for administrative & office professionals
Volume 25 Issue 4
Say goodbye to the elephant in your office!
Y “M ou ana can geup ”
Survive stress in the workplace
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PLUS Meet Boss of the Year® 2012
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Contributors to this Edition
Editorial Director Ana-Maria Valente anamaria@dictum.co.za Publication Co-ordinator Queenie Masiza-Sangweni queenie@dictum.co.za Admin/Advertising Director Ornella Trinco ornella@dictum.co.za Advertising/Marketing Marlene Bilewitz & Associates careersuccess@dictum.co.za Head: Finance & HR Guida Morais finance@dictum.co.za Subscriptions & Client Liaison Thandi Mtshali subs@dictum.co.za Graphic Design Iviwe Masiza Dictum Design and Digital design@dictum.co.za Printing United Litho, Bert Groenewald, Tel: (011) 402 0571
The Company CareerSuccess is published by Dictum Publishers (Pty) Ltd Gauteng, South Africa Tel: (011) 616 7401
linda finkle of Incedo Group is a US based highly soughtafter workshop leader, facilitator and speaker; she has been a business and partnership coach for over 10 years. Linda is a Master Certified Coach (certified by the International Coach Federation) and a certified graduate of Coach U. She also has a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University. She can be contacted on info@incedogroup.com Shurnell Andersson is an Empowerment Coach, Learning & Development Consultant. For more information contact Marie Grey & Associates on mgrey@global.co.za
Anel martin currently works in the office of Managing Executive for HR Business Partners at Telkom and she is the PA of the Year 2011/12 and was a finalist in the National Office Professional of the Year 2009/10. Anel is CAP-OM certified and has a Business Management Diploma. She is the Head of the Academy of Excellence Committee of PAFSA and a member of OPSA and the IAAP. Cathy harris is an accomplished International Secretarial Professional who has facilitated training initiatives and provided Secretaries and Office Professionals with mentoring, training and inspiration for over 12 years, both in South Africa and overseas. She is also the Executive Assistant to the Deputy CEO of Discovery Life and Invest and has been with Discovery for over 10 years in an executive assistant role. ColleEn Mansoor is the President of the FriendsCup. She holds the position of Marketing Assistant/PA/ Office Manager for PSG Asset Management Life, Illovo. Contact her on colleen.mansoor@psgam.co.za
Fax: (011) 616 3244 E-mail: careersuccess@dictum.co.za www.dictum.co.za Opinions expressed in any article do not necessarily reflect on the publishers. All submissions to CareerSuccess are subject to editorial change to suit the style of the magazine. The right of reproduction of any article or other matter published in CareerSuccess is expressly reserved.Š CareerSuccess is the official publication of PAFSA.
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Feroza Sader is an Office Admin Manager at Coffey Mining SA, a global specialist consultancy company providing a wide range of technical services to all sectors of the international mining industry. She was one of the finalists of the South African National Office Professional of the Year in 2010. She has facilitated a number of Admin and HR courses across the country. Contact her on feroza_sader@coffey.com
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ED's MEMO The future is exciting and AWESOME! When you read this edition of CareerSuccess 2012 will be easing into 2013. Some people believe however, that the world as we know is doomed to end on 21 December 2012 according to the Maya calendar. (The Maya calendar is a system of calendars used in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and in many modern communities in highland Guatemala and in Mexico.) The apocalyptic view (i.e. end of the world or of human civilization) of December 2012 has spread in various media and has been followed by many hoax pages on the Internet, particularly on YouTube. Rest assured though - Astronomers and other scientists have rejected this doomsday prophecy! Another interpretation of the Maya calendar 21 December 2012, is by followers of New Age who say that the date means the end of life ‘as we know it to be’ i.e. it marks the start of time in which earth and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation, and 2012 may signal the beginning of a new era. Futurists, on the other hand, also speak about a new world! And how we should prepare for it – but it has nothing to do with Maya calendar or any of it's interpretations! It has to do with how technological and societal developments are creating new human needs, new work spaces, new product processes, new ways to capture customers attention and retention… See the seven key trends in this issue on page 4. Ana-Maria
We would do better to concentrate on these predicted trends and gear our workplaces, and ourselves, for the future – lest it catches us by surprise. So 2013 may enter our lives with gusto – and catch us breathless with courage and excitement!
CONTENTS Features 6
Key Feature: Time to say goodbye to the elephant
10 Special Feature: Managing up… an overlooked factor in career success 28 Personal Development: Attitude is the way you look at things 31 Career Matters: Controling the chaos! keeping your boss on schedule
Interview 16 BOTY Interview: Kobus Lindeque
22 Academy of Excellence: Cathy Harris
Special events 12 Boss of the Year ® 2012: Titlebearer announced 14 Review: Bosses Day lunch
REGULARS 3
Ed's Memo: The future is exciting and awesome!
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News, Views and Reviews: 2013 events calendar for all offices throughout South Africa
20 Eyes on The World: Stress in the workplace, the PA sur vival guide 24 Q&A: How to manage the inbox! 27 FriendsCup: Rounding up the year! 32 Brain Fun: Test your wits issue
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News, Views And Reviews
publication Seven future trends Futurist, Thomas Frey spoke to SmartCompany recently and outlined seven trends he feels are shaping the world right now. This is a must-read for you and the boss.
Frey’s seven trends are: • Project-based working Frey says that we're becoming a much more project based society - and he predicts the average 30-year-old, in just 10 years time, will have worked on between 200-300 different projects. Rather than hiring a full time employee, it is now much easier for businesses to bring people in for a two-week project or a two-month project.
they will essentially place projects over the corporate walls into the colony.
• The rise of software programming Frey indicates that programming, coding and apps will be the areas of growth in the future. Big and small organisations as well as government will be rewriting old codes and processes.
Project-based working fits in with today’s younger workforce as well as with trends in the business world. “As the overhead costs of each employee continue to go up businesses are looking to circumvent the traditional hiring process, and so this idea of bringing people on in a project basis tends to mesh very well with that,” he says.
• Business colonies Frey predicts business colonies will work how the movie industry has worked for years. When the movie industry starts a new movie project, it will bring on writers, directors, actors and crew who people come together for the project - and once that project is over they move on to another project. Frey says business colonies will operate similarly. Outside of the corporate walls, large corporations will staff the colonies with one or two project managers and then
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the car to drive itself under 25 miles an hour, roughly 35 kilometres per hour in the city. Google has also been working on driverless cars and has driven a fleet of seven driverless cars over 450,000 kilometres around the country. He also predicts automation will extend to things like robotic vacuum cleaners, robotic lawn mowers and robotic mass transit.
• Retail experiences He predicts a lot of retail stores will disappear and be replaced by different forms of retail that involve experiences.
• 3-d printing In the future, Frey says 3D printing is going to be used in “just about everything”. On the drawing board at the moment is printing clothing with 3D printers, and next will be shoes: you’ll be able to scan in your feet and print out shoes that perfectly conform to all the nuances of your feet shape. In terms of biomedicine, it is already possible to print replacement skins: if somebody gets really burned you can print new skin they can heal much quicker that way (e.g in SA we had Pippie Kruger case).
• Driverless cars Mercedes is rumoured to have a model out next year that has a driverless feature; if someone hits a button it will enable
• Teacherless education “We’re figuring out more and more ways to transport education around the world without requiring students to be in a particular room at a particular time to listen to an instructor,” says Frey. We're really interested in teacherless education because we want to educate young people in remote areas or regions at war where teachers don’t want to go to. Thomas Frey is one of over 40 innovators, thinkers and business leaders who presented at Ci2012 - the Creative Innovation 2012 - Asia Pacific on 28-30 November 2012 in Melbourne. The theme for Ci2012 is “Wicked Problems! Leadership and courage for volatile times”.
2013 events calendar for all offices throughout South Africa Glossary of Acronyms
Boss of the Year: BOTY PA of the Year: PAOTY Green Office Week: GOW Professional Association for Secretaries and Office Admins: PAFSA Event
Autumn
Action by you
This column is only for PAs and Office Admins who are PAFSA members
Your source and resource
PAFSA members receive:
February
PAFSA committees meeting on your career
Is there anything you'd like to tell PAFSA?
www.pafsa.co.za
February
GOW newsletter: Green Words Autumn edition
March
You need to start preparing for GOW in SA
A toolkit will be provided for you and all your co-workers
www.greenofficeweek.co.za
March
CareerSuccess magazine Autumn edition
April
GOW takes place from Monday 22 to 26 April
Implement daily tips and behaviours as per toolkit
www.greenofficeweek.co.za
April
InTouch newsletter: Autumn edition
Nominate a colleague or a peer
www.paoftheyear.co.za
May
Nominate a green hero from your company for the Green Heart Award May
PAFSA launches call for PAOTY Nominations
June
Deadline for PAOTY 20 June
June
Green Heart Award titleholder announced Winter
Deadline for BOTY Leadership Award nominations 3 June July
Semifinalists for BOTY announced
August
Early August PAOTY Semifinalists announced; mid August Finalists announced
September Secretaries Day 4 September
Spring
October
1st October launch of national leadership campaign 16 days.16 causes
www.greenofficewek.co.za Nominate a boss who fulfils "great boss" criteria
Summer
CareerSuccess magazine: Winter edition
www.bossoftheyear.co.za
www.bossoftheyear.co.za
July
GOW newsletter: Green Words Winter edition
Book your seat for the upcoming Secretaries Day
www.paoftheyear.co.za
August
InTouch newsletter: Spring edition
Secretaries Day gala lunch: Gauteng venue
www.pafsa.co.za
September
CareerSuccess magazine: Spring edition
PA of the Year announced
www.pafsa.co.za
Annual PA Summit: Gauteng venue
www.pafsa.co.za
Get your bosses involved. Toolkit available
www.bossoftheyear.co.za
1st October BOTY Finalists announced National Bosses Day Wednesday 16 October
GOW newsletter: Green Words Spring edition
October
www.bossoftheyear.co.za Book seats/table at the National Bosses day gala lunch held at Gauteng venue; or organise your own 'thank-theboss/es' function
16 days.16 causes 2013 online resources to be announced
November
December
December Start preparing for: 2014 - The year of the Secretary/Office Admin
InTouch newsletter: Summer edition CareerSuccess magazine: Summer edition
November
January. Year 2014
InTouch newsletter: Winter edition
www.pafsa.co.za
January. Year 2014
GOW newsletter: Green Words Summer edition
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Key Feature
We all know the old expression about the 'elephant in the room' – the obvious thing that everyone recognizes but no one acknowledges. Visible or not, if the elephant is there, you have to walk around it, so says Linda Finkle
Relationships
Time to say
goodbye to the
elephant
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n the workplace, elephants cause the same roadblocks when they take up residence there. Maybe it’s because of politics.
Work starts at 8am, the boss’s daughter regularly comes in at 10. Everyone feels this is unfair, but who wants to lodge a complaint? Maybe the “elephants” are more subtle. People don’t listen. They don’t get along. They focus on petty issues that disrupt the work flow. You expect them to be adults who do their jobs and, yet, you… • Feel challenged by people who commit but don’t follow through. • Think that you’ve given crystal clear instructions only to find that the delivered results are just not what you were looking for. careersuccess
• Have the same discussions with people, over and over, with no new results. • Often hear…”It’s not my fault”, “I thought you meant…”, “I was waiting on…”, and wonder if anyone accepts accountability. • Spend too much time resolving conflicts or issues that you feel should never have occurred; constantly ask yourself, “Are these people speaking the same language?” • Often ask yourself why you see so much conflict between individuals or teams in your company even though you have worked hard to prevent it. Any of these things can affect productivity. • They can affect the work climate • They take your time to diffuse
Maybe the "elephants" are more subtle. People don’t listen. They don’t get along. They focus on petty issues that disrupt the work flow.
7 • They can lead to stress for the work force as well as for you Like a real elephant that might be stubborn enough to stay put and refuse to move, the less tangible elephants don’t fade away and can make navigating the workplace difficult.
Wouldn't life be perfect if these elephants move out of our workplaces. • You could create a culture of commitment and accountability within your organization. • Conflict would be reduced or eliminated and as a result productivity and morale increased.
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• Barriers between individuals or teams were broken down – building trust and boosting motivation. • You had an extra 10 hours a month available for strategic thinking or company development because you have reduced the time you spend handling conflict or crisis or in meetings that went on and on with no resolution.
Role of communication Communication can be a barrier or a tool to revolutionize your company and improve all relationships. STELLAR communication improves productivity and performance, reduces redos, increases profits and most importantly allows everyone to have more fun.
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On the other hand, miscommunication will hamper growth, negatively impact relationships, cause projects to be delayed, turnover, frustration and more.
Remove the burden How can you remove the burden of miscommunication and improve communication among your staff? Imagine your work life when your department, team or company shifts into positive energy… Imagine that instead of being clock watchers without initiative and ownership, your staff becomes happy, efficient, focused, energized, accountable, creative, and trusting…
valuCODE value contributor
Problems that arise are not the subject of office gossip and destructive backbiting, but are quickly brought into the open, confronted, and solved. Achieving openness and harmony in the workplace is an admirable goal that just doesn’t happen. Workplace elephants don’t just pick up stakes and walk away.
Chase the Elephants Away And then create an environment that makes them feel unwelcome to come back!
nAMrad
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Special Feature
Managing up... an overlooked factor in
career success As an Executive or Personal Assistant the relationship with your boss is key to success in your current position and advancement in your organization. Shurnell Andersson tells us why.
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ou and your boss share a critical interdependence that makes the development of a strong and trusting relationship essential for each of you. Recognizing your own worth and value in the bigger picture – the success of your boss and organization – is fundamental to the quality of the relationship you build and your own career success. Managing up is the best tactic for getting more interesting work, more responsibility, and more sane work hours, because your boss is the one who can give you this stuff. Some people think managing up is ‘kissing up’, but careersuccess
in fact, a lot of it is about humanizing the workplace. Managing up is about you caring for your boss, and the result will be your boss caring for you. Here are six ways to make that happen:
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Know what matters to your boss If your boss is a numbers person, then quantify all your results - and know which numbers matter most to him. All numbers people have their pet line items. If your boss is a ‘customer-isfirst’ kind of person, give data and information in terms of benefits to customers. From his/ her reports and the issues (s)he puts emphasis on during feedback or briefings you can figure this out and then frame your responses and results to suit.
2 Say no
Say yes to the things that matter most to your boss. Say no to everything else and your boss will appreciate that you are focused on his/ her needs. Remember that your boss doesn’t always know everything you’ve got on your plate. So when you’re asked to do something that you don’t have time to do, ask your boss about his/her priorities. Let him/her know that you want to make sure you finish what is most important, and this will probably mean saying no to the lesser projects.
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3 Talk like your boss
If your boss likes daily e-mails, send them. If your boss wants a once-a-week summary, then do that. Convey information to your boss in the way (s)he likes so that (s)he’s more likely to retain it. Be aware of detail thresholds, too. Some people like a lot and some people like just enough. A good way to figure out what bosses want is to watch how they communicate with you. They’re doing it the way they like best.
4 Reveal achievements
Each time you do something that positively impacts the company, let your boss know. Leave a voicemail announcing a project went through. Send a congratulatory e-mail to your team and copy in your boss, which not only draws attention to your project success but also to your leadership skills. Whatever the mechanism, you need to let your boss know each time you (and your team) achieve something important.
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Be aware of your manager’s hot buttons and pet hates Is it being late to meetings or not contributing, sloppy memos or e-mails, swearing, a loud radio? Sounds obvious, but whatever they
are, consider them land mines to be avoided. Ignoring them (or not understanding them) can sour your relationship with the boss. And that can mean an unsuccessful project because you didn’t get the support that you needed — or worst case, it can be career suicide for you.
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Avoid unpleasant surprises Not all bosses like surprises so it is best to let them know what is happening with the project on a regular basis so that they are well informed. It may be a quick meeting in the office; a daily, weekly, or monthly e-mail; or some other exchange. Full-blown interim progress reports (formal meetings to discuss the project status) on a regular schedule can help make sure that they’re not caught off guard and can fully represent or defend the project or team. Keep the surprises for that box of chocolates on their birthday! Remember that your attitude toward a person influences that person’s interaction with you. Engage with someone with a chip on your shoulder, you’re likely to get a defensive response. Approach them with friendliness and cooperation and they will tend to respond in kind. We play a significant part in creating the way someone treats us. Understanding this gives you the power to create great relationships with your boss and enhance your career success.
Remember that your attitude toward a person influences that person’s interaction with you. issue
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B o s s o f t h e Ye a r 速
Boss of the Year 2012 Titlebearer is announced!
速
The Boss of the Year 2012速 is Kobus Lindeque, Area Director for Monsanto Africa announced at a gala lunch held at Montecasino Ballroom on 16 October, National Bosses Day.
D careersuccess
Magda Du Toit says Kobus provides excellent direction to the company and inspires goals for the employees, but he does not only lead people: "He leads development, careers and individual lives. Most of all, he does not see his position as a right to influence others but as a privilege. "He believes in putting long-term strategies forward and engaging the company in setting these strategies. Most of all, his passion for the company, agricultural in general and people have the greatest impact on employees."
escribed by employees and his nominator corporate communication manager Magda du Toit, as a natural leader, all who have worked with him say that their relationship with him has been inspiring, a growth experience and deeply meaningful.
Even though he has a full programme, Kobus is always prepared to set time aside for conversations with employees: "He will make time to discuss difficulties or even family issues. All his actions speak of integrity and truthfulness and combining this with his people and business knowledge, it is easy to see why people value his opinion."
Magda says: "Kobus leads the Monsanto Africa business and all its employees by example. His laughter, humble nature and respect for everyone and everything around him, gains him loyalty and commitment from anyone that he provides leadership to."
Kobus himself days: "Basically I think that one of the most important characteristics of a leader is to influence people. First of all you need to inspire people; you need to engage them; you need to help others achieve their goals and then you need to empower people
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to achieve whatever goal or whatever storm you need to face together...to give the people that empowerment so that they face the storm with you." He believes team work is the route to success: "I've really noticed that the moment you get teams working together that is an extremely powerful tool and it creates such a positive energy within a company when teams achieve successes and they are so ready for the next challenge. So for me what is very important is developing your people to work in teams in big companies." But Kobus' greatest asset must be his genuine humility and desire to learn from others: "Working for a large company like this, especially when you start knowing your people, you can very quickly tap into people and say right, we've got an issue here - I need your expertise and your help. Sometimes I say to people not to try to be a hero when there are a thousand other heroes around you - use them all." Kobus started his career at the Centre of Biotechnology at the Agricultural Research Council at Roodeplaat in 1982 as Researcher. In 1992, he joined the Colibre Laboratories
and Fuchsia farm and later in that same year moved to the Carnia Seed Company as an agronomist. He later became the Marketing Manager, Africa for Carnia. In 1999, Monsanto bought Carnia and Kobus became the Product Development Manager Africa for Monsanto and was appointed Area Director, Sub Saharan Africa for Monsanto in 2001. In 2009, he became Area Leader Monsanto Africa. Kobus was elected as Chairman of Sansor in 2004 and acted in that capacity for four years. In 2005, he received the prestigious award: Agriculturist of the Year from the Agricultural Writers SA for his contribution towards the agricultural sector. In 2006, he was elected President of Crop Life SA.
Endorsers
sponsors
Apart from the honour of being rated amongst the best bosses in South Africa, the recipient of the award and his/her nominator, as well as all the finalists and their nominators will receive prizes from an A-list of sponsors.ď‚° Boty founder and organiser
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B o s s o f t h e Ye a r 速
Boss of the year 速 banquet 16 October 2012 at montecasino BallRoom
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1. Kobus Lindeque Boss of the Year® 2012 Titlebearer and Kusile Mthunzi-Hairwadzi, MTN Foundation. 2. Footprints entertaining the guests. 3. The MC, Peter Ndoro. 4. A view of spectacular prizes and certificates. 5. MTN Board members and executives. 6. Table Deor by SA Event Decor. 7. Guests enjoying the glamorous event. 8. The Royal Bafokeng Youth Choir performance.
19 Clanwilliam; Neli Thabethe, Aramis & Designer Fragrances; Millicent Quoilin, Sheaffer; Kusile Mthunzi-Hairwadzi, MTN SA Foundation; Carla Da Silva, Air Mauritius; Johann Strydom, World Leisure Holidays. 11. Glenda and Hans Servas 12. Lebo Makgate and Nonthuthuzelo Mbiyo from Eskom 13. Carla Da Silva and Dr Con Fauconnier 14. Alexis Bekker, Seadimo Chaba and Johann Strydom 15. Steve Du Plessis and Janine Coetzee in good spirt 16. Ornella Trinco from Dictum Publishers announcing Boss of the Year® 2012
9. Left to right: Finalist Dr Liam Terblanche, Accsys; Finalist Dr Kebalepile Mokgethi, Royal Bafokeng Health; Finalist André de Ruyter, Sasol; Finalist Nopasika Lila, Eskom Pension and Provident Fund; Finalist Kobus Lindeque, Monsanto Africa; Finalist Roy Pillay, Nedbank; Robert Madzonga, MTN.
18. Kobus with Chris Mukoki, Boss of the Year® 2011
10. Sponsors (Left to right): Kaya Nyati, The Blue Train; Sanet Truter, Europcar; Stephanie Stone, Die Kunshuis
19. Kobus with Hlulisani Mukwevho, Emerging Leader of the Year 2012.
17. Kobus Lindeque on hearing his name as Boss of the Year® 2012!
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B o s s t h e Ye a r 速
We inter view
Kobus Lindeque
Boss of the YEAR 速 2012 A pivotal leadership key, is to create a vision that every one can identify with. CS: Congratulations once again Kobus! You must be proud to be awarded the award title: Boss of the Year. How has this affected you personally and professionally thus far?
KL: I am extremely proud and honoured to receive this award, and more importantly, that I now have the privilege of sharing the experiences of my personal and professional growth with others. It means even more to me as it was my team that nominated me. I must admit, this in itself has been a positive and exhilarating growth experience for me. CS: What or who, would you say has had the most dramatic influence in the way you view leadership in particular, and in your life in general? KL: I have been fortunate to have had several role models in my life during my career who have influenced me as a leader. When I reflect back to these individuals that have helped shape me in some way, the common thread linking them together are inspiration, engagement, empowerment and creativity, which in turn allowed me to aspire to greater heights, and encouraged me to reach my full potential. CS: How do you keep your people motivated and energized? KL: A pivotal leadership key, I believe, is to create a vision that everyone identifies with. In doing so, everyone collectively focuses their energies in the same direction, towards the same goals. Another critical leadership key is to cultivate a culture that encourages creativity and provides a safety net to take risks. Both these leadership keys are essential in motivating and energizing individuals, and most importantly they are vital in unlocking the potential of each and every person in our organisation. CS: When you need to get motivated yourself, where or who do you turn to? KL: Reflecting on and celebrating the success and future challenges of the business with my leadership team are fulfilling to me. Motivation to me is intrinsic. Whenever I need to, I look within myself. My positivity inspires and energises me.
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CS: Do you find that being in the line of work that you are in brings in specific challenges to you as a leader? KL: The industry that I am in is sometimes viewed as controversial. The main leadership challenge I am faced with is to keep employees motivated and inspired when controversy arises. I tell a story of the future, a story of sustainability, a story of feeding people, and I leave it up to each individual in the organization to decide whether this story still fits into their life purpose. CS: As a high achiever leading a hectic life, how do you achieve balance in your life? KL: Life balance to me is threefold. Physical balance is all about keeping fit and eating healthy. I believe a healthy body leads to a creative and nourished mind. Mental balance to me means continuously challenging myself both personally and in my career, whilst always maintaining a positive outlook on life. I practice spiritual balance by constant self-reflection in all aspects of my life, and where I find gaps, to be honest and mature with myself in addressing them, and ensuring that all three dimensions connect in a holistic way. CS: What message would you give young workplace leaders regarding their roles in today’s workplace? KL: Use every experience as an opportunity to learn and develop. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Making mistakes is all part of growth and leads to wisdom. Explore your creative self in every situation that is presented to you, you may be surprised at what you are capable of. And finally, be authentic and true in everything that you say, this will build your credibility as a leader and as an individual.
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Eyes on the World
Stress in the Workplace:
The Pa survival guide Anel Martin, PA of the Year 2011, They are serious about quality and are committed to their deadlines. trend-spots for us.
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eople often underestimate the amount of stress personal assistants are under. We are responsible for keeping the office running, ensuring that deadlines are met and that things always go according to plan; and when they don’t, we are often the first line of defence when it comes to resolving problems. As the PA role is still a traditionally female one, there is also the added pressure of trying to maintain good work-life balance and caring for children and a spouse. Good personal assistants are service orientated, pay attention to details and generally have a great deal of focus. They can manage multiple tasks at one time and their margin for error is usually very small indeed.
The profession tends to attract a certain personality type which I have affectionately started calling “Head Girl Syndrome” over the past few years. The excellent PAs that I know are Type A, perfectionistic and usually a bit more highly strung than the average employee. careersuccess
In today’s working world where we are exposed to technology day and night, and our hours have increased to match those of our executives, the stage is set for stress to occur.
The word “stress” has its origins in the Latin word "stringere" (which literally means “to draw tight”) and anyone who has suffered from chronic stress can tell you that this is a perfect, vivid description of how it feels. It is like an elastic band that is pulled to breaking point but doesn’t snap just yet. A certain amount of stress is healthy and can have a motivating effect; chronic stress however creates problems like altered blood sugar levels which can cause fatigue, mood swings and create a higher risk for a heart attack or diabetes. It also floods the brain with powerful hormones meant for fight or flight situations (short term) but when you are exposed to them long term they can actually damage, shrink and kill brain cells. Stress is so prevalent and so severe that it is being described as the “Black Death of the 21st Century”, so you need to reduce your own stress levels. Your working environment, your colleagues as well as your direct boss can greatly affect your wellbeing. A boss who is always late and never prepared can increase your stress levels, as you are always trying to compensate or need to apologise on their behalf. Whereas a boss who has low emotional intelligence and is prone to loud outbursts
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can literally keep you on the edge of your seat. Working in these kinds of environments long term can have negative side effects both mentally and physically. The key to less stress as a Personal Assistant is to be: 1. Selective about your working conditions 2. Having your boss’ support when it comes to deadlines for team submissions (and all other spheres of your job) 3. Applying some perspective before allowing stress into your day (will this really matter five years from now?) 4. Managing your time 5. S et t i n g b o u n d a r i e s importantly,
and
(especially those that you cannot control). • Do not deny, avoid or withdraw from your problems. Face them head on, as this will increase your feelings of confidence and control (you are not a victim, you can choose your next step!). • Develop assertiveness skills and set better boundaries (a lot of our stress is created because we cannot say NO). • Find support, being able to talk to someone you trust about your issues can greatly reduce your stress and improve your wellbeing. • Consult with other PA’s that have gone through something similar for practical “how to” advice.
m o st
• Be grateful for what you have, there is nothing more powerful!
6. Planning, ahead and being fully prepared!
• W hen you feel unappreciated, show appreciation for someone else instead (pay it forward, it will find it's way back to you!).
And remember “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James
• Learn to shut down and take time to relax. • Exercise and eat a healthy diet.
Reduce your stress levels: • Identify the major stressors in your life.
• Supplement your diet with B vitamins and avoid caffeine and energy drinks.
• Define a plan of action to address the items that can be changed.
• Get enough sleep.
• Do not procrastinate! • Work on how you perceive problems
• Turn off your mobile phone once in a while.
In today’s working world where we are exposed to technology day and night, and our hours have increased to match those of our executives, the stage is set for stress to occur. issue
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Interview
AMeet a member of the academy of excellence In every edition of CareerSuccess from now onwards, a member of the Academy will answer questions about herself and her work.
I am passionate about my profession as an office professional and relish any opportunity to inspire, motivate and encourage those around me. AoE: In which of the national competitions did you reach the finals or win - and in what year? CATHY: SA National Office Professional of the Year 2006/07. AoE: What is your current position? CATHY: Executive PA to the Deputy CEO: Discovery Life and Invest. AoE: How many years of experience do you have in the PA profession? CATHY: 33 and counting. AoE: What in your opinion is your personal area of excellence or specialization? CATHY: I believe in my abilities as a GREAT Office Professional. I am positive and enthusiastic about imparting my knowledge to others and making a difference. I am passionate about my profession as an office professional and relish any opportunity to inspire, motivate and encourage those around me. AoE: Who is your role model and why?
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CATHY: When I was younger my mother was my role model. She helped lay the foundations for who I am today. However as I have experienced life, its challenges and opportunities, I realized that I needed to build on the foundation my mother had created for me, and so it is that my role models today are many; they have contributed to my successes in ways mostly unknown to them. They are the Madiba’s, the Adrian Gore’s and the Kenny Rabson’s of Discovery, the Ana-Maria Valente’s of Dictum and the many African delegates that I have had the privilege of meeting and sharing my experiences and knowledge with. They are also the amazing PAs at Discovery, the peers I meet at conventions and summits. My role models are everyday enthusiasts, entrepreneurs; people who are positive and courageous, who live the values of integrity and honestly, who love to dazzle those around them, and see adversity as an opportunity. These people inspire me and ignite the passion that makes me who I am. These are the true role models of my life. AoE: What do you do for fun? CATHY: I love reading Catherine Cookson novels,
23 painting, doing crafty things like decoupage, beading, knitting, crocheting, embroidery and needlework. Behaving like a child with my two year old grandson is huge fun, and of course I do like playing the odd prank on colleagues every now and again! AoE: Tell us something interesting about yourself? CATHY: I taught Children’s church for over 20 years, play the guitar and am an absolutely devout Bok Supporter of note. I own the remote control during the Rugby season! AoE: What does it mean to you to be a member of the Academy of Excellence? CATHY: Being a member is not only a huge privilege and honor, but also an opportunity to be able to impart knowledge, share ideas, network and contribute to adding real value to the secretarial profession. Our profession is ours to own. We need to make the differences needed in order to change perceptions. Our contributions as members of the Academy are essential for the future growth of the Secretarial profession as a whole, and to uplift and help develop and mentor our younger counterparts entering the market place. AoE: What do you think is the biggest benefit of the national competitions for PAs and Office Professionals? CATHY: I have been involved with the OPSA National Award after winning the Award back in 2006, and I can say that besides being personally recognized as one of the best, an Award helps those participating to acknowledge both their strengths and weaknesses, to identify those areas of their personal development which require further training, and helps measure themselves against personal goals. This then provides them with a benchmark and creates new goal posts that stretch them to become extraordinary! Being an
ambassador for the profession not only as titlebearer, but also through your actions and consistency, is the greatest benefit of all! AoE: What career advice would you give your younger self? CATHY: Never, ever stop learning, always keep a positive attitude, and believe in yourself and your abilities. Never become complacent or assuming. Remain humble, sincere and be open-minded. Stay close to your values; share your experiences and knowledge freely, without expectation of reward. Stand up for what you believe in. Be in constant pursuit of greatness!
The Academy of Excellence is the home of award winning PAs and Office Professionals. Membership is exclusive to PA’s who reached the upper echelons of the national awards for the profession in South Africa. Being invited to join the Academy is a sign that you have achieved a level of excellence in your profession and it is a great honour to form part of this elite group. The ethos of this group is one of humility, professionalism and a sincere dedication to skills development in the profession and within the companies. For more information on the Academy visit www.pafsa.co.za and click on the Academy button.
i si sssuuee
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Question & Answer By The Academy of Excellence
Our Question in this edition of Ask the Academy comes from Serialong Malete. The Executive Secretary to Boni Gantile the Executive in charge of Functional Competency Management at Telkom SA .
Q A
"Dear Academy: How do I manage my inbox (and the boss') with regards to response times, critical actions and due date/late reports and submissions"
Dear Serialong, this is an essential and very tricky part of being an admin assistant in the age of email overload! What we can suggest is that you firstly read and understand what is in your boss' mailbox and your own.
Identify your major stakeholders internally and externally and also know what the major projects in your environment are. Keep informed. Then proceed to archive all items that are not current. You should view a mailbox as a to-do list and should only archive once an item has been closed successfully. Outlook is a wonderful product and gives you to option to create categories and set deadlines. See panel on the right. These are just some simple examples of categories that you can create; these should ideally be personalized for your own office and requirements. Once your mailbox is successfully cleaned up and colour coded, the tasks and deadlines become much easier to manage. You can set a reminder for a day or two ahead of the deadline so that the item becomes red automatically, which flags you to take action. Also pre-schedule reminders in the diaries of the people who need to support you to make your deadline. The secret is to put a system in place that makes your job easier and reduces the stress of chasing others for items that are overdue or being the one that has not submitted in good time! It's a bit of hard work to get on track, but well worth it once your system runs!
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Examples of useful categories in outlook: • Urgent/Important • FYI ( For your information) • Please respond • To-do • Invite
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FriendsCup
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Colleen Mansoor, president of FriendsCup, a new social club for secretaries and PAs in Gauteng, gives an update.
Rounding up the year!
some tips for the year-end May you have as much fun as you can before someone makes you stop.
D
ear friends, we are almost at the end of another year; my how the time is just flying by!
The FriendsCup Club hosted their first Secretaries Day Luncheon at Avianto in September this year, on Secretaries Day, and this was a huge success. Going forward we will be hosting this luncheon annually.
But may you manage to MAKE time for Time–Out.
The FriendsCup Club year-end get together breakfast was on Saturday, 17th November 2012 at Villa Amanzi in Benoni. It has been a wonderful year for the FriendsCup Club and we will be working on our 2013 social calendar shortly, with lots of exciting events, speakers, prizes, etc. and you will be informed as the events are planned. The FriendsCup Club started on very few members in 2010 and to date has grown to over 70 members. More info on colleen.mansoor@psgam.co.za.ď‚°
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Personal Development
Your
Attitude ''Attitude is the way you look at things around you. A positive disposition towards experiences shapes you for the rest of your life. Success and happiness at the workplace largely depends on your attitude." Advice from Feroza Sader
Y
ou choose your attitude. When you open your eyes in the morning; you can choose to spring out of bed with a smile or you can choose to tell yourself, "oh its sooo cold, I can sleep for another five minutes…" and that’s when it all begins. The shoulders droop, the body becomes so heavy, you have to practically drag it into the bathroom; you cannot see all the magic around you; the beauty of your warm room, the sun peeping in through the pretty curtains, the magic of turning a little handle and out comes perfectly warm water. ...but you choose to go through your morning blindly. Then comes the traffic… you curse and scream when that taxi stops right in front of you only to be reciprocated with the same attitude from the taxi driver. Did you choose to put yourself in his shoes? Did you actually see what really went down there? It was the woman on the pavement who actually just pointed her finger up and made that taxi to stop right at that point. That passenger is nothing but selfish. What you should rightly have done is to have stopped and screamed at that woman for stopping the taxi driver at the most inappropriate place; she could have waited at a designated stop area. So think: If you were that taxi driver who had to have so many passengers transported within a certain period of time or careersuccess
else he will not get paid, what would you do? Your attitude will change; you will vent at the passenger instead! the taxi driver will appreciate this. You will feel better. You will walk into your office feeling light and airy and your bubble of happiness will rub off on all those around you. You will be able to work through your work load with less taunt muscles. Your attitude is so crucial to YOUR well being. If you dislike yourself then go ahead by all means and choose a grumpy, angry attitude and you will be the bearer of the end result, headaches, heartaches and sadness. But it is so much better and healthier to wipe it all away with a big smile, a positive attitude, a spring in your step, a pretty outfit, a new handbag, and some high heels or to just imagine you are walking with magic around you and everyone will be able to see it. Your positive attitude will cascade down to your family, your friends, your colleagues, your clients, the people on the street, the shop attendants… You play a very special part in your workplace, you are an office professional, and it shows with your beautiful attitude! You will be remembered by colleagues, clients and all those around you, not for what you wore or what you said, but for how you made them feel!
"A positive attitude may not solve every problem but it makes solving any problem a more pleasant experience." Grant Fairley
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Career Matters
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controlling the chaos:
keeping your boss on schedule
T
You’ve just been interrupted for the fifth time in half an hour … you have 43 unanswered e-mails … your boss wants that report NOW … and one of your co-workers is about to go on maternity leave. Sound familiar?
he life of today’s administrative professional is no picnic, and it’s only going to get busier. It seems there aren’t enough hours in the day to tackle all your priorities. In today’s ultra-competitive world, you struggle to find a way to do it all – while still getting home at a decent hour.
Here’s some help. It sounds like mission impossible: ensuring that your boss has time for priority work and that he or she never arrives late for a meeting. But you wield much more control than entering appointments on a calendar and reminding the boss what's coming on the schedule. Help the days flow smoothly by building and managing the calendar better. Control the Chaos: Become a Star at Work Without Becoming a Stranger at Home. Here's how to keep your boss — and your day — on track: Provide time for everything. If you write only meetings on your calendar, you'll overlook the other items that demand attention. Ask the boss to list every action that requires devoted time, from an hour each morning to make calls and respond to email to four hours next week to work on his or her upcoming presentation. For meetings, include time before and after for related activities: preparing for the meeting, traveling and "downloading"
afterward. Nail down exactly how much time the boss must spend at a function, such as whether his or her attendance is necessary for the entire session or simply to present a special award. Keep others on schedule. Confirm the boss's appointments at least two days ahead, allowing you to fill any unexpected openings productively. And help the boss's visitors stay on schedule, too, by emailing them directions to your office and forwarding any information they may need in advance of the appointment. If your boss is traveling to an appointment, schedule it in the morning, before the other person's appointments start running overtime. Since I can't add hours to the day, I need a way to juggle all of my responsibilities without dropping any — or spending all my time at the office Prevent pileups. Don't allow one meeting that runs long to derail the rest of the day. Know in advance which appointments you can re-schedule. If the day's first meeting runs long, for example, move the 10:30 a.m. session to tomorrow so that the boss can stay on track the rest of the day. Arrange cushions and walls. If the boss has trouble ending meetings, create a schedule that helps. If meetings with Manny always run on, schedule a VIP meeting immediately afterward,
so Manny will understand when your boss has to end their meeting on time. On the other hand, leave lunchtime open if the boss will likely want to continue talking with a job candidate coming in just before the meal. Control the door. Guard against your boss's desire for an "open-door policy" becoming an invitation to interruptions. With your boss's approval, designate one or two times during the day for drop-in visitors. With Control the Chaos, you’ll find proven, practical techniques that let you leave work every day – on time! – with a feeling of accomplishment and confidence. And you’ll actually improve your reputation with upper management despite working fewer hours! You’ll discover dozens of easyto-use strategies to help you You can get your copy on Get your copy on download from today by sending a request to Customer@ BusinessManagementDaily. com
Become a star at work without becoming a stranger at home!
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Lunch Hour
Test your
Wits and have Fun
Try these brain teasers… brainfun Puzzle 1 What has a neck, but no head?
Puzzle 3 What part of your body disappears when you stand up?
brainbasher
"I can't think of anything to give up that I haven't already!""
How can you throw a ball so that it goes a short distance, comes to a total stop, reverses its motion, and then goes the opposite way. You are not allowed to bounce it against anything, hit it with anything, or tie it to anything.
gotcha puzzle What has two heads, four eyes, six legs and a tail?
brainteaser What is the longest word in the dictionary?
"...and a happy New Year to you, too, but today is January 5th" Source: www.brainbashers.com
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Puzzle 1 A bottle • Puzzle 2 He wanted to see time flies • Puzzle 3 Your lap
Puzzle 2 Why did a man throw his watch out if the window?
• Brainbasher Throw it in the air • Gotcha Puzzle A horse and its rider • Brainteaser Rubber-band, because it stretches
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