Jenny Handley Performance
Oct 19
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

A GREAT TEAM THE KEY TO SUCCESS FOR LEADERS

The best way to start leading your team is to ask what your team members want. Let’s look at where we are now and where we need to be. What worked a decade ago will not necessarily work now. Leadership is no longer leading a team the way you want to, but instead leading a team in the manner they need, responding to their needs to prepare them for the future. A team’s strength is the collective strength of people and their assets. The best team is able to focus on results, debate successfully, prioritise what is good for the organisation, show commitment, achieve balance and celebrate diversity. Everyone wants to join a winning team. For you as a leader to have broad impact you need to create a network of strong leaders that can grow on their own. If leadership is the process of organising a group of people to achieve a common goal, then how does one get them to achieve the desired outcomes? Leaders can be considered to have succeeded when they have made a contribution to the effectiveness and cohesion of a team. The proof of a good leader is a team displaying peak performance. A […]
Read More
Oct 12
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

PAY IT FORWARD: VOLUNTEER, REAP THE REWARDS

In my career I have seen so often the value of volunteering, or working for free. The rewards are enormous, often greater than your investment of time and effort. We had the privilege of working with many volunteers to open the Butterfly Box, a pop-up retail charity shop that sells high quality and designer fashion, mostly new but some previously loved. It will change the way the public perceive charity shops, situated at Threads in Albert Road, Woodstock. It was the really busy people who found time to help sourcing stock, collecting fashion from retailers and designers, price and merchandise the items. Helpers came from far and wide, and many of them united into the team because they shared a common purpose, they believe in the ethos and work of Hospice and palliative care. It made sense for use to approach people who had experience of retail and fashion, and they have been most supportive. If you are starting your career, returning to work after a gap year or sabbatical or even maternity leave, how do you make a start? Consider giving your time for free. You will be rewarded with increased self-esteem, a sense of purpose, you will meet […]
Read More
Oct 05
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

REAPING THE BENEFITS OF INFORMAL LEARNING

Last week I wrote about the value of formal learning, but equally important is ongoing, informal learning.  Since guest presenting at the UCT Graduate School of Business a few years ago, I decided that every year I try to learn a new skill and by doing so, expose myself to other hungry minds. If it slots into my motto of “write, speak, travel”, even better! I decided it was time to master a new language, having read that it is excellent for overall brain fitness. Conversational Italian would ensure that I could understand the instruction during a future hands-on cooking and gourmet holiday in Tuscany. This time, instead of choosing formal classes I found a friend who was also keen, and through another, discovered an Italian instructor. The classes were stimulating, fun and even hilarious. Practising over cappuccinos and meals in Italian restaurants and planning the holiday provides added inspiration and is good for networking. La dolce vita! TED.com is a global community, a free platform on which knowledge and inspiration are shared in video format. It started as a non-profit organisation in 1984, initially a conference that amalgamated great minds in technology, entertainment and design. It is updated regularly […]
Read More
Sep 21
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

INVESTING IN STAFF WELLNESS CAN WORK WONDERS

There is proof that people who are engaged in their work, loving what they do and manage to keep a work-life balance, maintain better health. So how does one start to stay healthy in the workplace, and to ensure that your team does too?   A work environment that encourages well-being sees team members enjoying better physical health. Offering access to a gym, lunch-time team walks, fresh air, good nutrition and team-building that includes sport, is advisable. Better physical health translates into more energy and a positive mindset. What also provides a sense of well-being is when people are working with their strengths and feeling confident and “in the zone”. In addition if their competence equates to their challenges, there is a sense of homeostasis. Employees, who feel that they matter, make more of a contribution. That too provides an overall sense of well-being. If the organisation is large enough to warrant it, a facility like an on-site crèche could contribute to overall well-being, contentment and freedom.   It is in the interests of the leader to have staff who do not take sick leave unnecessarily. Absenteeism is counter-productive and costs the organisation. So does “presenteeism” (being at work whilst […]
Read More
Sep 14
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments tags: Liz Biden; The Royal Portfolio; Royal Malewane;

SETTING THE STAGE FOR GUESTS TO ENJOY THE FUN

September celebrates Heritage Day and it is Tourism month, so let’s gather inspiration from a tourism icon in our town, Liz Biden. She is the owner and founder of The Royal Portfolio, a collection of luxury hotels in iconic destinations across South Africa which began in 1999 with the opening of Royal Malewane. Liz started her career as a teacher, ran a medical debt-collecting business when her children were young, and ran a fashion retail business before turning their holiday home into a guest lodge. She then converted two more holiday homes into exclusive hotels, and is currently planning to open their fourth property at the end of 2016. This family business sees Liz setting the stage for guests to have a perfect experience (as she says, all the fun stuff!) and her husband and son running the financial side of the business. Liz had no formal training in hospitality, but always loved travelling, and over the years developed an instinct and eye for attention to detail whilst working in the field of fashion retail.  I was keen to find out which is her favourite property – bush, beach or winelands. Liz loves them like she loves her children – […]
Read More
Sep 07
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

DECLUTTER LIFE WITH A GOOD OLD SPRING CLEAN

As the mornings get lighter and the days longer I know it is time for a good spring clean. A great place to start is in your head, deciding what negative thoughts can be eradicated, and how you can replace them with positive thoughts. Inspiration comes to a quiet mind, so preferably take some time out of the office and gather your thoughts. Next step is to update your brand plan for Spring, acknowledge what is going well and what you can improve. What do you need to do more of and what is wasting your time? Create a timetable for the rest of this year to ensure that you get the most out of it. Put work and play into it in healthy proportions. A quarterly personal performance appraisal pays dividends. We are often quite hard on ourselves and feed off criticism instead of praise, so make a concerted effort to record compliments and positive feedback. Create some physical changes too: De-clutter your office, starting with your desk. Often we walk past cluttered areas and do not notice them. Work with a colleague – make recommendations for their work station and allow them to do the same for you. […]
Read More
Aug 24
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

FOOD FOR THOUGHT WHEN CHOOSING A CAREER

I get really excited by young talent, and by good food, so was heartened to see that the future of food is in good hands when attending the third annual Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge awards celebration. This national platform for aspirant chefs and sommeliers in 25 hotels gives them the opportunity to be mentored, and to then compete for some fabulous prizes. More importantly, they get the opportunity to learn from others and forge their own foundation in an industry that applauds talent and hard work. Culinary tourism is part of our future, and it is wonderful to see that much of the growth is in areas like Gugulethu and Soweto. Visitors to our beautiful country like to see the origin of our local food, and to meet those who are creating and developing African cuisine. . It seemed fitting that the winner in Woman’s Month was a woman. Traditionally there has been a perception that most top chefs are male, so it was to huge applause that winning candidate chef, Charmainne Deacon, of Cape Grace, will enjoy a brilliant opportunity of a three-week working visit to the stunning Shangri-La Hotel, a lush oasis in the heart of Dubai. Also […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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. […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
Tweets


Recent Posts