People Dynamics - July/August 2020 by People Dynamics

WWW.IPM.CO.ZA JULY - AUGUST 2020 VOL46 NO.13

ROLE

MODELLING

WOMEN ON THE GRIND STRATEGIES FOR AGILITY

Emerging from

MENTAL H E A LT H

PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE

LOCKDOWN J O U R N A L

O F

T H E

I N S T I T U T E

O F

P E O P L E

M A N A G E M E N T

Ed’s Note

People Dynamics is the official journal of the Institute of People Management (IPM). The IPM is dedicated to the effective development of human potential.

Ed’s Note

n IPM’s 75th Anniversary, the Institute is intent on enjoying 75 more healthy and successful years. We, therefore, stand committed to safeguarding workplace health as we continue with the fight to sustain jobs. So, you guessed it, we are going virtual with “our date”! We are talking about the HR Event of the Year, the 2020 IPM Convention, now scheduled for 16-19 November. While taking nothing from Sun City’s world class hospitality and impressive safety compliance, your call for a conservative approach to hosting this year’s event could not be ignored. We look forward to what the organisers promise to be a most exciting IPM Convention yet! Not only for the potent program content and ever-impressive speaker line-up (see pages 2025), but for the immersion into what one of the delegates refers to as “a mystic world of surreal networking”. As “people” persons we agree that nothing beats physical connection, but we are primed to the benefits of virtual conferencing, which include a more intense focus on the content during presentations, and a swifter, more targeted networking on the high-tech convention platform. With the world brought into one gallery, it is also great to have global participants who otherwise might not have been able to join us. Staying safe. Staying positive. Having endured hard lockdown from 27 March, with barely a reprieve with Alert Level 4, we welcome Level 3 for the ability of more industries to get back on stream. We have come this far, with lots of gains to show as a country. PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

The scare of hospitals bursting at seams with patients has been averted, thanks to consistent cooperation from all parties. We have an immense responsibility to help organisations find their footing and employees to shake off the dread of uncertainty regarding the future. We’ve always known there would be casualties with this pandemic, but we can do much to minimise job losses. We face an uphill as we consult, reason or negotiate for reduced time, temporary wage cuts, earlier retirements, rotations and deferred increases, but we soldier on to keep as many jobs safe as possible. Successful adaptations to survive past the 2020 pandemic into “destination 2030” hinge on the quality of our people and the culture we have cultivated in our organisations, as we can see on pages 16-19. We may also have to revisit how our businesses are organised to make the most of remote operations and new market opportunities, as well as to get more attuned with our customers and major stakeholders. Reshaping and right-sizing organisations (pages 20-25) may well mean letting go of certain units, but what happens to the people in those units could serve to bolster the competitive edge and long-term success of the organisation. So, don’t just purge, redirect and repurpose. Of course, it is the season! On pages 12-15, we celebrate the backbone of society – the force that keeps all facets of society running. Women! We reflect on the journeys of some of our courageous female pioneers, against the backdrop of human-made challenges. Bathi Imbokodo!

In terms of fast-emerging global challenges, it is critical to champion the strategic role of human resources and to acknowledge that both development and management are catalysts for growth. In the spirit of progress and support, the IPM provides members with effective leadership and access to appropriate knowledge, information and the opportunity to network with key local and international players. People Dynamics provides a forum for debate and discussion on all issues affecting HR practitioners in South Africa, the African continent and beyond. People Dynamics is distributed to all members of the IPM and to other key decisionmakers in the industry. To receive People Dynamics regularly and enjoy additional benefits – including discounts on HR-related services and professional networking events - contact Welile Mabaso on welile@ipm. co.za. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the IPM. ISSN No - 1019-6196

AFRICAN HUMAN RESOURCES CONFEDERATION

CONTENTS HRM Survey & Strategy

Employment Law

Emerging from Lockdown - Covid-Repsonse and Forward Strategies

No Retrenchment Shortcuts, Pandemic or Not

Health & Wellness

Management Vigilance to Support the Most Vulnerable

Women Empowerment

In Celebration of Women

Organisational Design

Organisational Agility for Long-Term Success

Organisational Design

Industry Development

Role Modelling

Are you Stepping Up?

Draft Programme

Organisational Structure Reimagined

Mining Deeper - A Mainstay Industry facing 41R and Resource Challenge?

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

HRM Survey & Strategy

Emerging From Lockdown Covid-Response and Forward Strategies Known for being circumspect, HR has evidently moved swiftly to help organisations stay safe, sane and sustained during the pandemic. BY: GARY TAYLOR

s we head towards some form of post-lockdown normal, people are making broad statements like “Nothing will be the same again”. But, what does this mean? What are other companies doing or considering doing now, when we are not sure about the length of the Corona “tail” going forward. Willis Towers Watson published a survey in May this year, drawn from the responses of 212 companies, of which a third operate in multiple countries. The results of this COVID-19 survey which will interest HR practitioners, particularly the policy changes facing SA organisations. A staggering 78% of companies expect COVID-19 to have a moderate to large impact on their businesses over the next few months, and up to 2 years from now! As a result, 30% companies have already reduced the workweek, with a further 11% actively planning action, and still a further 27% considering it. A similar number of companies are curtailing various other Employee programs. However, not all companies are responding in the same way. While 41% have already or are still busy implementing increases in training PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

to reskill staff, 34% have gone the other way to cut (or plan cuts in) training. Has your organization considered both the value and the cost of training & development in your Covid-19 response? If you haven’t given thought to performance targets, 35% have already adjusted these, while 43% are actively considering it. In a highly volatile short-to-medium term future, you will need to re-think your performance management system very carefully. Unattainable targets will be demotivating, but carefully adjusted goals with aggressive incentives could be just what you need to pull the organisation ahead of your competitors. Labour Cost Management Strategies

The survey reveals that companies have not been slow in developing responses to manage labour costs. Within 2 months of lockdown, 76% of companies have frozen or reduced hiring, 46% have reduced seasonal workers and half of the respondents are in some phase of restructuring to meet the future. Besides headcount, there are some very targeted cost management strategies being utilised:

HRM Survey & Strategy

indicates that employers have had to respond with work flexibility, but will this continue post-Covid? Comment: I am old enough to have lived through the “Dot Com revolution” when Futurists told us the days of the office were over, and everyone would be working from home. In reality, many large & even global hi-tech companies reversed this “trend” as being an over-reaction. Productivity was not necessarily better, clients did not always embrace it, collaboration seemed to work better face-to-face, and we pretty much slipped back into large office environments with some reluctant flexibility by employers. But COVID-19 just forced the issue, globally, and pretty much at the same time for us all. Zoom and Teams communication is used by 91% of employers, whether they like it or not, and e-Meetings certainly must have a long-term future. But, while it is tempting to assume that the old normal is gone forever, be careful about giving up that office lease too quickly, and do your “new normal” scenario research objectively, not aspirationally. While you are still working out the future workplace, HR’s role will almost certainly be to construct employment contracts which cater for flexible working hours, partial working from home, parttime and temp options, and considerably more individual choice in benefits packages. If you go as far as formal restructuring, be aware that the survey reflects a whopping 47% of companies are looking to reduce senior management posts, 39% to reduce functions in corporate, and a third to make cuts in operations and sales/business development functions. At the same time, it is pleasing to see that employers have recognised the stress being encountered by their staff. An impressive 88% have put some measures in place to ensure that their employees feel supported at this time. 43% of companies are now promoting Employee Assistance Programs & Counselling, or enhance other wellbeing programs. Most employers have now provided support in the form of computers at home, bandwidth and mobile phones, whereas only 2% of these employers already had this flexibility when we went into lockdown. This means that a lot of plans have been made on the fly, and that is quite a lesson. Interestingly, 72% of employers have not built in a fixed end-date for these alternative work arrangements. Coming Out of Lockdown

• Delay the date of salary reviews • Reduce Board compensation • Salary freeze for all • Salary reductions • Early retirements Given the fact that this is a no-fault crisis, a quarter of employers have offered voluntary unpaid leave and other voluntary alternative reduction arrangements, such as reduced working hours. If you do not have experience in such voluntary programs, I would caution about how to implement them. You can be faced with your most valuable and irreplaceable staff applying for this, and then you are faced with the problem of declining their offer, and fall-out from this. Alternative Working Arrangements

A massive 76% of employers have introduced alternative work arrangements (such as work from home) and a further 15% had plans to do so in May, and have probably also done so by now. This clearly

Willis Towers Watson have put together a Human Capital Roadmap to assist their clients in navigating their way through the fluid postlockdown period with a systematic methodology. Here are just some of the issues we will need to work through: • If you are affected by quarantined staff absences during this time, are you treating it as special leave (paid or unpaid), vacation leave or sick leave? Can you justify why? • If you have reduced salaries or benefits during the crisis, do you re-set the old ones at some time in the future? • What if a possible post-COVID boom materialises in 2021? • What is the role of your Board’s Remuneration Committee in guiding these emergency changes in compensation & benefits? • If you have changed performance targets, bonuses and salary review periods, how and when do you return to normal? The 2020 year will probably not be remembered fondly by many. The chaos of enforced lockdown is giving way to varied forms of returnto-normal. Strategically-focused organisations will have to lift their horizons out of the immediate crisis to concurrently plan for a very uncertain future. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Employment Law

NO RETRENCHMENT SHORTCUTS,

Pandemic or Not BY: PD LEGAL CORRESPONDENT

Fearing costs related to what may be viewed as protracting the inevitable is no excuse to cut corners in a retrenchment process.

PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

etrenchments may be a big part of the new normal, but this does not give employers the license to retrench at will. When an employer contemplates retrenching employees it is strictly required by the Labour Relations Act (LRA) to consult first about this prospect before making any decision to retrench. Where the relevant employees belong to a trade union the employer is required to consult with that union on a number of issues, the most important of which is any means of avoiding job losses. There are various reasons that retrenchment consultations may fail to take place or may fail to comply with the requirements of the LRA. These include: â&#x20AC;˘ The employer was unaware of its legal obligation to consult with the employees/union. Some employers are aware of the requirement to consult but are not aware of the role of the

Employment Law

be reduced before the conclusion of the sale 3. The employer may have no money to pay salaries during a consultation exercise (which exercise may be very protracted especially where the employer has more than 50 employees). The employer may therefore need to curtail retrenchment consultations. Once again, none of these reasons will be accepted by the courts as an excuse for failure to consult fully and properly. • Where the employer has truly exhausted every effort to locate and contact the union without success it may consider the possibility of consultation with the employees or shop stewards directly. In the case of Numsa vs Ascoreg (CLL Vol.12 July 2008) the Labour Court found that the employer could consult directly with the employees where the union refused to consult. However, the employer will need solid proof of such trade union refusal as consultation with employees instead of their union is forbidden under normal circumstances. • The trade union may be purposely delaying the consultation process. If a court finds that the union unreasonably delayed the consultation process the courts may well refuse to find against the employer despite the implementation of retrenchments without proper consultations. However, the law clearly gives the employer the onus of ensuring, as far as it possibly can, that proper consultations take place. Therefore, despite difficulties in getting the union to cooperate, the employer must do everything in its power to gain the union’s cooperation. It is only where the employer has proved that the union has been unreasonably uncooperative despite the employer’s best efforts that the courts may excuse the employer for retrenching without union consultations. The employer’s duty to consult before retrenching lies at the heart of the employer’s duty to ensure procedural fairness. Despite the numerous and varied obstacles to the achievement of proper consultations the employer is likely to find that failure to consult (or to consult properly) extremely costly from a legal point of view. On the other hand, where the retrenchments are delayed due to hold ups in consultations this could be equally as costly from a salary bill point of view. The costliness of failure to consult was highlighted in Woolworths (Pty) Ltd v South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union and others [2017] 12 BLLR 1217 (LAC). The Labour Appeal Court found that the employer could have considered, as an alternative to retrenchment of 92 employees, the freezing of future wage increases. While there was no knowing how such an alternative might have turned out, the employer’s failure to consider it was enough to find that a reasonable alternative to dismissal had not been considered. It followed that the dismissal was unfair. union or of the extent of the consultation requirements. It can also happen that the employer is not aware of the fact that the employees have joined a union. It is not likely that any of these reasons will suffice as an acceptable excuse for the employer’s failure to consult. This is because employers are required to find out about what they do not know. • The employer may have urgent reasons for needing to retrench such as: 1. Dire financial circumstances threatening the immediate survival of the business 2. A pressing need to get rid of employees pending a hastily arranged takeover by another entity. The prospective buyer may have set a very tight deadline for the date of the takeover and may have made it a condition of the deal that workforce numbers

The Court ordered the employer to pay each of the employee’s compensation equal to 12 months’ remuneration. Employers are therefore advised to obtain advice from a reputable labour law expert on: • The requirements of the law regarding retrenchment consultations • How to prepare for and conduct retrenchment consultations • How to overcome obstacles to legally compliant consultations without unduly delaying the completion of the retrenchment exercise. If Covid-19 has affected your business and you are unsure how to proceed with your employees, place the matter in the hands of experts rather than navigate a treacherous minefield. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Health & Wellness

Management Vigilance

to Support the Most Vulnerable N

o one could quite predict the trauma that the Corona Pandemic has brought to the country. While many have adapted to the physical management of the virus, there is a growing number of people buckling under the weight, mentally. We’ve welcomed insights and advice from various experts in the field of mental health and behavioural science and share these in this article. As human resource practitioners and people custodians, we are responsible for the wellbeing and wellness of the workforce, whether people are physically at work or not. This responsibility may be shared with outsourced health and wellness specialists. We are duty-bound to direct employees to the most appropriate channels, and to alert line management to tell-tale signs of health issues that might arise among their teams.

situations make them most susceptible to stress and mental health issues, and for organisations to offer relevant type of support to see them through the ravaging effects of the pandemic. Our organisational wellness round table has identified the following groups as vulnerable: • low-income earners • employees in insecure jobs • employees whose work ability is compromised by lockdown • employees with health conditions that may be exacerbated by Covid infection • employees with the highest proximity to the virus Building a Strong Base

Vulnerable Categories

Line managers generally have the proximity and, therefore, the opportunity to identify any changes in the behaviour that might signal stress and an onset of mental health problems among direct reports. They are advised to pay particular attention to groups whose PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

Most managers are already well aware of health issues suffered by people in their care. While essential that organisations identify vulnerable employees and address their unique circumstances under a pandemic threat, it is paramount that all employees be well-briefed and fortified mentally about the realities of the virus and ways in

Health & Wellness

National Government, NICD and WHO. We covered essentials such as maintaining a virus-free environment and creating own home safety protocols to make adherence easy for all age groups.” Steeling the Minds

“We find that employees need to be aware of the full range of best case to worst case scenarios without any hyping. They need to be mentally prepared for different eventualities: to be physically prepared for the imminent, most likely or inevitable events like working productively at home, home schooling, prolonged distancing from predisposed members, but also think of worst cases such as an indefinite job freeze, a sickness complication and even a loss of a loved one. We have found that having everyone making practical arrangements - building some cushion around themselves and their families - gave them a feeling of empowerment and some measure of control over their lives.” Focus on Vulnerable Groups Low-income Earners

Among these are unskilled general workers. This group is likely to suffer anxiety relating to limited funds and curtailed opportunities. Lockdown would likely restrict exposure to various departments and obliterate any hope of gaining more responsibility and therefore, improved income from work. For those in physical office support and maintenance, there would be no working from home. Having no work computer access and therefore exposed to less corporate communication and camaraderie, this group’s anxiety will be further induced by isolation. Casual Workers

which they need to protect themselves and their families. Countering Fear with Knowledge

Accurate information, education and pre-intervention counselling have proven effective for avoiding unnecessary panic and stress in the workplace. Many organisations report success with this initial step – most having rolled out prior to lockdown. Counselling proved particularly essential where organisations faced suspended operations or irrecoverable losses that impact jobs. “We invited different experts to tackle questions from staff. The town hall mainly addressed more personal interest issues such as personal protection and safety, general work life in a Covid world, family life challenges, coping with adult-kids’ competing needs, tips on keeping up with school work, managing social media and avoiding news overkill, filling up one’s day with hobbies, exercise, healthy contact with friends and extended family and supporting the elderly and infirm relatives at home or away.” “Our early sessions factored practical health & safety instructions and advice adapted from local and international portals, including

Long prior to Covid-19, South Africa has been hit by an economic downturn where many companies had resorted to temps or on-demand workers to meet unpredictable demand for their services. This group of workers, if skilled within your industry, may be reliant on your ad-hoc stints. Hit by Covid-19 in the middle of such stints or projects they would be among the most anxious as they lack certainty on when or whether they can return to work and make a living. Both these aforementioned groups might suffer the loss of whatever other informal sources of income usually used to supplement their precarious earnings. Hence Covid would have obliterated any sense of financial stability they might have felt. Being closest to the bottom of the ladder, these two groups easily fall off management’s radar in times of such events. The most vulnerable are those employees engaged on an on-demand basis. When operational discussions are held and provisions are being made for divisions or departments, they lack line sponsorship just as they miss out on ongoing mentoring and reassurance that full-time employees might enjoy from line managers. Back on the Radar

In the absence of a dedicated line manager or corporate service focal points, the HR office has the responsibility to look out for the organisations’ “homeless”. It is prudent and humane to guide them to appropriate government channels equipped to support them during the pandemic. Smarter organisations have elected to offer on-demand workers on their database, at the barest minimum, the equivalent of the government grant whether called to work or not during the pandemic. This saves them from potential viral exposure in long queues, and buys organisations an amount of goodwill among the beneficiaries. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Health & Wellness

“Although our temps are paid an hourly wage as they work, we committed to offering them a monthly advance in the form of the minimum wage over the pandemic. Some have already worked that off as we did deep cleansing and alterations in preparation for staff coming back for office-based operations”, points out Corporate HR Advisor, Patrick Sturgeon. Now, that’s Ubuntu! Giggers and Professional Contractors

Like on-demand employees mentioned, these individuals suffer anxieties of unpredictable income. The difference is that, due to typical giggers’ qualifications and market demand, most earn higher than the previous group. What makes them particularly vulnerable is that while income fluctuates with a potential of drying up over Covid-19, most in this group maintain their professions off a heavy set of overheads that is payable monthly. Although flagged among the vulnerable groups, one HR Intern suggests that qualified professionals would be more resilient to mental issues than non-qualified groups. “It takes special mental strength for someone to opt to venture out on their own when their credentials qualify them for a more secure job,” he surmises “To be fair, in our practice we see very few cases of anxiety matched to this particular profile,” admitted one mental health specialist. In No-Man’s Land

It is not surprising, then, that governments prioritise “the poorest of the poor” when offering support to alleviate Covid impact. Yet, commenting on low recorded cases matching certain groups, one analyst suggests a possible gap in health and wellness statistics. She supposes that less cases being seen or recorded in impacted groups may point to individuals’ lack of access and less uptake of mental health services. “Without a line manager to pick up vulnerability or altered behaviour and refer the person for an intervention, or for the lack of employer group scheme or a medical aid that supports mental health consultations, there’s a chance such people also fall off the count,” she cautions. While testing these assumptions may prove challenging, organisations ought to have feelers out for independent contractors associated with them. The best way is by providing proactive communique about operations or projects they support in the organisation, and share short-term plans and long-term prospects regarding work so that they are not held in suspense which can lead to untenable stress. Notwithstanding individuals’ status with the organisations, as HR we need to ensure that safety nets are in place, if to ensure that we are not left burdened by their health issues or social needs. It is one thing to try justify the independence of a contractor, as one Taxi Hailing company so costly tried, and quite another to ensure that all so-called independent contractors have made sufficient provisions of their own, for times of need. Living with Disabilities

Vulnerable groups will include people with disabilities – physical or otherwise. If the office has been set up to “enable” or alleviate ability restrictions, such facilities may not be accessible at home. If feeling limited and unable to contribute while their colleagues can operate from home, these individuals may experience significant levels of stress, especially if they live on their own. PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

Old vs New Disability

Those in this group who have coped longer with physical disabilities are said to show higher stress threshold. One behaviourist suggests that this could be “owing to the fact that they’ve had to steel themselves for a life of challenges and trials early on. They have probably seen their work life as an extra lease of life, for which they should be grateful. This state of mind helps in overcoming fresh challenges in life, like a pandemic eruption. If, however, an individual sees holding a job and getting up for work every day as a validation or a crutch – excuse the pun, this might pose a challenge.” It is advisable that organisations investigate appropriate support for diff-abled employees in consultation with the respective Disability Body. This will help employees to continue making a contribution. If their work in the organisation is totally impeded, the employee might be open to offering remote support services for their member Body or another NGO to stay productive and mentally occupied. Feeling needed and being useful goes a long way to combating mental health issues and keeping depression at bay. Health and Age Plagued

Other vulnerable groups are those declared to be at high risk of infection – with low rate of recoveries. These are senior employees – 60+ age group, and those with chronic ailments regarded as “comorbidities”. While the most rational thing would be to roll out early retirement to those who qualify among these, limited activity during lockdown might induce depression from a sense of worthlessness. “We found that, sadly, despite precarious health or advanced years, many employees in this group are still breadwinners supporting multiple generations in the family. Their anxiety stems not only from the prospect of inactivity and failure to provide fully for themselves, but from failing their dependents and being perceived as a burden.” In these cases, a good balance would need to be struck between organisational interests and individuals’ wellbeing. So if the organisation is operational throughout lockdown, affected individuals could be weaned slowly and gently from the organisation. We see seniors easing off slowly – e.g. handling a self-contained project from home, only participating in monthly or bi-weekly updates. Others operate “on call”, to trouble shoot or coach colleagues as and when needed. It is best to find what works best in your organisation, based on factors such as individuals’ health condition, home and family circumstances, organisational responsibilities, mental preparedness or susceptibility to mental issues. Happy vs Reluctant Retirees

Some among this group may already have been contemplating a different “life after the organisation”, long prior to Covid-19, and may be happy to be home to build on their plans. Such people would likely show a fair amount of resilience against the pandemic and its negative work impact, unlike those feeling “pushed out” by circumstances with no pension plans or sufficient provisions made in advance. The latter may have been nursing hopes of boosting their nest egg from a last couple of cheques. For others, anxiety may not be so much financially driven as it is ambition-driven. Those with “unfinished business” - projects they initiated but have to abandon, may be severely distressed. Without strong family infrastructure, these members stand at the precipice of depression. Not only have high anxiety and stress levels been

Health & Wellness

recorded among such ones, but many of them started presenting with health issues that had not been registered before the pandemic, including hypertension, heart failure, certain types of diabetes and multiple organ failure. Safeguarding Legacies

While little may be done once health has faded away, assigning understudies and allowing those with failing health to work remotely with people who not only share their vision and passion, but who can see their work to success may lift their spirits and keep them mentally strong. Certainly, for organisations investing in proactive people empowerment, ongoing coaching and succession planning, selecting youngsters to take up the baton from this vulnerable group will be much easier than in those where critical projects are entrusted to individuals or run in silos. All those affected in the cases covered so far, although vulnerable, might still enjoy some physical distance from the disease. And, with family and community support they might escape contact and the worst impact of the Corona pandemic. Not so with the next group. Coalface Personnel

The next group deserves not just the attention and support of HR and line management, but they deserve the care and backing of the entire nation. No amount of physical resources, emotional support or motivation is too much to help shield this group from becoming Covid-19 casualties. We are referring to the soldiers at the forefront of the war against the pandemic – the front-line staff who provide fulltime medical care and essential support services to patients during the pandemic. Aside, of course, from those already afflicted, this group has to absorb a most stressful existence, facing a living hell and staring death in the face every day. Their anxiety emanates from concerns about their own safety as well as that of patients in their care. On top of this, there is the fear of taking the virus home and exposing their loved ones to death they didn’t sign up for. Whereas dealing with disease is nothing new for health professionals, the urgency and despair associated with the devastating effects of Covid-19 makes the pandemic an extraordinary case. The absence of a vaccine or known antidotes brings the threat of death closer than ever in every case being handled in the health facilities. War-zone Complications

While equipped with high stress threshold, thanks to adrenalin rush experienced by anyone working in front-line emergency services, this group is highly susceptible to negative stress, on-going trauma, grief and what UCSF professor Shira Maguen refers to as “moral injury”. This emanates from dilemma’s relating to having to make difficult life or death choices e.g. offering a ventilator to one patient and not the other while both need it only for the latter to die, or focusing on saving patients at the expense of supporting needy colleagues. This may lead to prolonged grieving and unshakable post-traumatic-stressdisorder. This is not unlike what soldiers experience in combat - faced with simultaneous attack-and defend scenario. As they strive to stay safe and save their compatriots’ lives, they have to be launching attack upon attack to subdue and eliminate the enemy. Any perceived failure encountered during the battle, in particular a loss of a fellow soldier while they survive leaves them reeling, feeling personally responsible for failure to save them.

Expanding on PTSD, one psychiatrist cautions: “People who survive traumatic events often feel like unworthy cheats for having been ones to live when others (equally deserving in their minds) have died. Moral injury, like PTSD, if not professionally treated, can be a lifetime affliction.” Different interventions such as provision of cheerful pause areas, recreation and refreshment rooms, meditation sanctuaries, holding pre-shift prayer meetings, and organising outdoor group dance sessions are but some examples hospital-based HR practitioners shared with us to alleviate stress and relieve coal-face employees of trauma. Front-line health workers need organisations, government authorities and all citizens to pull all stops to support them - whether they have been assigned to quarantine sites, hospitals, clinics, homes for the aged and infirm or at our own places of work. Frontline Safety First

Providing sufficient protective gear and strict protocols for this group at work and at home, to safeguard their family health and allay fear is paramount. Should they get sick, front-line health workers are entitled to priority medical help and care to ensure that the country’s health system doesn’t buckle. The combination of uncertainty, limited knowledge, resource scarcity and the threat of death during the early days of Covid-19 triggered wide panic among frontline workers. While we believe that virologists and infection specialists know best and can categorise protection quality according to appropriate risk levels, it is hard to expect such rationale to just filter through and allay fears on the ground. Of course, matters of PPE quality are not an HR speciality, but as people custodians, we need to be at the forefront of employee welfare and engagement, sharing the weight of care and communication with duly qualified clinical specialists. Appreciating that early Covid days were a scramble for scarce resources world wide, a rationing according to risk was necessary. It is poor communication that made it difficult for health workers and patients to completely put trust in our health officials. Safeguarding our Environment

Apart from looking out for vulnerable groups, the organisation has the responsibility to maintain a virus-free work environment. If not already in place, dedicated officials should be charged to investigate and immediately eliminate any possible sources of infection or contamination. And when an infection case is under investigation, tracing of all contacts is imperative to ensure that the rest of the employees are safe, and, where there are doubts, risks or predisposition – to arrange self-quarantine! Managing the panic and avoiding chaos can be difficult where an incident is suspected. Human resources executives report that partnering with an array of onsite and offsite professionals, such as occupational health specialists, medical practitioners, psychologists and others to manage workplace health, alleviates the anxiety by providing assurance and reassurance. Based on the fact that Covid-19 test kits are limited and prioritised for -, or facilitated through hospitals, our best defence in the workplace becomes strict avoidance and foolproof safety protocols. As always, prevention is far better, cheaper and less painful than administering a cure. So, let’s keep our workplace safe and our employees well. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Women Empowerment

As we embrace who we are and harness our intrinsic power, we unleash our true potential - S.S. Khantsetso

In Celebration of Women

PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

Women Empowerment

hese words are true for all of us and have significance particularly for women. Instead of being threatened by views that would deny us from expressing our true self we should gracefully and confidently assert our unique qualities and abilities. This calls for moral courage and it is gratifying when women despite all the disproportionate impositions that they have to contend with rise up to the occasion and express their unique qualities. This article seeks to honour this calibre of women with a special focus with those who have a significant contribution to the advancement of people and HRM in South Africa. But first let’s look at the context. It is now common cause that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to its knees, socially, economically, politically and otherwise with women and the vulnerable groups across the globe bearing the brunt. Adding salt to the injury in the South African context, has been what the South African President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa has referred to as the second pandemic: Gender-Based-Violence (GBV). Statistics show that GBV affects women disproportionately as compared to men and this trend has been on the increase despite global protests and outcries voiced through social media hashtags and community marches. Reports from various sources indicate that the situation has worsened since the introduction of lockdowns owing to those that are vulnerable being trapped at home with abusers. GBV knows no social, cultural, racial, class or geographic boundaries, yet sadly, most suffer in silence despite outreach programmes that are there in the market but not easily accessible. With so much anger and frustration brewing in our communities leading to the “Women’s Month”, it is no surprise that Cape Townbased activist, Lucinda Evans thinks “South Africa has nothing to celebrate when women are still unsafe in the country and the women of 2020 are still enslaved!” Notwithstanding the wretched realities we face, there is always something worth celebrating in the world of women. It may not be an absolute freedom, but we need to treasure and celebrate freedom of the mind. It may not be guaranteed economic security, but the dependability of what nature endows in resources, sustenance and genuine human companionships. And despite trials we face in society and even in the workplace, we have each other to lean on and lift up. We draw inspiration from those among us who keep defying the odds and break through barriers in a world that’s designed by men without giving special attention to the unique needs of women. We want to praise these women for their resilience and staying power to see their respective visions through and the translation of their true purpose into reality. We want to celebrate them for daring the uncharted territories, tilling the ground and leaving landmarks such that those coming behind them should walk easier. Foremost among these, is the Founder of IPM South Africa, Dr Isobel White. Breaking into foreign territory, she dared to challenge the status quo and move South African industries toward providing proper working conditions, conducive working environment, including training aimed at the development and career progression for their employees. It is through her efforts and vision that the premier Human Resource professional body and the mother of HR in South Africa – IPM – was established in 1945. IPM is privileged to have had many other pioneering women who paved the way for women in the workplace, not just regarding employee wellbeing, but in developing self-mastery and leadership capacity. In this article we wish to feature those women who after the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994, felt compelled to advance the work of Professor Isobel White. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Women Empowerment

Mpho Letlape

Having obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Psychology, Mpho built her career in the field of computers and technology. She worked as a systems engineer for IBM from 1981. With a penchant for delivery and business outcomes, she demonstrated shrewd diagnostic approach and a systemic view to organisational success. While at IBM, she ultimately found an outlet for her other passions – psychology and people development, as she assumed the role of Human Resource Director. With a desire to draw the most out of people and make the most of talent, Mpho began working closely with the Institute of People Management. Never one to be passive, she gave of herself way beyond what was expected of an ordinary member. A symbiotic development soon grew seeing Mpho becoming a valuable contributor to the various working committees of the Institute, to the point of being appointed to the IPM Board. This, all the while, further

PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

refining her acuity in people management and entrenching herself as an astute business leader. Through the years, Mpho has inspired many an HR manager through her diverse thinking and versatility. She has been a beacon of confidence and courage to many students in the fields of technology and people management. Those who have served with her on the IPM Board saw her as a highly disciplined professional with exacting standards. She is a strategic thinker focused on business outcomes and enablement. She has a knack of working with people and through people, pushing and empowering everyone towards delivery and tangible results. In an attempt to make their BEE statistics work, unscrupulous organisations create peripheral roles in which women are “empowered” to lead. Not on our watch! Says Mpho, who plays a very significant role in ensuring that women also take their rightful place in mainstream business. She acknowledges that it is insulting and condescending to have women targeted for non-core functions, and fights for qualified women to take charge in main operational functions. She does this as she helps develop even more female talent to lead key strategic areas of business. From the perspective of development and advancement of women, IPM stands proud of her achievements in fighting the lip service given to women empowerment. For instance, When she joined Eskom in December 2000, there were forty-five (45) General Managers, all of them male. By the time she left in December 2008, there were nineteen (19) female General Managers, and we are not talking of heads of Human Resources or Communications. All these were in line businesses running critical aspects of the organisation like Power Stations, the National Control Centre, Treasury and Divisional Finance. In a typical mentorship culture embraced by women, Mpho stays in touch with most of the people towards whose development she contributed. In her words: I’m immensely grateful for the privilege. And I’m proud of both the men and women who continue to shine bright and make waves as credible business leaders and courageous CEO’s of multinationals”. That will include Mteto Nyati, the recipient of 2019 IPM CEO’s Award. With her educational background an initial door opener, it is Mpho’s visionary outlook, steadfast integrity and determination matched by groundedness that afforded her the rich career tapestry she has enjoyed. As a seasoned business advisor, coach, mentor and community leader, Mpho continues to serve as an inspiration to

Women Empowerment

women of all persuasions in all fields of management. Having served on many boards with a focus on development and people management, she has had to adjudicate on weighty matters, some of which have had country-wide impact – changing the trajectory of governance in parastatals.

possessive about Shirley, not only because of association with the Institute early on in her career, but because she went on to serve the HR management fraternity in a very critical role at the Institute. Like Mpho, Shirley not only served on the Board of IPM, she is also one of the Institute’s esteemed Past Presidents. Plying her wares as an SABPP conferred Master HR Professional, Shirley continues to “teach” and deliver papers to delegates at major events including the IPM Annual Convention. Steeped in HR, her career has traversed many industries influencing the development of people across many sectors and disciplines. Emerging from the classroom as a teacher, Professor Zinn began her journey with the Institute of People Management while serving at Southern Life as a Training Manager. This was prior to her tenure as Director at S.A. Management Development Institute, housed in the National Department of Public Service and Administration. Prof Zinn is former Group Head of Human Resources at Woolworths Holdings Limited, and prior to that she was the Head of Human Resources of Standard Bank South Africa and Deputy Global Head of Human Resources for the Standard Bank Group. Before that, she was the Group Executive HR at Nedbank, a role preceded by tenure as General Manager for Human Resources at the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Shirley had also held positions as Employment Equity Executive at Computer Configurations Holdings, and Regional HR Director for Middle East and Africa at Reckitt Beckinser, a global FMCG company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Contribution at Board Level

Shirley Zinn

Dr Zinn’s life is a depiction of determination, courage, and triumph over incredible adversity. Born and raised on the Cape Flats, Shirley never allowed her past to dictate her future. She proved that she didn’t have to own the typical story of a girl from the Cape Flats, plagued by gangsterism, alcoholism and teenage pregnancy. Instead, she relentlessly pursued her own goals, forging an impressive academic career even when she faced significant odds. An IPM alumni of whom the Institute is immensely proud, Shirley’s insatiable appetite for success saw her conquering the world of business. Shirley carves herself an indelible place among Africa’s formidable women, wielding significant influence through several roles. She has risen to the top of the pile in both academic and business circles, and yet she has retained great humanity and empathy that touches those around her. Notwithstanding her wide recognition, Shirley remains approachable and in touch with who she is. Tracking her career provides lessons for us all – whether we are ordinary or extraordinary, whether we work in business, in government, or at home. Shirley’s professional journey shows us that it is possible to achieve our goals if we are “prepared to swim upstream and be single-minded” in getting where we want to be. Speaking to one HR legend, we learn that IPM is particularly

A Fellow at Institute of Directors, Shirley has expended her energies contributing to people management through her services on several, diverse Boards. She served as Chairman of Boards at DHL: Global Forwarding SA, Starfish Greathearts Foundation and Institute of Bankers and contributed on the Boards of Sygnia Asset Management, Shoprite Checkers Holdings and Cricket South Africa. Currently, she holds the position of Independent Non-Executive Director on the Boards of JSE-listed SANLAM Limited and SANLAM Life Insurance Limited, MTN-SA, AdvTech and Spur Corporation. She has also recently been appointed onto the Boards of LRMG Performance Architects and NPI. Dr Zinn also serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Tuesday Consulting, Empowerment Capital, Knowledge Resources, Business Engage (NPO), Community Chest (NPO), and is an Executive Director at the Boston Consulting Group. In addition, she is the HR Advisor to the Board of Silvertree Internet Holdings, a Trustee on the Nedbank Eyethu Community Trust and former President of the Harvard Alumni Association South Africa. It is little wonder that we celebrate Shirley alongside many who have showered her with professional, business, national and international awards for the immense contribution she has made and continues to make on behalf of the HR fraternity. Having served as an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Human Resource Management, Shirley was also appointed as Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town. Asserting herself as an entrepreneurial professional, among the many things that she can be, Shirley founded Shirley Zinn Consulting which provides consulting and advisory services in HR, Transformation, Leadership and Education. This is in addition to the launch of her bestseller autobiography entitled “Swimming Upstream”. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Organisational Design

Organisational

AGILITY FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS

PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

Organisational Design

Paraphrasing an ancient wisdom: It’s not the strongest that wins the war, nor the fastest that takes the race.

ndeed, in business we have seen that giant organisations can fall just as smaller enterprises can fold. However, while everyone has to face hard times and dig deep to survive, it is ones who embrace agility that make it through. In reviewing organisations that have thrived or survived for a minimum of three decades, more than two thirds ascribed their success to agility, and the percentage increased among older entities.

expertise to keep up with market needs. Despite being challenged for its announcement early in 2020 to lay off an estimated 3000 employees, Telkom keeps on with tactile moves, which include a recent launch of a service for small businesses to access markets and inter-business trading. The possibility of employee reduction still looming, the organisation has, notwithstanding, given numerous careers a good run and continues to provide a career platform for a new cohort with skill-sets that help it navigate 4IR-inspired challenges. Not renowned for exceptional foresight or ground-breaking innovation, yet Telkom’s agility and responsiveness to external forces have kept extending the entity’s profitable life – making it a less significant contributor to premature career demise. Agility Catalysts

Agility and Survival Tactics

What gives agile organisations a better chance at survival, you might ask. No doubt it is the flexibility to bend around difficult situations. Agile organisations are able to shuffle resources according to need, while rigid organisations are constrained. They can shift and adjust their position or form in response to different conditions. This could be through temporary split or consolidation of operations, or a formation of special-task teams to serve a specific demand. Agile organisations are able to mentor and on-board start-ups to reinforce their weak areas. They may also offload entire units, turning redundant sections into competitors or external suppliers with whom they may re-integrate in time. The secret is being adaptive. Agile organisations survive owing to their ability to reinvent themselves to what their consumers and markets need at a particular time. It is the organisation’s ability to roll out company-wide skill upgrades and to repurpose resources in line with emerging trends. It is the ability to be adaptable. The Telkom Snapshot

From a people point of view - customers and employees, Telkom adjusted from a pale grey parastatal to a progressive, competitive enterprise. The organisation has done a lot to morph through the years, in a fight to remain relevant and stay sustainable - not to all stakeholders’ satisfaction perhaps, but to the benefit of thousands in its employ. This has taken some shifts in accent, including a remodelling of the business and a reshaping of the human resource profile through a combination of natural churn, skills development and ready-skill acquisition. Navigating a new dispensation, the entity has come from being a monopoly enjoying a cornered market in infrastructure and fixed-line telecoms service, to being but one other player in an increasingly competitive industry. It kept itself a contender through wholesale infrastructure supply to new cellular entrants; business consultancy to new and reengineering corporate, and later, by creating a shake-up in the direct retail cellular market. So, as new economies kept emerging – businesses opting to outsource and grow remote operations on one hand, and individuals migrating from fixed lines to mobile phones, on the other, Telkom worked itself into a new position as a progressive 21st Century entity, adjusting both its market approach and its resource mix. Acting tactically, the organisation entrenched itself in the service and knowledge economies by upgrading internal human resource skills while also integrating downward to acquire market-ready

What helps an organisation become nimble or agile, you ask. While smaller organisations can implement change relatively easier, that hasn’t been the sole key of success or the main ingredient for survival. In fact, larger organisations have attributed their resilience during trying times, to pooled strengths and diversity of their teams. Going through common facets attributed for success and survival, we found three most outstanding, aside from Strategic Leadership. 1. People Yes, it is primarily the organisation’s people that help organisations become agile. People with the right outlook and disposition. People with the right level of engagement and a commitment to work in unison for the good and glory of the enterprise, and the survival of its operations. And, importantly, people with the right mix of skills. The value of People

People make things happen. They read change, and they interpret the changes in the environment. They formulate responses. Spurred on by positive disposition, cooperative spirit and healthy attitudes, people bring their complete beings to the party, to do what must be done for survival. People identify and develop the right technologies, machinery and processes that facilitate agility for organisations to adjust to various challenging situations. But, note that it’s not any people. It takes the right people with the right quality skills in addition to having the right attitude. The right people will be focused on their personal and team success, as well as the organisation’s long-term sustainability – with them inside or having left their mark. Creating Quality - How

Begin developing in people the appropriate skill-set needed for the organisations current and future success, and encouraging an innate desire for discernible growth fuelled by formal and informal learning programs. While continuous professional development is non-negotiable, agile organisations tend to find sweet spots, e.g. between study programs that are for individuals’ enjoyment and for the organisation’s advancement, and between programs that cost a fortune with good value and those that come free yet yield great value - and incentivise their people towards the appropriate combinations. Creating Depth - How

Developing strong teams and layering those through peer coaching and mentoring of successors who absorb and build on the strengths OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Organisational Design

of their seniors, while bringing new, complementary qualities. In shaping its building blocks for the next generation, organisations engage in career development from school level up. Not only do such ties help the organisation identify and shape pipeline talent, but they keep it abreast of developing trends to be ready to serve a changing set of employees. Creating Breadth - How

Developing diversity in enterprise’s teams by ensuring consumer, industry, societal and professional representativity internally, as well as the organisation’s representation on external fora. Strategies such as activating alumni to continue intellectual and social contribution keep the organisations’ people engaged and involved to feed the internal brain. Having its people participation in industry think-tanks, in multiple stakeholder committees or groups involved in longitudinal social research studies, keeps the organisation’s intelligence tentacles and voice wide, and its people stimulated. Next, to help organisations’ agility to survive adverse conditions, is organisational culture. 2. Organisational Culture A strong organisational culture influences characters and moulds an organisation into a distinct composite person. This happens through the organisation’s shared value system: a pervasive unwritten code or language fused with common habits and predictable behaviours that are related to the organisation’s identity. Culture is often underpinned by the commonly revered symbols, rituals and ceremonies (almost) unique to the organisation based on its history or founding personalities. It is worth noting that organisational culture is created by people, brought to life by people and practised through people. A strong organisational culture permeates all areas of the organisation like pungent incense, to the extent that those attracted to it will delight in it, whereas those not, are turned off. Culture is compelling and is often the reason people will choose one organisation over another. It is also among primary reasons most people feel reluctant to leave an organisation. It’s what makes them feel at home. SHRM defines organisational culture as: “the proper way to behave within the organisation, which consists of shared beliefs and values established by leaders and then communicated and reinforced through various methods, ultimately shaping employee perceptions, behaviors and understanding”. Ravinder Kapur, a contributor to Business Dictionary simply expresses it as “a deeply embedded set of values and beliefs that determine how individual employees react to various situations”. Organisational culture encompasses expectations, experiences, written and unwritten rules, and philosophy that hold an organisation together, expressed in its self-image, inner workings and interactions with the outside world. In the same way that the right people are critical to how agile and adaptive organisations are, so is the right organisational culture. An open, positive culture acts as a change enabler whereas a closed culture limits agility and ultimately, organisational success. Based on professional experiences and analyses, our OD focus group share examples of what candidates might look out for in an organisation’s culture. It is also what Change Agents and executives may strive for in driving positive culture. A Reflective, responsible, responsive organisation

This type of organisation is constantly aware of its operations’ impact PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

and performance, through systematic and systemic reviews. Not only does it take its obligation to all its stakeholders seriously, but it continuously looks for better or improved ways of doing things. Going beyond set standards or mere legislative compliance, it constantly stretches itself. Where the organisation falls short of its own standards, targets or stakeholders’ expectations, it responds by evaluating improvement methods and implementing the most efficient, effective and sustainable solution. This is a conservative, steady, legacy-driven culture. A Collaborative, communicative, cooperative business

This type of organisation creates an environment for organic development of ideas to drive future directions and projects. It works closely with its immediate stakeholders regardless of rank or status, and may also broker strategic relationships with unlikely parties, including competitors, based on a critical common goal or different but complementary interests. While some might frown upon the culture of “sleeping with the enemy”, it is in this organisation’s DNA to see the bigger picture and extend its success through trade-offs. Its flexibility and agility is in partnerships, and success in its negotiations and fit-for-purpose agreements. This is a very liberal, opportunity- and maximisation-oriented culture. An entity that engages people, empowers for growth, engenders excellence

This is a classic people-oriented type organisation, believing in partnering its people to grow and excel in its industry. This organisation actively promotes multiple-intelligence development and expects results in impeccable delivery. By investing in talent: engaging hearts, minds and bodies, it seeks sustained leadership and growing operational excellence. It believes in human capital investment translating into sustained superior performance and entrenched customer loyalty. This is a mutual trust-based and human-pride infused culture. People Guardianship & Culture Curation

Developing quality people and creating a positive culture that will grow agility help sustain organisations and cannot be left to chance. As much as we advocate for individuality and independent thinking in the workplace, at the base of diversity should always be a common commitment to a successful, sustainable enterprise and meaningful employment. And, as much as we acknowledge that culture is an embodiment of collective experiences and a common history, at the base of positive culture are principles and values that are embraced by all on board. These two enabling elements: people and culture, are essential to organisational agility and sustainability, and need active sponsors and committed custodians. Top Executive as People Sponsor

The recognition of people as partners and co-creators of organisational success should be driven from the top. It is not enough to have lofty statements in the corporate vision, mission and values set. These should be backed up by behaviour, actions, gestures, language, programs and tools to accomplish the envisioned ideals. Active sponsorship of “people” as partners and as the primary resource has to feature in the organisation’s strategy, and driven actively from the

Organisational Design

top echelons to general worker level. Opportunities should be created for each level in the operations to find expression to this ideal. Technology – a People amplifier

Organisations enjoy enhanced efficiency through technology and electronic tools. HR management process has been made easier, more efficient, more accurate and quite effective, thanks to HRIS, including intranet and other self-service tools. This lauded efficiency is much appreciated as people can focus on the more essential aspects of their jobs rather than get bogged down by admin. But people are not mechanical objects. They are human, and at some point in their work life, they hanker human interaction and empathy. When this goes unfulfilled for extended periods due to worker’s own “resilience” or to organisational “ignorance”, people become less effective and sub-optimal in many areas of their lives, including their jobs. Leaders – Culture Custodians

Organisational leaders – often starting with original owners, are the best positioned to shape the identity and personality of an organisation. They project their ideals and “sell” their vision to each person interested in joining the organisation. As the organisation grows and expands, there is a conscious balance that the organisation strives for, to accentuate strengths and mute weaknesses, through attracting people who can relate to their ideals yet bring complementary qualities. Also, the executive is most empowered to set the tone for the desirable culture, while top management acts as reinforcement through facilitating culture-friendly environment and processes. Strategic Levers

In the planning and formulation of key strategies of the organisation,

the entire leadership team makes formal contributions to the culture. For example, Corporate Affairs, in the design of corporate identity, and brand positioning, they contribute to the culture of the organisation. Human resource leadership helps shape and embed an organisation’s culture through EVP design and organisational policies. The entire executive, through organisational design, in particular the organisational structure, also help regulate aspects of culture such as communication flow. Also, the involvement of line management, employee representatives and where appropriate, board members in the recruitment process expands perspective while it builds diversity and helps with reinforcement of organisational culture. Hence, recruitment is an organisational business and not a departmental function. Recruitment starts way before any prospect submits a job application or proposal. Agile organisations are pre-emptive and proactive by constantly identifying people who would provide a good fit and play a complementary role to internal teams. As such, the entire leadership - from top executives through shop stewards to unit team leaders - has the ability to build depth for the corporate culture while facilitating desired diversity. Polarised values between organisational culture and an employee’s ideals, for instance can frustrate a recruitment process for an employee, the team and the organisation, even if primary goals may be well-aligned. Active Modelling

Leadership interactions and management visibility throughout the organisation is a powerful and credible influencer of culture – from top executive to supervisors or team leaders. Living the values and demonstrating the model behaviours make up a culture sustaining factor. Even in predominantly “remote” operations where physical interaction is limited, the voice of leadership is imperative to demonstrate continued employer engagement and recognition of employees as co-creators of culture, enablers of organisational agility and long-term success. 3. Organisational Structure

A third aspect that acts as an enabler for organisational agility and equips entities for long-term success is the organisational structure. As much as our physical structure impacts how far and how easily we can bend, twist, crouch, stretch, hop or crawl, organisational structures provide entities with the necessary range of movement to respond appropriately to demands and challenges of their environment. The article entitled “Organisational Structure Reimagined” takes us through the different organisational structures. As size has been dismissed as an agility retardant among successful organisations, the article casts some light about how large organisations achieve agility through structure. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Organisational Design

Organisational Structure Reimagined Inverting Pyramids and Fanning Triangles Destination 2030 loading. Have you properly packaged your organisation?

PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

etting people right and ready is a start. The type of people an organisation recruits, grooms and maintains, as well as those it associates or partners with, is a critical factor to its success. People carry the organisation through difficult times to the next milestone. But, thanks to unprecedented challenges that 2020 dished out, organisations globally are forced to rethink how they move on towards 2030. Depending on the quality of people and the culture in the organisation, the journey to 2030 can be a worthwhile experience or a complete disaster. Both people and culture are critical to sustainability. But organisations have other levers to facilitate the road ahead. Remote work and technology have been rammed down organisations throats, and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a question of whether or not to swallow, but how. Other than a receptive culture and mature people, a recent survey suggests that structure is a vital pivot for repackaging work processes for business continuity. We share different types of organisational structures and challenge

Organisational Design

leaders to examine the approaches against their own, to consider whether they can have more effective, more resilient operations with a tweak, adjustment or an overhaul. How an organisation is structured, and how processes flow can make a difference on whether it flourishes under constraints like those brought about by a pandemic, or not. The Culture-Structure Interplay

Unlike changing people or culture, an adjustment of the organisational structure appears easy enough. After all it is a matter of rearranging lines and boxes, right? Wrong. That is because behind the organogram is an intricate expression of the organisation’s strategy, a set of governance principles and policies that drive the organisation. In the formation of an enterprise, when there’s only a handful of people, the structure may influence the culture – how people relate, behave and what they expect. In an older, more established organisation, the structure gives a hint on the type of culture one can expect within the organisation. Structure Signals

At first glance, an organogram hints on the size and complexity of an organisation. The structure reflects the centre(s) and devolution of power throughout the organisation. It depicts the organisation’s chain of command, reporting channels and communication flow. The organisational structure outlines the various operating levels and layers of accountability, often linked to job grading, remuneration and benefits. While organisational structures vary, there are essentially two ways in which they are developed: mechanistically or organically.

can handle, without realising it. In such structures, it is more likely for things to fall between the cracks. It is also possible for people to hit a wall, dreading to assume responsibility for critical decisions - delay them indefinitely, thereby paralysing the operation. With a fuzzy chain of command, this structure lends itself to confusion among stakeholders and customers. A.1 Organic Flat Structure

Organic flat structures develop naturally and are typical in startups or small family businesses. The structure is determined by what (limited) responsibilities and resources the enterprise has to cope with, enabling whoever is available to carry out what work is necessary at a particular time. Organic flat structures may be deceptively simple visually, yet their complexity lies in governance matters. Keeping tabs of interchanging roles and responsibility can pose a challenge, as could be the buttoning down of people’s daily or weekly plans. Reporting may be done informally, making it difficult to keep everyone on one page, let alone to put together auditable annual reports. Operationally, one might find that when customers make contact, there’s no telling who may be available to deliver service and how consistent the quality or terms will be – making it easy for them to find alternative service providers. Discount discussions or special consideration may have not been relayed among the team, which could lead to internal tensions and client frustrations. These issues make it recommendable for even small family businesses to mechanise their structures, if to segregate duties and assign specific roles to specific people.

A. Organic Structures

Organic structures emerge rather than conform. They develop directly as a result of customer needs and demands, usually during the organisation’s early existence or when organisations launch new offers in an untested market or segment. Organic structures emerge as the best way to respond and get things going and the work done to build a business or establish it in a new market. Characteristics

Organic structures tend to be informal and provide for wide spans of control, decentralised decision-making, low specialisation and loose or non-compartmentalisation of functions. Advantages and Disadvantages

Organic structures are great for people who have an entrepreneurial flair and are ideal for those who want exposure to varied work and to gain experience in different if not all aspects of an enterprise. They help develop generalists or all-rounders that can take charge of overall operations as organisations grow and begin to have specialisations. Organic structures allow organisations to build around the strengths of their resources and optimise support around key people. This gives the entity establishing itself the opportunity to build stability, and allows employees to develop new competencies that will benefit their careers and the organisation as it grows. The flexibility allowed by an organic structure is very useful to a business that operates in a young market or fast-moving industry. And now, let’s consider the downside. While the variety offered by operating in less formal, organic structures can be exciting, it can also get people overwhelmed. Some people may struggle to prioritise and subconsciously yearn for definition and predictability in order to be effective. Others may buckle from taking on too much work than they

A.2 Organic Circular structure

This structure resembles the previous one, but features more people. It is, therefore, less simple visually and potentially more confusing and frustrating for external parties. Internal parties might enjoy the feeling of empowerment that it brings about. This is because this structure suggests an equal level of contribution, and features no defined decision-making power, authority or communication flow. It’s an open organisation with no hierarchy, therefore granting equal access, equal powers, and equal accountability. In circular structures, people share responsibility or take turns taking the leading role. Through our organisational studies, this structure has been evident in community projects and informal family businesses. Mostly, these had limited operational track record, hence not qualifying to be evaluated for sustainability or longevity test. In larger enterprises, we found this type as sub-structures, for instance in their volunteer units or ad-hoc committees that support the organisations. While boards typically have a Chairman, a deputy and committee chairs, our team have identified wellrecognised but informal structures, such as Executive Advisory Bodies. Operationally, these structures might still have someone taking the lead in formal meetings, but that can be rotational or nominated at each meeting. Decisions, if any, are made by consensus and merely recognised as recommendations which would still need endorsement or sign-off by designated officials in the main structure in order to take effect. People in these structures may feel that they have decision-making power, whereas in effect, it is contribution power which by no means should be undermined in driving organisational success. One version of organic circular structure is a network structure. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Organisational Design

A network structure pools required resources from various departments as and when needed. The role they play in the structure may be as short as a day, a week, a month or linked to a specific project lifespan, and may be standing or varied. Some organic circular structures are formed with internal and extraorganisational parties, where companies cooperate or teams collaborate to complement each other for their mutual benefit. Network structures may also include activated retirees or alumni who have rare, sought-after skills but have obligations to other parties or entities. These external parties may be encouraged to facilitate skills transfer to internal personnel, and might negotiate bringing on board colleagues or mentees who will add value or gain new skills from the networked organisation. B. Mechanistic Structures

These are more familiar structures for organisations. They are developed as part of the organisational strategy and design, and follow a thought-through, logical process. There is much literature written about mechanistic structures, giving organisations a head start when contemplating one that is most appropriate to navigate change. Main Types

An organisation’s structure will contribute towards its agility and how speedily it assimilates change, notwithstanding people quality, attitudes and culture being regarded as more critical. There are essentially four main shapes that depict the different mechanistic structures: a triangle (upright or inverted), a rectangle, and a flat line. The most recognised references to these shapes are a pyramid, matrix and flat structure, respectively. By definition, mechanistic structures are formal, welldeliberated on. They are conceptualised as a mechanism to regulate organisation’s operation to comply with legislation, specific standards or industry norms. They are also designed to direct customer access and interfaces with the organisation, and structure internal relationships for optimum performance and effectiveness. Mechanistic structures tend to limit spans of control, particularly in larger organisations. They are used for centralisation, specialisation, compartmentalisation and formalisation to hold people accountable. They define what departments are permitted to do for the company and streamline what groups of people do. The most popular mechanistic structure is function-based. A functional organisational structure is departmentalised according to common functions, e.g. research, production, sales, corporate services. Triangle – Simple Centralised

In a simple, centralised structure, decision-making flows from the top among the most senior people down. This top leadership is accountable to external stakeholders, entrusted with representing the organisation legally, commercially, to the industry and other social or community structures. Collectively, the leadership team is accountable for the total operations. Examples of a simple centralised structure may be found in an investment holding company, or the head quarters of a multinational operator. Disadvantages and Advantages Rigid Protocols

Mechanistic structures are regarded as bureaucratic and full of red tape. They have also been blamed for limiting creativity, even for PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

hindering agility. OD experts argue that these limitations are more attributable to people and culture issues than on structure, and that where there are strong people and potent culture, structure influence is almost negligible. Employees who feel hindered in the organisation “because of structure”, therefore, should peel off the obvious layer and analyse the leadership profile, the history and the personality of the organisation. They will find out that aside from themselves, the bulk of employees likely accept, understand and even thrive in this type of structure. They master the red-tape and work just fine within its confines or around it. Delivery Efficiency and Empowerment

Proponents of this type of structure believe that mechanistic structures allow people to know with more certainty, what is expected of everyone, holding the right person accountable for their own work while opening them to learning and contributing to others’ work. These structures are believed to empower new and junior personnel – giving them confidence to approach anyone in the organisation, knowing exactly who is responsible for solving what problem in order to expedite turnarounds. This makes communication efficient and more effective, giving customers and stakeholders a more satisfactory service. Diagnoses and Operation Optimising

A mechanistic structure makes operational streamlining easily. It identifies work flows and interfaces and facilitates diagnosis where inefficiencies are experienced. The presentation of mechanistic structures, where disasters have hit or certain areas of operations have been interrupted, makes it easy for the organisation to trace impact and to design necessary workarounds. From examining the structure, they are able to spot superfluous units and identify sections that could temporarily stand in for others in case of interruptions. Development Opportunity

Mechanistic structures are known for defined job components or modules as well as well-articulated outcomes. This job detail, often loathed for its “rigidity”, indicates the core of each role, so far as it is a non-negotiable for delivery towards the organisation’s strategic goals. Job descriptions enable the rest of the employees to gauge their appetite and fit for a role; to work out the processes involved in it, and reflect on how they could enhance it for greater effectiveness. This transparency allows for broad contribution towards refinement of organisational architecture and is instrumental in human resource development and intra-company career growth, whether as vertical succession advancement or horizontal career diversifications. Agility from Rigidity

A defined structure certainly makes for easy SWOT analyses, allowing for adjustments and growing of an organisation through spotting areas for up-scaling, down-scaling, reconfiguring or networking the operations. It also makes it easy to gauge where changes and improvements may yield the highest organisational impact. Reconfiguring Your Own Structures

In considering what would work best for agility and effectiveness in your organisation, you have the archetypes to consider tailored into anything in-between. How structures are developed is dependent on how each organisation wants to position itself in the market and in its industry, and what advantages it is after.

Organisational Design

Triangular Structures - the Mechanics

The Pyramid, which is the most recognisable organisational structure works from the premise that decision-making and power rests at the top of the organisation and cascades to the lowest rung. As the one goes down, so does power and decision-making authority reduces. Based on this power, reporting starts from the bottom to the next level up all the way to the top. In a typical pyramid structure the head of the organisation – usually the CEO or President, depending on geography, is supported by a few senior executives who are highly qualified experts in key areas of business, e.g. People, Technology, Governance and Finance. There is usually several tiers of operators reporting into these executives, beginning with, say strategy advisors who have related technical mastery, industry insights and acute business acumen. Below that layer would be operational experts in each discipline, likely responsible for strategic programs, executional plans and resources. They would have, below them a team of day-to-day program implementers. These, in return would be supported by a team of coordinators who act as administrative all-rounders: from internal facilitation to external liaison. In most cases, the lowest rung team has the most contact with customers and stakeholders as they field communication, set up meetings and conferences, follow up on service delivery and handle queries and complaints. This team is well positioned to learn the most about the organisation’s customer needs, and recognise star clients and demanding stakeholders. They are primed as sensors for the enterprise, and soon master who gets treated how. In the right culture and with proper support and mentoring, this group can enjoy great career progress into core business areas. Progressive organisations harness their acumen and factor their input in strategy formulation, resulting in intensified service excellence and a strengthening of stakeholder relations. This multi-tiered, centralised structure is popular for head offices and small to medium sized organisations. It may become unwieldy for larger organisations, hence the tendency to divisionalise in ways that most benefit the organisation and/or customers in its uniqueness. Inverted Pyramid

By design, anything triangular provides for some centralisation of sort. It may be centralised power, decision-making and reporting. Some centralised variations, however, could signal an opposite flow of ANY or all of these aspects: power, reporting or decision making. In this Figure, for instance, decision-making is concentrated on the widest band and reduces toward the apex - this being referred to as the inverted pyramid. This structure is mostly utilised where an organisation seeks maximum customer interface and a saturation of a market to edge out competition. While the broadest band of this structure accounts for the most decisions made by the organisation, it merely is a number factor. This cadre makes the most contact with the stakeholder, and thus is called to make decisions more frequently than any other management or leadership band. The significance of this band, in this case signifies the aggregated number of decisions emanating from its members. Inverted Pyramid - Pros, Cons & Mitigation

The ability by frontline personnel to reach instant decisions as they negotiate with a client, instead of waiting for “head office approvals”, denotes high employee responsibility and empowerment, and builds quicker and more satisfactory service. Risk practitioners warn that

Customers, Clients, Stakeholders Frontline Teams

Middle Management

Organisation’s Top Leadership decentralised power could open organisations up to untenable risk exposure. To mitigate this, organisations usually develop fine guidelines for different scenarios based on a cost-income and yield calculation. This information is packaged into formulae, having factored shareholder ambitions and upfront input from both top leadership and client service teams. The formulae can be accessed via mobile devices for frontline teams to capture clients’ requests such as required product quantities, quality threshold, projected frequency for the fiscal, facilitation logistics involved and other pertinent information. As soon as all the information is captured, a quick calculation generally spews out what would be an acceptable price range, flashing caution should service staff approach the profit threshold. The organisation’s structure, thus facilitates organisational flexibility together with the policies and risk-containment mechanisms built into it. Triangles – Division Structures

Organisations are constantly looking at ways to maximise efficiencies and many use structure with great effect. Organising an entity into divisions helps pool appropriate teams together for better focus. Divisionalised structures also support the streamlining of operational processes. Having focused unit heads decentralises power and decision-making to a great extent, thus increasing responsiveness to the served markets, something critical in highly competitive industries. Although still hierarchical, divisions enable the organisation to gather intellectual capital much easier, facilitating quick access to different level contributors. Strategy development is facilitated much smoother with multi-level representation and ,therefore, instant buyin. The usual lag between strategy crafting and execution is curtailed. Division heads are freed from lengthy leadership meetings that cover all areas of the business, and can focus their minds on delivery and getting closer to their clients and stakeholders. Divisionalisation is often done to facilitate geographic locations, achieve market or segment focus, provide for different product-type handling or to house separate specialisation components. In “divisiontriangle” structures, division heads are accountable to head office, and group-wide decisions would continue to reside with headquarters. Division heads often have some autonomy on division-specific operational decisions and strategies, including those pertaining to resource allocation. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Organisational Design

Complex Hybrid – Fanned Inverted Pyramid

This structure is prevalent in consulting operations where the specialist consultants are fanned out as direct contact point for external customers – determining the needs and making decisions on what solutions to provide and how. The narrower bands could depict centralised support personnel who facilitate admin and records In this complex pyramid structure, the support individuals could, for instance, be organised in a central (physical) area, where they provide dedicated support to their respective teams, but likely cooperate or share simple admin tools like multi-media stations. But in organisations looking for agility and unencumbered operational continuity during disasters, the teams could be operating remotely and coordinating among themselves via scheduled daily or weekly meetings to ensure regular updates and inter-departmental collaborations as needed. Mechanistic Flat Structure

These are either flat line or pressed rectangle structures. They tend to have one person overseeing several direct reports. The direct reports may be made up of a team of generalists or a combination of specialists with defined responsibilities. Flat structures are mainly found in professional service companies or highly specialised technical organisations. Although the ultimate decision-maker in these structures is the head, flat structures offer individuals a significant operational latitude. This is because, in addition to having organisational policies, SOP’s, negotiation and decision-making tools, flat structures are usually populated by mature professionals governed by professional codes of conduct and practice. Thus, to a great extent, these employees are “low maintenance” and self-regulating. Both inverted pyramid and flat structures are shaped and positioned for optimal customer contact. They facilitate front-line decision-making and first-contact resolutions for customers. They help organisations break into new markets and accelerate penetration ahead of more layered or centralised organisations. To limit organisational risk and succeed with a highly delegated approach such as found in inverted pyramid and flat structures, organisations develop base principles and parameters, work out tolerance levels for different scenarios. Technology is such that personnel do not even need special devices to host these programs. Increasingly, organisations develop applications that can be used on ordinary cellular phones, taking accessibility and service to the next level. The above are examples of how the organisational structure can facilitate agility and contain risk using both governance measures and technology. Mechanistic Rectangular Structures Matrix Structure

A matrix structure is a design where there is dual managerial accountability and responsibility. Most matrix structures have vertical and horizontal chains of command, usually along main divisional or functional lines and along specialisation, geographic, product/service, or client lines. As globalisation took hold and concepts such as “management by project” emerged to enhance operational effectiveness, multiple matrix structures became a norm. Accountability lines could then be, say functional, divisional and project-related all at the same time. Matrix structures have the effect of forcing team focus within PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

large structures. In crisis times, they may, therefore, be useful in reducing unwieldy span of control, to facilitate quicker information loops and enhanced feedback quality. While maintaining functional reporting lines to contain organisational risk exposure, an entity could establish a matrix structure by introducing project leads or market-based managers to help teams maximise client contact, customised service and profitability per segment. With more critical projects being initiated to increase organisations’ edge over competition, project leaders get to wield as much influence over prioritisation of operational resources as functional or divisional managers. In monthly reporting, timestrapped EXCO teams are more primed to entertain project progress project progress than functional activity. As such, structurally, function managers would play the main department coordinating role with project managers also reporting into the highest office. This departs from a standard project management matrix structure where projects are assigned to nominated departmental heads. Solid- and dotted-line relationships have various interpretations depending upon local management custom. However, solid lines normally connect managers with their direct subordinates, the person above being “the boss”. Dotted lines are usually used to indicate collegiate relationships or reporting relationships of lesser importance. Advantages and disadvantages

The biggest advantage about matrix structures is that they serve their purpose. They deliver the strategy, giving an organisation the ability to extend focus on areas that will give them advantage in the market while retaining a governance structure that increases options in individual career pathing. The most widely reported disadvantages on matrix structures emanate from their complexity and competing interests from different heads. Inherently, matrix structures can be frustrating to employees, inducing stress where they feel they have to put one boss before the other or choose between conflicting priorities. Managing Matrix

People quality and a culture of cooperation is essential to resolving issues arising from matrix structures. While in its planning, it is critical for the organisation to give clarity regarding the full range of management roles. For instance, one head may have the standard line function which includes employees’ career growth and development responsibility. Another, a work delivery function - for critical project results. It could also be that one acts as a guide for requisite expertise, and another might serve as the budget focal point responsible for prioritisation and approval of budgets. Communication flows are known to be a challenge in matrix structures, hence it is essential for different heads to stay in touch and periodically share plans and resource commitments. It is important that employees see management as a united front rather than as opposition forces. Any conflicts, therefore, need to be resolved at executive or management level such that by the time instructions are conveyed, employees don’t feel compromised. Mastering the balance between forward planning and flexibility in delivery of organisational programmes is essential. The plan puts everyone on one page, yet it remains necessary for teams to stay pliable in order to take advantage of market opportunities as they arise. Any necessary deviations should always be discussed, weighed for impact then communicated jointly to all employees and affected parties.

Organisational Design

Example of Complex Hybrid – Fanned Inverted Pyramid

Customers, Clients Senior Decision-Making Team A

Senior Specialist Team Team C Specialist Support Team C

Support Coordinator A

General Support Coordinator C Admin Assistant Team C

Support Coordinator F

GROUP CEO

MARKETING

HOUSEHOLD

CORPORATE

SALES

SERVICES

PERSONAL HOUSEHOLD

CORPORATE

PERSONAL MARKETING SALES

SERVICES

MARKETING SALES

SERVICES

MARKETING SALES

SERVICES

Example of Triangles – Division Structures

Example of a Matrix Structure

GROUP CEO

MARKETING

SALES

SERVICES

NEW MARKETS PROJECT STREAMLINE PROJECT CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Example of a Project Based Matrix Structure

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Industry Development

Mining Deeper

A Mainstay Industry facing 4IR and Resource Challenge? For well over a century, mining has been the mainstay of the South African economy and a significant contributor to the country’s GDP. Is it time to watch this old icon walk into the sunset?

otwithstanding the glitz and glory attributed to the mining and energy industry for years, the century has seen a shift and significant contractions in the sector. The question is, can we still go deep into this industry to mine for different levels of wealth – the kind we have been throwing out to other countries’ hands, or should we let it dip into obsolescence? Mining and energy organisations are extricating themselves out of a sunset corner by re-engineering, re-inventing or relocating, among other strategies. Some are paring down and amalgamating to extract the last ounce of value that can be dug out from the ground or from dwindling consumers, while others are finding themselves new niches with new product uses. Others, still, are opting to abandon home bases in pursuit of newer growth markets. And with the exits follow thousands of jobs, not all of which are at their rightful end of a career line. As takeovers and buyouts are seen across gold, platinum and even steel industries to milk what’s left of the proverbial cow, an announcement by Anglo-Gold Ashanti in 2019 that operations were

PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

folding in South Africa to focus on other shores dealt the industry a hard blow. The exit of Anglo-Gold has been a long time coming, and its human resource management has been on a wind-down, mostly allowing natural attrition minimise the impact of this giant’s exit as far as possible. In a reflection on recent industry performance, the 2020 Mining & Energy Congress celebrated what was recorded as the lowest-injury period in recent history. This was welcome relief following what could pass as years of carnage in the industry, with most fatalities having come from old Sibanye Gold. The introduction of safer mining methods and an increasing use of technology have been identified as a positive contribution factor to the low injury and low fatality statistics. This is a big deal in the industry, as the loss of even a single life bears heavily on the conscience of those in charge of people-safety underground. So, rather than being vilified as a job stealer, the new industry revolution is found to have brought major positives to miners’ work

Industry Development

S.A. Mining Industry Evolution

A call has been made to the industry to keep evolving in line with the new revolution to remain relevant and stay a mainstay of the economy. Vast opportunities presented by diverse downstream industries emanating from mining were highlighted. The fact that South Africa is yet to be a major player in beneficiation economies that turn raw materials into finished products and luxury items puts it at the back of the development curve. This country lag robs the locals of better income opportunities as it profits others. Critical Success Factors

For South Africa to be well-positioned to dive into downstream mining industries, it requires a concerted investment in the upgrading and reskilling of (all) the people in the industry, as well as an uninterrupted supply of energy crucial for some of the intricate processing involved. There is an outcry by the Mining Council that Eskom, as the critical energy supplier, has proved to be the source of the woes experienced by mining operations. Mining companies reported up to 3000 megawatts short supply, where some had to curtail production – further impacting the vulnerable human resources in the industry. Energy Supply Legislative Adjustments

The Minister of Energy provided what was welcomed as a solution to alleviate the struggles of the industry. He announced that mining companies will be allowed to generate electricity or energy, which would be for their own operational use. What is heartening is that for this production, mining companies will not need generation licencing, but will need to register with the ministry. This, as government helps Eskom work through the challenges to supply sufficient energy needed for the country as well as for other major clients on the continent. The Minister highlighted that it is critical for Eskom to get back to generating surplus energy if the country is to attract and sustain new investment businesses. Meanwhile, the next set of regulations (IRP) is set to be launched to allow industry and municipalities to generate their own electricity, a concession that may also extend to other industries since Eskom still has to roll out up to Stage 6 blackout schedules until its supply is stable. Regulation and supply security

environment. This assertion was strongly supported by the head of Human Resources for Rustenburg Platinum Mines at an Industry 4.0 HR Leadership seminar held earlier in the year. Mining Job Revolution

Discussions held at both these events demonstrated that industry leaders are confidently steering their organisations and their teams into the next revolution. While some still look at Industry 4.0 with suspicion over jobs that have been lost and more that are yet to prove extinct, convenors and participants at these events believe that the outlook is far from doom and gloom. While blue-collar workers are adapting to technologically-aided work, a whole new class of young engineers is speeding up the applications of mechanised and robotised mining, turning conventional processes on their head. “More and more of our people need upskilling to take advantage of new production methods. The few designers and programmers we have are in such demand that as mining companies we find ourselves fighting over them, and these youngsters know it,” warns a participant.

Government intervention or regulation is promised mainly to ensure that consumers benefit from competition brought about by more, diverse suppliers in the market. While more private companies will help plug the demand left by Eskom’s unstable supply, it is foreseen that the regulation will be a tough balancing act. This is because, while Eskom will be stuck with legacy infrastructure that takes and costs much more to run and maintain, private suppliers may be there to offer very attractive pricing owing to lower production costs - only to run out of supply down the line - leaving consumers stranded. Despite its issues, it is anticipated that Eskom will still provide a level of stability in the energy supply mix. Buying time

While there is increasing pressure for South Africa, and indeed, the world, to move to cleaner sources of energy, the country should acknowledge its responsibility to pace the retiring of legacy technologies and generation methodologies while it builds new ones. This is in the interest of stakeholders invested in the industry supply chain. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Industry Development

While this is government duty and an industry imperative, it challenges the HR fraternity to fast-track the skills development and competency migration among those dependent on the sector or locked to the industry by their locality. Broader stakeholder consultations

Businesses across the spectrum are increasingly engaging with the government regarding what the Mining Council refers to as an energy crisis. At a BUSA-hosted Annual Business Economic Indaba, for instance business had the opportunity to discuss energy-related issues that are constraining the economy, including corruption that precipitated the situation in state-owned entities. Assurance has been received that the issues are being addressed, with better controls on public spending to clamp down on ‘organised crime’ activity in the industry. There was also assurance that SOE’s have started acting to recover losses suffered through corrupt agreements.

emphasised how critical lowered costs are, to attract the much talkedabout foreign direct investment. “We estimate that 5-10% of private power needs can be selfgenerated and sustained long-term. And the new developments will certainly mitigate against the risk of mines having interruptions, leading to untimely shutdowns – some of which prove temporary while others close shop”, one delegate opined. Human Resource Opportunity

While there may be applause for attempts being made by Eskom to recover monies lost through corrupt activity, the recoveries to date are a drop in the Eskom debt ocean. With dire lending prospects and a depleted fiscus, South Africa must dig deep in formulating rescue strategies. Acknowledging the President’s yester-year announcement that “Eskom cannot fail”, the importance of Eskom to the energy and mining sector, and indeed, to the entire SADC economy once again received attention. This has seen all stakeholders adding a voice to the solution pot. COSATU, for instance has made the brave suggestion that government pensions be used to reduce Eskom’s debt, to help the entity’s management focus on the turnaround plans for the Operation.

The flurry of activity anticipated in the mining and energy industry certainly presents a challenge and an opportunity to both individuals and HR development practitioners, to work at developing the appropriate skills that will allow resources at risk of being displaced to become players in the extended energy and mining economy. It should also be accepted that there is a new cadre waiting at the door of the workplace, and very eager to put theories learnt from fresh academic qualifications to the test. These mostly younger people may see themselves as better equipped to help the industry make the transition it needs across technologies and methodologies. They look forward to displacing those with aged skills and be the industry of the future. This reality demands proper preparation for what some might consider forced or premature career exit by older mining and energy career holders. Without owning this reality, and duly harvesting the older workers’ skill, the industry will be allowing itself to yet again lag, in what is a highly competitive global marketplace. Ask yourself if your team is ready – with the appropriate skillset, or for a well-cushioned ‘early’ exit to bite into new career opportunities? Are you building enough capacity within your organisation to absorb any losses brought about by poaching of your latest Industry4.0-ready talent?

Strategic Cushioning

To Stand the Test of Time

With commitment to an Eskom turnaround, the Minister surprised the congress by announcing plans for an alternate energy-generating public-private partnership company which is to complement what Eskom generates. This new development, coupled with removal of impediments for companies to proceed with self-generation, plus the number of independent producers anticipated to compete in the market, it is hoped, will serve to pull down power costs. It cannot be

To the question of whether South Africa should let mining and energy stride its way into the sunset, the answer might lie in the performance of minerals throughout what became a global shutdown. Minerals, like all things gifted by nature, remain the most real and tangible basis for wealth on earth. For the first time ever, gold broke the $2000 value mark as investors were seeking reassurance from things that can stand both touch and the test of time.

Rescuing the Powerhouse

PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

Nkosi sikelel’ i-Afrika

NKOSI SIKELEL’ i-Afrika Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo, Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho Iwayo. Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso, O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho, O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso, Setjhaba sa, South Afrika, South Afrika. Uit die blou van onse hemel, Uit die diepte van ons see, Oor ons ewige gebergtes, Waar die kranse antwoord gee, Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom In South Africa our land.

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

Women leadership

ROLE MODELLING Are you Stepping Up? A world of blurred ethic lines and murky morals makes it difficult for many to entertain the concept of role models.

o sooner have we been impressed by a “great” leader than we learn of some compromising act or questionable conduct that leaves the person ‘tainted’. Yet, role modelling cannot be about perfection or blamelessness. A person can be a great inspiration owing to their professional character and integrity, for instance, only to be dismal in personal relationships. Does that mean the days of embracing role models are over? Hardly. The issue of role models can be simplified. It starts with your personal ideals and what it is you want to achieve in life. In pursuit of your ideals, you seek out people who epitomise these ideals or who already have made the achievements you seek, and learn how they got themselves there. So, generally, people become role models on the basis of success or achievement underpinned by a set of values, principles, or character, all of which serve as inspiration to others.

No perfect role models

Our resident coach cautions, however, that “there can never be a perfect role model. While someone can begin as a role model to you, it is possible, however, that as you learn more about them, you find areas of their life that put you off or downright upset you. In other cases, your own growth may accelerate such that in no time, the shine you saw in your role model has paled. It’s like when you hit the road on a hot summer day. You look up at the road ahead, and you see a shine on top of the tarmac, like PEOPLE DYNAMICS | July - August 2020

glistening water surface. As you gain kilometres and you get to that shiny spot you saw from the distance, suddenly all you just see is grey tarmac. So, what’s the point of role models if their glitter fades as your own achievements build? They are still ahead of you. Even as you catch up with them, there’s something else that time has taught them that potentially makes them a good case study, whether from having made the most of the lesson or for having ignored the lessons that could have kept them visibly ahead. Advises our resident coach: the best way to consider role models is through a tunnel vision – focusing on specific goals you are chasing or a specific set of ideals they epitomise that you wish to emulate. In our case, we typically focus on career role models, and we study the paths of those who succeed in our model careers ahead of us and glean what we can learn from their choices and decisions. Any sideways look, at say, the person’s health habits might get us side-tracked or disappointed, for example, if we discover he or she is a chain smoker that is accelerating the world’s loss of a genius. Other role models are darlings to one half of the world and villains to the other. Think of Jeff Bezos, for instance. He is (or was, depending where you stand) the darling of virtual retail networks and the hero of online shopaholics. He is also idolised by highly ambitious employees whose interests and ideals mirror his – highly rewarded performance. This hasn’t come by accident. Jeff Bezos is a genius. He keenly studies and masters consumer psychology and has found the right gaps to excel his way to the top of online retail. There’s a side of Bezos that few people really care for, however. This is the side where he inspires performance “at all or at any cost”, as some perceive. Among them are employees who were so pressured that they felt compelled to sacrifice family, social life, collegiate relationships and even their physical health! At the time of

Women leadership

the particular Amazon study, the organisational culture was such that those who couldn’t take the heat simply bottomed out, and made room for a sausage factory of new recruits who’d have to prove themselves more resilient. While some hailed Bezos an entrepreneurial genius, others thought of him as achieving success by promoting an inhumane culture. With such examples in mind, our researches find one Forbes definition of role model quite apt for this feature. The definition doesn’t stop at defining a role model as a person you look up to and admire, but it adds: “someone who can help you unlock your potential by showing you what’s possible and providing examples of how you should – or shouldn’t – behave.” On that note, David Cancel, a Forbes Councils member, identifies three kinds of role models: 1. Positive Role Models 2. Reverse Role Models 3. Anti-Role Models As one gathers from examples he uses in a January 2, 2019 article, the benefit of having role models is the potential of not just being like one of them, but being better than all of them combined – based on what good you emulate from them and what you might be able to circumvent as a result of studying the flaws in their journeys. Positive Role Models

Those who have accomplished what you want to accomplish, and who share your values and uses approaches you want to emulate. In defining these, Cancel cites Chris Fussell who identified positive role models as coming from multiple levels in one’s career: one’s own, above as well as below. The most obvious role model choice would be someone senior to you – and achiever that you want to emulate. At your level, you may identify a peer who you think is better at the job than you are. This may be within your organisation or at a rival organisation. Finally, you may come across a subordinate who performs much better at a job you did three or thirteen years ago. Having multi-level positive role models, off whom you are constantly measuring yourself and learning from, you will be exponentially better than you are, according to Cancel (Fussell). And from putting “multiple counsel” to effect, you are likely to outperform all your role models out together. Reverse Role Models

Having reverse role models is just as good as having positive role models and is likely to be more important. Reverse role models are often as successful as positive role models usually are - having achieved something admirable that you wish to strive for. They might even provide models of behaviour that you can follow to achieve the similar success. The difference is in the value set, to the extent that you realise that imitating their behaviour would not be in your best interest, no matter how successful they seem. The example Cancel uses makes mockery of the snooty C-suite clubs that one may find oneself invited to, with great anticipation to learn and grow – only to find a lot obsessed with professional selfies and less to grow from. This group of role models might help you bypass the vanity as you ‘see the status quo approach for reaching the next level in your career’. This might give you the opportunity to do things differently - to inspire the next generation in a more uplifting and engaged way.

VARIOUS DEFINITIONS OF ROLE MODEL: • A person whose behaviour, example or success is or can be emulated by others – dictionary.com • An individual who is looked up to and revered by someone else - business dictionary • A person who someone admires and whose behaviour they try to copy – Merriam-Webster • Someone who others look up to, or someone who has attributes and traits that make him a good person to emulate – yourdictionary.com • Someone you admire and try to imitate - Collins • A person other people look up to in order to help determine appropriate behaviours – study.com

Anti-Role Models

The main distinction between a reverse role model and an anti-role model is that the latter has not achieved what you want to achieve despite being on a similar career path. It may seem pointless or defeatist to study anti-role models, yet it is very important. By reviewing their path, you will be able to guard against falling into similar traps and fall short of success in the attainment of goals. Finding role models when pursuing a career or life goals is as essential as avoiding being a reverse role model or an anti-role model. It is important that people look up to us and want to emulate our ways for the right reasons. HR officers have been accused of lording it over others as they are known to hold the hiring and firing power in organisations. Who wants that to be the basis of inspiring a younger generation into people management in the workplace? And what benefit is it for us to prove ourselves “the untouchable” in the precarious corporate jungle, when our job is to find and create a “safe operating place” for others? Everyone in our organisation should find the space and opportunity to perform the best they can, through our efforts and those of line management. We should inspire others by presenting a source of empowerment and positive counsel, representing humaneness in what is increasingly becoming a very impersonal, uncertain environment. The workplace - more specifically - people in the workplace are overwhelmed by job insecurity and stress. Rather than inspiring them as survivalists, we should inspire them as fortifiers that equip them for successful corporate life and equally successful life outside current organisations. We started by acknowledging that being a role model doesn’t presume perfection. Yet, who is to say we can’t inspire others by being well-balanced professionals? Balanced individuals who display authenticity in leadership not only inspire, but they become lifetime role models – that glimmering road surface just keeps calling and glistening further ahead! OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IPM

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11 - 13 NOV

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CHOOSE YOUR OWN

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For the first time, the IPM Virtual Convention & Exhibition is offering you the opportunity to craft your own adventure by choosing from five expertly curated programme tracks. Tailor-make your Convention experience by choosing the tracks that are most relevant to you. Power up on knowledge, engage on current topics, understand best practices and network where it matters most.

TRACK 1: POLICY & LEADERSHIP The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated one of the greatest workplace transformations of our lifetime, confronting HR leaders and practitioners with an overwhelming wave of new challenges. Coupled with the rapid advancement of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), every sector – across all industries – has been in a state of flux as we were all thrust into a “new normal” overnight.While the world grapples with the ongoing impact of Covid-19, it is HR leaders that are at the helm of navigating organisations through choppy waters. It is from this chaos that a new type of HR leader has emerged with a new set of skills that are necessary to thrive in a highly digitised, post-Covid-19 world. It is important that we not only deconstruct this new type of leadership and skills, but we also need to get a thorough understanding of how this crisis has impacted policy. At the same time, we need to embrace technology and change without compromising the global pursuit and realisation of equality and justice. In a local context, all South Africans should be empowered to participate in the 4IR and reap the subsequent benefits of a new digital age.

TRACK 2: DIGITAL HR Digital HR is an exciting opportunity to leverage technology that empowers teams to work faster, better and smarter. It is not surprising that digital transformation remains a hot topic among HR professionals as it adopts automated and data-driven processes that transform the “old-school” HR function from paper-based, reactive and time-consuming to digital-first. However, it is important that organisations don’t just leap into the digital unknown where HR is concerned, but to do so with a clear objective and with the understanding that it’s a multifaceted journey that can lead to many organisational benefits in the long run. New technologies are empowering HR leaders to create a culture of innovation and a passionate, engaged, productive and happy employee base. This function is not only critical to organisational success but directly affects the bottom line of a business. This highlights why digital transformation in HR is vital for organisations navigating the challenges and opportunities of the 4IR. By leveraging technology to optimise HR processes, organisations are not only on the right track for digital transformation success, but overall business success too.

TRACK 3: PSYCHOLOGY OF WORK From keeping employees safe and informed to ensuring their wellbeing during an extremely stressful time – HR practitioners and leaders are on the frontline of dealing with the workplace disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The crisis has had an unprecedented social and economic impact – forever changing the way we work and presenting unique and unfamiliar challenges to organisations, business leaders and employees. One of the key lessons we can learn from the crisis is that organisational and personal resilience is fundamental to achieving business sustainability during turbulent times. The question is, what role do HR and People management professionals have to play to drive and develop practices that are geared towards achieving resilience? Resilient organisations have the ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond and adapt to uncertain times marked by sudden disruptions. Never before has the HR profession been more relevant in building resilience in organisations. All the building blocks of resilience lies at the core of what HR professionals do in driving people-related processes. HR professionals and leaders have the know-how in driving new practices for resilience, can enable faster decision-making and promote continual learning in the organisations they work for.

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TRACK 4: TALENT RE-IMAGINED Rapid technological change, the advent of the 4IR and the unprecedented disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic have become compelling drivers to re-imagine talent strategies. While attracting and retaining the best talent with critical and scares skills remains a mainstay of talent management, the focus on upskilling and reskilling people has sharpened considerably in a bid to build future-fit organisations with the right competencies required for the 4IR world of work. First adopters have been lucky to hit the ground running long before the Covid-19 crisis hit – investing heavily in 4IR technologies and workspaces that are future-ready. A vast majority of organisations around the world, however, were caught in the process of still mapping talent based on the future competencies needed to deal with automation and the agility of a highly digitised world of work. Now, organisations are in a classic “adapt or die” situation, compelling them to re-imagine their talent strategies in a post-Covid new normal.

TRACK 5: SPACES & PLACES As people gradually return to work following the mass closure of offices due to global lockdown restrictions, healthier workspaces are increasingly in the spotlight. Workspaces and places play a pivotal role in employee safety, health, wellbeing and organisational culture. It is not surprising that this crisis has heightened the awareness around the spaces and places we work in and how they enable us to work and engage with our colleagues. One of the key reasons why we go to the office is the need for human interaction. It is these interactions in shared spaces that drive innovation in the workplace. As we look towards the future, the way in which we build and shape workspaces and places are going to be defined by the new normal of practising social distancing and social behavioural change that supports employee wellbeing.

PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE Wednesday, 12 November

Thursday, 13 November

Friday, 14 November

12h30 - 14h00 Opening Plenary

08h30 - 09h30 Networking & Exhibition

14h00 - 14h30 Virtual Break & Exhibition

09h30 - 11h30 Plenary

14h30 - 16h00 Workshops

11h30 - 12h30 Networking Break & Exhibition

16h00 - 17h30 Networking & Exhibition

12h30 - 14h00 Parallel Sessions

14h00 - 15h00 Networking Break & Exhibition

14h00 - 15h00 Virtual Break & Exhibition

15h00 - 16h30 Parellel Sessions

15h00 - 16h30 Closing Plenary

16h30 - 18h30 Exhibition & Speed Networking

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WEDNESDAY

11 NOVEMBER 2020 12h30 - 14h00

OPENING PLENARY DR JERRY GULE

Chief Executive Officer, Institute for People Management (IPM)

CEO Welcome

BHABHALAZI BULUNGA President, Institute for People Management (IPM)

President's Welcome FELLENG YENDE

Chief Executive Officer, FP&M Seta

Sponsor's Address

ABDULLAH VERACHIA Chief Executive Officer, The Strategists

Disruption Amplified: Reset, Rewire, Reimagine Everything LINCOLN MALI Head of Group Card Payments, Standard Bank Group

Opening Keynote Address - Ethical Leadership

14h00 - 14h30

VIRTUAL BREAK 14h30 - 16h00

WORKSHOPS Select from one of the following WORKSHOP

MORALITY VERSUS REALITY

DR MARK BUSSIN Chairperson 21st Century

BONGANI NHLAPO Executive Director 21st Century

SHAUN BARNES

Executive Director 21st Century

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WORKSHOP

FUTURE PROOFING THE WORKPLACE: THE ROLE OF WORLD-BASED LEARNING

NAZRENE MANNIE Executive Director GAN Global

WORKSHOP HOW ORGANISATIONS & LEADERS NEED TO ADAPT FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK MECHELL CHETTY HR Vice President Unilever

TRACK 3: SESSION 1

THE RESILIENT ORGANISATION What is organisational resilience? How do HR and People Management professionals drive resilience in the workplace? Join this roundtable discussion and explore the role that purpose and values play in achieving organisational resilience to unprecedented disruptions.

MARK ORPEN-LYALL Founder & CEO SynEnergy

PROGRAMME COMMITTEE A special thank you to the Programme Committee that curated this year's IPM Virtual Convention & Exhibition.

TRACK 1 : LEADERSHIP & POLICY

TRACK 2 : DIGITAL HR

TRACK 3 : PSYCHOLOGY OF WORK

BRIGITTE DA GAMA

ABEY KGOTLE

TSWELO KODISANG

CANDICE WATSON

AYANDA SOTUBU

LIEZEL LALLY

Chief People Officer McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s South Africa

Group Executive: Human Capital | AECI Limited

Executive Director Mercedes Benz South Africa

Head: People Function (HRD) Absa Group Limited

LEBO MOFOLO

TRACK 4 : TALENT RE-IMAGINED LERATO MAUPA

Head: Card Payments & Transactional HR Nedbank

VUMILE MSWELI

Chief Executive Officer Hesed Consulting

SOLLY MATHEBA

Founder TKay2 Consulting

Chief Digital Officer MyFutureWork

Chief People Officer Discovery

Head of Human Capital NMG Benefits

TSHAMANI MATHEBULA

Head of Department: Learning & Development, Organisation Development and Talent Management | Tiger Brands

TRACK 5 : SPACES & PLACES TURKER VARDER

Regional Sales Manager: SubSaharan Africa Steelcase

PHILLIP TSHIKOTSHI

Associate Vice President & Country HR Head Startek South Africa

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THURSDAY

12 NOVEMBER 2020 09h30 - 11h30

PLENARY 2 JOHN MACY

Founder & Managing Director Competitive Edge Technology

DR DENNIS HILL

Board Member at Large Director for Partnerships & Alliances, IHRIM

CO-PRESENTATION

Employee Data Ownership and Portability in the Digital Era with Blockchain at the Core NAEEM SEEDAT Founder & Digital Navigator, Kryptonite

Topic TBA

DR MARK BUSSIN Chairperson, 21st Century

Global Remuneration Trends

11h30 - 12h30

NETWORKING & EXHIBITION 12h30 - 14h00

PARALLEL SESSIONS TRACK 1: SESSION 1

LEADERSHIP IN THE 5.0 The 4IR has completely redefined the principles and skills leaders need to drive success in their organisations. In the age of digital disruption, it is critical for HR leaders to be resilient, adaptive and smart in how they navigate the rapid changes while setting organisations up for sustainability and, ultimately, success. In this session, gain a deeper understanding about how HR leaders need to function in the 4IR and what good organisational leadership looks like in a digital future.

MARIANNE ROUX

https://gbcsaconvention.org.za/wp-login.php Director, Roux Consulting

Building Organisational Capability in a Changing World DR BRUCE WATT Vice President, Development Dimensions International (DDI)

Leadership in the Digital Era: A Blueprint for Future Success MAGDA WIERZYCKA Chief Executive Officer, Sygnia Asset Management

Ethical Leadership in the Time of Covid

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TRACK 2: SESSION 1

MAKING THE SHIFT TO A DIGITAL FIRST OPERATING MODEL: A CASE STUDY Take an in-depth look at how ABSA transformed its operating model through accelerated digitisation and transforming into a culture where leaders own the “people agenda” within their business units. The session will also look at the impact of transforming ABSA’s HR function and how the bank has repositioned the HR function to continue to deliver value to the business.

JOSEPH ROCK

Group Head: People Experience Absa

TRACK 3: SESSION 2

THE RESILIENT SELF – A MASTERCLASS A masterclass on coping with mental health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Gain valuable insights and practical tools on building personal resilience in the workplace.

REFILOE NYONI Chief Executive Officer, Mindful Revolution

Mindful Resilience GEOFF MCDONALD

Keynote Speaker, Business Transformation Advisor & Mental Health Campaigner

Mental Wellness in the Workplace: Dealing with Shame & Stigma

TRACK 4: SESSION 1

CULTURE AND ITS IMPACT ON TALENT – MASTERCLASS A positive, transformative and clearly defined workplace culture can be a powerful tool in attracting and retaining talent. In this session, learn best practice from South African companies leading in work culture.

ANITA CAROLLISEN Chief Executive People Support PEP

KGABO BAKO Managing Executive: People and Culture Absa

TRACK 5: SESSION 1

WORKPLACES OF THE FUTURE The way in which we work has undeniably changed and the spaces and places where we work needs to be adaptable to the new normal. In this session, we look at how to adapt workspaces towards limiting disruption and increasing employee wellbeing.

BARRY VORSTER Leader - HR Technology & Culture, PwC South Africa

How Can Organisations Use Technology to Improve People's Experience at Work? CLAIRE D'ADORANTE Director, Paragon Interface

Designing for Innovation

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WORKSHOP

REFRAMING COVID-19 TO UNLEASH CREATIVE POTENTIAL OF YOUR TALENT According CREATIVITY to various studies,AND creativity is the number one soft skill that organisations are looking for in 2020 and beyond, but as we INNOVATION grow up we lose this critical skill. In this session, gain practical insights and tools to reframe Covid-19 into a catalyst to help uncover you own creativity in order to innovate, reframe, rethink and reimagine the future. This session will provide the tools you need to unleash your organisation's creative intelligence and critical thinking in order to harness your whole brain in problem solving as we tap into opportunities presented by Covid-19.

DR PULENG MAKHOALIBE Chief Executive Officer Alchemy Inspiration

14h00 - 15h00

NETWORKING & EXHIBITION 15h00 - 16h30

PARALLEL SESSIONS TRACK 1: SESSION 2

LEADING VOICES Led by esteemed business leaders, this session is an opportunity to learn from the best about effective leadership in the 4IR and in a post-Covid-19 recovery. The session will also look at why it is important that HR leaders take a seat at the boardroom table as part of driving organisational success.

NOZUKO MZAMO

Founder, Ukiyo Group

Perspectives on Young Leadership During the Fourth Industrial Revolution COLIN COLEMAN

Senior Fellow and Lecturer, Yale University

Shaping an Inclusive & Sustainable Post-COVID Economy in South Africa

TRACK 2: SESSION 2

USING HR ANALYTICS AND METRICS TO DRIVE DECISION-MAKING - A PANEL Data is an integral part of a digital transformation strategy that sits at the core of leveraging new technologies to enhance efficiencies in HR processes. In this session, join an esteemed panel of HR leaders in tech for a discussion on the importance of data analytics in HR and how it can be used to enhance data-driven decision-making in HR and people management.

JASMIN PILLAY

Director: HR Microsoft South Africa

JONATHAN FOSTER-PEDLEY

Dean and Director Henley Business School Africa

MAGGIE MOJAPELO Co-Founder The HR Touch

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TRACK 3: SESSION 3

THE RESILIENT LEADER What makes a resilient leader? Join the conversation on the skills, mindset and behaviour of resilient leaders. Learn more about achieving a successful work-life balance, setting boundaries and getting the most out of your teams.

RICHARD SUTTON Founder & CEO, Sutton Health

Leading in Through Stress NIKKI BUSH

Chief Executive Officer, Nikki Bush & Associates

The Future of Work/Life Balance When Working from Home

TRACK 4: SESSION 2

THE FUTURE OF WORK - A MASTERCLASS What does the Future of Work look like? It’s accessible and filled with possibility. Join international HR thought leader, Perry Timms, for an in-depth conversation on the future of work and gain practical tools you can implement within your organisation to take advantage of the opportunities that the digital age brings.

PERRY TIMMS

TEDx Speaker | Founder People and Transformational HR Ltd

TRACK 5: SESSION 2

EMERGING FROM DISRUPTION: WHY THE OFFICE STILL MATTERS – A PANEL How can organisations leverage their workplace to increase their productivity, drive innovation, and remain competitive? In this session, a distinguished panel of experts discuss why the office still matters and the need to create versatile and intuitive environments that enable users to choose how and when they work best.

MELANIE BURKE

Chairperson Symphonia for South Africa

NATASHA WINKLER-TITUS

President Society of Industrial and Organisational Psychology (SIOPSA)

Additional speakers are being finalised for this session and will be published in due course.

WORKSHOP

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT, ARE WE THERE YET? What is assistive technology? Is it the silver bullet? In this workshop, explore the current status and scope of the usage of assistive technology in the human resources and people management industry. The session will, among other, take an in-depth look at how assistive technology can be deployed; how it can provide value for organisations and persons with disabilities; and what is the future impact of AI, the Internet of Things and Robotics on assistive technology and the people management industry.

MOGOMOTSI MOTSIELWA Director Tshirologo Disability Group

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FRIDAY

13 NOVEMBER 2020 09h30 - 11h00

PLENARY 3 RAPELANG RABANA Founder, Rekindle Learning

New Ways of Work - Continuous Performance Management ABEY KGOTLE

Executive Director, Mercedes-Benz SA

Culture/Brand/Case Study

DR CATHERINE VAN HEERDEN

International Speaker, Business & Leadership Trainer, Psychologist & Transformational Coach, Thinking Dynamics

Leadership in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous World GOODNEWS CODAGAN

Interim Chief Executive Officer & Executive Coach, C Cubed M

iCoach: Executive Support Online, Maintaining Presence & Holding Space for Emotions PROF TSHILIDZI MARWALA

Vice Chancellor & Principal, University of Johannesburg

Leadership and the 4th Industrial Revolution DR MPHO D. MAGAU

Lecturer & Researcher, University of Johannesburg

Agile Human Resources for Business Improvement

11h00 - 12h30

NETWORKING & EXHIBITION 12h30 - 14h00

PARALLEL SESSIONS

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TRACK 1: SESSION 3

SA AND THE 4IR: IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE, INCLUSIVITY & ETHICAL LEADERSHIP â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A PANEL This session is about ethics, justice, inclusivity, the future political landscape and why South Africa is always a place of opportunity.

Facilitated by KARIMA BROWN Political Analyst and Commentator, Radio & TV Talk Show Host

On the Panel PROF MILLS SOKO

Professor of International Business & Strategy Wits Business School

BRIGITTE DA GAMA

Chief People Officer McDonald's South Africa

Additional speakers are being finalised for this session and will be published in due course.

TRACK 2: SESSION 3

THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN SHAPING THE NEW WORLD OF WORK Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents an exciting new frontier for HR practitioners and is completely transforming the way we work. As AI gains more traction in organisations and reshapes the workplaces of tomorrow, how do HR practitioners and leaders navigate a new world of work defined by AI?

Speakers are being finalised for this session and will be announced soon.

TRACK 4: SESSION 3

TALENT RE-IMAGINED: AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE Bringing the HR and People Management conversation closer to home, this exciting panel of HR leaders will discuss best practices in engaging talent during times of change from an African perspective.

VUMILE MSWELI

Chief Executive Officer Hesed Consulting

TESANTHA NAIDOO

Senior Consultant: Career Consulting Mercer Africa

NOLO THOBEJANE

Franchise Operations Director: Rest of Sub-Saharan Africa Yum

ANDISA LIBA HR Lead CISCO

SAM SHIVUTE

Chairperson of Council University of Namibia

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TRACK 5: SESSION 3

SPACES AND THEIR IMPACT ON EMPLOYEE WELLBEING Workspaces play an important role in the wellbeing of employees. The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for spaces that promote the health and safety of people, and supports overall wellbeing. In this session, explore the impact of spaces on employee wellbeing and practical solutions to shape workspaces where people can be innovative, productive and happy.

SANDISO SIBISI Founder, COOi Studios

Physical, Cognitive and Emotional Wellbeing & Safety COLIN BROWNE

EOrganisational Culture and Employee Engagement Expert, Happy Sandpit

Re-imagining Employee Engagement

14h00 - 15h00

NETWORKING & EXHIBITION 15h00 - 16h00

CLOSING PLENARY BRAD SHORKEND Behavioural Specialist, Still Human

Business Continuity Through Human Continuity GRAEME CODRINGTON Chief Executive Officer, TomorrowToday Global

Mental Make-up of Post-COVID Leaders JASON ENGLISH Chief Ecosystem Officer, CG Tech

Leadership Mindsets for a New Era BHABHALAZI BULUNGA President, Institute of People Management (IPM)

Closing Address DR JERRY GULE

Chief Executive Office, Institute of People Management (IPM)

Closing Address

in association with

ipm@idna.co.za / 021 700 4301