their mind and reverse it? They’re weak and not fit to lead. Politicians promise improvements (cut taxes, increase spending)? They’re obviously lying. Politicians promise to do something unpopular (raise taxes, cut spending)? A cast-iron guarantee it will happen. It’s a lose-lose situation, so why do they bother? Many politicians are clearly in it for themselves, but there surely are plenty who really do want the best and just put up with the negative opinions they get.

Suffice to mention that not all politicians are idiots (although your definition of idiot may vary). But plenty are. Mostly, people whose idiotic musings managed to sustain businesses have a nuclear arsenal at their command to win elections. This has worsened by “needs and rights illiteracy, daftness of voters, lack of proper education beyond graduate edification, rurality illiteracy, etc.”, which when coupled with manipulation, lies and misinformation from the politik creates a maze of chaos in the voting system. Voting has proved less paying off to voters. They merely do it and life goes on without seeing any change.

Some people are often quick to point out that X politician is actually very intelligent or dangerous...and are pretending to be a buffoon. But this underscores the point; an intelligent person has to feign stupidity to achieve political success. It’s the rule of the thumb. That’s how it goes. It seems “no daftness, no winning elections.” Politicians have to engage in several unwise and bizarre activities to fit into the election winning rhythm. 

What’s going on here? Logically, you would want an intelligent person who understands the best approach and methods for running a country in the best possible way. But no, people seem drawn to demonstrations of questionable intellectual abilities. There are a wide variety of ideological, cultural, social, historical, financial and other factors involved, because politics incorporates all of these things, but there are also some known psychological processes that may contribute to this phenomenon.

CONFIDENCE INSPIRES CONFIDENCE

Confident people are more convincing. This is has been demonstrated in many studies. Most studies focus on a courtroom setting, and suggest a confident witness is more convincing to a jury than a nervous, hesitant one (which obviously has worrying implications for justice), but it can be seen elsewhere. It’s a phenomenon used-car salesmen and estate agents have exploited for decades. And politicians are clearly aware of it, hence all the media training and PR management; any politician that doesn’t come across as assured and confident gets (metaphorically) destroyed. So confidence is important in politics.

However, the Dunning-Kruger effect reveals that less-intelligent people are usually incredibly confident. More intelligent people, by contrast, aren’t at all. Self-appraisal is a useful metacognitive skill, but one that requires intelligence; if you don’t have much of it, you don’t consider yourself flawed or ignorant, because technically you don’t have the ability to do so.

So if you want an intrinsically confident person to publically represent your political party, an intelligent person would be a bad choice in many ways. This can backfire though; studies have shown that when a confident person is shown to be wrong/lying, they are then considered far less reliable or trustworthy than an unconfident person. This may explain the negative image of politics, which is mostly a series of confident individuals making big promises and failing miserably to keep them. That sort of thing really puts people off.

POLITICS IS COMPLICATED

Effectively running a country of tens of millions, all of which have different requirements and demands, is an incredibly complicated job. There are just so many variables that need to be considered. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to condense all this into a convenient soundbite for use with the modern media, so personalities tend to come to the fore more often. And the less intelligent personalities are more confident, so are more persuasive, and so on.

People are often put off by intellectual and complex subjects and discussions in any case. They may have no experience with the issue, or may find it too daunting to want to engage with, because doing so successfully would require a lot of time and effort. But politics, particularly democracy, requires people to be involved.

Personality studies suggest that many people demonstrate goal orientation, a “disposition toward developing or demonstrating ability in achievement situations”. Feeling that you are actively influencing something (e.g. an Election) is a powerful motivator, but if some knowledgeable type starts spouting big words about interest rates or health trust deficit management, this is going to alienate those who don’t follow or grasp such things. So if a confident person says there’s a simple solution or promises to make the big complicated thing go away, they’re going to seem far more appealing.

This is also demonstrated by Parkinson’s law of triviality, where people will spend far more time and effort focussing on something trivial that they do understand than something complicated that they don’t. The former offers far more scope for contribution and influence. And people do love trivial things, ergo less-intelligent people condensing down the big issues into brief (but inaccurate) snippets is a potential vote-winner.

One of the often-cited qualities of George W Bush was that people felt they could “have a beer with him”. Ergo, they felt they could relate to him. By contrast, elitism is a negative quality. The idea that those running the country are outside the norms of society is alarming to many, hence constant efforts by politicians to “fit in”.

The majority of people are prone to numerous subconscious biases, prejudices, stereotyping and prefer their own “groups”. None of these things are particularly logical and invariably are not supported by actual evidence and reality, and people really don’t like being told things they don’t want to hear. People are also keenly aware of social status; we need to feel we are superior to others in some way to maintain our sense of self-worth. As a result, someone more intelligent saying complicated things that contain uncomfortable (but accurate) facts isn’t going to appeal to anyone, but someone demonstrably less-intelligent is not challenging to someone’s perceived social status, and if they’re going to say simple things that support inherent prejudices and deny uncomfortable facts, then so much the better.

It’s an unfortunate situation, but it just seems to be the way people’s minds work. There’s a lot more to it than what’s mentioned here of course, but including that would make the whole thing more complicated, and that’s no way to get people to like something, as should be obvious by now.

In conclusion, Dean Burnett (a doctor of neuroscience and a tutor and lecturer at Cardiff University) thinks democracy would be perfect if it weren’t for all the people involved. http://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2015 [April 3, 2015]

STOP complaining, GEAR up, Take Full Responsibility

Clive Mutame Siachiyako

Photo courtesy: 41.media.tumblr.com

Its perplexing in this era to see how many people want everything handed to them, and those who feel entitled to 'freebies.' This is unhealthy for the country. Children must be taught to find useful skills, set goals, guide them, mentor and provide incentive to strive for improvement. There is need for a society of diverse skills, self-reliance and innovation. Currently, things are quickly going in the wrong direction. Why?

Zambia has abundant natural resources, which are blatantly mismanaged. The general populous points to "white" or "corporate conspiracy" as the reason for this. WAKE UP! The only conspiracy is your ignorance and lack of willingness to take accountability for your own success and own destiny.

Ladies and gentlemen, the freedom you are fighting for is the freedom to think with clarity, to have a strong work ethic, to take responsibility for your own education, to respect those who are successful (and learn from them), to demand results from corrupt politicians, and to realize that any conspiracy is just your lack of understanding on how to Get Things Done, or your lack of WILLINGNESS to get things done.

The true freedom is when you take off your rose-coloured glasses and realize that Zambia is well on its way to deterioration economically, social, culturally, etc due to myopic reasoning. A country can't remain viable with citizens being dependant on free things? Is this heaven where the bible says 'there shall free milk and honey?' Even in heaven you got to work on earth to get the reward. Sitting on an imaginary table of comfort expecting economic prosperity to fall like rains is utter daftness. 

Some people claim they know all this..."but this is OUR country and we can do what we want with it". This mindset can pretty well drive the economy into the ground just to spite colonies. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Do you have another place to go to? What are those hands for, the brains, the mouth, etc..? Get up and be part of new minds.

Is this really going to be the Zambian legacy of creating a generation of consumers? Why ruin it all and remain 'cry babies' for arms? Can't people really think outside the box? Why are the youth, young technocrats reducing themselves to social media perverts without direction and substance? Isn't there anything you can share on social media to build each other? 

How do you spin this to your grandchildren when you sit sipping Super-shake in 50 years?....while an innovative and hard working Chinese-African are minting gold!!!! What are those eyes for? You can't see opportunities anywhere? 

It's mainly Zambians to blame. Instead of wallowing and sniffling in the tears of ended colonial years and singing vague praises about our jubilee, let's remove this hooliganism reasoning and become better leaders to change our country.

Begging mentality, defeatist mindsets and hopelessness have no place in the modern world where extended family systems have collapsed and arms come with endless conditions. Self-pity doesn't help. It kills the spirit of hard-working and innovation.

All countries have serious problems. Waiting for arms is suicidal. It's time to wake up. Face things and innovate to create a place for a living. 

Concept/ideas borrowed from Menzi Solomon Shange, advocate for common sense, freedom from Marxism, champion for electing educated Leaders

Jobs versus Skills: A mix bag of issues!!

Clive Mutame Siachiyako

The job market is chaotic. Lucky ones get something for a living right away, while to others it's another story...the market is not creating viable space for them apply themselves and earn a living. The situation is depressing. Governments are pressured. Graduates are frustrated. Thus, screaming at government over jobs is a common ‘vibe’ among graduates.  

What should be done? Skills appraisal could help. Appraising the viability of skills development systems is a powerful tool is keeping in check with economic development goals. Not knowing the type of skills you would need 5-10 years is disastrous. It creates a risk to import skills or skills mismatch. Britain is facing it today. The price tag for bricklayers is at a ‘chilling’ £1000 per week due to skills shortages of bricklayers. Worse, most of these bricklayers are imported from other countries. 

The UK Daily Mail indicates that builders are hiring Portuguese bricklayers on £1,000 a week because not enough Britons can do the job. “Skilled workers are in such short supply they can demand double the normal day rate of £100,” the paper hinted. A similar labour shortage had forced the UK’s biggest sandwich manufacturer to recruit in Hungary because it could not fill its production line with local workers. 

Picture courtesy: businessnews.com

This is not unique to UK alone. Many countries are faced with different skills gaps or mismatches due to poor skills development foresight. Tertiary education is considered as business as usual. Offering programmes that are of less importance or worse still using out-dated syllabus. 

Where are the planners when all this is happening? When the Central Statistical Office is undertaking economic census, does it factor skills audits as well? Where are the other ministries? Do countries know where they want to go and how to get there? Does it mean foresight is proving to be a very costly commodity?

On the other side, where are the learners? Don’t they see the opportunities? What careers do they ‘value?’ Parents and high schools, what career guidance do they provide to pupils? Do they have correct information of the changing economic directions? When ICTs reigns in the economy, how do economies position themselves to tap from its new opportunities? Do parents look at how many jobs ICTs will take away and create new ones? Do they tell their children deciding on careers the realities of modern labour market? 

Some of the answers to the above questions lay in the learners’ love of white collar jobs. As a result, focus is in wrong places. Similarly, training institutions focus on where learners’ interest is instead of helping revolve mindsets on career selection based on labour market requirements on the ground. 

Training institutions are thus churning out graduates whose skills are in saturation. Coupled with lack of enterprising history, mindsets and lack of risk-taking spirit; figures of the unemployed has soared to higher heights every year. Yet numbers of graduates are increasing. Learners are looking up to governments to create employment. Government is calling on private sector to bail them out and partner in job creation.

Gone are days to look up to government to create substantial jobs to absorb ever increasing numbers of graduates. A new era of new mindsets has come. There is need for graduates prepared to create. They can create their own jobs or add value to natural resources around them. Other support systems are needed to complete this equation of creating personal employment. But the ability to create that employment beats them all. 

The ability to do something is premium to success in life. Money can finish even if it is given to you. The market can misfire and blow aware your investment. But with the right skills and mindset that gives you the resilience to rise again after a temporal defeat, you will beat all odds. Never underrate an appropriate skill. It is the best weapon to conquer life blizzards. 

What is an appropriate skill? It is one which combines your intellectual and psycho-motor abilities to do something. It enables you to use your brains and your hands/legs. You can learn how to speak a language and combine it with your ability to play a sport and fly above all hiccups of life to make it in life. 

But in a case, where training institutions are churning out graduates for jobs that do not exist, eyes will be red and tempers will rise during the job search mission. Yet some sections of the market are yawning for skills. They have received little attention. Learners shun them and training providers abandoning them. 

Reading the UK Daily Mail gets interesting over this issue. The paper adds that “there is a severe shortage of skilled trades-people in Britain – bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, mechanical engineers, HGV drivers. It is just the younger generation; they have grown up with computers. The skills have died off probably because the money was not very good either. The first thing that goes is training.”

Picture courtesy: learningsolutionsmag.com

Doesn't this sound like the case in Zambia where bricklayers and plumbers are mocked? Where most of the young people want to be accountants and lawyers? I wonder whose money they will be accounting when there’s no production. Blue collar skills are shunned. Which child wants to be a plumber? I haven’t heard any from those I have asked ‘what they want to be when they grow up.’

Parents have added to this confusion. They want their children to go into programmes they studies in the 70s. ‘I want you to be a medical doctor.’ Huh really? Did you impart in that child the abilities to be one? Where you there when God was allocating abilities to your children? Do you know your children’s abilities? Let parents leave their children go into areas where they strength lays. 

For those who believe in the bible, Matthew 25: 14 and 15 says “For the kingdom of heaven will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ABILITY.” My interest is on the word ability. The word means different things to different people. 

In simple words, ability means a talent, skill, or proficiency in something. In human resource terms it is ability is an acquired or natural capacity or talent that enables an individual to perform a particular job or task successfully. In legal terms it is the power to carry out a legal act or satisfy a legal obligation. Whatever the case, it has certain common elements despite the definition –the element of doing something.

What happens when a parent forces their child into a career they have no ability into? Can a child who has little ability in abstract things excel compared to others? Can someone gifted with sporting abilities do well being a nurse? Won’t they be hitting patients? Can a child with mathematical abilities articulate legal ramifications well?

What then should be done? Parents help your child identify their abilities and help them nature and use them to earn a living. If you are an engineer and your child have abilities to make people laugh as comedian help them do it and do it well that once they open their mouth everybody rain rivers of laugher tears. Homes are havens of career development and destruction. The words you use on children build their confidence levels to nurture their abilities or destroy them.

Teachers have a huge role to shape children’s destinies. Career masters are very relevant in each school. Careers are not developed without certain guidance. Don’t leave children to be like lost chicks wondering who to be when they grow up. You teach them, you know their weaknesses and strengths.

Ministries of education, labour, and youth and sports should have accurate data on skills shortages for informed skills training direction. Such data signals economic trends to help training providers focus on skills that matter. Leaving things to chance is dangerous to the economy. Rebranding some programmes, modernizing the syllabus and training facilities are crucial steps to take. 

Marriage and Debt: Learn Money Matters in Marriage

By Clive Mutame Siachiyako

Marriage is a mix bag of sweetness and bitterness. There is no clear-cut formula of making it the sweetest experience. Each marriage has its rhythm. Mostly its not as 'green' as it looks from outside. Admiring marriage from outside sometimes make us fail to conjure what goes on inside marriages. 

Many young people look forward to get married. The desire to "leave and cleave" lingers in their minds when the word marriage is mentioned. Most of them feel spell-band. They feel ecstatic. The excitement of being next to their soulmate sends them into a frenzy of unimagined happiness.

EASE! Marriage comes with many hiccups. It doesn't come handy. Its not as rosy as it looks from outside. It gets complicated that some people walk out of it total disillusionment. It depresses and shutters life when it 'stings.' There are many causes of sour marriages. Money is one of them. Money builds and ruins marriages. Its a very slippery commodity. No body has the panacea formula of handling it.

Debt worsens problems money causes. Debt can leave the family bankrupt and set the couple apart. It sets homes ablaze. Handling debt is very vital in marriage so that your partner knows why you can't enjoy certain goodies in the home. Don't keep it to yourself. 

Oke Efagene advises that "communication is key, and you should always be supportive of each other when you decide how you deal with debt." Oke's puts it very well below on how we can minimise the havoc debt causes in marriage. 

Once you get married, paying off debt becomes a team effort. If you and your partner have debt to pay, you have to sit down and honestly discuss how to deal with it together. Whether you're married or soon-to-be wed, make sure you're on the same financial page with your other half.

According to this piece written on Yahoo Finance, these simple tips can help you get through the tough season. To start, set up a date to discuss the overall state of your finances. The topics of this conversation include: 
i) Full disclosure of any savings, investments and debts is important. Don't just deny your partner happiness without telling them why you can't have time out for instance. 
ii)      The nitty-gritty of your debts: interest rates, minimum payments and balances remaining.
iii)    Spending habits: Even if you have separate bank accounts, you should both track your individual and joint expenses. PAUSE....reflect where your money has been going?
iv)     A budget plan: This keeps your spending on track. After you budget for your essentials, you know how much is left to pay down debts.
v)       Financial goals: buying a home, establishing an emergency fund or saving for a family.
vi)     A plan to reach those goals - including paying off your debt: List action steps to boost your income and cut expenses, such as picking up a side gig, working overtime and eliminating unnecessary costs.

After this initial meeting, check in with each other once a week or once a month to see how much progress you make. It's fine if you can't stick to an original plan, but you must be open about it.

Communication is key, and you should always be supportive of each other when you decide how you deal with debt. If both of you bring debt to the table, you can either tackle all of it together or pay your own debt off separately. If only one of you has debt, you may agree that the debtor holds the responsibility to repay it. Ultimately, this is a personal decision that every couple has to make for themselves.

If you have multiple debts, they may feel completely overwhelming. Before you panic, know that you can do this together. And there are strategies you can use to make it easier.

The first is known as the avalanche method. You prioritise your payments by interest rates. You work to pay off the debt with the highest interest rate first, while still paying the minimums on other debts. Mathematically, this makes the most sense. The interest rates on loans and credit cards cost you more the longer you hold on to them.

Another popular way, called the snowball method, is to start with the debt with the smallest balance and work your way up, regardless of interest rate. Some find it intimidating to try and tackle their biggest, ‘baddest’ debt. If you are easily discouraged, starting small can keep you motivated by giving you a quick win. Although it may not be most financially efficient, what matters is that you don't give up making progress.

Lastly, marriage is a partnership that both should contribute to - and it's not limited to providing money. You share ideas and emotional support. While things might get tough, remember that you have the same goal. When all is said and done, you'll have a stronger relationship. Courtesy: http://pulse.ng/

The 10 most educated people on the planet: Lessons for Young People about Priorities!

By Clive Mutame SIACHIYAKO

As of December 2011; the people below were far the most educated people on the planet (after all who spends their entire life studying?) but they do hold more degrees than a thermometer.  This may be of interest to some people out there.  Thanks to online colleges for this one.

1. Michael Nicholson: He has been racking up college degrees since 1963 and doesn’t have any plans to slow down soon. The 67-year-old has taken full advantage the tuition discounts he and his wife get by working at Western Michigan University. Over his lifetime, Nicholson has amassed 27 different degrees, including two associate’s degrees, 19 master’s degrees, three specialist degrees, and one PhD. Nicholson doesn’t pursue degrees for work, he just loves to learn and likes being able to take advantage of courses that help him learn about a wide range of subjects. His wife has also taken up the college hobby, earning seven degrees of her own. Nicholson is currently working on two more master’s degrees and plans to keep going as long as he can.

2. Zhou Baokuan: Over 35 years of study, Zhou Baokuan has earned nine degrees in total. He’s currently finishing up what will be his tenth degree, a PhD at Fudan University, to add to his collection which, include three other doctorates, two master’s, and four other bachelor’s and technical certification diplomas. It hasn’t been an easy road for Baokuan. He estimates that his studies have taken him over 126,300 hours to complete. He currently holds the record in China for the most number of degrees completed.

3. Benjamin Bolger: Overachiever Benjamin Bolger hasn’t just gotten a lot of degrees (11 in total), but has gotten them from some of the most prestigious colleges in the world. He got an early start, graduating at only 19 from the University of Michigan with his bachelor’s degree. In 2008, Bolger graduated with his first doctorate from Harvard, though he is no stranger to Ivy League schools. He also holds degrees from Columbia, Brown, Stanford, Dartmouth, Oxford, and Cambridge (not to mention another degree from Harvard) and is still studying for an additional five through Penn and Cornell. What makes Bolger’s story even more amazing is that he has struggled with severe dyslexia his entire life, a disability he’s clearly never let hold him back.

4. Dr. Hardial Singh Sainbhy: With a total of 35 degrees to his credit, Dr. Sainbhy is one of the most degreed people in the world. This Indian super student has degrees in a wide array of subjects, holding 15 masters degrees, five post-graduate diplomas, a bachelor of law, AMIE and AMSIE certification, and numerous bachelor’s degrees. Sainbhy has spent most of his life in a college classroom and plans to keep earning degrees for as long as he’s able to attend classes.

5. Ashoka J. Prasad Jr.: Indian professor Ashoka Prasad is a leader in the medical field in his country, helping advance pediatrics and neonatal care for Indian citizens and has taught at schools like Columbia, U Penn, Harvard, Yale, and Cambridge. While he may teach health-related topics to his students, he has degrees in a much wider range of studies, totaling 19 degrees in all. These degrees include an MA in anthropology from Cambridge as well as MRC in psychiatry from the University of Edinburgh though he holds others in geography, history, mathematics, and aviation medicine. 56-year-old Prasad has since retired to his home in India, but he still writes and speaks on many psychiatry topics.

6. R.K. Rai: Some people just can’t get enough of being a student, and R.K. Rai is one of those people. Over his lifetime this 65-year-old has earned more than 30 degrees, including a mind-boggling 22 MAs, 5 PhDs, and three D. Litts – all in widely divergent fields. Now retired from his work as a professor, Rai believes that lifelong learning is essential to a happy life, which may be why he plans to keep earning degrees even though he’s retired from academics. He’s currently working on a MA in astrology from Magadh University and plans to return to college as an administrator in the coming months.

7. Robert Raffa: Dr. Robert Raffa is currently professor and chair of pharmaceutical studies at Temple University, and he has never shied away from academic life. This professor holds five different degrees, including two bachelor’s, two master’s, and a PhD. Unlike some of the others on this list with more degrees, Raffa uses all of his certifications, having engaged in a variety of research projects, written books, and taught classes related to chemistry and pharmacology. He’s also won numerous awards and grants, showing that you don’t need a dozen degrees to stand out in your field.

8. Satch Ejike: African-born lawyer and social scientist Ejike has dabbled in a little bit of everything during his academic career. He holds five degrees that include an LL.B. in law, B.L in law, MS in political science, MA in humanities, LL.M. in business and taxation, and a PhD in business history and public policy. While Ejike has had teaching positions in law and the humanities and currently works as a lawyer, he’s perhaps best known for work that has little to do with any of his five degrees. He’s the author of a number of books on the physics of attraction, with the aim of helping couples stay together and form closer bonds.

9. Daniela Simidchieva: With an IQ of 200, Daniela Simidchieva is one of the smartest people in the world. She’s also one of the most well-educated. She holds five masters degrees and two bachelor’s degrees, in fields as diverse as English, economics, and electrical engineering. She managed to do all that learning while still being a mother to her three children, something any parent in school should find inspiring. Currently, Simidchieva works for Progressive Business Solutions as an expert on international programs and projects, but even she, with all of her degrees and expertise, had a hard time finding a job in this economy.

10. Michael Griffin: While he might not hold the insane amount of degrees that some others on this list do, Michael Griffin’s educational history is still impressive, to say the least. A physicist and aerospace engineer, Griffin was the chief administrator of NASA until 2009. His degrees, seven in all, no doubt helped him to land that amazing job. He has a BA in physics, an MS and PhD in aerospace engineering, an MS in electrical engineering, an MS in physics, an MS in civil engineering and an MBA. Before being appointed chief of NASA, Griffin was also working towards finishing an MS in computer science at Johns Hopkins. In 2007, Time named Griffin as one of their 100 “Most Influential People,” and with his education and expertise, we have to agree. Courtesy of edgalaxy.com/journal/2011