Get Your Priorities Right!

There has been too much negative energy around me the past couple of weeks. So much such that my brain found it hard to channel inspiring thoughts that I would happily share with you. So, I took a decision not to post this week, until one of my colleagues whom I now call ‘Coach’ told me that he visited the blog and could not find my new post. So I said to him “No, I can't write today, I don't want to lose my job”. So he interpreted that as me saying I cannot be working on my blog during work hours, but what I really meant was the topic that I have in mind is quite “political” and I am worried I might get into trouble if I post it. So he insisted on hearing what it might be about and when it comes to telling stories, I am not the kind that kisses and does not tell- I mean what’s the point if I am going to keep it all to myself? I share for the benefit of those who do not get so they can at least feed their imagination- Oops! I’m getting a little carried away now, am I not?

Anyway, back to the story….apologies for the pinch of sugar that I am going to add, but it’s for the best. Yes, I used that line which usually means the opposite. Don't worry; I am going to get to the story eventually. The story unfortunately is not rosy as I have mentioned that I have been channelling some negative energy lately. I mean, who wouldn't when we have people carrying poop buckets at the heart of the city at day time? So, as the person who doesn't like complaining I found myself asking if I was a mayor of any city what would I have done differently? Then it occurred to me that I actually have no idea what a mayor’s job entails. I know what you thinking, I am not ignorant, I am just very selective about the things I concern myself with- and politics do not feature in my list.  

To cut the story short, apart from the service delivery story we all know about, there are also things like ribbon cutting and spreading and spreading the IDP evangelism. You know what IDP is mos- the whole Safe City and Inclusive city business. Now that we talking about being "inclusive" it just makes me wonder who exactly does it apply to when we have groups labelled as "thugs"....just thinking. I wonder if those people have any place in the  "inclusive" city.   Anyway, my general assumption when I saw the ribbon cutting part as one of the roles  was that it probably applies to occasion like opening of new schools, clinics or rehab centres, things that really matter in the community so to say. At least those are the occasions where I would see mayors on TV with scissors, a bottle of champagne and a huge smile- that is the glamorous side of the job, especially if you are the kind of person who likes watching themselves on TV. Juggling public relations and service delivery however may be a tricky business- again, especially if you are the kind of person who likes watching themselves on TV. So this brings us to one thing-Prioritisation.

Getting your priorities right from the beginning really makes all the difference. Let me give you a simple example, if you were a mayor and you got an invitation to go and cut a ribbon because the first ever branch of Burger King in the province is being opened in Bloemfontein and you also get a complaint about poop buckets that have not been collected for months in Hennenman, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? “Let me phone my hairdresser and make an appointment, I can’t be seen on TV with this hair…the range rover will make a good impression…which cousin must I take with me this time” You get the picture! So this thing we call prioritisation is what speaks sense to you when all your mind is concerned about are petty issues like looking nice for the media. Prioritisation is what tells you to snap out of your selfishness and think of the effects of living with poop at your doorstep and smelling it in your kitchen. Hence, I will now conclude by saying if i was a mayor of any city, prioritisation would be my focal point... What do you think? Oh! one more thing, i would probably stick to "no comment" when confronted by the media until i get hold of my speech writer- it's called damage control.