Profile-TV Presenter: Geraldine Mandengenda

Geraldine Mandengenda, one of the hosts of popular local youth TV show Y.G.T, says she knew she was destined to be on Television one day.

The Young, Gifted, and Talented (pun intended) granted us this official interview and talked to us about her experiences as a television presenter.

Q. Who is Geraldine?
Geraldine is a girl born and bred in Harare and I’m 22 years old currently studying Bachelor of Arts in media studies. I’m in the broadcasting world right now and I’m in the entertainment industry and I’m loving it. I’m the only girl in a family of 3and I got 2 elder brothers. I’m more of a reserved person but when it comes to my job, when it comes to presenting I’m a totally different character. I’m all bubbling and talking even more and yes basically that’s me.

Q. Did you know that you were going to here by this time?
I never thought that I’m going to be here by this time you know. It actually hit me by surprise, of cause I did attend auditions when I started presenting that is like 7 years back but I never thought that I would still continue to be in the broadcasting industry. It was that kind of thing that I thought I was just doing it for fun because I was really really young when I started because was only at the age of 15.  So I just thought I’m just doing it for fun and most probably I’m going to take up another career that is after I finish my A`s or after I finish my degree in whatever that I’m going to study but I never thought that this time around I will be actually here and especially with the fact that where I am right now I’m inspiring a lot of youths a lot of young girls. I am on a stage and point in my life where a lot of people look up to me so it’s something that I never dreamt I will be actually doing right now, but I would like to say that it’s something really exciting especially with the fact that I’m really passionate about it
 

Q. What inspired you to choose this career path?
Well presenting is something that I have always loved. I have always being passionate about it ever since I was little girl and I always looked up to my aunt. My aunt being Prisca Utete who is one of zbc main correspondences and she has always inspired me. So ever since I was a young girl I have always wanted to be in the broadcasting industry and I have always liked it so that is why I choose this career path.

Q. If you could stand up for something what would it be
Well if I could really stand up for one thing that will be to really help all the child headed families that we have all across Africa because most policies only tend to focus on women and children and yet we have child headed families that is those who don’t have parents, who don’t even have mothers who actually take care of them. So yes that will be child headed families. Something needs to done in relation to helping them you know with their upkeep if it means with their school fees or funding in relation to clothing, food u know whatever is necessary that they need and that will be to stand up for child headed families that we have in Africa.

Q. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Well on the next 5 years most probably I’m going to be having my very own media house because I have always wanted to produce my very own media house, because I have always wanted to produce my very own talk show and yes that’s means I want to remain in the broadcasting industry producing my own shows and presenting at the same time. So guess I’m going to be producing my own shows soon (laughs).
 

Q. Tell us one thing we don’t know about you
One thing that a lot of people really don’t know about me is that I love cooking. I actually enjoy being in the kitchen most of the time helping my mum dong different dishes. I really love inventing new recipes in the kitchen. A lot of people think that I’m that kind of girl who wouldn’t cook in the kitchen but I’m actually a good cook, I’m not that bad, but I love inventing new recipes in the kitchen.

Q. What do you do to keep you level headed?
Well what I always make sure that I do to stay level headed when it comes to presenting is that as a person you have to be knowing where you are going. Know your aims and goals, your mission. What you aiming at and what you really  want to be in life and never let success get to your head and that really help me a lot to be always be level headed in my career and my life so yes that helps me a lot.
 

Q. What are your top 5 habits?

MAKE UP LOVER
I constantly click to make up things be it lip stain, mascara, lip-gloss obviously make up has to be one of a girl best friends a yes I really love it and I constantly check out the latest trending in makeup and what’s on, what’s good you know what’s bad and yes I always make sure that I follow tutorials on different social network platforms be it on YouTube, be it international videos and local videos. I really love makeup yes I want to say I’m a really really great make-up artist but yes might just get there it’s not like it’s going to be something that’s going to be branching from my main career that is presenting but I could see myself one day with a make-up studio doing people`s make up and stuff. I really love it, even my friends and family know that if they want to buy make up stuff they also get some advice from me, I’m like their make-up therapist.

PROACTIVE PERSON
The 4th habit is that Ito like say I’m a proactive person. That means that I’m not a person who would wait for an opportunity to knock at my door and say it came locating me, well actually I’m the locator. I always try to create new opportunities for myself and I always make sure that I go out there and grab my destiny by the horns you know I never wait for opportunities to locate me. I’m a self-determined person so I always make sure that what I feel is good for me or what I feel is going to change my life for the better and for the positive I actually do it with determination u know that resulting in success and yes I’m a proactive person.

ALWAYS LEARNING NEW THINGS
It is very important and very essential in anyone`s life to make sure that willing to do new things. Personally this allows me to be constantly learning and it gives me the room for self-growth and whatever situation that is presented in my life you know it’s never difficult to tackle. So I love learning new things so always learning for me is one of my top 3 habits actually in my top 5 habits.

TIME MANAGEMENT
The second of my top 5 will be time management, constantly I make sure that I know my schedule and I manage my time very well especially with the fact that right now I’m studying, I’m going to school and at the same time I’m going to work. I make sure that I know what I’m supposed to be doing, where I’m supposed to be at so that I avoid any clashes in my time table, any clashes in my schedule. I make sure that I always plan maybe a day or a week a before you know it there is something that is supposed to be happening or if there is an event that I’m supposed to be attending, if there is a show that I’m supposed to be recording, if there is an exam that I’m supposed to be having. I always make sure that I manage my time if its school time its school time and work time is work time, so time management will be my number 2 of my top 5 habits.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The 1st one of my top 5 habits is I always make sure that I know what is going on like the current news be it celebrity gossip, be it politics whatever, Because as a presenter you need to what is happening especially with all the presenting you know and as for me I actually do live television shows and you need to know what is happening around so that your viewers get to know new information every day and it actually captures your audience attention and mind you know. You need to know what is happening so always make sure I do my research, know what is trending, know what’s not trending, know the latest gossip, and know the latest news all the time that is really part of me and important.

POWER OF ATTITUDE

We’ve all heard about the power of our attitude and that it’s our attitude that determines how much we succeed in life. Statements such as “It’s not just our aptitude but our attitude that determines our success” are often sprouted and I think we’d all agree that people with a positive attitude just seem to enjoy life more and are generally happier and more successful. 

1. Be honest with yourself.
If you’re feeling bad or down and your attitude towards life or work is quite poor, then admit it to yourself. Don’t live in denial. Accept there is an issue because only once you’ve accepted something for the way it is can you make a change.

2. Get some rest
Have there been times when you’re overworked and stressed and you’re not getting as much rest as you should? How do you feel during those times? I bet you’re agitated and the smallest things can set you off. Often just getting some rest and forcing ourselves to take a break can be the best thing for our attitude. Adequate rest and sleep is a vital ingredient to maintaining a positive attitude.

3. Get clear on exactly what is causing you to have such a bad attitude
What exactly is bothering you? Is it your boss? Your partner? Your kids? There have been many times when I know I’m not quite feeling right but I can’t put a finger on exactly what’s bothering me and until I can figure it out, my attitude remains bad. However, once I figure out exactly what is bothering me (and that usually only takes a few minutes of quiet reflection), I can then do something about it and my attitude immediately changes.

4. Look at the Consequences of your Bad Attitude
For example, are you stressed at work because of impending deadlines? Is that causing you to snap at your kids and walk around the house with a bad attitude. If so, look at the consequences of that. Your poor kids and your partner have got nothing to do with how things are at work. So why should they cop the brunt of your poor attitude? If you continue with this, what’s going to happen? Things at home will only get worse and that will only make your attitude even worse. It’s a negative spiral which is very tough to get out of. So get clear on the consequences of your bad attitude. Who are you hurting as a result of being grumpy?

5. Do Something to change your attitude
What can you do to improve your attitude? For example, if you’ve had a bad day at work and you’re about to walk in the door and see the family with that same bad attitude, what can you do to change the way you feel? If I’m walking home, I will often take a longer route. The added exercise and fresh air often helps clear my head or I’ll start listening to some uplifting music which immediately improves my attitude. I might also go for a run or head to the gym. What can you do to change your attitude.

6. Change the way you are looking at the situation
We all have trigger situations that cause us to get into a bad mood and to have a bad attitude toward life. Remember it is not the event, experience or problem itself but rather the way we respond to it that makes us feel the way we do. For example, if you feel like you have too much to do at work, rather than complaining and wishing it will go away, take on your extra work as a challenge. Imagine how good it would feel to get through all this work and have your head about water again. Then, with your new positive attitude attack your workload with a new enthusiastic gusto. I guarantee that when you change the way you look at something, your attitude and your results will immediately change.

7. Have an attitude of gratitude.
When Sir John Templeton was interviewed and he was asked what the definition of wealth is, he replied, “Live with an attitude of gratitude”. Everyday, look for things to be grateful for. I don’t care how tough things get, there is always something to be grateful for, whether it is as simple as the fact that you have eyes to see things with, a roof over your head or a bed to sleep in. Look for 5 things to be grateful for everyday, seek to live with an attitude of gratitude and watch your entire attitude towards life change.

Think of everyday as a fresh start. Looking in the past can only do harm, and no matter how old you are there is always room to grow. So forget about the past and look onward to the future with positivity. Whoever said “you can't teach an old dog new tricks” was wrong.

*TIPS ON HOW TO REMAIN POOR*

*1. _Never wake up early._*

 Keep stretching and turning in bed until you get too hungry to continue dozing. If there are no bed bugs,
why hurry to get up?

*2. _Never plan how to spend your money._*

 Whenever you get money, start spending it right away and when it's finished, you try to count and recall how you spent it.

*3. _Don't think of saving until you have real big money._* 

How can you save when you earn so little? Those telling you to save are not sympathetic to your burning needs.

*4. _Don't engage in activities usually reserved for the"uneducated"._* 

How can you, a graduate, engage in petty trade, network marketing or home-based production? That's for people who never went to school!

*5. _Don't think of starting a business until an angel comes from heaven and gives you capital._*

 How do they expect you to invest before you get millions? Even though more than half the businesses in your town were started with little capital, you as a smart person can only start with millions.

*6. _Complain about everything except your own attitude and laziness._*

Blame the system, the government and the banks that refused to lend you money. They are all bad and do not want you to get rich.

*7. _Spend more than you earn._*
To achieve this, buy consumer products on credit and keep borrowing from friends and employers.

*8. _Compete in dressing._* 

Make sure you're wearing the latest clothes. Intimidate the congregation with your trendy
fashions every Sunday. Whenever your neighbor buys a new phone, you get one that is more expensive.

*9. _Get yourself a nice second hand car_*

That costs more than three times your yearly salary.

*10. _Give your children everything they ask for since you're such a loving parent._*
They should not struggle for anything because you do not want them to suffer that way, they will grow up lazy and hence poor enough to ensure they can't help you at old age

LIFE WITHOUT PURPOSE

The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life without a reason. It is very dangerous to be alive and not know why you were given life. One of the most frustrating experiences is to have time but not know why. From the beginning of man`s history mankind has been grappling with old age questions: why am I here? What is the reason for my existence? What is the meaning of my life? Is there a reason for the universe, the creation and man? These questions are universal. They dig deep within the secret chambers of every human being on earth regardless of their colour, ethnic heritage, socioeconomic status or nationality. However most philosophers have made an attempt to explore these seemingly illusive questions but for what it’s worth they came up with more questions than answers.

One of the deepest craving of the human mind is to find a sense of significance and relevance. The struggle for relevance in life is the ultimate pursuit of man. Conscious or unconscious, admitted or unadmitted, this internal passion is what motivates and drives every human being, either directly or indirectly. It influences his decisions, controls his behaviour and dictates his responses to his environment. This passion makes one race or ethnic group elevate itself above another. It also gives prejudice and causes the fabrication of erroneous perceptions that result in grave injustices and the conception of abominable and inhuman behaviour. This desperate desire to feel important also causes the sacrifice of common sense, good judgement, moral standards and basic human values. Many individuals have sacrificed excellent reputations and years of character building lifestyles for the sake of advancement to a desired position, or a place of recognition and fame in their society or workplace, so they could feel important and worthwhile. 

In essence, this deep desire for a sense of importance, significance and relevance is the cause and motivation of all human behaviour and conflict. This passion for significance knows no boundaries. Therefore one should set forth some essentials principles, precepts and concepts that you must understand as you embark or continue on your journey of discovering your purpose. PURPOSE IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE FULFILLMENT. Everyone may know who you are but you may not know why you like that. In other words you haven’t realised your purpose. You will have been driven by the expectations of others that you haven’t discovered your personal reason for being. 

Purpose is the key to life
There are millions today who are busy making a living, but they experience very little of life. If your goal in life is to be wealthy so you can retire, you have embarked on a depressing journey to nowhere. If your vision for life is measured by status, your upkeep will be your downfall. Your vision is buried in your purpose. With knowledge of purpose, life becomes an endless string of activities with little or no significance. Like a rider on a rocking horse, life without purpose makes much motion but no progress.
A lack of purpose and the impending tragedy that results from its absence is not found only in people but in all things. When elements of nature lose their purpose, chaos and destruction are the results. When nations, societies, communities or organisations, friendships, marriages, clubs, churches, countries lose their sense of purpose and significance, then confusion, frustration, discouragement, disillusionment and corporate suicide whether gradual or instant reign. 

Purpose is the master of motivation and the mother of commitment
It is the source of enthusiasm and the womb of perseverance. Purpose gives birth to hope and instils the passion to act. It is the common denominator that gives every creature an element of distinction. The guiding sense of purpose is more than an orientation toward a goal. Rather it is deep awareness that a common vision, we can only exist. We feel no passion for living neither do we have a reason to wake up in the morning. Practical examples we have is Dr Strive and Tsitsi Masiiwa have shown that there are living a purposeful life. We have these role models that we look up to and they nature us to realise our purpose.

How To Be On Time – Always!

Imagine arriving for a meeting or even church, and as you walk into the venue, you hear the speaker giving the closing remarks. Or, arriving at the airport after exceeding speed limits and beating several traffic lights only to discover you missed your flight by a few minutes?

As a person of excellence it is expected of you to always be on time. You have to take the responsibility of making it happen by putting in conscious efforts to attain it.

Outlined below are some tips to help you be on time always.

Prepare for tomorrow today:
Before going to bed in the night, have your morning laid out. Plan the clothes you will wear and get them kept at arm’s length. Have your routine for the morning laid out and specific times to have each task accomplished. Items like keys, cards, wallets, purses etc. should be kept together in an obvious place.

·         

Wake up Early:
Waking up is the first thing you do in a day. Waking up early sets you on course early, and gives you plenty of time ahead of the rush hours. People that achieve a lot during the day wake up early in the day. The Bible says of Jesus that He rose early before dawn to pray (Mark 1:35). When you wake up early, you give yourself time to pray, prepare and plan for the day and anticipate what’s to come. The most popular way to wake up early is to set an alarm. One key tip to waking up early is going to bed early.    

·         

Have duration for every task:
Waking up early is beneficial; but it doesn’t guarantee you being on time. Set duration for every task you have lined up for the day. Don’t spend too much time on a task. For example, one could wake up early and spend too much time on getting breakfast set and end up running late. Have an account of how much time each task will take and consciously ensure you end the task within the stipulated time.

·         

Clear Away Distractions:
The little time you think you spend on social media feeds, instant messages, an email etc. amounts to a great deal of time. Avoid unnecessary chats and conversations especially when you have tasks at hand. Avoid the temptation to do ‘just one more’ of that thing you’re not supposed to be doing at a specific time, because it might just escalate from ‘just one’ to many.

·         

Anticipate delays in your plan and action:
Imagine you have a meeting scheduled for 4:00pm, and it normally takes 30minutes to get to the venue from your location. Leaving your location at 3:30pm for the meeting would be erroneous. You have to consider the possibility of unforeseeable circumstances erupting. Remember there are things that you don’t have control over, so when planning put these into consideration. It is better to be hours early than minutes late.

Stay at it:
It actually takes some time to make changes. If you miss it the first few time, don’t quit trying. Work on being consistent at it, Keep at it, don’t stop working on yourself, and believe that you can achieve it. Very shortly, you’ll observe that you have made tremendous progress.

Enjoy!
God Bless You.

SELF WORTH

Two important management lessons I learnt from a 500 Naira note.

1. It happened some time ago but . I was in an audience listening to a motivational speaker. The speaker got out his wallet & pulled out a 500 Naira note. Holding it up, he asked, "Who wants this 500 naira note?"
Lots of hands went up. Including mine. A slow chorus began to build as people began to shout "Me!" "Me!" I began to wonder who the lucky one would be who the speaker would choose. And I also secretly wondered (and I am sure others did too ) why he would simply give away 500 naira. Even as the shouts of "I want it" grew louder, I noticed a young woman running down the aisle. She ran up onto the stage, went up to the speaker, and grabbed the five 500 naira note from his hand. "Well done, young lady," said the speaker into the microphone. The speaker simply say "Most of us just sit and wait for good things to happen. That's of no use. You've got to make things happen. Make a move" 'Simply thinking about doing something is of no use and not gud enough'. Our lives are like that. We all see opportunities around us. We all want the good things. But the problem is we don't take action. We all want the 500 naira notes on offer. But we don't make the move. We look at it longingly. Get up, and do something about it. Don't worry about what other people might think take action.

2. Later, the speaker got another 500 naira note and held it up for all to see, I thought I knew what's up. But he just asked a simple question. "How much is this worth?" "Five Hundred naira!" the crowd yelled in unison. "Right," said the speaker. He then took the note and crumpled it into a ball and asked "How much is it worth now?" "Five Hundred naira!" screamed the audience. He then threw the note on the ground, stamped all over it and picked up the note and asked one more time: "And how much is it worth now?" "Five Hundred naira!" was the response. "I want you to remember this," said the speaker. "Just because someone crumples it, or stamps on it, the value of the note does not diminish. We should all be like the 500 naira note. In our lives, there will be times when we feel crushed, stamped over, beaten. But never let your self-worth diminish. Just because someone chooses to crush you, that doesn't change your worth one bit!
Don't allow your self-worth to diminish because someone says something nasty or does something dirty to you."
Never let your self-worth diminish.

Initiatives and Strategies to reduce cost n increase value deliverables in Procurement and SCM

Move Supplies Faster
If you can find ways to expedite shipments from suppliers, you can order closer to the time you need the supplies. Ordering far in advance can incur warehouse costs, because you have to store them so that they'll be available, and products are more likely to get lost or damaged. In addition, examine whether you can shorten the time it takes you to transport supplies from where you receive them to where you need them. Transportation from the supplier and within your company can add days or weeks to your supply chain and increase costs

Improve Space Utilization
It costs you money to keep supplies and inventory in a warehouse. If you conduct an analysis of how well you are using your storage space, you may find that you are paying for too much space. You may also be wasting money paying personnel to search for stored items. A more efficient storage strategy could reduce the amount of space you use and the amount of time it takes to find and pull items. This could result in reduced rent and payroll costs.

Use Multiple Suppliers
If you only use one supplier, you are eliminating competition for your orders. Find several suppliers who can compete on price, and use several of them at all times so you can avoid costly delays in receiving products. If one supplier is out, another may have the items. Using multiple suppliers protects you from spending money for less-than-satisfactory service.

Collaborate, Don't Compete — A true value-oriented supply chain consists of an extensive network of integrated suppliers, suppliers' suppliers, internal supply chain participants and customers, all working together to maximize the value of the supply chain. When you develop relationships with suppliers, it is the mirror image of setting up customer relationships. Just as you want your customers to succeed, you should want your suppliers to succeed, too. Each participant's success and increased value has a positive impact on your supply chain performance as well as your bottom line.

Just as you want your business processes and people to be aligned in terms of goals and strategies and operations, your supply chain partners should be aligned to collaborate and develop ideas for mutual competitive advantage. Suppliers can often be the best source for new ideas on technology, process streamlining, inventory reduction and product design improvements. But making this work requires different methods of developing incentives and monitoring performance for partners. Fortunately, there are approaches to joint risk/reward sharing available that can be incorporated into supplier agreements.

Focus on total cost of ownership (TCO), not price.One benefit of strategic sourcing is that it shifts the focus from looking only at the purchase price to understanding the total cost of owning or consuming a product or service. For significant spend areas, procurement teams at best-in-class companies are abandoning the outmoded practice of receiving multiple bids and selecting a supplier simply on price. Instead, they consider many other factors that affect the total cost of ownership. This makes good sense when you consider that acquisition costs account for only 25 to 40 percent of the total cost for most products and services. The balance (and majority) of the total comprises operating, training, maintenance, warehousing, environmental, quality, and transportation costs as well as the cost to salvage the product's value later on. Identifying the total cost of ownership requires looking at the entire process of procuring and consuming the product or service, something that can only happen with cooperation and input from both the buyer and the seller. Best-in-class organizations do not stop there, however. They also ask suppliers and internal stakeholders the following important question: "How can we work together to reduce the total cost of ownership?"

Establishing a "total cost of ownership" mindset is a goal that the supply management organization needs to embrace and perpetuate throughout the entire enterprise. It will not be easy, however, to convince your company's executive leadership to truly prioritize value over price. Since the global financial collapse in 2009, most chief executives have focused on cost reductions, which they expect will translate to reduced prices.

Put contracts under the supply chain function

Purchasing and procurement teams often negotiate significant potential savings during the sourcing process but never fully realize those savings. The reasons for this vary, but they often include a failure to communicate contract terms to the affected organizations and a failure to monitor contract compliance.

All too often, in fact, the executed contract is filed away in some drawer and forgotten. This is no exaggeration; several years ago, the research firm Aberdeen Group asked supply managers the following question in a survey: "How do you manage your company's contracts?" Their answers were startling. Two thirds of the respondents stated, "We can't even find the contracts, much less manage them."

More companies are moving responsibility for contract management to the supply chain organization rather than leaving it in purchasing, legal, finance, or operations. One benefit of this shift is that it ensures the contracts are collected and maintained in a central repository. The migration of the contract management function to the supply chain organization also allows the supply chain leader to more effectively leverage the company's spend, particularly in the area of services, where there is a great opportunity for cost reduction and risk mitigation.

Optimize company-owned inventory 

The global economic downturn means that more chief financial officers have put inventory on their radar screens, and their financial teams are constantly looking for new ways to improve the bottom line and reduce working capital. Supply chain organizations should therefore constantly review their inventory quantities and strive to keep them at an optimal level.

It's no surprise that best-in-class companies are paying attention to inventory at the highest levels. The "real" cost of holding inventory often is higher than the generally assumed 20 to 25 percent. In fact, recent research reveals that inventory holding costs could represent up to 60 percent of the cost of an item that is held in inventory for 12 months. Those findings included the holding cost of insurance, taxes, obsolescence, and warehousing. Poor planning and forecasting are direct causes of inventories that are out of balance with a business's needs. Accordingly, best-in-class companies also are placing more emphasis on demand planning and forecasting as an additional means of ensuring optimal inventory levels.