Competitive Advantage

There are basically two generic strategies to achieve competitive advantage according to Michael Porter: Cost leadership and Differentiation strategy.   Companies that fail to adapt any of these two strategies will end up in the middle of everything with no competitive advantage at all.  And that, my friend, is the doomsday for any organization in any type of industry.

With these, firms can be then generally classified into three types:  first, those that adapt one of the strategies, either, cost leadership or differentiation; second, those that opt to adapt both strategies and, lastly, those that are stuck in the middle.

Allow me to associate organizations and firms with people just like you and me in order to provide a simplified explanation for the abovementioned classifications which can spice the way we understand these generic strategies and competitive advantage.

           I_______________________________________________I

Cost Leadership                                                                  Differentiation

Type 1:  Those who choose to stay at one end and focus on one strategy

These are people who are, literally and figuratively, very focused and have roadmaps, if not, cost benefit analysis, in every step that they take in their lives.  These people are those who know themselves really well.  They utilize their strengths to transform their weaknesses in achieving victories.   They can identify their personal qualities which help these individuals in successfully positioning themselves in this world.   These people choose one road and choose to remain in that road because they are quite certain that this will lead them to their aspirations and dreams.

Type 2:  Those who want to be on both ends

These are the people who want to have the best of both worlds.  They aspire for the perfect state by owning everything and believing that they can have the best of everything in this world.  This state, however, is very difficult, if not, impossible to achieve.  One may argue that this is possible given his/her resources and capabilities as an individual.  Yes, one can attain such state but it is often temporary and never permanent.  At a certain stage, a person will reach his/her saturation point where one is overly exhausted of trying to have both worlds.  At which time, he/she will be forced to choose and strongly capitalized on just one end of the continuum. 

Type 3:  Those who are stuck in the middle

These are people who fail to adapt any strategy at all.  They have the wait-and-see attitude because they are, generally, afraid to take considerable risk to choose which road to take.  In fact, they stay in the crossroads long enough that cost them huge and missed opportunities.

These three types may not capture the entirety of man’s classification but one cannot possibly ignore that most of us fall into one of these types.   So, what is the bottomline of the thoughts and arguments which I presented above?

It’s just that overanalyzed things again, I guess…   hahahaha  J

02.01.08

Being Pretty

You’re pretty.

When someone sincerely says these words, rock bottom spirits are suddenly lifted high and suddenly, everything becomes colorful again. 

It feels nice when a person admires you despite of the few but huge breakouts on your face and dark rings around your eyes.   And, it feels good when someone notices you not because of the academic achievements attached to your name.

Yes sometimes, it feels great when someone appreciates your face instead of your brains.   Because at those times, you’re just a girl with a pretty face.

It makes you realize that you can be a head-turner, if you want to.  Somehow, all the insecurities of being undervalued and being taken for granted vanish because of the realization that in the eyes of someone, you are not just a plain girl with brains after all.

It is an incredible feeling, indeed… J

Journal Entry  03 July 2009

Toy Cars

Little toy cars in different sizes and models were scattered in the brightly colored playroom.  The set up was designed such that, each boy is entitled to have only one car of his choice. 

One little boy in particular decided to have two cars.  One was red sports car bearing the most expensive brand and the other one was a plain but functional toy car. 

He then asked himself, “Which car should I choose?”

“I love the red car but I also love the simple one.  The sports car will run the fastest while the simple car may not be as fast as the other one,” he thought.

The boy stared at both cars and was so confused which car to choose until his teacher affectionately tapped his shoulder.

“Son, you have to choose which car to take.  One little boy may be looking for his toy car because you have taken them both,” said his teacher.

The little boy again took a good look at the two toy cars on his hands.  Finally, he said to the plain car, “Is it okay if I choose the red car?”

He looked up at his teacher, kissed the plain car and gave it up.  As his teacher took the plain car away from him, he stared again at the red sports car on his hands.  Without the plain car, his red car looked bare.  And then, he felt empty and incomplete.

He ran to his teacher and asked, “Teacher, can I please have the plain car back and keep them both?”

“That is not possible, son.  You see, every little boy in this room should only have one toy car for him to love and to keep.  And in your case, you have chosen the red car.  If you decide to keep them both, there will be one boy in this room who will be waiting and looking for one of the cars.  One of the cars may be very plain to you but for one particular kid in this room, the plain but functional car is the world to him.”

J

2007 August

Untitled

It feels great…

when someone gives us sincere compliments and reminds us of our good qualities that we may have forgotten,

when a person beamingly introduces us to his family and is eager to meet our families as well,

when one is concerned and asks: how’s  your dad and mom,

when a person proudly introduces us to his friends,

when someone sees us as the most beautiful person on earth despite of the unwanted fats around our tummies and few breakouts on our faces.

It reminds us that while others treat us as an ordinary being, there are those who think that we are special and perfect despite of our imperfections.

And then, we realize that we are worthy to be loved the way that we should be.

Perfect Day

A perfect day does not necessarily start with a perfect morning.  It can start in the late afternoon with someone whom you would like to share the day with.   

It can be: 

.. as crazy as one-and-a-half motorcycle ride in a heavy rain just to have a Pizza Hut’s Cheezy Pops experience.

.. a casual conversation of different types of mushrooms which will make you a millionaire.

.. a simple argument whether little baby boys can undergo ballet lessons.

.. a simple trip to the Burger Machine stand for a cheesy bacon delight.

.. doing stupid things together and then, laugh about them later.

.. listening to music while joking around.

.. a three-hour spur of the moment drive just to have a taste of Starbucks.

And, it can be just looking at someone’s face.

Just like any other day, the perfect day has to end.  It is how the system works to keep things in their perfect balance.  At the end of the day, all we have is the memory that will make an ordinary day perfect for as long as we live.




** from my journal dated 07.21.2007

Chocolates, Balloons and Red Roses

Photo By Nico Salas

Chocolates, balloons and red roses on February 14…

I admit that at one point in my life, I have wished for these things.  During my college years, I envied the girls who have unexpectedly received red roses in class.  I even once wished for someone who would openly profess his love for me on the grounds of Sunken Garden.

For weeks, I have been wondering what my February 14 would be this year as I gladly watched one of my students gave his valentine gift to the girl of his dreams in my  lecture class.

As always, there are no red roses or chocolates for me this year.

I had more.

I had the opportunity to glimpse and see a person’s life in a different light which made me understand and value the person even more.  Finally, it hit me.  I just had my chocolates, balloons and red roses.  They, however, are wrapped differently but the impact is thousand times greater than what I have been yearning for.

NLEX, SCTEX, Hen Lin, Starbucks and a meaningful talk:  This is my version of chocolates, balloons and red roses on my 2009 Valentine’s Day.

** from my journal dated 02.18.2009

Globe vs. Smart

Elements of Retail Mix:

• Type of Merchandise/Service
• Variety and Assortment of Merchandise/Service
• Price
• Level of Customer Service

Have fun! :)

Jollibee vs. McDonalds

Elements of Retail Mix:

• Type of Merchandise/Service
• Variety and Assortment of Merchandise/Service
• Price
• Level of Customer Service

Have fun! :)

ABS CBN vs. GMA7

Elements of Retail Mix:

• Type of Merchandise/Service
• Variety and Assortment of Merchandise/Service
• Price
• Level of Customer Service

Have fun! :)

Popoy & Basha ~ One More Chance

Some popular lines of Popoy and Basha from the movie, One More Chance:

"she loved me at my worst,you had me at my best yet you chose to break my heart.."

"kagustuhan ko naman ito di ba? bakit ako ang nasasaktan ng sobra,alam mo lagi ko pa ding sinasabi sana ako,sana ako nalang,sana ako nalang ulit.."

"kapag ang mahal natin ay iniwan tayo wag ka malungkot,dahil siguradong may darating na bagong taong hindi man maibibigay ang hinahanap natin matatanggap naman tayo at mamahalin.."

"mahal na mahal kita at ang sakit sakit na.."

"sometimes you have to break up to grow up,it takes two grown ups to make a relationship work.."

But this scene beats them all.

**Video edited by MKTG 200(2-1) students, SY 2010-2011.   

Top 10 Panic Situations

1.   You forgot your cellphone at home.

2.   You double murdered your empty toothpaste tube but nothing comes out from it and you’re late for an appointment.

3.   Your mom does not bother you with petty questions anymore.

4.   You’re too tired and weary to care.

5.   You have a case deadline for your 5:30pm Strat Class and yet, you still cannot figure out the case problem at 4.30pm.

6.   You finally cooked the best looking omelet but forgot to add salt in it.

7.   Your best blouses/shirts are all in the laundry basket.

8.   A person tells you “have it your way”.

9.   You are only halfway done with the exam and the professor keeps on counting down the remaining last 10 minutes of the exam time.

10.  You give up and the other person agrees to let go.

Buhay Estudyante*

Photo by Nico Salas

Nasalubong ko ulit siya kanina.  Mainit yata ang ulo kaya hindi man lang siya ngumiti.  May problema siguro siya kaya siya ganon.  Pero di bale, para sa akin, maganda pa rin siya. 

Ewan ko ba at bakit di ako makapagsalita kapag nasa harap ko na siya.  Lahat ng gusto kong sabihin ay biglang nawawala.  Gusto kong mapansin niya ako sa klase kaya grabeng aral at basa ang ginagawa ko.  Pero bakit ganon? ‘pag ako na ang tinawag sa klase, nawawala lahat ng inaral ko?

Magpapaturo sana ako sa kanya.  Pero paano?  Matagal ko ng planong lumapit sa kanya pagkatapos ng discussion sa klase.  Siguro gragraduate na ako’t lahat, di ko parin ‘yon magagawa.  Matalino kasi siya.  Di ko kayang abutin.  Marami siyang alam.  Kahit hindi yata siya magbasa ng topic at lesson namin, alam niya kung ano ang sinasabi niya sa klase.

Natutuwa akong panoorin siya sa isang sulok kapag kasama niya ang mga kaibigan niya.  Naisip ko, ordinaryong tao pa rin pala siya.  Hindi lang puro aral.  Tumatawa din siya ng malakas, nakikipagbiruan at mababaw din ang kaligayahan.  Masarap siyang pagmasdan kapag ganon siya kasi di siya seryoso, walang maskara at siyang siya.

Minsan, narinig ko ang usapan nila.  Akala siguro nila walang ibang tao.  Umiiyak siya.  Malungkot.  Kinukwento ang nangyari sa kanya.  Gusto kong suntukin yung taong nagpaiyak sa kanya.  Wala sa sarili ang taong yun.  Gusto kong sabihin sa kanya, “Nandito ako.”  Bakit di na lang ako?

Pero impossible talaga ang iniisip ko.  Di nga niya ako kilalang talaga eh.  Nginingitian niya ako minsan pero ni simula nga ng pangalan ko siguro ay di niya matandaan.  Pero kahit ganon, masaya na ako.  Makita ko lang siya bago pumasok o bago ako umuwi, masaya na ako.

Mababaw na kung mababaw.  Corny na kung corny.  Pero sa akin, di ito kababawan at ca-kornihan.

Dahil sa kanya, nagsisikap akong mag-aral.  Noon, walang kaso kung magkaroon ako ng singko.  Ngayon, hanga’t maari gusto ko ng maabot ang dos.  Nagpupuyat na ako ngayon para magbasa at intindihin ang mga babasahin sa klase.  Marunong na din akong mangarap.  Kung puede nga lang, gusto ko ng matapos agad para makahanap na ng magandang trabaho at magkaroon ng magandang buhay.

Siguro, kapag may trabaho na ako, magkakaroon na ko ng lakas ng loob na kausapin siya at sabihin kung ano man ang nararamdaman ko ngayon.  Pero ngayon pa lang, gusto ko na siyang pasalamatan kasi dahil sa kanya, nabuo ang mga pangarap ko sa buhay.

Balang araw, babalik ako sa CLSU para sa sabihin ang nararamdaman ko para sa ‘yo ma’am.  Pangako.

*a letter from an anonymous student during my earlier years in the academe. My only contribution to this piece is its title, Buhay Estudyante.  The content is solely attributable to the unknown author’s talent in creative writing.

Look, Glance & Smile

It only takes one look

to know that he cares,

one glance to know

that he is there.

It only takes one smile

to bring back old times

& happy memories

that we left behind. 

No more than

one look,

a glance

and

a smile.

from my journal dated 11.02.07

Birthdays

What does it take to have a perfect birthday celebration?

Kids consider birthdays as one of the best days in their entire year.   It is commonly associated with huge gifts, meatiest spaghetti, clowns, games, colorful balloons and cakes decorated with their current favorite cartoon character.  As one grows older, birthday celebrations are redefined according to his/her own “adult and mature” version of it. 

Birthday gifts are replaced with tiny (but expensive) gifts, hugs, emails and comments on facebook accounts.  Birthday bash is limited to closest friends but the food is not already restricted to the usual spaghetti, hotdogs and cakes.  Clowns and games are replaced with anecdotes, messages and wishes of friends during birthday dinners.

With these changes, one aspect remains the same:  we choose to celebrate our birthdays with the ones we love.  As much as possible, we want to spend every second of our special day with people who can make us smile and laugh even on the worst days of our lives.  

Through the years, it is the people whom we spend our birthday celebrations with that we remember the most - NOT the food, drinks, cakes or even grand gifts on our birthdays.

(edited) journal entry dated 10.09.07

Bills, bills and more bills..

I was able to practice my basic accounting concepts today as I browsed, balanced and checked my available cash against my payables.  My eyes popped out (just like in cartoons) when I saw my credit card bill.  I could not believe that I spent that much because I would like to believe that I am the most rational being when it comes to spending and/or shopping.

And then, fate is really testing my commitment not to overspend next month.  While waiting for my 4:00pm class today, my (new) renewed credit card arrived and this time, with higher credit limit.  Now, it takes twice the effort to resist temptations around.   For the meantime, I will just have to say NO to  books, sesame street shirts, cute post-it notes, colorful ballpens and some other things like this Canon camera.   L

06.28.11: MKTG 4

I sneaked into Dr. Maylem’s afternoon class to have a ten-minute moment with MKTG 4. 

It is the same old class that I used to handle during their junior year.  These students are still bursting with Marketista energy which can awaken people, both the living and the dead.

They were having their typical day when I entered the room.  Some students were arranging photocopied materials.  Others were joking around with their friends and maybe for some, they were just too busy with  something else other than their course requirements. 

When I was about to start my ten-minute talk with them, I heard the words:  We miss you, Ma’am.  At that point, I was lost for words and so touched that it took me few seconds to answer them back with my usual sarcastic quip.   I was so thankful that my phone rang twice so I would have something to distract them with while I was trying to recall the things that I should be telling them.   I even mispronounced words that sounded funny but I didn’t care because honestly, I was too busy pretending that “the class missing me” was not much of a deal. 

But, it was and is a BIG deal. 

After the most difficult exams, countless reprimands, never ending requirements and sleepless nights that I caused them, they still miss our class discussions.   For me, this is life.    

And, life is indeed beautiful.  J

06.27.11

Mondays and Wednesdays are my peak days.  Today says it all. 

I had  four discussion classes with four different lecture preparations.   Each class has 40 plus students with over-the-roof hyperactive teenage hormones.   All classes are assigned in rooms with temperatures of near boiling point. 

Then, I looked at the faces of my eager students as they learn from the topic of the day, share their out-of-this world ideas and laugh with me when I deliver my corny jokes.

Yes, this is definitely a tiring day but a perfect day as well..  J

Chocolate & Marshmallows

Chocolate & Marshmallows

These are NOT my two favorite things in the world.   It is funny how or why I suddenly have been craving for them since last week.   Buying them is not much really of a problem since my paycheck, I think, can still cover for at least a pack of cheap chocolates and marshmallows.

                               

                 

I, however, still asked someone to buy them for me.  For almost two days, I kept on bugging the person with text messages for these items.  It must be a desperate plea to someone for something which I can ordinarily buy in a convenience shop. 

The chocolate and marshmallows did not materialize.  It was probably perceived as a childish act which irreconcilably came from a graduate student who has the means of casually buying the said items from a sari sari store. 

We all have our own version of chocolate and marshmallows in our lives which can be far more serious things other than chocolate and marshmallows.  They, however, have some things in common:  broken promises and undelivered commitments.

Oh well, this is not just a plain “Chocolate and Marshmallow Story” after all…

**from my journal dated 12.07.07

Chocolate & Marshmallows

Chocolate & Marshmallows

These are NOT my two favorite things in the world.   It is funny how or why I suddenly have been craving for them since last week.   Buying them is not much really of a problem since my paycheck, I think, can still cover for at least a pack of cheap chocolates and marshmallows.

                               

                 

I, however, still asked someone to buy them for me.  For almost two days, I kept on bugging the person with text messages for these items.  It must be a desperate plea to someone for something which I can ordinarily buy in a convenience shop. 

The chocolate and marshmallows did not materialize.  It was probably perceived as a childish act which irreconcilably came from a graduate student who has the means of casually buying the said items from a sari sari store. 

We all have our own version of chocolate and marshmallows in our lives which can be far more serious things other than chocolate and marshmallows.  They, however, have some things in common:  broken promises and undelivered commitments.

Oh well, this is not just a plain “Chocolate and Marshmallow Story” after all…

**from my journal dated 12.07.07

etc..

they were never meant to be together but they found a solution to the problem.. harharhar