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Sunday, September 30, 2007

DON'T LET A TEST DEFINE YOU

Wow! There's not too much that I can add to this!


Don't let a test define you
22 March 2007 at 06h00

What you know about yourself is much more important than what you've been told about yourself. We already know that everything is relative because Albert Einstein proved this to us. We know that all reality is subjective and that as our perceptions change, we change reality. We also know that life is not static but fluid and that the only constant in life is a variable. Why then would we allow the results of any psychometric test to govern our lives?
I fully agree that psychometric tests are a wonderful tool to give us some indication of the mental and psychological make-up of an individual, but the results they yield are most definitely not cast in stone. In my own life I have been let down by these tests in a big way. At an early age I found out I wasn't too intelligent, which was later discovered to be a mistake and that I'm not too bad. I was also told that I'm an introvert and not a very sociable person. Anybody who knows me will testify to the exact opposite. Society loves to be able to put someone in a box and say: "This is who he or she is." There are many more examples of this. According to the astrology, if Taurus is your star sign, you are bound to be materialistic and if you were born under Capricorn you'll probably be very slow to grow up.

It's no problem accepting certain characteristics ascribed by the star signs, IQ tests or personality profiles. The problem starts when you allow these to rule your life and when you base your decisions and your behaviour on the broad classifications assigned to you. There are many examples of people who were defined and "boxed" in a certain way and who later rose above these limitations to become great achievers. Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, was one of them. His parents were told he had a very low IQ. His father never told Neil this and encouraged him to be the best he could. Neil subsequently became an outstanding astronaut and redefined his so-called limitations.It has never been possible to measure what human potential really is and when we start living with purpose.
When we allow positive energy to ooze from our systems and believe in ourselves, there is very little that we cannot achieve. I accept that we all have limitations, but what I won't accept is that we are defined by these limitations. Let's define ourselves according to our potential as human beings and let's live authentic lives, true to our greatest selves.

Friday, September 28, 2007

MANTO NEWSPAPER ADS MEET STIFF OPPOSITION

Good grief! Has this woman no shame? Not only is she a liar and a thief (if we are to believe all that is written), but she is now "in your face" about everything. She is surely a blight on this country and I agree - she needs to go!

What do you think?


Manto newspaper ads meet stiff opposition
Johannesburg, South Africa
21 September 2007 02:31


Advertisements placed in a number of national newspapers on Friday by the Health Department defending its Minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, were a waste of taxpayers' money, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) also criticised the advertisements. The party was responding to three-quarter-page, full-colour adverts placed in newspapers including Business Day, the Star, the Cape Times and the Mercury.
Business Day reported that such an advert comes at a cost of R70 000. In the Star it would cost about R90 000 and one could expect to pay about R40 000 for such an advert in the Cape Times. The advertisement relates to the case between the health minister and the Sunday Times during which she sought to compel the newspaper to return her medical records. "This is a blatant waste of taxpayers' money," DA health spokesperson Mike Waters said. "If the minister feels so strongly about defending herself against the Sunday Times's allegations, she should be paying the costs herself."
He added: "It is ridiculous that the department can find the money to place lavish adverts in the newspapers when hospitals and clinics go without basic lifesaving equipment due to lack of funds."
'Outrageous'
The UDM on Friday said it was "outrageous" for a senior official to use taxpayers' money "to publicly attack the judiciary". The advert includes a piece entitled "Reflections on the judgment" signed by head of legal services for the department Sello Ramasela. It criticises the judgement handed down in the case between the minister and the Sunday Times. "The judgement of Jajbhay J ... constitutes a serious threat to one of the founding values of our Constitution, the rule of law." It points out contradictions in Jajbhay's judgement, which Ramasela charges were then extended to the order handed down by the judge. This is flanked by a piece entitled "In defence of the National Health Act".
This, written by Health Director General Thami Mseleku, details the importance of provisions in the Act for patient confidentiality."As the Health Department, we celebrate the vindication of rights of patients to confidentiality by the high court and we salute all those who contributed in ensuring that the National Health Act does not indeed encompass the caring values of our democratic dispensation as contained in our Constitution," the advert reads.
The Health Department on Friday defended its decision to run the adverts."It's a significant case in relation to our work as a department; we wanted to make sure that the point was clear in relation to the rights entrenched in the [National Health] Act ... the right to privacy and how medical records need to be kept or stored and secured," said spokesperson Sibani Mngadi. The five adverts cost R380 000, he said, adding that if the case had not dealt directly with the Act, his department would not have become involved.
'Dangerous precedent'
The UDM called on President Thabo Mbeki to remove Tshabalala-Msimang from her position as health minister. "A dangerous precedent has been set that respect for the independence of the judiciary is not required," UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said. He added: "It is especially galling that the minister has not shown the political maturity and sense of accountability to admit of her own free will that she has been guilty of theft and unseemly behaviour."The minister has not commented publicly on the allegations of theft and alcoholism against her. "We call upon President Mbeki to immediately remove the minister and her DG [director general] from their posts; they are both woefully ill-equipped for the job of looking after the media's health," Holomisa concluded.
According to a Business Day report, the Health Department tried to have the pieces placed on opinion pages of many newspapers but was unsuccessful, hence the decision to have the pieces published as advertisements. -- Sapa

IS YOUR WORKPLACE IN LINE WITH SAFETY PRECAUTIONS?

This is the post that should have been done yesterday.

I am always somewhat gob-smacked, when I do a 'Needs Analysis' in companies and we get to the Safety and Security part of the questionnaire and there is nothing. No fire extinguishers (or if they do have them they sheepishly admit that no-one knows how to use them), no first aid kits - nothing!

It is usually at this point that I tell them the story of the colleague who lost everything and this is a true story! Let's call him Joe.

Joe had (and note the word 'had') a video store. Once day he got a frantic call from his employee saying that the kitchen was on fire, they couldn't put it out and they couldn't get through to the Fire Department, or the police or the 10111 emergency number. Joe himself tried all three avenues without any success and even called upon friends who were connected, without any luck.

By this time the employee was really frantic! Joe remembered that there was a fire extinguisher in the store and told the employee (who was an inexperienced youngster probably fresh out of school) to use the extinguisher. Sound advice, I am sure you would agree. Thr problem of course was that the fire was, shall we say a type "A" fire and the fire extinguisher was for a type "B" fire. The result was that as the mixture came in contact with the fire, the fire burned more ferociously and within minutes the whole establishment had burnt to the ground.

Of course, everyone was up in arms about the the fact that he could not get hold of anyone at the Fire Department, and that the Police were of no use and of course the emergency number was worse than useless and on that note I can find no fault! However having said that, surely he needs to take some of the responsibility?

Surely his staff should have been trained on how to use the extinguisher - if they had been trained (or even if he had been trained himself) they would have known that the mixture in the fire extinguisher was for a different type of fire. If anyone of them had been trained on the basics of fire fighting they probably would have known how to fight that particular fire.

So, even if you are a small business, with one or two staff members - one of you need to know the basics of fire fighting and the basics of first aid.

Think about it logically and make the right decision!


Is your workplace in line with safety precautions?
Theo Garrun
15 August 2007 at 06h00

There are those who say that the labour laws and other legislation in this country make it almost too onerous for companies to be in business. That may be true, but there is no doubt that many of the laws that exist are there to ensure that workers are properly treated and so their existence is essential. One piece of legislation that falls into this category is the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS) which ensures safe working environments for all. Much of the emphasis of the OHS act is, understandably, on factories and workshops and on dealing with hazardous materials, but there are some paragraphs that apply to all workplaces and one in particular that doesn't seem to be complied with very much.
It is found in the general safety regulations under point 3 - first aid emergency equipment and procedures. It requires every organisation to have on site at all times a qualified and competent person who can administer first aid, together with the required equipment for this to happen. There are fines and prison sentences for those who don't. The question is: How many companies comply with this? Not many, according to Darryl Egen of the Dynamic Academy of Life Empowerment (DALE), a qualified paramedic with years of experience on the roads and in the skies."Sometimes we would be called to a workplace emergency to find no basic first aid had been administered and, tragically, lives have been lost as a result," he says.
Egen points out that the legislation requires one person for every 50 employees to be "readily available during working hours and who is in possession of a valid certificate of competency issued by an approved organisation".

What that means is that the person must have been trained up to a specified level by an accredited training institution. "In South Africa at the moment, that means an organisation registered with the Resuscitation Council of SA (RCSA)," Egen says. The criteria for approved trainers and training centres is onerous. Specific equipment is needed and the trainer must have been an experienced paramedic who has undergone further training. "The curriculum is strictly laid down and we may not deviate from it," Egen says. "The cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) modules come from the American Heart Association (AHA) and we stick to their manuals." To become a "qualified and competent" person as the regulation requires, the person must, apart from being able to administer emergency care in a range of possible scenarios, demonstrate competency in CPR and be able to competently operate an Automated Electrical Defibrillator - a piece of machinery used to shock patients who have gone into cardiac arrest: it is a compulsory item in the first aid kits that the regulations require organisations to have. "And the protocols change all the time," Egen says. "So we, as instructors, have to keep up to date and the qualified first aider also need to undergo refresher courses."The regulations require that employers have clearly marked first aid kits kept in accessible places. DALE offers a consultancy service to organisations, assessing the risks involved, training the required staff members and advising on the contents and placement of first aid kits."We do training on site or at our own premises," Egen says. "To be fully competent requires three to four days of training and at the end of that you receive a certificate issued by the RCSA and AHA."

DALE also does security officer training, along with martial arts instruction and first aid training for personal trainers and childcare professionals. Contact them on 082-866-7818.

RETENTION BONUSES A WAY TO KEEP SKILLS

This is the post that should have been done on Wednesday. For some reason or another I could not get into the blog - must have been the Gremlins at work again!

Retaining talent is something that seems to be on the lips of most business people today. It is a problem that all of us need to deal with on some level or another. Firstly finding the right person is becoming quite a challenge and then once you've found them to keep them is also becoming something of a real challenge. It is not limited to the upper end of the market either.

I have client's who are battling to find reliable sales staff! Logic tells me that there should be an abundance of sales staff as it is the one career where you are not obliged to have any kind of qualificaion and yet - yet there do not seem to be any, worth their salt, around.

Rachel Van Doorene's, Conversations that Matter, is currently having a look at this problem and she is getting people from all walks of life to brainstorm and see if they can find a solution to this problem. To find out more, have a look at Rachel's website on www.womeninc.co.za.


Retention bonuses a way to keep skills
Staff Reporter24 January 2007 at 11h00

With a shortage of job skills in the country and competition for top BEE executives sometimes fierce, some corporates are turning to the retention bonus as a way of hanging on to their best people. This bonus, if pitched at the right level, can be a very effective weapon in a human resource department's arsenal, said Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, managing director of Jack Hammer Executive Headhunters. "For example," said Goodman-Bhyat, "professional services group KPMG recently implemented a staff bonus scheme in an effort to retain scarce skills as demands for financial acumen has seen audit firms losing higher numbers of graduates to other sectors of the economy. "Retention bonuses are most commonly structured around situations where a company is closing down or being taken over, and needs to retain key staff to see it through the handover or close-up process. "Alternatively these bonuses are awarded to manage business risk when companies are finalising massive projects and can't afford to lose key players."


Goodman-Bhyat said that if pitched at the right level in relation to the current level of the employee's salary and position within an organisation, these bonuses were usually a very effective tool. "An individual is going to be reluctant to accept a new job knowing that there is a guaranteed, juicy reward waiting for them if they stay on for a specified period," she said. Goodman-Bhyat said companies wanting to woo individuals would usually need to compensate them for the retention bonuses they would be missing out on if they decided to take up their offer. This could be a costly exercise, and often acted as the deterrent it was intended to be. In spite of the skills shortage, companies are not eager to pay out hefty sums of money to new employees who have yet to prove themselves in a new work environment .She said for the retention bonus to be effective, though, the value needed to be weighty enough to secure the "loyalty of the employee for the ... desired period".

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 30

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 30


Following on from last week’s offerings on Networking for Introverts, here are some more tips for other Introverts.

When I first started Networking for my Business, I was like a kid with a new toy. If there was a Networking event, I was at it. I could not get enough! Not only would I be at every single networking event, I would also scurry around frenetically trying to touch base with every single person at the event. I wanted every single person’s card and/or contact details because each person, each card, each contact detail was an opportunity. It was madness personified!

Many of the individuals were not really interested in meeting with me, but felt obliged to give me their business cards and/or contact details. When I contacted them to set up a meeting, they hummed and ha-ed and finally agreed to a meeting and then on d-day, despite me having confirmed the meeting, they just did not pitch! Wasted time for both of us and a somewhat disillusioned me!

You see, the bottom line is that not everyone ‘gets’ the whole networking concept and as the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to the water, but you cannot force it to drink. In my enthusiasm I had automatically assumed that everyone would be as excited about networking as I was. Well they aren’t – so deal with it, get over it and move on!

Nowadays, I am a lot more sedate about networking. Don’t get me wrong, I am still as passionate about it as I ever was – I just look at it and deal with it a whole lot differently.

I no longer feel the need to attend every networking meeting on the planet – two or three a month are more than enough.

I no longer feel the need to obtain every single participating person’s business card and/or contact details. Now I ‘cherry pick’ a few individuals who I think I may either have synergy with or who I feel ‘drawn’ to meet (yes I go with my gut feel!) and I touch base with those who seek me out.

I no longer get stressed out if people don’t pitch for a meeting, now I take work along with me and get on with it, recognising the fact that everyone is not automatically on the same page as what I am.

My diary is still full with meetings sometimes booked as far as two or even three months in advance, but I no longer have this intense need to make a difference in someone’s life.

You see, building relationships takes time and commitment, and although networking gives you a foot in the door, the relationship still needs to be built and that is not something that should be rushed, and quite frankly running around frenetically is not only exhausting, but it is also very time consuming.

So take your time, accept your limitations and the limitations of others. Go to fewer events but make them quality events. Meet with fewer people, but make sure they are people who value who you are and what you do and make those meetings count and finally, be gentle with yourself, don’t push yourself too hard and too fast.

Monday, September 24, 2007

MAKING PEACE WITH YOURSELF

MAKING PEACE WITH WHO YOU ARE.

Today’s message comes from Doris Mortman who says “Until you make peace with who your are ... you'll never be content with what you have.”
How many times have we looked at extremely wealthy people who are obviously driven and who seem to be frenetic about making more and more money and we think to ourselves “When is enough, enough?” I know I have. Yet they don’t seem to know ‘when enough is enough’ and they continue to strive to make yet more money. People like Bill Gates and perhaps Donald Trump come to mind. I am sure that if either of them lives to be 100, they could not spend all that they have accumulated and yet they both seem driven to add to their already huge piles of money.

And it’s not only about the money, what about the beautiful super models that we see prancing about on the runway and we think to ourselves (well I do anyway) “they look perfect!”. Yet they are constantly going on new diets and primping am preening in an effort to look yet more gorgeous!

Let’s pick on the actors and actresses as well – there are many of them that are famous, they rolling around in the money, the accolades, the famousness (if there is such a word) and yet they strive, cajole, steal from under the nose of others, a part that they ‘just have to have’! Why – what drives them on and on.

And it’ not always about the money, there are people who live in extreme poverty and in the midst of that they strive to give yet more of themselves to others. Mother Theresa comes to mind here – what is it about these people that there never seems to be an end to what they desire, what – for them seems to be a never ending quest to achieve, whatever it is that they have sent their minds and their hearts to?

I suspect that I am about to put the cat amongst the pigeons here, but I think that for some it is because they have made peace with who they are and others haven’t yet.

For some, making peace with who they are and accepting who they are in the face of all adversity means being able to achieve more and more. But that is in terms of achievement, the money is a secondary thing. They are driven by their need to perform, or their need to achieve, or their need to inspire. They are caught up in the passion of what they do and who they are.

For others, it is about making the money. They, on some level question who they are, what they are about and what they can do. Despite being famous and rich they are insecure about who they are as individuals and so they desperately strive to be the best. They are never happy in their own skins or in their own minds and are driven to prove how good, fantastic, clever etc that they are – not to the world in general, but to themselves.

Which category do you fit into? Have you accepted who you are or are you still trying to prove to yourself, who you are?

Saturday, September 22, 2007

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Fabulous! I certainly could use some help in my garden, but have always been pretty reluctant to just pick someone up on the side of the road.

This is definitely a win/win situation. Let's all give them our full support.

Well done!


Organisation takes all the effort out of getting odds jobs done around the house
Workplace staff
13 March 2007 at 06h00

Every day about 100 000 men, desperate for work, stand on the side of South Africa's roads; very few get the reward of a day's pay. This is according to Charles Maisel, founder of Men on the Side of the Roads (MSR), an organisation which has changed the lives of many who stand by helplessly, hungering to show their worth. Big businesses in Cape Town and Johannesburg are on now on the "hit list" of the NGO. "We want large corporations to join the 'Worker for a Day' project, for one month, which links their staff with registered MSR workers," says Maisel.
"This pool of workers tackle mostly gardening and painting work and some home maintenance jobs. The project gives large businesses the chance to get employees directly involved in social responsibility and community building programmes without leaving the office. "It also alleviates the stress of having to cope with the long list of chores, which usually drag a black cloud of 'shoulds' over householder's weekends." Because each worker is a registered member of the MSR Federation their work is guaranteed and their credibility, trustworthiness and honesty are underpinned by the NGO. "People can feel totally confident that MSR members will get the job done with supervision - which is an area we look after too. Their homes are safe and if they are not happy with the quality of the work we will undertake to redo the job or refund their money."
MSR has nearly 10 000 registered workers nationwide, and they know their MSR membership is a passport to work and will go to great lengths to protect this privilege. Once a corporation indicates they want to become part of the 'Worker for a Day' project, MSR handles all the logistics. Registration desks are set up at key points in companies' reception areas and employees simply have to indicate what type of project they want undertaken.

They will be phoned to co-ordinate a time and a suitably MSR trained man, complete with tools, will be driven to and collected from their home. MSR invoices employers directly, so no cash changes hands, and a follow-up phone call checks post-job satisfaction. "Our objective is to marry a need with a service and to encourage ongoing working relationships," says Maisel." Many men hired through programmes like 'Worker for a Day' do an excellent job and are regularly employed. If this is the case we ask the employer to donate R150 to MSR so we can continue training more men and generating more jobs. "Should a more advanced job be required, an employer can make use of some of the more skilled people at MSR called Black Umbrellas who will submit a written quotation. This is part of MSR's generating new small businesses.
MSR also offers a garage cleaning service which is an excellent way to get rid of all that junk that "may have come in handy one day". The 'Worker for a Day' project has been successfully run in conjunction with BP and Old Mutual in Cape Town. MSR is now casting its net further to include businesses in Johannesburg and Pretoria as well as in the Mother City. MSR is committed to creating meaningful employment opportunities for these people who live a seemingly hopeless life. It trains unemployed men and registers them as members, providing them with skills, credibility and a greater chance at employment. Placement schemes help find jobs and projects like 'Worker for a Day' aim to prove that these people are capable of working, trustworthy and deserving of dignity. "We want people to know we have quality workers available, to learn about our system, generate job opportunities, serve a market need and increase the credibility of men carrying MSR federation cards," concludes Maisel.

For more information about starting a 'Worker for a Day' project at your company call Charles Maisel at Men on the Side of the Road on 021-448-9000. You can also find out more information on this by visiting www.unemploymen.co.za

CHOP, CHOP, CHOP

This is yesterday's post

Well I'm not sure that the "dead wood" would be 'staring' back at them, however having said that, I am convinced that there would be huge piles of 'dead wood' all over the place!

Although I have a huge problem with the apparent 'shooting of the messenger', I am even more concerned about the fact that all these incidents are not even acknowledged as a problem and the few that do get acknowledged as a problem are then blamed on someone else and/or on apartheid. No-one seems to be able to stand up and be counted. How is this possible? Surely if you are big enough to land the cushie job and reap the rewards thereof, you should also be held accountable!


Chop, chop, chop
17 August 2007 07:59


Tu true

"We want our society to be characterised by vigorous debate and dissent, where to disagree is part and parcel of a vibrant community, that we should play the ball, not the person, and not think that those who disagree, who express dissent, are disloyal or unpatriotic."
We were reminded of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s powerful message at the Nelson Mandela lecture three years ago after witnessing a series of events that pointed to a mounting clampdown on those who might not even voice dissent, but merely blow the whistle on incompetence and corruption. Rather than listening to the messengers, or at least suspending judgement until their claims have been thoroughly tested, the growing reflex of those in authority is to shoot from the hip.
In Parliament the outgoing SABC board, backed by one or two MPs, vowed to hunt down the person who leaked an internal audit report that made alarming allegations of nepotism, fraud and corruption at the corporation. Deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge was fired, in large part because of the alarm she sounded on conditions at Frere Hospital. And this week the Eastern Cape health department suspended Dr Nokuzola Ntshona, who wrote to President Thabo Mbeki highlighting the conditions at Frere.
As the Freedom of Expression Institute reminded us this week, another Eastern Cape doctor, Costa Gazi, was fired by the health department for publicly criticising Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. The M&G understands Prisons Minister Ngconde Balfour has suspended a senior medical officer, Paul Theron, and a chief nurse, and subjected them to discipline after they approached Parliament about conditions at Pollsmoor Prison. In the private sector, a similar culture is apparent. “Inability to work within a collective” is one reason Mbeki gave for dismissing Madlala-Routledge -- what this really means is her public acknowledgement of the shortcomings in public health policy and institutions and her disagreement with those who want to sweep incompetence and maladministration under the carpet.
Rather than tackle the real problems, let’s tackle her. The sad fact is that a culture of intolerance and denialism has engulfed the highest levels of government. Faced with a potentially embarrassing disclosure, this says: flatly deny there are problems, attack and smear the source and cry conspiracy. It runs counter to two Acts that encourage open governance and were passed by the same government that now seeks to flush them, if not in material terms then certainly in substantive ways.
Both the Promotion of Access to Information Act and the Protected Disclosures Act encourage access to information and whistle-blowing by protecting those who blow the whistle. As Tutu reminded us, criticism and the exposure of malfeasance is not unpatriotic. In fact, it is the duty of all South Africans interested in safeguarding and strengthening our democracy.
Chop, chop, chop
Angered by the axing of the deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge this week, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the government was filled with “untouchable dead wood”. For this -- and the statement that leaders were kept on until they died in office -- he was rapped over the knuckles. Vavi is given to colourful terminology -- who can forget his description of ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma’s bid for the top job as “an unstoppable tsunami”. He could have been more circumspect in his remarks: there is little doubt that both Dullah Omar and Joe Slovo, among those who died in office, played a more than honourable role in the struggle against apartheid and the struggles of the first years in government.
But, seriously, who can argue with his comment about “untouchable dead wood”? The ruling party’s parliamentary caucus invited Vavi to identify the dead wood in question. As a gift for Vavi’s wedding on Saturday, we would like to provide some assistance in drawing up his list:
Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. Need we say more?

Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri. Despite the government’s repeated insistence on the economic importance of cheaper telecommunications, Telkom remains entrenched in its monopoly position.

Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula. Despite increased budgetary allocations from the national treasury, crime rates are growing. And the thoroughly compromised commissioner, Jackie Selebi, is still in the job.

Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla and Prisons Minister Ngconde Balfour. The criminal justice system is not easily fixed, but Mabandla has been unable to move beyond stalemate with the judiciary on draft legislation to restructure the courts and change the way judges work. In the prisons overcrowding and graft remain huge problems.

Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. Appears completely clueless about what to do with problems in her department.

All provincial premiers except Gauteng’s Mbhazima Shilowa; KwaZulu-Natal’s S’bu Ndebele; the Western Cape’s Ebrahim Rasool and the North West’s Edna Molewa.

The ANC’s parliamentary caucus should take a hard look in the mirror. Except for about 20 switched-on, accountable MPs, dead wood will be staring back at them.

MAKE SURE YOUR BUSINESS IS BBBEE FRIENDLY

This was Thursday's post.
Although most of us as SMME's are 'automatically' BEE compliant, it would be a good idea to have a look at this story and also perhaps get a copy of the Free download. For those of us who do not understand how to calculate the scorecard, this is valuable information.
Make sure your business is BBBEE-friendly
Jonathan Goldberg22 March 2007 at 06h00

The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Codes of Good Practice became law on February 9. They are designed to guide organisations in implementing the original Employment Equity Act (EEA) in their workplaces and they differ from the original Act. While the EEA requires organisations to set reasonable and achievable targets, the BBBEE Code sets the actual targets to be achieved by 2017. Organisations will need to synergise their strategic approaches to comply with Employment Equity and the implementation of BBBEE. Five- and 10-year targets have been set of which black women should make up 50 percent.
Along with the lack of finance, the lack of skills is most often cited as a primary barrier to BBBEE. The BBBEE Codes of Good Practice focus on the measurement of two components of skills development that are critical in ensuring sustainability - spend on skills development measured; and on the total number of learnerships and in-service training programmes. The targeted 3 percent spend on skills development excludes the 1 percent skills levy that organisations already pay over as part of the Skills Development Levies Act.'And, when arriving at the 3 percent, it must be remembered that the beneficiaries of skills development must be black persons. In respect of learnerships, these could be learners taken on formally through a Sector Educational Training Authority (Seta) or learners on in-service training programmes.
The target is to have 5 percent of the workforce on these programmes. There are also targets for preferential procurement. 50 percent (40 percent for Qualifying Small Enterprises) of the procurement budget must go to black-empowered suppliers in the first five years.' The BBBEE status of a supplier (and of your organisation) can be graded at one of the eight levels. This status will determine what percentage of the spend will be recognised as BBBEE spend. So, organisations will have to seriously embark on establishing the BBBEE status of their primary suppliers in order to gain an idea of their scores in this element.

The element of Enterprise Development on the scorecard generally refers to the financial and operational support that is provided to qualifying BBBEE organisations. The assistance must be quantified and is classified as either recoverable or non-recoverable spend. Enterprise development activities that create jobs and establish new business in South Africa will attract the most points. Many organisations have implemented excellent strategies in this regard that drive business value upwards. An example would be an organisation that outsourced the repairs of its hospital beds (once sold) to a black entrepreneur.
Socio-economic development refers to donations to predominantly (75 percent) black beneficiaries. Organisations are going to have to refocus their donations to ensure that they are directed at the right beneficiaries if they are to count for BBBEE score.
Jonathan Goldberg, is the CEO of Global Business Solutions. Contact him on 083-281-957 or johnny@iafrica.com

Organisations can gauge their levels of BBBEE compliance using an innovative programme called FreeBEE. It is a BBBEE pre-verification measurement tool developed by Global Business Solutions (GBS) in association with CB4 Business Resource Centre. FreeBEE will provide companies with a simple yet effective tool to conduct pre-verification calculations and produce reports based on the promulgated Codes of Good Practice for BBBEE. FreeBEE offers both the generic scorecard as well as the QSE (qualifying small enterprise) scorecard. FreeBEE is available for free download. Go to www.globalbusiness.co.za and follow the FreeBEE link. FreeBEE is also available on CD. Call 043-721-1030 for information.

SKILLS DATABASE SET TO LINK PEOPLE TO JOBS

This is the post that should have been done on Wednesday.

How fabulous! The only question I have now is why has this not also been done in Gauteng, KZN and in fact as a national project!

Come on people, what a brilliant opportunity this is for someone with the correct skills and I am sure that there is a whole host of you out there!


Skills database set to link people to jobs
13 June 2007 at 12h00
By Sipokazi Maposa

A database listing Western Cape unemployed people and their skills is expected to improve job seekers' chances. The computer listing service has been developed by the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works. Delivering his budget speech in the provincial legislature this afternoon, MEC Marius Fransman said the move was aimed at addressing the province's dire shortage of skills, especially in the public works sector.
Between 300 000 and 600 000 people were unemployed in the province. The database would use existing internet-enabled public access infrastructure to allow people to make job applications, update their CVs, register and obtain information on programmes offered by the department. Potential employers will also be able to register on the system and find people who meet their requirements for specific skills. Fransman said at least 114 access points, including those in the poorest parts of the province, such as Khayelitsha, Mitchell's Plain, Delft and Bitterfontein, have been identified. The first portal is to be launched before the end of the month and beneficiaries of the Expanded Public Works programme are set to be the first to benefit from the initiative.

"In capturing the first round of data of unemployed persons and projects, we are making use of a service provider offering employment to people with physical disabilities," he said. Another new electronic system, called Rational Portfolio Management, would allow the department to keep accurate records of its projects. It will track the progress of programmes, job opportunities in municipalities and how much money has been spent on projects. "It will save us time - and money - and serve as an early warning system when things look as if they may be going off the rails," Fransman said.
Public transport, which has been allocated a budget of R202.47 million for the current financial year, would be prioritised to service new housing developments, Fransman told the legislature. Big road projects, such as work on the N2, Klipfontein Corridor, Koeberg interchange and Potsdam interchange, will also receive attention this financial year, with R1,23-billion set aside to finish projects, resurface tourist routes and maintain and gravel roads. Fransman said his department was looking at technology to achieve low vehicle fuel emissions. The 500 buses being bought for 2010 will be low-emission vehicles
On taxi violence, Fransman said the work of the intergovernmental Dispute Resolution Unit and recommendations of the Ntsebeza Commission were to be intensified."It is critically important for the industry to accept that the days of resolving an argument with a gun are long past."

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 29

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 28


Following on from last week’s offerings on Networking for Introverts, here are some more tips for other Introverts.

When I first started looking for business at networking events, I had to get myself to every networking function that was available. Please believe me when I tell you that I spent many a very uncomfortable hour standing around trying to force myself to smile and introduce myself to total strangers, because I wanted their business desperately, whilst trying to look casual, professional and anything but desperate. Going to every meeting that was taking place was a really good thing, no matter how difficult it was at the time because that is how I learnt, what kind of meeting best suited me. For me (and I suspect that this would work for most of the other introverts out there) a semi-facilitated, loosely structured type of environment works best. At least I am sort of introduced to people (not necessarily one at a time or even one on one) and they recognise me (and I them) and we can strike up a conversation and get talking. Going to networking functions where you don’t know anyone and nobody knows you and you have to go up to strangers and introduce yourself is like going ‘cold calling’! That, as far as I am concerned is for the birds and I am not a vulture!

So now, when a new meeting (with a bunch of people that I have not come across yet) is marketed or I am invited to attend something new, I always go to check it out, but that does not necessarily mean that I will automatically join up. There are different types of networking meetings and I function better at these when I feel comfortable in my surroundings. This also does not mean that I am restricted to one group – quite the contrary – I belong to several different groups, each one slightly different from the other, but all semi-facilitated, loosely structured and made up of individuals who are serious about doing business!

Find the type of meeting that fits with you as an individual. Make sure that you feel comfortable, meet the individuals and grab all of the opportunities that come your way.

Monday, September 17, 2007

THE WIZE MAN

THE WIZE MAN

The quote today comes form Naguib Mabiuz – author, who says “You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.”

I have a pet hate, actually to be completely honest – I have several pet hates, but for the purpose of this piece, I have a pet hate. That pet hate is people who don’t ask questions!

Not, I’m not talking about asking questions for the sake of asking the question – I am talking about asking the question, because you don’t understand the statement! Believe me there is a huge difference.

Those of you who know me, know that I run a workshop/course on “A practical Guide to Starting a Business”. I have facilitated the course with people on a ‘one on one’ basis and I have stood in front of a group of people and delivered the same course material. In both instances I have received ‘blank stares’ from equally ‘blank faces’, when, as I go through the course material, I have asked the question (that I am sure most of you who have delivered any kind of course material, asks from time to time) “Do you understand what I have just said or would you like to ask a question?”

I am not sure if it is because people are scared of looking like a fool, or what the reason is, but somehow, somewhere, someone has no idea of what it is that I have just said and they don’t ask any questions! I cannot understand this at all. You see for me, a person looks more like a fool, if they tell me that they understand something when they don’t, because when it comes to doing the practical side of things and they can’t do it, then they look like the fool. I am often heard saying that ‘the only stupid question is the one that you do not ask’.

I’ve got to the point now, from pure frustration, where, when people tell me that they understand what it is that I have just said, I ask them to firstly repeat what I have said and then secondly I ask them to tell me in their own words what they understand from the statement – you’d be amazed at the different kinds of answers that I get! Some of them would be really amusing if the situation were any different.

So ask the question, it doesn’t matter how stupid you may think that you look or feel – but at the end of the day, you will be the one that understands the content and you will be the one that will stand ‘head and shoulders’ above the rest.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

MANAGING EVENTS NEEDS A COOL HEAD


Managing events needs a cool head
Impti Du Toit20 June 2007 at 11h00

Managing the logistics of any major international event requires meticulous planning and attention to detail to ensure that everything is in the right place at the right time. In the run-up to an event, the logistics or operations manager is often required to do "10 things at once" - and his effectiveness and efficiency are critical to success. Denzil Ulyate, operations manager of event organisers Treble Entertainment, says a logistics manager directs, controls and co-ordinates a group of resources towards accomplishing a goal. This includes managing people, identifying equipment and infrastructure requirements, and putting together a process schedule, or "project lifecycle," that, in effect, lists the details of every logistics activity that needs to be carried out before, during and after the event.
In the case of the UCI B World Championship, an international cycling event that Treble Entertainment is currently organising, the process schedule is accompanied by a 400-page check list, says Ulyate. He adds that in organising mass participation events like the championship - which is to be held in Cape Town this month as a qualifier for the Beijing Olympics - the logistics planning will often begin 18 months before hand. "You could wrap up a large event in three months, but the administration behind it takes a long time. For example, the Cape Times/FNB Big Walk requires six months of admin and two months of roll out, simply because I have been doing it for eight years. "Planning the UCI B World Championship has taken 18 months as this is the first time this huge event will be in Africa. "We don't know what to expect, and therefore have had to plan for every contingency.
Next year will be even more of a challenge when we run the Junior World Cycling Championships. We are laying down the foundation now for that so we will have some of the requirements in place."As the UCI B Championships will comprise track, time trial, and road race competitions to be held at three different venues over six days, Ulyate and his team have had to give their attention to countless details, while not losing sight of the big picture. An important aspect that needs to be addressed at the start of planning any sporting event is compliance with provincial and local government regulations and city administration requirements. "The compliance issues are the longest and most difficult aspect of any event, requiring negotiation and compromise on both sides," he says.

In preparing for the UCI B World Championships, Ulyate also had to ensure compliance with the technical guidelines of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world governing body of cycling. Traffic management issues also had to be arranged at an early stage. "Everything needs to be checked and re-checked - an incredibly demanding task," he says. "For example, I personally will go to the Bellville Velodrome, one of the competition venues, to check that there is a back-up generator and enough fuel to see us through the event. Never assume anything is in the bag." In addition to taking responsibility for the logistics of the events at all three venues, his team must carry out a host of other tasks, among them arranging accommodation for VIP visitors; organising competition programmes, the opening ceremony and meetings; managing the joint operations centre; drawing up environmental, safety and disaster management programmes; providing operational maps and route maps, managing parking and transport; compiling a crisis communication flow plan; organising temporary liquor licences and noise control licences; and putting together an integrated operation plan for submission to the South African Police Services.
They must also deal with residents and ratepayers regarding road closures and cleaning up after the event. In the weeks preceding the event, it is not unusual for Ulyate to work 18 hours a day to ensure that everything is going according to plan - but he enjoys the challenge of continually having to think on his feet and being on top of his game. He says that to be successful as a logistics manager, it is important to have effective communication and negotiating skills, and to focus on people's strengths. "Logistics means bringing people together from different areas, jobs, departments, political parties and cultures, and making them work towards a common goal. You also need an overview of what is required." Being inherently well organised, having common sense and being able to keep your head when things go wrong are vital characteristics.
Ulyate, who was trained in IT-based project management and sports logistics/administration as part of the package, strongly feels that an ability to understand and use relevant software packages is important - "one of the most useful components of my training". He adds that a diploma in sports administration is a useful qualification for those who want to focus on sports' eventing.

Contact Treble Entertainment on 021 685 3333 or visit www.ucibworlds.co.za for more information on the UCI B World Championships
This is the post that should have been done yesterday. I know that all of this is hugely out of date, but we all have these problems with staff and it is my recommendation that you contact and/or view the belowmentioned website and get as much information as you can regarding this issue in order to deal with it effectively.


Dealing with excessive sick leave
09 October 2006 at 04h00

Excessive sick leave and incapacity can have a negative effect on productivity, but dealing with these issues effectively can be a tricky business if companies are not properly informed of the legalities. Andrew Breetzke, a specialist in the field of employment and labour law with a particular interest in the fields of incapacity and disability, will address these issues at a workshop on October 27 as part of the University of Cape Town law faculty's Professional Education Project. The course will consider the relevant provisions in SA labour law and clarify the differences between incapacity, chronic ill-health and disability, and their management.

The course is designed for human resources directors, managers and staff, company law advisers and managers who may be called upon to deal with the issue of incapacity and disability in the workplace, as well as insurers. The workshop will deal with employers' responsibilities towards employees suffering from ill-health, and what can be done to prevent the undermining of the business's management caused by the taking of excessive sick leave.

The workshop will explain how companies should go about terminating the employment of someone due to incapacity. Breetzke has acted as a consultant on sick leave to employers and insurers throughout South Africa.The workshop will take place in the Oliver Tambo Moot on the university's middle campus. Closing date for registration is October 20.

Enquiries to Irèna Wasserfall on iwasser@law.uct.ac.za, or call 021 650 5621.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

PROCUREMENT IS NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT BEE CODES

Thursday has become "Compliance Issues" day - and what a way to start the day? Trying to fathom the whole concept of BEE codes and compliance. Some of the requirements are really confusing, which of course opens up everything to 'perception and interpretation' or perhaps I should say mis-interpretation, often deliberate mis-interpretation, especially if you want to 'bend' the whole concept into your favour.

Someone out there needs to develope a very simplistic type of chart or something similar that explains the whole BEE code and how you get to it in the most simplistic manner.

Come on people, there's an opportunity right there for someone!


Procurement is needed to implement BEE codes
Sandile Ngcobo
22 January 2007 at 06h00

Trade and Industry minister Mandisi Mpahlwa released the final set of Codes of Good Practice on BEE in December and promised these would be gazetted in January. I have no doubt in my mind that industry players will be hard at work this year to ensure that their charters are aligned with these codes.
Every business - from major corporates to small businesses have to comply with these codes. The gazetting of codes would provide a legal status and framework from which empowerment could be implemented and measured. It will further spur deal-making and end excuses for not effecting transformation in the economy.
My take is that for these codes to succeed, the role that professional bodies and procurement departments should be playing in implementing these codes is to uplift the economy in a sustainable manner and spreading the so called "cake" to the previously marginalised.
EmpowermentWomen are a special interest group in empowerment, especially in light of a recent Arthur Goldstuck report that BEE has failed women. I have observed over the years that companies; especially big private companies like to play "devil's advocate". You will find a good policy statement hanging in their posh offices claiming what they believe and represent as far as BEE is concerned. But at the crux of the matter is that it sometimes differs when it comes to how they implement those "posh" policy statements.

They tend to hide behind excuses such as will the BEE company have adequate resources for the job; experience and background in this industry; health and safety requirements and all other non technical requirements as their excuses for not awarding work to the BEE supplier or contractor.
One will ask why I am so concerned about the role of procurement in these codes. The codes measure seven key elements. These are: ownership; management control; employment equity; skills development; preferential procurement; enterprise development and socio-economic development.
Procurement occupies 20% of the codes. The procurement code or element measures the extent that enterprises buy goods and services from BEE complaint suppliers as well as black owned entities. This includes key principles but not limited to; setting specific targets for procurement from Micro and Qualifying Small Enterprises, and setting specific targets for procurement from black owned and black women's enterprises.
In my mind only procurement and contracting managers will ensure that we achieve this. If they don't develop contracting and procurement strategies, which include supplier development initiatives and strategies for empowering small and medium enterprises; and put proper structures for opportunities for SMME's, we will fail to achieve what these codes attempt to accomplish in a sustainable way.
I am of the view that our procurement professionalism is needed now to drive the implementation of these codes and grow the economy in a sustainable way.Different professional bodies should now join together and find out how they can contribute instead of a "wait and see" approach. These bodies should seek to form strategic relationships with different stakeholders who are keen and interested in this important change.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

TEMP WORK A CHANCE TO TEST THE WATERS

This is absolutely fabulous for those SMME's who need some help from time to time, but not the full time employment of a permanent staff member. We should all keep this in mind. It's a great way to assist us in growing our businesses, without putting too much strain on the expenses.

Temp work a chance to test the waters 10 August 2007 at 11h00


Deciding what kind of job you want to do for the rest of your working life is tough. The days of studying, getting a job in your area of study and working in the same company until you retire, are long gone.


In fact, staying in the same job for too long can actually harm your career progress, not to mention your own development and self-esteem, says Colette Atkinson, head of the Quest Learning Institute, which carries out learnerships and similar interventions. The working world is changing fast, she says. More and more companies are downsizing their core permanent staff and are filling the gaps with temporary employees. For these companies, it makes financial sense.
In the

US, one in four employees is a temporary worker, and in the UK 40 percent of the total workforce is made up of temporary staff. In this new job climate, flexible staffing or flexstaffing is becoming a better work option for many young people who sign up with flexstaffing agencies that find work for them in a variety of organisations. "Some people say temporary employment isn't stable and doesn't add much to your CV. This couldn't be further from the truth."


Almost 80 percent of human resources executives say they consider a long stretch of consistent temporary work as valuable as full-time, permanent work. "If you sign up with an established, respected agency, stability won't be a problem and you will have access to benefits similar to those of permanent workers. "When you join an agency, the agency becomes your employer, and not the company you are placed in." A good agency will look after you by constantly providing work, giving you access to medical aid, provident funds and insurance. However, you should always research an agency and its credentials before signing up."


Louise Brouard of Quest Flexible Staffing Solutions gives some advice on choosing an agency: "Find out how long the agency has been in business, how many people are on its books, which industries it places flexstaffers in and whether you want to work in those industries. "Most important, look at the agency's approach and philosophy, and how it can assist you in building your career."


She says flexstaffing can be useful if you don't want to commit to a certain career path yet, and want to explore different industries and different kinds of work. It will provide you with a constant flow of diverse work experiences while you make your decision, removing the financial strain that comes with job hunting. Alternatively, if you know where you want to work, but can't get a permanent position there, working as a flexstaffer can give you a foot in the door, offering you a chance to prove yourself. Flexstaffing can also add skills you can put on your CV, giving you real, hands-on training and experience in a variety of fields, turning you into a sought-after employee.


"We've also found that a lot of our flexstaffers enjoy the business and social networking side of temporary work." They meet people they ordinarily wouldn't meet and have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals at every placement," says Brouard. Good agencies will also provide you with opportunities to improve your own skills and job performance through formal training or workplace learning, or a combination of the two.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 28

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 28

I was discussing Networking with one of my colleagues the other day when he turned around to me and said, in all honesty “I’m not a natural networker because I am an introvert!” I stood there with my mouth hanging open . . . for several seconds. You see, I am a natural networker and I am also an introvert! Ok everybody, you can get up off the floor now and stop laughing! I am an introvert! Ask my shrink!

It’s not that I am shy around people or afraid to be in public. Those of you who know me can attest to that. I not too good at small talk though, I much prefer to get into debates on issues that are important to me or not . . . Being with people on a constant basis often leaves me completely drained of all energy and I spend most weekends, on my own, relishing in the ‘space’ that I have on my own without any other people around me.

I am not ‘naturally’ good with people and although I have been told that I am a ‘people’s person’, I don’t feel that way at all. Mixing with people and interacting with them is a conscious thing for me and it is something that I have to work at – hard.

Why do I work hard at it? Well that’s quite simple – you see I understand the value of networking. I don’t see networking as a waste of time or a pain in the butt (although generally speaking, for introverts it is exactly that).

Networking for me, is me investing in myself and my company. You see, by developing my network in the way that I have, when I need a particular widget and/or a particular service, I don’t have to spend hours doing research on the internet, or paging through the yellow pages, or time and money sending out endless e-mails looking for help. It takes me one or two phone calls to find the exact person that I am looking for. In fact, if the truth be told, most of my colleagues phone me when they need anything because I usually have that particular contact within my data base.

For me that is a triple win situation. You see not only do I add value to the person who is looking for someone/something, I also add value to the person in my database who is that someone or who can provide that service, but in connecting these two, I have added huge value to myself – both will feel indebted to me and payback is always very sweet!

There’s a great deal more to Networking as an introvert, so more next week.

Monday, September 10, 2007

MOTIVATION - INSPIRATION & EXCELLENCE

This weeks quote comes from S’thandiwe Kgoroge who says; “It’s good to be inspired by other people, but strive for excellence at your own pace.”

So many times, we try and keep up with the people who originally inspired us, or the people that we look up to. Then when we are able to do so, we sink to our knees in despair and beat ourselves up because we have failed!

Why?

Why do we feel the need to do things at the same speed/time as everyone else? Are we not unique individuals who should be walking life to the beat of our own drums?

Surely it would be better for us (and probably less stressful for those we are trying to emulate) to set our own goals and arrive at our destination in our own time, having now experienced the lessons along the way that we were intended to learn?

Don’t always be in such a hurry! Take time to enjoy the journey! Take time to understand the lessons and therefore to learn from them! Take time to enjoy your life. Take time to be ‘all that you can be’.

Take time to be you.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

THE CALL OF THE CALL CENTRE

This is yesterday's post.

Wow! What an opportunity! SA's lack of skills will definitely have to be addressed though, if this is to be successful and certainly - the deliverables in terms of service will also need to be addressed, but having said that - for youngsters who don't know what to do with their lives, this could be a fantastic opportunity to be in one of the most sought after industries to be emerging this decade and for the oldies it is a great sort of business to be starting!

Also look at the opportunities for the older folk who have to suppliment their income - this could be a great way to untilize older people in a posive way.


The call of the call centre
Impti Du Toit
17 January 2007 at 11h00

While South Africa is becoming a preferred Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Contact Centre destination for the USA and European market, the country needs to tackle several priority areas - including a critical skills shortage in middle to senior management - to maximise the industry's potential.
This was stated in the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) 2005 sector-development strategy report, which took an intensive look at the local call centre industry and the way forward in the international marketplace, says Albert Rossouw who runs a Cape Town-based BPO consultancy, Strategy Threesixty. In recent years, several factors have contributed to the South African call centre industry's growth, including favourable time zone differences, a healthy business climate, deregulation of the telecommunications industry, language, political stability and cultural ties. "Research by CallCentres.net indicated that an estimated 65 000 people are currently employed in 535 call centres operated in South Africa by local companies," says Rossouw. "With around 10 000 agents dealing specifically with overseas customers, it estimated that the South African industry would secure nearly R1 billion in foreign investment during 2006."
Cape Town looks set to benefit the most from the inflow of foreign call centre business, according to independent analyst Datamonitor's research. "This showed that while most agent positions servicing offshore clients are now located in Gauteng, the balance will shift in favour of Cape Town," says Ros-souw. While these and other recent studies paint a positive outlook for the South African call centre industry, a comparison of local growth with that of international competitors shows that South Africa has much work to do if it is to continue to win international clients, he points out. In India, presently the market leader, call centre seats grew exponentially from 96 000 in 2003 to 158 000 at the end of 2005.

"By comparison the South African industry has grown by only 18% from 38 400 to 45 400 seats during the same period." The DTI sector-development report, commissioned to look at where South Africa is lagging behind its international competitors, pointed to several critical gaps. These included the higher cost of using South Africa as a call-based centre compared to destinations such as India and the Philippines; the negative perception that exists regarding personnel security and crime rates in South Africa; and concerns about the set-up assistance provided to companies wanting to migrate international businesses to this country, says Rossouw.
"The report also clearly stated that a shortage of skilled labour has stunted the growth of the BPO industry in South Africa and that few global corporations have set up their back office processing centres in SA," he says. "It said that 'although South African labour is educated, there is much training that needs to be done to impart special skills to these human resources', and that the establishment of effective public-private partnerships with government around key initiatives - such as talent development and skill building - will be critical. "The need to address the significant gaps that are already apparent in the availability of managerial level employees was echoed by the findings of a Deloitte study, which concluded that action needed to be taken to ensure that "future growth is not sabotaged by skills shortages".
Responding to the call for action, Rossouw has played a primary role in developing and will direct an advanced call centre leadership programme that addresses key shortages in the high-potential industry. The programme is to be launched by the Executive Education Unit of the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) in February. It will have three core areas of focus. The first will be to expose existing and emerging managers to global best practice in call centre management; the second is personal mastery, or understanding yourself; and the third will give managerial talent a forum to work closely and network with industry colleagues.The first module of the Advanced Programme in Call Centre leadership will begin in February, with an intake of 20 to 30 participants.
For more information, contact 021 406 1346 or see www.gsb.uct.ac.za/callcentre.

LABOUR COURT PROTECTION FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS

This is the post that should have been done on Friday 7th Spetember.

Well, well, well - it seems that there may well be justice of sorts in this country!

So Mr Employee, if you are doing funny things, like not paying VAT or not paying staff PAYE etc, don't count on your staff not to blow the whistle on you. Don't think that you can take it out on them either.

Trust me, it's a lot less stressful and painful just to pay your taxes and be compliant and above board!


Labour court protection for whistleblowers
There are acts which prevent victimisation over disclosure
Ivan Israelstam
15 January 2007 at 06h00

Not even cabinet ministers are immune from prosecution for victimising whistleblowers.The Protected Disclosures Act no 26 of 2000 (PDA) protects employees from reprisals as a result of having blown the whistle on their employer. This applies whether the disclosure in question is made to authorities within or outside of the company/organisation concerned.
Under the PDA both employees and employers are protected. That is, employees are protected from reprisals when making disclosures in good faith and employers are, to a limited extent, protected from employees who make unfounded and malicious disclosures. Therefore, while the PDA encourages genuine disclosures it requires the employee, when making an external disclosure, to at least hold a genuine belief that the employer has acted wrongly.
Whistle-blowing employees are also protected by sections 186(2)(d) and 187(1)(h) of the Labour Relations Act (LRA). The former section classifies as an "unfair labour practice" any employer conduct short of dismissal, resulting in "an occupational detriment" to an employee who has made a protected disclosure as per the PDA. The maximum compensation awarded to an employee successful in such a claim would be 12 months' remuneration. The latter section of the LRA makes it automatically unfair for an employer to dismiss an employee for having made a disclosure protected in terms of the PDA.
While few such cases have been reported, it appears that the courts are trying to look after the interests of both employers and employees. In Global Technology Business Intelligence (Pty) Ltd vs CCMA and others (2005, 5 BLLR 487) the Labour Court found that the employee's report to his lawyer of alleged unfair discipline did not fall under the definition of a disclosure for purposes of the PDA. The Court refused to assist the employee.
However, in the case of Grieve v Denel (Pty) Ltd (2003, 4 BLLR 366) an employee was suspended and notified of a disciplinary hearing while he was preparing to report alleged wrongdoings of the general manager. The employee alleged that, when the employer discovered that the employee had obtained certain information, it took disciplinary action against him. Grieve applied to the Labour Court for an urgent interdict against the disciplinary hearing. The court found that:

There was enough evidence to show that the disclosure the employee wished to make had some substance.

Discipline does fall under the heading of occupational detriment.
The court upheld Grieve's application for the interdict.
In a 2006 case the Minister of Justice is reported to have been taken to the Labour Court for removing Mike Tshishonga, a former deputy director-general, from office after Tshishonga had blown the whistle on the ministry. The Sunday Times of January 7 reported that the Minister of Justice as well as a then deputy director-general of justice, were taken to the Labour Court for removing Tshishonga after he exposed alleged corruption in the liquidation industry and alleged nepotism on the part of the Minister of Justice.
According to the report the court found that:

Tshishonga had been sidelined after refusing to appoint a friend of the justice minister.
He was later axed after making public disclosures. The fact that the minister and the former director-general had failed to testify in court aggravated the claim made against them

It was not right that the Public Protector, Auditor-General and Minister in the Presidency had failed to probe the allegations

The dismissal of Tshishonga was "vicious", and

The Justice Department was required to pay Tshishonga 12 months' salary in compensation as well as his legal costs. In view of the above, employers are advised to tread very carefully before acting against any employee who makes allegations involving employer wrongdoing.

Ivan Israelstam is chief executive of Labour Law Management Consulting.
Contact him on 082-852-2973 or labourlaw@absamail.co.za
To book for a seminar on new changes and dangers in labour law phone Lee on 011-787-5445.

STATING RETIREMENT AGE IN CONTRACT A WISE DECISION

This is the post that should have been done on Thursday 6th September.

Many of my client's, particularly those who have a "letter of appointment" of sorts for their employees are absolutely gobsmacked at the amount of information that is required, mostly by law, to be in the contract.

Many of the other issues, such as this (the retirement age) are often only noted and realized as important when it is far too late. By that time they have well and truely bitten them in the arse!

Many people, think that they are exceptionally gifted, and without the benefit of a law degree - try and write their own "Letters of Appointment" and then wonder 'what happened' when the brown stuff hits the fan and they end up having to pay out expenses such at the one in the story.

Be warned, be prepared and above all have a 'proper' Labour Attorney! They do cost, but the reality is that they cost a lot less than what you will have to pay for one if you don't listen!


Stating retirement age in contract a wise decision
10 April 2007 at 06h00

The issue of retirement age is a thorny one for employers and employees alike. A recent labour court case highlights the rights of employees and the risks to employers who don't deal with the issue properly.
Let's look at the facts in the case of Evans v Japanese School of Johannesburg. Ms Evans had been employed by the school since 1988. Her contract said nothing about retirement, nor was anything said about the issue when she was employed. There was also no policy at the time. The practice at the school was that employees retired at 65. Evans said that on many occasions she had spoken about retiring at 65 and no one contradicted her.
Suddenly, in February 2004, Evans and all other employees received a letter saying that the retirement age for all employees would be 60, with effect from March 1, 2004. At the time Evans was already older than 60. She asked for clarity regarding her position. The school's management maintained that it was necessary to implement a retirement policy. Evans had not been consulted on the policy. Eventually, the school informed Evans that she would retire at the end of December and she was given three days' notice. If she had been allowed to work until the age of 65, she would have remained employed until the end of September, 2008.
Evans referred the dispute to the labour court, alleging that she had been dismissed unfairly on the basis of her age. She asked for compensation under the Labour Relations Act (LRA), damages under the Employment Equity Act (EEA) and notice pay.

The labour court found that the employer had tried to introduce a new term into her conditions of service when it tried to introduce a retirement age. This it couldn't do without her consent. There was no retirement policy at the time Evans was employed. It was up to the school, as the employer, to prove that she had reached the normal or agreed retirement age for persons in her capacity. Instead there was evidence that it had been agreed Evans would retire at 65. Therefore, her dismissal was unfair. It was not only unfair, it was automatically unfair because of the provisions of section 187(1)(f) of the LRA. The dismissal was by reason of her age, which was discriminatory. This meant she was entitled to compensation of up to 24 months' remuneration under the LRA. The court decided it was fair in the circumstances to award her the full 24 months which was R177 144, as she was earning R7 281 a month at the time of her dismissal. Then it considered her claim under the EEA and pointed out that under the EEA there is no limit to what the court may award. It considered that she would have worked until September 2008, which meant she had lost out on R359 823.75, in total, and decided that a fair award under the EEA would be R200 000. Her contract made provision for three months' notice and she was entitled to that as well. So, the employer was ordered to pay her a total of R406 668 made up of compensation under the LRA, damages under the EEA and notice pay. It was also ordered to pay her legal costs. Probably a fair outcome for the employee but a very expensive lesson for the employer. Employers would be advised to include a provision on retirement age in all employment contracts. But remember that a retirement age can't be unilaterally introduced for existing employees. If there is no agreed retirement age, employers need to prove a normal retirement age for persons in that capacity. To do so requires facts that show a pattern or practice of a reasonable number of people in that capacity retiring at a particular time.

By Susan
Stelzne is head of employment law at Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

TRAINING VITAL FOR THE SURVIVAL OF NEW EXECUTIVES

Ain't that the truth! One of the biggest frustrations that I have at present is this whole 'loyalty' thing that seems to be going around. Because of the huge skills shortage at the moment, these new executives are so busy playing one company off against the other in a bid to see just how much they can get out of the deal that they are not performing at all. It's seems to all be in the numbers and it has got to the point that it is almost a catch 22 sort of situation.

Perhaps everyone should take a step back from the situation and what is on offer should be changed to 'this is what you will get IF you deliver"!

There is too much scurrying around. To the new young executives, I say . . . . sit down for a minute and make a difference before you start making demands and looking for excuses!


Training vital for the survival of new executives
02 April 2007 at 06h00

With the growing demand for competent executives exceeding all previous levels, particularly in the BEE arena, finding them and meeting their growing expectations has become a major challenge for chief executive officers and boards. So says Nolitha Tsengiwe, a partner with the executive development and coaching firm, Centre for Conscious Leadership. She believes one way around the problem is to coach incumbents and to maximise the efficiency of those already in place.
"One of the biggest problems hampering the optimisation of South Africa's executive talent lies in the fact that black executives are expected to 'learn from their white counterparts' before they can play a significant role in decision making," she says. "White executives often complain of the perceived apathy or passiveness of black executives, while their black counterparts voice frustrations at their opinions not seeming to be valued. "This could be attributed to both groups having a lack of understanding of each other's challenges, experiences, expectations and an absence of skills to address this.
Well-structured executive coaching is an ideal way in which these differences can be allayed. "Centre for Conscious Leadership partner Lee Freemantle says one of the greatest problems faced by executives is that they are not always aware of the impact of what she calls the "background of shared obviousness" in any particular group of executives. "For example, there's a predominance of white males in particular who went to the same school or university, supported the same rugby and cricket teams and share the same cultural background," she says. This often results in them being unaware of the "background of shared obviousness" that unifies them. "While this seems perfectly obvious and on the surface would not appear to be a problem, the reality is that this is often a gap that many black professionals find almost impossible to bridge," she says.
An old boys club mentality is very much alive and well at a subliminal level and it is going to take a concerted effort to break down the barriers that still separate people from different cultural, experiential and racial backgrounds in the workplace. The challenge of trying to fit in, in order to contribute or earn a meaningful role in the executive suite, then becomes more difficult to navigate. This is equally true for a white executive who enters a predominantly black executive team. "Women executives are often subjected to the joking and jostling style of overbearing males in the executive suite who are often unaware of their unintended impact," she says.

This is made more difficult by attempts to address this with the implication that women are too emotional and oversensitive to cut it in the field. "The question many newcomers to the executive suite ask themselves is: 'How do I need to behave and act to be taken seriously and earn the right to contribute meaningfully'? "Through intensive coaching, we help them to find the answer", says Freemantle "Newcomers to the executive have to be coached to develop skills and awareness about how to go about bridging the gaps.
"Existing executives, in turn, need to be coached to change their mindsets and become more sensitive to these differences and learn how to open up their ranks to leveraging the diversity of newcomers such as race, gender, sexual orientation or culture. "We tailor all our learning and development interventions to the individual. These are then juxtaposed against the needs, expectations and objectives of the company. "This is an integrated process that requires involvement of all key stakeholders ie other board members, line managers, peers, direct reports etc. "This process also takes into account the client's life as a whole and the various challenges that remain in the balance."The coaching process is fully Integrated with other HR processes such as performance management, career and succession planning. "These interventions are aimed at developing a repertoire of skills and awareness around an executive 's personal, interpersonal and task mastery," Tsengiwe says. "People are often blind to the impact they are having in the workplace.
Given the lack of direct feedback and an awkwardness around addressing sensitive issues, they are therefore unable to make improvements. In addition to making executives and board members more effective, it also helped to increase overall capacity and strengthen a company's position in the market place as they are able to challenge the status quo and harness new ways of thinking and doing things. "Freemantle points out that what they offer is not just a quick fix, but a more sustainable solution in that it helps companies align what they say with what they do and so ensure optimum performance across the board.

For more information contact Nolitha Tsengiwe or Lee Freemantle at the Centre for Conscious Leadership on 011-295-6642 or visit the website

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 27

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 27

For the most part, networking for different people means different things. For some it is about building relationships with a view to doing business in the future. For others it about selling their widgets/services – quickly. Some on the other hand use networking to be able to ‘buy’ whatever widgets/services that they need in order for their businesses to run smoothly and for a very select few it is about being a “Connector”.

Part of me being a ‘natural networker’ is that I am a ‘Connector’. Connectors are people who do not only attend networking meetings to build relationship, to sell their widget, to buy another widget or even to have a few drinks or a coffee with someone, they like to match people up. They like to introduce people to one another.

Thursday is my networking meeting day. It is the day that I sit, from around 9.00am to around 4pm at ‘my office’ at the Mugg and Bean in Cresta (where I get excellent service I may add from the guys there, thanks guys) and I meet with people all day long. These are the people that I have met briefly at a networking event, be it at the Inner Circle, or Women In Finance, a Business Warrior, Rachel’s Conversations that Matter or indeed, even someone that I have met on the My Genius site. I allocate an hour for each person – some take longer, some don’t need the whole hour and strangely enough, some don’t even pitch at all!

I listen to their stories, and am often amused by the fact that many arrive at the meeting and they have no clue as to why they are there! All they know is that I have phoned them up, booked an appointment to see them (sometimes as much as 3 months in advance), confirmed the appointment the day before it has to take place, and now they are here! To them I say – Well Done!

I digress - so I listen to their stories, try and understand what it is that they do in their business, who they need to ‘connect’ with and why. As they talk I make notes and ask questions in order to understand something in a few minutes, that they have sometimes built up over months and years. As I make notes and ask the questions about ‘target markets’ and the like my mind wonders through my data base and the kind of people that they should be connecting with. I start off by industry and then work on the individual in that industry.

For example, if I am talking to someone in the printing industry (yes I know we all need business cards, but there is just so much more to printing), my natural reaction would be to put them in touch with all the Training people (training manuals, course material – presentations and the like), all the Event Marketing people (banners, corporate gifts and the like), Team Building people (course material, manuals, banners), Advertising and Marketing people (corporate gifts, brochures etc) and of course the Corporate Gift people ( pens, t-shirts and the rest of the paraphernalia, that goes with that). Sure, if I hear of someone who needs to have their Business Cards printed I will send them along to you too!

Whilst ‘listening’ to your story and asking the questions that I ask, I may also understand that you may have a problem somewhere in your business. You may be experiencing difficulty with your financials and may be looking to outsource you Bookkeeping functions or you may be needing someone to help you with your frustrating IT problems, or you maybe battling to get the right staff – whatever that problem is, I have no doubt, that somewhere in my database there will be someone who I can refer to you to be of assistance to you. Even if they are not in my direct data base, I can go to Business Warriors, Inner Circle, Women In Finance, Every Woman, Small Business Hub, S A Business Index and My Genius and ask for assistance. Somewhere, someone knows somebody who knows somebody else, who knows or who can refer me to someone who knows who you need to help you with whatever problem it is that you have.

Hence the saying “There are no problems, just opportunities!” Your problem is someone else’s opportunity!

When I am connecting people (and believe me when I say it isn’t just at my Thursday meeting that this happens), I am in my element – this is the world that I love. Why you may ask, well it’s because I can add value to the people in my data base (or network) by moving them from one contact to another. In this way the networks of all the different contact ‘cross pollinate’ so to speak and in so doing I add value to myself and also grow my network.

You see my networking isn’t just a matter of you ‘helping me right now’ or of you ‘selling me something right now’, it about finding synergies, from the people that I have known for years and the new people that I am meeting right now. It’s about bringing the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ together so that they can do business together.

It’s about building credible relationships, not only between myself and the new people that I meet, but also between the new people that I meet and the people that I have known for years.

So what does networking mean to you?

Monday, September 03, 2007

EXACTLY HOW WILL POVERTY BE ADDRESSED

And now for a hard dose of reality! Well the reality of the situation is that Government is NOT going to help and quite frankly neither will big business - other than out of their CSI(R) budgets! So it will ultimately be left to the Entrepreneur and the SMME market to grow their businesses one staff member at a time, and this against impossible odds, like red tape, compliance, SARS and specifically the Department of Labour!
But you know what! We can do it! We can make the difference! So come on guys and gals - let's get down to business. Draw up those plans to make your businesses grow, not only for ourselves, but also for the good of this economy and for our fellow South Africans!
Let's all strive to make a difference!

SANE ViewsVol.7, No.2 14
March 2007
HOW EXACTLY WILL POVERTY BE ADDRESSED?
Margaret Legum


Despite the almost universal acclaim for the Budget this year, there remains a persistent, dark, ugly hole. It is our old friend poverty. Although it is overtly government’s highest priority, the path to poverty’s eradication remains obscure. Government thinking, as set out in many recent policy speeches, is clear in principle. First, they do not believe that poverty should be addressed directly by giving people money. They reckon that although old and disabled people and children should get grants, able-bodied, but unemployed, adults should not. They believe it is undignified to get handouts if you are available for work.
That means government intends ending poverty only through policies that will enable earning through work. That is what needs interrogating.
Productive employment could happen in one of three ways. People could make a living off the land, if they have any: that is not an option for most poor South Africans, few of whom have access to livelihoods from land. Land distribution was actually neglected in the Budget speech.
Second, they can get a job – be employed by someone else. Third, they can set up their own enterprise, making a livelihood by small business or social entrepreneurship.
We the public need to know exactly how government thinks poverty will, in fact, be diminished in one of those ways. What exactly will produce enough decent jobs that pay wages or salaries to enable people to live healthy lives? These are not new strategies. They are the means through which government has expected poverty to diminish over the past decade or so. So far those policies have not made anything like a serious dent in poverty. They have left some 40% of our people without regular income from working; and because the highest proportion of unemployment is borne by Black Africans, that means well over 60% of Black men and women have no jobs.
What’s more, millions of adults classified as employed are simply survivalist small traders or opportunists eking out a hand-to-mouth existence. And many more ‘employed’ people have formal jobs that pay less than the poverty line – security guards, domestic workers and catering staff spring to mind. These cannot possibly be regarded as taking people out of poverty.
However you read the statistics no one - in government or out of it – can deny the stark misery, the daily horror, the childhood suffering that is the daily experience of perhaps half of all South Africans. Government has set the target of halving it by 2014. But they have said nothing new about how that will happen. The problem is that the opposition in Parliament is not doing the job of seriously questioning government on the effectiveness of its policies on poverty.
The DA supports government’s economic policies, because their constituency, being largely well off , benefits by current policies. Other opposition parties are too feeble be taken seriously as representative of poor people. So here are the questions that we the public need to ask the government about its promises on poverty.
Government says employment will grow as the economy grows – calculated by the gross domestic product (GDP). But ‘growth’ cannot be aggregated in that way. Some kinds of growth simply put more money into the pockets of rich people. For example hikes in the price of resources like gold, platinum and oil will raise the GDP and the rate of growth, but have virtually no positive effect on employment or poverty.
Question: Please tell us what kind of growth government expects, as a result of which policies, show us its path to poor people, and tell us what assumptions are being held to produce those answers? We know that growth along current lines is unsustainable: diminishing supplies of oil and the effect of pollution on climate change will force us to change the path of growth.
Question. Is long-term sustainability being taken into account in government’s calculation of growth and the effect on poverty? Government says South Africans save and invest too little and borrow too much, so a restricted, balanced budget is necessary - in effect to save for us. Again, the questions of saving, debt and investment need disaggregating.
Question: Obviously savings cannot be expected from people only just surviving. So why not put higher taxes on people who have the income but do not save. Our open trade policies are inviting competition from countries which have lower labour costs than we do. So far they have resulted in a net loss of South African jobs.
Question: What is government thinking about the effect of trade in the future? How well do they reckon our enterprise will cope with more imports from countries like China, India and elsewhere? Finally, even if the answers suggest that we will in fact halve unemployment by 2014, what about the other half? What about those millions of poor people left untouched despite the most optimistic assumptions? Are they to put their digestion systems on hold until government can produce an economy in which they can afford to eat? In the absence of an opposition party to do the job, we must ask the hard questions. Must poor people continue to bear the costs of government’s scruples about handouts and dignity? What is dignified about living off a child’s grant, or a pensioner? Why is it less humiliating to beg at the traffic lights, or scavenge on a rubbish tip or steal from other poor people? Has anyone asked people with no income whether they would feel bad about getting a grant?