Jenny Handley Performance
Aug 17
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

HAPPY PEOPLE ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE WORKERS

A leader needs to be generous in their giving of time and expertise in order to develop an attitude of abundance in their team. I started my week with an early morning meeting with a colleague who is abundant in mentality. I realised that I left the meeting energised after our conversation around the value of developing good energy and working with people who give of their time, expertise and contacts, as it is in collaboration that you will both benefit tenfold. Attitude, like optimism, can be learnt. Set a good example and always focus on the positive, even when addressing the negative. Turn situations around when you can – it will become a good habit for you and your team. Happiness at work is not a treat, but a right. It has been proven that happy people are productive people … so why would a leader not do everything in their power to make their people happy at work? Encourage your team to counteract every negative story by telling a positive one. Teach them to look for the opportunity.  Leaders who prioritise happiness are leaders who see a difference in their workforce, and ultimately in overall results. High performance […]
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Aug 11
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

SUPPORT WOMEN BY ENCOURAGING FLEXIBILITY

Many employers acknowledge the fact that millennials like to take ownership, have flexibility and need to find meaning in their work. They like to operate like entrepreneurs. Encourage it. Foster an entrepreneurial spirit. Why? Because entrepreneurs don’t just say that they can do it – they actually do it. They like responsibility and control, and are not daunted by the prospect of risk. They have a certain kind of boldness and know the importance of having vision. They see challenges as an opportunity to prove themselves, and they often relish the chase of securing the business. They are largely confident, dedicated, hard-working people. Optimistic with an ability to take ownership, they are ultimately achievers. So why would you not want to hire this person for your team? If you can allow a certain level of autonomy and ensure that there is proper planning, structure and support, then to have an entrepreneur in a company environment (commonly termed an intrapraneur) can be a win-win all around. Leaders are sometimes intimidated by the thought of hiring someone of entrepreneurial spirit because they believe they will get up and go as soon as the opportunity arises for them to have their own business. […]
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Jul 28
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

TURN YOUR BRAND INTO A TALKING POINT

You know that your brand has become an established one when it is used as a verb. When I was growing up my mother never said she was going to vacuum the house, instead she said she was going to “Hoover” it. Now we say we are going to “Google”, not search the internet for information. I regularly travel to Johannesburg on business. Whilst I love the energy and pace of the city, I don’t really like having to drive an unfamiliar hired car around the streets, frantically following the sound of the GPS girl who insists on telling me what to do and then changes her mind! All trips have been stressful for this navigationally-challenged Capetonian, but, last week when moving with speed and simplicity from meeting to meeting with Uber, it was different. I contemplated how this topical brand has managed in such a short space of time to ensure that users don’t talk about taking a trip with Uber, they simply say “let’s Uber!” The brand has become a verb, an action word. The emphasis is on talkability. Instead of concentrating on traditional media advertising, they have ensured that people try the ride, and also at ensuring […]
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Jul 20
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

CRUCIAL FOR ANY TEAM LEADER TO SET THE TONE

If team members are expressing themselves in a time of crisis or uncertainty in a negative or aggressive fashion, the leader needs to be able to placate them and orchestrate a turnaround from one type of expression to another. In addition, it is imperative that the leader sets the tone for expression. It is not appropriate for people to express themselves in an unprofessional manner. Younger team members who have not worked in a business environment before may need some pointers, but, if not given adequate training in business expression and etiquette (communication), they will merely play follow the leader. Young, fearless recruits who like to be outspoken may need some parameters for expression. This may need to extend into dress, body language and other aspects of good communication. Whilst a leader never demands that their team should just accept the status quo, if he is happy for them to question it, he needs to show them how. Whilst intellectual imagination is to be encouraged, so is appropriateness. Leadership is not about exhibiting the loudest voice in the team; it is about encouraging others to find their voices. Create a platform for team members to express themselves – it may […]
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Jul 13
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

BUILDING A CULTURE THAT THRIVES ON SUCCESS

How often do we focus on what could go wrong, instead of what is going right? Too often. A leader needs to provide a platform that will allow his team to make mistakes, and to learn from them. They are valuable learning mechanisms if adequately recorded, analysed and learnt from. A level of calculated risk is essential in business – foster the enthusiasm and confidence that are necessary for this, and unequivocally support your team in their ventures. Encourage them to think and do differently. The culture of an organisation will define how the people cope with change, as the culture is often defined by the simple headline, “This is how we do it”. Give your team exposure to new challenges, a chance to knock their heads and learn the hard way. Don’t try to make things too easy. Never allow what can be termed protective parenting, making a situation easy short-term but not capacitating someone long term. Encourage a sense of independence in each individual, and collectively a feeling of inter-dependence. Also encourage re-invention, the potential to improve actions and elements of the workplace, even when they seem good. Let the aspiration be to become great rather than good. […]
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Jul 06
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

A TEAM MASTERED IN SERVICE EXCELLENCE EXCELS

There are many aspects of my work that I love, but some more than others. The favourite part of writing for me is the research, the reading and experiencing, before the joy of crafting words. Something else that excites me is good service, and I believe we need to raise the standards of service in our country. Whilst planning one of our current courses on brand and service excellence, I visited a few top class companies to compare their service and brand experiences. One is in a class of its own. Every interaction with their staff, from those who greeted me at the entrance, to those who merely walked past me, was positive and happy. Everyone smiled, making me feel really welcome. Dinner at Nobu, at the One&Only Hotel, the world-renowned Japanese restaurant, showcased culinary innovation and again, I experienced sterling service. Linda, my waitress, hails from Zimbabwe, so I was rather surprised that she could answer my every question about the menu and ingredients. I allowed her to guide me in making good choices. When I asked how she knew so much about the cuisine, her response did not surprise me. “We are trained within an inch of our […]
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Jun 29
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

TAKE BREAK TO STAY CREATIVE AND MOTIVATED

Innovation has been discussed as the number one challenge being faced by CEOs globally. If leaders do not provide the right environment, there will be no innovation. A company that cannot innovate has no future. Allowing staff to enjoy more right brain thinking, intrapreneurship and risk taking is one good start for encouraging innovation. Right brain thinking is essential in business. Explore whatever options of creativity are available to you. Try thinking back to when you were a child, uncluttered by negative thoughts, the worry of risk and responsibility. What unleashed your creative spirit, made you happy and feel free? Often the responsibility of work can negate all the happiness that you feel in your private life. If you are not happy at home it is unlikely that you will be happy at work. Can you remember what gave you joy? What gives you joy now? We have already acknowledged that creative isolation is essential. Encourage right brain thinking. Take a break, take a breather, call it a head holiday, label it what you like, but take it. Inspiration will only come to a mind when it has been quietened down. Reflection is a good way of reconnecting yourself. Take […]
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Jun 22
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

PEARLS OF WISDOM LIGHT UP A WONDERFUL LIFE

A remarkable man passed away this month. Remarkable comes in many shapes and sizes, and in business one expects that man to be large, to be in a leadership role and perhaps to have the trappings of success. In life, generally, the word remarkable should be used to describe an honourable man who lives with integrity, who is guided by his own inner moral compass and does the right thing when no-one is looking. By doing this he will automatically lead others. This man lived his life quietly and with dignity, a man of few words. When he spoke, others listened. He was my teacher and role model, a huge influence in my life and work, and especially in developing my love of words and writing. How lucky I was to have feedback after co-authoring my first book, Raise Your Game® – I got a full page of feedback with suggested spelling and grammar improvements, so when writing Raise Your Profile and Raise Your Leaders™ I roped this gentleman in as my proof-reader. With each chapter he started to get more involved and eventually I had to stop him and suggest that I continue writing my book, and that he […]
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Jun 08
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

VIBEY CONCEPT STORE SHOWCASES START-UPS

Whilst many school-leavers and graduates seek employment in the formal sector, there are as many who take the bull by the horns and become entrepreneurs. Some become entrepreneurs because they have great ideas that they yearn to develop and others from necessity as they are unable to find a job. Either way it is tough to start a business all on your own, and if you are not considering taking on a partner, remember that partnerships come in all shapes and sizes. The Threads Project at 349 Albert Road, Woodstock launched last week. I am inspired by how these entrepreneurs are supporting one another, and also the community. They are pooling resources, skills, experiences and connections. This concept store showcases and supports South African start-ups with 10% of the business taking place in a vibey, energetic warehouse, the balance online. Each store-within-the-store is mobile, meaning that regular shoppers will always find it interesting – one week you will arrive to find art at the door, the next week it may be clothing.  There is a boardroom and business hub to incubate and generate ideas. We know that good ideas become great ideas when fuelled by caffeine, so the Coffee Station […]
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Jun 01
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

TURN A MEETING INTO A PRODUCTIVE DYNAMO

Last week I gave a few tips on how aspirant leaders can prepare themselves for a leadership role in meetings. Great feedback, thanks, so now I will share some pointers on how to prepare and train your team for more productive meeting. Consider your usage of an agenda. It should be disseminated with a request for any other items to be added, instead of just winging it and including them under General on the day. It encourages people to read the minutes and make a note of anything that they wish to include under Matters Arising, or under a particular heading. The Agenda must be circulated well in advance so that there are no excuses for tardiness. When you send a meeting request clarify the venue plus a start and finish time. State who will be chairing the meeting and exactly what you wish the outcomes of the meeting to be. If you require specific information to be brought to the meeting, inform the relevant people. Illustrate that time is money. This is easier if you are selling a service, as employees then understand that each hour freed of meetings is more billable time. Efficiency equals productivity. Consider the difference […]
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