Volume 24 Issue 4
The Power of Relationships The 3 poison bowls that kill leadership potential Why contemporary bosses still need a PA!
PLUS Meet the new Boss of the Year
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Editorial
Director Ana-Maria Valente anamaria@dictum.co.za Publication Co-ordinator Queenie Masiza-Sangweni queenie@dictum.co.za
Volume 24 • Issue 4 2011
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 publilshed by Dictum Publishers (Pty) Ltd 13 Allum Road, (adjacent to Eastgate and Park Meadows shopping centres) Bedfordview P. O. Box 751735 Gardenview 2047 Gauteng, South Africa Tel (011) 616 7401 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 Career Success are subject to editorial change to suit the style of the magazine. Manuscripts and illustrations are accepted on the understanding that no liability for loss or damage is borne by the publishers. Contributions should be typed doublespaces, four to eight pages in length and be accompanied by a photograph of the contributor.The right of reproduction of any article or other matter published in Career Success is expressly reserved.©
contents
Admin / Advertising
Welcome 2012!
Features 8
Key Feature – The power of relationships – Alex van den Heever shares his view
12 Special Feature – Manifest your dreams – Robin Wheeler advises 14
Six reasons why contemporary bosses still need a PA – PA of the Year 2011 Finalists defend the case
24 The 3 poison bowls that kill the passion to lead… and follow! – Steve Murphy advises 26 The Art of Imagination – Ruth Tearle gives some tips
Special Events 18 Boss of the Year 2011 is announced! 20 Boss of the Year function 2011 Review 22 CareerSuccess magazine interviews Boss of the Year 2011 titlebearear
Ideas & Techniques 2
Ed’s Memo – 2011-2012
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News, views and reviews
28 P&S – More than a PA! 30 ICAP – a memorable 2011 is coming to an end … ICAP would like to make 2012 even better 32 Brain Fun – Your leisure page careersuccess • issue 1
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Ed’s memo
2011-2012
We welcome 2012! Every year leaves its mark and 2011 certainly has left a big one. The combination of the factors: Arab Spring and Europe’s serious economic woes, has given the year 2011 a tinge and hue we will not easily forget as both factors have consequences for a long time to come.
youth by Anders Breivik; and the London riots in August. Also we cannot forget to mention the deaths this year of the controversial leaders: Osama Bin laden and Muammar Gaddafi.
We hold our thumbs for the people of the Arab world that they mind happy solutions and create a peaceful future; and equally we hold thumbs for many European countries as their citizens struggle to make ends meet.
Joyful highlights were the two Royal weddings: Prince William and Katherine in the UK, and our own Charlene marrying Prince Albert in Monaco.
Also very sad and tragic was Amy Winehouse’s untimely death, as well the passing away of iconic people like Elizabeth Taylor and Joe Frazier. Highly distressing were the war-like situations in Liberia and Ivory Coast; the Fukushima nuclear disaster; the Tokyo floods; the Norway massacre of
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In South Africa we had our own lowlights and highlights ranging from Juju’s dramas to Michelle Obama and Prince Charles visiting South Africa; missing the rugby World Cup glory to the COP 17 green event in Durban; the Cele and Selebi cases the local government elections. I guess great dramas
will continue to dominate our headlines as always; and the world is not going to end as some will have us believe! So what’s the best tonic? A positive attitude; a brave heart; a strong soul for 2012. What’s there to be looking forward to and being grateful for! A job; food on the table; a roof over our heads; both keeping and making friends; family; best health possible; time off and time-out whenever possible; making peace with oneself and others; giving a helping hand...
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careersuccess • issue 4 Peermont Head Office Tel: +27 11 557 0557 Fax: +27 11 463 6185 Email: sales@peermont.com
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news
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reviews
Hello e-Workforce Telework means bringing the work to the worker – unlike our traditional view of the worker going to work. Teleworkers may be based in a corporate office, but work at home part of the week, or rarely work in corporate offices. Is there a major shift that we don’t know about? Professor Esther Hoffmann has all the answers in the book Management of a Distributed e-Workforce.
Management of a Distributed e-Workforce! A major shift in how and where employees perform business operations, aided by ICT, is imminent. The role of technology provides more flexibility and efficiency and assists in combating climate change. E-work arrangements represent unavoidable change that will require transition periods of letting go of the old ways, and learn to adjust to new ones. In order to facilitate this transition, stakeholders should act responsibly and not fear compromising their performance or losing control of a distributed e-workplace. Telework undeniably opens up new horizons and a magnitude of opportunities for contemporary organisations.. More information on this book contact Esther Hoffmann on tel: 012 382 3508 email: hoffmannec@tut.ac.za
Get inspirational prints for your office Download posters free from Ruth Tearle’s website and print them out for yourself or for your teams. Use them to inspire and motivate people, and bring some beauty into your office, meeting room or home study.
Subjects covered: • • • •
Change Dare Leadership Teamwork
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issuec 3 • careersuccess
Consumer and Employee
Education
As one of the top cyber crime ploys impacting both consumers and businesses, phishing has grown in volume and sophistication over the past several years. The potential impact on a business can be great — whether an employee or its customers have been phished, or the company Web site has been compromised. Organisations need to stay current on the latest methods employed by cyber criminals and proactively take steps to prevent this type of fraud. In addition to implementing the necessary technology, businesses should continue to educate their customers and employees on safe Internet practices and how to avoid cyber fraud. Teach them how to recognise the signs of a phishing attempt such as: misspellings (less common as phishers become more sophisticated), generic greetings instead of being personalised, urgent calls-to-action, account status threats, requests for personal information, and fake domain names/ links. Also educate your customers and employees on how to recognise a valid,
secure Web site before they provide any personal or sensitive information by: • Looking for the green bar • Making sure the URL is HTTPS • Clicking on the padlock to match the certificate information with the Web site they intended to go to Education is a key component of building the trust necessary to overcome phishing fears. By helping your customers understand how to confirm they are safe on your Web site, you can grow revenues, differentiate your offering, and/or benefit from operational savings by moving more transactions online. The above was sourced from: Executive IT White Papers & Case Studies White paper titled: Fraud Alert: Phishing — The Latest Tactics and Potential Business Impact as informed by www.technologyevaluation.com’s Newsletter ISSN#1715-3263. For more information about solutions to protect against online fraud contact Verisign.
careersuccess 1 issue 3
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The Power of Relationships
Mentorship in South Africa
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Key Feature
The power of a good mentor on a person can never be underestimated; in the workplace the results obtained from a strong mentor – mentoree relationship are invaluable, says Alex van den Heever
U
“Unga languti etihlweni” - don’t look her in the eyes, said Renias, “OK, tana ndzhaku katsongo” – “come back very slowly”, he continued with a quiet, firm voice. The leopard had charged right up to us and as I tried to back off, I tripped over a log and fell backwards onto the sand. There were two young cubs in the bush nearby and their mother was not amused by us being there. My rifle had been knocked from my hands and was out of reach. My only option was to listen to Renias’s instructions. He was attempting to extract me from this dangerous position, a situation which had developed because of my ignorance and inexperience. Could I trust him?
As a brand new game ranger with only a few months’ experience, the head ranger had assigned Renias Mhlongo as my mentor and tracker. My job was to interpret the safari for the guests and Renias was responsible for finding the animals and teaching me about the job of a guide – we were partners with no choice in each other’s selection. Renias’ role was pivotal to the success of the safari insofar as he provided the safety and the ability to find the animals. I depended heavily on him. Fortunately our relationship worked out and for the last 16 years we have taken safaris all over Africa, trained other South African and American trackers and presented our story on an international stage. From a career and personal perspective the relationship has turned out to be tremendously beneficial for both of us. I had completed six months of intense ranger training at our base at Londolozi Game Reserve. But nothing had
prepared me for that leopard charge. My inexperience had endangered both of our lives. But Renias’ body language infused confidence and paved the way to safety. He was composed, and had offered clear instructions with a calm but authoritative voice. He did not shout. He did not hesitate. He showed remarkable self-control in a very difficult situation which was changing with every second.With teeth, claws, flying sand and deafening growls there was little room for error. Amazingly, Renias was able to cut through all this and make rapid and accurate decisions. He saved my life that morning. I attribute much of my success as a naturalist to my relationship with my mentor, Renias Mhlongo.
Systems of Mentorship Let’s go back to the times of the ancient Greeks. Many religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity have used the concept of the Mentor. Even in the medieval guilds an economic system was created for apprentices to learn from guild masters to ensure business sustainability. Many African groups use the Elders system. Initiated by world renowned businessman Sir Richard Branson, modern Elders led by Nelson Mandela have been recruited to address global issues. There are many famous mentorprotégé relationships, such as Aristotle who mentored Alexander the Great, and Mahatma Gandhi who mentored Martin Luther King Jnr. More recently in our own country, we have the example of Walter Sisulu who
was a mentor to Nelson Mandela during the struggle years. One of the greatest benefits of mentoring is that it increases competence in both the mentor and mentoree. Renias has been a tracker at Londolozi for 27 years and during this time he has amassed a vast amount of tacit knowledge. In the Londolozi tracking team almost three-quarters of this inferred wisdom is held by just a three members. These three skilled trackers have a total of 100 years’ experience - a substantial portion of the total experience of the field team. Conducting mentorship programmes where this knowledge can be transferred is vital to the success of any game lodge, in fact any organisation. Almost all the new game rangers who were assigned to these three trackers stayed in the job for more than three years. This was double the tenure of the others. According to Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans (2005), ‘it is considered that new employees who are paired with a mentor are twice as likely to remain in their job as those who do not receive mentorship.’ This has obvious financial implications. Quality mentors like Renias have the unique blend of technical skill, tolerance and the ability to see the potential in people. Sustained learning, training and experience lead an individual to competence. As a game ranger, the subtle yet crucial aspects of the job can only be learnt from a mentor. For example, a ranger will learn that a tree squirrel
Continued on next page careersuccess • issue 4
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The Power of Relationships Continued from previous page
alarms at predators like eagles, snakes, mongooses and leopards. However, only during the close association with an experienced mentor will one learn what the tree squirrel’s alarm call sounds like when it is a leopard and when it is a leopard moving or lying down! Besides the technical skills gained through mentorship it also provides an invaluable opportunity for relationship building. As a private researcher, my interviews with employees from a variety of companies seem to reveal a lack of mentorship training in South Africa which, with its political history, is puzzling to me. In doing training at various game lodges around the country I have discovered that some of the most disgruntled employees, and teams, work in environments which lack training, development and mentoring. It was not luck that saved us that day. Renias had taken animal behaviour seriously in his work. He had watched many hunting videos and studied the reactions of the hunters. He had been mentored by his brother, Elmon Mhlongo, from a young age.Years before, Renias had requested to do the full ranger training course in order to learn more about other aspects of guiding. He was persistent in his quest for knowledge and today he has become a highly professional and competent tracker. I have no doubt that
by the time Renias retires he will have become one of the greatest trackers in the country.
Competence and Trust These two elements continue to raise their heads in my interviews with employees. From a technical standpoint, competence goes a long way to creating trust in the integrity of an individual in the workplace. Renias’ competence in his work was an indication of his self-discipline and selfrespect, and respect for his colleagues. I felt a sense of honour to be part of such a professional partnership. It challenged me. In one single incident Renias had set the standard of professionalism required in our team. He did not need to lecture or dictate. He created an enlightened incentive. A deficiency in skills due to inferior training and the lack of quality mentoring leads to mistrust and breakdown of relationships. South Africa, in its state and private sector, has a responsibility to create a secure environment for the transfer of knowledge and values if it is serious about transformational success. Successful mentorship improves skills and cements relationships across this diverse landscape. Having been born in a mud hut in what is today part of the Kruger National
Park, without any formal education, Renias Mhlongo has risen above his limitations and displayed a generosity of character that has yielded unlimited benefits. Inspired by the humorous and gracious manner in which Renias can tell a story we started our presentation, The Power of Relationships – our dream is to tell our story all around South Africa and to give people the ‘hope’ and ‘view’ of what is possible in democratic South Africa. The Tracker Academy More recently Renias and I have had the privilege of co-founding the Tracker Academy. It is a division of the SA College for Tourism which is a public benefit organisation that operates under the auspices of the Peace Parks Foundation. The Tracker Academy trains unemployed rural people in traditional skills of tracking through a one year full time, fully sponsored tracking course. Successfully qualified students are recruited in jobs in the eco-tourism, anti-poaching and research industries. For more information on the Tracker Academy see www.trackeracademy.co.za Alex van den Heever and Renias Mhlongo can be contacted for conference presentations at Marie Grey & Associates 011 447 9485
“Sustained learning,training and experience lead an individual to competence.” 10
issue 4 • careersuccess
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Manifesting 1
Here is a quick how-to on bringing into reality your deepest potential, intuitions and dreams.
Your
Dreams
Be prepared to drop all you have known or thought you understood about the world. This is important for three reasons. One, life is pure mystery and any assumption otherwise is a delusion that obstructs your realization. Two, what you have known and thought you have understood is predominantly stuff given to you by others. Very, very little of it is from your source, your true knowing. Three, to be ready to grow, you have to be open. So be ready to drop your world view.
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Get yourself in touch with your true nature. We, as humans are creative beings and everything we do is a creative act. We cannot not have creative power. Most of us use this creative power unconsciously and fearfully to create what we don’t want in the world. All of us can realize our creative nature and, in awareness of it, begin to be, do and live very differently. So realize your creative nature and align with the greater whole.
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Access the various levels of your consciousness, your being. There is the physical: your body. There is the intellectual: your mind. There is the emotional: your heart. There is the spiritual: your being.You live your life on all these levels. You can be aware on all these levels. You cannot live optimally if one of these levels is neglected or repressed. You cannot not flourish when they are all in harmony.
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Access mastery of yourself. You are the witness, the eternal manifesting through all these levels. You are spirit coming through. You are the biggest mystery! Go deeper and deeper into yourself and find all you need in order to be happy and wealthy on all levels.The deeper you go, the more you come from your centre, which is where everything comes from. From here, you will be profoundly creative.You will manifest.
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Coming from your centre and having all your evels aligned, create intelligently. Make your primary motion creative. Allow your potential to manifest and work with it. Rather than compete on the level of existing resources, and limit yourself terribly, plus cause harm to yourself and others, create from the level of infinite potential. Whatever you want, feel it, picture it, attract it, open yourself to it, and then work and do with the joy of someone living their dreams.
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Learn to manage your thoughts. Do this not on the level of thoughts but from your being. From your being, witness your thoughts for what they are. Let your deeper self, your feelings, guide them. Let your deeper self, your being, guide your feelings. From your being, you can only feel good, ecstatic actually, and very inspired. Let that bubble up and use your mind from there.
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Manage your feelings. Feelings tell you what sort of reality you are creating around yourself. Take responsibility for this reality and your creative power. Operate on the level of managing your feelings, choosing always to feel good and proceed from there. Whether you manage it from the inside out, from your being to your feeling to your thinking to your doing, or just with feelings, stay in touch at all times with feeling good.
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Be grateful. This extends from feeling good, because with that comes great gratitude for the great blessing of being alive, no matter what circumstance you have attracted.
Gratitude is a state of clarity, reality and creativity.With gratitude, you are positive and flowing with life and happy with all you have. From there, you attract more of what you love and you get richer and richer in all ways.
Special Feature
There are 15 things you can do to have a better life, says Robin Wheeler in his book Insights.
RobinWheeler is an international speaker on consciousness in business, and acclaimed author of the INSIGHTS trilogy of books on ‘being yourself for a living’. More info on: www.bentrepreneuring.com , robin@bentrepreneuring.com Mobile 083-444-0787 life and try new things with the talents you have. These may not fit together in an obvious way at first but in the time they will orchestrate and amaze you. Be bullish. Take life as the ultimate dare to go for it, the ultimate thrill.
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Live dangerously. Death is certain, in fact happening all the time. Face it, because in so doing you will embrace life. Always head happily into the new because life itself is constant renewal. Life cannot help flourishing and being born with ever-increasing abundance and wonder. Go with life, live dangerously, and feel fulfilment and joy beyond your wildest imaginings. Receive. Make a conscious effort to be open, accepting the wealth of all kinds bestowed on you. Surrender continuously to the manifestation of potential, to growth. Have receptacles in place for the inspiration and money that is coming your way. Graciously say thank you as it does, laughing with cosmic delight.
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Stay in the present. Put your power in the present. The past sucks backwards, using your life force purely in an effort to stay alive and leaving you sleepy while life passes you by. The future is just a reflection of the past, using you as the mirror, turning you into a dwelling point for its own energysapping self-sustenance. You are present. Be aware here and now . Create here and now. Enjoy here and now.
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Explore your talents. If you have talents, they must be used to create. Do all sorts of things with your
Don’t be superstitious! It denotes ignorance. Rather admit ignorance and be open. Find out for yourself. Satisfy your own curiosity. The truth cannot be transferred between people. It can only be encountered by the individual. Trust, explore, express and fully realise your individuality. Don’t be like anyone else, whoever they have been. Be yourself – it is truth and bliss. Invest and spend. Don’t hoard because this is the language of competition and scarcity. You may accumulate but you do not trust life. Rather be creative and spend all your energy. Give all your love. If you give all your energy, you go to bed at night having lived that day to the fullest. You will sleep well and wake up fresh and ready to do even more the next day.You will be given more energy. You will not carry the residue of unlived potential or regret for opportunities missed. You will head into each new day filled with new life because you are in the business of using it optimally. The more you give and the more you love, the more love there is to give. It cannot be exhausted! Do it intelligently, of course, but use every moment to be .You will be rich on all levels.
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Look around and you will be being yourself for a living big time.
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reasons why contemporary bosses STILL need a PA!
Marlene Strydom 2011 Finalist in the PA of the Year™ Award Personal Assistants are still vital today because executives needs to focus more on the strategic, financial, managerial and technical aspects of the business and projects, and their PAs should ensure that they are able to this smoothly do this smoothly by taking initiative and being proactive in areas such as general project administration, client liaison, diary management, HR and marketing issues. Taking initiative and being proactive means getting ahead start on the less urgent day-to-day tasks, which means they will be out of the way when important tasks are laid before you. I would love to see a director or CEO tackling filing on a Friday afternoon or remembering each and every client’s and staff member’s birthdays and sending out birthday wishes to them when sometimes some of them can’t even remember their wedding anniversaries. Technology today makes it very easy for anyone to update and set reminders on diaries but bosses shouldn’t have to deal with matters such overlapping meetings, double bookings and clients never ending demands. The Personal Assistant is also the link between other staff members and the boss. S(he) is the person they look up to, to solve office-related problems and acquiring information, and sometimes just the listener and comforter. The list is never ending. The importance and indispensability of the PA in any organization cannot be overstressed. Regardless of innovation to technology and communication, the presence of the “angel in disguise” in any organisation is a necessity.
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Audetta Skosana 2011 Finalist in the PA of the Year™ Award Personal Assistants are invaluable to any office, offices cannot run without them. Yes, bosses can try and do documents on their own, but the most important day to day running of the office is a definite no no. PAs have to ensure matters run smoothly whether the boss is in the office or not. Their value is more recognised when the boss is travelling. That is when they have to step up and act as the manager and make sure that nothing falls through the cracks. They delegate work, respond to correspondence and emails, follow up on queries, and on top of that make sure the boss knows what is happening in the office at all times. Calls come through to the office and the first point of contact is the PA. PAs take and filter the calls for the office;, direct them to the relevant departments/management. If the call is meant for their office, then they make sure that it is dealt with swiftly. Personal Assistants make sure that the boss is at the right place at the right time with all the correct information and documents. That is where diary management is vital - half the time, bosses double book themselves and PAs have to deal with that. As executives also receive a lot of emails, PAs go through their inboxes and make sure that they respond on their behalf. We delegate the ones that can be dealt with by other departments or managers. Still follow up to make sure that they were actioned in time. We also are able to keep our bosses sane!
Charlotte Massey-Hicks 2011 Finalist in the PA of the Year™ Award Executive’s diaries are filled with back-toback meetings in the day, and their evenings are filled with client dinners, catching up on emails, returning calls and trying to spend time with their families! This is where an efficient PA becomes indispensable. PAs bosses exponentially more effective. •
They manage the diary well. Book in Travel time; ensure that all meeting requests have an explanation of the purpose and that all documents relevant to the meeting are received in advance.
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They keep an eye on boss’s inbox alerting him/her of the emails, solving and delegating where possible; saving the executive’s an enormous amount of time and ensuring that they can focus on what is important.
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PA’s organise documents that need to be signed or reviewed; summarising the information, so that the boss can just action without having to work through everything from scratch
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No technology is able to save Bosses as much time or enable them to be at the top of their game as an effective PA can!
Adri Muller 2011 Finalist in the PA of the Year™ Award
Ronel Petersen 2011 Finalist in the PA of the Year™ Award
PAs skills allow them to take care of the seemingly unimportant tasks with huge effects on the day-to-day focus and strategy of the MD, while he can utilise his managerial & strategically skills for maintaining the strategy and further development of the company on a higher level without being tied down to nittygritty office affairs which can be handled by someone else with sufficient information at hand – the human factor will always give us the advantage of being needed!!! From the moment PAs step into the office, they check emails and manages to be aware of any changes which may affect the day and handle any issues which arise. The responsibility of a last minute problem can fall on PA’s shoulders and it is important that you are prepared for all eventualities and remain level headed. PAs are required to think on their feet and use their initiative on a regular basis. Communication and knowledge are vital … they need to read it all, know something about everything. They keep copies of all important correspondence received and sent to prevent any issues which may arise over miscommunication. In addition to the knowledge a PA also needs to have an ear on the ground all the time; listen to what people and/or fellow colleagues are talking about and even read between the lines when required. Delivery of accurate, trusted and timeous information, input and actions are highly valued by all and PAs know that the smallest gesture makes the biggest difference.
Bosses spend over 70% of their time in business meetings such as strategic planning meetings, policy making and other business gatherings including social and community engagements, which makes it impossible for them to do everything on their own and that is where the Personal Assistant comes in. The PA is, therefore, an extension of the management team and area co-driver of an effective team. Personal Assistants should be called Office Managers as their role involve preparation of documentation and office management in general. Whilst Managers are in strategic planning, business meetings, the very documents they discuss and present are prepared by Secretaries and Personal Assistants. The role of a Personal Assistant is not just to type and correct grammatical and spelling errors but to produce a professional document with all features, varying from layout to appearance and language proficiency. There is no doubt that any contemporary boss that needs to be successful in business needs a PA and specifically to prepare documents and presentations. Advanced technological tools are by no means replacements for a PA. A PA is a professional and co- partner to add value and meaning to the daily operations.
Anel Martin 2011 Titleholder in the PA of the Year Award PA is better than and Ipad (or any other gadget) I am of the strong opinion that PA’s are born, not made (but can be improved!). Special PA’s have the unique ability to put other people’s needs above their own they care about their boss not only as a high level, valuable company resource, but also as an individual who is fully three dimensional . Passionate PAs usually have an eye for detail, a caring nature and a dedication that enables them to start fresh tomorrow even if today wasn’t such a great day, without needing a restart or a defrag! Can your Tablet make you a cup of tea when you are having a bad day? Can your smart phone call home on it’s own to tell your wife you are running late, does your PDA lie awake wondering if all went according to plan while you were travelling or make sure that you had something to eat during the day? Technology was sold to us as a solution to improve our working worlds. To make everything more efficient, so that we could play more, for the most part it has made us available twenty four hours a day. A PA is required more than ever in the fast moving world of work to ensure that the sea of information does not engulf the captains of industry!
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The new Boss of the Year® is Chris Mukoki
The 2011 Boss of the Year titlebearer is Chris Mukoki, head of secured lending credit granting, Standard Bank Mukoki, who began his career on a first – the first African to be appointed a lecturer immediately after qualifying from the Soweto College of Education – remained at the College for eight years before entering the banking world as a consultant. Mukoki showed his business mettle with two big achievements: Top Achiever Winner of the Nedbank CEO award and the Merit Award for Performance
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Excellence at Standard Bank. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from UNISA and a Secondary Teachers Diploma. Remaining true to his teaching background, Mukoki’s leadership style is based on sharing knowledge and he is at his best when guiding colleagues to higher knowledge and levels of expertise. His nominator Johanna Nkabinde has this to say: “Mr Mukoki is an admirable achiever himself but he shares his winning principles with us - under his leadership we have clarity of goals and processes and results to be achieved but he ensures that people are viewed as the true assets of the bank, treating everybody with respect and has created an environment of growth, participation and innovation.” Mukoki believes that South Africa needs decisive leaders: “We need people that lead by example and do not believe that popularity is a necessary characteristic of being a leader. “Leaders also need to understand that economic issues cannot be solved by the creation of more laws but that they need to actually be implemented and monitored; hence the biggest challenge in business is to create an environment where employees also think and act as business people.” Another challenge he identifies is the plethora of social problems that can only be addressed when Government, business and Unions come together and put the interests of the country first: When it comes to leadership there are several attributes that make a great leader, says Mukoki: “These include listening to what people are saying, always looking for an opportunity to change things for the better as change is the only thing that remains constant and has the power to ensure the continued existence of both individuals and institutions, being innovative and focusing on the clear goals that they have in mind.”
MTN SA Foundation is the patron and main sponsor of this prestigious Award, which celebrates its 22nd anniversary in 2011. Eunice Maluleke, Head of MTN SA Foundation, says: “As a progressive and innovative organisation, MTN SA Foundation would like to play a leading role in acknowledging and celebrating leadership excellence in South Africa. “We need great business leaders with vision, who can articulate that vision, passionately own it and drive it to completion. Without passion, the position of leadership is meaningless. And passionate leaders inspire others to strive for more and achieve more; they inspire confidence and success in their peers and colleagues. “Good leaders make people feel that they are at the very heart of the success of the organisation; that they make an essential difference. When that happens, people grow and deliver and go on to inspire others.” For Mukoki, being nominated for the Boss of the Year Award has made him aware that whatever you do, people are always watching and are ready to give credit when it is due: “This has made me more aware of what I am doing on a day-to-day basis, and I have realised that there are many people out there who fulfill the demands made of good leadership but may never get to be recognised for their efforts unless someone cares enough to nominate them for an Award such as this..” 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 a constellation of prizes from an A-list of sponsors, including the Patron - MTN SA Foundation, the Founder sponsor - Stabilo, Air Mauritius, Arthur Kaplan Jewellers, The Blue Train, Die Kunshuis Clanwilliam, Europcar, Jaguar SA, Sheaffer Pens and World Leisure Holidays.
SPONSORS ENDORSERS
FOUNDER SPONSOR
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Boss of the Year
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Banquet
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issue 1 • careersuccess
Friday 14 October 2011 1. Chris Mukoki, Boss of the Year 2011 titlebearer and Eunice Maluleke, Head MTN Foundation. 2. Table Decor by SA Event Decor. 3. Violinist Fish Tshwaro. 4. Theuns Oosthuizen, Cynthia Schoeman and Angie Makwetla. 5.
Ilanga Jazz entertaining the guests.
6. Eunice Maluleke and MTN Board Members. 7. Stabilo Founder Sponsor table. 8. A view of a spectacular prizes for finalists and nominators. 9. Shelby Zimmerman from Stabilo, prize draw moment. 10. Guests receiving gifts from Stabilo Founder sponsor. 11. Prof Ndebele guest of honour from MTN, delivering his welcome address.
12. Left to right: Finalist Octavia Matloa, Mukundi Mining Resources; Chris Mukoki, Standard Bank; Greg Solomon, McDonald’s SA: Chantyl Mulder, SAICA: Andrew Skudder, Murray & Roberts; Gerald Dumas, Johannesburg Water. 13. MTN gift giving moment. 14. Zavi Steyn, Europcar: Palesa Mabuza, Jaguar: Cassim Kader, Stabilo: Veenaa Katha, Air Mauritius: Johann Strydom, World Leisure Holidays: Gavin Lapedus, Arthur Kaplan Jewellers. 16. Ornella Trinco from Dictum Publishers announcing the Boss of the Year titlebearer. 17. A leadership quote by Eunice Maluleke, Head MTN Foundation.
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CareerSuccess interviews
Chris Mukoki, the new Boss of ® the Year
CS: Congratulations once again Chris! You must be proud to be awarded the award title: Boss of the Year. How has this affected you personally and professionally thus far? CM: Thank you very much. It is an honour and a privilege to be given this title, considering the fact that this country has so many bosses that are doing an excellent job. Personally it has made me more aware that one has to be very careful when you deal with people and treat them as people and not as objects. CS: What or who, would you say has had the most dramatic influence
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issue 4• •careersuccess issue1 careersuccess
in the way you view leadership in particular, and in your life in general? CM: I have great admiration for a credit and risk manager I worked with in the past Veran Kathan for his intelligence and calmness under all circumstances. He always took pressure very well and one would not even know that he is under pressure. He always prioritized projects that would affect the business long term. He is not in favour of ‘work-arounds’ as these come at a great cost in the long term. CS: How do you keep your people motivated and energized? CM: Give challenging work and reward and recognition for work well done. People usually get motivated when their leader is involved in what is expected of them. Setting an example is a very good motivator as people immediately know the standards that are expected from them. CS: When you need to get motivated yourself, where or who do you turn to? CM: My faith in the Lord Jesus Christ boosts my empty tank at any given time. On earth I get the books by John C Maxwell, whom I discovered that he is a fellow Pastor. His books motivate me to do more and recharge me to unbelievable levels. CS: Do you find that being in the line of work that you are in brings in specific challenges to you as a leader? CM: There are challenges in any line of
work. Being in banking right now poses more challenges than any other sector. With the economic downturn on 20072009, the debt crises, the demise of some international banks has created a very interesting combination of challenges that have to be addressed head-on with urgency and tact. The unemployment situation calls for the grooming of more business people to create more jobs. I do not believe the government can create jobs alone, but government can create a suitable environment in which ordinary people can create the jobs that we so desperately need. CS: As a high achiever leading a hectic life, how do you achieve balance in your life? CM: Sticking to one schedule is one important way of achieving a balance. There is a time for everything. This means that one cannot be found to be doing something that is not priority, but doing it just because it is urgent. Time management is very important. CS: What message would you give young workplace leaders regarding their roles in today’s workplace? CM: They mustn’t focus on themselves and how much success they achieve in their own right. They should focus their energies on their team.They must ensure that their teams win. When their team wins they also win. They mustn’t be self-centred and greedy. There is so much for everyone in every institution,. Life does not have to be ‘survival of the fittest’.
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If you view yourself as a leader, take a look at common passion killers that leaders often face, says Steve Murphy
More information from Steve Murphy www.stennyafrica.com
The 3 poison bowls that
kill the passion to lead ...and follow!
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Sometimes it is easy for leaders to be ignorant of the toxins that are constantly dripping into their every effort. Paradoxically many leaders have a blind spot about some their own behaviours in these areas. The toxic contents from the following bowls quickly reduces the effectiveness of those exposed to them. The Bowl of Criticism Here we refer to the on-going, negative, non-constructive critical remarks about both a person’s work and the individual. Correcting and highlighting the inadequacies of a colleague or subordinate’s work is part of the function of leadership. Irrespective of the management level one is addressing, correction and feedback need to be accepted in a non–defensive and mature manner. Problems occur when criticism becomes personal, generalized and destructive. In other words the focus moves from dealing with the issue to the person; from the specific to the general; from the objective to the subjective, from the constructive to the destructive.
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Leaders are frequently the objects of such outbursts even though their critics have little understanding for the pressures and complexities of the decisions with which they are confronted. Sadly, leaders who should know better, often replicate these mistakes when correcting junior staff. The Bowl of Contempt This is the close cousin of criticism. It is frequently the consequence of a diet of negativity, anger and malice towards others Having behaved negatively towards an individual, critics nurture in the garden of their hearts a poisonous weed that prevents them from objective and rational assessment of others. Contempt, with its increased critical attitude, and bitterness, starts to colour all and everything it sees, especially in those it does not like. Not many people survive the undermining effect of ongoing active resentment and dislike. The toxin of contempt also has a paralyzing effect in the workplace. Individuals find it hard to remain objective, offices and companies fracture along the lines of whether you do or do not agree with those displaying the contempt. Like
un-forgiveness, contempt does more long-term damage to its perpetrators than the object of their scorn. Leaders, and staff, who are the object of such soul-destroying experiences, need to be supported. They need to be helped to see the objective truth of their failings and inadequacies, but without any quarter being given to that which is personal and destructive. Bowl of Deferred Hope Solomon in about 1000 B.C. recorded that “hope deferred made the heart sick,“.Well did he understand the human condition of being excited at the prospects of better circumstances only to be disappointed, at the loss of all that was anticipated? If anything serves as a slow but steady leak of enthusiasm, excitement and energy, it is the Yo-yo experience of the keen anticipation of some positive experience, to have it postponed or denied. Good news and encouraging prospects greatly energize the workplace, but a regular experience of postponed hopes will crack the morale of the most determined of people.
The value of
self-booking tools
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Self Booking Tools are powerful cost-cutting tools, but they become ineffective and often fail if they are not backed up by the services of a competent Travel Management Consultancy (TMC) says Themba Mthombeni, the CEO of Duma Travel. A recent survey by ACTE indicates that 40% of the respondents have selected a Self Booking Tool in the last 12 months as a strategy to reduce corporate travel costs.The current level of adoption is however still very low. This could be due to insufficient training, traveller resistance and the fact that management has not bought into the strategy or amended travel policies. Before investing in a self booking tool companies should ask themselves: • What is the level of readiness of employees? Most of self booking takes place through websites, where changes are difficult or almost impossible to do. Phoning the call centres of the suppliers is a possibility but the waiting cues are legendary. Rules of each fare are generally not read or understood by the self booking population, resulting in exorbitant costs when changes are made. Companies that strictly self book are generally not covered by a 24/7 emergency service thus exposing travellers to possible inconvenience and dangers when emergencies occur. Individual’s choice of carrier can also be motivated by loyalty points while cost efficiency is ignored. • Will the tool align to the company’s travel requirements? Booking air travel with multiple stops or complicated manoeuvres (e.g. hidden-city booking and open-jaw-trips etc) should only be attempted by an experienced travel agent. For this reason it is important to decide what the level of complexity will be handled by self booking tools and what content i.e. air, hotel, car etc. will be included. • Is the company technologically ready? How seamless will the new technology fit into existing front and back office processes? It is important that the self booking tool integrates into existing corporate and financial systems so that performance can be tracked and evaluated on an ongoing basis. • What is the expected return on the investment? Expectations need to be managed and it is important to realise that corporate rates negotiated by a TMC often include free changes, extra add-ons and features that online products do not offer. Internet offers that undercut corporate rates are often short-term tactical offers and heavily restricted. Although purchasing travel products online is simple and almost anyone can do it, this should not be confused with travel management which is inherently complex with multiple travellers, products, pricing fluctuating and a high probability that changes will be made after purchase. Online has value but for a big company with large volumes it can be treacherous says Mthombeni. It is critical that the buyer understands the rules of each ticket purchased and more often than not this is not the case. The solution is to incorporate an online booking component, backed up by the services of a competent Travel Management Consultancy such as Duma Travel. careersuccess • issue 4
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The Art of imagination
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In 2012, restore your energy and bring back the magic into your life, advises Ruth Tearle
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Ruth Tearle has a 20 year career as a strategic planner, change management consultant, trainer, coach and facilitator. She is the author of Blackboards Bubbles & Cappuccinos and Ride the Wild Tiger. Visit her website http://www.changedesigns.net
The reality - adult responsibilities Trapped in a world of responsibility and expectations, we easily lose the energy and hope that we had when we were young and carefree. An adult working life often means rushing from one task to another, ticking our progress off a never ending to-do list, producing to deadlines, attending meetings or fighting political battles. At the same time we are told to achieve more using less. Our bosses and customers have become far more demanding. There is no time or money for pie in the sky ideas or unnecessary extras. For many of us, the meaning and significance has gone out of our jobs. Surrounded by the reality and limitations of our working lives, we often feel trapped. We lose our power, our courage. It is as if the magic has gone out of our lives, replaced with tedious drudgery. Small wonder we sometimes feel disappointed and weary. As adults we have lost the art of being care free. Sometimes, even when we don’t have anything to worry about, or we have some time off free from responsibilities, we forget how to let go, and enjoy ourselves. We have forgotten where to find the free spirit we used to be before we got beaten into shape by life.
music, energy and a sense of freedom. A place where wonderful things could happen at any time. A place where we could relax, and be ourselves. Unlike the real world, where are told to conform, in our fantasy worlds, being different from others simply made us the star of our own show. Like in a circus, we could be the queen of fat, or the king of shortness. As long as we had a free spirit, the world was enchanted by us. In our fantasy world, we could do what seemed impossible in the world of reality. All we needed was a touch of courage to overcome any trials, and a belief in the power of guides to help us achieve any dream. We were limited only by our imagination and trust. In our imaginations, we visited a land where the impossible is something we just do.
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Enhance your creativity.
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Believe in your own power again.
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Encourage yourself to dream again.
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Create a life of purpose and significance.
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Become the hero of your own life. Have the energy and creativity to tackle life’s challenges throughout the year.
Use the power of imagination to transform your life No matter how short our visit is, when we return from an imaginary world, we are left with the glitter of courage, power, and happiness on our shoulders. This magic dust gives us energy to cope with our adult responsibilities in a different way - with more energy, creativity and personal meaning.
Be a free spirit for a moment As children we knew how to create imaginary worlds. In our mind’s eye we could transport ourselves to a land where happiness grows, dreams flourish and magic begins. A place where nothing is ordinary. We could make believe that we were in land filled with color, strange characters,
Why we as adults, need to get in touch with our imagination Here are seven practical reasons for taking time out to stimulate your imagination. By allowing yourself to get enchanted, captivated and enthralled by a different world you will: 1. Renew your well of energy, and happiness.
How to recapture the art of imagination As adults, here are 10 practical things you can do, to transport yourself into an imaginary world -for a short time. 1. Go to a circus or carnival. 2. Visit the theatre. 3.
Hold a fancy dress party.
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Read a fairy story, or a children’s book.
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Read a fantasy novel.
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Go into nature – and imagine yourself in a wonderland.
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Buy some paints or crayons and draw whatever your hand wants you to.
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Listen to music, and imagine the story behind the musical notes.
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Create an imaginary world where ever you are.
10. 1Write your own fantasy story. 11. Take time out to visit an imaginary world. Allow yourself to be enthralled and enchanted by your own imagination. Start dreaming about possibilities. Enjoy simple things. Rediscover your energy and power. Rekindle an enthusiasm for life. careersuccess • issue 4
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Problem: Lisa Pyne-Mercier is a detail orientated go-getter who enjoys a challenge and has a thirst for knowledge, new things and likes to be different. Contact her on ltd_pyne@mweb.co.za
I work for a boss who travels extensively, and I virtually run his office. What I started off doing and what I do now is really different – I am far more an office manager than his secretary. The time has come for a raise. Please advise me how best to approach him on the subject and sell myself as an office manager that he can no longer do without?
Solution: Understanding who you are and what drives you; who others are and what drives them is the first step in getting closer to what you want. No, this is not manipulation; it’s about understanding, yourself and others.
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Firstly – you should know your own personal behavioral style (D.I.S.C) and hopefully you can identify the boss’s style as well (see chart on the next page). Understanding how others ‘tic’ is the first step in the right direction.
Let’s assume… •
You are a I-Style and the CEO is a D-Style
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Your skill sets match the requirements of the advertised post
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This fits in line with your career goals
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You have taken the time to properly plan for the interview
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This is what you truly desire, and can see yourself in this position for the long haul
The Interview with your Boss During the interview, he could ask “… so why do you want this new title and raise?...” This is your opportunity to ‘Sell yourself.’ •
Give evidence that you have taken the necessary steps to develop the required skill sets for the position
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Discuss your career plan in detail, showing that this move is part of your personal career path
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State why you thought that you are the best person for the position by
indicating your strengths. •
Ask for the position and raise
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Say “… it’s OK if you tell me that I don’t really qualify for the position…. I’m OK with a ‘NO’ answer”. What this does is, it takes the pressure off the CEO to say that you do, thereby relaxing both of you.
During the interview Know when to keep quiet – a huge mistake many people make is that they think that because a conversation has come to a lull they need to keep on talking and they usually ‘sell themselves out of the position’. All conversations, presentations, and interviews have natural occurring lulls, some intentional - others not. Some find these lull’s uncomfortable. Don’t – silence is core to good negotiation, because someone is compelled to fill it – it doesn’t have to be you! A lull is not a sign that something must be said. It’s a sign to wait. To think. Think! If you have to speak, ask an openended question. Where there is no “yes” or “no” answer. So you could start with “… is there something you …” or “… help me understand ….”, then wait for a response. The end of the interview When you get a ‘NO’ answer – that is a good thing. Now you have the opportunity to Sell yourself all over again. This is the opportunity for you
to say “…off the record … since you have decided that I am not the person for the position what are you looking for…?” I know that this will take some large brass nuts to say, but if you don’t ask, you will never know. The information you get will be valuable. By adding the assumption that you are not going to get the position, the CEO sees the future of the position without you… what does this position really need? Is this the position you’re looking for? Stating with “off the record” allows both parties to relax and talk openly,“off the record” helps achieve the goal of getting the necessary information you need to understand, what the CEO’s concerns are and also, compels the CEO to bring the future into the present. For a discounted administration fee learn about your own Behavioral Style. Follow the My Disk Style link on www.gauteng1.sandler.com
Here is an abbreviated version to help you understand the different behavioural styles
D.I.S.C
Dominant
Influence Influencer Entrepreneur Impulsive
Steady Relater
Compliant Level-Headed Analyst
Description
Slave DRIVER
Appearance
Business-like
Fashionable
Casual
Formal
They focus on
Efficiency
Expressiveness
Friendliness
Detail
Decision making
Decisive
Impulsive
Consultative
Deliberate
Memorabilia Modern to futuristic Talking point pictures
Family snapshots Plants Homely atmosphere
Functional Charts Graphs
Control
Participation/Socialization
Stability
Accuracy
Dictatorial
Sarcastic and disorganized
Submissive
Withdrawn
Office Décor
Goal Under Stress... becomes
To succeed you need to
Status Conscious Large Desk and chair Awards
Supporter
Compliant
Provide direct answers
Be friendly and not sulk
Be sincere and agreeable
Be diplomatic
Brief and to the point
Be prepared to switch your priorities
Show sincere interest in them
Be aware of all the facts
Focus on WHEN? Questions
Focus on WHO? Questions
Focus on HOW? Questions
Focus on WHY? Questions
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2011, the year that was... The Institute for Certified Administrative Professionals (ICAP) encourage employers to investigate the benefits of the CAP® programme to an overall secretarial training plan. The rating facilitates professional growth and development, encourage pride in the secretarial / office professional role and provide holders of the above ratings with a constructive stepping stone to managerial responsibility. The CAP® rating is the achievement of the internationally recognised standard of proficiency as a professional secretary or office professional. The CAP® qualification will enable secretaries to reach a professional standard never previously available in this country. ICAP is the authorized, licensed, exclusive agent for the International Association of Administrative Professionals® in administering the Certified Administrative Professional® (CAP®) programme in South Africa Contact Telephone: 011 432 6841 Fax: 0861 179 688 Email: info@capinstittute.co.za Website: www.online-at-icap.com
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2011 was a busy year for everyone, with new technologies breaking ground and other technologies not able to keep up with public demand. Office professionals seem to be keeping up with the trends and nowadays most emails are responded to by Blackberry or IPAD 24/7! The Certified Administrative Professional programme (CAP) administered by the Institute for Certified Administrative Professionals (ICAP) went through changes in 2011. These changes were implemented to ensure that the programme meets the demanding needs and challenges of the workplace of today. Keeping your skills and knowledge up-to-date is key in today’s working world. The office professional of today is moving towards being a partner to the boss and is often required to take on additional tasks and challenges in order to achieve the goals of the company. It is important to move outside your comfort zone and take on challenges in new areas to keep yourself a vital player in the partnership.
The International Certification ICAP offers the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) programme and the specialty exam “Organisational Management” to Executive Secretaries, Personal Assistants, Secretaries and Administrators in South Africa. These examinations are set to test the knowledge and skills of the office professional in all aspects of the business, stretching the office professional to learn more than the ‘norm’. The rating testifies to the competence of the office professional in the workplace. Other speciality exams will be offered in the near future. In the past ICAP assisted the students with a 5-day pre-examination workshop. However, we found that being out of the office for 5 days proved to be more of a hindrance than a help to the student. In 2011, ICAP decided to move the pre-examination seminar ONLINE!! The CAP and OM pre-examination workshops are now offered over a period of 17 weeks. Each
week the student receives a set of notes, a practice test and a revision crossword which they can do in their own time and at their own pace. The tests and crosswords are to get the student comfortable with the terminology and the way the exams are presented so there are no surprises at exam time. The only time the student needs to be out of the office, would be to write the exams at one of ICAPs exam centres. In the May 2011 exams 13 students achieved their CPS/CAP rating. Congratulations goes to the following graduates for putting in all the hard work, sweat and tears to pass the exams: Charlene Gordon CAP (Allan Gray Limited) Deadre Bekker CAP (Exxaro Mining) Lara Aldridge-Tucker CAP (Murray & Roberts) Lizelle Minnie CAP (ABSA) Marion Prins CAP (Stellenbosch University) Mary van Staden CAP (Mining Consultancy Services) Michelle Machet CAP (FNB) Monique Botha CAP (ABSA) Nanda Hoffman CAP (City of Johannesburg) Nicole Crow CPS (Stellenbosch University) Sandra Ferreira CAP (PGWC) Sharon Povey CAP (ABSA) Tania Marneweck CAP (Kelly)
...ICAP would like to make 2012 even better The ICAP Indaba
Once the CAP rating has been achieved, graduates need to recertify every 5 years in order to keep themselves active and show that they have done continuous education in order to keep themselves up to date with the workplace.
For the past 5 years ICAP has brought the Annual ICAP Indaba to the office professionals of South Africa. In 2011, ICAP decided to hold their first Confex (Conference and Exhibition).
Congratulations also go to the following graduates for recertifying in May 2011: • Annelise Leopard CAP • Rosemary Mofolo CAP • Teresa Cotterell CAP
With exhibitors such as Square Forests, Pyramid Day Spa, Options in Training, Kelly and Ergo-tilt it marked the beginning of a new tradition for the ICAP Indaba.
The IAAP Johannesburg Chapter at Large In February 2010 the first international chapter at large was installed. Since then the Chapter has held various networking events for administrative professionals. The aim of the Chapter is for likeminded office professionals to meet and to share their knowledge and skills. The Chapter would also like to raise awareness of the profession in the workplace. The theme for 2011/2012 of the International Association for Administrative Professionals (IAAP) is “Making the Leap to Remarkable” and therefore the Chapter decided to build on a mentoring project and start a bursary scheme for a deserved student. Being a non-profit organisation, the Chapter however realised that it would be imperative to find sponsors and office professionals who are willing to assist in the education of those who are unable to pay for a higher certificate in Office Administration. For more information on how you can get involved with the IAAP Johannesburg Chapter at Large please contact the chapter on info@iaap-johannesburg.org
The Institute for Certified Administrative Professionals will be hosting their sixth annual ICAP Indaba with an Office Exhibition on 16-17 May 2012 at the Gold Reef City Casino Convention Centre. The aim of the Indaba is to bring office professionals up to speed with current topics in the workplace and to showcase
the products and services that are available to them to in order to make their working days more productive and fun!
The Institute for Certified Administrative Professionals (ICAP) wish you all the best for the rest of 2011 and a wonderful new year and 2012.
For more information on the ICAP Indaba and Office Expo 2012, please contact Kelly on 011 432 6841 or email kelly@ capinstitute.co.za careersuccess • issue 4
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Volume 24 Issue 4
The Power of Relationships The 3 poison bowls that kill leadership potential Why contemporary bosses still need a PA!
PLUS Meet the new Boss of the Year
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lunch hour
Try these brain teasers… brainfun Puzzle 1 Why did the man throw a bucket of water out the window? Puzzle 2 Why did the man put the clock in the safe? Puzzle 3 What has a neck but, no head?
brainbasher What did zero say to eight? “I don’t care if it’s Christmas! Take it off!”
gotcha puzzle What begins with T, ends with T and has T in it?
brainteaser What are the two strongest days of the week?
Solutions on the right panel
“You’ll never get to the office New Year party now, so look on the bright side - you’ll be the only one at work tomorrow who won’t have a hangover! ” Source: www.brainbashers.com
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Puzzle 1 He wanted to see the waterfall. • Puzzle 2 He wanted to save time. • Puzzle 3 A bottle.• Brainbasher Nice belt. (The 8 looks like a 0 with a belt around its waist.)• Gotcha Puzzle A teapot.• Brainteaser They are Saturday and Sunday. All the others are weak (week) days.
sharpen your creative thinking skills