Jenny Handley Performance
May 23
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

PUT THE RIGHT TEAM IN PLACE AND ‘BRAND UP’

Always partner with professionals – ‘brand up’ rather than allowing yourself to work with those who accept mediocrity. After self-publishing three of my own books, and a few for others too, I decided to partner with a publisher for the fourth book, JHP Gourmet Guide™. This time I would be going back to my roots, having studied food and nutrition many, many years ago, and instead of managing all aspects of writing and producing a book, this time I would merely be responsible for my area of speciality which is words, brand and performance. Not just a book, this time it is a collection of other professionals who are as passionate about their craft as I am about mine. After arduous investigation, research and benchmarking of global restaurant ratings, it is time for SA to shine. This guide travels the reader, on their taste buds, around the beautiful country of ours, from fine dining to fabulous food. A team of professional gourmets graded the restaurants, impartially, and I had the pleasure of doing the last (announced) visit in order to meet the chef and interrogate him or her on their approach to seasonality, sustainability, longevity and their philosophy in the […]
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May 16
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YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR HAPPINESS

Every week I feel like I should add the hash tag “I love my job” to something I have to do in the line of work. A few weeks ago I was contacted by the managing director of a company who simply stated, “I want my team to be happy, can you help?” That request made me happy! Happiness comes from within, so it was my mandate to remind his team of what was good about their work, and what they could do about the aspects that they do not love. There are many things one can change, but sometimes circumstances cannot be changed, so the only thing you can do to make a difference, is to change the way you think about it. We met to consolidate a comprehensive brief, for me to understand who my delegates were to be, and what makes them tick! Ultimately I wanted to ensure that when my intervention was complete, that I had acted as a catalyst to make them think and do differently, and to become a cohesive team. There are always many differences in a team – male and female, fast and slow, drivers and passengers, introverts and extroverts.  I needed […]
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May 09
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DON’T BE A DINOSAUR, EXPLORE ‘NOW’ MEDIA

It is interesting to note that many established leaders are ignorant of the possibilities of using cyberspace in their communication strategies, whilst their followers are open-minded and active. The silent message from these leaders is that they don’t care that communication has changed or that they need to remain abreast of the changes.  We cannot lead or communicate as we have in the past, we need to “speak the language” that our followers want to hear. With careful and strategic planning, even just to understand and to use one mechanism of social media, could be enough to give the message of “I care, I’m nearly there, I’m coming with you” to your team. Don’t be a dinosaur – interact with your team on their communication platform. If you as an experienced leader do not feel you need to use cyberspace, please ensure that you at least understand it!   Social media has made the world one big global village dominated by the strength of relationships in a currency of caring, powered by word of mouth. Remember when one person would complain to one other? Those days are over, now you can tell the world. Social media cannot be called new […]
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Apr 25
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

‘USE YOUR TEAM AS HUMAN BILLBOARDS’

I love singing off the same hymn sheet as others in my industry. Regular readers know that I believe in synchronicity. I did, however, question it when I tried to make contact with a visiting professor from Berkley University, and we kept on missing one another. He returned home and every time we tried to Skype the internet misbehaved. We ended up playing telephone tennis and left numerous voicemail messages for one another! I was then thrilled to hear that he was returning to Cape Town, but imagine my disappointment when I realised that his dates were to coincide with my trip to the States! Finally we managed to chat and we realised that we were connected across the miles, by our leadership philosophy. Professor Mark Rittenberg specialises in leadership communication tuition at a university that believes you need to develop the mind and the heart of a leader. They have in excess of 60 hours of leadership training for every student in their faculty as they believe everyone deserves the opportunity for personal growth. Our conversation kept on coming back to the fact that we believe in the same fundamentals. He asks a few vital questions of leaders to […]
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Apr 11
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GUIDE TO BRUSH UP ON YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKING

For many people public speaking is a fate worse than death! For those who are brave enough to try it, they may like it, but only if well prepared. Knowing that it is not always the most talented or qualified or experienced individual who is successful, but those brave enough to market themselves, you need to consider whether the skill of public speaking would enhance your career. If you have been asked to present a speech, make sure you spend the recommended 10 times the length of the speech in the preparation. Plan it as you would any proposal or strategy. Tell your audience what you will be telling them. Have a strong headline, by-line (explanation) and closing line. Tell a story, personalise it by adding life and making it your own. Here are some tips for planning your speech: Check that it carries the same thread from the start to the finish. It is fun to start with a story or theme, and then to string your audience along to the end for the punch-line. They can play join the dots along the way. Use mind maps to plan your speech and then put these key words onto cue […]
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Apr 04
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

VITAL FOR LEADERS TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR TEAMS

Everyone in a team wants to communicate with the captain. For a leader to interact with vast numbers of people in a personal way is challenging, but not impossible. Consider video interaction, intranet, or personal handwritten notes – not just email and telephone messages. Include these in your annual communication plan. Get the message out – everything from budgets, awards, birthdays, special occasions, festivals and religious holidays. Ring the changes so that people get an email on their birthday this year and a message on the welcome board at reception the following year. Make it an integral part of your internal communication strategy. It is invaluable for the leader to go to his team at their work stations to show interest and to have meaningful, personal interaction. It is also termed “leading from the floor”, which is sometimes more appropriate for a production environment than an office. Getting to know your team where they work is vital. Engaging with them in a meaningful way is too. It is often a good idea to host relaxed, informal talk time over coffee. Again, off-site meetings may also provide a more casual, comfortable environment in which to get to know your team.   […]
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Mar 14
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT IN MUSIC AND WORK

Every orchestra has a conductor, someone who, with a gentle wave of a baton, leads the group of musicians, indicating when they should play their instrument, and at what volume and beat. By simply turning, facing the audience and bowing, they even indicate to the audience that they should be applauding! My knowledge of music may be minimal, but my admiration of an orchestra is enormous. How incredible for one group to apparently so seamlessly play together in unison. It does not happen overnight. They will have practised for many hours, individually and as a team. It is exactly the same in the workplace. You need to practise your instrument quietly on your own, and then when you are good enough, you get the opportunity to play in a group. Some will play brass instruments, others string. We are all so unique with varying talents, but together we make a team. To be able to appreciate the differences in a team is not always so easy. If we all played the same instrument, life would be boring. It is the differences in the team that make it competitive. Think carefully about your own distinctive signature tune: What is your competitive […]
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Mar 11
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GOING FOR GOLD – enjoy Last Nights of the Proms

Written by: Terri Dunbar-Curran
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Mar 07
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CHANGE OF MINDSET DETERMINES ALTITUDE

During summer I have sought solace at the beach. I have been alarmed to note how many people ignore disabled or no parking signs, how they park on a yellow line or over someone’s private driveway, or can sit on the beach with their dogs right under the ‘no dogs’ signs. Is it a need for special attention, or merely a bad attitude? Interesting to note in countries where petty crime has been well managed and almost eradicated, that the statistics show that ultimately major crime decreases too. As the seasons change, I start thinking – surely it must be in the change of mindset, or attitude?  ‘Attitude determines altitude’ is a wonderful saying. If you have a good attitude it will be noticed, responded to and in many instances, rewarded. Expecting special attention or thinking that you are exempt from rules and regulations is never going to help you on your career path or in life. It is hard when starting a new job in a junior position, doing a job shadow or when interning, that you may get no attention at all! Cultivate a positive, ‘can-do’ attitude before you try to develop your aptitude. People are hired for […]
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Feb 29
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

COMMUNICATION VITAL FOR POSITIVE WORKPLACE

Communication should be an inside out approach, getting communication in the organisation to optimum levels before managing external communication. So much information in the workplace is shared informally (at the coffee station, in the lift and at the smoking spot) that is often inaccurate. If efficient formal structures were in place and communication from the leader was timeous and transparent, rumours and insecurity would be decreased. Every audit we have ever done in a company before instituting a performance management model has exposed inefficient communication being a major cause of negative issues. Sometimes small changes like starting a conversation by using someone’s name or using “we” more than “I” can improve your personal communication style. The most powerful act of communication can be silence – saying absolutely nothing at all, nodding your head, putting your hand on a colleague’s arm or merely smiling. Allowing for a pause allows for someone to understand and process what you are saying, and as we all process at different speeds, it is vital to allow for the pause. What can you do to become a better communicator? Negate noise pollution and enjoy the opportunity of listening to your inner voice, your intuition. It is […]
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