Jenny Handley Performance
Aug 29
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

HELP PEOPLE HAVE BEST BRAND EXPERIENCE

September is Tourism Month Many people consider game ranging as a career. They are often attracted by their love of wildlife and the outdoors, the opportunity of making a contribution to protecting flora and fauna, or often to avoid a boring nine-to-five job and being in an office. Having just returned from a wonderful trip to Sabi Sabi, I look at this career option quite differently. It is a calling, a vocation that requires immense passion. It is surely a privilege to be learning something new about nature every moment of the day, and to then be able to share it with people who have an interest in what Mother Nature has presented to us? There is a downside to every profession. In addition to obtaining a formal qualification, hours of exposure are needed in the form of an internship, before securing yourself a job. Only then do you know what is expected of you. Game rangers, and the rest of the team working in a lodge, get up really early to get ready for a game drive, hours before the guests are wiping the sleep out of their eyes to get onto the clean, prepared vehicle. Blankets are folded, […]
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Aug 22
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

HOW LEADERSHIP STYLES HAVE EVOLVED

Change is inevitable. It can cause chaos. This chaos can be seen in a positive light as a form of energy. Part of the pleasure of writing is interviewing people to gather information and for inspiration. When writing Raise Your Leaders™ I interrogated many leaders about how leadership is changing to meet the needs of the changing world. Here are some stimulating comments: There is less authoritarian leadership now and more questioning. It is more of a challenge. Respect is not given by authority, but earned through action. It is more inclusive and less hierarchical. There is more emphasis on developing greater relationships and not on what an organisation is doing, but how. It is less of a label and now a more consultative role that uses your attributes. Leadership is finding the right place for each person. A leader should seek and encourage those with potential whilst not ignoring those with lesser skills, instead rewarding them for their commitment, energy and passion. We need to breed leaders who are critical thinkers and holistic in their approach. Leadership of yesterday will not be entirely appropriate for leaders of tomorrow. Whilst the principles of leadership (values, integrity, empathy, flexibility) remain constant, […]
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Jun 27
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

REAL CHANGE IS MANAGED BY LEADERS

Technology has resulted in constant connectivity, mobility and changes in the way we communicate. The use of social media is just one example.  There are many other changes to the business landscape that have changed the way we work. The political landscape has evolved so that politics and the economy are more intertwined. Global financial crises and a resulting lack of trust in ethics, plus operating in recessionary times, have changed the way we do business. Globalisation and seeing emerging markets becoming dynamic markets. There are changes that affect each and every one of us more specifically. Expectations have been elevated in all spheres. People work 24/7 and customers and bosses want more bang for their buck. We almost seem never to be able to switch off. We are expected to exhibit more speed. Business has had to become more customer-centric to survive, and customers are more demanding. They also have platforms through social media for communicating their pleasure and displeasure, in real time. Employees want flexibility in work space and hours.  This has resulted in more cocooning and home offices evolving. This requires a higher level of responsibility and more emphasis on productivity than presence in an office. Good […]
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Jun 20
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

USING FACEBOOK TO BOOST BUSINESS

I often hear people in business saying proudly that they are not on Facebook. I understand many of the reasons why. However, if used in a professional and discretionary manner, it can boost business.  If you do not want to share your private life, then don’t, and if you still don’t want to use it, just make sure that you understand it, as it is a widely used communication platform. Facebook is a popular social network service and website that sees users creating their own personal profile or page, adding others as friends to exchange information messages and automatic notifications when they make changes. Users join groups that appeal to them. Many businesses use Facebook pages / groups to create their online community and to encourage a following. In order to create a Facebook page for your business you yourself need to have a Facebook profile, as this is how you will login in and maintain your page. Like any social media platform you will need to register and create your own account (if you don’t already have one) then either on the login page or at the bottom of your home page or profile page you will see various […]
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Jun 13
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

TWITTER CAN BE EFFECTIVE PART OF MARKETING PLAN

Warning – it can be addictive! TWITTER is simple, and if used effectively and in a discretionary fashion, can be a really effective part of an integrated personal marketing and brand positioning plan for the uninitiated. It is a social networking site through which users send and receive messages (tweets) that are text-based, up to 140 characters’ maximum. You can tweet on the website or on your phone. Most smart phones have got a Twitter application which gives you free instant access. With other phones and updating via SMS, even though Twitter is free, in some cases your service provider will still charge for the SMS. Originally Twitter received bad press as it was considered to be a mechanism for celebrities to allow their fans to follow the minutiae of their daily lives. Whilst you can do this (please don’t!), Twitter is a great tool for getting quick instant messages about your brand to a broad spectrum of people. Personally I use Twitter as a mechanism to direct people to my website, blog and other social media, because, as a woman of many words, I find it difficult to restrict myself to 140 characters. I do however; know the value […]
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Jun 06
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

SELL YOURSELF, SHARE YOUR VIEWS WITH A BLOG

Scared of being declared a dinosaur by those who work with me, I decided to first understand the value of social media, and to then embrace it. Whilst anyone can blog and there is no barrier to entry, if you conduct all blog activities in a professional manner, it can boost your business. It needs to have a plan, and needs to be integrated with any other communication, plus be authentic. A blog provides a platform for you to share your views and knowledge and to communicate with the public at large. For the uninitiated, it is a type of website or part of a website that can be maintained by an individual. Through this dialogue you may make good contacts and develop a more recognised profile. I regularly recommend this platform to leaders in establishing their own brand and in boosting the company brand.  If you write about your area of expertise, you could instantly or eventually become more influential in your industry. A blog can be thought of as a quick and easy online journal or diary and can be used to elevate your ranking in search engines. Consider how you could blog – should it be merely […]
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May 30
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

RIDING EFFECTIVELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA WAVE

One of the most vital roles of a leader is ensuring that the vision of the organisation is well communicated to their team, before the team can then transport the messaging into public space. It is important that a communication plan rests on three pillars: Identify objectives – what do you want to achieve with it? Define your target market. Key messages and content need to be designed. Make sure you have a say in it. With social media it is essential that you first understand social media, accept it and then draft a usage policy. You will also need to educate and train all staff. Drivers in the organisation have a driver’s licence with experience ie are trained. Those operating in social media should have a licence and be trained. Decide on which avenues are best e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook, blog, Twitter. Get one medium perfected, and then move onto another. Co-ordinate all messaging for consistency and integrate where possible. Integrate social media with all other communication e.g. traditional media. Ideally you would have a digital manager to champion the process and to oversee the online reputation management. They too would monitor and measure your social media activity. I have […]
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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
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

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
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

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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