Lessons we can learn from elephants
- ANTONIA KIDMAN
The elephant’s
gestational period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal.
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Lesson: It can take
time for good ideas to gestate.
Slow and steady is
not necessarily a bad thing. It’s important to take the time to properly
plan, since many new start-ups can fail simply because they haven’t done
their homework first.
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Elephants are born
with fewer survival instincts than many other animals.
Instead, they must
rely on their elders to teach them the things they need to know.
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Lesson: Finding a
good mentor with experience is critical.
Being willing to
accept their help, particularly in the formative stages can enhance your
business’s success. It also provides a way to learn business skills as your
business expands.
Seek out advice from
an accountant, financial specialist or take advantage of mentoring
programmes.
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Elephants are a
symbol of wisdom in Asian cultures and are famed for their memory and
intelligence.
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Lesson: Respect can
take time to earn.
Women tend to be
less adept at self-promotion. In other words, we are not quick to tell other
people about our achievements and successes and this has wider knock-on
effects. Successful businesswomen should be celebrated and more widely
promoted, not only to inspire other women, but also to encourage the business
community to consider the huge potential that exists in female-run
businesses.
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An elephant’s skin
is extremely tough and measures
about an inch thick.
But although tough, it is very sensitive.
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Lesson: Develop your
own thick skin.
For many of us,
criticism can be hard to bear. Whether it’s peer response, a tough economic
environment or one too many rejections, every business faces situations which
make it easy to think about giving in. But by learning to view these
situations objectively and figuring out what you need to learn from the
experience you stand a better chance of weathering the storm. And at the same
time, relish your ability to show sensitivity and empathy, which can be used
to your advantage.
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Healthy adult
elephants have no natural predators, although lions may take calves or weak
individuals.
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Lesson: A healthy
business is the best defense.
This starts with
proper business planning, including a focus on cash flow. Many businesses –
particularly those in the service-based sectors suffer sever paeaks and
troughs in revenue. Make sure you really understand the financial demands and
costs of your business.
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Elephants have the ability
to use their trunks like snorkels for breathing and are known to swim like
that for up to 6 hours and 50km.
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Lesson: Use what
you’ve got!
Our skills at
multi-tasking and organisation can make us great entrepreneurs. Have
self-belief and be prepared to recognize your success.
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The elephant’s trunk
may have over forty thousand individual muscles in it, making it sensitive
enough to pick up a single blade of grass, yet strong enough to rip
the branches off a tree.
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Lesson: Know how and
when to use your strength.
A factor that links
many successful businesswomen is their determination to succeed. Often this
manifests itself in competing just a little bit harder, and being prepared to
make tough decisions when the situation requires it. While having clear goals
and aspirations is important, real success requires self-confidence and
courage.
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Elephants display a
wide variety of behaviours including those associated with music, art,
altruism, play, use of tools, compassion and self awareness.
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Lesson: A work/life
balance is important.
While it can be
tempting to devote ourselves to our business, this can at times come at the
expense of our families or ourselves. Women are very good at feeling terribly
guilty when we take time out. However, this is so important!
There is no doubt
taking time out of your business can be hard to do if you don’t have the
support system in place with good employees, friends or family. But when we
do, the benefits are rewarding. Not only do you feel more refreshed, making
you a better wife, partner, mother or friend, but it helps to centre you
around what is important, providing the ability to look at your business with
fresh eyes.
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Elephants can
communicate over long distances by producing and receiving a sub-sonic
rumbling, which can travel in the air and through the ground much further
than higher frequencies.
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Lesson: Take
advantage of the communication tools at your disposal.
Modern communication
like the internet can help keep networking connections strong, through use of
email, blogs, and social networking tools.
It can provide links
to like-minded, experienced business owners through mentoring programs. There
are great resources available online to assist in bringing a business idea to
life, or helping to broaden and grow your business skills and best of all
most are free.
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Elephants live in a
structured social order. Females spend their entire lives in tightly knit
groups made up of mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts. These groups are
led by the eldest female, or matriarch.
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Lesson: As women we
need to stand together and learn from each other’s skills, strength and
experience
Make an effort to
find people who share common interests and a sense of community. Local
business associations and local council
networking groups offer
the chance to meet other women – and gives you the chance to support and
learn from each other’s experience and skills
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And finally: When a
group gets too big, a few of the elder daughters will break off and form
their own small group.
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Lesson: Women can be
the driving force to create new enterprises, and explore new opportunities.
Research from the UK
suggests that women are more likely to be more innovative than men in their
approach to business development and new ideas, which can only benefit the business
community. If you have a good idea, a plan for success and the resources to
strike out, then have the confidence to be entrepreneurial.
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இப்படியும் மேஜை கிடைக்குதுங்க.. ..
ha ha ha, I like the மேஜை. I am sure Dog lovers will buy it definitely :))
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