Happy second half of the year! We are getting closer to the year end 2008 and it’s about time we take stock of our activities until now. This year one of our goals was to improve and grow the quality of our relationships in line with our holistic approach to goal setting. Away from numbers this approach like all other approaches is both challenging and an enlightening experience.

A lot of effort goes into developing certain habits like occasional phone calls, personal visits, sending emails and most of all honouring invitations geared towards enabling individuals reach out and interact with friends both new and old. 1 out of every 10 Ugandan professionals today is pursuing further studies and this is the biggest single hindrance to good relationships in families and among friends.

If I may divert a little, other drawbacks arise from our attitudes towards work and other aspects like integrity, trustworthiness, faithfulness, perseverance, patience and honesty that have since eluded us. We have since ignored the qualities that once defined our societies. I am not talking about personal specifications for a job. Why are there an increasing number of individuals who are hesitant to recommend friends and family for particular job openings? We have substituted these qualities for technical and educational capabilities. As it is, most people possess the technical aspects but fall short on motivation to deliver on defined tasks and goals.

Isn’t it also true that today, an increasing number of professionals at entry level are opting for high remunerations and advanced studies as opposed to acquiring the requisite experience. We are not short of qualified persons but seriously we are handicap in the area of ethics and integrity which since time immemorial have defined our persona.

Very few things in life come free. We have to invest both our time and resources to achieve this far. It’s upon individuals today to review their personal and family goals this second half of the year. Do not leave anything to chance. Even God has plans, or wasn’t it written that He has plans to prosper us and not fail us. We need to make a deliberate effort to change our current settings for the better. And it does not come cheap. A friend of mine once told me that you can’t judge a successful man from his possessions but from the quality of relationships he commands.

I hope I have demonstrated and achieved in my relationships this year. And I sure hope that this can stir and motivate our every department to achieve our goals for 2008.