Uncategorized

How Will Your Story Unfold from 2023 to 2024?

December 7, 20230

As we stand on the cusp of a new year, it’s an opportune moment for the members of our esteemed engineering community to pause and reflect on the strides we’ve made throughout 2023. Beyond the realm of technical innovations and project accomplishments, our personal journeys within the professional landscape deserve acknowledgment and contemplation.

Acknowledgement: Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the collective wins we’ve experienced within our professional and personal spheres. From successful project completions to earning certifications that elevate our expertise, each achievement contributes to the tapestry of our shared success.

Navigating Challenges – In the dynamic field of engineering and of course personal life, challenges are not roadblocks but rather opportunities for growth. Reflect on instances where adaptability, problem-solving, and leadership skills were put to the test. It’s in these moments that true resilience emerges.

***Some of the office staff during*** a retreat session in Entebbe March 2023.

Learning Every Day –Our commitment to excellence in engineering and personal aspects of life necessitates a dedication to continuous learning. Consider the new skills you’ve acquired, the courses you’ve engaged with, and the knowledge you’ve sought to remain at the forefront of our ever-evolving industry and the personal life you’re living.

Balancing Work and Personal Well-being: As we delve into our reflections, let’s not forget the importance of maintaining equilibrium between our professional pursuits and personal well-being. Strategies for a healthy work-life balance, stress management, and overall well-being should be woven into the narrative of our professional narratives.

Strategic Vision for the New Year: Now, let’s cast our sight towards the horizon of 2024. It’s time to set intentions and goals that align with our professional and personal aspirations. Consider formulating S.M.A.R.T. goals — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound — that will propel your career and personal life forward.

Being Positive and Open to Change – In the face of challenges and opportunities alike, let’s collectively embrace a growth mindset. The professional and personal landscapes are ever evolving, and the willingness to learn from challenges, seek feedback, and continuously adapt positions us for sustained success. Its literally a fulltime job to have a positive mindset.

Cultivating Professional Networks – Recognize the strength in our collective connections. Consider expanding your professional network, engaging with peers, and participating in industry events. Our collaborative efforts fuel innovation and mutual advancement.

Conclusion: As we bid farewell to 2023, let the insights gained from this reflection guide your path toward a future marked by both professional excellence and personal fulfillment. The journey is ongoing, and each step forward is a testament to our collective commitment to professional and personal excellence.

We would like to hear from you our esteemed community members, to share your reflections, goals, and strategies for the upcoming year. We believe in the exchange of insights; we strengthen not only our individual paths but also the fabric of our collaborative professional community.

*An in-office birthday celebration* at the head office Mpala Entebbe.

Here’s to a new year filled with growth, achievements, and collective success.

Effective management

June 7, 20230

The first thing a good manager must know is that the skill set is a process. You don’t become a good manager overnight. It takes time. It takes failure, but without that failure you’d never learn from you mistakes and grow. Here are some ways to be as effective as possible as a manager.

Time Management: A good manager can then manage that timeline and break it down into large phases of the project, called milestones, and then into smaller parts that are called tasks. But it’s not merely creating a plan, it’s also monitoring that process and adjusting accordingly to stay on schedule.

Communication – Communications isn’t giving orders, though that’s part of it. Communications is a two-way street, with as much emphasis on listening as there is on talking. If you can get your message across then you’re working efficiently.

***Some of the office staffs during team building*** in Entebbe March 2023.

Team Building – Individuals can work in groups, but not without some real bonding through team-building exercises like having meals together, having casual chats during breaks. If you put this work in before the project, you’ll have less issues during its run.

Be inclusive: To build a diverse team, you need to create an inclusive and positive organizational culture. When every team member feels respected and valued, you’re naturally going to boost employee engagement and (by default) produce better work. An engaged team is a happier team.

Be decisive: As a manager, you are responsible for making decisions that affect the entire team. To avoid conflicts when making important decisions, it’s important to coordinate with your team and communicate properly by.

Negotiations – You need to attain negotiation skills and it’s your responsibility to find a technique that works. The better you can negotiate with your team, the more likely you are to stick to the planned project goals.

Conflict Resolution – When you put a team together and there will be conflicts, which you’ll have to resolve those conflicts fairly and quickly to keep the project on track. You should allow people to be heard and create an environment where people come together for the greater good of the project.

Tips on how to plan your day at work

May 19, 20230

Planning can help you maximize your time at work, handle challenges better and increase your motivation. Here are few tips to help you plan your workday:

Keep a to-do list: Taking five to 10 minutes at the beginning of each day to write out a to-do list, on paper or digitally, can help promote focus and increase productivity. Adding to the initial to-do list throughout the day can help you keep a clear idea of your goals.

Find a schedule and stay with it: Determine the time of day when you feel you’re at your best and try to get most of your work done during those hours. Staying consistent with your schedule can also help you be more productive. Just as important as choosing a schedule is making sure you can commit to it.

***PICTORIAL MOMENT DURING THE ADMINISTRATIVE RETREAT IN GARUGA ENTEBBE MARCH 2023***

Take breaks: Taking 10-15 minutes every couple of hours to stretch your body and focus on something other than work can help keep you energized and excited about your job.

Reduce multitasking: Multitasking may sound like the perfect way to get many things done at once, but unfortunately, this not true in many situations. You may even find that multitasking can actually take longer than completing tasks individually.

Identify distractions: Emails, texts and phone calls are a few common reasons behind distraction. Schedule specific times to take care of emails, for example, to stay on task and not get distracted by every new message in your inbox.

Tackle tasks in order of importance: Instead of starting your day with smaller tasks like answering emails, begin by addressing your largest or most stress-inducing task. This might take the largest amount of time in your day, but it ultimately will help your workflows move faster.

Set goals and reward yourself: Setting goals can help you become better at your job through motivation. You can set goals for staying organized, like challenging yourself to make a to-do list every day. Or, you can set professional goals that can help you stay engaged at your job.

*PICTORIAL MOMENT FOR SOME STAFFS WHO ATTENDED THE COMPANY’S 14TH ANNIVERSARY* IN ENTEBBE APRIL 2023

Work place etiquettes tips.

March 29, 20230

***Some of the technical staffs during a planning retreat in Entebbe.***

Your behavior in the workplace can dictate your success and reputation because how you present yourself to others in the workplace matters influencing the overall environment for you and your coworkers. A summary of some work etiquettes which will be helpful at a work place is shared below.

Make a Good First Impression: People often form impressions about others within seconds of meeting them, so it’s important to ensure you present yourself as a professional. Be aware of your body language and how others may perceive it. A good rule of thumb is to stand straight, maintain eye contact, and smile!

Understand your Work Environment: The values, policies, and procedures of a workplace can be diﬃcult to discern at ﬁrst. If you are in \ organization with a structured human resource division, you may have access to an in-house trainings to keep you informed of your organization’s expectations. Lastly, observing the atmosphere and actions of others can help you understand what’s appropriate and what’s not, and how to best navigate the workplace while maintaining your professionalism.

Communication is Key: Communication is an important part of workplace etiquette. It’s sometimes not what you say, but how you say it that counts so be mindful of how you communicate with your colleagues in meetings and one-on-one conversations. In regards to email, be sure your correspondence inside and outside of your workplace is written clearly and free of spelling errors.

Make it a habit to be prompt: Being on time offers an easy and manageable way to make a good impression. Consistently being punctual shows that you value the time of others in your work environment. When possible, plan to give yourself extra time between meetings so that you won’t be late if something unexpected happens.

Avoid interrupting: When you attend meetings or talk with others in the workplace, let them finish speaking without interrupting. Allowing them to complete their thought or presentation shows your respect for their opinion and efforts. If you have a thought you want to share while someone is talking, jot it down and stay silent until the person finishes.

Use people’s names: Using someone’s name when speaking with them can convey your respect and attention. You can ask them if you don’t remember or know their name. Use their name organically throughout the conversation without too much repetition. Next time you see the person, greet them by name for an additional sense of friendliness and respect.

Be Personable yet Professional: Sharing information about your personal life is your choice, but be cautious when it comes to what you share; some colleagues may be more open than others and might choose to keep their personal life private as well. Similarly, you may want to limit personal calls, emails, and other non-work related tasks to after work hours.

Dress appropriately: Regardless of the policies, you may benefit from dressing slightly more professionally than required to show your professionalism and commitment to the role. If you meet with clients or prospective clients, dress in more formal business attire. Striving to mirror your boss’s style or level of formality can help ensure you dress appropriately

Conflict resolution at work.

March 10, 20230

The fact of the matter is conflict in the workplace is unavoidable. The ability to recognize conflict, understand the nature of conflict, and to be able to bring swift and just resolution to conflict will serve you well as a leader , the inability to do so may well be your downfall. Here are some ways to manage conflicts at a work place.

Define Acceptable Behavior: Just having a definition for what constitutes acceptable behavior is a positive step in avoiding conflict. Having clearly defined job descriptions so that people know what’s expected of them, and a well-articulated chain of command to allow for effective communication will also help avoid conflicts.

Hit Conflict Head-on: By actually seeking out areas of potential conflict and proactively intervening in a just and decisive fashion you will likely prevent certain conflicts from ever arising. If a conflict does flair up, you will likely minimize its severity by dealing with it quickly. Time spent identifying and understanding natural tensions will help to avoid unnecessary conflict.

The Importance Factor: Pick your battles and avoid conflict for the sake of conflict. However if the issue is important enough to create a conflict then it is surely important enough to resolve. If the issue, circumstance, or situation is important enough, and there is enough at stake, people will do what is necessary to open lines of communication and close positional and/or philosophical gaps.

View Conflict as Opportunity: Hidden within virtually every conflict is the potential for a tremendous teaching/learning opportunity. Where there is disagreement there is an inherent potential for growth and development. Divergent positions addressed properly can stimulate innovation and learning in ways like minds can’t even imagine.

***Laboratory block at Mater Ecclesiae Nursing and Midwifery School Luweero.***

Bottom line is I believe resolution can normally be found with conflicts where there is a sincere desire to do so. Turning the other cheek, compromise, forgiveness, and compassion, empathy, finding common ground, being an active listener, service above self, and other approaches will always allow one to be successful in building rapport if the underlying desire is strong enough.

Self evaluation at a work place.

December 21, 20220

As the year comes to an end, employees needs to have a self evaluation in order to better in the different tasks in which they perform. Periodic evaluation is a chance for employees to review the recent past and discuss future expectations. An evaluation also serves as an opportunity to set goals as individuals and a team. we’ve created a sample self-assessment to guide you as you create your own.

Strengths: Clearly point out your strength that you feel is your strong point at work. Their is need to also get better ways to use your strength in order to meet your work goals.

Weaknesses: Every one has weaknesses and their is need to clearly list them especially when it affects your work. Every employee has to find away to work on their weaknesses since it always sabotages work.

***Testing of the borehole drilled in Adilang Vocational Training Institute, Agago.***

Core values: Have a list of your values, beliefs and check if all you did through out the evaluation time period is in line with them, if not their is still a chance to align your self with them again.

Accomplishments: Their is need to look at your accomplishments and be proud of them, this is a source of motivation to strive better. No matter how the evaluation period was their was a point where you strived this means you can even strive the more.

Goals: During self evaluation at work their is still need to look at the goals set during that period and check if you aligned with them, their is also need to set more goals/targets higher than the ones set hence hard work.

Feed back: Feed back from superiors at work is also an important element during self evaluation, it gives you a genuine report about your performance and areas of Improvement.

Note: Keeping things simple and using short, declarative bullet points are key to writing an effective self-assessment. While the exact nature of your self-assessment might depend on your position and job description, this basic model can help guide you in writing a self-evaluation.

***Staffs during MTN marathon in Kampala November 2022***

PHASES THAT SHOULD BE USED TO MAKE COLLEAGUES COMFORTABLE AT WORK.

October 21, 20220

What you say to your colleagues at work speaks volumes about you and the values you stand for. The phases you say will either make them feel comfortable or uncomfortable when working with you. Here are some captivating phrases that can help you stir your team members towards the organization’s cardinal objectives.

Many thanks: The importance of making your team members feel appreciated are highly powerful motivators. A great sense of belonging can even have a greater impact on your colleagues’ morale and engagement than financial incentives. You should make it a point of call to say “Thank you” to your team mates regularly.

***Staffs having a light moment during the lunch time break in 2021*** ***at Head office***

Feel free to come to my office anytime: If your colleagues know they have unfettered access to their team member, they’ll have a greater sense of belonging, they will feel more confident taking on challenges and demonstrating initiative, since they have guaranteed guidance from their workmates.

I’ll look into that and give you an update :Rather than shut them down when they ask you for something at an important moment, you can use this phase to buy yourself more time to resolve their query. Also, it’s important to mean it and follow through with it when you say it.

You can ask me any question yet another statement that throws open your doors and a sense of belonging among colleagues. This motivates your colleagues to commit to work, knowing they have all the resources and support they need to succeed.

Can you give me your opinion on this? In many instances, you can gain valuable insights from your colleague’s inputs. It’s crucial for you to show your appreciation for their inputs, even though it might make you appear less-knowledgeable. With this statement, you can widen your intellect while also boosting your team mates’ sense of belonging.

There’s good news and also bad news there always comes a time when you have to deliver unpleasant news to your colleagues, and it’s always good to soften the blow by pointing to the brighter side of things. With this phrase, you don’t need to fear telling the truth to your employees but can phrase it like “Here is the situation on ground and what it means for you”

***Site visit during the construction of a Nursing School in Luweero 2021***

Things You Can Do to Avoid Getting Bored at Work

May 19, 20220

Performing the same tasks over a long period of time can cause boredom at work, this literally doesn’t mean that one is tired of work but according to research boredom creeps into almost every workplace, even when employees enjoy flexible work. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help your team members stay excited about their jobs, whether they’re in the office or working from home.

Laboratory block at Mater Ecclesie Nurses and Midwifery School Luweero.

Share the load. Make sure you’re spreading the boring tasks evenly across your team – so it’s fair and remember, just because someone doesn’t moan about a task, doesn’t mean they enjoy it some employees will prefer to grin and bear the boredom, than look negative.

Give them more responsibility. In many cases, boredom essentially comes down to lack of a challenge; if your employee is bored then you’re probably not getting the most out of them. Set more difficult challenges, increase their target, offer them different tasks, jobs and even new projects. Note keep employees in the loop to make sure you’re not overdoing it and putting too much on their shoulders.

Hand over of A classroom block at Tuto Junior School Busesa.

Talk.You need to tackle this, head on, if you suspect that someone in your team is bored, just ask them straight Are you bored? Are we not challenging you enough? What can we do to help you? Remember if you don’t ask, you’ll never know!

Involve your team.Get your team involved in some of the bigger-picture decisions for your business. Communicate what’s happening and welcome their ideas and comments; this will give them something bigger to focus on and help them to feel valued and respected.

Complete classroom block at Tuto Junior School during handover.

Give them a break. Let your employees take regular breaks! Even if it’s just 5 minutes to go and grab themselves a glass of water or have a chat, it’ll give them a chance to refresh and get that second wind.

EXCELLENT NEVER IS ENOUGH

THE 13th ANNIVESARY (ROSTWA DAY).

May 18, 20220

Happy 13th anniversary Rostwa Engineers Limited .The day began with a chilly and cold morning, the birds were singing in the sky (seemed like congratulation messages)everything seemed calm, almost all colleagues were in jackets and coats to warm up the cold body but our hearts were warm because of the 13^th anniversary. The journey has been long but with our partners, clients and a well built team of staffs we have managed to reach this mile stone. We send our sincere appreciation to all our staffs, clients and partners for standing with us all through.

Rostwa staffs after having an agricultural training.

During the 13^th anniversary celebration we decided take a little different journey for the celebration. In order to fulfill our 3nd core values of Responsibility to the community in which we operate, we decided to have a corporate social responsibility activity of planting more than a hundred trees in one of our sites as a way of protecting the environment (St Clare Primary School Aber Oyam District).

Rostwa staffs during tree planting at St Clare Primary School Oyam District

We looked at our staffs and saw a need of having an agricultural training since our country has agriculture as its back bone. The training was not directed to the day to day company work but to help in subsidizing income and future retirement plans of staffs. The onsite time had a training on first aid, financial literacy, job awareness and company core values. Hence improvement of quality of life through our work.

Pictorial moment during an Agricultural training in Entebbe.

Rostwa SACCO was also launched on the 13^th anniversary, this was to address developmental and emergency needs of life which always happens during work. The SACCO will help develop a pool to create resources and encourage savings to enable improved life through work as our 1^st core value states.

Rostwa On site team during a training session in Luweero.

As the day drew to an end for team building purposes, dinner and drinks were served, the team interacted with fun. Indeed EXCELLENT NEVER IS ENOUGH we will continuously improve the quality of our work in order to meet more than what is expected from us.

The on site team having a meal during Rostwa day celebration.

Work Anxiety and stress.

January 21, 20220

Work stress happens to just everyone who has a job at some point in their lives. Some people deal with work stress well, while others don’t have a clue about how to deal with stress at work. While you can’t always control what happens at work, you can control how you react and deal with things that could lead to potentially stressful situations. Here are a few tips that can help you tackle work-related stress and anxiety.

Mother and child specialty Centre Bushulo Ethiopia

Be specific about what needs to be done: Don’t generalize your workload with “I have so much to do.” Be specific. For example, “I have to finish creating a project proposal” is a lot clearer, giving you a tangible idea of what exactly needs to be done.

Be realistic about what you can handle: Before you commit to a deadline calculate how much other work you have and how possible it is to add on another task or project. Not submitting something on time is more likely to stress you out than if you were to set lower expectations from the outset.

Ariel view of Mother and child specialty Centre Bushulo Ethiopia.

Practice time management: Once you know what needs to be done, make a to-do list and prioritize your work according to the working hours. Split up tasks into batches. If you feel the task at hand is overwhelming, complete it in batches.

Remind yourself why you took the job: There was a reason why you took your current job. Reflect on the things you like about your job and the benefits it’s brought to your life, this will keep you going amidst the storm.

EXCELLENT NEVER IS ENOUGH