Mankiwwa

Mankiwwa the Social Change application of Sri Lanka. If you have not heard of Mankiwwa as a Sri Lankan you should. It's a mobile application that you can lodge complaints and social services. This is made for citizen empowerment to report anything from a roadside water leak, illegal garbage dumping, taking it all the way to a roadside accident or a robbery.

Mankiwwa has won so many social accolades over the past year. Getting them noticed in the social change and digital infrastructure circles of Sri Lanka.

This is not the reason why they are silent heroes, it is because they travel all over Sri Lanka trying and getting appointments with local authorities to educate them of the application and trying to sign them up. It is because they are empowering citizens silently where they already have users reporting such incidents and local authorities having a spark of light to green light the application.

They also have been taken note by Child Protection in Sri Lanka. They are trying hard to change Sri Lanka one person at a time, one authority at a time.

NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES

Cheers!

LISWITH

To whom it may concern; my vision for Sri Lanka's Tourism

To whom it may concern,

Sri Lanka Tourism has improved over the years, but never ceased its true potential.

Sri Lanka is now featured on a travel magazine, article, blog, and vlog as the destination to be at.

I would suggest some improvements I think Sri Lanka tourism should do.

It should be briefed to the hoteliers & travel agents that it is not their product that should be marketed but Sri Lanka as a destination, simple logic should be shown the first step should be convincing a traveler to come to Sri Lanka then the rest of the thought process of travel agent and hotels shall follow.

Secondly, Hotels in a singular area, for example, Ella or Ratnapura should take initiation along with the Tourist Board to promote the City. Sri Lanka does not exist of Colombo, Galle, Kandy and Nuwaraeliya other cities should be promoted, including why they should travel to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is not a cheap destination, never should be marketed as one. Sri Lankan hoteliers, agents and tourist board to sell the experiences of Sri Lanka more neatly and more professional. Sri Lanka is not only a country for Kandy temple, Sigiriya and to be guided to a tea plantation. Sri Lanka is made of rich culture, a wide variety of species.

Ayurveda, meditation, and spas the wellness holiday theme is greatly marketed around the world, we should take initiation for all who graduate as an Ayurveda Doctor should be recruited to the hospitality trade to shape this new trend in the world.

If you have notices yoga is very booming in Sri Lanka, mainly not done nor taught by Sri Lankan's hence to promote this among Sri Lankan youth they should be shown there are many career paths within this trade to be learned and earned from.

We should learn to market Sri Lanka to Michelin Chefs to showcase their meals, we should put initiative to help bring down marine biologists from all over the world, we are not only famous for monkeys let the world see we have more animals invite zoologists to come and write about us, let historians come and see our culture and make documentaries.

Make the national parks, museums and historical sites more than here is a famous rock see this rock.

Make it more organized everywhere in the world it is not about pointing at a historic icon and saying why it is open. All these location museums, castles everything should be interactive with the clients where they engage with the culture and participate in depicting this great tale of Sri Lanka that they are experiencing.

I am stressing this time we break the barrier and bring tourism over the top.

The world seems to be talking about us, but we don’t seem to be. What last time a hotel promoted Sri Lanka and not the Jacuzzi in their room, what was last time an agent educated new markets about Sri Lanka, but not told how they can undercut their competitor by five dollars?

Sri Lanka pricing should maintain a standard that is worth it. We should improve our service along with it, train staff in the Tourist Board, Hotel School and Hoteliers from outsiders. I have seen the skill of Sri Lankan's in the hospitality trade in other countries because they are motivated, engaged and trained to push the envelope to grow themselves in the trade. Let them see the world what new things are out there and how we can incorporate them into our cycle of things.

Teach the hospitality industry next time they talk to a vendor sell Sri Lanka, not their property or company.

Teach Hoteliers are not here for the market share, the day comparison hotels share their information with each other they can improve together as they are already in comparison with each other.

Teach agents it is not selling the package ten dollars less, it’s about selling authentic Sri Lanka to the world show we are a lot more and we have much more to give.

These are tiny ideas we should hyper think about, we have a great opportunity where Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor and every other article is featuring. We now should create a return on investment.

Cheers!

LISWITH

Tips for Presentations

Hi there,

• Do not use technical jargon, talk common language. Make it simple for any laymen to understand the point you are trying to get through
• Presentations should be about a DREAM, do not sell the common day to day. Make your idea sound like a dream, make the listener envision it want it.
• Keep the slides simple, short. Do not bore the listeners, with current age the attention span of a human has reduced. Don’t capture them fast, they already have phased out.
• Dress to impress, sorry your degrees, status, or your wallet is not what you it’s simply you. That’s presentation skill too is a requirement not only what you are about to explain.
• Do not call anyone Sir or Madam, keep it Mr. or Ms. the moment you Call Sir you have already said you are inferior, no one takes anyone seriously unless from a point of authority.

Cheers!

LISWITH

Leader Dreamer

This is a short thought I am writing today. What is the most important duty of a Manager and Leader in your work, home or society? I'll let you think.

Think of your dream, what do you want in your life. This dream does not have to linked to your career or family. I am talking about YOU, what do you dream?

How many of us have a clear dream of what we want? This dream you are envisioning now, might be unachievable as of now. But this is what you want your life to be, how you want your tale to be told.

Most of us are vague on this YOU dream. This is something your Sunday should put serious thought to.

Now coming back to the most important duty as manager or leader, is to teach your team to dream. Dream epic big, dream desperate and dream clear.

This dream as a leader should be asked by you, advised by you, and mentored by you.
Now you smart people are thinking; wait if he is working under me, and he dream is home of his own how do I help? This is not part of my job.
It is part of your job, it is how you nurture your team. It's not normal day to day work questions, but this is the guidance and experience you carry they are reaching out for.

As a leader teach them to dream, once they do nurture them to achieve it.

Cheers

LISWITH

Challenges

This is something I am still struggling to face head on.

Many years earlier into my working career I learnt sometime I am given tasks that are beyond me.
Firstly, I was very discouraged, simple thought process your washing your hands-off work and dumping on me. Years later anger turned to frustration this sent on a resentment spiral of people.
With the experience years of work grew, I learnt I am feeding my mind at a fast speed pace. A pace that left me constantly hungry, I always need to breakdown and know the why and the how? Most people now portrait this obsession of mine, as a negative.

How I over challenges that were put up against me like a wall was purely selfish. I understood what is taught to you, what you self-learn or any hurdle you over is a benefit on you. What is learnt by you cannot be stolen, this is all you. This was you hard work that paid off not for others but for yourself, this is greater experience that can make you a better employee and a person.

This constant hunger let me over most challenges put up against me, the first thought I always now think is what can I get off this lesson that I am trying to overcome. Don’t let is misguide you thinking I face all of my challenges head on and with confidence yes, I shall have a smile upside down but yet try to accomplish it. There are many challenges I have not faced yet and still have to face.

This trait can make you a more reliable friend, family member or employee.

Next challenge, think what can I learn off this to my life’s curriculum vitae.

Cheers!

LISWITH