ARTICLE 16
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 4
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
This week we will look at some tips on ‘how to’ control a strike action.
Often what happens within an organization is that the union has given notice of intention to strike to Management, the employees then go on a mission to increase their numbers and support. They do this by asking non-union member to join them in the strike. This usually becomes intimidation and as we have all often seen in the past this can lead to violence.
Make sure that the unions are advised, as soon as the notice of intention to strike has been given, that they are obliged to ensure that all non-union members are not intimidated in any way. Advise them that it is their responsibility to ensure that they control their members.
Put a notice on notice boards and/or send out an e-mail or a memo to all the staff stating that you have a ‘zero tolerance’ policy in terms of intimidation. Make sure that they understand that any employee who intimidates another employee will be requested to attend a disciplinary hearing and that if they are found guilty of intimidation, they may be dismissed.
Be aware that proving intimidation is very difficult as the only witness that you may have is the person who was actually intimidated and they often don’t want to give evidence at a disciplinary as this may result in further reprisals against them.
Misconduct, in the form of violence and/or verbal abuse, should also not be tolerated at all, during a strike. Again all employees and the union should be notified in writing, that under no circumstances with misconduct in the form of violence, verbal abuse and/or destruction of property will not be tolerated and anyone found in the Act of Misconduct will face disciplinary procedures and those found guilty may dismissed. It’s also a good idea to make sure that the union understand that any losses incurred as a direct result of misconduct, will be for their account and that the union will be held liable. Ensure that the union officials understand that any form of misconduct and/or intimidation will result in the Company approaching the Labour Court for an urgent interdict.
If possible get a written undertaking from the union acknowledging that they have a duty to control their members during a strike.
If any acts of misconduct and/or intimidation occur during the strike, make sure that disciplinary hearings are undertaken after the strike is over. It is of the utmost importance that you do this in order to set a precedent, irrespective of whether the strike had the desired effect or not. This re-iterates your stand on misconduct and/or intimidation and sends a clear message that you have ‘zero’ tolerance in terms of intimidation and/or misconduct.
As usual, prevention is better than cure and so it is a good idea to ensure that you have all of these policies in place before you are in a ‘strike’ type situation. Put your rules in place, or negotiate your rules with the union about strike related conduct before you are in any kind of dispute and when you are more likely to get a reasonable resolution in place. Obviously, if there is a pre-agreement in place and this is breached in any way, you have to take action – but having a pre-agreement in place means that you are in a much stronger position to do so.
Next week we will look at replacement labour.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
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Friday, May 02, 2014
Thursday, May 01, 2014
HR 101 - What to do when . . . Your staff want to strike - Part 3
ARTICLE 16
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 3
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
Today we are going to look at when a strike is considered protected. This means that there are certain procedures that the staff and/or unions have to follow before the strike can be deemed protected.
In terms of Section 64(I)(a), the first thing that needs to happen is that they need to have referred the dispute for conciliation. They can’t just decide that there is a ‘dead lock’ in negotiations and they were therefore strike. They have to refer the dispute to the CCMA and/or the bargaining council. Clearly it is incumbent upon them as well as the employer to try and resolve the dispute before any strike can take place.
After that, should a Certificate of Outcome, stating that the issue has been resolved be issued and/or after 30 days (or any extension to this that has been agreed to by the employer and the employee) after the first referral was received by the bargaining council and/or the CCMA, employees will have the right to strike. Remember that it is one of the two alternatives, not both.
The second thing that needs to happen is that the staff must give notice of intention to strike. The employer needs to receive the notice of intention to strike at least 48 hours prior to when the strike will begin. The notice of intention to strike must clearly state the starting time and date of the strike. Please remember that if the dispute relates in any way to a collective agreement that was decided and completed in a bargaining council then the notice of intention to strike must also be given to that council. In the instances where the employees are also a member of their employer’s organization that is also a part or been part of the dispute in question, then the notice of intention to strike must also be given to that particular organization too.
The third thing that has to happen, is that if the issue in dispute is about a refusal to bargain, the employees must obtain ‘an advisory arbitration award.’ This advisory arbitration award, must be obtained prior to the notice of intention to strike being issued.
A question that is often asked is whether a strike can be called unprotected even if the procedures that have been documented above have been followed.
The answer, as always is as clear as mud – yes it can, depending on what the dispute is about. Clearly each case should be judged on its own merit because of the way in which things are ‘written’ and documented. It’s about the law you see, and usually anything to do with the law means that some bright spark somewhere will find a loop hole or something that has not been clearly (enough) documented.
Let’s have a look at an example of this.
George and his fellow worker, have insisted on a minimum wage of R25.00 an hour. Mike is prepared to pay R8.00. Eventually, after much negotiation and name calling both parties agree that R10.00 per hour is a fair amount for the minimum wage, across the board. The union then decides, well they think it should be R11.00 – nothing prevents them from asking for more than what has already been agreed to. The Union now says that Mike is refusing to bargain and they proceed to put the procedures in place to start the strike process. In this particular instance, a clause needs to be inserted allowing for an increase to the minimum wage. This will negate the necessity for collective bargaining about wages increases at shop floor level.
As you can see however, it is in your own best interests (not to mention the drain on your financial resources) to get a really good Labour Attorney involved in any of these types of discussions/negotiations as failure to cross the obligatory ‘t’ or dot the ‘i’ could result in costing you a lot of money in the long run.
That all said, there are also some instances where employees can strike without following any kind of procedures.
If Mike were to change the working hours, or the age of retirement or the benefits that have been documented in the Letters and/or Contracts of Employment, without entering into any kind of negotiation with the employees, George and his fellow workers could go on strike and because the regulatory issues governed in Section 64(4), if Mike does not restore everything to the way it was, they would not have to follow any of the procedures that would normally have to be followed before submitting a notice of intention to strike.
Next week we will have a look at some tips on how to control a strike action.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 3
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
Today we are going to look at when a strike is considered protected. This means that there are certain procedures that the staff and/or unions have to follow before the strike can be deemed protected.
In terms of Section 64(I)(a), the first thing that needs to happen is that they need to have referred the dispute for conciliation. They can’t just decide that there is a ‘dead lock’ in negotiations and they were therefore strike. They have to refer the dispute to the CCMA and/or the bargaining council. Clearly it is incumbent upon them as well as the employer to try and resolve the dispute before any strike can take place.
After that, should a Certificate of Outcome, stating that the issue has been resolved be issued and/or after 30 days (or any extension to this that has been agreed to by the employer and the employee) after the first referral was received by the bargaining council and/or the CCMA, employees will have the right to strike. Remember that it is one of the two alternatives, not both.
The second thing that needs to happen is that the staff must give notice of intention to strike. The employer needs to receive the notice of intention to strike at least 48 hours prior to when the strike will begin. The notice of intention to strike must clearly state the starting time and date of the strike. Please remember that if the dispute relates in any way to a collective agreement that was decided and completed in a bargaining council then the notice of intention to strike must also be given to that council. In the instances where the employees are also a member of their employer’s organization that is also a part or been part of the dispute in question, then the notice of intention to strike must also be given to that particular organization too.
The third thing that has to happen, is that if the issue in dispute is about a refusal to bargain, the employees must obtain ‘an advisory arbitration award.’ This advisory arbitration award, must be obtained prior to the notice of intention to strike being issued.
A question that is often asked is whether a strike can be called unprotected even if the procedures that have been documented above have been followed.
The answer, as always is as clear as mud – yes it can, depending on what the dispute is about. Clearly each case should be judged on its own merit because of the way in which things are ‘written’ and documented. It’s about the law you see, and usually anything to do with the law means that some bright spark somewhere will find a loop hole or something that has not been clearly (enough) documented.
Let’s have a look at an example of this.
George and his fellow worker, have insisted on a minimum wage of R25.00 an hour. Mike is prepared to pay R8.00. Eventually, after much negotiation and name calling both parties agree that R10.00 per hour is a fair amount for the minimum wage, across the board. The union then decides, well they think it should be R11.00 – nothing prevents them from asking for more than what has already been agreed to. The Union now says that Mike is refusing to bargain and they proceed to put the procedures in place to start the strike process. In this particular instance, a clause needs to be inserted allowing for an increase to the minimum wage. This will negate the necessity for collective bargaining about wages increases at shop floor level.
As you can see however, it is in your own best interests (not to mention the drain on your financial resources) to get a really good Labour Attorney involved in any of these types of discussions/negotiations as failure to cross the obligatory ‘t’ or dot the ‘i’ could result in costing you a lot of money in the long run.
That all said, there are also some instances where employees can strike without following any kind of procedures.
If Mike were to change the working hours, or the age of retirement or the benefits that have been documented in the Letters and/or Contracts of Employment, without entering into any kind of negotiation with the employees, George and his fellow workers could go on strike and because the regulatory issues governed in Section 64(4), if Mike does not restore everything to the way it was, they would not have to follow any of the procedures that would normally have to be followed before submitting a notice of intention to strike.
Next week we will have a look at some tips on how to control a strike action.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
NETWORKING 101 - Grabbing Opportunities
THE POWER OF NETWORKING
PART 41
Grabbing Opportunities
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:
“Remember! Opportunities present themselves to be grabbed with both hands, or be relinquished forever.”
Whilst I do believe this, I also believe that the minute you ‘miss’ an opportunity, it becomes ‘open season’ on that opportunity for someone else. If you don’t take that opportunity, it will become someone else’s and then don’t cry!
In my opinion, one of the biggest tragedies facing the Small Business Owner (and the large one for that matter) is their failure to recognize an opportunity when it comes a knocking. You see some opportunities are around for a while and some are here for just a fleeting moment! You need to be constantly aware of what is going on around you.
Opportunities are, for me, in some way like people – sometimes the timing is also not quite right and you have to learn to ‘let go’ too. Not every opportunity that you seize with both hands is going to be the right one. That is why, not every deal that you think you might like to make always works out – some basic chemical is missing somewhere! Chasing an opportunity that is just ‘not right’ can also be costly and time consuming for little or no reward.
So you need firstly recognise that there is an opportunity and grab it, once you’ve grabbed it, you need to ascertain if it is the right opportunity for you and if it isn’t, you need to let it go, or pass it onto someone else.
Remember though, you cannot ‘let it go’, if you haven’t first grabbed hold of it, to understand what it is.
Happy Hunting!
For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
PART 41
Grabbing Opportunities
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:
“Remember! Opportunities present themselves to be grabbed with both hands, or be relinquished forever.”
Whilst I do believe this, I also believe that the minute you ‘miss’ an opportunity, it becomes ‘open season’ on that opportunity for someone else. If you don’t take that opportunity, it will become someone else’s and then don’t cry!
In my opinion, one of the biggest tragedies facing the Small Business Owner (and the large one for that matter) is their failure to recognize an opportunity when it comes a knocking. You see some opportunities are around for a while and some are here for just a fleeting moment! You need to be constantly aware of what is going on around you.
Opportunities are, for me, in some way like people – sometimes the timing is also not quite right and you have to learn to ‘let go’ too. Not every opportunity that you seize with both hands is going to be the right one. That is why, not every deal that you think you might like to make always works out – some basic chemical is missing somewhere! Chasing an opportunity that is just ‘not right’ can also be costly and time consuming for little or no reward.
So you need firstly recognise that there is an opportunity and grab it, once you’ve grabbed it, you need to ascertain if it is the right opportunity for you and if it isn’t, you need to let it go, or pass it onto someone else.
Remember though, you cannot ‘let it go’, if you haven’t first grabbed hold of it, to understand what it is.
Happy Hunting!
For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
BUSINESS TIPS - An Amazing Journey
BUSINESS TIPS – An Amazing Journey
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC October 2009
If you had told me years ago that this lifetime is made up of several journeys, I probably would have laughed you out of the ball park.
Thing is though, we do go on several journeys. Some of these journeys that we go on are personal and some are business or even work and/or professional. Some we take on our own and others we share with husbands, wives, lovers, children, friends, clients, colleagues and even business partners.
There are journeys that are long and arduous or lifetime journeys and others that are short term, perhaps for a specific period, for a specific project or customer or even a special friend. Each journey has its own starting place and its own ending place. Some you may even start alone and then pick up some passengers along the way. Some you may start with a whole bunch of people but end on your own.
Each journey is its own unique experience. Each experience may be similar but all are quite different. Some are pleasant and fun and some are just disgusting and we can’t wait for them to end.
Think about it for a moment – we would all like to think that we give all our customers great service and perhaps we do, but there is always a client that will get a little extra. A little extra care and attention, or a little extra effort or extra time that we don’t charge for.
Let’s face it, the way we treat our customers is not always dependent upon the quality of the journey that we are taking with them. Customers who always pay on time and who don’t give us a hard time, may actually not be the customers that we ‘give’ more to and we need to be seriously very careful about this because they should be the customers that we treat as VIP guests. Difficult customers who are yelling and shouting at us all the time, who are never satisfied and who we have to battle to get money out of, are traditionally the customers that we bend over backwards for and quite frankly that’s just not right! In fact those are the customers that we should be firing, not pandering to.
I know that after writing this article I am going to do some serious evaluations on my clients. Going forward, the customers that do what I tell them to, who pay on time and who give me very little hassle are going to be treated like the Kings and Queens that they surely are and those who give me as much grief as they are able, who don’t pay on time and who are just generally unpleasant to deal with are a) going to be charged an additional tax which I am going to call AST (Aggravation Surcharge Tax) and that is going to be dependant on how much hassle they give me and b) I am going to keep records of who pissed me off the most and give them points for bad behaviour, bad attitude and bad payments and c) I am going to set a limit on what I am prepared to put up with and when they reach their limit, I am going to fire their arses and get myself some more decent clients!
The journey that I want to take with my clients must be one of mutual respect. It must be an amazing journey where we both profit from each other. I can think of nothing worse than having to bend over backwards for clients who do not respect me, who do not respect what I do for them and who keep demanding more and more from me and at the same time they disrespect me, by not paying me on time or always wanting more and more of a discount.
Yip – that’s what I am going to do in future! Work with ‘like minded’ people. People who respect what I do, who respect me and who value what I do for them. What about you? What kind of journey do you want to travel and have with your clients?
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, April 28, 2014
Motivation - Failure
MOTIVATION – FAILURE
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
Today’s quote comes from Gita Bellin, who says “People may fail many times, but they become failures only when they begin to blame someone else. Experience is determined be yourself – not the circumstances of your life.”
This for me, is like a kick up the backside! How many times do we not only say the words, but we also hear them – “it wasn’t my fault! It was because . . . .”
Well clearly it was my fault!
You see, I set it up that way and until I take responsibility for my own actions, I will never be able to correct the situation and move forward.
Let me give you an example. I know a lady, let’s call her Jane who is happily married. She has been married to the same man for the last 20 plus years and has had 4 children by this man. She owns her own business and he works in the hospitality industry. Jane is a bit of a control freak – actually she is a hell of a control freak!
When her and her husband first got married (let’s call him John), she set down the ground rules. She would control the finances, the household and everything that went with that. John is a pretty easy going guy and hell if she wanted the responsibility who was he to deny her.
So every month John’s salary got paid into the joint account and Jane paid all the bills – no problem. Then the kids arrived, one by one. Jane managed the children, the household and the finances. Still no problem.
Then some time down the line the children became extremely difficult – school became a huge problem and both the household and Jane’s business began to suffer. The children were all diagnosed with ADD and they were also all dyslexic. Jane really started to take strain.
Instead of Jane asking John for help, she started to pick arguments and fights. She started to nag and complain about everything in general and nothing in particular. The fights extended to the bedroom, where she now started denying John sex as a sort of a punishment. John had no clue what was going on so he did what he always did when there was strife in the home – he went to work, double shifts and on some occasions even triple shifts!
Clearly this situation could not continue and Jane ended up having an epileptic fit.
Jane blamed John for her health, the state of their marriage, the ADD and dyslexia that the children had and I guess even the weather!
Was John to blame? I personally don’t think so. John was doing what he had always done and in my opinion the only thing that he could be blamed for was ‘not noticing’ what was going on around him and then doing something about it!
It was at this point that she and John actually sat down and had a discussion about how to save their marriage, how Jane had to regulate what she did and the amount of stress that she could cope with and John committed to helping out at home more.
Jane had set her life up the way she wanted it to run and when the wheels came off, instead of recognizing that it was exactly as she wanted it, she blamed every thing on everybody else. Jane felt she had failed because John had not “been there” for her or ‘helped’ her in any way.
The moment that she was able to understand that she was the one who was responsible for the mess and that she needed to ask for assistance instead of just moaning and groaning and picking fights, they were able to deal with the problem as a unit.
Don’t get me wrong, the problem has not gone away – the children still all have ADD and dyslexia, but now both Jane and John pick up the strain and deal with it together supporting each other and backing each other.
Jane now feels that she has more control over her own life and John feels like he is more involved with his wife, his children and his family.
It’s like that old saying “be careful what you wish for . . .” Getting what you wish for or how you set something up, carries a responsibility and with that comes accountability.
Part of that responsibility means having to ‘step up to the plate’! Understanding that you have made a mistake and taking ownership of the mistake and the problem and then doing something about it!
Own your mistake, learn from it, do something about it and then move on!
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
Today’s quote comes from Gita Bellin, who says “People may fail many times, but they become failures only when they begin to blame someone else. Experience is determined be yourself – not the circumstances of your life.”
This for me, is like a kick up the backside! How many times do we not only say the words, but we also hear them – “it wasn’t my fault! It was because . . . .”
Well clearly it was my fault!
You see, I set it up that way and until I take responsibility for my own actions, I will never be able to correct the situation and move forward.
Let me give you an example. I know a lady, let’s call her Jane who is happily married. She has been married to the same man for the last 20 plus years and has had 4 children by this man. She owns her own business and he works in the hospitality industry. Jane is a bit of a control freak – actually she is a hell of a control freak!
When her and her husband first got married (let’s call him John), she set down the ground rules. She would control the finances, the household and everything that went with that. John is a pretty easy going guy and hell if she wanted the responsibility who was he to deny her.
So every month John’s salary got paid into the joint account and Jane paid all the bills – no problem. Then the kids arrived, one by one. Jane managed the children, the household and the finances. Still no problem.
Then some time down the line the children became extremely difficult – school became a huge problem and both the household and Jane’s business began to suffer. The children were all diagnosed with ADD and they were also all dyslexic. Jane really started to take strain.
Instead of Jane asking John for help, she started to pick arguments and fights. She started to nag and complain about everything in general and nothing in particular. The fights extended to the bedroom, where she now started denying John sex as a sort of a punishment. John had no clue what was going on so he did what he always did when there was strife in the home – he went to work, double shifts and on some occasions even triple shifts!
Clearly this situation could not continue and Jane ended up having an epileptic fit.
Jane blamed John for her health, the state of their marriage, the ADD and dyslexia that the children had and I guess even the weather!
Was John to blame? I personally don’t think so. John was doing what he had always done and in my opinion the only thing that he could be blamed for was ‘not noticing’ what was going on around him and then doing something about it!
It was at this point that she and John actually sat down and had a discussion about how to save their marriage, how Jane had to regulate what she did and the amount of stress that she could cope with and John committed to helping out at home more.
Jane had set her life up the way she wanted it to run and when the wheels came off, instead of recognizing that it was exactly as she wanted it, she blamed every thing on everybody else. Jane felt she had failed because John had not “been there” for her or ‘helped’ her in any way.
The moment that she was able to understand that she was the one who was responsible for the mess and that she needed to ask for assistance instead of just moaning and groaning and picking fights, they were able to deal with the problem as a unit.
Don’t get me wrong, the problem has not gone away – the children still all have ADD and dyslexia, but now both Jane and John pick up the strain and deal with it together supporting each other and backing each other.
Jane now feels that she has more control over her own life and John feels like he is more involved with his wife, his children and his family.
It’s like that old saying “be careful what you wish for . . .” Getting what you wish for or how you set something up, carries a responsibility and with that comes accountability.
Part of that responsibility means having to ‘step up to the plate’! Understanding that you have made a mistake and taking ownership of the mistake and the problem and then doing something about it!
Own your mistake, learn from it, do something about it and then move on!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
BLOGGING 101 - The Content - Part 4
BLOGGING TIPS – The Content – Part 4
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC April 2010
We all look at newspaper headlines as we whizz all over town on our daily travels. Many of them make us angry, many more make us very curious. Some make us curious enough to even buy the newspaper to see what it’s all about. Sadly though, often the heading is misleading and sometimes the heading doesn’t even have anything to do with the actual story.
Now the bottom line is that I am not a journalist, I have no formal training in terms of writing, but logic tells me that the heading for any story should, not only reflect the gist of what the story is about, but also catch the eye of the person whose attention it is that you want to get. It has to make them stop in their tracks and want to read what you have written. It has to make them want to read more of the story and it has to make them want to join in the conversation and at least have an opinion.
What it also has to do though is uphold the promise of what is to follow. Having an absolutely “Knock Out” heading that is followed by nonsickle ramblings of a boring mind, will not serve your purpose! In fact, more often than not you will lose the reader – they may not come back and they will no longer be enticed by clever headlines and sweet promises of what is to come, that are then followed by stories that have no depth or substance.
Finally, always respond to the comments that others make, even if it is only to acknowledge their comment. Think about how you feel when you write something and no-one makes any kind of comment. They neither agree with you nor do they disagree and I guess in some ways that is not a bad thing. On some level though, it worries me that many people do not have an opinion at all. Sadly that is how many live their lives. So respond, acknowledge, engage with people who have taken the time and trouble to engage with you.
Pick your topics, do the research. Take the information that you have found, have fun with it – turn it into a story and share that story in your blog. Remember though, you have to take the first step!
See you next week, when we will look at some more issues around some of the content that should be on/in your blogs.
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, April 26, 2014
BLOGGING 101 - The Content - Part 3
BLOGGING TIPS – The Content – Part 3
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC April 2010
So by now, I am sure that you have gathered that as passionate as I am about my business, so am I passionate about blogging and when I blog, not only do I learn for myself, but I also share what I have learnt.
Most of us have heard the words that “knowledge is power” – I’d like to say that knowledge is exactly that – plain, unsophisticated, understated . . . well knowledge. The “Power” of the knowledge is in how we use it and what we do with that knowledge and by sharing that knowledge with others who will use it, we enable, not only ourselves but those around us too. How cool is that!
The sharing of knowledge shouldn’t just be a ‘here and now’ experience either – so make sure that you create an ‘archives’ which allow people to go back, time and time again, to refresh their memories about the issues that you have written about or to savor their favorite posts. It will also assist with reading articles (in one sitting), that have perhaps been broken up into parts that are easily readable.
Another idea, in order to assist with your archives is to break the content of the articles into sections, pretty much like I have for the blogs on my website. So each time I introduce a new topic (pretty much like I did when I introduced “blogging” as a topic), I add a new content section to my blog index.
Now, to get people interacting with you, it’s also necessary to tell people ‘about’ yourself. People like to hear stories, especially stories about where you come from and what it is that you have done in order to get to where you are. It makes them relate to you in a completely different way. Put a photo of yourself onto your blog – it gives people a sense of communicating directly with you.
Make sure that you have a section that gives people direct access to you. Have a contacts page with, at the very least, your e-mail address. If you are not comfortable about being contacted at all hours of the day and night by people who live on the other side of the planet, or who are in different time zones, don’t include your telephone number. Many people like to clarify issues or perhaps add to the discussion or even provide alternative information. So allow yourself to be accessible, even if it is only up to a point.
Be willing share, not only your thoughts and your information and knowledge, but also your blog too. Invite guests to ‘blog’ on your site. If your feel like you are giving up control, then choose the topic yourself and reserve the right to edit what they have written.
See you next week, when we will look at some more issues around some of the content that should be on/in your blogs.
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, April 25, 2014
HR 101 - What to do when . . . Your staff want to strike - Part 2
ARTICLE 16
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
So what we now know is when the staff cannot strike – let’s take a step backwards though and define exactly what a strike is:
Section 213 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) says “The partial or complete concerted refusal to work or the retardation or obstruction of work, by persons who are or have been employed by the same employer or by different employers, for the purpose of remedying a grievance or resolving a dispute in respect of any matter of mutual interest between an employer and an employee, and reference to ‘work’ in this definition includes overtime work, whether it is voluntary or compulsory.”
What does all of this actually mean?
This means that in order for it to be termed ‘a strike’ there have to be three definite components.
The first one of course has several parts to it and it revolves around the issue of work. It is but not limited to:
• “Refusal to work”. This means that any refusal to work, whether it is a ‘go slow’ or work relating to overtime or even if the employee refuses to ‘clock in/out’ and so on. So let’s take the example of George, who is in a production line at a factory. George’s job is to pack the finished product into tissue paper, place it back onto the conveyer belt and from there it goes to the next person who packs the wrapped product into a box. George abandons his station at the conveyer belt and refuses to wrap any of the product thereby refusing to perform any of his duties.
• “Partial refusal to work”. In this instance George stands at the conveyer belt and wraps only some of the product into the tissue paper and then also refuses to place the wrapped items onto the conveyer belt. In this instance he is only refusing to perform some of is duties but not all.
• “Retardation of work.” In this example, George continues to perform his duties but at a rate that is as slow as possible, without coming to a dead stop. This is commonly known as ‘a go slow’. George’s manager asks George to assist with the packing of the product into boxes, but George refuses as his contract does not specifically state that he must pack product into boxes. This is known as ‘work to rule.”
• “Obstruction of work”. In this instance George does not wrap the product at all but does put the unwrapped product onto the conveyor belt which means the product cannot be packed but must be removed from the packing area and taken back up to the point where it should be wrapped by George, before any packing of boxes can continue.
The second component in terms of a strike, is that a single employee cannot strike and it therefore has to be two or more employees that refuse to work before it can be considered a strike.
The final component in a strike is that there has to be purpose to the strike which is usually to resolve a dispute or to remedy a grievance. To resolve a dispute is usually around the issue of salary increases and/or benefits and a grievance is usually around issues of perceptions of unfair dismissal. In this instance George is dismissed for dishonesty in that some of the wrapped product ended up in his pockets or in his home without any of it being paid for. George is disciplined, found guilty of misconduct and dismissed and his colleagues feel that he has been dismissed unfairly and go on a strike in an effort to force management to give George his job back.
Please remember that a grievance of any nature can be and is anything that is between the employer and the employee whether there has been a collection bargaining process or not.
Next week we will look at protected and unprotected strikes.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
So what we now know is when the staff cannot strike – let’s take a step backwards though and define exactly what a strike is:
Section 213 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) says “The partial or complete concerted refusal to work or the retardation or obstruction of work, by persons who are or have been employed by the same employer or by different employers, for the purpose of remedying a grievance or resolving a dispute in respect of any matter of mutual interest between an employer and an employee, and reference to ‘work’ in this definition includes overtime work, whether it is voluntary or compulsory.”
What does all of this actually mean?
This means that in order for it to be termed ‘a strike’ there have to be three definite components.
The first one of course has several parts to it and it revolves around the issue of work. It is but not limited to:
• “Refusal to work”. This means that any refusal to work, whether it is a ‘go slow’ or work relating to overtime or even if the employee refuses to ‘clock in/out’ and so on. So let’s take the example of George, who is in a production line at a factory. George’s job is to pack the finished product into tissue paper, place it back onto the conveyer belt and from there it goes to the next person who packs the wrapped product into a box. George abandons his station at the conveyer belt and refuses to wrap any of the product thereby refusing to perform any of his duties.
• “Partial refusal to work”. In this instance George stands at the conveyer belt and wraps only some of the product into the tissue paper and then also refuses to place the wrapped items onto the conveyer belt. In this instance he is only refusing to perform some of is duties but not all.
• “Retardation of work.” In this example, George continues to perform his duties but at a rate that is as slow as possible, without coming to a dead stop. This is commonly known as ‘a go slow’. George’s manager asks George to assist with the packing of the product into boxes, but George refuses as his contract does not specifically state that he must pack product into boxes. This is known as ‘work to rule.”
• “Obstruction of work”. In this instance George does not wrap the product at all but does put the unwrapped product onto the conveyor belt which means the product cannot be packed but must be removed from the packing area and taken back up to the point where it should be wrapped by George, before any packing of boxes can continue.
The second component in terms of a strike, is that a single employee cannot strike and it therefore has to be two or more employees that refuse to work before it can be considered a strike.
The final component in a strike is that there has to be purpose to the strike which is usually to resolve a dispute or to remedy a grievance. To resolve a dispute is usually around the issue of salary increases and/or benefits and a grievance is usually around issues of perceptions of unfair dismissal. In this instance George is dismissed for dishonesty in that some of the wrapped product ended up in his pockets or in his home without any of it being paid for. George is disciplined, found guilty of misconduct and dismissed and his colleagues feel that he has been dismissed unfairly and go on a strike in an effort to force management to give George his job back.
Please remember that a grievance of any nature can be and is anything that is between the employer and the employee whether there has been a collection bargaining process or not.
Next week we will look at protected and unprotected strikes.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Thursday, April 24, 2014
HR 101 - What to do when . . . Your staff want to strike - Part 1
ARTICLE 16
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
How much do we actually know about when the employee can strike and when they can’t?
Let’s explore this situation together. Firstly let’s have a look at when employees can’t strike.
According to the Department of Labour and the Labour Relations Act (LRA), employees cannot strike if (but not limited to)
1. the employees have entered into an agreement that they have collectively entered into that then prevents them to strike because of the reason why they want to strike. Ok that sounds very confusing, let’s give an example. Let’s say that the workers and management have all agreed to an incentive bonus at the end of the year based on performance and turnover and profit. The first year that this is happening, the performance of the employees has not been great and this has resulted in the company not making targets because the turnover was not great and then because of huge theft in the warehouse, the profits are really bad. The union cannot now call for the company to present 13th cheques as a bonus. In this instance if the workers went on strike it would be deemed illegal.
2. the employees have entered into an agreement where any disputes have to be referred to arbitration. What does this mean, let’s have another example. The employees (and/or the Union) have signed a document stating that they will not strike and/or call for strike action until an issue (whatever that issue and/or disagreement may be) has been referred to arbitration. If the matter is still at a deadlock, with neither side being able to move, then under certain conditions (and they then have to list these), strike action may be called for. So the employer offers an increase of 8%, the employees decide that that is not good enough, they want an increase of 20%. Neither side backs down and the union now calls for strike action. In this instance if the workers went on strike it would be deemed illegal because they have not gone through the arbitration process.
3. ‘the issue in dispute is one that a party has the right to refer to arbitration or the Labour Court in terms of the Act.’ Again – what does this mean? Let’s assume that one of the employees was caught with his hands in the cookie jar so to speak. He has stolen large quantities of money and he has been disciplined and found guilty of misconduct and he has been dismissed. His fellow workers are really angry about his dismissal because they pretty much like the guy and well stealing from your employee is actually not a bad thing, so they go on strike demanding that he be re-instated. This would be considered an illegal strike as the dismissed employee has not (yet) gone to the CCMA for arbitration.
4. the employee works in what is considered an essential service or a maintenance service. So this would be people like nurses and/or the refuse removal guys and so on.
Next week let’s look at exactly what a strike is and when a strike can happen.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
How much do we actually know about when the employee can strike and when they can’t?
Let’s explore this situation together. Firstly let’s have a look at when employees can’t strike.
According to the Department of Labour and the Labour Relations Act (LRA), employees cannot strike if (but not limited to)
1. the employees have entered into an agreement that they have collectively entered into that then prevents them to strike because of the reason why they want to strike. Ok that sounds very confusing, let’s give an example. Let’s say that the workers and management have all agreed to an incentive bonus at the end of the year based on performance and turnover and profit. The first year that this is happening, the performance of the employees has not been great and this has resulted in the company not making targets because the turnover was not great and then because of huge theft in the warehouse, the profits are really bad. The union cannot now call for the company to present 13th cheques as a bonus. In this instance if the workers went on strike it would be deemed illegal.
2. the employees have entered into an agreement where any disputes have to be referred to arbitration. What does this mean, let’s have another example. The employees (and/or the Union) have signed a document stating that they will not strike and/or call for strike action until an issue (whatever that issue and/or disagreement may be) has been referred to arbitration. If the matter is still at a deadlock, with neither side being able to move, then under certain conditions (and they then have to list these), strike action may be called for. So the employer offers an increase of 8%, the employees decide that that is not good enough, they want an increase of 20%. Neither side backs down and the union now calls for strike action. In this instance if the workers went on strike it would be deemed illegal because they have not gone through the arbitration process.
3. ‘the issue in dispute is one that a party has the right to refer to arbitration or the Labour Court in terms of the Act.’ Again – what does this mean? Let’s assume that one of the employees was caught with his hands in the cookie jar so to speak. He has stolen large quantities of money and he has been disciplined and found guilty of misconduct and he has been dismissed. His fellow workers are really angry about his dismissal because they pretty much like the guy and well stealing from your employee is actually not a bad thing, so they go on strike demanding that he be re-instated. This would be considered an illegal strike as the dismissed employee has not (yet) gone to the CCMA for arbitration.
4. the employee works in what is considered an essential service or a maintenance service. So this would be people like nurses and/or the refuse removal guys and so on.
Next week let’s look at exactly what a strike is and when a strike can happen.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Networking 101 - Networking equals ACTION
THE POWER OF NETWORKING
PART 40
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
How many of us, in the past, have gone to networking events, where we have religiously handed out handfuls of business cards and received fistfuls of business cards in return? We’ve promised to contact the numerous people who have given us their cards, in order to ‘do something together’ and then when we have gotten home, the cards are dumped on the desk or very diligently filed in the rolodex and in some extreme cases even trashed?
So come on, be honest now – how many of us? I know that I am guilty of this – in the past! Not now, you can be sure of that, definitely not now.
You see I have come to realize the value of a business card! For me every business card is an opportunity! It doesn’t matter where you got that card, at the supermarket, in the pub, at a networking event – anywhere!
In my business, next to my IP, my database is my biggest asset and I treat it with respect. It houses my large collection of contacts (from business cards that I have collected) and with that comes my own ‘circle of influence’.
Here are the people (not just contacts – they are living breathing human beings who should be treated with respect), who add value to my business because here are the people that I will recommend in terms of the services that they provide and the widgets that they sell. They make me look good to potential clients.
These are also the people who refer work to me – now that deserves even more respect, don’t you think? These are the people who I interact with on a daily basis and who I choose to surround myself with.
Napoleon Hill in his book, Think and Grow Rich, says ‘Men take on the nature and the habits and the POWER OF THOUGHT of those with whom they associate in a spirit of sympathy and harmony.’
The people that I associate myself and who I choose to interact with on a daily basis are the very people whose names and contact details I have found on a business card. They are (hopefully) people who are ‘like minded’ to myself. They are people who are entrepreneurs and SMME’s and service providers, who are serious about doing business, who are hungry for new business, who want to grow their businesses and who are passionate about their businesses, themselves and what they do – these are the people that I want to be around, don’t you?
So when you get home, with your fistful of business cards, do something with them, contact those people – set up appointments with them, start building relationships with the people who you want to be in your ‘circle of influence’, your database and who will become your ‘value add’.
I hope this means that you are looking at the Business Card in your hand in a completely different light now – you are, aren’t you?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
PART 40
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
How many of us, in the past, have gone to networking events, where we have religiously handed out handfuls of business cards and received fistfuls of business cards in return? We’ve promised to contact the numerous people who have given us their cards, in order to ‘do something together’ and then when we have gotten home, the cards are dumped on the desk or very diligently filed in the rolodex and in some extreme cases even trashed?
So come on, be honest now – how many of us? I know that I am guilty of this – in the past! Not now, you can be sure of that, definitely not now.
You see I have come to realize the value of a business card! For me every business card is an opportunity! It doesn’t matter where you got that card, at the supermarket, in the pub, at a networking event – anywhere!
In my business, next to my IP, my database is my biggest asset and I treat it with respect. It houses my large collection of contacts (from business cards that I have collected) and with that comes my own ‘circle of influence’.
Here are the people (not just contacts – they are living breathing human beings who should be treated with respect), who add value to my business because here are the people that I will recommend in terms of the services that they provide and the widgets that they sell. They make me look good to potential clients.
These are also the people who refer work to me – now that deserves even more respect, don’t you think? These are the people who I interact with on a daily basis and who I choose to surround myself with.
Napoleon Hill in his book, Think and Grow Rich, says ‘Men take on the nature and the habits and the POWER OF THOUGHT of those with whom they associate in a spirit of sympathy and harmony.’
The people that I associate myself and who I choose to interact with on a daily basis are the very people whose names and contact details I have found on a business card. They are (hopefully) people who are ‘like minded’ to myself. They are people who are entrepreneurs and SMME’s and service providers, who are serious about doing business, who are hungry for new business, who want to grow their businesses and who are passionate about their businesses, themselves and what they do – these are the people that I want to be around, don’t you?
So when you get home, with your fistful of business cards, do something with them, contact those people – set up appointments with them, start building relationships with the people who you want to be in your ‘circle of influence’, your database and who will become your ‘value add’.
I hope this means that you are looking at the Business Card in your hand in a completely different light now – you are, aren’t you?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
BUSINESS TIPS - Company Operations Manual
BUSINESS TIPS – Company Operations Manual
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC – September 2011
Every company should have an Operations Manual. Okay, this is so important that I am going to have to say it again – irrespective of whether you have one employee, or one hundred employees or one hundred thousand employees – every company should have an Operations Manual.
An Operations Manual is the “how to” guide. It is a ‘living’ document that evidences and outlines every process in your business and it should have various sections (as outlined below). It should be checked and reviewed at the very least, annually to ensure that it is up to date and in line with legislation. Obviously, the size of the business will determine how big or long the manual is and obviously depending on the sector that the company is in, there may or may not be sections that are applicable. For example, if you are in a services type industry (say a financial advisor), you may not have any stock and therefore would not have any need for stock control. Remember always to try and keep it as simple as possible.
The sections that you may require are (but not limited to):-
1. Introduction
a. This should include a brief history of the company – how and why it was started and also the purpose of the manual.
b. The company’s business objectives and mission/vision statement should be included here.
c. A list of the products and/or services provided should be featured here.
2. Organogram
a. Once you get to 3 or 4 departments, this should be split into two. The first one should show just the departments and where they report into. For example HR should report into Operations, Accounts into the Financial Director and so on. The second organogram should include the names of the individuals who head up the departments as well as the name of the individuals that report into them – so in this case Jane Doe and Joe Public who are clerks in the accounts department report into Suzie Stressed out who is the Accounts Manager and she reports into Philip Pedantic who is the Financial Director and so on.
b. The function of each department should also be outlined as well as which department supports which activity and so on.
c. The job descriptions for each particular job (not person) should be filed here too. For example Jane may be the receptionist as well as a debtors clerk and the warehouse data capturer. This of course means that Jane should have 3 different job descriptions.
d. Don’t forget to include the details of the company, such as (but not limited to) address of branch offices and contact details for key personnel.
3. General Information
This section would be the general type information for the staff and would include things like, but not limited to:-
a. General attitude towards clients, suppliers, colleagues and management.
b. How to deal with customer/supplier/colleague/management queries, complaints or visitors
c. Housekeeping – such as personal hygiene and dress code
d. Do’s and don’ts. Examples of this is “do be at work 15 minutes before you are due to start working” or “don’t partake of illegal substances and/or alcohol whilst on duty” and so on.
4. HR and Administration thereof
This section is self explanatory and would deal with some of the below mentioned sub sections:
a. Hiring practices – who authorizes new employees, what are the job spec requirements, what the interview process is, what forms/templates need to be completed including SARS, Department of Labour, Workmen’s Compensation etc. Legislation registration requirements etc. Letters/contracts of employment to be issued etc.
b. When and how employees are paid, including full time or permanent employees and/or casual (one day) employees.
c. Frequency of salary reviews and/or bonus requirements as well as advancement opportunities.
d. Benefits paid by the company (if any), staff contributions and payroll deductions. These also need to be carefully explained so that the staff understand them properly.
e. Disciplinary policy and procedures, including letters of warning and/or notice to attend a disciplinary and/or letter of reprimand and don’t forget the Certificate of Service.
f. Hours of Operation including Annual Leave, Sick Leave, Family Responsibility Leave, Unpaid Leave, Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave and Study Leave – where applicable.
g. Attendance requirements as well as overtime and holidays and remuneration pertaining to these issues.
h. Labour Laws - Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Labour Relations Act and “Best Practices”
i. Any other policies and procedures such as (but not limited to) Smoking requirements, Sexual Harassment or Alcohol and Substance Abuse etc.,
5. Products and Services
This section is also self explanatory but should include:-
a. Your sales procedure and credit authorization requirements.
b. Customer relations and complaints process.
6. Operational Procedures
These should include a departmental flow chart and authorization process for each department and for each process. It would also include detailed ‘step-by-step’ procedures such as ‘once the sale has been completed and signed the order goes to administration where it is checked and data captured and then to the warehouse for the goods to be ‘picked and packed’ then the stock goes to dispatch where the stock is released to the driver and the invoice is produced and then…’ etc. A copy of each document and/or template used should be included with the procedure.
7. Administration
This should include the following (but not be limited to):-
a. Departmental administrative procedures and authorization requirements that would also indicate responsibility and accountability.
b. Templates for each requirement, for example Petty Cash Reconciliation.
c. Procedures on how to complete each template and the purpose of such document.
d. The document flowchart as well as due dates and deadlines.
8. Safety and Security
This would include (but not be limited to) safety issues around the premises, the personnel, company assets and information so issues around:-
a. Safety of the premises (in-house or outsourced), security cards/access cards etc. Access to safes and/or restricted areas
b. Safety of the staff, compliance with OHSA (Occupational Health & Safety Act), including safety gear etc.
c. Managing the importance of the safety of the employee as well as the company.
d. Protection of company assets and the requirements around that
e. Safety around company confidential information as well as client information etc.
f. Key and password control.
g. Incident reports
9. Emergencies
a. How to deal with accidents, staff, visitor and client accidents as well as company vehicle accidents.
b. What to do in case of fire or theft or hold ups or car jacking and all the telephone details that pertain to these.
c. What to do in case of power failure or burst water pipes, or gas leaks.
d. Incident reports
10. Maintenance & Repairs
Procurement policies pertaining to these service providers as well as their contact details.
a. Procedures pertaining to authorization of these service providers as well as authorization for the repair.
b. Authorization and control of after hour access to premises
c. Key controls
d. Refuse removal
e. Handling of equipment
f. Procedures around damage and/or loss to property and/or premises
g. Incident reports.
11. Legal
a. Legislation around local and national requirements and rules and regulations that are industry specific.
b. The ‘how to’ and ‘who with’ handling of regulatory agencies and/or municipalities.
c. Inspections that have taken place and the reports that were issued.
d. Record keeping requirements.
e. Maintaining of ethical standards
f. Green and carbon footprint issues.
Quite a lengthy but comprehensive list, I am sure that you will agree – but a very necessary one at the end of the day. This will evidence that you have a policy of full transparency and that you have nothing to hide.
Your employees will also have an understanding of what is and what isn’t acceptable and also know what the consequences of their actions will be.
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, April 21, 2014
MOTIVATION - Great Achievements
MOTIVATION – GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
Today’s quote comes from David J. Schwartz, who says :
"All great achievements require time."
I am pretty sure that we have all heard the saying ‘Stop. . . . . and smell the coffee’. For some of us though, and I am including myself here, time seems to run away!
It’s not that I am unproductive or that I squander my time, or even mismanage it – it’s just that there doesn’t seem to be enough of it ever! I sometimes get the feeling that I am literally running against time! There is always so much to do, so much that I still want to achieve, and never enough time in which to do it!
I am always impatient with people who waste my time, especially banks, post offices and the like. I am thoroughly irritated by people who meander through life, who seem to walk with no sense of purpose. I am frustrated by people who can’t see the big picture or the finer details, and yes – you do need to see them both!
I am frustrated by people, who don’t seem to know what they want, let alone how they are going to achieve it, and don’t get me started on people who profess to know what it is that they want but then when you chat to them it is clearly evident that they are actually quite clueless!
You see, although I can ‘talk the talk’, I am essentially a doer, so once I have had the talk and thought it through, I want to get going. Most of the time, I am frustrated by people, who still want to talk about it . . . for another 6 weeks (by which time the opportunity has moved on), or people who want to think about it for another 6 weeks (again the opportunity has moved on) or by people who are just plain undecided!
I agree that ‘great achievements take time’, but my biggest challenge is taking the first step towards realizing that achievement! If it is something that I can achieve myself, I am usually off to a flying start, however if I am doing something together with others . . . well, I think I have made my point already.
Make a decision and take the first step and for heaven’s sake just get going. Achievements take time, so I would still like to be around to benefit and enjoy the fruits of my labour as and when the achievement is realized.
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
Today’s quote comes from David J. Schwartz, who says :
"All great achievements require time."
I am pretty sure that we have all heard the saying ‘Stop. . . . . and smell the coffee’. For some of us though, and I am including myself here, time seems to run away!
It’s not that I am unproductive or that I squander my time, or even mismanage it – it’s just that there doesn’t seem to be enough of it ever! I sometimes get the feeling that I am literally running against time! There is always so much to do, so much that I still want to achieve, and never enough time in which to do it!
I am always impatient with people who waste my time, especially banks, post offices and the like. I am thoroughly irritated by people who meander through life, who seem to walk with no sense of purpose. I am frustrated by people who can’t see the big picture or the finer details, and yes – you do need to see them both!
I am frustrated by people, who don’t seem to know what they want, let alone how they are going to achieve it, and don’t get me started on people who profess to know what it is that they want but then when you chat to them it is clearly evident that they are actually quite clueless!
You see, although I can ‘talk the talk’, I am essentially a doer, so once I have had the talk and thought it through, I want to get going. Most of the time, I am frustrated by people, who still want to talk about it . . . for another 6 weeks (by which time the opportunity has moved on), or people who want to think about it for another 6 weeks (again the opportunity has moved on) or by people who are just plain undecided!
I agree that ‘great achievements take time’, but my biggest challenge is taking the first step towards realizing that achievement! If it is something that I can achieve myself, I am usually off to a flying start, however if I am doing something together with others . . . well, I think I have made my point already.
Make a decision and take the first step and for heaven’s sake just get going. Achievements take time, so I would still like to be around to benefit and enjoy the fruits of my labour as and when the achievement is realized.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Sunday, April 20, 2014
BLOGGING 101 - The Content - Part 2
BLOGGING TIPS – The Content – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC April 2010
Many of us are ‘visual’ beings – I know that I am because of the constant ‘videos’ that play themselves in my brain. Brighten your blogs up with pictures that are relevant to whatever it is that you are writing about. The visuals will add depth to your article and enrich your post.
It’s also a good idea to visit other blog sites. It will give you an opportunity to have a look at different styles of writing and different layouts. You will be able to see what works and what doesn’t and take what works together with your own style and make something uniquely different.
To get readers to ‘follow you’ make sure that it is easy for them to do so, either with an RSS feed application or at the very least set it up so that an automated e-mail is sent to them containing each post. If they don’t have to go and ‘look’ for it all the time, chances are that they will read your blogs more often.
Encourage your readers to leave a comment or engage in a discussion or even a debate. It makes people feel that they are all part of the process and part of a community and if it’s one thing that I have learnt watching the celebrity survivor, its that people need to ‘feel’ that they are a part of something.
Challenge people and get them to challenge themselves. When an article gets people thinking about who they are, what they are doing etc, they will return time and time again to see what there is that may be of interest. Get them thinking and talking.
Don’t forget to give due, where and when it is deserved. If you are quoting someone or using any part of their work, give them the appropriate credits. I know how I feel when I see that someone has used my pontifications and they have not credited me.
Don’t jump on the bandwagon, just to promote your own stuff. One of my personal pet hates is when people respond to one of my articles by plugging their own products. That’s just rude and they should start their own blogs if they feel that strongly about it.
See you 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
Saturday, April 19, 2014
BLOGGING 101 - The Content - Part 1
BLOGGING TIPS – The Content – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC April 2010
Over the next few weeks we will have a look at the type of content that you can blog with. I will use some of my clients (their names will be changed) to illustrate what kind of information can be used when blogging.
Now remember I am a bit of a technophobe, so some of the stuff that I tell you about, I don’t actually use – well because I don’t know how to . . . ! It is however, on the list of things to do, so once I find a few minutes to sit with my very patient IT gurus, it will be added to my own blogs to enrich them and therefore the output to my readers.
Whatever the business though, your blog needs to put you apart, so your content and the issues that you write about must create visions in the minds of the people that read them – no-one is going to read boring stuff, you have to capture the readers interest. For example on a Friday my blogs are HR related. I often take actual CCMA cases and turn them into stories of things that can and in fact do happen, not only to big Corporations but also to the one or two man businesses at the bottom of the ladder.
Now believe me, reading actual CCMA cases has got to be one of the most boring stuff ever to cross my desk and I can guarantee you that if I had to post it on the blog as I get it, no-one would be reading it and in fact many people would make the decision not to read any more of my blogs, going forward. What is great though is that the content of what transpired at the CCMA is what is important and I have the ability to turn that information, through putting it into a story with protagonists that we can all relate to, into something that makes sense and is easy to read. That is what makes it different and that is what makes it powerful and that is what makes the information readable and valuable to my readers – they can relate to the people in the story and in many instances they have been in similar circumstances and now they know exactly what to do. That is one of the things that makes my content stand out from the rest.
One of the other tools that I use all the time is simply, simplicity. I don’t use big words that have people rushing to dust off the dictionary. My posts are in simple to understand language that most people can read and process, irrespective of whether they have a basic education or the CEO of a large Corporation. I know that if I get frustrated when reading something because the language gets too technical or the author has become over indulgent with his/her use of language, the article usually gets put down in favour of something that is easier to read and understand.
Most of all, my articles are also usually written with my own special brand of humour. I know for a fact that most people don’t always ‘get’ my humour, but here’s the thing – I love to laugh at life! I have fun with it and the truth is that if I don’t have fun writing the article, then what am I doing it for? If I don’t have fun writing the article, then I will probably procrastinate to such an extent that the article will never get written – there goes my blog, my marketing and to some extent my Networking. So always remember the ‘why’ you are doing this and always, always, always have fun.
See you 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
Friday, April 18, 2014
HR - What to do when . . . You want to avoid clashes with employees
ARTICLE 15
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Want to Avoid Clashes with Employees
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
For me prevention is always much better than a cure.
Here are a few tips that will assist in ensuring that there are a few less ‘clashes’ between employees and employers.
• Make sure that the employees that are in charge of ‘procurement’ of any kind, do not have private relationships with your suppliers.
This means that you should not have a staff member in charge of purchasing all of the stationary for the Company, who is married to someone who owns a stationary store. This is clearly a conflict of interest and could result in illegal ‘kick backs’ and the earning of unearned commissions. It could also end up meaning that your Company is paying bigger fees for purchases than you should be.
• Make sure that your staff members have written permission to carry on with a business that is in competition to your own.
Now this is just common sense don’t you think? Staff members shouldn’t be doing anything on the side without your written consent. Make sure that whatever it is that they are going to be doing to earn extra cash, is not in competition with you and make sure that it is not going to interfere with their duties at the office.
• Employers cannot expect employees to perform illegal duties.
Be careful here. If you instruct the bookkeeper not to pay SARS for any reason, you are instructing said bookkeeper to break the law! Although the bookkeeper works for you and should be loyal to you and your company, you cannot expect the employee to break the law on your behalf. Make sure instructions that you give to your employee are within the boundaries of the law.
• Employers cannot expect employees to ignore their own legal rights in order to satisfy the interests of the employer.
Again, be fair – it’s your business and you can work as much ‘overtime’ as you like, but you cannot expect your employees to work excessive overtime. It’s not good for their well being and ultimately it’s not good for your Company. Overly tired employees make mistakes that could cost the Company dearly.
• An employee who is involved with a Trade Union’s first loyalty is to the Trade Union and not the employer, particularly where the law is protecting the employees rights and not the employers interests.
As much as this is a difficult one to swallow, it is the law! An employee, who is a Manager for example and who is also a member of the Trade Union, cannot be expected to inform on issues that were discussed in the Trade Union meetings. It is also illegal for the Employer to prevent someone in a managerial position to become a Union member. That said, Managers who are Union members can be disciplined in certain instances. For example if a manager was discovered, not disciplining his/her subordinates because they were fellow Union members, said manager could be disciplined themselves for not performing their own functions.
This is a very difficult one to constrict though, therefore if you have a situation where you feel that a Manager is not performing his/her duties because of Union issues, I would suggest that you contact an accredited Labour Attorney who will advise you on the case in question.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Want to Avoid Clashes with Employees
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
For me prevention is always much better than a cure.
Here are a few tips that will assist in ensuring that there are a few less ‘clashes’ between employees and employers.
• Make sure that the employees that are in charge of ‘procurement’ of any kind, do not have private relationships with your suppliers.
This means that you should not have a staff member in charge of purchasing all of the stationary for the Company, who is married to someone who owns a stationary store. This is clearly a conflict of interest and could result in illegal ‘kick backs’ and the earning of unearned commissions. It could also end up meaning that your Company is paying bigger fees for purchases than you should be.
• Make sure that your staff members have written permission to carry on with a business that is in competition to your own.
Now this is just common sense don’t you think? Staff members shouldn’t be doing anything on the side without your written consent. Make sure that whatever it is that they are going to be doing to earn extra cash, is not in competition with you and make sure that it is not going to interfere with their duties at the office.
• Employers cannot expect employees to perform illegal duties.
Be careful here. If you instruct the bookkeeper not to pay SARS for any reason, you are instructing said bookkeeper to break the law! Although the bookkeeper works for you and should be loyal to you and your company, you cannot expect the employee to break the law on your behalf. Make sure instructions that you give to your employee are within the boundaries of the law.
• Employers cannot expect employees to ignore their own legal rights in order to satisfy the interests of the employer.
Again, be fair – it’s your business and you can work as much ‘overtime’ as you like, but you cannot expect your employees to work excessive overtime. It’s not good for their well being and ultimately it’s not good for your Company. Overly tired employees make mistakes that could cost the Company dearly.
• An employee who is involved with a Trade Union’s first loyalty is to the Trade Union and not the employer, particularly where the law is protecting the employees rights and not the employers interests.
As much as this is a difficult one to swallow, it is the law! An employee, who is a Manager for example and who is also a member of the Trade Union, cannot be expected to inform on issues that were discussed in the Trade Union meetings. It is also illegal for the Employer to prevent someone in a managerial position to become a Union member. That said, Managers who are Union members can be disciplined in certain instances. For example if a manager was discovered, not disciplining his/her subordinates because they were fellow Union members, said manager could be disciplined themselves for not performing their own functions.
This is a very difficult one to constrict though, therefore if you have a situation where you feel that a Manager is not performing his/her duties because of Union issues, I would suggest that you contact an accredited Labour Attorney who will advise you on the case in question.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Thursday, April 17, 2014
HR 101 - What to do when . . . You're not sure about Workmen's Compensation - Part 4
ARTICLE 14
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Are Not Sure About Workmen’s Compensation? – Part 4
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
Well, here we are and it is crunch time. The registration is complete, the documents all sent in, the business assessed and it is all over – bar for the paying of course. Well you didn’t think that this was all going to happen for free, did you?
So here’s what happens next:
You pay within the required 30 days – no problem, except that you get to repeat the whole exercise all over again next year, but at least you can relax for a whole year.
You don’t have the money to pay: Well here, as in most aspects of life, there is a consequence or two or even several. This is what can, but is not limited to what will, happen:-
• The Commission may impose a fine on you (the employer)
• In the instance that an employee has an accident and the assessment has not been paid, the Commission may, in addition to the original fine, impose an additional fine that is equal to the payment that would have been payable to the employee.
If you (the employer) still do not pay the assessment and/or the subsequent fines, the Commission is entitled to take legal action against you by approaching the Magistrates Court in order obtain the monies due. The Magistrate has the power to impose an additional fine as well as a prison sentence not exceeding one year.
As you can see from the above, this is serious business. Therefore, if for whatever reason you cannot pay it all up front, it is in your best interests to obtain permission to pay the money off in installments.
Should you have any additional queries, it may be a good idea to contact the Commission directly and/or seek assistance from a Labour Attorney.
Next week we tackle a brand new subject.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Are Not Sure About Workmen’s Compensation? – Part 4
By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.
Well, here we are and it is crunch time. The registration is complete, the documents all sent in, the business assessed and it is all over – bar for the paying of course. Well you didn’t think that this was all going to happen for free, did you?
So here’s what happens next:
You pay within the required 30 days – no problem, except that you get to repeat the whole exercise all over again next year, but at least you can relax for a whole year.
You don’t have the money to pay: Well here, as in most aspects of life, there is a consequence or two or even several. This is what can, but is not limited to what will, happen:-
• The Commission may impose a fine on you (the employer)
• In the instance that an employee has an accident and the assessment has not been paid, the Commission may, in addition to the original fine, impose an additional fine that is equal to the payment that would have been payable to the employee.
If you (the employer) still do not pay the assessment and/or the subsequent fines, the Commission is entitled to take legal action against you by approaching the Magistrates Court in order obtain the monies due. The Magistrate has the power to impose an additional fine as well as a prison sentence not exceeding one year.
As you can see from the above, this is serious business. Therefore, if for whatever reason you cannot pay it all up front, it is in your best interests to obtain permission to pay the money off in installments.
Should you have any additional queries, it may be a good idea to contact the Commission directly and/or seek assistance from a Labour Attorney.
Next week we tackle a brand new subject.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
NETWORKING 101 - The Importance of Building Relationships
THE POWER OF NETWORKING
PART 39
The Importance of Building Relationships
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
I am pretty sure that we have all heard the saying “old school ties” or how about ‘the old boys club’? I know that as a young woman growing up, I was fascinated by this whole concept of the ‘old boys club’ and the power that was generated out of there. Little did I realize that one day I would have my own ‘old boys club’ but that mine wouldn’t just encompass the male species but the female one to.
For the male species though, networking and the ‘old boys club’ type of scenario is, I think to a large extent, almost instinctive.
I have a young God son, by the name of Bruce. Bruce is now almost 30 but in his early 20’s he was living and going to Wharton’s Business School in the States, but as usual I have jumped too far ahead – let me go back to the beginning.
Bruce went to junior school at “The Ridge”, which for those of you who don’t know is an exclusive private school here in Johannesburg. The children of the rich and famous attend this school (not that Bruce’s parents were either rich and/or famous but that is another story for another time). Bruce, being the likeable child that he was, quickly made friends and pretty soon there was a steady group of youngsters that went everywhere together and did everything together – poor mothers were run ragged as they took turns collecting and delivering a pack of children to the various activities that they engaged in. Bruce ‘chose’ his friends very wisely – many of them being the sons of prominent business men or powerful politicians and the like.
When it came time to choose a high school, funds were very tight and this would have limited the choice somewhat if it wasn’t for the fact that Bruce is exceptionally bright and he landed a full scholarship to Michaelhouse in the Drakensburg. Although many of his ‘chosen’ friends were also going to Michaelhouse, Bruce made sure that he did not lose contact with the friends that went to several of the other private schools around, and so he started his ‘old boys club’ type network!
At Michaelhouse, he excelled academically, as well as in several of the sports and other activities, managing along the way to get himself into the Choir, that toured Russia and Estonia as well as getting himself into the Debating Team, where he really excelled getting himself full colours, both provincially and then nationally. He also managed to get himself on an exchange type program and got to live in Canada for 3 months at an exclusive school there. Along the way he made friends, who he has always stayed in touch with.
Come time for his tertiary education, he requested and was given a full bursary to Wharton’s Business school in Philly – for those of you who don’t know this school – it was originally started by Abraham Lincoln and it is generally recognized as one of the best Business Schools in the world. Here too Bruce has been making friends with kids from all over the world. Kids who have extremely wealthy and well connected parents. He has still not lost touch with all of those that he met along the way.
Ok, so by now you are wondering why I am telling you all of this – I mean, why would you be interested in hearing me waffle on about my Godson Bruce?
So here’s the deal – Bruce is being invited to cocktail parties and homes and offices of some of the most influential people in the world. He is being invited to work, during the holidays, at places like The World Bank, the New York Stock Exchange and the like, by the father’s and mother’s of the kids that he has met and befriended. In view of the fact that he has chosen, and is extremely passionate about the world of finance, this doesn’t hurt at all!
You see Bruce, from the time that he was a littlie, somehow knew how important it is to develop relationships and network those relationships, in order to get them to work for him and his desires.
Today he is one of the most well connected young men that I know, and I know for sure that he is going places.
So what about you – what kind of network do you have and do you ‘work it’ on a regular basis?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
PART 39
The Importance of Building Relationships
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
I am pretty sure that we have all heard the saying “old school ties” or how about ‘the old boys club’? I know that as a young woman growing up, I was fascinated by this whole concept of the ‘old boys club’ and the power that was generated out of there. Little did I realize that one day I would have my own ‘old boys club’ but that mine wouldn’t just encompass the male species but the female one to.
For the male species though, networking and the ‘old boys club’ type of scenario is, I think to a large extent, almost instinctive.
I have a young God son, by the name of Bruce. Bruce is now almost 30 but in his early 20’s he was living and going to Wharton’s Business School in the States, but as usual I have jumped too far ahead – let me go back to the beginning.
Bruce went to junior school at “The Ridge”, which for those of you who don’t know is an exclusive private school here in Johannesburg. The children of the rich and famous attend this school (not that Bruce’s parents were either rich and/or famous but that is another story for another time). Bruce, being the likeable child that he was, quickly made friends and pretty soon there was a steady group of youngsters that went everywhere together and did everything together – poor mothers were run ragged as they took turns collecting and delivering a pack of children to the various activities that they engaged in. Bruce ‘chose’ his friends very wisely – many of them being the sons of prominent business men or powerful politicians and the like.
When it came time to choose a high school, funds were very tight and this would have limited the choice somewhat if it wasn’t for the fact that Bruce is exceptionally bright and he landed a full scholarship to Michaelhouse in the Drakensburg. Although many of his ‘chosen’ friends were also going to Michaelhouse, Bruce made sure that he did not lose contact with the friends that went to several of the other private schools around, and so he started his ‘old boys club’ type network!
At Michaelhouse, he excelled academically, as well as in several of the sports and other activities, managing along the way to get himself into the Choir, that toured Russia and Estonia as well as getting himself into the Debating Team, where he really excelled getting himself full colours, both provincially and then nationally. He also managed to get himself on an exchange type program and got to live in Canada for 3 months at an exclusive school there. Along the way he made friends, who he has always stayed in touch with.
Come time for his tertiary education, he requested and was given a full bursary to Wharton’s Business school in Philly – for those of you who don’t know this school – it was originally started by Abraham Lincoln and it is generally recognized as one of the best Business Schools in the world. Here too Bruce has been making friends with kids from all over the world. Kids who have extremely wealthy and well connected parents. He has still not lost touch with all of those that he met along the way.
Ok, so by now you are wondering why I am telling you all of this – I mean, why would you be interested in hearing me waffle on about my Godson Bruce?
So here’s the deal – Bruce is being invited to cocktail parties and homes and offices of some of the most influential people in the world. He is being invited to work, during the holidays, at places like The World Bank, the New York Stock Exchange and the like, by the father’s and mother’s of the kids that he has met and befriended. In view of the fact that he has chosen, and is extremely passionate about the world of finance, this doesn’t hurt at all!
You see Bruce, from the time that he was a littlie, somehow knew how important it is to develop relationships and network those relationships, in order to get them to work for him and his desires.
Today he is one of the most well connected young men that I know, and I know for sure that he is going places.
So what about you – what kind of network do you have and do you ‘work it’ on a regular basis?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
BUSINESS TIPS - Rising to the Occasion - Part 4
BUSINESS TIPS – Rising to the Occasion – Part 4
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC April 2010
Following on from last week, this week we will be looking at the last of the solutions that there are to assist us with dealing with some of the challenges that we came across over the last few weeks.
• If there is one thing that I have learnt on this journey of being an SMME (Small, Medium, Micro, Enterprise), it’s that I should never underestimate the value of friendship. Like any other relationship though, it is very necessary to cultivate, grow and nurture friendships. It’s really worth it in the long run though, especially in the workplace when you are faced with challenges – your friends will be there to assist you in finding solutions or assist you with analyzing the situation so that you can make the correct decisions. Remember, none of us are “an island”, we all need help from time to time and friends provide that help ‘on tap’.
• It is also imperative to ensure that you have enough energy to sustain yourself. Always try and keep ‘a little extra’ time, like you would savings in a bank, just in case there is an emergency or a crisis. Remember to take time out now and then to re-charge your own batteries. My friend Vanessa always laughs at me when I do this – I usually declare “a couch day” and then spend the day, horizontal on the couch, watching movies! I never fail to say that “it’s hard work having a rest”, which is what ultimately makes her laugh. That said, I do understand the importance of doing this from time to time, especially when I have pushed myself hard.
• Finally, don’t forget to choose new problems to deal with! I find dealing with the same problem over and over again tedious and boring – so learn from your mistakes, learn from each experience. Take note of the difficulties and learn to anticipate and be proactive instead of chasing your own tail around all the time. Try not to repeat mistakes. Make the changes, implement the policies and procedures and once the situation is under control or the problem has been solved – for goodness sake move on – don’t continue to ‘wallow’ in ‘what was’ – just make sure that you have learnt the lesson and only pay the ‘school fees’ once!
As always, remember why you started your own business in the first place and always have fun!
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, April 14, 2014
MOTIVATION - Happiness
MOTIVATION - HAPPINESS
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC
The quote today comes from C P Snow, who says:
"The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase: If you pursue
happiness you'll never find it."
So what is happiness? How do you, as an individual define happiness and what exactly does it mean in your life?
Well, for starters it’s firstly about the way that I feel about life, about who I am and what my purpose in life is. It’s about acceptance in terms of the things that I cannot change and the commitment (to no-one other than myself) to make a difference, not only in my life and the lives that my life touches, but also in the grand scheme of things and the big picture. It’s about looking at the glass as half full and not half empty and if the reality of the situation is that the glass is indeed half empty – of filling it up.
It’s about turning the ‘can’t do’ into a ‘can do’. It’s about finding simple solutions to what some people consider a huge insurmountable problem and then empowering them to implement the solution and thereby solve their own problem.
It’s about looking around me in absolute wonderment at all the beauty and the good things around me and thinking “Wow! I actually own all of this, through my sight!”
So whilst I agree that physically pursuing happiness is probably a waste of time, I believe that you can change your life style, your expectations and who you are as a person, in order to make it easier for happiness to find you!
And I believe, that happiness will indeed find you!
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
The quote today comes from C P Snow, who says:
"The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase: If you pursue
happiness you'll never find it."
So what is happiness? How do you, as an individual define happiness and what exactly does it mean in your life?
Well, for starters it’s firstly about the way that I feel about life, about who I am and what my purpose in life is. It’s about acceptance in terms of the things that I cannot change and the commitment (to no-one other than myself) to make a difference, not only in my life and the lives that my life touches, but also in the grand scheme of things and the big picture. It’s about looking at the glass as half full and not half empty and if the reality of the situation is that the glass is indeed half empty – of filling it up.
It’s about turning the ‘can’t do’ into a ‘can do’. It’s about finding simple solutions to what some people consider a huge insurmountable problem and then empowering them to implement the solution and thereby solve their own problem.
It’s about looking around me in absolute wonderment at all the beauty and the good things around me and thinking “Wow! I actually own all of this, through my sight!”
So whilst I agree that physically pursuing happiness is probably a waste of time, I believe that you can change your life style, your expectations and who you are as a person, in order to make it easier for happiness to find you!
And I believe, that happiness will indeed find you!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za
Sunday, April 13, 2014
BLOGGING 101 - Responding to Comments
BLOGGING TIPS – Responding to Comments
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC July 2011
Most of you who know me, know that I have an opinion about most things and I am not afraid to voice that opinion. It wasn’t always like that – there was a time when I just kept quiet, sucked it up and said nothing. Problem with that of course is that it does damage inside, to your being. So once I realized that and got over myself, I stated my opinion, not just to be difficult or give someone a hard time, but to get it out there – to make others think perhaps a little more and even sometimes (if I am perfectly honest) to see if I can get someone to change my mind.
That means of course, that I often leave comments on the blogs or articles that I read and I must say that I feel kind of deflated when I don’t get a response. I understand that we are all busy, that we all have 101 things that need to be done and usually they all need to be done yesterday – but that said, it’s kind of rude don’t you think? It’s like not saying ‘you’re welcome’ when someone says thank –you, or not saying ‘bless you’, when someone sneezes.
Think about it for a moment, by ‘enabling’ the comments section on your blog, you are actually inviting people to interact with you, to share their feelings/emotions/thoughts on what you have written and then what . . . nothing happens, it’s like having a one sided conversation and quite frankly, that for me is just boring.
For me, it would be the same thing as not answering questions about the topics that I train on or being ‘indifferent’ to others. We all know that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference and ignoring someone who has taken the time and trouble to comment on something that you have written, irrespective of whether it is good or bad - well that is just being indifferent in my book.
Being ignored, that’s just horrid and quite frankly, I often don’t go back to that particular author. Why should I? Blogging for me, is not only about getting my message across, it’s also about interaction and with interaction comes relationships and we could all do some more of those.
My blogs have opened my life up to the rest of the world and I now have people who I correspond with all over the world. From the USA to Russia – from Holland to the UK, Australia to Canada – I’m sure you get the picture. Do I get business from these people – well not directly, but I have learnt a great deal and I am exposed to more than my little world and yes, indirectly I have gotten business and even a mentor or two.
Responding to comments for me is a must, it’s a way to open up a dialogue, to interact and to grow as a person.
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
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