Jenny Handley Performance
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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May 11
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

BECOME A LEADER BY PRACTISING TO BE ONE

So many leaders make or break their leadership status in meetings. The expectation is that a leader will demonstrate his role and skills appropriately, thereby harnessing the attention, energy and support of those present. I had a client who never read through the minutes of the last meeting, never bothered to action his responsibilities of the action plan, so would arrive (usually late) and insist that together we read through the minutes of the previous meeting. As we got to the items that he had not managed to work on, he would merely delegate, and often to someone who really was not well suited to manage that task or project. Preparing leaders for elevated positions is one of the many pleasures that I facilitate. Often at management level we find that an individual has never been trained in chairing meetings. If you are not yet a leader, then start to practise becoming one! Here are seven starter tips: Lead by example. You set the tone and pace of the meeting, so “own the room” and create an aura of authority by welcoming everyone as they seat themselves, and again formally at the start of the meeting. Sit at the head […]
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May 04
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

MANAGE YOUR E-MAIL MORE PRODUCTIVELY

People in a position of authority sometimes struggle even more than the rest of the team with an overwhelming inflow of email traffic. This is often just because people want you to know how busy they are. You can change that, and if you do, others will too. Manage your email traffic so that you set a good example.   Here is a 10 point plan for putting a productivity-based rather than an activity-based policy in place: Rather than allowing email to interrupt and distract you all day, consciously clear mails at the beginning and end of a day and once or twice during the day. Train your team, your clients and colleagues to do the same. With the use of current technology, many of us have developed the bad habit of anticipating instant responses all the time. Using your time in solid chunks to complete tasks is much better than jumping from email and social media to other tasks. So many leaders are culprits of doing a full day’s work (in many cases mostly meetings) and then addressing emails after hours. This will obviously happen in peak times, but do not let it become the norm. Perhaps this pattern […]
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Apr 28
by jennyhand in Cape Times – Career Times 0 comments

GUARD AGAINST HABITS TAKING UP WORK TIME

We live in a time of information overload and constant distractions. Instead of getting better, it actually seems to get worse. Every time-saving technological device requires learning and attention, so when asked, leaders often state that a shortage of time is the source of huge frustration.   Leaders so often encounter challenges regarding time management. While they may want to be accessible to their team all the time or a lot of the time, there needs to be a structure in place. The most important aspect of good time management is making sure that you are not cheating yourself out of what you really want to do, what makes you feel good about yourself and your life.   Start your time management plan by working out what wastes it. Plan how you will use your working hours, and try to stick to the plan. Break every task into bite-size chunks to be less likely to procrastinate. Plan your time realistically without putting yourself under extreme pressures. Don’t wait for tomorrow. Let me share my “p” plan for time management:   Preparation – get someone else to help you prepare. Procrastination – doing the pleasurable “instant gratification” things first often means […]
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