THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 34

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 34

My friend Geraldine Bunting from Cheyenne Financial Services (www.cheyenne.co.za) always tells me that one of the things that her mother used to say is “There is a reason that God gave us two ears and one mouth!”

Frankly, I agree – we don’t listen enough. We are so busy, thinking about a clever thing to say in response that we don’t listen to all of what the other person is trying to say and yet conversely we become offended if someone doesn’t listen to what we have to say.

I am always reminded of an incident that happened to me at the garage. The petrol attendant asked me 3 times whether I wanted unleaded or leaded and each time, when I answered him, he was so busy talking to his mate that he didn’t listen – the result of course, is that he put the wrong petrol into my car. When I pointed this out to him, he immediately stopped the incorrect petrol pump and started putting the correct petrol into the tank. When it came time to pay, I was presented with a bill for xx amount of litres of incorrect petrol and yy amount of litres of correct petrol – I refused to pay for the incorrect petrol. The Manager entered the debate and tried to insist that I pay for the incorrect petrol as “it was already in my tank” – I refused and invited him to remove it from the tank as I had neither asked for it nor did I want it – in fact, I requested his name and contact details, as if anything untoward happened to my car, as a result of the wrong fuel being put into the car, I would be holding him personally responsible.

In this instance, not only did the petrol attendant not listen to the instruction, but when the result of this could have cost the garage money – suddenly it became my problem! How bizarre! Anyone who knows me though, knows that I did not pay for the incorrect petrol – in my opinion, the petrol attendant and the garage needed to be responsible for their own shortcomings – but that is another story for another day.

The point that I am trying to make is that there is usually a consequence for not listening and when you are in a networking environment this is usually the loss of a lead, loss of a sale and invariably – loss of a client!

A bit harsh, you may think! But think about it logically for a moment. Let’s say you are telling someone who you are and what it is that you are doing – he on the other hand, whilst appearing to be very interested in what you are saying, is watching the nubile young waitress who is serving a table nearby and clearly by following his glance and the glazed look in his eyes, he is not paying attention. He sells motor vehicles. At the same meeting, there is another chap who also sells motor vehicles. He on the other hand not only listens carefully to what you are saying, but also takes notes and asks pertinent questions and really tries to understand what you are all about.

The very next day, your friend Geraldine Bunting is looking for a car, but wants to talk to someone who is not going to rip her off and who will tell her the truth – which of the two guys above are you going to refer her to – for me it’s a ‘no brainer’!

In my opinion, there is a consequence, each and every time that you do not listen – the question remains however, whether you are prepared to bear that consequence or not.

It’s a conscious decision that only you can make!

DO IT: LOVE, LAUGH AND LIVE

So here's the plan - let's all plan to do this from now, at least, until the end of the year and see what a difference it makes in our lives.


I know that there is no greater gift that I can give anyone than my love, given freely and from the heart, my smile, given freely from and from my soul and my life, my time given freely from both my heart and my soul.

I know that there is no greater gift that I can give myself than my love, my laughter and my life.

Let us give to each other and to ourselves as well - it is trully an uplifting feeling!

Do it: Love, laugh and live
Rinus le Roux
16 December 2006 at 11h20

I have just spoken to Theo, the editor of The Star Workplace, who told me that this is my final column for 2006. Let me therefore leave you with a powerful final thought. During the 42 years I've spent here on earth, I've used what I call the "Triple L" formula as a guideline to life and trust that you, too, will be able to use it with great success - especially in the month of December as the year comes to an end.

The first 'L' - Love more:

Make this the month where you commit yourself to love more in all areas of your life. Become more loving, give more love, see more love and accept more love. If all of us commit to this first 'L' and love more, we can get closer to experiencing the reason for our existence. The emotion and act of love are the most powerful and healing gifts we have to offer each other - and they are free. So give love freely and accept it freely.

The second 'L' - Laugh more:

As you know, laughter is the music of the soul. One needs only to watch children playing to know that this is true. During December dedicate yourself to having fun. Loads of it! Remember that it works both ways. Open your eyes to the joy, fun and laughter in life and contribute towards creating it for others. Help your friends, family and colleagues to experience the power of laughter. Enjoy life with a smile on your face and see life smiling back at you.

The third 'L' - Live more:

Life is for the living. Living more means experiencing the various dimensions of life. If you are inclined to work a lot with your head, become more physical - get out there and do things. If you live your life at a hectic pace take time to be with yourself and spend some alone time. In other words, do your best to experience the fullness of life.

94.7 Highveld Stereo has just started its initiative to make people's dreams come true (Christmas Wish). During the coming year, perhaps you and I can look for opportunities to do the same for others. By loving more, laughing more and living more we can also make some of our own dreams come true. Thank you for reading my column and for the constant feedback you send me. Until next year - God bless.

IT'S TIME TO HONOUR THE PAs IN ORGANIZATIONS

The only thing she doesn't have to do is wipe the bosses bum when he's been to the loo! Jokes aside, this in my opinion has to be one of the toughest jobs in the corporate world. On one hand you have to be leader, trainer, supervisor, mother and confidante and then on the other you are guardian and gate keeper - all of this whilst still being a slave to the boss! God help you if you are seen to 'over step' the bounds of your portfolio!

So to all the PA's out there - I say, well done!

It's time to honour the PAs in organisations
Workplace staff

06 September 2007 at 06h00

Today is Secretaries' Day and the time has come to stop paying lip service to the fact that the role of the executive personal assistant (PA) has evolved.We need to acknowledge through recognition and reward that the PA is an essential functional part of the organisation, and fulfils a critical role in the success and profitability of a company. With this in mind, the six finalists for the PA of the Year award have been named: They are: Wilna Oosthuizen, PA to Maria Ramos of Transnet; Nana Keagile, assistant to John Rees of the Development Bank; Nicolette Jasper, assistant to Gidani's CEO Dr Bongani Khumalo; Tanya de Ponte, PA to Angus Westley of Adcock Ingram Healthcare; Li-Ann Martin, PA to Daniel Mminele at the Reserve bank, and Carol Fourie, PA to John Field, CEO of Fedbond. Let's see what recruitment ads say in terms of main roles and responsibilities required of a PA for a top executive:

They must be able to:
ensure smooth and efficient running of the office, including oversight of the IT network, health and safety, company databases, compliance, personnel records, contracts.

support two directors in the day-to-day company operations

manage the office and new business administration teams

Carry out research on wide ranging topics

write a variety of documents, including tenders, articles, case studies, press releases, etc

assist the website team with content updates

carry out any other tasks or duties that the person may reasonably be asked to do from time to time

And in terms of knowledge and experience:

Excellent key skills in communication (spoken and written)

Super-advanced working knowledge of Microsoft-based applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

Ability to prioritise workload

A minimum of five years experience in a similar role

The search for the PA of the Year, an award organised by Dictum Publishers and the Institute for Certified Administrative Professionals (Icap), creates an opportunity to showcase stellar performers and act as a mirror of the current status of the profession. Says Judy van der Merwe of Icap: "With this award, we want to, on the one hand, discover what is really happening in terms of the growth of the profession and on the other hand, enhance its status and stature. "We believe we have some of the best PAs in the world, and we need to bring them to the fore."

But how do PAs achieve the image of success. Let's pose the question to newly announced finalists. Says Oosthuizen, Ramos's PA: "PAs must work in a fast-paced environment and therefore have to be highly organised, resourceful and multi-task."Keagile believes top PAs don't do ordinary things ordinarily. "We need to be more creative. A good PA is not born but created. Knowing protocol is important - we deal with ministers, VIPs and people of different cultures". On the skill of business acumen, says Jasper, a top PA understands the environment she works in and she understands the industry. "Furthermore, a successful PA not only delivers on her key performance areas, but also goes the extra mile. "De Ponte also believes that a PA is an ambassador. "Whatever we do reflects positively or negatively on the corporate and social image of one's boss and of the organisation." Martin says one of the things that distinguishes a good PA from a top PA is the ability to anticipate what the boss needs before they may even know it themselves. "We need to be a step ahead." Fourie adds that its a plus to be a natural and wise leader. "A PA working in the executive office needs to appreciate the importance of tact, diplomacy and flexibility."SA's PA of the Year Award will be presented at the Balalaika Hotel in Sandton on September 21 following the PA Summit.

COURT CLERK HELD FOR 178 COUNTS OF FRAUD

Friday being "Fraud and theft day" means that this was the post for the day.

When I gather my articles and/or information for posting on the blog, I very seldom actually read the article, until I actually post it. Reading this now, my first gut felt, knee jerk reaction is - so who helped her. I doubt that she could have done this all on her own. Seems to me that she is the "fall guy" for whatever is going down in the courts administration - perhaps a little more digging should be the order of the day!

Court clerk held for 178 counts of fraud
Durban, South Africa
24 October 2007 07:04


A Pietermaritzburg court clerk was arrested after being linked to 178 counts of theft and fraud, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Wednesday.Spokesperson Inspector Joey Jeevan said a special task team arrested the 38-year-old woman at the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, after months of intensive investigations."This was after police received information relating to fraudulent activities and theft at the court," Jeevan said. "It is alleged that the clerk would receive payment for deferred fines and admission of guilt fines, and thereafter issue several fraudulent copies of receipts."Police said they were investigating 178 counts of fraud against the clerk, since January this year -- totalling nearly R180 000.The woman is expected to appear at the same court soon. - Sapa

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WHEN BEING RETRENCHED

In my experiance (and yes I have been retrenched), was trying to deal with all of the emotion. The retrenchment process, done correctly or not, is never an easy one and the perceptions of "why" sometimes cause more stress on their own, without even the thought of the actual retrenchment. Try and take the emotion out of the situation and try and remain calm - a tall order on both fronts, I know - but one that will stand you in good stead.

Know your rights when being retrenched
John Mullins

01 March 2007 at 11h00

Of all the months of the year, February is my busiest. Apart from about a 100 birthdays to celebrate - which already taxes both my memory and my bank balance - it is the month where I see most people either changing jobs or starting new careers. February, being the second month of the year, is the time when most people realise that the job they are in did not miraculously become better over the holiday break. It is the time when it dawns on people that if they don't leave now they may be stuck in it forever. It also happens to be the time when your New Year's resolution notice period has been worked in, which is a step closer to freedom. However, February in 2007 will also go down in history as the one in which I have experienced the highest number of messy retrenchments, dismissals and resignations that I can recall.

The nature of what I do means I am always speaking to people who are either unhappy in a job, looking to leave, or simply out of work because they've been dismissed or have resigned in frustration.Granted, it is by far the most unusual condition one could have in a business. And here I don't mean some mysterious force has mutated the management team into some monstrous, cold-hearted life form. Although, come to think of it, that's what curatorship appears like to the staff from the outside. What I thought I'd do is share some of the experiences I have gathered in the last month, of how the process of leaving your job can be a really messy affair unless you put some clear and simple processes in place.

First, let's deal with retrenchment. It's getting so bad in South Africa that it's almost a national sport. It's worse than wizard chess for me, because the long-term effects on the psyche are massive. The example I want to share involves underdone lawyers, loose tongues, basic ball-dropping errors and deceived staff members. You put this all together and what you get is the following. Picture the scenes. First, an independent labour expert with no regard for the staff of the company calls a mass meeting, hands out retrenchment consultation notices, supposedly to initiate consultations to avoid dismissal. Staff react angrily - wouldn't you, if you were promised you wouldn't lose your job?

The meeting closes and the experts are heard mumbling profanities when describing the staff they have just addressed. Even worse, a few hours later, final notices of dismissal are handed out, making a total mockery of the spirit of the consultation process. The solution is simple. Know your rights inside and out. Get representation if necessary, but for goodness' sakes, let's stop these cowboys from operating so loosely in the workplace. Their biggest blunder came a little later when they called an entire department into a room, to retrench them, only to discover, after a while, that they had the wrong department. Imagine the stress and anxiety. For me, this kind of unprofessional performance at a time when things need the utmost sensitivity is unacceptable.

You can avoid the trauma if you know your rights and understand the process. The last group I want to focus on is the group who get left behind. The so-called survivors who are sometimes expected to consider themselves lucky. The truth is, these folks can't wait to leave. They are dealing with the loss of friends, and the loss of a community of workers. Life is never the same after a mass retrenchment. The problem, though, is that leaving under these emotions can be fatal for your career.You want to make sure the next job is actually a better prospect - not for your immediate situation, but for what you had experienced in the past. Rather stay in control. Stick around while you search for a better job. Test your true reasons for leaving and stay positive about yourself. Most break-ups are messy, but you do have the power to keep yours clean and positive.
John Mullins can e-mailed at john @dnalearning.net

LEARNERSHIPS GIVE MATRICS SKILLS FOR BUSINESS WORLD

Sorry folks there was no post yesterday, due to computer fall down!

Well done Old Mutual - and well done to the unemployed matriculants for getting it done!

Where there is a will there is a way and it is all about looking for and finding the opportunities! They are all around us in great abundance!

Learnerships give matrics skills for business world
29 June 2007 at 11h00

More than 50 unemployed matriculants from disadvantaged backgrounds in the Western Cape recently graduated with qualifications in the financial services industry, during the third phase of a learnership programme launched by Old Mutual Business School. More than 100 learners in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng also graduated. "The third learnership programme was a success not only because the learners have developed skills and experience to help them become employed, but also because over 80 percent of them have been employed by Old Mutual in the Western Cape alone," says Maxwell Kubheka, the company's learnership manager. He says this was due to the exceptional quality and capabilities of the learners, who were committed to their own growth and development. "The high employment rate can also be attributed to Old Mutual's managers and mentors who were passionate about developing young, black talent, and to the well-structured and good training material provided by INTEC." Old Mutual aims to employ as many of the learners as possible, he says. "For those who are not placed within the company, Old Mutual funds an open day, where personnel agencies coach learners on writing up their CVs and assist them with applying for jobs."

Learners employed at Old Mutual will fulfil positions in the client service, employee benefits, healthcare, group schemes, marketing and HR departments, he says. During the learnership programme, students spend 11 months in training, with 30 percent of that time spent in the classroom and the remainder getting practical experience in the business." The practical component together with the qualification provides an excellent opportunity for the students to become employed, as most companies require both when looking at hiring an individual," says Nikki Wouterse, CEO of ICG Learning Solutions, the training provider that partnered with Old Mutual in all three regions.

The graduates successfully completed Financial Services Administration NQF3 and Wealth Management NQF4. Subjects covered included communication, mathematics, financial literacy, computer literacy, managing risk, understanding the financial services industry and the impact of legislation, Wouterse says.The learnership programme, launched in 2005, aims to educate 685 students by 2008. The selection criteria are based on the Financial Sector Charter guidelines and are restricted to unemployed matriculants from disadvantaged backgrounds. Candidates are also required to have passed maths or accounting. The fourth intake of learners will be launched nationally in July.

COMPANIES SHOULD PROMOTE CULTURE OF HEALTHY LIVING

As much as I agree that the private sector should be getting more involved, so too should the Government. They have forced affirmative action down our throats, they have made the labour laws hugely difficult to negotiate, they have beaten us up with their BEE requirements, so they too must bare part of the burden of promoting healthy living and please don't ask us for more money to do this - if they stopped half of the fraud that is taking place at top levels in government, there would be more than enough to foot the bill!

It's time Government stopped waiting for everybody else to do the work and got on with doing some of it themselves!

Companies should promote culture of healthy living
31 July 2007 at 10h00

Chronic diseases are exacting an increasingly heavy toll on people's lives, accounting for 60 percent of deaths in the world. They also affect the quality of life for many and weigh down on economic growth, says Craig Nossel, head of Vitality Wellness at Discovery. Chronic diseases make up over half of the diseases in the world. And developing countries are increasingly feeling the burden, which has negative implications for their often under-resourced health services.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that the cost of chronic disease accounts for 3 percent of GDP for developing countries.WHO has set a global goal to reduce death rates from all chronic diseases by 2 percent per year - resulting in the prevention of 36 million deaths by 2015. Nossel points out that chronic diseases are no longer simply affecting the elderly - although ageing populations in many parts of the world are also increasing the burden. The incidence of chronic illnesses among younger people is increasing and this is especially prevalent in emerging economies like South Africa.

This affects the growth prospects of countries as chronic illnesses impact the more productive, younger sections of the population. If WHO achieves its goal of reducing deaths through chronic illness, most of the gains will be in low- and middle-income countries - about half of these prevented deaths would be among people under 70. Nossel says that most of these diseases can be prevented. "Poor nutrition, smoking and a lack of sufficient physical activity are the major causes of chronic illnesses as they can contribute to the onset of heart disease, lung disease, diabetes and certain cancers," he says.

According to the WHO, 4,9 million deaths can be attributed to smoking, while 7,1 million deaths are directly caused by high blood pressure; and 4,4 million to high cholesterol. Lack of physical activity, low fruit and vegetable intake and obesity are high risk factors too - 1,9 million deaths are caused by the lack of regular exercise and 3 million people die because of poor nutrition and obesity.

All of these can be prevented or minimised by changing your behaviour, says Nossel. "It is important to note that these diseases develop over many years and that there is evidence linking conditions in early childhood to health in adult life. In addition, poor health habits are often entrenched at a young age." An extra challenge is the change in the global economy towards more service-oriented industries where workers are more likely to be desk-bound or sedentary. This is especially so in developed economies, but is also increasingly common in emerging economies like India, with its growing IT and call-centre sectors. This puts the focus on companies to pick up the baton and drive prevention of chronic diseases. "Companies are realising that chronic conditions impact their bottom line through lower productivity, hours and days lost, and, in some cases, direct medical expenses," says Nossel. But companies are also in a better position to do something about it through education, facilities and programmes. Often companies already have the infrastructure in place to do so, so leveraging these to encourage healthier lifestyles can be achieved at relatively low cost and across borders in the case of multinationals.

"For instance, companies can use their internal communications systems to promote healthy behaviours, offer healthy options in their canteens and encourage staff to exercise more."Healthy habits learned in the office can also be passed on to the home and to employees' children, says Nossel.Nossel says it's a question of getting buy-in from corporate executives and embedding healthy living in a company's culture." The gains are very tangible. A Canadian study estimates that a 10 percent increase in physical activity could reduce direct healthcare costs by millions." "Corporate companies - particularly the multinationals that operate in emerging countries - have an important role in achieving these gains, to everyone's benefit," says Nossel.

GETTING THE RIGHT PRACTICAL WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE

Well done Jack Phoshoko and well done Boston City Campus! You see what a little iniative can do and a little willingness to actually do some work.

How is it that there are thousands of people out there who are desperate to work, thousands of companies out there that are desperate for skilled workers, hundreds of companies out there desperate to train people and hundreds of CSI's available funding to assist and yet we can't all seem to marry up and get together and work together.

Odd, don't you think? The opporunities are boundless!

Getting the right practical workplace experience
Workplace staff
20 September 2007 at 06h00

He never realised how important customer service was until he started working as a call centre agent. And though every industry has its challenges, Jack Phoshoko says the industry offers him the challenge and stimulation he has always wished for. "Every day I learn something new - about the job and about people," says the 28-year-old from Polokwane. Phoshoko is one of 120 learners who recently completed a call centre learnership in Polokwane in Limpopo. Together with 70 of his peers, he went on to be selected as a contract employee. "I have always wanted to further my education,' he says. "After writing matric in 1999, I enrolled for a course in marketing management."In 2002, however, he ran out of funds and was forced to drop out.

Finding a job in Polokwane was tough, he eventually managed to find a position as a security guard. Then, last year his sister heard about a unique opportunity. "My sister was told by the department of labour that there was going to be a learnership project in our home town. They were looking for people to be trained in call centres; I applied immediately."Funded by the National Skills Fund, the learnership project was a joint effort by Boston City Campus and Business College, the Services Seta and Munnik, Basson & DaGama Inc (MBD).

"Polokwane has been identified by government as an area that needs economic stimulation," explains Jeannette Campbell, learnerships manager at Boston. "The aim of the project was to train a pool of call centre agents who could possibly be employed in a call centre based in the area. The dilemma was that we could not find a call centre in Polokwane able to provide the appropriate practical workplace experience. Accordingly, Boston together with Services Seta approached MBD to establish one. "Premises were hired and transformed into an operational call centre; while Boston was responsible for the training, MBD provided the relevant hardware and software as well as a call centre manager to mentor the learners.

The Services Seta provided invaluable guidance and then closely monitored the entire process, ensuring that the correct procedures were are followed at all times. As MBD is a law firm specialising in the collection of outstanding accounts, the learners' training focused on call centre skills in a debt recovery environment. "There was complete integration between training and real life operations," says Services Seta CEO Ivor Blumenthal. "The group was split into two and combined the theoretical training with workplace experiential training while being supervised and mentored by qualified staff from MBD and Boston."The project exceeding all expectations," says Campbell. "Not only did we create a pool of skilled call centre agents for Polokwane, but MBD's fully fledged call centre is now part of their national operations - our training partners stayed on in the premises and offered contracts to 70 of the learners."

According to Charisse Zerf, group training manager at MBD, they decided to stay in Polokwane as an independent debt recovery call centre as the company saw potential for growth in the area. "We had invested resources into the project in terms of software, management and training, so we decided to continue contributing to the community," says Zerf. "We are committed to helping create jobs for the youth in Polokwane. We were impressed with the performance of the local learners, as well as the service provided by the Boston and the Services Seta partnership." The learners, she says, showed the tenacity and diligence needed to succeed in a debt recovery call centre. "Debt recovery call centres are specialised in nature and are a highly pressurised environment," she elaborates. "The learners did well with all their tasks and demonstrated a steady increase in performance month on month. "Phoshoko has already been promoted to call centre supervisor for MBD. In the meantime dreams of growing his career in the MBD call centre in Polokwane. Since officially becoming an employee in March this year, he has already been promoted to call centre supervisor. "I hope I will to become an operational manager one day."

For more information, contact Boston City Campus and Business College on 011-551-2000.

PRISONER WALKS OUT OF MTHATHA COURT

Fabulous! The cops spend hours, days, weeks catching this guy and building a case and he is so well supervised that he just walks out of court!

If the truth be told, this whole deal was set up very carefully and my guess is that the orderly was in on it! A whole lot more digging needs to be going on here into corruption in the courts, corruption in the jails and just plain corruption in the country!

This corruption is killing our country!

Prisoner walks out of Mthatha court
Johannesburg, South Africa
22 September 2007 07:45

After being flown from Cape Town on a police jet, a prisoner escaped from the Mthatha Magistrate's Court on Friday, Eastern Cape police said. Mthatha police spokesperson Superintendent Mike Fatyela said Odwa Sithole (23) was appearing in court for crimes including armed robbery, escaping from custody and possession of an unlicensed firearm. "Sithole walked out of court.

The F-court orderly had gone down to the holding cells to do his duties. He had left Sithole sitting in the accused stand," said Fatyela.S ithole had been flown from Cape Town by a police jet to attend his cases at Mthatha, said Fatyela. "A black Volkswagen Polo was used as a getaway car. The car was reported stolen from the VW plant in Uitenhage in Port Elizabeth last week," said Fatyela.

Sithole is one of the seven prisoners who made a dash for freedom from the Mthatha police station in July, said Fatyela. He had been rearrested in Cape Town in July. -- Sapa

GOOD GOVERNANCE MEANS TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE

I am really pleased that we seem to be doing something right, well at least on the face of it! What's disturbing however, is that according to another set of statistics (and remember we are supposed to believe the conclusion that statistics reach) we have the highest 'white collar' crime in the world.

Now the question obviously is, are we the highest achievers in 'white collar' crime because they have been found out, due to the fact that our Corporate Governance is correctly in place or is the Corporate Governance thing not having any kind of effect which is why we have the highest 'white collar' crime in the world.

I for one would be interested to hear the answer, if there is one, to this.

Good governance means to lead by example
Ntokozo Ndlovu

09 October 2006 at 06h00

According to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), a global association for financial firms, South Africa rates among the best performers in corporate governance in emerging markets. Yet there is need to create awareness and an understanding of the importance of good governance to allow all parties in corporations to engage in this practice.

The King Report, which provides a set of codes of corporate practices and conduct, makes a series of recommendations on corporate governance in South Africa. The King Report advocates transparency in all business dealings, and serves as a minimum standard of codes of good corporate practices and conduct. It outlines the importance of corporate governance in achieving financial objective and in fulfilling corporate responsibilities."Corporate governance ought to be impregnated first within education, and developed in the work environment to allow for well-informed and ethical leadership" says Professor Katherine Munro of Wits University.

The key elements of corporate governance are discipline, independence, accountability, responsibility, fairness, and corporate values. Most employers prefer to do business with those business enterprises that uphold the key elements of corporate governance, and companies should comply with relevant governance codes to create viability in the market and to attract investors, and to sustain the good image of our corporate governance status in the international market.

Corporate governance therefore is the guiding principles on good business conduct and gives guidelines on risk management and the potential consequences of mismanagement. Munro notes that texts such as the King 1 and 2 reports are meant to teach scholars and influential company figures how to become good practitioners of good business practice.

Identifying and managing risk, monitoring and reporting, transparency, efficiency and disclosure of information are some of the most important aspects of good corporate governance. There is need for companies to outline and adopt clear governance structures and to demonstrate integrity and commitment in their dealings. "Corporate governance provides codes of acceptable ways in which companies must behave, and this needs a complete buy-in from all players within an organisation," says Munro. She says that in order for this practice to effectively work, there is need for everyone with the organisation to subscribe to good codes of corporate governance, and for management to ensure that they lead by example.

Corporate governance in turn is essential in building good reputation for companies and in creating viable and internationally recognised corporations. Munro advises that anybody with the responsibility for ensuring that a company functions efficiently must acquire some knowledge of corporate governance. "It is not how you do things in an organisation, it is why things are done in an organisation that differentiates those in good practice from the rest," she says. "And everyone in the workplace is responsible for everyone, it is each person's responsibility to ensure good governance, honesty, transparency, efficiency and ethical conduct," she says. Therefore it is of value for both employers and employees to understand and apply the principles of good practice in business conduct.

It must be understood that good corporate governance is not only for employers but for employees as well. Equal participation from parties involved will allow for the building of a good reputation for companies. "Employers should be equally responsible to employees and communities in which they operate, not only as a matter of law, but as a matter of good practice," concludes Monroe

IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL TO GET SOMEONE TO GUIDE YOU

This is really good advice! I was very fortunate when I started out as a colleague introduced me to a column called "Pete's Weekly" and from there I joined the Business Warriors (www.businesswarriors.co.za). You see in joining them, I was able to tap into more than 2000 mentors. If there was a question that needed an answer, someone there would have the answer. If I needed a pick me up, someone there would post a joke or a funny.

Over the years I have met several of the warrior's in person and as the forum has grown, so to has my business and my friendship with the people on the forum.

In the true spirit of "playing it forward", I now mentor someone from the site and it is on the condition that he too someday mentors someone else.

No-where is it written that you have to learn every from every mistake that you yourself have made. Learn from the wisdom and experiance of others.

It's always helpful to get someone to guide you
Mentors can explain the unwritten rules in a new workplace
Workplace staff
25 April 2007 at 06h00

Finding a mentor or a mentorship programme is one of the best investments one can make to advance in one's career. So says Natalie Rabson of Boston City Campus and Business College. "Mentoring has become a buzz word but the concept of mentorship has existed for centuries," she says. "Cases of where artists, philosophers and warriors, among others, took inexperienced candidates and trained them to follow in their footsteps are well documented." Modern mentorship is more sophisticated and better defined, but most important, she points out, is that mentoring is an ideal method of transferring skills and helping the less experienced to advance in their careers.

Mentorship refers to a developmental relationship between an experienced mentor and a less experienced partner called a mentee or protégé. Mentoring happens when the mentor shares knowledge with the person being mentored. There are formal and informal mentoring relationships. "Informal relationships develop spontaneously; many of our lecturers have acted as mentors to learners and remain in contact as they become employed, get married and start families. Formal mentoring refers to assigned relationships, often associated with organisational programmes designed to promote employee development."Through mentoring a newcomer can learn about a company and how it operates as well as about the unwritten rules. "You learn who to avoid and who to please in order to climb the corporate ladder," says Rabson. "While you join a company with skills acquired from a qualification, the right mentor will train you to work smarter."If you wish to be mentored, ask yourself the following:

Who would be a suitable mentor for me?

What sort of person could I respect and trust?

Who can listen without judgment and expand my ideas while guiding me in the right direction?

Why do I want a mentor? What do I want to achieve by assigning myself someone to mentor me?

Where do I find and connect with potential mentors?

In well-designed formal mentoring programmes, there are goals, schedules, training (for mentors and mentees) and evaluation. If the organisation you are joining as a new employee does not have a formal mentoring programme, you need to:

Evaluate the people around you.

Find a suitable immediate supervisor or boss.

Prepare in your mind, and on paper, what to say to the mentor.

Prepare a schedule to discuss with the mentor, which includes your long-term and short-term goals, current projects and how often you'd like to meet.

If the mentor agrees, set some formal rules and weekly meetings to assess progress."Be aware that a newly qualified and eager employee can easily be seen as a threat to the mentor," Rabson cautions. "You need to stress that your goal is to learn and better yourself." Never go behind your mentor's back with queries or problems - you will lose trust and harm the relationship. Discuss promotion possibilities with your mentor first; if your relationship is healthy, he or she will be happy for you. Raben believes the unemployed can also benefit from a mentor.

"Approach a family friend, a lecturer at your institution, or even a professional person with whom you have made contact such as your father's accountant. The mentor will be willing to guide you to employment opportunities as your success is a good reflection on him too. Even as an informal arrangement, you will benefit as you will have an ally in your workplace or industry."

For more information, contact Boston on 011-551-2000 or e-mail info@boston.co.za

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 33

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 33

I once sat in a meeting where one of my colleagues stated that she had been in business for over 10 years as an entrepreneur and that networking for her meant that she was no longer ‘lonely’ in business.

At the time I found this quite hard to understand as I am, by nature, a loner – not a lonely person you understand, but very definitely a loner. So the concept of someone being ‘lonely’ is hard for me to grasp and someone being ‘lonely’ in business, is something that is very foreign to me.

You see on a business level, I meet people and with people on a daily basis. There are of course my clients that I meet with when we discuss what needs to be done, how it will be done and in what priority it will be done, then of course are the prospective clients that I meet when I try and understand what their business is and whether they need my services or not and finally there are the people that I meet at Networking events and who I make appointments with to meet on a ‘one on one’ in order to expand my ‘circle of influence’ and my data base, whilst adding value to them and they to me. So the question begs to be answered – how can you be ‘lonely’ in business. I mean surely she would also be meeting clients and prospective clients and networking?

I have, over time, understood exactly what it is that she meant, not that I have experienced that feeling, but that is probably because I am a natural networker. It is being able to use other networker’s in order to bounce your ideas off them. It is being able to sit in a room full of people who understand your frustration(s) because they too are entrepreneurs and they face the same challenges as what you do. It is about seeing the same kind of passion on the faces of people, that you know shines off your face – because they are as passionate about what they do as you are about what you do.

Again, the question begs to be asked – why wouldn’t you want to be in the company of a group of people like this?

I certainly want to be – but then again, that is probably why I am!

BRAND POWER WITHIN ENTREPRENEURS' REACH

What a great opportunity! As with most other things in life though - don't forget to do the research. Do the numbers and ask the questions!

Life is at the end of our fingertips and there for the taking!

Brand power within entrepreneurs' reach
Mondli Phewa

18 October 2006 at 06h00

The power of well-established brands may seem out of reach for entrepreneurs, but the truth is it's more accessible than many think. Business franchising makes the clout and credibility of big brand names available to entrepreneurs by providing accessible participation in total business concepts that include everything from operational models to brand support.

In South Africa, in particular, it provides a viable conduit for previously-disadvantaged individuals to enter into the mainstream economy. Franchising is one of the world's most successful business models. In the US a new franchise opens somewhere every eight minutes and there can be no doubt of its economic force and significance. Globally, franchising is an unquestioned success story and is one of the most underrated tools of economic empowerment and growth.

In the US nearly 50 percent of all retail business is conducted through franchises. The trend is similar throughout the world's developed economies. In Canada this figure is about 45 percent and in Europe about 30 percent, with Australia fast gaining ground with about 26 percent of all retail sales.

In South Africa, franchises account for only 7 percent of retail sales, indicating huge potential for growth in the sector. And franchising offers the perfect business model for both existing and potential entrepreneurs, enabling particularly individuals from previously-disadvantaged communities to enter the mainstream economy. Franchising offers a total package to entrepreneurs, from proven operational models to business planning assistance, and from established branding to advertising and marketing support. ChainsMost franchise chains also offer economies of scale through the syndicated purchasing of raw materials.

The Business Partners Umsobomvu Franchise Fund is an initiative of the national government. With an initial investment allocation of R125-million, the fund's specific aim is to make all of the opportunities and benefits of franchising available to the country's new generation of entrepreneurs.

In line with Umsobomvu's vision, very clear qualifying criteria have been established for entrepreneurs seeking investment financing from this fund. Since its stated objective is to provide investment financing for viable youth-owned franchises across all sectors, applicants will - first and foremost - need to have some knowledge of and experience in business. The composition of the business is also be a vital qualifying factor. Entrepreneurs can only qualify for financing from the fund if young black people between the ages of 18 and 35 have an equity holding of at least 30 percent. As specialist investors, Business Partners suggests the following guidelines for entrepreneurs considering the franchising option:

Choose the kind of business carefully, selecting one that suits your lifestyle and skills base.

Investigate your chosen franchise option carefully, considering such factors as the franchisor's track record, as well as training and marketing support offered by the franchise organisation.

Draw up a detailed business plan and discuss it with an independent franchising specialist.

Think through your financial requirements carefully and select an investment company that specialises in the sector.

Use specialists to supplement your own skills when and where necessary.

Consider purchasing your own property - not only is it a sound investment, a property also acts as security for growth financing.

DON'T LET FEAR HINDER YOU

And how easy it is to allow ourselves to become fearful! It usually starts with a tiny little niggling, nagging little inner voice that casts a doubt in our minds and this doubt grows and increases in size until it becomes a fear! Don't go there ladies - we, ourselves are our greatest adversarys. Lift your heads proudly and look at yourselves through gentler, more truthful eyes - there is no need for doubt and there is no need for fear - we can conquer both!

'Don't let fear hinder you'
Timothy Webster

05 October 2007 at 11h00

This column is not for the faint at heart. With every stroke of the key, I've become more determined to wrestle with the relentless foe who has tricked some of you into believing that you have the luxury of being average. This foe that I refer to is not crime, taxi drivers or even pseudo BEE, it's simply called "fear".

As women's month comes to an end, I'd like to dedicate this column to all women who are workplace warriors. This goes out to all of you who despite lazy, no-good, dead-beat men have persisted and become educated and educated your children (many, at the same time) and some who are educating their siblings. It's no secret that fear has began to grip our society and my goal is not to labour the causes. However, I want to equip you with a technique to help you conquer this enemy. Lady Nancy Astor said: "The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds. "It's time to use our minds to conquer the arch enemy of our emotional state and the best way to do it is to go into proactive mode or what I call the "attack mode".

It was Shakespeare who said: "things done well and with a care, exempt themselves from fear." If you are a male reading this I can't stop you, but my mission is clear - I want every woman who believes she can be the best to learn ''the Alexander Technique" and to employ this in your daily discipline to ensure that fear is no longer a part of your vocabulary.

The Alexander Technique comes from a Shakespearean actor called Alexander who ran up against limitations in his ability to perform well on stage. At the time there were no microphones, so he had to fill an entire auditorium with just the power of his own voice. He was very talented at his profession but he knew that there was room for improvement. In particular, he found that his voice gave out during a longer performance and that he had a tendency to gasp for breath on occasion. Neither his doctors nor his vocal coaches were able to help and so he set off on his own, using a system of mirrors to monitor his performance in order to see precisely what was causing his difficulties.

Alexander was an obsessive student of his performance and in the end his obsession paid off not only in providing a solution to his voice problem, but later in the discovery of a process that could be taught to others who wanted to improve the quality of their physical functioning. It's time to practice until fear eventually dissipates and then teach someone else to do the same.

INFLATED CURRICULUM VITAE CAN LEAD TO DISMISSAL

For me, prevention is always better than cure! So obtaining references and doing a proper reference check is always first prize! If the applicant does not have contactable references, this is always a red flag for me - I mean the reality of the situation is - how can someone not have any contactable references - something is very wrong with this picture and it would need a plausable and valid reason.

No references - no employment!

Inflated curriculum vitae can lead to dismissal
Pierre Marais

11 May 2007 at 06h00

Misrepresenting information or a failure to disclose important information to a prospective employer by a successful job applicant has caused many an employer headaches. The question is how to dismiss such an employee, if at all; in what circumstances and what procedure to use. Misrepresentation could emanate from information contained in a CV or from the interview. In many instances, proper reference checking is not done during the selection process and an employee's poor work performance and or lack of knowledge only surfaces later. Examples of misrepresentation normally emanate from incorrect or inflated qualifications or experience, skills, position and ability.

There are some horror stories in case law relating to misrepresentation of qualifications. Employees are often faced with a predicament as reference to the current employer is not always possible. Where the applicant had long service, the new employer could be precluded from obtaining important information. In order to ensure a reference check from a job applicant's previous employer, many companies will appoint a person conditional upon a favourable reference and confirmation of employment information from the previous employer.

From an employer perspective, the question that requires an answer is what remedy is available to an employer should a current employee have misrepresented or failed to disclose relevant information prior to the commencement of the employment contract. There is also the question as to what extent an employer can use the current employee's conduct, emanating from a period before the start of the employment relationship, to dismiss. When analysing case law, employers have relied on the implied common law principle of requiring an employee, even at the stage of merely being a job applicant, to act truthfully and not to misrepresent or damage the trust relationship. However, as in most labour law matters, a few legal technicalities need to be considered.

The first is that after due consideration of anti-discrimination provisions pertaining to vacancy advertisement, the application form and interview questions, case law supports an employer in enquiring about a prospective employee's qualifications, employment history and conduct before being offered a job.

The customary rationale is an acknowledgement that such information usually has a bearing on determining the suitability of a job applicant. Secondly, case law confirms an employer's right to initiate disciplinary action even where this misrepresentation or failure to disclose has come to the fore after the employee has started work, even if discovered some time later. As these types of offences are normally viewed to be some form of misconduct, disciplinary hearings are required to ensure procedural fairness. Case law seems to view an employee's continued lies, namely after having been confronted with the misrepresentation, as a factor adding to an employer's contention that the trust relationship has been irreparably damaged due to the employee's dishonesty. In this regard, a labour court decision even confirmed the substantive fairness of a dismissal where an employee had long service and the fact that the disputed qualifications were not directly relevant to the employee's daily tasks.

Distinguishable from the aforesaid where an employee deliberately misleads an employer, the failure to disclose important or relevant information to an employer is legally more complex. The first burden to overcome is the general principle that a job applicant is not necessarily obliged to disclose information that is potentially prejudicial to his/her future employer. Notwithstanding the aforesaid and as is applicable in labour law, different circumstances could justify a departure from this general principle. Authoritative labour law experts and also - based on some decisions - do confirm that, dependent upon the nature of the position to be held by an employee and the nature of the prior misconduct, a dismissal for non-disclosure could be justifiable.

For example, an employee applying and getting a job as bookkeeper, but who failed to disclose his previous conviction for armed robbery and theft. In this case the arbitrator considered the work environment, the degree of trust necessary, saw the previous conviction as a material fact and viewed the non-disclosure as fraud. In another case, an employee was reinstated where he was able to prove that the employer had previously condoned such misconduct by another employee. In another case, a dismissal was determined to be unfair where a credit manager's insolvency was due to no fault of his own. Before employers merely dismiss for misrepresentation or non-disclosure, they will be well-advised to obtain professional assistance, including an update on case law and a careful analysis of their own case's specific circumstances.

Pierre Marais is managing director of the Labour Law Group. Contact him on 011-679-5944.

DISMISSAL FOR PREGNANCY AUTOMATICALLY UNFAIR

Remember people, if you have staff, they are protected against you, just the same as you are protected from them! The secret is to follow the procedures 100% to the letter.

Yes, I know that it can be time consuming and I know that it can be a pain in the butt, however the bottom line is - if you don't know what you are doing - don't! More often than not, people think that they know what they are doing and the result is what happened hereunder. Find out what should be done, research, research, research!

If you don't know of any Labour Attorneys, contact the Department of Labour directly - someone there will be able to assist you. Get their name and direct line, so that if you need to check something with them you at least know who they are.

A little bit of knowledge, in this respect can be, not only a very dangerous thing, but also a very costly thing!


Dismissal for pregnancy automatically unfair
Impti Du Toit
25 July 2007 at 11h00

Our Constitution and labour laws protect pregnant employees against unfair discrimination. But can an employer and employee enter into an agreement that employment will be terminated if the employee falls pregnant? This question is addressed in an article written by Jan Truter of www.labourwise.co.za, an online labour relations service aimed at assisting SMMEs implement effective labour relations. According to the Labour Relations Act the dismissal of an employee due to her pregnancy, or for a reason related to her pregnancy, is based on unfair discrimination and renders the dismissal automatically unfair, writes Truter.

In the labour court case of Wallace vs Du Toit, the employer had employed an au pair to take care of his two young children. "After two years the au pair fell pregnant and her employment was terminated," says Truter. "According to the employer it had been verbally agreed during the pre-employment interview that if the au pair had children of her own, her employment would lapse by virtue of a 'resolutive condition'." The au pair disputed this, although she did admit that she had truthfully told him at the time of her employment that she was single and did not intend having children. When the au pair said that she was pregnant the employer congratulated her, but told her that her services would have to be terminated. According to her evidence, the employer found it objectionable that the pregnancy was out of wedlock.

There was some discussion as to when she would go and the employer said that he would pay her three months' salary upon termination of her employment. When the employer could not find another au pair to replace her, he invited her to continue working for another two months, which she did. According to the employer it had ultimately been a consensual termination as she had accepted that her services would be terminated on the basis he had discussed with her.

On the facts presented, the court found that there had been no agreement during the pre-employment interview. Even if there had been such an agreement, the employer's world views were inconsistent with the constitution and an agreement of that nature would be contra bonos mores (against the legal convictions of the community) and thus unenforceable. According to the court, the fact that she had stoically accepted her fate at the time of the discussion surrounding the termination of her employment did not mean that the termination was consensual. The court found that the termination amounted to a dismissal. But could the dismissal be justified on the basis of the inherent requirements of the job?

"The court found that not being pregnant or a parent could not be regarded an inherent requirement of the job," writes Truter. "Her dismissal was therefore based on unfair discrimination for a reason related to her pregnancy. This made it an automatically unfair dismissal." The court awarded the au pair the equivalent of 12 months' compensation for unfair dismissal and a further R25 000 for impairment of her dignity and self-esteem. In considering the amount of the compensation, the court took into account the fact that the employer had tried to be fair and did what he considered just, even though his family values did not "accord with the current societal norms as expressed in the Labour Relations Act".

This case illustrates how an employer might still fall foul of the law without fully realising it, writes Truter. "It will probably take some time for some employers to fully appreciate the constitutional principles underpinning our labour laws.

"Contact Labourwise via www.labourwise.co.za or e-mail info@labourwise.co.za.

FLEXI JOBS WILL HELP YOU GAIN VITAL EXPERIENCE

What an excellent idea! There is no where that you can buy 'experiance', it is something that you have to earn and/or learn over time and what a great way to do it.

Flexi jobs will help you gain vital experience
09 March 2007 at 11h00

Technikon and university graduates who are struggling to find work on completion of their degrees or diplomas should consider flexi-employment to improve their employability. This is the view of the Professional Assignments Group (PAG), a leader in the recruitment fields of finance, engineering and management. Lawrence Wordon, PAG managing director, says there is certainly not a lack of work for qualified graduates, especially in key sectors such as finance, engineering, project management and telecommunications, adding that the critical skills shortage within these sectors have been cited as a potential restraint to attainment of government goals of achieving a sustainable annual 6 percent growth rate in GDP. According to Wordon, the difficulties graduates have in finding work is due to a lack of work experience.

"Work experience serves as a record from which potential employers can gauge how well a person will fit into the organisation, fulfil his or her duties, work with others and how well they will deal with pressure, among many others." Companies are reluctant to recruit people without this vital information, because current labour laws make it very difficult for companies to get rid of non-performing employees," he says. "Graduates should consider flexi-employment as a means to obtain this vital experience. It allows them to broaden their skills set and improve their employability by gaining experience from a range of companies across a number of different industries. "Contract workers are also covered by the LRA and Basic Conditions of Employment Act, so they qualify for statutory benefits like annual and sick leave, family responsibility leave and others." Flexi-employment offers graduates a foot in the door and over time, as their skills set grows, it becomes much easier to find permanent work. The Kelly Group, of which PAG is a member, places about 100 flexi-employees in permanent positions every month," he says.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 32

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 32

It is said that there are only three ways to grow a business – I’m personally not too sure how true that is. However having said that, I am sure that one of the most critical of these is to find new customers.

Now it is also said, that there are many different ways to find a new customer, and I have no doubt that we can all list them, in great abundance. Some of them are the methods that we use to get new customers and others are the ways that other people have used as they tried to make us new customers. Most of those though, have irritated the S*&t’s out of me!

I’m not too sure why this is – perhaps it is because when I answer the phone, it is because I would like to chat to a friend, or a client (especially if it is out of the norm of working hours) and that is my expectation. Or perhaps it is because, when I hear a knock on the door, when I open it I expect to see a friend, not someone wanting to sell me something that I don’t actually want – again that is my expectation!

I not to keen on getting thousands of e-mails either (currently I am up to between 120 and 150 a day – which means about 30 are actually mails from friends, family and clients – the rest are just spam!) and I am not too keen on getting hundreds of SMS’s either (this seems to be the latest trend).

Actually, now that I think about it carefully, I am at my most comfortable state, when my expectations are met and I am prepared for what is happening. That for me is when I am at a networking meeting. You see there, my perception is that I will be meeting like minded people. That is people who are serious about doing business. People who are serious about expanding their data bases.

You see at most networking events (well the ones that I attend anyway), I meet people who are not only potential customers, which, let’s face it, are not only important for my business, but also my personal needs. Often these people, who may never ever become one of my customers, have key centres of influence in their families, their communities, their business associations and even their churches. These people become very important to me because of they value that they add to my clients.

You see every single one of them have their own data bases, and every single one of them reach a lot of people, and every single one of them are an important source of referrals. Referrals, as customers to me and referrals as a value add to my clients.

So to all of you who believe in the telemarketing way to get new clients (and I am not knocking it you understand) and to all you people who like to do the ‘cold calling’ thing (and again I am not knocking it) and all of those who choose to ‘spam’ everyone with e-mails and SMS’s – (and it works for some), I say good luck to you.

Me – I will continue to attend my various networking events that I go to and I will continue to network, in my personal capacity as I meet people at parties and social events, and I will continue to grow and expand my data base – one person at a time.

CALL FOR WHITE WOMEN TO BOW OUT OF EMPLOYMENT EQUITY

Here we go again! Throughout the ages women have been discriminated against. Black women, white women, yellow women, red women and if we had pink and/or green women - they too would have been discriminated against.

Now in the name of discrimination - the BMF have suggested that 'white women' should no longer qualfiy as 'previously disadvantaged'. This has nothing to do with anything other than being blantantly racist! It's really time now to call things as they really are and we have now gone full circle - South Africa has once again become a nation of racists.

Quite frankly I am appalled!


Call for white women to bow out of employment equity
Cape Town, South Africa
04 September 2007 03:11

White women should be struck off a list of groups recognised as previously disadvantaged in terms of the employment equity legislation, the Black Management Forum (BMF) said on Tuesday. In its written submission to the National Assembly's portfolio committee on labour, the forum requested that the current employment equity legislation be amended to exclude white women as beneficiaries. "We ... assert that white women bow out of employment equity and that this committee help institute amendments to the Employment Equity Act through a sunset clause [a provision that ends a power or programme] for white women," it read.

This would help re-focus targeting people with disabilities, black people and, in particular, black women, the organisation said. Two months ago, Employment Equity Commission chairperson Jimmy Manyi suggested that white women, whom he said had surpassed their employment equity targets, should have their status reviewed. He accused white business of trying to conceal their un-transformed employment profile by employing more white women into management positions. According to Manyi, white women held almost 15% of the executive positions in 4 380 companies surveyed. Kezia Lewins, a labour expert from the University of the Witwatersrand, on Tuesday said recent data showed a significant increase in the number of white women appointed to senior management positions. "Especially since 2006, there was not only a large increase in the number of white women but also white men," she said while briefing the committee.

According to statistics she presented to the committee, there were approximately three white females for every single African woman in senior management. Committee chairperson Rebecca Kasienyane said the committee, which was conducting hearings on workplace discrimination, would make recommendations to Parliament. Two weeks ago, Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni said white women were discriminated against in the old dispensation. -- Sapa

CHINESE WOMAN SACKED FOR TALKING BACK TO BOSS

Oh I am amused! We always take the position that we have it so hard here in SA - well the proof of the pudding is in the eating - so they say!

Anyone care to go and work in China? Mmmmmmm

Chinese woman sacked for talking back to boss
10 September 2007 at 04h00

Beijing - A Chinese woman is suing her former employer after falling victim to the company policy of firing staff who contradict their boss three times. HAW-1 Enterprise, a light industrial manufacturer based in China's port city of Xi amen, sacked a woman, surnamed Ni, for refusing to pay fines she incurred for talking back to superiors, a local newspaper reported. The company's policy held that a "first contradiction of superiors" would incur a fine of 30 yuan (about R30), a second would incur 100 yuan (about R95), and a third would warrant dismissal. Ni incurred a 30 yuan fine after taking umbrage with her factory supervisor for reprimanding her for not filling in a form.

"The factory head told me that, according to company rules, no matter whether management is right or wrong, employees are not allowed to contradict them," said Ni. Ni was threatened with a 100 yuan fine for refusing to pay the first, and was sacked after she threatened to report her supervisor to human resources. The supervisor, surnamed CAI, said: "The company can terminate the contract of employees who seriously breach labour discipline or the company's rules." - Reuters

LEON HAD TEETH - MBEKI

Wow! Words of praise indeed! I didn't think that Mbeki could be pleasant to someone he so openly despised in the media! Well I guess stranger things have happened in life.

On a lighter note - Mbeki, being the 'ladies' man, that he so obviously is - there was recently a write up in the papers about Mbeki 'fixing' Helen collar, and the head line, if memory serves me correctly, was something about whether it was appropriate or not. My 'knee jerk' reaction to that would be - if Helen Zille were a black woman or a man, for that matter, would he have done the same thing - I think not! If that is the case, then his familiarity was definitely not appropriate!

I wait with bated breath however, to see where this new 'relationship' goes!

Remember as I said before - strange things happen!

Leon had teeth - Mbeki
February 15 2007 at 03:39PM

President Thabo Mbeki paid tribute to outgoing Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon on Thursday, saying his "lively engagement" would be missed in the National Assembly." From where I sit, I would never have the courage to argue that he served merely as a Chihuahua, because, indeed, he has the bark of a bull terrier," he said during his response to debate on last week's state-of-the-nation address. "I am certain that all of us will miss his lively engagement as a party leader in the public debate that must and will continue, whatever our views about the rights and wrongs of the arguments he advanced, and the manner in which he advanced those arguments.

"I wish the DA success as it engages the process to elect a successor, whom I am certain, will be no less a defender of the mandate of the DA and its supporters than is the Honourable Tony Leon."I am certain that whatever else he does having voluntarily surrendered the leadership of the DA, he will succeed. Should he need a helping hand, which I doubt, we are nevertheless ready to lend that hand. Tony, best wishes," Mbeki said. Leon is set to step down as DA leader in May 2007. - Sapa

DUTCH GANG ARRESTED FOR SPREADING HIV

Good heavens! So for all you SA bashers out there - take note - not everything that is bad happens in South Africa!

This behaviour makes no sense at all. It's like doing things 'because you can'. How very irresponsible. I wonder how they would have felt if one of their victims has infected them with HIV! Now that would be poetic justice!

Dutch gang arrested for spreading HIV
May 31 2007 at 01:02AM

The Hague - Dutch police said on Wednesday they had arrested three men accused of drugging gay men at sex parties, raping them and injecting them with a cocktail of HIV infected blood. "Two of the suspects have admitted to having injected at least five victims with HIV infected blood," police spokesperson Sylvia Sanders told Dutch NOS public radio. According to the police the gang would contact other gay men on the Internet and invite them to weekly sex parties in the northern city of Groningen. They would then administer the so-called date-rape drug GHB to the men and then sexually abuse them. In several cases, they even injected them with a cocktail of HIV infected blood.

'Sex without a condom was the most pure'

The police said the suspects committed the crimes for a kick and because they felt "sex without a condom was the most pure". The two suspects who admitted to a part of the crimes named five victims who were injected with HIV-infected blood but only one of those named has filed a complaint with the police, Sanders said. The three HIV-positive suspects, aged in their thirties and forties, have been provisionally charged with causing grievous bodily harm, sexual abuse and drugs offences. A date for the trial has not been set yet.

BEE RATING GOOD FOR BUSINESS'S CLIENTS

For the record - BEE is not as frightening as it appears at first glance. It's all about the numbers and it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to 'give' half of your business away to a previously disadvantaged person - there are other ways to make up the numbers.

So before you have a typical, 'knee jerk' re-action, take some time to do some research and find out what the requirements are and how you can make use of the points that assist you the most.

BEE rating good for business's clients
Network Reporter

17 January 2007 at 06h00

'The changing needs of the customer are important and, more importantly, how we respond to their changing needs determines our success or failure", asserts Delia Biljon. Biljon, a Durban-based businesswoman was commenting after her company, Delbi Promotions, a supplier of branded promotional items was announced as one of the first micro enterprises to be awarded a Level 4 BEE Empowerdex Rating in KwaZulu-Natal. The rating, she said, would not only be beneficial to her clientele, but also act as a gateway to additional business opportunities for the company.

Empowerdex, she added, was all about points: Companies are required to ask if the specified transaction will have an impact on BEE points. The scorecard takes into account the following factors: direct empowerment, equity ownership, management, human resource development, employment equity, skills development, indirect empowerment, preferential procurement, enterprise development, residual (corporate social investment) and preferential procurement. Additional points are scored if you purchase from companies that have a high BEE score. This preferential procurement, she said was added pressure on all companies to transform in terms of their supply. Enterprise development, an investment in another organisation, is designed to stimulate and promote entrepreneurship. This is also an indirect empowerment where companies will score points by using micro enterprises.

Biljon said: "As SMMEs, it isn't always possible to apply all the aspects of the scorecard. For instance, there are many small companies that do not employ any staff at all, so it has been suggested that they should be given their own scorecard." Government is suggesting a small enterprise scorecard, hinting at the possible exemption of the scorecard for micro enterprises. This indicates that an SMME scorecard will soon be implemented and that enterprises falling below the minimum in the National Small Business Act may be exempt from any form of BEE compliance.

There is even talk of exempting certain types of enterprises from parts of the scorecard. To qualify for the rating local micro enterprises must have an annual turnover of less than R300 000 per year. "This sector, however, is growing significantly. The Department of Trade and Industry is looking at increasing the annual turnover amount from R300 000 to R5-million, which means that many more companies will now be eligible for the rating," Biljon said. "Rated as a Level 4 Contributor by the Department of Trade and Industry, in fact, enables Delbi Promotions to obtain procurement opportunities," Biljon said. Gaining the BEE compliance, she added, further signifies a voluntary commitment that coincides with the objectives of the Department of Trade and Industry.

"Essentially, government now recognises that so many small businesses fail within the first two years of business, making it unfair in terms of the partnership with a "black" person as a mere compliance for the previous requirements. We are exempted until such time as we reach the soon to be R5-million mark where you are no longer categorised a micro enterprise," she added. Biljon has expressed relief on government's stance on those companies who are found guilty of "fronting", with several being handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority for a forensic audit. In addition to juggling motherhood and the daily activities of running her company, Biljon is proactive in several community social investment projects. Among them "Love the Babies" and a fundraising initiative for aged and underprivileged people. Funds were generated towards "Gogo bags" and little hampers created for first time moms and their new, respectively. Future projects include the donation of items for the Durban Children's home.

ARE YOU A REAL MANAGER?

Well are you? Interestingly enough, Rachel Van Doorene of Women Inc has been have a series of 'brainstorming workshops' called Conversations that Matter, on the subject of finding and retaining talent. Strangely enough, this particular point did not come up at all - although I am sure that that is because we were all SMME's with perhaps one or two staff at best.

Still, it is an interesting concept and one that should be taken into account, when trying to retain skills and talent.

If anyone is interested in joining Rachel for her monthly 'Conversations that Matter' please contact her or Linsey on 011 646 7878 or linsey@everywoman.co.za.

Are you a real manager?
Juliet Newton

04 September 2007 at 06h00

You were probably promoted because you were damn good at your job. As the top performer on the team, you were rewarded by the promotion that suddenly flips you from being an individual contributor, to getting work done through others. That means being catapulted into a new (and hugely uncomfortable) space of conscious incompetence: You suddenly "get" how much you don't know about doing this new job! I do think there's a simple secret to good management.

Jack Welsh said it best: "Most important, it is a job that's close to 75 percent about people, and 25 percent about other stuff." In essence, management is about your ability to connect with, inspire, grow, and support the people for whose performance you become accountable. David Rock (University of New York) believes that it's time to reinvent the manager. Many companies today are composed almost completely of knowledge workers, who sell their brains for a living. And most are proactive about the development of these knowledge workers, making sure they sharpen their skills and capabilities - they are, after all, the product.

The risk is that this investment could, at any time, walk out of the doors. Studies have shown that 60 percent of people leave bosses, not companies. Rock argues that knowledge worker management requires a whole new set of skills - and managers need to evolve themselves or will cease to be effective. Today's managers need to understand what it takes to manage and retain knowledge workers. Rock highlights three key competencies for the knowledge worker manager:

Get your people to think better.

Become master communicators in order to circulate and sell ideas better.

Become master facilitators of relationships and tough conversations.

To this list, I would add a fourth imperative, cited by Marcus Buckingham of the Gallup organisation:

Be clear about your own strengths, and those of your team, and play to those strengths wholeheartedly!

Getting people to think better. People are at their most effective when their strengths are in play and being developed. Coaching is a clever way to get people to think, and to improve their thinking over time. It may have been used as a minor tool in the management toolkit in the past, but it has never been more imperative that knowledge worker managers get a real handle on it. A much larger portion of their time should be dedicated to challenging their teams to get scratching around in their brains to make new connections.

Become a master communicator. Because the product of thinking is ideas, which are intangible until captured in another person's mind, the knowledge worker manager needs to become really good at communicating with people and cross-pollinating ideas and concepts. And because colleagues need to bounce off each other's thinking in order to evolve, and knowledge workers are in the business of selling their thinking, the ability to communicate ideas becomes paramount.

Become a master facilitator. According to a study on the "happiness factor" (Time, January 2005), the only common factor that can be attributed to the happiness of individuals in general, is the quality and quantity of the relationships they experience. If this is the case, then a strong retention factor that can be influenced by an effective manager, is the facilitation of good relationships within project teams, by consciously building an open, communicating, nurturing culture that makes people feel a sense of loyalty to an organisation that goes beyond pay packets, perks, and contracts.

Play to their strengths. Marcus Buckingham, in his recent book, The One Thing You Need To Know, uses the analogy of playing your team like a board game. In the older manufacturing management paradigm, the game would have been checkers: win the game by getting every piece to move in exactly the same way. Buckingham proposes that, in the knowledge worker environment, chess is a better game: understand the unique strengths of your team, and help them deliver and develop mastery where they are already strong. Each piece moves in its own unique way to win.

For more information, you can call Avocado Vision on 011-614-0206 or visit www.avovision.co.za

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 31

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 31


So I am sure that we all agree that ‘people talk’! We all do it. When we talk about people, especially in the business world and particularly in the SMME environment, it is generally about what people have done. Now of course this could go one of two ways – there is always the instance when someone has messed up – badly, and then the conversation would go along the lines of “Jane Doe did not do what she promised to and as a result Joe Bloggs is out of pocket and he lost the deal”. The result of this kind of conversation, usually means that the people, within hearing distance, would not be using the services of Jane Doe – well not any time soon anyway.

Then of course the conversation could also go along the lines of “Jane Doe promised to deliver XY & Z and she actually went out of her way and introduced him to AB & C as well and as a result of that Joe Bloggs not only got the deal, but they have also signed a contract for another deal!”. The result of this kind of conversation, usually means that people, within hearing distance, would be clambering to meet up with Jane Doe and use her services and her contacts.

That is how it is with ‘networking’ and believe me, the SMME world is not that huge that you don’t get noticed, either way.

So think about which message it is that you would like to send and live your life accordingly. Make sure you deliver what you promise (even if it takes a while) and make sure that you continually grow your data base with people who understand the Power of Networking.

MOTIVATION - EDUCATION

EDUCATION

Today’s quote comes from Oscar Wilde who said “Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.”


Well ain’t that the truth. Most of the biggest lessons that we learn in life comes from experience. Having said that, I am often astounded by the fact that some people feel that it’s necessary to ‘experience’ every single lesson that they think that they need to learn! How sad! It is written somewhere (I’m sure) that we are permitted to learn from the experiences of others from time to time. Then of course there are some people who live life furiously and actually never even get the plot! Shame, that must be very frustrating (depending of course if they understand that they have missed the boat completely!)

For me this is about being a mentee and a mentor. It is really important for me to have someone in my life that I can learn some of life’s lessons from and it is equally important for me to be someone in someone else’s life to guide and help them learn life’s lessons. It’s about give back to the Universe. We can’t always just be the takers, we also need to give back.

My mentor is a lady by the name of Vanessa Paige, and she, in my opinion, is absolutely fantastic! She tells it exactly like it is and although I often don’t really want to hear what she has to say, I absolutely need to hear it. She doesn’t pull any punches and she has saved me years and years of living some of life’s hardest knocks.

Vanessa has also taught me how to take care of myself (and I don’t mean with my fists), teaching me about things like ‘self worth’ and ‘confidence in my own abilities’ and so on. These are definitely things that you don’t learn in any book, but are intrinsically valuable to the human soul.

Some of these ‘life lessons’ are extremely hard for me to learn and as I struggle with my own personal demons, I am often aware that she is standing quietly in the wings, just waiting patiently for me to grasp and embrace the lesson. I know that she is always there to help pick me up and dust me off, when I fall over, and without her this journey we call life would have been very different and way more difficult. For that I will always be grateful and I can only hope that I am the kind of mentor to my mentee’s that she has been mentor to me! What a challenge that is, and how self rewarding it will be when I get it right.

So to all of you out there I say, embrace life’s lessons and then ‘play it forward’ and teach it to others.

Live life, Love life and embrace your own uniqueness.