MOTIVATION – HONESTY IS BEST
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
It is said that ‘no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves, get farther in life.”
I am sure that you will have noticed that it says “who are honest with themselves.” – that’s not to say that should then feel the need to be dishonest with those around you. I think that it means that you have to be honest with yourself before you really expect others to be honest with you.
Before you can reach your full potential you have to understand and therefore be honest with yourself regarding your driving factors, such as but not limited to:
What is my passion?
What’s in it for me?
What are my goals?
What do I hope to achieve?
Why am I doing this?
These questions cannot be answered untruthfully if you are hoping to achieve anything of significance.
Strategies and plans will not achieve any level of sustainability and goals will not be met if the very foundations that they are built upon are one of deceit. Perceptions and expectations will not be met and even if you did achieve some sort of success the taste of victory will be somewhat hollow.
What you achieve as an individual and the level of success is determined by the person that you are. The kind of person that you are is determined by the values and morals that you have in your life.
So – tell me, actually better yet – tell yourself. Are you honest with yourself?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.
Custom Search
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . You Have Contractors Working on your Premises – Part 2
ARTICLE 42
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Have Contractors Working on your Premises – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC September 2009
Moving along from last week, when we saw Philip, George the Contractor’s employee fall from a ladder when it’s one leg shattered, and hurt himself quite badly. Mike who owns the retail outlet where Philip had his accident may very well be liable for all Philips medical and recovery bill and we are taking a look at how he can protect himself from this.
Apparently there are six ways to ensure that Mike is covered from every possibility and it is these that we are going to have a look at in greater detail today.
First and most obvious is to ensure that your contractors have signed a contract with yourself (have a look at http://www.agreementsonline.co.za). This contract must include (but not be limited to) the section 37(2) agreement, as we discussed last week, which states that the contractor will comply with all the health and safety laws and your own company rules.
The contract should also document that it is incumbent upon the contractor to supply you with a copy of their ‘Certificate of Good Standing’ from the Compensation Commissioner which is his proof that he is registered with Workmen’s Compensation.
Make sure that your contractors employees have been properly trained in the task that you are hiring them for. Make sure that they are included in any Health & Safety training that you may be doing with your own staff and that they are aware of your Company safety and health rules.
Make sure that your contractors are compliant in terms of the law. This includes (but is not limited to) things like First Aid kits and how to use them, fire drills, protective clothing and so on.
Make sure that the contractor that you have hired is fully aware of what his/her obligation are in terms of his responsibilities to his employees and his responsibility if one of your employees are hurt during the course of his employees activities.
If necessary make yourself a checklist of what is required on your site (in Mike’s case his new store) in order to ensure that you are in compliance with the Health and Safety Act.
Failure to do this could result in some very heavy medical bills, rehabilitation bills and additional salary bills that have not been budgeted for.
Remember that although getting all your policies, procedures and templates in place is usually far more cost effective than paying the reactive bill.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Have Contractors Working on your Premises – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC September 2009
Moving along from last week, when we saw Philip, George the Contractor’s employee fall from a ladder when it’s one leg shattered, and hurt himself quite badly. Mike who owns the retail outlet where Philip had his accident may very well be liable for all Philips medical and recovery bill and we are taking a look at how he can protect himself from this.
Apparently there are six ways to ensure that Mike is covered from every possibility and it is these that we are going to have a look at in greater detail today.
First and most obvious is to ensure that your contractors have signed a contract with yourself (have a look at http://www.agreementsonline.co.za). This contract must include (but not be limited to) the section 37(2) agreement, as we discussed last week, which states that the contractor will comply with all the health and safety laws and your own company rules.
The contract should also document that it is incumbent upon the contractor to supply you with a copy of their ‘Certificate of Good Standing’ from the Compensation Commissioner which is his proof that he is registered with Workmen’s Compensation.
Make sure that your contractors employees have been properly trained in the task that you are hiring them for. Make sure that they are included in any Health & Safety training that you may be doing with your own staff and that they are aware of your Company safety and health rules.
Make sure that your contractors are compliant in terms of the law. This includes (but is not limited to) things like First Aid kits and how to use them, fire drills, protective clothing and so on.
Make sure that the contractor that you have hired is fully aware of what his/her obligation are in terms of his responsibilities to his employees and his responsibility if one of your employees are hurt during the course of his employees activities.
If necessary make yourself a checklist of what is required on your site (in Mike’s case his new store) in order to ensure that you are in compliance with the Health and Safety Act.
Failure to do this could result in some very heavy medical bills, rehabilitation bills and additional salary bills that have not been budgeted for.
Remember that although getting all your policies, procedures and templates in place is usually far more cost effective than paying the reactive bill.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Thursday, September 18, 2014
HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . You Have Contractors Working on your Premises – Part 1
ARTICLE 42
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Have Contractors Working on your Premises – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC September 2009
According to the law, if you have contractors working on your premises you are liable for their health and safety.
Here’s the story
Mike owns a retail store in a busy mall. Mike’s business is doing really well and the store next to his has become available and Mike decides that he needs to expand his operation into that space.
So Mike hires George, the contractor and soon work begins. Mike is really impressed at the way George and his team go about getting the work done.
Within hours there are ladders all over the place and workers are going about their specific tasks. All of a sudden, there is a loud CRACK/SNAP and a ladder collapses as one of its legs shatters. Phillip, who is on the top of the ladder, doing something in the ceiling, falls some three meters and lands on the concrete floor with a loud THUD. Phillip’s one leg is lying at a very odd angle beneath the rest of his body and it is clearly broken and it is also clear that he is hurt badly. The ambulance is summoned and Phillip is rushed off to hospital.
Now we get to the serious bit – the money. Who is responsible for what? Here’s the thing, if George, the contractor is not compliant in terms of the Health and Safety Act, then Mike is liable and responsible for all the costs including but not limited to, the cost of the accident, medical costs, rehabilitation costs and even 75% of employees wages.
Let’s see what Mike has to do in order to ensure that he will not be held financially accountable and/or liable for the safety and health of the contractors working in his store.
One of the things that Mike should have included in this procurement policy is that the contractor (in this case George), would need to sign a Section 37(2) agreement. The agreement would need to state (but not be limited to) that the contractor will comply with all health and safety laws and company rules (in this case Mike’s Company). Mike should also insist in obtaining a certified copy of George’s “Certificate of Good Standing” from the Compensation Commissioner, which will evidence that the contractor (in this case George) is in fact registered and compliant with the Workmen’s Compensation fund Act.
Next week we will have a look at some of the other issues that Mike should include in his Contractor Procurement Policy to ensure that everything is managed correctly and that Mike is in no way liable for anything other than the Contractors invoice.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Have Contractors Working on your Premises – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC September 2009
According to the law, if you have contractors working on your premises you are liable for their health and safety.
Here’s the story
Mike owns a retail store in a busy mall. Mike’s business is doing really well and the store next to his has become available and Mike decides that he needs to expand his operation into that space.
So Mike hires George, the contractor and soon work begins. Mike is really impressed at the way George and his team go about getting the work done.
Within hours there are ladders all over the place and workers are going about their specific tasks. All of a sudden, there is a loud CRACK/SNAP and a ladder collapses as one of its legs shatters. Phillip, who is on the top of the ladder, doing something in the ceiling, falls some three meters and lands on the concrete floor with a loud THUD. Phillip’s one leg is lying at a very odd angle beneath the rest of his body and it is clearly broken and it is also clear that he is hurt badly. The ambulance is summoned and Phillip is rushed off to hospital.
Now we get to the serious bit – the money. Who is responsible for what? Here’s the thing, if George, the contractor is not compliant in terms of the Health and Safety Act, then Mike is liable and responsible for all the costs including but not limited to, the cost of the accident, medical costs, rehabilitation costs and even 75% of employees wages.
Let’s see what Mike has to do in order to ensure that he will not be held financially accountable and/or liable for the safety and health of the contractors working in his store.
One of the things that Mike should have included in this procurement policy is that the contractor (in this case George), would need to sign a Section 37(2) agreement. The agreement would need to state (but not be limited to) that the contractor will comply with all health and safety laws and company rules (in this case Mike’s Company). Mike should also insist in obtaining a certified copy of George’s “Certificate of Good Standing” from the Compensation Commissioner, which will evidence that the contractor (in this case George) is in fact registered and compliant with the Workmen’s Compensation fund Act.
Next week we will have a look at some of the other issues that Mike should include in his Contractor Procurement Policy to ensure that everything is managed correctly and that Mike is in no way liable for anything other than the Contractors invoice.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Networking 101 - The Value of Your Network
THE POWER OF NETWORKING
PART 61
The Value of Your Network
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
What about the true value of your network? Do you know how to ascertain if the person you are talking to has such a thing? In fact do you know what the true value of your network is?
For me, the value of my network is evidenced by the number of people who talk about me even when I am not there. The members of my network refer me all the time and tell others of how I have referred them and what that has done for them as individuals and for their businesses.
I was at a networking function a couple of weeks ago and Helen Nicholson, who I consider one of the ‘guru’s’ of networking was the speaker. After her speech I grabbed an opportunity to have a quick chat with her and catch up. Her opening statement to me was “I hear that you are extremely busy!” Thinking that she had been talking to one of my friends I asked her who had told her and she relied saying “Everyone I meet with is talking about you, so you must be very busy!”
Here is the true value of my network at work. People are talking about me, referring me, referring each other. This is networking at its most powerful.
So tell me about your network, better yet – have a good look at your network. What do you do for them and what do they do for you. What is the value of your network?
Nikki Viljoen is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist and she can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.
PART 61
The Value of Your Network
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
What about the true value of your network? Do you know how to ascertain if the person you are talking to has such a thing? In fact do you know what the true value of your network is?
For me, the value of my network is evidenced by the number of people who talk about me even when I am not there. The members of my network refer me all the time and tell others of how I have referred them and what that has done for them as individuals and for their businesses.
I was at a networking function a couple of weeks ago and Helen Nicholson, who I consider one of the ‘guru’s’ of networking was the speaker. After her speech I grabbed an opportunity to have a quick chat with her and catch up. Her opening statement to me was “I hear that you are extremely busy!” Thinking that she had been talking to one of my friends I asked her who had told her and she relied saying “Everyone I meet with is talking about you, so you must be very busy!”
Here is the true value of my network at work. People are talking about me, referring me, referring each other. This is networking at its most powerful.
So tell me about your network, better yet – have a good look at your network. What do you do for them and what do they do for you. What is the value of your network?
Nikki Viljoen is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist and she can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Business Tips - Creating a Budget
BUSINESS TIPS – Creating A Budget
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC December 2009
For many of us who were employees before we became SMME’s or Entrepreneurs, creating a budget was something that we perhaps did on a monthly basis. It was all that we needed because we were assured of a fixed income at the end of each and every month.
As an SMME however, especially when we are starting out, we do not know what to expect. We can always theorize about what we would like to have coming in as income, but we do have quite a bit of control over what will be going out. It is really is a good idea to know exactly how much your need to be coming in to be able to pay the basic bills. So creating a 12 month budget is a good idea.
Having a 12 month budget will allow you to plan and strategize what you need and want to do for the following twelve months. Creating a 12 month budget is not something that you should do when you have some spare time, but rather something that you should allocate time to do. It should be seen as something that is critical to your business, rather than something that is viewed as a waste of time. It will assist you in ensuring that your business has a manageable and sustainable financial plan.
For me the challenge always is just to get started. If you are not sure about what you are doing, it is really easy to procrastinate. So book it in your diary and just get going.
First of all you need to know what your profit/loss format is. Don’t panic – it is not as scary as it sounds. You start with your income – take what you charge for your product and/or service, less your cost of sale (which is the cost of the goods sold or the cost to you, in order to supply the service), less your overhead expenses. This is your net income (also known as profit).
Don’t forget to list all of your expenses or the expenses that you expect to have during the next 12 months and also your projected income. Then in order to ensure that you don’t overstate your income, it is always a good idea to validate it. So for example if you predict that your income in July is going to be say R20 000.00, you need to list how that R20 000.00 is made up. In other words, what you are going to do in order to bring that money into the company. Be careful that you don’t underestimate your expenses – be realistic about your expectations – it is always better to come in under budget on your expenses and over budget on your income than the other way around.
Remember to compare your actual monthly figures to your predicted theoretical figures. This will be of real value to you, firstly to ensure that you keep your sales figures up and your expenses down and secondly it will assist you in the compilation of the following year’s budget.
As a business owner myself, I am all too aware of the demands on my time and how critical it is to manage my time effectively. That said, I have learnt the hard way, just how costly it is, both financially and also from a time point of view, if the financial side of the business is not managed effectively and properly.
If numbers and the financial side of things is not one of your strengths, I promise you it is in your own best interests to find someone (either an employee or a bookkeeper or better yet an accountant) to assist you or get yourself on some sort of “Financial Literacy” workshop so that you have the basic knowledge of what is happening in the financial side of your company. Believe me without it, you will be lost and that is surely the quickest recipe for disaster.
You are responsible for the financial well being of your company – at the very least you should be able to have a basic understanding of it.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Monday, September 15, 2014
MOTIVATION – Victory Over Oneself
MOTIVATION – Victory Over Oneself
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – August 2011
Lao Tzu says “He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful.”
There have been several programs on TV over the last few months that have been about bullying and they were all somehow focused on the victim. Let’s take one of them as an example – I think it was one of the Private Practice shows a couple of weeks ago. There was this young chap (let’s call him Eric) around 14 who had lost his father at the age of 8 (or so) and now it was just him and his mum. His dad had gotten him interested in Japanese comic strips and it was something that he continued on his own. The kids at school really didn’t ‘get it’ and he became the butt of their jokes and because he didn’t react in any way, pretty soon the ‘jokes’ became violent and he was being taunted and beaten up on a regular basis.
Eric’s mum’s way of dealing with this was to take her son out of harm’s way and the result was that over a period of 2 years, Eric changed schools 8 times. Not a good situation, I am sure you will agree. As Eric moved from school to school, he became more and more the ‘butt’ of the bullies and not having any time to form any of his own roots and find friends who had similar interests, meant that he was on his own more of the time and being on his own, made him more susceptible to being the prey of bullies, and so the cycle continued.
Eric eventually started making up ‘pains’ and fevers to get out of school and his mother eventually took him off to see a doctor. The doctor (let’s call him Phil) happened to be a child psychologist and when Phil examined Eric for his so called ‘stomach ache’ the truth came out. Phil told Eric that he needed to ‘stand up’ for himself and that bullies, when confronted, would usually back down and he would then be left alone. Good advice, I am sure you will agree – but this is a TV program, so of course it didn’t work like that.
Eric, in an attempt to ‘stand up’ for himself, took a knife to school and of course he was busted by one of the teachers. Mother dearest was furious with Dr. Phil, because this was of course all of his fault, and would not allow Eric to see the doctor again and of course to ensure a good dose of drama, Eric attempted to commit suicide.
As he regained consciousness Eric spoke to Phil and explained how he felt that he could not meet anyone who he could connect with at school because his mum kept moving him and Phil explained that the first step would be to ‘stand up’ to his mother. Eric’s mum, of course only wanted to keep her son safe and again wanted him to move to another school.
Eric, eventually stepped up to the plate and convinced his mother that this was something he had to do for himself, he had to overcome his own fears and he had to face his tormentors, without showing them any fear, and he had to find ‘the others’ like himself – he could no longer run and he could only do this if she left him in the same school.
The message for me, was very clear – there is a very wrong and a very right way to gain victory over your enemies, but in order for that to happen you have to gain victory over yourself and (as in this case) it meant Eric facing his own fears and gaining control over them.
Gaining a measure of control over myself, my fears and insecurities was one of the biggest steps forward that I took and for what it’s worth, it made my (at that point) self esteem soar. I felt as though I had conquered the world and that made me feel and react differently and that made other people see me in a totally different light altogether.
So the next time you feel tiny and insignificant in the face of the world, remember to gain control of your fears, of yourself and that victory will carry you through any kind of adversity.
You will be all powerful because you will be victorious over your biggest enemy – yourself!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – August 2011
Lao Tzu says “He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful.”
There have been several programs on TV over the last few months that have been about bullying and they were all somehow focused on the victim. Let’s take one of them as an example – I think it was one of the Private Practice shows a couple of weeks ago. There was this young chap (let’s call him Eric) around 14 who had lost his father at the age of 8 (or so) and now it was just him and his mum. His dad had gotten him interested in Japanese comic strips and it was something that he continued on his own. The kids at school really didn’t ‘get it’ and he became the butt of their jokes and because he didn’t react in any way, pretty soon the ‘jokes’ became violent and he was being taunted and beaten up on a regular basis.
Eric’s mum’s way of dealing with this was to take her son out of harm’s way and the result was that over a period of 2 years, Eric changed schools 8 times. Not a good situation, I am sure you will agree. As Eric moved from school to school, he became more and more the ‘butt’ of the bullies and not having any time to form any of his own roots and find friends who had similar interests, meant that he was on his own more of the time and being on his own, made him more susceptible to being the prey of bullies, and so the cycle continued.
Eric eventually started making up ‘pains’ and fevers to get out of school and his mother eventually took him off to see a doctor. The doctor (let’s call him Phil) happened to be a child psychologist and when Phil examined Eric for his so called ‘stomach ache’ the truth came out. Phil told Eric that he needed to ‘stand up’ for himself and that bullies, when confronted, would usually back down and he would then be left alone. Good advice, I am sure you will agree – but this is a TV program, so of course it didn’t work like that.
Eric, in an attempt to ‘stand up’ for himself, took a knife to school and of course he was busted by one of the teachers. Mother dearest was furious with Dr. Phil, because this was of course all of his fault, and would not allow Eric to see the doctor again and of course to ensure a good dose of drama, Eric attempted to commit suicide.
As he regained consciousness Eric spoke to Phil and explained how he felt that he could not meet anyone who he could connect with at school because his mum kept moving him and Phil explained that the first step would be to ‘stand up’ to his mother. Eric’s mum, of course only wanted to keep her son safe and again wanted him to move to another school.
Eric, eventually stepped up to the plate and convinced his mother that this was something he had to do for himself, he had to overcome his own fears and he had to face his tormentors, without showing them any fear, and he had to find ‘the others’ like himself – he could no longer run and he could only do this if she left him in the same school.
The message for me, was very clear – there is a very wrong and a very right way to gain victory over your enemies, but in order for that to happen you have to gain victory over yourself and (as in this case) it meant Eric facing his own fears and gaining control over them.
Gaining a measure of control over myself, my fears and insecurities was one of the biggest steps forward that I took and for what it’s worth, it made my (at that point) self esteem soar. I felt as though I had conquered the world and that made me feel and react differently and that made other people see me in a totally different light altogether.
So the next time you feel tiny and insignificant in the face of the world, remember to gain control of your fears, of yourself and that victory will carry you through any kind of adversity.
You will be all powerful because you will be victorious over your biggest enemy – yourself!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Sunday, September 14, 2014
MOTIVATION – How to grow
MOTIVATION – How To Grow
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – July 2009
Ralph Emerson says “Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”
Ain’t that the truth! It really makes me mad when I hear people saying things like ‘Some people are born more equal than others’ or ‘He/She’s had it easy because they were born with a silver/gold spoon in their mouths’! You see I really do believe that we are all ‘born equal’. Now before you all start beating up on me – hear me out. I really believe that we all have the potential and the ability to be the best of who/what we can be – that’s all. I also believe that we can only be judged on our own potential and not that we can be compared to others. Yet at some point, many of us think that we can just sit back and watch the world go round as we have achieved everything that there is to achieve. What absolute nonsense! There is always something more.
Think about it for a moment – when a baby gets to a certain age, they want to do things for themselves and go places by themselves, so they start to crawl and my goodness if any of you ever met my cousin’s youngest – he could really move when he set his mind to it. We often used to have to run to keep up with him crawling towards his goal (usually his freedom out the kitchen door). Kids don’t stop there though. They don’t think – ok, I can crawl now so I have achieved my goal and that’s as far as I am going to go – I’ll just sit here and for the rest of my life just crawl to where-ever I need to go! They then at some point stand up and then walk and pretty soon they start to run. I remember as a child always falling over – I was pretty much just gangly legs at that stage, and my parents were forever telling me to walk and not run – but hey, I had places to go and interesting things to see and do and time was a-wasting, so I ran.
To this day I run – ok, so don’t take that literally, I don’t much like to physically run anymore, but my mind certainly still runs. There are so many new things to see or to learn. So many more books that I want to read (most people laugh when they see my reading list, it runs to 26 typed pages), so many new ideas that I want to see reach their full potential.
So many new things that I want to try. There are discussions that I want to have with people and debates on controversial subjects that I would love to sink my teeth into. There are countries that I want to visit and some that I need to re-visit. There are people that I would love to meet and dishes that I would love to sample. There are movies that I want to watch or I suppose I could just sit there and say, well I’m done – then what?
Na-ah, not for me – whilst there is still time in the day (or the night for that matter), there is time to do things - for me. Things that will challenge me, make me stretch my brain and make me grow as an individual.
Things that will help to make me be all that I can be – and then some.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – July 2009
Ralph Emerson says “Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”
Ain’t that the truth! It really makes me mad when I hear people saying things like ‘Some people are born more equal than others’ or ‘He/She’s had it easy because they were born with a silver/gold spoon in their mouths’! You see I really do believe that we are all ‘born equal’. Now before you all start beating up on me – hear me out. I really believe that we all have the potential and the ability to be the best of who/what we can be – that’s all. I also believe that we can only be judged on our own potential and not that we can be compared to others. Yet at some point, many of us think that we can just sit back and watch the world go round as we have achieved everything that there is to achieve. What absolute nonsense! There is always something more.
Think about it for a moment – when a baby gets to a certain age, they want to do things for themselves and go places by themselves, so they start to crawl and my goodness if any of you ever met my cousin’s youngest – he could really move when he set his mind to it. We often used to have to run to keep up with him crawling towards his goal (usually his freedom out the kitchen door). Kids don’t stop there though. They don’t think – ok, I can crawl now so I have achieved my goal and that’s as far as I am going to go – I’ll just sit here and for the rest of my life just crawl to where-ever I need to go! They then at some point stand up and then walk and pretty soon they start to run. I remember as a child always falling over – I was pretty much just gangly legs at that stage, and my parents were forever telling me to walk and not run – but hey, I had places to go and interesting things to see and do and time was a-wasting, so I ran.
To this day I run – ok, so don’t take that literally, I don’t much like to physically run anymore, but my mind certainly still runs. There are so many new things to see or to learn. So many more books that I want to read (most people laugh when they see my reading list, it runs to 26 typed pages), so many new ideas that I want to see reach their full potential.
So many new things that I want to try. There are discussions that I want to have with people and debates on controversial subjects that I would love to sink my teeth into. There are countries that I want to visit and some that I need to re-visit. There are people that I would love to meet and dishes that I would love to sample. There are movies that I want to watch or I suppose I could just sit there and say, well I’m done – then what?
Na-ah, not for me – whilst there is still time in the day (or the night for that matter), there is time to do things - for me. Things that will challenge me, make me stretch my brain and make me grow as an individual.
Things that will help to make me be all that I can be – and then some.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Saturday, September 13, 2014
MOTIVATION – HELP FROM UNEXPECTED QUARTERS
MOTIVATION – HELP FROM UNEXPECTED QUARTERS
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
It is said that sometimes the people you think might kick you when you’re down, will be the very ones to help you get back up!
For me this is all about judgment and perception. You see, I think that people have perceptions about other people based on things like, the way they dress. So someone is judged by what they are wearing and the perception is that they would never assist or have the empathy and/or compassion to help a fellow human being! How bizarre!
I believe that perception is how facts are interpreted and that if those facts are not looked at in their entirety then they are often distorted and that that is why perceptions are so often skewered.
I am often amused at the way that others see me, for example. As an Internal Auditor, there seems to be an expectation of how I should behave, how I should dress and on some levels, even how I should think. That expectation is never met when they actually meet me and dare I say it, get to know me and that can cause a huge amount of confusion.
You see, often people think that I should be a quiet, shy introvert who dresses very conservatively and who thinks inside the box. The reality of the situation is that although I am an introvert, I am really not the shy or quiet – I say what I feel and tell it ‘like it is’. I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl and for me thinking in or out of the box is not an option – there is no box! I mean think about it for the moment – logically speaking, would you expect every single Internal Auditor on the planet to look, behave and think in exactly the same manner? If you really had to stop and think about it, I really don’t think that anyone would actually think like that and yet the expectation persists.
I think that we as individuals have to change our mindsets and our judgments and drop the blinkers, allowing ourselves to really look and see a person for who and what they are, instead of just making a judgment call before all the facts are in. I have no doubt that if we allowed this to happen, we would no longer be amazed to receive help and assistance from people who we ‘thought’ would kick us when we were down.
Give people the benefit of the doubt and allow them to be who they actually are, rather than who you perceive them to be.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
It is said that sometimes the people you think might kick you when you’re down, will be the very ones to help you get back up!
For me this is all about judgment and perception. You see, I think that people have perceptions about other people based on things like, the way they dress. So someone is judged by what they are wearing and the perception is that they would never assist or have the empathy and/or compassion to help a fellow human being! How bizarre!
I believe that perception is how facts are interpreted and that if those facts are not looked at in their entirety then they are often distorted and that that is why perceptions are so often skewered.
I am often amused at the way that others see me, for example. As an Internal Auditor, there seems to be an expectation of how I should behave, how I should dress and on some levels, even how I should think. That expectation is never met when they actually meet me and dare I say it, get to know me and that can cause a huge amount of confusion.
You see, often people think that I should be a quiet, shy introvert who dresses very conservatively and who thinks inside the box. The reality of the situation is that although I am an introvert, I am really not the shy or quiet – I say what I feel and tell it ‘like it is’. I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl and for me thinking in or out of the box is not an option – there is no box! I mean think about it for the moment – logically speaking, would you expect every single Internal Auditor on the planet to look, behave and think in exactly the same manner? If you really had to stop and think about it, I really don’t think that anyone would actually think like that and yet the expectation persists.
I think that we as individuals have to change our mindsets and our judgments and drop the blinkers, allowing ourselves to really look and see a person for who and what they are, instead of just making a judgment call before all the facts are in. I have no doubt that if we allowed this to happen, we would no longer be amazed to receive help and assistance from people who we ‘thought’ would kick us when we were down.
Give people the benefit of the doubt and allow them to be who they actually are, rather than who you perceive them to be.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.
Friday, September 12, 2014
HR 101 - It’s How You Play The Game – Part 2
ARTICLE 41
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . It’s How You Play The Game – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC September 2009
Following on from last week – the decision on the part of the Arbitrator and/or Commissioner is particularly unfair and in this instance it is incumbent upon the ‘wronged’ party (be it the employer or the employee) to challenge the decision via a review at the Labour Court.
What does this mean?
Well for starters the challenge can be made on the grounds that the Arbitrator took a bribe, or was biased, or that there was important information and/or evidence that was ignored and/or that he/she failed to arrive at a reasonable or proper award. You see the CCMA Arbitrator has to ‘weigh up’ and consider all the evidence, both oral and documentary, prior to embarking upon the process of making factual findings.
Therefore:
• The Arbitrator cannot be about his/her own opinion, but rather based on the facts presented.
• The decision must be made by following reason and not based on fantasy, guesswork, ‘hallucination’ or speculation of any kind.
• The Arbitrator must have applied his/her mind seriously to the issues at hand and not treat them or the charges as some sort of joke.
• The Arbitrator is required to justify his/her findings in a defensible and logical manner. He/she must be able to give solid reasons for the decision that he/she has come to and why.
• The decisions must comply with the law
• The decisions must be rational
Now here’s the kicker – the Arbitrator’s reasons for giving all of these decisions must be given at the time that he/she renders the decision, otherwise it can be assumed that he/she did not actually have a good reason.
The bottom line is that the both parties have the right to know why/how the Arbitrator came to his/her decision against them so that they can decide whether or not and/or how to challenge the decision that has been reached.
This is one of the controls that have been put into place to try and ensure that Arbitrators don’t make ‘faulty’ decisions. The thinking is that if the Arbitrator has to explain his/her actions he/she will be less likely to ignore or misrepresent the facts and evidence that was put before them and ensure that a fair decision is reached.
So the Arbitrator has to have considered all the serious objections and all the alternatives to the decision that they have made. They have to provide a rational connection between the facts that were presented and their ruling.
This also places a requirement on employers and that is that they too must have good reason when acting against employees and they too must be able to provide these reasons clearly and comprehensively to the Arbitrator.
For the employer, this means having all their ducks in a row, facts and evidence readily and professionally at hand and good presentation skills. Emotion does not play any part here – simply state the facts and back them up with the evidence, witnesses and whatever else that you have at hand. This will show the Arbitrator that you have followed the procedures correctly and your reasoning for instituting disciplinary measures and he/she, will in all probability will have to follow the your line of reasoning.
In this way, you as the employer help the arbitrator find in your favour.
Of course, this does mean that the employer has to ensure that all management decisions are made unemotionally and in line with the law and that all the requirements in terms of policies and procedures have been met.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . It’s How You Play The Game – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC September 2009
Following on from last week – the decision on the part of the Arbitrator and/or Commissioner is particularly unfair and in this instance it is incumbent upon the ‘wronged’ party (be it the employer or the employee) to challenge the decision via a review at the Labour Court.
What does this mean?
Well for starters the challenge can be made on the grounds that the Arbitrator took a bribe, or was biased, or that there was important information and/or evidence that was ignored and/or that he/she failed to arrive at a reasonable or proper award. You see the CCMA Arbitrator has to ‘weigh up’ and consider all the evidence, both oral and documentary, prior to embarking upon the process of making factual findings.
Therefore:
• The Arbitrator cannot be about his/her own opinion, but rather based on the facts presented.
• The decision must be made by following reason and not based on fantasy, guesswork, ‘hallucination’ or speculation of any kind.
• The Arbitrator must have applied his/her mind seriously to the issues at hand and not treat them or the charges as some sort of joke.
• The Arbitrator is required to justify his/her findings in a defensible and logical manner. He/she must be able to give solid reasons for the decision that he/she has come to and why.
• The decisions must comply with the law
• The decisions must be rational
Now here’s the kicker – the Arbitrator’s reasons for giving all of these decisions must be given at the time that he/she renders the decision, otherwise it can be assumed that he/she did not actually have a good reason.
The bottom line is that the both parties have the right to know why/how the Arbitrator came to his/her decision against them so that they can decide whether or not and/or how to challenge the decision that has been reached.
This is one of the controls that have been put into place to try and ensure that Arbitrators don’t make ‘faulty’ decisions. The thinking is that if the Arbitrator has to explain his/her actions he/she will be less likely to ignore or misrepresent the facts and evidence that was put before them and ensure that a fair decision is reached.
So the Arbitrator has to have considered all the serious objections and all the alternatives to the decision that they have made. They have to provide a rational connection between the facts that were presented and their ruling.
This also places a requirement on employers and that is that they too must have good reason when acting against employees and they too must be able to provide these reasons clearly and comprehensively to the Arbitrator.
For the employer, this means having all their ducks in a row, facts and evidence readily and professionally at hand and good presentation skills. Emotion does not play any part here – simply state the facts and back them up with the evidence, witnesses and whatever else that you have at hand. This will show the Arbitrator that you have followed the procedures correctly and your reasoning for instituting disciplinary measures and he/she, will in all probability will have to follow the your line of reasoning.
In this way, you as the employer help the arbitrator find in your favour.
Of course, this does mean that the employer has to ensure that all management decisions are made unemotionally and in line with the law and that all the requirements in terms of policies and procedures have been met.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Thursday, September 11, 2014
HR 101 - It’s How You Play The Game – Part 1
ARTICLE 41
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . It’s How You Play The Game – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC September 2009
There are often times that you will end up at the CCMA no matter how closely you follow the rules. Now I know that that sounds a bit harsh, but following the rules doesn’t mean that you will not end up at the CCMA, but what it does mean is that if you do end up at the CCMA, there is less chance of you losing your case.
Sadly there are also many cases where the ‘loser’ at the CCMA is not only disappointed at the verdict but that they also appear to be quite shell shocked! Most of the time these individuals were extremely confident of success only to have that confidence lying shattered at their feet.
The reality is that often it is not about right and wrong – it’s about how you play the game. I just heard all the pins drop, the chins drop and the sharp intake of breath being rapidly inhaled and resulting in a shocked gasp!
You see in the majority of cases are lost as a direct result of procedures not being followed, so you lose the case on those grounds.
But what about where you have followed every single rule, I hear you say? Well here are some of (but not limited to) the main reasons people (both employers and employees) lose their cases.
• The case was weak without you realizing it or despite the fact that you thought it was a strong case. Often this is because you did not have your case properly prepared, no documents and/or witnesses to give or confirm your evidence. Your sense of outrage and your emotion here was actually stronger than the facts in the case.
• Then of course you have the situation where you actually do have an extremely strong case, the problem is that again you are inadequately prepared. You don’t have the correct documentation or you failed to present your case in an understandable and/or convincing manner. Pretty much like representing yourself in a murder case in court. If you don’t know what you are doing, chances are you will make a mess – so get some help!
• The worst of the lot is when it is genuinely unfair to the loser. This is when you have a strong case, you have followed all of the procedures correctly, you have presented it in the proper manner, you are properly prepared with all of the correct documents, you have witnesses who have corroborated your evidence, in fact you have done everything correctly, but the arbitrator has failed to appreciate your case and you lose.
This is the one that you really want to challenge and this is the one that you absolutely have the right to challenge via review at the Labour court.
Next week we will have a look at how to do this.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . It’s How You Play The Game – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC September 2009
There are often times that you will end up at the CCMA no matter how closely you follow the rules. Now I know that that sounds a bit harsh, but following the rules doesn’t mean that you will not end up at the CCMA, but what it does mean is that if you do end up at the CCMA, there is less chance of you losing your case.
Sadly there are also many cases where the ‘loser’ at the CCMA is not only disappointed at the verdict but that they also appear to be quite shell shocked! Most of the time these individuals were extremely confident of success only to have that confidence lying shattered at their feet.
The reality is that often it is not about right and wrong – it’s about how you play the game. I just heard all the pins drop, the chins drop and the sharp intake of breath being rapidly inhaled and resulting in a shocked gasp!
You see in the majority of cases are lost as a direct result of procedures not being followed, so you lose the case on those grounds.
But what about where you have followed every single rule, I hear you say? Well here are some of (but not limited to) the main reasons people (both employers and employees) lose their cases.
• The case was weak without you realizing it or despite the fact that you thought it was a strong case. Often this is because you did not have your case properly prepared, no documents and/or witnesses to give or confirm your evidence. Your sense of outrage and your emotion here was actually stronger than the facts in the case.
• Then of course you have the situation where you actually do have an extremely strong case, the problem is that again you are inadequately prepared. You don’t have the correct documentation or you failed to present your case in an understandable and/or convincing manner. Pretty much like representing yourself in a murder case in court. If you don’t know what you are doing, chances are you will make a mess – so get some help!
• The worst of the lot is when it is genuinely unfair to the loser. This is when you have a strong case, you have followed all of the procedures correctly, you have presented it in the proper manner, you are properly prepared with all of the correct documents, you have witnesses who have corroborated your evidence, in fact you have done everything correctly, but the arbitrator has failed to appreciate your case and you lose.
This is the one that you really want to challenge and this is the one that you absolutely have the right to challenge via review at the Labour court.
Next week we will have a look at how to do this.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Networking 101 - Targeting the right people
THE POWER OF NETWORKING
PART 60
Targeting the right people
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
Who are the people that you connect with? Or perhaps the question should be who are the people that you target, to connect with?
Most people will say that they are people who would complement your business, or who would be able to give you business or who would generate business for you. Am I correct? I thought so!
And if I was correct, then your answer is . . . . . wrong, wrong, wrong!
Look, I know that there are hundreds of people, and probably all the books telling you to focus on being target driven, but the bottom line is very different and if you never listen to another thing I say – listen to this!
Trust your instinct, connections that you wouldn’t normally give the time of day to, will bring the right people into your life far more often than the people who you would expect to connect you. How’s that for a statement?
I know that many of you will be very sceptical about this, but believe me it’s true. Let me give you an example. I have a friend (let’s call her Jane) who imports freeze dried foods for the masses. We were at a Networking event a couple of weeks ago and at the table was a young lady, let’s call her Sue, who is a fashion designer. I saw the look on Jane’s face when they introduced themselves because “how could Sue possibly help to get contacts to sell this food by the container load (and it does come by the container load)” and I am sure that all of you are asking the very same question!
Well I am in the process of teaching Jane how to Network and seeing that I am sharing so many of my Networking tips with you, I will share this one with you too.
Think about it people.
Ok, here goes – who goes to a fashion designer to have their clothes designed? Certainly not me and probably not you. But the wives of the rich and famous do. And who best to twist the arm of a cabinet minister, or a member of parliament, or a CEO of a large firm with a big Corporate Social Investment (CSI) budget, if not his loving wife or daughter? Suddenly the light bulb goes on, doesn’t it?
On the reverse side, and for Jane to be useful to Sue – who is meeting with CEO’s of big corporate companies and ambassadors of foreign countries who have wives and daughters, who would love to have their clothes designed for them and who on earth would Jane recommend? So another penny drops!
So do not ignore people who have been put into your life, don’t pre-judge. Get to know them, find out what it is that they do and be a ‘giver’, connect them with as many as you can out of your data base and then watch as they return the favour! You see when you give to others you give them a reason to be your greatest advertisers – they will sing your praises to everyone at every given opportunity.
I don’t believe that there is such a thing as coincidence or sheer luck, I believe that you make your own luck. I believe that it is all to do with what you ‘put’ out there, it will attract exactly what it is that you need.
Your greatest marketing tool is yourself and the people that you connect with. There is no greater or stronger lead than the one that comes from a referral.
So go out and connect today – connect with everyone and open your mind to the possibilities that are everywhere.
Nikki Viljoen in an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
PART 60
Targeting the right people
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
Who are the people that you connect with? Or perhaps the question should be who are the people that you target, to connect with?
Most people will say that they are people who would complement your business, or who would be able to give you business or who would generate business for you. Am I correct? I thought so!
And if I was correct, then your answer is . . . . . wrong, wrong, wrong!
Look, I know that there are hundreds of people, and probably all the books telling you to focus on being target driven, but the bottom line is very different and if you never listen to another thing I say – listen to this!
Trust your instinct, connections that you wouldn’t normally give the time of day to, will bring the right people into your life far more often than the people who you would expect to connect you. How’s that for a statement?
I know that many of you will be very sceptical about this, but believe me it’s true. Let me give you an example. I have a friend (let’s call her Jane) who imports freeze dried foods for the masses. We were at a Networking event a couple of weeks ago and at the table was a young lady, let’s call her Sue, who is a fashion designer. I saw the look on Jane’s face when they introduced themselves because “how could Sue possibly help to get contacts to sell this food by the container load (and it does come by the container load)” and I am sure that all of you are asking the very same question!
Well I am in the process of teaching Jane how to Network and seeing that I am sharing so many of my Networking tips with you, I will share this one with you too.
Think about it people.
Ok, here goes – who goes to a fashion designer to have their clothes designed? Certainly not me and probably not you. But the wives of the rich and famous do. And who best to twist the arm of a cabinet minister, or a member of parliament, or a CEO of a large firm with a big Corporate Social Investment (CSI) budget, if not his loving wife or daughter? Suddenly the light bulb goes on, doesn’t it?
On the reverse side, and for Jane to be useful to Sue – who is meeting with CEO’s of big corporate companies and ambassadors of foreign countries who have wives and daughters, who would love to have their clothes designed for them and who on earth would Jane recommend? So another penny drops!
So do not ignore people who have been put into your life, don’t pre-judge. Get to know them, find out what it is that they do and be a ‘giver’, connect them with as many as you can out of your data base and then watch as they return the favour! You see when you give to others you give them a reason to be your greatest advertisers – they will sing your praises to everyone at every given opportunity.
I don’t believe that there is such a thing as coincidence or sheer luck, I believe that you make your own luck. I believe that it is all to do with what you ‘put’ out there, it will attract exactly what it is that you need.
Your greatest marketing tool is yourself and the people that you connect with. There is no greater or stronger lead than the one that comes from a referral.
So go out and connect today – connect with everyone and open your mind to the possibilities that are everywhere.
Nikki Viljoen in an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, September 09, 2014
Business Tips - Computer Shortcuts - Part 4
BUSINESS TIPS – Computer Shortcuts – Part 4
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC August 2010
Another fabulously positive responsive week I got last week. Seems I am not the only one who doesn’t know all the shortcuts and tips. Here are last lot, which makes this one the end of the series.
Last Up – Outlook Shortcut Keys
Alt + S Send the mail
Ctrl + C Copy selected text
Ctrl + X Cut selected text
Ctrl + P Open print dialogue box
Ctrl + K Complete name/e-mail typed in address bar
Ctrl + B Bold highlighted selection
Ctrl + I Italicize highlighted selection
Ctrl + U Underline highlighted selection
Ctrl + R Reply to an e-mail
Ctrl + F Forward and e-mail
Ctrl + N Create a new e-mail
Ctrl + Shift + A Create a new appointment for your calendar
Ctrl + Shift + O Open the outbox
Ctrl + Shift + I Open the inbox
Ctrl + Shift + K Add a new task
Ctrl + Shift + C Create a new contact
Ctrl + Shift + J Create a new journal entry
Again I knew one or two of these, but certainly not the majority and now of course I will also have to irritate the heck out of my IT guy by asking all the ‘what does . . . . . mean?”.
Okay everybody, that’s the end of that, next week we will be looking at something completely different.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Monday, September 08, 2014
MOTIVATION – Yes We Can
MOTIVATION – Yes We Can
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – February 2010
We’ve all heard these words at some point in our lives – hell, I’m sure that on occasion we have uttered them ourselves. I know I have – in my youth when I entered some or other competition (usually sport for me) and I was up against someone who was really, really good, I would usually give myself a ‘pep’ talk of sorts that had the words ‘come on Viljoen – you know you can do it!’
So why am I telling you all of this? Simple really – for your own good! Ok, I’ll stop teasing and get down to it.
Somehow, when we are business owners, these words seem to fly out the window and we are left to our own devices, little puddles on the floor. Scared witless, petrified that we will fail, that we will fall down, that we will embarrass ourselves and in doing so embarrass friends and family. We take all the crap that the rest of society hands out like we are second class citizens in our own lives.
I don’t think that there is a day that goes by that we don’t have it thrown in our faces that businesses fail, the percentages of failed new start ups, the numbers flaunted in our faces and yet in the very next breath we are put under tremendously serious pressure when we are told that the economy is dependent on upon our success. I mean what’s with that? Why would you do that to somebody? Why would you put the weight of the world upon their shoulders and then just as they are about to take their first wobbly step out into the unknown you chop them off at the knees!
Oh and let’s not forget the big corporate companies, banks and even government who, stand on their soap boxes and pontificate to the world (and/or anyone who wants to listen) on how they are assisting the SMME (small, medium, micro enterprise) and/or the entrepreneur. All the stuff that they give away such as money, training, freebies and what have you and yet, behind the scenes they are actually crippling and even killing small businesses, when they don’t pay invoices on time and pay 60 or 90 or 120 and even worse in some situations, which means in reality that the small business owner is ‘carrying’ the cash flow of the large corporate, on their shoulders.
What about the various banks who want to be ‘seen’ as doing everything for the SMME in terms of loans and guidance and whatever other words that they can sugar coat to get us to believe what they are saying, only to make it so difficult to qualify for anything that it’s easier to just, ‘go for it’ on your own because it’s a lot less hard on the nerves (not to mention the wallet) in the long run – oh yes, I’m sure they forgot to mention just how much you are going to pay for that ‘help’ that they so lovingly gave.
Often we are so bullied by our colleagues, our so called friends and family, who are just ‘looking out for’ us, that we begin to believe all the BS that get sprouted out of their ‘well intentioned’ mouths that we forget that we actually ‘can’ do it!
Yes of course we can – actually we have been doing it from the moment we were born. We have survived, we have grown (usually in length as well as in width *Sigh* as we have grown older). We have learnt to crawl and learnt to walk and then to run, we have passed exams and played sport and learnt how to read and write and ride bicycles and ridden horses and learnt to drive a motor car, found ourselves a job and met and married the person of our dreams (or not) and had children of our own (or not) and gotten divorced and started our own businesses, which have succeeded or not and yet we have survived – often against all odds.
Let’s put it into a bit of perspective shall we. There is this child, let’s call her Suzie – she is almost a year old and she is starting to walk. Her family and their friends all clap when she takes a step or two, they all reach out to steady her if she looks like she is going to wobble or fall over. They cheer and encourage her when looks like she is hesitating and they even praise her and tell her what a good job she is doing, even when she is actually falling flat on her face. Here’s the important part – when she does fall flat on her face, they all encourage her to get back up and try again.
You don’t hear anyone saying things like ‘hey Suzie, this walking thing is overrated, most people never learn how to do it, why don’t you just give it a miss and let someone else carry you around for the rest of your life” or “hey Suzie, I don’t think this walking thing is for you, perhaps you should stick to crawling,” or “don’t you think you’re a bit young/inexperienced/wet behind the ears (insert your own issue here) to be doing this – perhaps you should wait a bit and learn from your peers or mentors” or my personal favorite “haven’t you learnt yet that you are going to get hurt – why do you continue to try?”
The worst of it is that by choice, we as SMME’s seem to take pleasure in surrounding ourselves with the very people who, in the name of ‘looking out for us’ are constantly putting us down. We socialize with those, who have never owned their own businesses themselves and are therefore in no position to give any advice, and yet who constantly tell us how stupid, naïve, idiotic we are for trying to do this thing. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why, Why, Why?
The reality is that “YES WE CAN” do it. We can be successful, we have more often than not been successful in the past, and you know what, even if we do fall over, make a silly decision, trust someone that we perhaps shouldn’t, we are survivors. We can overcome any obstacle, we can get up again and go forward and the best of all, we can surround ourselves with positive people. People who will encourage us, who will reach out and steady us when we wobble. People who will praise us, even when we fall flat on our faces and who will reach out to help us up again. People who will be telling us why we can succeed not people telling us why we cannot.
More importantly, people who genuinely care, instead of corporates and governments and people, with hidden agendas, who care only about how they are ‘seen’ and what they are ‘seen to be doing’.
I, for one am going to be making a whole bunch of changes in my life this year. I will be getting rid of whomever and whatever causes chaos in my life. I am going to surround myself with people who are trying to make positive changes in their own lives and in the lives of others. I am going to be walking away from friends, relatives and colleagues who don’t add any value to my life and concentrate on those who do and who I can add value to.
I am going to hang about with those who encourage me and who I can encourage. Who will you be hanging out with?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – February 2010
We’ve all heard these words at some point in our lives – hell, I’m sure that on occasion we have uttered them ourselves. I know I have – in my youth when I entered some or other competition (usually sport for me) and I was up against someone who was really, really good, I would usually give myself a ‘pep’ talk of sorts that had the words ‘come on Viljoen – you know you can do it!’
So why am I telling you all of this? Simple really – for your own good! Ok, I’ll stop teasing and get down to it.
Somehow, when we are business owners, these words seem to fly out the window and we are left to our own devices, little puddles on the floor. Scared witless, petrified that we will fail, that we will fall down, that we will embarrass ourselves and in doing so embarrass friends and family. We take all the crap that the rest of society hands out like we are second class citizens in our own lives.
I don’t think that there is a day that goes by that we don’t have it thrown in our faces that businesses fail, the percentages of failed new start ups, the numbers flaunted in our faces and yet in the very next breath we are put under tremendously serious pressure when we are told that the economy is dependent on upon our success. I mean what’s with that? Why would you do that to somebody? Why would you put the weight of the world upon their shoulders and then just as they are about to take their first wobbly step out into the unknown you chop them off at the knees!
Oh and let’s not forget the big corporate companies, banks and even government who, stand on their soap boxes and pontificate to the world (and/or anyone who wants to listen) on how they are assisting the SMME (small, medium, micro enterprise) and/or the entrepreneur. All the stuff that they give away such as money, training, freebies and what have you and yet, behind the scenes they are actually crippling and even killing small businesses, when they don’t pay invoices on time and pay 60 or 90 or 120 and even worse in some situations, which means in reality that the small business owner is ‘carrying’ the cash flow of the large corporate, on their shoulders.
What about the various banks who want to be ‘seen’ as doing everything for the SMME in terms of loans and guidance and whatever other words that they can sugar coat to get us to believe what they are saying, only to make it so difficult to qualify for anything that it’s easier to just, ‘go for it’ on your own because it’s a lot less hard on the nerves (not to mention the wallet) in the long run – oh yes, I’m sure they forgot to mention just how much you are going to pay for that ‘help’ that they so lovingly gave.
Often we are so bullied by our colleagues, our so called friends and family, who are just ‘looking out for’ us, that we begin to believe all the BS that get sprouted out of their ‘well intentioned’ mouths that we forget that we actually ‘can’ do it!
Yes of course we can – actually we have been doing it from the moment we were born. We have survived, we have grown (usually in length as well as in width *Sigh* as we have grown older). We have learnt to crawl and learnt to walk and then to run, we have passed exams and played sport and learnt how to read and write and ride bicycles and ridden horses and learnt to drive a motor car, found ourselves a job and met and married the person of our dreams (or not) and had children of our own (or not) and gotten divorced and started our own businesses, which have succeeded or not and yet we have survived – often against all odds.
Let’s put it into a bit of perspective shall we. There is this child, let’s call her Suzie – she is almost a year old and she is starting to walk. Her family and their friends all clap when she takes a step or two, they all reach out to steady her if she looks like she is going to wobble or fall over. They cheer and encourage her when looks like she is hesitating and they even praise her and tell her what a good job she is doing, even when she is actually falling flat on her face. Here’s the important part – when she does fall flat on her face, they all encourage her to get back up and try again.
You don’t hear anyone saying things like ‘hey Suzie, this walking thing is overrated, most people never learn how to do it, why don’t you just give it a miss and let someone else carry you around for the rest of your life” or “hey Suzie, I don’t think this walking thing is for you, perhaps you should stick to crawling,” or “don’t you think you’re a bit young/inexperienced/wet behind the ears (insert your own issue here) to be doing this – perhaps you should wait a bit and learn from your peers or mentors” or my personal favorite “haven’t you learnt yet that you are going to get hurt – why do you continue to try?”
The worst of it is that by choice, we as SMME’s seem to take pleasure in surrounding ourselves with the very people who, in the name of ‘looking out for us’ are constantly putting us down. We socialize with those, who have never owned their own businesses themselves and are therefore in no position to give any advice, and yet who constantly tell us how stupid, naïve, idiotic we are for trying to do this thing. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why, Why, Why?
The reality is that “YES WE CAN” do it. We can be successful, we have more often than not been successful in the past, and you know what, even if we do fall over, make a silly decision, trust someone that we perhaps shouldn’t, we are survivors. We can overcome any obstacle, we can get up again and go forward and the best of all, we can surround ourselves with positive people. People who will encourage us, who will reach out and steady us when we wobble. People who will praise us, even when we fall flat on our faces and who will reach out to help us up again. People who will be telling us why we can succeed not people telling us why we cannot.
More importantly, people who genuinely care, instead of corporates and governments and people, with hidden agendas, who care only about how they are ‘seen’ and what they are ‘seen to be doing’.
I, for one am going to be making a whole bunch of changes in my life this year. I will be getting rid of whomever and whatever causes chaos in my life. I am going to surround myself with people who are trying to make positive changes in their own lives and in the lives of others. I am going to be walking away from friends, relatives and colleagues who don’t add any value to my life and concentrate on those who do and who I can add value to.
I am going to hang about with those who encourage me and who I can encourage. Who will you be hanging out with?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Sunday, September 07, 2014
MOTIVATION – Holding onto anger
MOTIVATION – Holding Onto Anger
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC - June 2009
Rene Sinnya says that “Holding onto anger is like grasping hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else – you are the one that gets burnt.”
Man oh Man – that one certainly got to me. You see, I have held onto my anger for years. The only person that got hurt was me. My days were spent in a red haze and my nights were spent with nightmares, where I heard bones break as I smashed the nameless, faceless, unwilling participants of my horrific dreams.
So how did that hurt me – simply hitting someone in my dreams did not hurt me (or them for that matter), in any way?
Wrong, wrong, wrong again! Apart from anything else, the level of rest that I got during my sleep was seriously limited!
Being in a rage ensured that I was always tense, muscles clenched and bunched in knots. The knots went all the way up my spine and up through my brain stem and this resulting in the most excruciating headaches and migraines and the bottom line was that my perception was always that the ‘glass was half empty.”
What about the objects of my anger – how were they affected. Well I don’t think that they even remembered that I existed! How cruel is that?
It took a while – it took a really long while, but I eventually learnt – to let go of the anger. “Just let it go” said Vanessa, my mentor. “How” was my standard reply.
Here’s the thing, if those that you are angry with don’t really give a rats bum, then what’s the point? If they don’t even realize that you exist – then really, what is the point?
It give me great pleasure these days, to watch the expressions on the faces of Johannesburg taxi drivers (or in fact any drivers) who look at me in astonishment as I smile and wave at them in direct response to their giving me ‘the finger’ in rush hour traffic!
It always brings a smile to my face.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC - June 2009
Rene Sinnya says that “Holding onto anger is like grasping hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else – you are the one that gets burnt.”
Man oh Man – that one certainly got to me. You see, I have held onto my anger for years. The only person that got hurt was me. My days were spent in a red haze and my nights were spent with nightmares, where I heard bones break as I smashed the nameless, faceless, unwilling participants of my horrific dreams.
So how did that hurt me – simply hitting someone in my dreams did not hurt me (or them for that matter), in any way?
Wrong, wrong, wrong again! Apart from anything else, the level of rest that I got during my sleep was seriously limited!
Being in a rage ensured that I was always tense, muscles clenched and bunched in knots. The knots went all the way up my spine and up through my brain stem and this resulting in the most excruciating headaches and migraines and the bottom line was that my perception was always that the ‘glass was half empty.”
What about the objects of my anger – how were they affected. Well I don’t think that they even remembered that I existed! How cruel is that?
It took a while – it took a really long while, but I eventually learnt – to let go of the anger. “Just let it go” said Vanessa, my mentor. “How” was my standard reply.
Here’s the thing, if those that you are angry with don’t really give a rats bum, then what’s the point? If they don’t even realize that you exist – then really, what is the point?
It give me great pleasure these days, to watch the expressions on the faces of Johannesburg taxi drivers (or in fact any drivers) who look at me in astonishment as I smile and wave at them in direct response to their giving me ‘the finger’ in rush hour traffic!
It always brings a smile to my face.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Saturday, September 06, 2014
MOTIVATION – Getting Past the Fear of Failure
MOTIVATION – Getting Past the Fear of Failure
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – September 2010
This is a topic that I have covered before, however that said, it is something that has really come to the forefront in my life lately. The other fear that I seem to constantly battle with is the fear of success.
Let’s look at this in a logical and unemotional manner.
Firstly – the fear of failure is a very normal emotion. I promise you, you are not alone. Everyone has, at some time or another had this fear. Its how you deal with it that is important.
One of the ways to deal with the fear of failure, is to set yourself reasonable and effective goals. Remember though that you need to keep your goals as bite sized chunks, so that they are easily attainable.
Here’s the thing – “We can only have one thought at a time” says Robin S. Sharma – the trick is to have the right thought.
I am currently reading “The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari” by Robin S Sharma and some of the advice that I have seen there, not only resonated with me – it blew me out of the water. You see the whole book, (and I haven’t finished reading it yet) is around the fact that our minds control our thoughts and we should control our minds. Our thoughts actually bring about our fears or failures or indeed, our successes and pretty much anything that we wish to achieve.
In this wonderful story the Sage (or teacher) says that even one negative thought is poisonous to us as individuals and that we, by controlling our minds and our thoughts’ can change these ‘negative’ thoughts into ‘positive’ thoughts that will serve us. The reader is given exercises in visualization of the positive kind. These exercises start at a few minutes a day and they progress from there. There is also a section on ‘what to do’ when you have a negative thought. It really is a wonderful book and one that I would really recommend to everyone.
Of course, like everything else in life, it is only in the repetitive actions of the individual, that the solution will take place – it’s not an instantaneous happening, but rather a gradual reformation, so don’t think that you can do the exercise once and then everything in your life is solved. It won’t be, you have to repeat the exercise on a daily basis and you have to continue it for life.
Secondly, let’s have a look at the fear of success. This is the one that bites me in the rear end on a regular basis. I have spent all my life dreaming about my goals and when they finally arrive, I go into a kind of reverse action and my brain is flooded with thoughts of “I can’t do this because . . . “ or “I don’t deserve . . . .”! Actually yes I do deserve – I have put in the work, I have sweated the blood and the reward is mine to enjoy.
Again, it is about controlling your thoughts and turning positive thoughts into successful actions. Remember that a thought without any action is just that – a thought. The thought needs an action in order for anything to happen.
The bottom line of course, is that it is up to you – they are your thoughts and you are the only person that can control them.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – September 2010
This is a topic that I have covered before, however that said, it is something that has really come to the forefront in my life lately. The other fear that I seem to constantly battle with is the fear of success.
Let’s look at this in a logical and unemotional manner.
Firstly – the fear of failure is a very normal emotion. I promise you, you are not alone. Everyone has, at some time or another had this fear. Its how you deal with it that is important.
One of the ways to deal with the fear of failure, is to set yourself reasonable and effective goals. Remember though that you need to keep your goals as bite sized chunks, so that they are easily attainable.
Here’s the thing – “We can only have one thought at a time” says Robin S. Sharma – the trick is to have the right thought.
I am currently reading “The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari” by Robin S Sharma and some of the advice that I have seen there, not only resonated with me – it blew me out of the water. You see the whole book, (and I haven’t finished reading it yet) is around the fact that our minds control our thoughts and we should control our minds. Our thoughts actually bring about our fears or failures or indeed, our successes and pretty much anything that we wish to achieve.
In this wonderful story the Sage (or teacher) says that even one negative thought is poisonous to us as individuals and that we, by controlling our minds and our thoughts’ can change these ‘negative’ thoughts into ‘positive’ thoughts that will serve us. The reader is given exercises in visualization of the positive kind. These exercises start at a few minutes a day and they progress from there. There is also a section on ‘what to do’ when you have a negative thought. It really is a wonderful book and one that I would really recommend to everyone.
Of course, like everything else in life, it is only in the repetitive actions of the individual, that the solution will take place – it’s not an instantaneous happening, but rather a gradual reformation, so don’t think that you can do the exercise once and then everything in your life is solved. It won’t be, you have to repeat the exercise on a daily basis and you have to continue it for life.
Secondly, let’s have a look at the fear of success. This is the one that bites me in the rear end on a regular basis. I have spent all my life dreaming about my goals and when they finally arrive, I go into a kind of reverse action and my brain is flooded with thoughts of “I can’t do this because . . . “ or “I don’t deserve . . . .”! Actually yes I do deserve – I have put in the work, I have sweated the blood and the reward is mine to enjoy.
Again, it is about controlling your thoughts and turning positive thoughts into successful actions. Remember that a thought without any action is just that – a thought. The thought needs an action in order for anything to happen.
The bottom line of course, is that it is up to you – they are your thoughts and you are the only person that can control them.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Friday, September 05, 2014
HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Need Those Wall Charts
ARTICLE 40
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Need Those Wall Charts
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC August 2009
About 98% of the companies that I assess actually are not compliant in terms of the wall charts that are required to be displayed.
You see both the employers and the employees are required to be aware of and even understand the minimum requirements of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Employment Equity Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It is a legal requirement to display these wall charts. Not only are they required to be displayed, but furthermore they are required to be easily accessible to all staff. Should the Department of Labour arrive at your office door and request to view these wall charts and you don’t have them, you may very well be in for a hefty fine. So it really is a good idea to be proactive about this.
Here’s the thing though, although it is incumbent upon employers to comply with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and/or the Employment Equity Act and/or the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employees also have a part to play in ensuring that their obligations are carried out.
In terms of the latest upgrades of the Employment Equity Act, Companies and Government Departments are required to compile equity plans and these too are required to be displayed on notice boards. These plans also need to be discussed with the employees and/or their representative trade unions. Some small businesses may be exempt from this, but the minimum requirements would need to be checked.
In terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the minute 5 or more people are employed, there is a requirement to implement a health and safety structure in order to sustain the well being of employees and you are further required to create a healthy and safe working environment. Common sense though, should always prevail and whether you employ one person or one hundred, people have the right to work in a safe environment.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Need Those Wall Charts
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC August 2009
About 98% of the companies that I assess actually are not compliant in terms of the wall charts that are required to be displayed.
You see both the employers and the employees are required to be aware of and even understand the minimum requirements of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Employment Equity Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It is a legal requirement to display these wall charts. Not only are they required to be displayed, but furthermore they are required to be easily accessible to all staff. Should the Department of Labour arrive at your office door and request to view these wall charts and you don’t have them, you may very well be in for a hefty fine. So it really is a good idea to be proactive about this.
Here’s the thing though, although it is incumbent upon employers to comply with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and/or the Employment Equity Act and/or the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employees also have a part to play in ensuring that their obligations are carried out.
In terms of the latest upgrades of the Employment Equity Act, Companies and Government Departments are required to compile equity plans and these too are required to be displayed on notice boards. These plans also need to be discussed with the employees and/or their representative trade unions. Some small businesses may be exempt from this, but the minimum requirements would need to be checked.
In terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the minute 5 or more people are employed, there is a requirement to implement a health and safety structure in order to sustain the well being of employees and you are further required to create a healthy and safe working environment. Common sense though, should always prevail and whether you employ one person or one hundred, people have the right to work in a safe environment.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Thursday, September 04, 2014
HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Restraint of Trade – Part 2
ARTICLE 39
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Restraint of Trade – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC August 2009
Following on from last week, we are having a look at a case of “Restraint of Trade” that was upheld by the courts.
In this instance, Mike our favorite protagonist works in a motor vehicle service centre where he does specialized diagnostic testing (let’s call them 123 Motor City).
Again, Mike is offered a position with a competitor ( let’s call them ABC Motor City), but this time he has been enticed across, not because of his work skills but in at attempt by ABC Motor City to gain access to the internal processes of 123 Motor City as well as their client data base.
Again Mike is served with papers to appear in court as 123 Motor City attempt to invoke the “Restraint of Trade” clause.
This time Mike is not successful in defending the application due to (but not Limited to) the following.
• Mike started at 123 Motor City fresh out of school. All of his work skills and diagnostic training was gained when 123 Motor City sent Mike to college and workshops and training courses (and paid for these too). 123 Motor City was therefore able to distinguish between the proprietary to it and Mike’s general knowledge and skills.
• Mike did posses information pertaining to 123 Motor City, that was of a confidential nature, and he had furthermore attended many in house training sessions and the result of this was that many of his skills and knowledge was specifically about the processes and systems and products of 123 Motor City.
• As a direct result of this Mike was in possession of trade secrets and client information – both of which were of a confidential nature. If Mike shared any and/or all of this information with ABC Motor City it could be used against 123 Motor City and also used to their disadvantage.
The bottom line was that as far as the courts were concerned, the fact that there was any risk whatsoever, of disclosure of confidential information, be it of 123 Motor City’s processes and/or product information and/or worth ethics and/or clients, any one of these was sufficient to justify the Court’s decision to prevent Mike from taking up employment with ABC Motor City.
The Court therefore enforced the Restraint of Trade clause.
So remember, be specific with what you want to prevent. Be specific and realistic about the time that your want the restraint to be in force and always be fair.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Restraint of Trade – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC August 2009
Following on from last week, we are having a look at a case of “Restraint of Trade” that was upheld by the courts.
In this instance, Mike our favorite protagonist works in a motor vehicle service centre where he does specialized diagnostic testing (let’s call them 123 Motor City).
Again, Mike is offered a position with a competitor ( let’s call them ABC Motor City), but this time he has been enticed across, not because of his work skills but in at attempt by ABC Motor City to gain access to the internal processes of 123 Motor City as well as their client data base.
Again Mike is served with papers to appear in court as 123 Motor City attempt to invoke the “Restraint of Trade” clause.
This time Mike is not successful in defending the application due to (but not Limited to) the following.
• Mike started at 123 Motor City fresh out of school. All of his work skills and diagnostic training was gained when 123 Motor City sent Mike to college and workshops and training courses (and paid for these too). 123 Motor City was therefore able to distinguish between the proprietary to it and Mike’s general knowledge and skills.
• Mike did posses information pertaining to 123 Motor City, that was of a confidential nature, and he had furthermore attended many in house training sessions and the result of this was that many of his skills and knowledge was specifically about the processes and systems and products of 123 Motor City.
• As a direct result of this Mike was in possession of trade secrets and client information – both of which were of a confidential nature. If Mike shared any and/or all of this information with ABC Motor City it could be used against 123 Motor City and also used to their disadvantage.
The bottom line was that as far as the courts were concerned, the fact that there was any risk whatsoever, of disclosure of confidential information, be it of 123 Motor City’s processes and/or product information and/or worth ethics and/or clients, any one of these was sufficient to justify the Court’s decision to prevent Mike from taking up employment with ABC Motor City.
The Court therefore enforced the Restraint of Trade clause.
So remember, be specific with what you want to prevent. Be specific and realistic about the time that your want the restraint to be in force and always be fair.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, September 03, 2014
Networking 101 - Knowling your purpose
THE POWER OF NETWORKING
PART 59
Knowing your purpose
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
How about knowing your purpose? Do you know your purpose? Don’t for a minute get confused! Knowing who you are and knowing your purpose are two very different things.
If you don’t know your purpose, it will be extremely difficult to get other people to understand what it is that you are selling and/or what assistance it is that you need from them.
Knowing your purpose is more about knowing what you want to achieve for . . . others. Those others could be your clients, your friends and your family. So – do you know what you want to achieve for others on a daily basis?
It’s about knowing what you would do if you didn’t have to work. Think about that for a moment . . . if you didn’t have to work, what would you do? Would you still be the same person that you are right now, or would you do a 180 degree turnabout and become someone completely different. You may become someone who no longer treats people with dignity and respect – you may become the second Mother Theresa or guess what, you may continue to be the person that everyone has come to love, because having money and not having to work, may actually leave you as the person you are now.
Knowing your purpose means that in all probability, you will leave your mark on this world when you leave it one day. So what is your legacy? What will your children and friends say that you have achieved in your life time and will they even know?
For me, knowing your purpose means that you have to have some idea about who you are and what it is that you are doing here, in this life time, before you can start telling people who you think they are?
It’s about accepting some things because, they just are and it’s about making a concerted effort to change the things that need to be changed in your life and thereby changing the things in your world that need to be changed. It’s about quietly going about your business and making a difference.
It’s about challenging yourself to be all that you can be, rather than all that everyone else thinks you should be.
It’s about being true to yourself.
It’s about being you . . .
So, how about it then, do you know your purpose?
Nikki Viljoen is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist and she can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.
PART 59
Knowing your purpose
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
How about knowing your purpose? Do you know your purpose? Don’t for a minute get confused! Knowing who you are and knowing your purpose are two very different things.
If you don’t know your purpose, it will be extremely difficult to get other people to understand what it is that you are selling and/or what assistance it is that you need from them.
Knowing your purpose is more about knowing what you want to achieve for . . . others. Those others could be your clients, your friends and your family. So – do you know what you want to achieve for others on a daily basis?
It’s about knowing what you would do if you didn’t have to work. Think about that for a moment . . . if you didn’t have to work, what would you do? Would you still be the same person that you are right now, or would you do a 180 degree turnabout and become someone completely different. You may become someone who no longer treats people with dignity and respect – you may become the second Mother Theresa or guess what, you may continue to be the person that everyone has come to love, because having money and not having to work, may actually leave you as the person you are now.
Knowing your purpose means that in all probability, you will leave your mark on this world when you leave it one day. So what is your legacy? What will your children and friends say that you have achieved in your life time and will they even know?
For me, knowing your purpose means that you have to have some idea about who you are and what it is that you are doing here, in this life time, before you can start telling people who you think they are?
It’s about accepting some things because, they just are and it’s about making a concerted effort to change the things that need to be changed in your life and thereby changing the things in your world that need to be changed. It’s about quietly going about your business and making a difference.
It’s about challenging yourself to be all that you can be, rather than all that everyone else thinks you should be.
It’s about being true to yourself.
It’s about being you . . .
So, how about it then, do you know your purpose?
Nikki Viljoen is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist and she can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.
Tuesday, September 02, 2014
Business Tips - Computer Shortcuts - Part 3
BUSINESS TIPS – Computer Shortcuts – Part 3
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC August 2010
Another fabulously positive responsive week I got last week. Seems I am not the only one who doesn’t know all the shortcuts and tips. Here are the next lot.
Next Up – Excel Shortcut Keys
F2 Edit the selected cell
F5 Go to a specific cell
F7 Spell check specific text and/or document
F11 Create Chart
Ctrl + Shift + ; Enter the current time
Ctrl + ; Enter the current date
Alt + Shit + F1 Insert new worksheet
Shift + F3 Open the Excel formula window
Shift + F5 Bring up search box
Ctrl + A Select all contents of worksheet
Ctrl + B Bold highlighted section
Ctrl + I Italicize highlighted section
Ctrl + C Copy selected text
Ctrl + V Paste
Ctrl + D Fill
Ctrl + K Insert link
Ctrl + F Open, find and replace options
Ctrl + G Open go-to links
Ctrl + U Underline highlighted section
Ctrl + Y Underline selected text
Ctrl + 5 Strike through highlighted selection
Ctrl + O Open options
Ctrl + N Open new document
Ctrl + P Open print dialogue box
Ctrl + S Save
Ctrl + Z Undo last action
Ctrl + F9 Minimize current window
Ctrl + F10 Maximize current window
Ctrl + F6 Switch between open workbooks/windows
Ctrl + Page up & down Move between Excel worksheets in the same document
Ctrl + Tab Move between two or more open Excel files
Alt + = Create formula to sum all of above cells
Control * Insert value of above cell into current cell
Ctrl + Shift + ! Format number in comma format
Ctrl + Shift + $ Format number in currency format
Ctrl + Shift + # Format number in date format
Ctrl + Shift + % Format number in percentage format
Ctrl + Shift + ^ Format number in scientific format
Ctrl + Shift + @ Format number in time format
Ctrl + -> Move to next section of text
Ctrl + Space Select entire column
Shift + Space Select entire row
Ctrl + W Close document
Again I knew one or two of these, but certainly not the majority and now of course I will also have to irritate the heck out of my IT guy by asking all the ‘what does . . . . . mean?”.
More next week.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Monday, September 01, 2014
MOTIVATION – Understanding Ourselves
MOTIVATION – Understanding Ourselves
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – June 2009
Carl Jung says “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves”.
I know that one of the lessons that I learnt in life at a very young age, is that the “cute” things that first attracted me to a potential love interest was also the first thing that irritated me to such an extent that I ‘fired’ their butts at the first opportunity.
It wasn’t until years later however, that I began to understand the reasons behind this. You see it’s the things that others do that irritate me that I mostly need to change in myself, be it a physical trait or a mindset that needs a change or even a tweak.
For myself, the greater the irritation, the greater my own need for me to change something within myself.
From my blood pressure rising as I drive and try and negotiate the traffic in Gauteng, to losing my sense of humour as I watch in disbelief, yet another stupid advert. The manner in which I react to any given situation reflects my attitude at the time as well as my choice (or lack thereof) to react in the manner that I have.
So the next time that you become irritated by something someone does or says – stop for a moment and think about why it is that you are irritated. Look into yourself, into your heart and the very core of your being, and if you are honest - brutally honest with yourself, you will understand what it is about yourself that you need to change.
In that understanding, a decision is made and in that decision being made an action to change takes place.
In making that change, the direction of your life will also change and you will grow as an individual.
Who would have thought, that the irritating presence or irritating action of a person has brought about some of the most significant changes in my life!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – June 2009
Carl Jung says “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves”.
I know that one of the lessons that I learnt in life at a very young age, is that the “cute” things that first attracted me to a potential love interest was also the first thing that irritated me to such an extent that I ‘fired’ their butts at the first opportunity.
It wasn’t until years later however, that I began to understand the reasons behind this. You see it’s the things that others do that irritate me that I mostly need to change in myself, be it a physical trait or a mindset that needs a change or even a tweak.
For myself, the greater the irritation, the greater my own need for me to change something within myself.
From my blood pressure rising as I drive and try and negotiate the traffic in Gauteng, to losing my sense of humour as I watch in disbelief, yet another stupid advert. The manner in which I react to any given situation reflects my attitude at the time as well as my choice (or lack thereof) to react in the manner that I have.
So the next time that you become irritated by something someone does or says – stop for a moment and think about why it is that you are irritated. Look into yourself, into your heart and the very core of your being, and if you are honest - brutally honest with yourself, you will understand what it is about yourself that you need to change.
In that understanding, a decision is made and in that decision being made an action to change takes place.
In making that change, the direction of your life will also change and you will grow as an individual.
Who would have thought, that the irritating presence or irritating action of a person has brought about some of the most significant changes in my life!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
