u|Chief October 2017 | World edition by The Free Range

u|chief world EDITION

KARMEN LEUNG, IBM & WOMEN IN BIG DATA

u |chief

Issue 1 | October 2017

edito

The exciting thing about doing something different (innovating, blazing a trail, or taking an unexpected turn and carving out a new path) is that you don’t quite know where it will lead to… no matter how well you plan.

Breaking ne AI.

A new social contract between man and machine

Gary Pinkus, Managing Partner for McKinsey & Company in North America, believes automation isn’t the greatest fear… rather, it’s that we aren’t asking the right questions

CONTENTS

disruption.

A new social contract between man Illustration: Ruby Loftus Screwing a Breech Ring, a 1943 painting by the British painter Laura Knight (Wikimedia)

So long, traditional employment JON FOSTER-PEDLEY, dean and director of Henley Business School Africa, ponders our working future in the light of business sustainability, education and digital disruption

orial.

world EDITION u|chief

This new path you find yourself on could turn out to be boom or bust… or a continual stream of small failures and successes upon which you build a foundation capable of supporting a far bigger vision. This is how it feels for us with u|Chief. We’re doing something different that we believe is fresh and exciting, yet in many ways it will feel reassuringly familiar to magazine readers. Our new path is using the digital world to help spread the incredible knowledge and insight that great business minds and leaders have been willing to share with us. The digital medium adds so much power to our world, as it enables incredible stories and great insight to be shared i n s t a n t l y r i g h t a c r o s s t h e g l o b e – a n d i t ’s t h r i l l i n g t o p l a y a part in developing this new world of communication.

ew ground travel debrief. inspirational leader.

democratic republic of the congo

Photos: xxxxx

JONATHAN ROBINSON, founder of the Bean There Coffee Company, debriefs u|Chief on his recent trip to the DRC.

GRACE, GRIT & GRATITUDE Ten years ago 16-year-old Karmen Leung moved on her own to the USA to create a new life for herself. She is now a global sales executive for IBM and is a co-founder of Women in Big Data.

social media.

When not sharing is caring

Our mission is to provide a canvas on which leaders and pioneers around the world can

S O F U T U R E L EA D E R G N A LS WAR N I N G T C O U R T V E R D I CT S I

share their stories, discoveries and insights with the rest of the

With social media all around us, the founder and CEO of leading executive search firm Jack Hammer, DEBBIE GOODMAN-BHYAT sounds a warning on social media sharing

g l o b a l c o m m u n i t y. Some of our content might be

legendary leaders.

mainstream, while other content will be editorial that the print A r t w o r k : S a n t i d i T i t o ’s p o r t r a i t o f N i c c o l ò M a c h i a v e l l i

media would never have the

leadership lessons from

Machiavelli Call someone a ‘Machiavellian’ and they might take offence. But there’s a lot more to the great Italian’s teachings than being cut-throat, writes EUGENE YIGA.

luxury of publishing. We believe this fresh content can make a major difference to readers and leaders alike.

words of wisdom.

As an independent

Why mothers are today's best leaders

publication, our role is to serve as a mouthpiece for the broader

RENÉ CARAYOL reminds us about the leadership power of women… and mothers in particular.

b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y, as well as niche coding.

Photos: xxxxx

Coding's call to arms With Africa Code Week a month away, we dug deep into the world of coding with CLAIRE GILLISSEN-DUVAL, the Co-Founder and Global Lead of Africa Code Week. Claire Gillissen-Duval

intellectual property.

travel debrief.

Securing revenue for your mental innovations

New york city

Sumaiya Deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Mar (Director of SA Fashion Law), shares her insights on the importance and opportunities in the world of patenting.

ENVER DUMINY, CEO, Cape Town Tourism, debriefs u|Chief on his recent trip to NYC.

Photo: EBEN Photography

REACHING PEOPLE.

How I got into their minds ANDY HADFIELD, CEO of www.forgood.co.za, tells u|Chief how to build something that customers want, need and use.

the global vote.

What happens when the whole world votes? The recent Rwanda election was a massive landslide victory for incumbent Paul Kagama, while the Malta election offered their incumbent, Joseph Muscat, a comfortable win. However, according to the votes cast by The Global Vote website, the rest of the world would have voted neither into power, nor Donald Trump. Photos: Rusumo Falls, Rwanda (SteveRwanda/Wikipedia)

m a r k e t s . To a c h i e v e t h i s , w e w i l l s h a r e s t o r i e s a n d i n s i g h t t h a t busy leaders really want to read when they put aside their valuable time for readingâ&#x20AC;Ś not what marketers want you to read o r k n o w. Leaders today need to be informed and knowledgeable about s o m u c h m o r e b e c a u s e w e a r e p a r t o f a n e v e r- e x p a n d i n g g l o b a l c o m m u n i t y. T h e y n e e d t o h a v e m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a n d insight about the rest of the world and the people and

We want to share with you the conversations with knowledge leaders you don't have time for.

Lord Herman a question of leadership.

Photos: René Carayol

Lord Herman Ouseley RENÉ CARAYOL, u|Chief’s highly prized leadership guru, goes head-to-head with an African leader every month.

Ouseley

opportunities out t h e r e . T h a t ’s w h y we want to throw up different opinions to challenge you, and diverse insights to help you lear n more about people on the other side of the fence.

retail legend.

Photos: ASOS

KATIE SMITH of retail technology experts Edited.com dissects the incredible growth and success of the ASOS brand.

W ith the constant stream of f a k e n e w s s w a m p i n g u s , i t ’s also vital to have a clear view on local and international mat-

THINGS

ters, markets and consumers. you need to know about the ASOS strategy

How the king claimed

b e e n w i t h u s t h r o u g h o u t h i s t o r y, but the digital world is speed-

insurance.

the throne

Fake news of some sort has

In the Game of Insurance, a young prince is challenging the staus quo… and building a new empire. u|Chief held court with Gideon Galloway, CEO and Founder of King Price.

ing up the spread of this viral plague, and it is creating confusion as well as changing the c o u r s e o f h i s t o r y. u|Chief hopes to play a small role in speeding up our ability to identify what is and isn’t fake in order that we can see the big picture clearly (for ourselves)

rather than blindly toeing the party line. Sheep stay close together to protect themselves from the wolves waiting in the darkness… but the opposite is true for humans. The human “wolves” like us to stay close together and not break from the herd, and they use party lines and fake news to keep us in line.

leadership.

healthcare.

Exceptional Leaders for Exceptional Times It takes a special person to command true leadership authority, but one thing real leaders have in common is where they come from, writes RENÉ CARAYOL.

insight#

Creating an ecosystem for improved medical decisionmaking Yaseen Khan, Chief Executive Officer at EMGuidance, highlights the urgent need for rapid changes in local healthcare.

advertising.

Age of the ‘agency of return’ is here

Employee engagement Human Resources consultant ANDREW SONNENBERG delves into a not-so-secret ingredient for business success

The advertising industry has shifted from

P h oto s : T h i n ksto c k

a focus on beautiful campaigns to driving for h i g h R O I s , s a y s N X T C E O Wa y n e L e v i n e

S o u t h A f r i c a ’s c u r r e n t e c o n o m i c s l u m p m e a n s c o m p a n i e s a r e t i g h t e n i n g t h e i r b e l t s , l o o k i n g f o r w a y s t o o p t i m i s e t h e i r o p e rations and make sure all their strategic efforts reflect positively on the bottom line. W ithin this milieu, the traditional Agency of Record model has begun to make way for the Agency of Return, or strateg i c b r a n d p a r t n e r, w h o u n d e r s t a n d s t h a t w h i l e b r a n d s w o r k with many stakeholders, what they really need is a single view that gives them a no-nonsense understanding of which efforts yield the best retur n on investment (ROI). N X T C E O , Wa y n e L e v i n e , s a y s w h i l e t r a d i t i o n a l a g e n c i e s m i g h t create beautiful campaigns, brands are often left in the dark when it comes to ROI. “More than ever before, they need to know whether their campaigns worked and how many sales can accurately be attributed to their efforts.” NXT is a digital innovation business that has worked on renowned brands for the past 10 years. The vision for the business is to harness lessons learnt over the last decade to inform the future and the next level of digital innovation in enhancing its understanding of consumer behaviour and digital customer engagement. H a v i n g s p e n t s e v e r a l y e a r s w o r k i n g w i t h S o u t h A f r i c a ’s l e a d ing agencies, they have married what they have learnt in the advertising and agency world with their technical expertise. Levine says a marketing budget is an investment in a brand. ‘ S e n s i b l e i n t e l l i g e n c e a r o u n d K n o w i n g Yo u r C u s t o m e r s h o u l d dictate how it is most effectively spent. And this is where e n r i c h m e n t v e r s u s a t t r i b u t i o n c o m e s i n t o p l a y.

I believe that the power of digital disruption and innovation will help to continually break down barriers and monopolies to create a world of incredible freedom, prosperity and social evolution… but what remains unanswered is how the wolves themselves will use disruption and innovation for their own ambitions. Artificial intelligence could be a key p l a y e r i n t h i s s t r u g g l e , a n d i t ’s g o i n g t o b e f a s c i n a t i n g t o witness this battle unfold. human resources.

How smart workers

can

make yourself heard. It is no secret that the world of work is shifting, and that individuals need to prepare for this changing landscape if they want their skills to remain in demand. And the way to do so, is to b e c o m e a S M A R T w o r k e r, s a y s employment expert Georgina Barrick.

Georgin

future-proof their career prospects

k a Barric “W ithin the next decade – and we are already seeing this happening to some degree – the traditional employer/employee

Overcoming the fear of public speaking

Many talented people with expert skills or knowledge would rather die than stand up and speak in public. However, a simple four-step programme might be all that stands in their way of speaking out and being heard, writes EUGENE YIGA.

relationship will be largely a thing of the past,” says Georgina Barrick, MD of Cassel&Co, Insource ICT and IT Edge – the specialised recruitment agencies of ADvTECH Resourcing f o c u s i n g o n F i n a n c e , A c c o u n t i n g a n d I T. She says that by 2030, historical workplace structures will overwhelmingly have been replaced by the concept of workers as consultants and their own bosses, who sell their services to client companies. “As we move away from the idea of the employee working for o n e c o m p a n y, d e p e n d i n g o n t h a t c o m p a n y f o r e v e r y t h i n g f r o m their salary to the promise that they will in all likelihood be able to rely on that company for a safe and ongoing income, individuals need to understand how they can navigate the workplace market in the not-so-distant future,” says Barrick. And this is where being SMART comes in.

Photo: Thinkstock

Why u|Chief? We hate the word “boss”, and even “leader” can carry negative connotations. Chief is a title that sounds more inclusive, a n d t h a t ’s t h e o n e d r u m w e a r e h a p p y t o b e a t : a s a g l o b a l c o m m u n i t y, w e s h o u l d s t r i v e t o i n c l u d e o t h e r s a n d t o p r o f i t from the power of diversity as well as the benefits that arise f r o m h a v i n g a d i v e r s e e c o n o m y, s o c i e t y a n d e v e n d i v e r s e teams. Why the “u” before Chief? u|Chief has been designed as a magazine for “you” as a leade r ( a k a a c h i e f ) . W h e t h e r y o u ’ re a F o r t u n e 5 0 0 C E O , a m i d d l e - m a n a g e r, t h e o w n e r o f a n S M M E , a w a n n a b e b u s i n e s s o w n e r o r b u s i n e s s t y c o o n , o r e v e n a s t a y - a t - h o m e p a re n t , w e ’ v e c re a t e d a m i x o f c o n t e n t w e h o p e y o u w i l l f i n d i n s i g h t f u l as well as valuable in your life and your work. The mix of content in u|Chief is quite wide and diverse but, as a l e a d e r, i t ’s v i t a l t o h a v e a w i d e a n d d i v e r s e r a n g e o f i n s i g h t and knowledge. Go chief!

Simon Lewis | Editor words of wisdom.

extended trust Tr u st i s to p o f t h e p o p s i n b u s i n e s s , l i fe a n d p o l i t i c s , s a y s R E N É C A R AYO L . H o w e ve r, w e a l l h a ve a d i f fe re nt re l a t i o n s h i p

Organisational doubt & fear

Human Resources consultant ANDREW SONNENBERG digs deep into the pitfalls facing corporations that lack transformational leaders.

Photo: Thinkstock

w i t h t h i s e l u s i ve q u a l i t y .

P h o t o : M i c h a e l Va d o n

ceo focus.

words of wisdom.

Is there any ideal preparation or lear ning a prospective or aspirant CEO should focus on? My industry experience is what has given me the tools to build M o s a i c . H a v i n g s p e n t a l o n g c a r e e r i n t h e f i x e d i n c o m e m a rket, I really understand my clients’ needs and we have been able to build a product which is specifically catered to them. It might sound simple, but there really isn’t any substitute to knowing your clients. If someone reading this is thinking about setting up their own c o m p a n y, e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e e n t e r p r i s e s p a c e , I w o u l d s a y, spend some time working for your prospective clients. In any

Cutting through the

business, but especially finance, there are always extra pain points and road blocks that you can only really spot from the inside and it will save you a lot of time and energy if you know them before you build your product. Starting a company looks easy from the outside but can be enormously challenging. I’ve focused most particularly

What makes an ideal CEO? Heading up Mosaic, my job is twofold. I need to be able to

on the timing of launching our new software and ensuring

articulate our vision, what we stand for and what we offer our

‘product-market fit’. This is an iterative process and requires

c l i e n t s . T h e n , b e h i n d t h e s c e n e s , i t ’s m y j o b t o b u i l d a n d l e a d

relentless dedication to find the exact pain point your

the best team to deliver that vision. When we started Mosaic a lot of the core team were people who I had worked with for a long time in my previous roles, so I knew that they were the best of the best and were on t h e s a m e p a g e i n t e r m s o f w h a t w e a r e t r y i n g t o a c h i e v e . Yo u cannot buy trust and so selecting people who you’ve had prior experience with and who you know both professionally and p e r s o n a l l y, r e a l l y m a k e s t h e d i f f e r e n c e . A s w e g r o w, p a r t o f t h e challenge is to select the right people to keep that culture of excellence and singularity of purpose going.

When it comes to helping her clients with rebuilding, rebranding or rebirthing their products, services or business as a whole, CHANTEL OPPELT doesn’t take prisoners and she definitely doesn’t suffer fools. And the graduates from her academy love her for it.

Matthew hodgson P O S I T IO N C E O , M o s a i c S m a r t D at a LO C AT IO N U n i t e d K i n g d o m

travel debrief.

chicago,, USA

ghana PETER KOWALSKI, MD of Formfunc Studio, debriefs u|Chief on his recent trip to Chicago.

Photos: Pixabay

travel debrief.

bali Jane Stevenson, Strategic Director of Magnetic Storm, debriefs u|Chief on an inspiring 10 days in Bali.

Photo: Pixabay

Blind inspirational speaker, workshop facilitator and author LOIS STRACHAN debriefs u|Chief on her recent trip to Ghana.

Photo: Hillary Lane

united states of america

travel debrief.

KAREL VERMEULEN, serial entrepreneur and founder of Lubrimaxxx (one of the world’s best personal lubricants), debriefs u|Chief on his recent trip to the USA.

travel debrief.

san francisco

turkey Photos: Marion Kate

Travel blogger (and The Girl in Blue Jeans) MARION KATE, debriefs u|Chief on her recent trip to Turkey.

Photos: Julia Ahlfeldt

JULIA AHLFELDT, a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP, debriefs u|Chief on her recent trip to San Francisco.

u |chief Editor

Simon Lewis Writers

René Carayol Eugene Yiga Mwangi Githahu Unathi Nkanjeni Gill Lewis Design Simon Lewis Images Thinkstock Pixabay Pexels Editorial submissions? Send your ideas to editor@uchief.co.za Advertising enquiries sales@uchief.co.za 021 712 4317 082 065 8569

w w w. u c h i e f . c o . z a This u|Chief Softmag© is published by The Free Range w w w. f r e e r a n g e . c o . z a Wa n t y o u r o w n S o f t m a g © ? Email simon@freerange.co.za

Illustration: Ruby Loftus Screwing a Breech Ring, a 1943 painting by the British painter Laura Knight (Wikimedia)

disruption.

So long, traditional employment JON FOSTER-PEDLEY, Dean and Director of Henley Business School Africa, ponders our working future in the light of business sustainability, education and digital disruption

T h e d i g i t a l d i s r u p t i o n w o r l d i s u p o n u s a n d i t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s g o i n g t o t a k e away a lot of traditional employment. It is going to force us to think about the kind of future that we want to create for our children and ourselves, providing us with unique opportunities to change our lives in fundamental ways. It is difficult to try to hold the tide of digital disruption and globalisation because countries will slide into un-competitiven e s s . Yo u c a n â&#x20AC;&#x2122; t h o l d t h e w a t e r s b a c k j u s t b y s a y i n g I d o n â&#x20AC;&#x2122; t l i k e the inconvenience of digital structures changing. Before long, other countries will be better connected, have better access to information and create better business growth processes. And countries that are not using that, face the risk of sliding into oblivion and irrelevance.

We have to create a society or country that is going to make information a priority. Countries need to be building their skills to be competitive, which if not done, will result in a population of people who are u n d e r- e d u c a t e d a n d n o t g e a r e d f o r t h e g l o b a l a n d c h a n g i n g j o b market. What also happens is that you will find other people, especially young people, who are embracing change, will be using digital media in a creatively and disruptive way in business and changing how things are being done. In the future, more work will be available for those who know how to create, operate and maintain digital technologies while other job roles will become redundant. W ith the potential to c r e a t e c o n s i d e r a b l e u n e m p l o y m e n t g l o b a l l y, w e n e e d t o f i n d

alternative ways for people to put food on the table and enjoy a quality life. W ithout this we are going to face new forms of global crises.

Learning Digital connectedness is also changing the educational landscape and challenging business schools and other learning institutions to relook at their value proposition. W ith information so widely available on the Inter net and thousands of free online courses, learning institutions can no longer be places where people just sit in a classroom and listen to an expert. Learning institutions need to transform themselves into spaces o f e n g a g e m e n t a n d d e b a t e , p l a c e s w h e re t h e re a re n o c l e a r a n swers, but rather multiple perspectives. They must be in places w h e re p e o p l e c o m e t o l e a r n t o i n t e r p re t i n f o r m a t i o n a n d u s e knowledge to make sense of conflicting opinions. Having these s k i l l s a re e s s e n t i a l f o r b u s i n e s s i n t h e d i g i t a l a g e . To c o n t i n u e , y o u m u s t e d u c a t e p e o p l e . S o m e t h i n g m u s t b e d o n e a b o u t i m p r o v i n g p e o p l e â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s s k i l l s a r o u n d t h e s u b j e c t o f digital disruption. There are more than just basic skills such a s b a s i c l a b o u r, b a s i c m i n i n g , a n d b a s i c a g r i c u l t u r e . W e n e e d to understand the effects of new communication methods, and how digital media can be used. One of the biggest challenges is that people have generalised information. Anyone can have general information, but companies need to understand that this can be destroyed by the disruptive revolution. How eve r, w e s h ou ld n o t f e a r t h i s b e c a u se , a s soon a s pe ople are fea r fu l t h e y b eco m e c o n s e r v a t i v e . T h e s o l u t ion is t o e duc a t e peo p le on h ow to u s e d i g i t a l a s se t s t o b u i l d a de v e loping c ountry. We h ave t o fin d wa y s t o o r g a n i se o u r s e l v e s, use funding

more eff ect iv e ly, w as t e m o n e y l e s s, b u i l d a s se t s, a nd sa v e mone y by n ot i m p or t in g t h in g s t h a t c a n b e s u b s t i t u t e d l oc a lly. If leaders are to think long term, they need to buy into and commit to education. This starts early in schools by giving children access to decent information and simple computers to do information projects. This is because the value of technology in disruptive education (ie education that is up to ten times m o r e c o s t e f f e c t i v e ) f a c i l i t a t e s g l o b a l i n t e r a c t i o n . Yo u c a n n o w c o n n e c t c o u n t r i e s l i k e I t a l y, U S A , W e s t A f r i c a , o r E u r o p e i n t o a single classroom.

Digital disruption can be used for good or bad. What you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do is to stop this from happening. Yo u c a n a c c e s s i n f o r m a t i o n a n d d a t a t h a t i s a l s o c h e a p . T h i s m e a n s t h a t c h i l d re n n e e d t o h a v e e a s i e r a c c e s s t o t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n . I t w i l l a l l o w c h i l d re n t o m o re e a s i l y u n d e r s t a n d m a r k e t i n g , accessing information on international markets, communicate with people, attracting investment, and develop new ideas. This will help young people learn and invent things. What digital t e c h n o l o g y a l l o w s y o u t o d o i s t o b e a c c o u n t a b l e a n d t a k e re sponsibility at an early age to develop your own ideas. D i g i t a l d i s r u p t i o n w i l l re s u l t i n a m o re s o p h i s t i c a t e d a n d g l o b a l o r i e n t a t i o n t o w a rd s p o l i t i c s a n d b u s i n e s s m a n a g e m e n t . F o r Africa, we have to find means of connecting with other people, w h e t h e r i t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s i n C h i n a , t h e U S o r E u ro p e , a n d l e a r n l e s s o n s f ro m t h e m . D i g i t a l e d u c a t i o n c re a t e s m o re d e m o c r a t i s a t i o n i n a c o u n t r y a n d t h a t i s re a l l y g o o d n e w s b e c a u s e i t a l l o w s y o u r c h i l d re n

a n d y o u r c h i l d re n â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s c h i l d re n t o h a v e b e t t e r o p p o r t u n i t i e s . There are massive education opportunities available by going to the many online resources now available resulting in more ideas flowing in. The downside is that it can be more challenging to establish because of regimes in some countries, which still want to have a monopolistic control over digital resources. Economies that have embraced digital disruption such as Rwanda, are driving a number of initiatives that have increased the amount of available lear ning information, buildi n g e m p l o y m e n t , a n d e m p o w e r i n g p e o p l e e c o n o m i c a l l y, i f n o t y e t p o l i t i c a l l y. T h e r e a r e m o d e l s t h a t w e n e e d t o l o o k a t . I f w e l o o k a t Ta i wan and South Korea, these are strong political countries that have managed their economies effectively and more or less d e m o c r a t i c a l l y. F o r y o u t o e d u c a t e p e o p l e q u i c k e r, y o u t h e leader needs to be educated or at a minimum to fully understand the power of education. What is needed is a good education system and critical thinking. On balance, digital disruption, like any tool, can be used for good or bad. What you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do is to stop this from happening.

connect with jon Jon Foster-Pedley is a Dean, strategist, educator, education designer, speaker, entrepreneur, international business executive, academic and consultant. Director of MBAs and numerous leadership and executive programmes, he is a specialist in strategy, creativity, innovation and executive education. www.fosterpedley.com www.henleysa.ac.za

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A new socia between ma machine

Photos: Thinkstock

A.I.

al contract an and

Gary Pinkus, Managing Partner for McKinsey & Company in North America, believes automation isn’t the greatest fear… rather, it’s that we aren’t asking the right questions

A u t o m a t i o n : i t ’s e i t h e r s e e n a s a h a r b i n g e r o f d o o m o r a winning hand that we’re underplaying. The reality is that i t ’s n e i t h e r o n e . W e ’ r e a s k i n g t h e w r o n g q u e s t i o n s . The fear is that automation is sweeping away all before it, gobbling up jobs; displacing millions of workers and leaving them unemployed and, worse, unemployable; and exacerbating t h e i n c o m e g a p . I t ’s r e v i l e d b y m a n y a s a g r e a t e r t h r e a t t h a n jobs shipped overseas, even prompting some to suggest taxing robots to slow their spread. The counterview is that automation is not replacing jobs nearly fast enough. We don’t have enough workers to do the jobs a v a i l a b l e n o w, a n d t h i s w i l l g e t w o r s e a s d e m o g r a p h i c t r e n d s play out. If we don’t ramp up the speed of automation, particularly for our least efficient industries, growth will stagnate.

The real question is how to forge a fundamentally new social contract between man and machine. As I speak to senior executives across industries and geographies, all of whom are grappling with what the impact of automation will be and how businesses need to adapt, I’ve come to believe that the real issue—and opportunity—lies in the middle. The shift, more than a century ago, from an agrarian to an industrial society was the greatest economic revolution in histor y. I t t r a n s f o r m e d t h e w o r k f o r c e a n d r a i s e d l i v i n g s t a n d a r d s t o an unimagined degree. We’re on the cusp of an equally transformative change.

Rob oti cs ( m an u al a u t o m a t i o n ) a n d A I (i n t e l l e c t ua l a ut oma t ion) w ill disr u p t vir t u a lly e v e r y se c t o r o f o u r e c o n o m y. Tha t ’s ine v it a ble, so it’s n ot a q u e st i o n o f wh e t h e r t o sl o w d ow n or spe e d up. The real question is how to forge a fundamentally new social c o n t r a c t b e t w e e n m a n a n d m a c h i n e . T h i s w o n ’ t b e e a s y. ( O f course, the last revolution wasn’t either). But if we take the right steps, automation will lead not to mass unemployment but mass redeployment.

The third path Automation is coming—it has to come, and probably more quickly than we might expect—for many reasons, not least of which is because in an aging world, boosting productivity is the only way to guarantee growth. Over the past 50 years, GDP growth was fuelled by the twin engines of more workers a n d h i g h e r p r o d u c t i v i t y. T h e f i r s t o f t h o s e e n g i n e s i s s p u t t e ri n g o u t , l e a v i n g p r o d u c t i v i t y t o k e e p u s i n t h e a i r. Automation could raise productivity growth globally by up to 1.4 percent a year (chart), according to recent McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) estimates. This would be a big boost, particularly in the United States where the rate of measured productivity growth has been falling. It will also displace jobs. Fears over robots stealing jobs wholesale anytime soon, though, are overhyped. Less than 5 percent of occupations can be automated entirely (though t h a t ’s s c a n t c o n s o l a t i o n f o r t h o s e o n t h e l o s i n g e n d ) . Tw o thirds of jobs do have components that can be automated by a d a p t i n g e x i s t i n g t e c h n o l o g y. S o m o r e j o b s w i l l c h a n g e i n t h e n e a r f u t u r e t h a n b e f u l l y s w e p t a w a y.

This means we will need people to work alongside robots and AI, and work in ways we never imagined. Many jobs will be “machine-enhanced”—more productive and ideally more fulfilling, as computers absorb routine operations and free individuals to use more creative talents. The challenge is that not everyone can make that pivot. This reinforces the notion that the real issue isn’t automation or demographics, a choice between doom or doubling down. I t ’s f i r s t l y f i g u r i n g o u t h o w t o t r a i n — a n d r e t r a i n — w o r k e r s t o c o n t i n u a l l y a d a p t t o t h e d e m a n d s o f t h e n e w e c o n o m y.

Brokering the new deal between man and machine To e n a b l e n e w w a y s o f w o r k i n g w i l l re q u i re a s k i l l s re v o l u t i o n o n a s c a l e w e ’ v e n e v e r b e f o re s e e n . W i t h o u t c re a t i v e t h i n k i n g a n d innovative solutions, automation could very well become the n i g h t m a re s o c i a l , e c o n o m i c , a n d p o l i t i c a l s c e n a r i o s o m e f e a r. M o s t a t t e m p t s t o f o s t e r l i f e l o n g l e a r n i n g o r s u c c e s s f u l re t r a i n ing have fallen short. As the rate of technology-driven change

A FUTURE THAT WORKS: AUTOMATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND PRODUCTIVITY JANUARY 2017

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D O W N LO A D T H E F U T U R E T H AT W O R KS , M C K I N S E Y & C O M PA N Y ’ S R EC E N T R E P O RT O N A U TO M AT I O N , E M P LOY M E N T A N D P R O D U CT I V I T Y … CLICK HERE:

A man works on a robot at a digital factory in The Hague that produces carbon © Bart Maat/European plates for the aircraft industry. Pressphoto Agency b.v./Alamy

i n c re a s e s , t h e s h o r t a g e o f s k i l l e d w o r k e r s t o f i l l n e w - c o l l a r j o b s will rise alongside the number of blue-collar workers without jobs. Within the next decade, MGI estimates a potential shortfall of 250,000 data scientists in the United States alone. T h e u r g e n c y o f t h e t a s k — a n d t h e s e l f - i n t e re s t o f b u s i n e s s e s — h a s s p u r re d s o m e e ff e c t i v e i n i t i a t i v e s . I B M i s s u p p o r t i n g t h e S a r a h E . G o o d e S T E M A c a d e m y i n C h i c a g o , w h e re h i g h s c h o o l e r s g a i n w o r k e x p e r i e n c e , s i g n i f i c a n t c o l l e g e c re d i t , a n d t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f a j o b o ff e r. B o e i n g w o r k s w i t h c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e s t o t r a i n p e o p l e f o r a d v a n c e d m a n u f a c t u r i n g j o b s . A n d B M W ’s S c h o l a r s P ro g r a m e n a b l e s s t u d e n t s t o a t t e n d l o c a l c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e s w h i l e w o r k i n g p a r t - t i m e a t t h e c a r c o m p a n y. In addition to such focused, demand-led training programs, there are self-guided online offerings as well. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are flexible, relatively low cost, and increasingly focused on specific skills. Udacity has partnered w i t h AT & T, G o o g l e , F a c e b o o k , a n d A m a z o n t o o f f e r “ n a n o d e grees” in, for instance, data analysis or machine lear ning.

All of these are good steps, but none is a panacea. The path from school to vocational training and on-the-job refreshers isn’t going to be enough, and most programs help a few thousand people. It is hard to stitch together a comprehensive skills program from short online sessions, and many employers don’t recognize those qualifications. E v e n m o r e c r i t i c a l l y, f o r t h e v a s t m a j o r i t y o f w o r k e r s , t h e p r i m a r y f o c u s m u s t b e o n d e v e l o p i n g t h e i r c r e a t i v i t y, m a n a g e r i a l and problem-solving skills, and “meta skills” like lear ning how to continuously learn and be agile and flexible.

The primary focus must be on developing their creativity, managerial and problem-solving skills, and "meta skills". We h a v e t o g o f u r t h e r. Ta r g e t i n g s p e c i f i c d e m o g r a p h i c s i s o n e p r o m i s i n g a p p r o a c h . More than 75 million young people worldwide are unemployed. Ye t 4 0 p e r c e n t o f e m p l o y e r s s a y t h e y c a n n o t f i n d p e o p l e w i t h the skills they need, even for entry-level jobs. Generation, the first program of the McKinsey Social Initiative, is pioneering a novel way to provide rapid training matched to jobs for young adults, coupled with social services support, a n d d a t a t r a c k i n g t o m e a s u r e o u t c o m e s . I t ’s r e p l i c a b l e , s c a l able, and since its inception in 2014, successful. It has seen more than 10,000 graduates across five countries including the United States, and 84 percent of these are employed within 90 days of completing the program.

Beyond the skills gap Building on creative ideas like these to adapt our education and lifelong learning systems to meet the needs of an evolving workforce is just one part of the challenge. I n a w o r l d i n w h i c h ro b o t a n d h u m a n i n c re a s i n g l y c o e x i s t , w e a l s o m u s t t a c k l e o t h e r t h o r n y i s s u e s i n t a n d e m , f ro m b u i l d i n g b e t t e r d i g i t a l i n f r a s t r u c t u re a n d c o n s i d e r i n g d i s l o c a t i o n s u p p o r t t o a d d re s s i n g t h e p ro b l e m o f s t a g n a t i n g h o u s e h o l d i n c o m e s . Each is a Herculean hurdle in its own right, and to be successful, it will take policy makers and business leaders, e d u c a t o r s a n d w o r k e r s t h e m s e l v e s , f o c u s i n g o n t h i s t o g e t h e r. We are making strides, and need to build on those, faster and w i t h u r g e n c y. W h e n w e s h i f t e d f r o m a n a g r a r i a n t o a n i n d u s t r i a l s o c i e t y, t h e outcome was the invention of the high school. We need just a s r a d i c a l a s o l u t i o n n o w b e c a u s e w h a t ’s a t s t a k e m a y b e more complex than ensuring children get access to an education. We have the task today of reinventing society—a new social contract—in such a way that promotes the long-term h e a l t h o f o u r e c o n o m y. At least now we’re focusing on the right questions.

connect with gary Gary Pinkus is the Managing Partner for McKinsey & Company in North America. www.mckinsey.com

customer experience.

Mitigate market disruption

maximizing customer experience

As industries across the board find themselves having to transform to keep up with a digital e c o n o m y, c u s t o m e r e x p e r i e n c e ( C X ) i s p l a y i n g a significant role in providing businesses with opportunities for innovation and s u s t a i n a b i l i t y, w r i t e s c e r t i f i e d c u s t o m e r experience professional (CCXP) Julia Ahlfeldt.

Over the past 18 months, CEOs have been waking up to the fact that they need to more actively listen to their customers and manage their experiences, in no small part due to the aggressive emergence of disruptors to their traditional markets. For those willing to listen, there is no shortage of data to work with. Social media for instance has given every customer a megaphone and brought to light experience issues that may have previously gone unheard. Big data and analytics tools h a v e a l s o e v o l v e d , e n a b l i n g b u s i n e s s e s t o g a t h e r, c o n s o l i d a t e and more meaningfully understand their customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience of their product or service. W h i l e s t i l l i n i t s i n f a n c y, A r t i f i c i a l i n t e l l i g e n c e ( A I ) i s a l s o i n c re a s i n g l y p l a y i n g a ro l e i n g a t h e r i n g i n s i g h t a s w e l l a s e n a b l i n g c u s t o m e r s t o re s o l v e t h e i r o w n p ro b l e m s , o f t e n v i a c h a t b o t s . Dealing with data: Boon or bust While the influx of data can be a boon, it can just as easily be a bane, overwhelming customer support teams and causing an array of reactions.

Julia Ahlfeldt

While some companies stick their heads in the sand, others provide half-hearted responses to their customers on social media. Neither is advised. Rather assess incoming feedback, understand it, and use the insights to affect improvements to both business processes and customer experiences. This also needs to come from the t o p , w h e r e a n o r g a n i s a t i o n â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s l e a d e r s h i p r e c o g n i s e s t h e v a l u e and power of becoming customer centric, and acknowledges the danger of failing to do so. Nobody knows where the next disruptor will come from, and by the time a new threat starts accruing market share, it may be too late to respond. This is a particularly worrisome risk for larger businesses that are often less agile than their small and medium counterparts. T h o s e t h a t c a n s u c c e s s f u l l y l e v e r a g e t h e i r d a t a t o u n d e rstand their customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experiences will find themselves better equipped to react to, and even mitigate, the impact of a disr u p t o r t o t h e i r m a r k e t a l t o g e t h e r. Companies often have a great deal of rich information at their fingertips that just needs to be consolidated and evaluated w i t h i n t h e c o n t e x t o f t h e c u s t o m e r j o u r n e y. G a t h e r i n g d a t a a n d making sense of it is thus an essential first step. Insights then need to be translated into real world actions. Tw o m i s t a k e s m a n y b u s i n e s s e s m a k e a r e t h a t t h e y e i t h e r a ) chase symptoms rather than address underlying causes, or b) approach improving the customer experience as a once-off project vs. an ongoing activity that must be integrated into their business.

Landscape shift Customers themselves are also impacting change. Businesses are now dealing with considerably more tech-savvy consumers, ranging from millennials – notorious for being intolerant of inefficiency – to baby boomers who have become more c o m f o r t a b l e w i t h o n l i n e s h o p p i n g a n d t e c h n o l o g y. B o t h g r o u p s need to be catered to in a way that is consistent and true to a b r a n d ’s p r o m i s e , r e g a r d l e s s o f c h a n n e l . Across all segments, customers are increasingly willing to resolve simple problems themselves too. This means that, when customers do contact a call centre, the query is likely to be complex, and the person on the other end must be suitably proficient in terms of skills, knowledge and ability to address the concern. Even as AI takes over some of the simpler customer queries, it will likely be used to handle second and third tier customer resolutions in due course too. Know thy customer So how can businesses stay ahead of this inevitable disruption? Mapping the customer jour ney to create a picture of t h e c o m p a n y ’s l o n g t e r m r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e c u s t o m e r i s a vital start. With this added customer context, turning to big data to glean insights then also becomes more viable; a move t h a t c a n e n h a n c e a b u s i n e s s ’s a g i l i t y t o i n n o v a t e a n d r e m a i n competitive in an increasingly untraditional and unpredictable environment.

connect with julia Julia Ahlfeldt is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) who consults to bluechip and multi-national CEOs. www.julia-ahlfeldt.com

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Creating an ecosystem for improved medical decisionmaking Yaseen Khan, Chief Executive Officer at EMGuidance, highlights the urgent need for rapid changes in local healthcare.

are.

Poor point-of-care medical decision-making costs t h e h e a l t h c a r e s e c t o r b i l l i o n s o f r a n d e v e r y y e a r, w h i l e t h o u s a n d s o f p a t i e n t s s u f f e r u n n e c e s s a r i l y. The Gauteng Health Department alone has paid out R1.017-billion to settle 185 medical negligence claims since January 2015. Considering the significant additional legal costs that were incurred as each claim was contested, the actual c o s t t o t h e d e p a r t m e n t i s l i k e l y f a r g r e a t e r. T h e consequences experienced by the patients behind these claims are untold. T h i s , s a y s Ya s e e n K h a n , C h i e f E x e c u t i v e O f f i c e r at EMGuidance, a digital clinical support platform connecting medical professionals with locally relevant medicines information, clinical guidelines, and clinical tools, is only the tip of the iceberg. â&#x20AC;&#x153; S o u t h A f r i c a n m e d i c a l p ro f e s s i o n a l s a re u n d e r immense pressure to improve patient outcomes despite oft e n b e i n g u n d e r re s o u rc e d . D e l i v e r i n g t h e b e s t p a t i e n t c a r e i n a c o m p l e x a n d o v e r b u rd e n e d h e a l t h s y s t e m i s a c o n s i s t e n t c h a l l e n g e f a c e d b y m e d i c a l p ro f e s s i o n a l s , a n d i s c e n t r a l t o i m p ro v i n g t h e e n t i r e h e a l t h s y s t e m . T h e e x p e n d i t u r e o n m e d i c a l negligence claims is but one indicator that we are not rising

"The potential claims against the Gauteng Health Department are close to R13.5 Billion, or nearly 40% of the entire provincial health budget." â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Yaseen Khan.

up to this challenge. Recent figures state the potential claims a g a i n s t t h e G a u t e n g H e a l t h D e p a r t m e n t a re c l o s e t o R 1 3 . 5 B i l l i o n , o r n e a r l y 4 0 % o f t h e e n t i re p ro v i n c i a l h e a l t h b u d g e t . T h e b u d g e t a r y s h o r t f a l l c r e a t e d t h ro u g h t h i s a g a i n u n d e r m i n e s h e a l t h c a r e p r o v i d e r s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; a b i l i t y t o i m p ro v e p a t i e n t o u t c o m e s , c re a t i n g a p e r p e t u a l l o s e - l o s e s i t u a t i o n . T h e o n l y w a y t o b r e a k t h i s c y c l e i s t o d i s r u p t i t w i t h a p o i n t o f c a re p l a t f o r m t h a t e m p o w e r s t h e h e a l t h - f o rc e a n d i m m e d i a t e l y i m p r o v e s t h e a c c u r a c y o f d i a g n o s i s , t r e a t m e n t , a n d p re s c r i b i n g , â&#x20AC;? e x p l a i n s K h a n . A key part of the issue is the overworking of doctors and other point-of-care medical professionals as a result of the o n - g o i n g s k i l l s s h o r t a g e i n t h e h e a l t h c a r e s e c t o r. T h i s c r e a t e s highly pressured decision-making circumstances. Doctors and medical professionals therefore have a pressing need to efficiently access the most appropriate, locally relevant

treatment and prescription recommendations, instead of having to rely on ‘Googling’ and finding inter nationally authored content, which doesn’t speak to local patient, disease, and health-system factors.

Staying awake for extended hours led to a 300% increase in preventable mistakes that caused patient deaths. “The issue of overworked doctors received headlines in 2016, with some doctors working shifts of up to 36 hours at a time. These long hours severely impact doctors’ ability to make accurate medical decisions at the point of care, which often undermine doctors’ ability to improve patient outcomes. A study conducted in 2006 found that staying awake for extended hours led to a 300% increase in preventable mistakes that caused patient deaths.”

Reengineering point of care decision-making in healthcare Khan and co-founder Mohammed Dalwai decided to create a platform for point-of-care medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, clinicians, and pharmacists, providing free, instant access to locally relevant and up-to-date treatment guidelines, protocols and consistently updated medicines information. “By providing a centralised digital access point for locally relevant clinical guidelines on behalf of a wide range of medical institutions, doctors are equipped with up to date, locally

relevant information that can eliminate inaccurate or inapprop r i a t e d e c i s i o n s a t t h e p o i n t o f c a r e . T h r o u g h o u r p r o p r i e t a r y, interactive, and consistently updated, and fully-referenced medicines section, created in partnership with a national network of pharmacologists, specialists and medical institutions, EMGuidance also guides medical professionals to provide the correct prescriptions, playing a huge role in improving the accuracy and efficacy of treatments.” As an example, Khan cites a recent partnership with the South African Antibiotic Stewardship Programme: “When anti-microbial resistance patter ns change, we would be able to send a push notification to doctors’ phones to alert them, presenting them with the relevant anti-microbial therapy guidelines for their region. By creating a direct link to primary healthcare providers, we can facilitate an improved flow of contextual information that can reduce errors and enable improved patient outcomes.”

In 1990, tuberculosis infected 7.1 million people a year and killed 2.5 million of them, but since these victims were adults it went unnoticed. Murrary pointed out that, with early intervention, a brief course of chemotherapy would cure 90 percent of tuberculosis patients for less than $250 per person.

Epic Measures: One Doctor. Seven Billion Patients. Jeremy N. Smith

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L eve r agi ng data f o r i m p ro v e d p a tien t c a re Growth on the platform has so far been largely organic, with word-of-mouth driving downloads of the mobile app. “We have more than 5 500 registered medical professionals accessing the platform, as well as a critical threshold of core partners from the public and private sectors. We’re now starting to see certain usage patter ns and trends emerging, which will guide t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f a d d i t i o n a l f u n c t i o n a l i t y. F o r e x a m p l e , s i n c e w e t r a c k u s a g e , a n o n y m o u s l y, b y l o c a t i o n , w e a r e a b l e t o d e tect increased volumes of searches relating to certain conditions, which may help inform how healthcare authorities react to an outbreak of specific diseases in a certain region.” Khan stresses the importance of providing accurate and practical clinical guidelines and medicines information to point-ofcare healthcare professionals. “Many of the current healthcare resources take months, or years, to update with new information, and often exclude medicines providers who are unwilling to pay a fee to be included. Our platform is updated consistently to ensure users always access the most up-to-date and relevant treatment and referral guidelines and medicines information. Another important thing we are also seeing is how junior doctors are using the platform as a bridge between highly-theoretical classroom knowledge and their practical day-to-day field work.”

The future of (tech-assisted) healthcare EMGuidance is available in South Africa via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. A lite version is available in s e v e r a l o t h e r A f r i c a n c o u n t r i e s i n c l u d i n g Ta n z a n i a , B o t s w a n a , Ghana, Cameroon, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Uganda, and Kenya. “We’ve developed the platform and connected a broad range of primary healthcare role players in an independent, trusted and controlled environment. We expect future development to be guided by the needs of the doctors, clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, medicines providers and healthcare regulators using the platform, who all provide important input via formal feedback channels as well as through their day-to-day usage patter ns. “Based on initial interactions, we are considering incorporati n g t h i n g s l i k e i n - a p p d o c t o r- t o - d o c t o r c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , d i g i tal prescriptions, and the integration of point-of-care medical devices. The benefit of taking a platform approach is that we can build a far richer suite of resources that are tailored to the specific needs of our users.” w w w. e m g u i d a n c e . c o m

connect with yaseen Yaseen Khan is the founder and CEO of EMGuidance (the Essential Medical Guidance App, available on Google Play or the App Store). www.emguidance.com

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Why mothers ar best leaders RENĂ&#x2030; CARAYOL reminds us about the leadership power of womenâ&#x20AC;Ś and mothers in particular.

Photo: Thinkstock

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re today's

“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she e n j o y e d i t ” . – M a r k Tw a i n Extraordinary times demands extraordinary leadership, this must become the era where we universally accept and look for w o m e n a s l e a d e r s . A s M a r k Tw a i n p i t h i l y p o i n t s o u t , l e a d e r s today have to handle constant pressure well and need to allow their people the room to grow by making mistakes and lear ning from them. W h a t ’s n e e d e d i n t h e s e t u r b u l e n t t i m e s i s t h e f e e l i n g t h a t o u r b o s s c a r e s f o r u s a n d s u p p o r t s u s e s p e c i a l l y i n t i m e s o f u n c e rt a i n t y. L e a d e r s h i p t o d a y i s a l t r u i s m . The perfect close proximity role models for this new more empathetic type of leader are ‘mothers at home’. They excel at home because they can be who THEY want to be. Mothers instinctively know how to connect and engage, communicate and s u p p o r t , n u r t u r e a n d d e v e l o p t h o s e t h e y a r e r e s p o n s i b l e f o r, a l l t h e t i m e a n d s i m u l t a n e o u s l y. They are also effective at setting boundaries and are there to deliver appropriate sanctions and consequences for inapprop r i a t e b e h a v i o u r. T h e y t e n d t o d o t h i s w i t h n o h i e r a r c h y, a n d o n l y i m p l i c i t a u t h o r i t y. To d a y, b e i n g t h e l e a d e r d o e s n ’ t h a v e t o mean behaving like the ‘boss’. L u c k i l y, i t j u s t s o h a p p e n s t h a t t h e r e i s a h u g e a n d r i c h t a l e n t pool of this sort of leader just waiting to be better recognised: women. If only we played people to their true and inherent strengths (their Spikes), and stopped moulding them into whom we want them to be. Women suffer far more than men when it

comes to being measured against what the ‘boss’ should be like. The standard lends itself to the ‘big men’ who have delivered in the past. The focus becomes their limitations when compared with powerful and forceful men. H o w d i f f e r e n t c o u l d o u r w o r l d b e i f w e a c c e p t e d t h a t t o d a y ’s contemporary leaders need to focus far more on their ability to influence and persuade rather than barking a set of instructions or commands. The trick is to identify those with the S p i k e s o f e m o t i o n a l i n t e l l i g e n c e a n d e m p a t h y. By constantly preferring to ‘catch people doing things right’ the culture will move away from a ‘fear of failure’ and towards a ‘desire for success’. Mothers do this at home without thinki n g – t h e e s s e n t i a l S p i k e f o r t o d a y ’s p r o g r e s s i v e l e a d e r s . Far too many of our large multi-national businesses still go for that ‘strong and stable’ male CEO that is long on strategy and perhaps a little short on emotional intelligence. Our expectations of boys are for them to be intellectually vigorous, dominant and assertive. This has also been the key measure when rising up the greasy poll of organisations for far too many g e n e r a t i o n s n o w. Women should no longer have to kick down doors and “lean in”, they should be invited in with open arms and encouraged to be who they want to be, with their Spikes proudly recogn i s e d – t h e l e a d e r s w e a r e a l l s e a r c h i n g f o r. “ T h e n a t u r a l s t a t e o f m o t h e r h o o d i s u n s e l f i s h n e s s . W h e n y o u b e c o m e a m o t h e r, y o u a r e n o l o n g e r t h e c e n t e r o f y o u r o w n u n i v e r s e . Yo u r e l i n quish that position to your children.” – Jessica Lange.

R e n é C a r a y o l | r e n e @ c a r a y o l . c o m | w w w. c a r a y o l . c o m

legendar

leadership lessons from

Machiavelli Call someone a ‘Machiavellian’ and they might take offence. But there’s a lot more to the great Italian’s teachings than being cut-throat, writes EUGENE YIGA.

A r t w o r k : S a n t i d i T i t o ’s p o r t r a i t o f N i c c o l ò M a c h i a v e l l i

ry leaders.

“I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.” ~ N I C C O L Ò M A C H I AV E L L I

Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince after he was dismissed from office around 500 years ago. He dedicated it to Lorenzo di Piero de Medici, Duke of Florence, in the hope that it would help him regain his political status. A l a s , i t ’s n o t c l e a r w h e t h e r d e M e d i c i e v e r r e a d o r e v e n r e c e i v e d t h e b o o k . T h a t ’s w h y w e ’ r e a b o u t t o c o v e r t e n teachings from the timeless book so that you don’t make d e M e d i c i ’s m i s t a k e .

1 | B e a r e s o u r c e to fo s t e r p e a c e … “A wise prince ought to adopt such a course that his citizens will always in every sort and kind of circumstance have need of the state and of him, and then he will always find them faithful.” As long as you support and defend your people, their minds will be kept “steadfast from first to last”. Give them what they need and they’ll stand by you.

2 | … b u t a l wa y s t h i n k o f wa r “When princes have thought more of ease than of arms they have lost their states.” I t ’s e a s y t o h o l d o n t o p o w e r i f y o u d o n ’ t u p s e t t h e s t a t u s quo. But never be complacent. Stay vigilant because even the honest people who love you when times are good can tur n against you in a heartbeat.

3 | I d e n t i f y p r o b l e m s w h i l e t h e y are still small… “If he who rules a principality cannot recognise evils until they are upon him, he is not truly wise.” Stay close to the ground to spot troubles as they arise. Don’t let small threats grow into large ones; by the time everyone c a n s e e t h e m , i t ’s a l r e a d y t o o l a t e . M a k e i t c l e a r t o t h e p e o p l e in your life that you’re open to the truth and don’t want to be flattered with inconsequential fluff.

4 | …and crush them with one blow “The injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge.” As soon as you’ve spotted potential obstacles, deal with them s w i f t l y a n d t h o r o u g h l y s o t h a t t h e r e ’s n o c h a n c e o f t h e m b o t h ering you again. Hit hard but don’t go overboard.

5 | Build the image of a nice guy… “Everyone sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare not oppose themselves to the o p i n i o n o f t h e m a n y. ” Make your reputation known as “great and remarkable”. Don’t let anything slip from your lips that could give you away as less than that.

R e m e m b e r t h a t p e r c e p t i o n i s m o r e i m p o r t a n t t h a n r e a l i t y. Just because you can’t be all things to all people all the time doesn’t mean you can’t give the impression that you are.

6 | … b u t b e to u g h w h e n y o u n e e d to “Love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.” Tr y t o b e n i c e w h e n e v e r p o s s i b l e b u t d o n ’ t o v e r d o i t . O t h e rwise people will take advantage of you and disorder will arise. Punish when punishment is due but make sure you do it with just cause. A l w a y s r e m e m b e r t h a t i t ’s b e t t e r t o b e f e a r e d t h a n t o b e l o v e d i f o n e c a n n o t b e b o t h . J u s t d o n ’ t b e h a t e d b e c a u s e t h a t ’s t h e worst of all.

7 | Know yourself and be yourself… “A prince is also respected when he is either a true friend or a d o w n r i g h t e n e m y, w h e n , w i t h o u t a n y r e s e r v a t i o n , h e d e c l a r e s himself in favour of one party against the other; which course will always be more advantageous than standing neutral.” Nobody likes people who are “fickle, frivolous, mean-spirited o r i r r e s o l u t e ” . D o n ’ t s i t o n t h e f e n c e . Ta k e a s i d e a n d s t a n d b y your position.

8 | … b u t d o n ’ t b e a f r a i d to c h a n g e “He will be successful who directs his actions according to the spirit of the times.” W e l i v e i n a f a s t - p a c e d a n d e v e r- c h a n g i n g w o r l d . T h e s t u b b o r n people who keep doing things the old way are those who get left behind. S o l e a r n t o a d a p t t o w h a t ’s h a p p e n i n g a r o u n d y o u a n d b e p r e pared to change as circumstances change too.

9 | Learn from others… “A wise man ought always to follow the paths beaten by great men, and to imitate those who have been supreme, so that if his ability does not equal theirs, at least it will savour of it.” T h e P r i n c e i s f u l l o f a c t u a l e x a m p l e s f r o m M a c h i a v e l l i ’s e x t e n sive study of the past and present of his time. He understood t h a t t h e r e ’s n o n e e d t o r e i n v e n t t h e w h e e l w h e n s o m e o n e e l s e c a n s h o w y o u h o w i t ’s d o n e . T h a t ’s w h y y o u s h o u l d s p e n d t i m e r e a d i n g t h e a u t o b i o g r a p h i e s o f h i s t o r y ’s g r e a t s t o l e a r n t h e c a u s e s o f t h e i r v i c t o r i e s a n d d e f e a t s . T h e r e ’s n o r e a s o n t o f a l l i n t o t h e s a m e t r a p s w h e n y o u know what (and where) they are.

1 0 | … b u t d o n ’ t b e a f r a i d to g o y o u r o w n wa y “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” Even though people may show little support for your vision and even attack you so they can maintain the status quo, you must persist. Listen to advice but be determined to bring about the changes you want, no matter what the world says. Believe in yourself and be prepared to fight for success on y o u r o w n t e r m s . L i f e i s n ’ t w o r t h l i v i n g a n y o t h e r w a y.

Conclusion “ N e v e r w a s a n y t h i n g g r e a t a c h i e v e d w i t h o u t d a n g e r. ” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli If you want to lear n more about politics in your career and your life, watch The Borgias to learn about the family that i n s p i r e d M a c h i a v e l l i ’s b o o k i n t h e f i r s t p l a c e !

– E u g e n e Yi g a

inspiration

GRA & GR

Ten years ag the USA to cr executive fo

nal leader.

ACE, GRIT RATITUDE

go 16-year-old Karmen Leung moved on her own to reate a new life for herself. She is now a global sales for IBM and is a co-founder of Women in Big Data.

Originally from Hong Kong, Karmen Leung moved to the US on her own in 2007 when she was 16. To d a y, K a r m e n i s a n e w l y - m i n t e d U S c i t i z e n b a s e d in California, and works at IBM as a global sales executive for international markets, overseeing the c o m p a n y ’s a n a l y t i c s c l o u d b u s i n e s s a c r o s s A s i a Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. She is also a co-founder of Women in Big Data, a non-profit organization that champions the success of females in tech, with 2500+ members to date. w w w. w o m e n i n b i g d a t a . o r g S h e h a s a l s o r e c e n t ly partnered with SPEAK Mentorship as a career m e n t o r a n d f e a t u r e d s p e a k e r. S P E A K i s a n o n - p r o f it that connect girls and women of US immigrant/ 1st generation backgrounds, helping them develop meaningful, successful academic/career paths. I n J u l y, K a r m e n s h a r e d a n a r t i c l e o n L i n k e d I n a b o u t h e r path to becoming a US citizen, a female professional in the t e c h i n d u s t r y, a n d a k e e n a d v o c a t e f o r i m m i g r a n t w o m e n a n d f e m a l e s i n t e c h . K a r m e n ’s a r t i c l e q u i c k l y w e n t v i r a l , r e ceiving over 1.5 million views to-date, and she has become t h e # 1 t o p t r e n d i n g f e m a l e f o r # W o m e n I n Te c h o n L i n k e d I n .

Stepping out of my little bubble and moving to a foreign country as a teenager was difficult and terrifying…but I had always been a dreamer.

How difficult was it to make the decision to come to the U S o n y o u r o w n a s a 1 6 - y e a r- o l d ? I g re w u p i n H o n g K o n g a n d a t t e n d e d a n a l l - g i r l s C a t h o l i c s c h o o l f o r 1 1 y e a r s f ro m a g e 5 - 1 6 . I t w a s a s a f e , s t r u c t u re d little bubble. Leaving my family and friends, stepping out of my l i t t l e b u b b l e a n d m o v i n g t o a f o re i g n c o u n t r y a s a t e e n a g e r w a s d i ff i c u l t a n d t e r r i f y i n g â&#x20AC;Ś b u t I h a d a l w a y s b e e n a d re a m e r, a n d pursuing my education in the US was something I had longed for since I was a little kid. T h e a p p e a l o f t h e m o re c re a t i v e a n d d y n a m i c e d u c a t i o n s y s t e m in the US, the excitement of starting anew and making somet h i n g o f m y s e l f t ro u n c e d t h e f e a r a n d u n e a s e . I w a s d e t e r m i n e d to move to the US, even if it meant leaving everything I knew and loved behind.

How important was the move from a personal growth point of view? I wouldn’t have believed you if you told the younger me, but as it turned out, moving to the US was one of the best decisions I’d made. The first year was the toughest. I thought this whole move was a mistake. I was surrounded b y u n f a m i l i a r f a c e s i n a n e w s c h o o l , i n a f o re i g n c o u n t r y, w h e r e n o b o d y s p o k e m y t o n g u e – Cantonese – or understood my background. I missed my home, my parents and friends, all o f w h i c h w e r e n o w t h o u s a n d s o f m i l e s a w a y. I felt alone in my thoughts and struggles. T h e r e w e r e t i m e s w h e n i t f e l t a l l t o o o v e rwhelming that I almost booked a one-way ticket back home. I had no idea at the time, but adversity is often the best thing that can happen to a person. It made me grow up fast. I lear ned to toughen up and be independent, to not bow out when things became difficult. Over time, it helped me build so much character and s t r e n g t h , a n d s c u l p t e d m e i n t o t h e p e r s o n I a m t o d a y.

There were times when it felt all too overwhelming that I almost booked a one-way ticket home. Te l l m e a b o u t t h e c h a l l e n g e s o f n o t u n d e r s t a n d i n g y o u r classes and what process you went through to keep up with your classmates? I started learning English when I was fairly young, and was an avid reader (from Enid Blyton to Meg Cabot to Shakespeare!).

Heck, I even wrote and published a few English poems on the Hong Kong South China Morni n g P o s t ’s y o u t h c o l u m n . S o a l o t o f p e o p l e found it hard to believe that I was struggling to understand my classes. But as I discovered the hard way— while my English was decent, there is apparently a huge difference between using English as your secondary language, versus hearing, speaking and using it daily as your primary tongue. When I first started school, I thought everyone around me was speaking way too fast. Combine the rapid pace with some American cultural and sports references, throw in a joke or s o m e s a r c a s m , a n d y o u ’ d l o s t m e c o m p l e t e l y. I was missing so much of what was said that I started bringing a voice recorder to class, so I could bring the recordings home to replay and capture what I’d missed. I took meticulous notes of all my classes, and I s t u d i e d r e a l l y, r e a l l y h a r d . I n e v e r t h o u g h t I w a s t h e m o s t b r i l liant student, but I guarantee you I can outwork anyone any d a y. I d i d n ’ t w a n t t o j u s t k e e p u p w i t h t h e o t h e r s a n d b a r e l y s c r a p e b y. I s e t h i g h e x p e c t a t i o n s a n d c l e a r g o a l s f o r m y s e l f , and that was what I focused on. What are your thoughts on the education system and your learning experience in the US? I find the education system in the US absolutely phenomenal. Students’ minds and interests take form in all shapes and sizes — no one person absorbs information and learn the s a m e w a y a s t h e o t h e r. W h i l e I v e r y m u c h a p p r e c i a t e t h e discipline and work ethic I developed during my 11 years in

I never thought I was the most brilliant student, but I guarantee you I can outwork anyone any day. Maryknoll Convent School, a well-respected, academically rigorous school in Hong Kong, I found the overall rigid, cookie-cutter education approach in HK rather stiff and suffocating. My education in the US was refreshing in that it values actual understanding of a concept over memorization, encourages critical thinking and new ideas, embraces different approaches

to lear ning and solving problems, which ultimately nurtures brilliant, creative minds instead of intelligent exam robots. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very grateful for the incredible lear ning experience Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had in the US. It was worth every ounce of effort and every tear! What did you do to get back on your feet every time you stumbled and fell? What is your advice on overcoming mistakes, struggles, and hardships? I believe you can overcome any hardship through grace, grit, and gratitude. (i) Shaping a mindset Success begins as a mindset. No-one is born with a certain mentality intact. A mindset is shaped through how one processes his or her life events, and what motivates and drives that individual. For me, my f a m i l y, m y p a r e n t s , s i s t e r, a n d l a t e g r a n d f a t h e r i n p a r t i c u l a r, a r e m y b i g g e s t s u p p o r t e r s a n d m y b i g g e s t d r i v e r s i n l i f e . Leaving them to pursue my dreams and ambitions came with many sacrifices. I decided these sacrifices would mean nothing if it all ended up in failure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I wanted to make my family proud. From there, a mindset was formed. I stumbled and fell more times than I could count, but I had decided quitting and giving up was not an option for me, so I would always get back up.

(ii) Evaluating my mistakes and struggles There is no shame in falling down. Everybody makes mistakes, and everybody stumbles and falls in life every now and then. Mistakes and struggles are proof that you are trying. Don’t let them consume you or define you. The most successful people aren’t the ones who stumbled the least. The most successful people are those who are able to self-reflect, lear n from their mistakes, evaluate their shortcomings, realign their goals, pick themselves back up, and have the strength to keep going. I view my mistakes as areas for future improvement, negative events as sources that fuel my resilience, and tur n my f a l l s i n t o m y m o t i v a t i o n t o g e t b e t t e r.

The most successful people are those who are able to self-reflect, learn from their mistakes, and have the strength to keep going. (iii) Asking for Help There is no shame in seeking advice and getting help. My mentors, colleagues, and friends would tell you I’m one of the most unbashful people when it comes to asking for help. E s p e c i a l l y a f t e r a b a d f a l l , o r g e t t i n g s t u c k w i t h a p r o b l e m , i t ’s always helpful not just to self-reflect and evaluate (because we sometimes just wallow in our own thoughts and criticisms),

b u t a l s o t o s e e k a d v i c e f r o m o t h e r s . U s u a l l y, you get a much more accurate assessment or new idea that would help you progress. Therefore, I’m a huge proponent of surrounding yourself with good mentors and friends who can lend a helping hand and pull you back up on your feet when you stumble. (iv) Rise by Lifting Others “ W e r i s e b y l i f t i n g o t h e r s ” s a i d R o b e r t I n g e rsoll. I am a huge believer of giving thanks, giving back, and lifting others whenever we can. Life isn’t about cushioning your own falls while standing by when others stumble. Oftentimes, by helping others, we get a fresh perspective on our own hardships, attain a new sense of purpose towards our goals, and gain that extra boost of grit and strength we need to keep g o i n g . E v e r y w o r d a n d a c t o f k i n d n e s s , s u p p o r t , o r e n c o u ra g e m e n t , n o m a t t e r h o w s m a l l , e n r i c h e s s o m e o n e ’s l i f e , a n d i n turn, your own. I d o n ’ t b e l i e v e I h a v e t h e m o s t u n i q u e , b r e a t h t a k i n g s t o r y. Many before me have moved to a foreign country on their own, struggled through greater hardships, and still became incredibly successful, influential people. I have been a lot more fortunate and blessed in many ways. But I also don’t believe you have to rise from the most menial state to the very top in order to be an inspiration to others. While insignificant when compared to some other stories, if my story on persev e r a n c e a n d o v e r c o m i n g m y s t r u g g l e s i n s p i r e d a n d e n c o u raged even just one person, I’d already have made a positive i m p a c t i n s o m e o n e ’s l i f e .

How do you feel now as a US citizen – and what can you t e l l o t h e r p e o p l e i n t e r m s o f n a t i o n a l i t y, o n e ’s f e e l i n g s f o r country and culture of birth, but also becoming (in your heart) a citizen of another country? Except for a change in status to an official US citizen (and I can now vote, among other things!), I actually don’t feel drastically different than before. I never forgot my roots or where I came from. I’m proud that I grew up in Hong Kong, the beautiful cosmopolitan city that sculpted the first 16 years of my l i f e , a n d i s s t i l l a p a r t o f m y i d e n t i t y, a p a r t o f w h o I a m t o d a y. Hong Kong was and still is my home, and so is the United States. Those feelings don’t have to be mutually exclusive. My advice to all other immigrants is this— Don’t abandon your roots or your identity— what makes you, uniquely you. I view my difference and diversity not as weaknesses or shortc o m i n g s , b u t a s s t r e n g t h s . A l b e i t r e c e n t t r e n d s w i t h o u r c u rrent administration, and the actions of a few narrow-minded, discriminating, bigoted people seem to suggest, the fact is this: The United States is, and will continue to be, a beautiful melting pot of ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds. I’m actively doing my part to make sure of it. Diversity drives growth, innovation, and sustainable success in any organizat i o n o r s o c i e t y. D i v e r s i t y i s w h a t m a k e s A m e r i c a G r e a t . C a r r y your diverse identities and differences with pride. I do.

connect with Karmen Karmen Leung is an IBM Global Sales Executive (Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America) and a Co-Founder of Women in Big Data. www.womeninbigdata.org

Picking an easy goal eliminates any perceptions of difficulty and is hardly daunting enough to make you feel fatigued. Mini habits get you moving and, once you are in motion, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need less willpower to continue. As Newtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first law states, an object in motion will not change its velocity unless an external force acts upon it. The greatest hurdle we usually face is the first one: going from inertia to mobility. With a mini habit that helps you start small, you can be sure to start smoothly.

Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results by Stephen Guise

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BLINKIST EXTRACT FROM

travel d

democratic republic of the congo

Photos: xxxxx

debrief.

JONATHAN ROBINSON, founder of the Bean There Coffee Company, debriefs u|Chief on his recent trip to the DRC.

Te l l u s a b o u t y o u r r e c e n t b u s i n e s s t r i p ?

The DRC is a challeng

Most recently I visited the small holder

particularly because i

farmers we work with in the DRC through

by international busin

the Virunga Coffee Company in Butembo,

travellers, which make

which is in North Kivu (approximately

authorities to take ad

350km north of Goma).

maximise their revenu

What was memorable about the trip?

The roads and genera

Tr a v e l i s a n i n c r e d i b l e e x p e r i e n c e . I s e e

make doing business

first-hand the effects of direct and fair

ing. At times, the road

trade with small scale farmers. I always

and Butembo, which i

retur n enriched and more committed to

take up to 10 days. T

o u r D i r e c t F a i r Tr a d e b u s i n e s s m o d e l â&#x20AC;&#x201C; n o t

ever do not detract fr

o n l y d o w e p a y F a i r Tr a d e p r i c e s f o r o u r

credible energy and p

coffee, but we actively seek to establish

by the joy and commi

direct and long-term relationships with our

and their real desire t

producers.

rewarded for an excep

DRC FACT FILE National motto “Justice – Peace – Work” Official language French Recognised national languages Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili, Tshiluba Land area 2 345 409 km2 (905,567 sq mi) Population 82 243 000 (2017 estimate) Density 34.83/km2 (90.2/sq mi) Total GDP (PPP) $68.331 billion (2017 estimate) Per capita GDP $788 Currency Congolese franc (CDF) Time zone WAT and CAT (UTC+1 to +2) Vehicles Cars drive on the right Calling code +243 Largest city Kinshasa (population 11 116 000) (SOURCE WIKIPEDIA)

Virunga

ging environment, t is not frequented

ness people or leisure

es it easy for local vantage and try to

ue.

al infrastructure also extremely challeng-

d trip between Goma

is a mere 350km, can he challenges, howom the farmers’ in-

passion. I was struck tment of the farmers

to produce and be

ptional coffee.

What was memorable about the trip?

ing, hydroelectric pow

These trips are primarily about relation-

are endless.

ship building. We work very closely with the producers of our coffee. Our annual

What surprised you a

visits are vital for keeping business re-

Goma in the DRC is a

l a t i o n s h i p s s t r o n g a n d t r a n s p a r e n t . D u r-

The city in many parts

ing my most recent trip, we were able to

with black volcanic ro

secure a new lot of sundried coffee, which

eruption of the Nyirag

we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to introduce to the South

g i v e s t h e c i t y a r a w, r

African market.

disconcerting feel, bu

heightening the sense

alive! I was also surpr challenges of doing b

aged that, despite the

Congolese people are

How did you grow pe travel experience?

Whenever I drink a cu

humbled by the hard w

hands that make my e

cup possible. Each co

hand-picked, and I wi What opportunities did you identify

e f f o r t f o r g r a n t e d . Tr a

during the trip?

farmers who produce

W ith its abundance in natural resourc-

minds me of this fact.

es, the DRC has so much potential. The growth I witnessed in the coffee sector

Did you take away an

was so encouraging. I believe that if the

sons or experiences

DRC can sustain levels of peace and sta-

lear n from?

b i l i t y, t h e o p p o r t u n i t i e s , f o r b o t h c o f f e e

Be grateful. In my fam

and many other industries (such as min-

something goes wrong

wer and agriculture)

about the country?

always surprising.

s is still covered

ock from the 2002

gongo volcano. This

rough and sometimes

ut at the same time

e s . Yo u r e a l l y d o f e e l

rised by the extreme u s i n e s s , b u t e n c o u r-

ese difficulties, many

e making things work.

ersonally from this

up of coffee, I am

work and the many

enjoyment of that

offee bean is

ill never take that

avelling to meet the our coffee re-

ny valuable lesthat others can

m i l y, w h e n e v e r

g that is not really

a big deal, we often use the phrase “first

e n v i r o n m e n t – i t ’s n o t

w o r l d p r o b l e m s ” . Tr a v e l l i n g t o E a s t A f r i c a

pockets and big budg

(the DRC in particular) gives perspective on life and reminds me of the many privi-

Any fun memories?

leges and conveniences that I often take

A real highlight was th

for granted.

N y i r a g o n g o Vo l c a n o i n

tional Park in the DRC What did you learn about the way the

covers some spectacu

people of the DRC work and live?

the top of the active v

One of the coffee washing stations we

night around the crate

visited outside Butembo was just beau-

the hot molten lava –

tiful. The staff running the station take such pride in their work environment,

Where would you like

with painted murals and planted gardens

time you visit the DR

depicting the Virunga Company logo. I

ing region for busine

was impressed with what can be created,

We try to visit differen

without a huge investment towards transforming a working environment. Dedication, positive attitudes and support of the whole team, create a healthy work

t always about deep

gets.

he trek up to the

n the Virunga Na-

C. The two-day trek

u l a r s c e n e r y. O n c e a t

volcano, we slept the

e r, l o o k i n g d o w n i n t o amazing!

e to go the next

trip. At Bean There we source coffee from Ta n z a n i a , R w a n d a , D R C , E t h i o p i a , K e n -

RC or the surround-

y a , a n d B u r u n d i . B u r u n d i a n d Ta n z a n i a

ess or pleasure?

are next on the list. Due to some political

nt producers each

challenges in Burundi, we haven’t been able to visit in the last two years – we are looking forward to connecting with the M u s e m a C o - o p l a t e r i n t h e y e a r. What did you learn about the people and the country itself that tourists could lear n from? A l w a y s t r e a d l i g h t l y a n d h u m b l y. Constantly look for opportunities to learn. I t ’s g o o d t o s i n g w h i l e y o u w o r k … e v e n i f you’re out of tune!

connect with Jonathan Jonathan Robinson is the founder of the Bean There Coffee Company. www.beanthere.co.za

coding.

Coding's ca With Africa Code Week coming up in October, we dug deep into the world of coding with CLAIRE GILLISSEN-DUVAL, the Co-Founder and Global Lead of Africa Code Week. Claire Gillissen-Duval

Offering an introduction to Web echnologies (HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, QL), this workshop gives students a good nderstanding of a typical website rchitecture and teaches them to create a ully operational, mobile-friendly website.

all to arms

18-25 Web Development october workshop at MuvaTech. Mozambique, Oct 2016 2017 Confidential

What is coding and why is it so relevant today… and for tomorrow? When I grew up, coding used to be for the tech-savvy kids, the next logical step after they managed to dismantle the first PC they got their h a n d s o n . 4 0 y e a r s l a t e r, w e l i v e i n a s u p e r- c o n n e c t e d w o r l d w h e r e ICT equals more than the sum of its parts: beyond a set of commands to

activate a device, coding has grown into an actual language – as in “system of communication used by a particular country or community” to share, explore and g r o w t o g e t h e r. S o m e e v e n s a y, ( w i t h g o o d r e a s o n , t h a t c o d i n g is about the closest thing to a superpower that can be taught in the digital era. To d a y, m o r e t h a n 9 0 % o f p r o f e s s i o n a l o c c u p a t i o n s r e q u i r e d i g i t a l s k i l l s a n d l a s t y e a r, T h e A f r i c a n E c o n o m i c O u t l o o k r e p o r t e d that in the youth labour markets of 36 African countries, there was a 54 percent mismatch between the job seekers’ skills and actual employers’ requirements. Why do we need to act now? Because the skills gap is only going to widen if we don’t: by

For a coder, there is no such thing as a problem without a solution, and a challenge is just another opportunity to create something new.

p te

2020, the world will need no less than 400 million digitally educated boys and girls who are groomed and ready to thrive i n t h e g l o b a l k n o w l e d g e e c o n o m y. * ( * S O U R C E : C É S A R A L I E R TA , P R E S I D E N T A N D C H A I R M A N O F F O U N D AT I O N T E L E F Ó N I C A )

Steve Jobs said: “I think everybody in this country should lear n how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think.” How can you add to his words? S t e v e J o b s , t o g e t h e r w i t h m o s t o f t h e w o r l d ’s l e a d e r s a c c o r d ing to Code.org (Sheryl Sandberg, Bill Gates, Chris Bosh, former President Obama and Stephen Hawking) all agree t h a t c o d i n g i s t h e l a n g u a g e o f t h e 2 1 s t c e n t u r y, a n d s o m u c h more at the same time. Coding definitely teaches one to think, and to think outside of the box – tapping into your c r e a t i v i t y, c r i t i c a l t h i n k i n g a n d p r o b l e m - s o l v i n g s k i l l s – a l l the while teaching you to collaborate beyond physical and geographical boundaries. F o r a c o d e r, t h e r e i s n o s u c h t h i n g a s a p r o b l e m w i t h o u t a solution, and a challenge is just another opportunity to create something new and culturally relevant. Not to mention that

c o d i n g i s t h e m o s t t r a n s v e rsal subject in education: it can be leveraged to solve a v a r i e t y o f p r o b l e m s f r o m v i rtually any other subject. What is the current situation in terms of school education and coding? In 2017 and despite great gains in secondary education participation over the past decade, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, young Africans are either excluded from or propelled into the workforce rather than being prepared for it. The

outcome in both cases is a waste of talent and potent i a l , w i t h y o u t h b e i n g p r e v e n t e d f r o m c o n t r i b u t i n g t o A f r i c a â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development. With 103 million youth, Africa is the youngest population in the world and has the opportunity to be the fastest growing digital consumer market on the planet, provided young people a r e e m p o w e r e d t h r o u g h I C T. W e l l a w a r e o f t h e s t a k e s a t h a n d , gover nments are more and more committed to helping youth become technology savvy and strive to make coding a daily reality in the classroom. But in a world that is more and more interconnected, there are some things gover nments canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do in isolation anymore:

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face it: Too many young women are standing clear of ICT careers because they feel unsupported. Our role is not just to encourage African girls and women to see technology and entrepreneurship as a viable career option. We also need to gather a critical mass of key stakeholders and role models to nurture them and support their hunger for learning, creative ventures and dreams for change.

Director of EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP

Co-founder & Global Lead, Africa Code Week

Confidential

corporations, non-profits and social/tech entrepreneurs have the opportunity to step up and help fill this gap in ways that gover nments cannot. Renewed, cross-border collaboration is the name of the new socio-economic game, and this is exactly what initiatives like Africa Code Week are bringing to the table: a shared-value platform where gover nments, nonprofits and private sector partners can join forces to bring coherence and scale to digital literacy programs and drive change in an u n p r e c e d e n t e d w a y. Ta k e M o r o c c o , C a m e r o o n a n d G h a n a f o r i n s t a n c e , w h e r e 165,000, 62,000 and 51,000 kids respectively lear nt coding a s p a r t o f A f r i c a C o d e W e e k l a s t y e a r. T h e s e n u m b e r s a r e l i v ing proof that when gover nments endorse such initiatives, the

sky is the limit when it comes to youth empowerment through ICT on a nationwide scale. The fact that we now have UNESCO ( t h r o u g h t h e i r Yo u t h M o b i l e i n i t i a t i v e ) a n d 1 5 g o v e r n m e n t s o n board, only 3 years after the initiative was launched, speaks volume on the importance and impact of private-public partnership in this digital day and age. What are the challenges in terms of poor facilities for most of our kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and how can learning to code perhaps change the future of our majority of potentially unemployed kids? T h i s i s a c o r e p i l l a r o f A f r i c a C o d e W e e k â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s m i s s i o n : t o m a k e coding education accessible to all children, from connected cities all the way to remote, rural areas. It is also the vision of H . E P r e s i d e n t G u r i b - F a k i m i n M a u r i t i u s o r O n d o S t a t e G o v e rn o r i n N i g e r i a , t o n a m e a f e w. B e y o n d e n d o r s i n g A f r i c a C o d e Week, they commit to spreading coding education across every t o w n , v i l l a g e a n d c o m m u n i t y, e n s u r i n g t h a t n o c h i l d i s l e f t b e h i n d . H o w ? B y e n c o u r a g i n g t e a c h e r s t o t a k e p a r t i n t h e Tr a i n t h e - Tr a i n e r s e s s i o n s o r g a n i z e d i n t h e r u n u p t o O c t o b e r e v e n t s in every participating cMake o u n the t r y.event beginner friendly...

Don't focus on the technicalities, try to show th fun and practical aspect of whatever technolog Tbeing h e sused. ustainability of

initiatives life Africa

CEvent o d e format W e e kis up r e to l i eyou s on

time for students t t hBut e allow m e aenough n i n g fhands-on ul colla b-

18-25 october 2017

create something on their own.

oration of like-minde dwhatever p a r t n etools r s e&atechnologies ger to Use you're s u p pmost o r t familiar A f r i c awith Code

Although we do recommend freely available o Week at the grasssource tools and frameworks. Learning someth rcompletely o o t s l e vnew e l .can G obeointimidating gle is .

one of them, and they wAasmile n t aand l l sat friendly u d e n t satmosphere to

Can help break the ice and make those, who d consider themselves "technical" at ease.

2017: Bigger, bolder, better 5 new countries onboard:

18-25 october 2017

have the opportunity to learn and get excited about compute r s c i e n c e ( C S ) . To s p r e a d t h e e x c i t e m e n t a b o u t A f r i c a C o d e Week in 2015, 2016, and 2017, Google has funded the Cape To w n S c i e n c e C e n t r e t o o f f e r s m a l l g r a n t s ( $ 1 , 0 0 0 U S D ) t o organizations and grassroots groups who want to give more kids aged 5 to 18, especially those who may not have access to many CS learning opportunities, a chance to engage with computer science. While access to computer labs is an indisputable challenge, the only way to overcome it is through existing and new partnerships over the years to come. This is why we always welcome new business partners eager to sponsor or support the initiative in the communities that most need it.

Through Africa Code Week over 10,000 teachers have been trained, with each teacher training 76 youth on average.

Last but n ot leas t: w hi l e a c c e ss a n d

skilled volunteers into coding instructors

co n n ect iv ity is k ey for n a t i o n s t o e mp o wer you th, w e s h all a ls o re me m b e r t h a t th e first ge n e rcoding at ionworkshops of c o dfore rchildren s h o n&eyouth d t hwith eir

skills w ith ou t local a sscience in gle centres, I n t e rschools, n e t c NGOs, o n n eetc. ction – simply b ecau s e th e re wa s n o su c h t h i n g as th e I nte r n et b ack i n t h e d a y s. To d a y,

to empower the next generation of African

th ere are m anleaders y w a&y sentrepreneurs t o l e a r nacross c o d35i ncountries. g both o ffline an d on lin e , s t a r t i n g wi t h S c r a t c h and the Afr ica C od e We e k c o u r s e s st a r t as skilled volunteers to teach code to

i ng Septe m b erhundreds 26 on o p e n&Steens A P.cduring o m .Africa of children Code Week events.

I s c o d e a g e - n e u t r a l ? C o u l d a 5 5 - y e a rold nearing the end of their career dip into coding and discover a new career… or is it only really relevant to millennials or the young? If coding is a language, then it is as age neutral as learning English. Not to mention that the world doesn’t have enough people who can code, or as Richard Branson once said: “I learned how to fly a hot air balloon when I was 30,000 feet up

Internal

Confidential

and my life was in the balance: you can learn skills at any age but why wait when we can teach everyone to code now?” More good news is that lear ning code is fun and exciting for all ages: just look at the smiles on teachers’ face as they n a v i g a t e t h e i r w a y t h r o u g h S c r a t c h d u r i n g A f r i c a C o d e W e e k ’s Tr a i n - t h e - Tr a i n e r s e s s i o n s a n d y o u w i l l g e t a s e n s e o f h o w f u n c o d i n g c a n b e f o r a d u l t s . E m p o w e r a t e a c h e r, e m p o w e r a c l a s s r o o m , t h e y s a y : s i m i l a r l y, i f t e a c h e r s a r e f a l l i n g i n l o v e with the lear ning materials they are experiencing first hand, chances are their pupils will too. SAP skilled volunteers have trained over 10,000 teachers on S c r a t c h a c r o s s 3 0 c o u n t r i e s s o f a r, a n d w i t h a n a v e r a g e r a t i o of 76 students introduced to coding in 2016, Africa Code Week is offering an “opportunity to marvel at what the future holds for young Africans.” These are the words of SAP CEO Bill McDermott, for whom “leading companies have a moral o b l i g a t i o n t o i n i t i a t e p e o p l e i n t o t h e m o d e r n e c o n o m y, r e g a r d less of where they come from.”

What are the different options out there for people to lear n code? Should they look at just learning some basics that can either add to their life or help a bit in their career or business through coding… or could they get value by having an eye on becoming an expert? O d d l y e n o u g h , c o m p u t e r p ro g r a m m i n g s t i l l i s o n e o f t h e m o s t u n d e r r a t e d p ro f e s s i o n s a l t h o u g h i t s p ro j e c t e d g ro w t h r a t e o f 17% between 2010 and 2020 is twice as fast as any other job o u t t h e re . W h y i s t h a t s o ? B e c a u s e t h e a n s w e r t o s o c i e t y ’s m o s t p re s s i n g , i n c re a s i n g l y c o m p l e x c h a l l e n g e s a re i n t h e c o d e . W h e t h e r y o u ’ re l o o k i n g t o s t a r t a c a re e r i n t h e i n d u s t r y, a n e w h o b b y o r j u s t t o u n d e r s t a n d t e c h n o l o g y, l e a r n i n g c o d i n g h a s n u m e ro u s b e n e f i t s i n s t o re f o r y o u . B e y o n d c o d i n g a s t h e n e w l a n g u a g e o f t h e 2 1 s t c e n t u r y, y o u w i l l l e a r n t o ‘ t h i n k l i k e a c o d e r ’ . T h i s i s e x a c t l y w h a t w e a re i m p a r t i n g w i t h A f r i c a C o d e We e k : a c u l t u re o f i n n o v a t i o n a n d c re a t i v i t y t h a t i s k e y t o u n l o c k a n e w

JSomething Micasa teac coding to Ro there pupils in Ma

w o r l d o f o p p o r t u n i t i e s , n e w j o b s , n e w c a re e r s , n e w m a r k e t s a n d n e w c o n n e c t i o n s f o r p re s e n t a n d f u t u re g e n e r a t i o n s .

7: Bigger, bolder, better

A5l tnew h o u gcountries h t h e r e a ronboard: e many tools and MOOCs available out

to lear n coding, Scratch is a wonderful, free resource for people of all ages to get started. But don’t let its building-block, playful approach fool you into thinking it is only for beginners:

eek Computer programming is one of the most underrated professions ountries although its projected growth rate 17% between 2010 and 2020 is 000 ofchildren/youth twice as fast as any other job.

Scratch is a powerful leverage for anyone eager to take their coding skills to the next level, from building games all the way to mastering robotics and flying drones. How does SAP offer and what are your competitive advantages in terms of teaching coding? A f r i c a C o d e W e e k â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s s t r e n g t h l i e s i n i t s g r o w i n g n e t w o r k o f over 100 engaged partners: bold visionaries, committed doers, passionate teachers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all utterly convinced that the young generation is holding unprecedented keys, not just to their f u t u r e , b u t a l s o t o t h e w o r l d â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s f u t u r e . T h i s i s w h a t e n a b l e s t h e i n i t i a t i v e t o r e a c h h i g h e r g o a l s y e a r o v e r y e a r. To g e t h e r, w e a r e n o w g e a r i n g u p t o e m p o w e r h a l f a m i l l i o n young Africans with coding skills from October 18 to 25 across 35 countries. This is twice the scope and 25 times

g from 18-25 ching Rwandan october ay 2016

2017

more beneficiaries than our initial goal of 20,000 across 17 countries back in 2015. SAP Africa Code Week provides many ways to get involved, from becoming a Coding Instructor and hosting coding workshops for young people all the way spons o r i n g t h e i n i t i a t i v e a s a p a r t n e r. Women can also start mentoring girls in their community by joining the eskills4girls.org initiative launched by our strategic p a r t n e r B M Z ( G e r m a n y â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s F e d e r a l M i n i s t r y f o r E c o n o m i c C o o p eration and Development). Joined by UNESCO and Africa Code Week and endorsed by G20 Leaders in a statement annexed to their Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Declaration at the Hamburg Summit in July 2017, #eskills4girls is on a mission to increase the access of women and girls in the digital world and to boost relevant education and employment opportunities on a global scale. What interesting anecdotes can you share about people who have learned to code? Although I am not a coder myself, I was fortunate enough to

Enroll t offline

be surrounded by them all my life and throughout my career at S A P. T h e s e s o f t w a r e d e v e l o p e r s a n d t e c h l e a d e r s a r e l i t e r a l l y changing the world with the sheer beauty of their code. They a r e t h e v e r y s o f t w a r e a r c h i t e c t s a n d b r i l l i a n t m i n d s w h o l i t e ra l l y w r o t e t h e s t o r y o f E R P t e c h n o l o g y, a n a l y t i c s a n d b u s i n e s s i n t e l l i g e n c e a s w e k n o w i t t o d a y.

Women can also start mentoring girls in their community by joining the eskills4girls.org initiative. I love the way they think, and our conversations often turn into a spirit-lifting exchange that renews the very way I see the world. And when asked why they became who they are, they all point to a specific point in time. It could be the day t h e y d i s m a n t l e d t h e i r f i r s t h a r d d r i v e w i t h a m e r e s c r e w d r i v e r,

today! All materials are also accessible for those with limited Internet access.

or the first time they played Space Invaders on an Atari c o m p u t e r. M o s t o f t h e m s a y i t happened in a split second. There was a before and an a f t e r, a n d e v e n t u a l l y t h e y became a tech evangelist or s o f t w a r e e n g i n e e r. I b e l i e v e this is at the heart of Africa Code Week: we want to secure the chance for that s p a r k t o h a p p e n â&#x20AC;Ś a n d n u rture it afterwards so that the

beauty of young Africans’ code ends up impacting individuals, families, communities and society at large. What can leaders (and parents) do in terms of guiding and helping their people (and kids) to learn coding? AS our High Patron H.E. President Gurib-Fakim reminded us on June 18 at the launch of Africa Code Week 2017 in Mauritius: “family is the first innovation lab.” As a matter of fact, research shows that when communities, parents and schools work together to support learning, students perform better academi c a l l y a n d s t a y i n s c h o o l l o n g e r. T h e s i n g l e m o s t i m p o r t a n t p r e d i c t o r o f s t u d e n t s u c c e s s i s t h e f a m i l y ’s a t t i t u d e t h a t l e a r n i n g is a positive, joyful and valuable experience. More and more

18-25 october 2017

r, bolder, better

w countries onboard:

countries

2015

2016

2017

africa code week 2017

ries hildren/youth

Africa Code Week’s mission is to empower future generations with the coding tools and skills they need to thrive in the 21st century workforce and become key actors of Africa’s economic development. www.africacodeweek.org

2025 6

The single most important predictor of student success is the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attitude that learning is a positive, joyful and valuable experience. p a r e n t s a r e a t t e n d i n g o u r Tr a i n - t h e - Tr a i n e r s e s s i o n s b e c a u s e they too want to be an active vector of change for the young generation: teaching code to their kids and encouraging them every step of the way is now a top priority for them. Why should a high-profile business leader lear n to code? As the Fourth Industrial Revolution gathers speed and disrupts every facet of work and business, leaders from the public and private sectors need new thinking to ensure they equip themselves, as well as their workforce, with the digital skills needed to survive and thrive. Advances in computing are accelerating the pace of innovation and enabling companies to develop, test, launch and a d a p t n e w p r o d u c t s a n d s e r v i c e s i n r e c o r d t i m e . H o w e v e r, without the requisite talent, companies and gover nments will have an impaired ability to keep up with the pace of change, and will soon find themselves outperformed by more agile competitors.

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connect with Claire Claire Gillissen-Duval is the Director, EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP and the Co-Founder and Global Lead of Africa Code Week.

Lord H

a questi

Photos: RenĂŠ Carayol

Herman

ion of leadership.

Lord Herman Ouseley RENÉ CARAYOL, u|Chief’s leadership guru, goes head-to-head with an African leader every month.

Lord ouseley was born in guyana in 1945 and came to england when he was 11. He became chief executive of the london borough of lambeth and the former inner london education authority (the first black person to hold such an office). In 1993, he became the executive chairman of the commission for racial equality, a position he held until 2000. In 2001, he was raised to the peerage of baron ouseley of peckham rye in southwark. Herman ouseley is also the chair of chandran foundation, kick-it-out plc (let’s kick racism out of football campaign), policy research institute on ageing & ethnicity (university of central england). Which contemporary leaders do you admire? To n y O t t e y, a J a m a i c a n n a t i o n a l , a n i n s p i r a t i o n a l l e a d e r amongst young people. He inspired them to become educated. H e s a i d p r o v o c a t i v e t h i n g s w h e r e m o s t o t h e r s h e s i t a t e d . To mixed audiences of different races he would challenge all, “we are definitely in the same boat, but on different decks”. We worked together in Brixton, London (which had a large ethnic p o p u l a t i o n ) i n t h e 1 9 7 0 ’s . H e w o u l d e v e n t u a l l y r e t u r n t o J a m a i ca to continue his wonderful work. Have you ever had a mentor? And if so, how did they help you develop and grow? I never had a formal mentor as such, but I soon looked to learn from everyone I met. Rudy Narayan was a barrister who came t o L o n d o n i n t h e 1 9 5 0 ’s . H e s o o n c o m m e n c e d a l i f e l o n g s t r u g gle against racism. He was bold and fearless. He was dropped from the Bar four times and each time eventually reinstated. He was an exceptional mentor for me, without him ever knowing

just how much he was to shape my determination to change t h e w o r l d a r o u n d u s . N o t e v e r y t h i n g h e s a i d o r d i d w a s p e rfect. I soon learned to be discerning about what to take on board. I now have the privilege of mentoring many people, and I love doing it as I lear n much from my mentees, maybe more than they ever lear n from me. What do you believe is the most important driver for success: talent or ambition? Ambition is a must. Looking at myself, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never considered myself talented but I do have a work ethic which I believe I g a i n e d f r o m m y m o t h e r, w h o I o b s e r v e d d o s o m e t i m e s h a v i n g to do three to four jobs at the same time. My work ethic led m e t o t a k e o n m o r e a n d m o r e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y. Ta l e n t c a n b e a n o v e r u s e d d e s c r i p t o r. I n a s e n t e n c e , w h a t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s y o u r d e f i n i t i o n o f L e a d e r s h i p ? Being able to inspire others to your ideas and enable their confidence in joining you in pursuit of your purpose. Which historical leaders stand out for you, and why?

Nelson Mandela… and having met him four times, every time I met him he taught me something different and instructive. Every audience with him was a special and memorable occasion to be in the presence of an extraordinary and unique ‘greatness’. Has Leadership become more difficult or complex in recent times? And if so, why? Lead ers h ip h as b ecom e mu l t i d i me n s i o n a l . I t ’s n o longe r just abo u t th e top of th e o r g a n i sa t i o n . I s e e l e a d e r s e v e r y w he re , especia lly am on gs t t h e y o u n g . I ’m c a l l e d a ‘l e a d e r ’, but I se e my role as h elp in g a n d s u p p o r t i n g p e o p l e . I h a v e n ow re a lise d t ha t th is is tr u e le a d e r s h ip . We h a v e t o t a k e t h e ‘re sponsibilit y ’ for chan ge an d h ow y ou e x e rc i s e t h a t re sp o n s i b i l i t y w ill de fine y ou. What advice would you give to those embarking on their leadership journey today? They must prove themselves worthy of the trust and confidence of others. This will enable people to see you as a ‘leader’. Blair and Cameron were made by their respective appointments to high office, they grew enormously by inspiring others to have trust and confidence in them. The opportunity to lead will enable some to grow whilst others will fall apart. W h a t ’s y o u r r e a c t i o n t o D o n a l d Tr u m p ’s r e c e n t v i c t o r y i n the US elections? One of surprise, then starting to see it all unravel rather quickl y. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, y o u c a n n o w ‘ b u y ’ y o u r w a y i n t o e v e n t h e o f fice of the President of the USA! We should remember that he followed a black man and was competing against a woman. He was able to tap into an undercurrent of racism and resentment, a n d Tr u m p ’s p e r s o n a c a p i t a l i s e d u p o n t h i s .

T h e r e i s a g l o b a l i s s u e a r o u n d e m p l o y m e n t a n d o p p o rtunities for the younger generation. Do you see any signs of any economic breakthroughs for them? We must better target roles and careers for young people and equip the future generation with the essential skills needed for the type of jobs which will be available in a rapidly changing world. As we all live for far longer and work far longer n o w, w e n e e d t o p l a n a n d c a r e f o r t h e g r o w i n g n u m b e r s o f elderly as well. These are complex problems and now must become all of our problems – we can solve them so much b e t t e r t o g e t h e r.

R e n é C a r a y o l | r e n e @ c a r a y o l . c o m | w w w. c a r a y o l . c o m

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# social media.

When not sharing is caring

T U R E L EA D E R S U F O T G N I N R A W G N A LS C O U R T V E R D I CT S I

With social media all around us, the founder and CEO of leading executive search firm Jack Hammer, DEBBIE GOODMAN-BHYAT sounds a warning on social media sharing

Social media aggregators are rapidly gaining traction in the executive search and recruitment industries, and anyone planning on rising through the ranks in their careers should be on the alert with this trend, a leadership expert war ns. “Most people will be aware that they should be careful on social media if they are on the hunt for a new position, as it has for a while now been standard practice for hiring manage r s t o r e v i e w a c a n d i d a t e ’s o n l i n e p r o f i l e b e f o r e c o n s i d e r i n g a n i n t e r v i e w, ” s a y s D e b b i e G o o d m a n - B h y a t , C E O o f J a c k H a m m e r, rated one of the top 3 executive search firms in South Africa. “However that approach seems almost quaint now in the face o f t h e r a p i d e v o l u t i o n o f t h e p e o p l e a g g r e g a t i o n i n d u s t r y, ” she says. There are numerous aggregators out there, from companies s u c h a s E n t e l o , Ta l e n t B i n , P i p l a n d m a n y o t h e r s . A l t h o u g h t h e offering differs from product to product, essentially social media aggregators scrape and pull in everything they can harvest online and offline about a particular candidate, sometimes even from the deep web, which then gives a company a comprehensive view of a candidate. As Pipl states on its website, it is a “one-stop shop for people data”. These tools are used not only for the identification of suitable candidates, but also for screening purposes. “Although these aggregators are not yet ubiquitous in the local i n d u s t r y, a n y o n e w h o i s s e r i o u s a b o u t t h e i r c a r e e r a n d e x p e c t s to progress through the ranks should know that the inter net never forgets, and that what they write, do or say online now may well become part of the social media profile presented to

"Now, more than ever, it is important not to be naïve or thoughtless with your personal or professional information." h i r i n g m a n a g e r s 2 , 5 o r 1 0 y e a r s f r o m n o w. ” Goodman-Bhyat says the information is already being collated by companies that need to make a decision about whether a candidate will be a good culture fit – based on their social and other habits – but that aggregators and scraping is becoming an integral part of the process, rather than an additional box to check during the profiling stage. “In a recent client meeting, I was again reminded of the importance of cultivating a professional online persona. While presenting a shortlist of candidates for a leadership role in East Africa, the client instantly checked each and every candidate on Facebook and LinkedIn, and immediately made a call on whether to interview or not, supported by what he saw online,” she says. The growing role of social media analysis in the workplace f u r t h e r c a m e i n t o s h a r p f o c u s r e c e n t l y, w i t h a U S c o u r t r u l i n g in favour of hiQ Labs in San Francisco. Reuters.com explains that the company had used LinkedIn data to build algorithms capable of predicting employee behaviors, such as when they might quit. While LinkedIn tried to put a stop to this, a federal judge ruled that they could not

"The lesson is that the personal has become the professional. You can’t expect your personal social media profiles – or any information posted under your name – to be considered out of bounds."

prevent the company from accessing public profile data, and ordered LinkedIn to remove technology preventing hiQ from accessing public profiles within 24 hours. “The case is considered to have implications beyond LinkedIn and hiQ Labs and could dictate just how much control companies have over publicly available data that is hosted on their services,” Reuters noted.

“The lesson here is that the personal has become the professional, and that you can’t expect your personal social media profiles, or any information posted under your name – whether it be a comment on a newspaper article or pics of you letting your hair way down at AfrikaBur n, to be considered out o f b o u n d s . A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h r o w a w a y c o m m e n t s a n d p o s t s a r e easily forgotten, but they will not be erased from the web as r e a d i l y a s t h e y a r e f r o m t h e m e m o r y, ” s a y s G o o d m a n - B h y a t . “Consider the Facebook reminders that pop up daily – of things you said, did and posted a decade ago – would you be happy for that information to be published under your name again today?” Goodman-Bhyat says future leaders should seriously consider t h e i r a p p r o a c h t o t h e i r o n l i n e p r e s e n c e i n g e n e r a l a n d m a y, like many are starting to do, consider a much more conservative style going forward, and actively cultivate their professional persona online. “ N o w, m o r e t h a n e v e r, i t i s i m p o r t a n t n o t t o b e n a ï v e o r

Photo: ssssss

thoughtless with your personal or professional information.

The unintended consequences can be massive, and massively c a r e e r- l i m i t i n g . ”

Debbie Goodman-Bhyat

connect with debbie Jack Hammer finds leaders who grow great companies and is rated in the top 3 executive search firms in SA and globally (through their IRC partnership). www.jhammer.co.za

human resources.

How smart workers

can

Geo

future-proof their career prospects

It is no secret that the world of work is shifting, and that individuals need to prepare for this changing landscape if they want their skills to remain in demand. And the way to do so, is to b e c o m e a S M A R T w o r k e r, s a y s employment expert Georgina Barrick.

arrick orgina B

“W ithin the next decade – and we are already seeing this happening to some degree – the traditional employer/employee relationship will be largely a thing of the past,” says Georgina Barrick, MD of Cassel&Co, Insource ICT and IT Edge – the specialised recruitment agencies of ADvTECH Resourcing f o c u s i n g o n F i n a n c e , A c c o u n t i n g a n d I T. She says that by 2030, historical workplace structures will overwhelmingly have been replaced by the concept of workers as consultants and their own bosses, who sell their services to client companies. “As we move away from the idea of the employee working for o n e c o m p a n y, d e p e n d i n g o n t h a t c o m p a n y f o r e v e r y t h i n g f r o m their salary to the promise that they will in all likelihood be able to rely on that company for a safe and ongoing income, individuals need to understand how they can navigate the workplace market in the not-so-distant future,” says Barrick. And this is where being SMART comes in.

“SMART is an acronym for the profile of future-fit workers: S p e c i a l i s t , M o b i l e , A d a p t a b l e , R e s i l i e n t a n d Ta l e n t e d . B e i n g SMART will be the key to surviving and thriving in the new world of work,” she says. Barrick says the driving forces behind the changing work environment include rapid and ongoing technological innovation, which is responsible for the disruption of historic industries and old economic systems. This gives rise to new industries and jobs, but also means that an estimated 50% of all jobs currently in existence – including white collar roles – will become automated.

While these are certainly scary times, they are also exciting, as we enter an age where the goal of a bigger return for less work may be achieved. “ A l r e a d y, w e a r e s e e i n g e v i d e n c e o f s o - c a l l e d c r e a t i v e d e s t r u c tion in rising global unemployment, declining average length of service, increasing mid-career transitions and disruption across all industries,” says Barrick. “Over the next five years, the World Economic Forum estimates that we’ll see the decline of job families like Office, Administrat i o n , M a n u f a c t u r i n g a n d P r o d u c t i o n . C o n v e r s e l y, t h e r e s h o u l d be a rise in the importance of Business and Financial Operat i o n s , I n f o r m a t i o n Te c h n o l o g y, M a t h e m a t i c a l , A r c h i t e c t u r a l a n d Engineering roles.

“While these are certainly scary times, they are also exciting, as we enter an age where the goal of a bigger retur n for less work may be achieved, but only if you have the right skills and are able to adapt to a rapidly changing work environment.” Barrick says global research has identified four major trends that will impact the world of work over the next 15 years: 1. FLEXIBILITY “ G l o b a l l y, w e a r e s e e i n g a c o n t i n u a t i o n o f t h e g r o w i n g t r e n d towards short term work. According to the Inter national L a b o u r O r g a n i s a t i o n ’s ‘ T h e C h a n g i n g N a t u r e o f J o b s ’ , 7 5 % of the global workforce is currently employed on temporary or short-term contracts. “It is believed that by 2030, workers will work ‘with’, not ‘for’, c o m p a n i e s a n d w i l l w o r k w i t h m u l t i p l e ‘ c l i e n t s ’ s i m u l t a n e o u s l y, joining skills guilds, rather than becoming employees. “The focus will be on knowledge workers, who can do their jobs anywhere and at any time. “This idea of workers as entrepreneurs will promote flexibility and autonomy – and will benefit high-skill workers.” 2. LIFELONG LEARNING A l r e a d y, t h e i d e a t h a t y o u s t u d y a n d t h e n u s e w h a t y o u ’ v e lear ned to follow a career at one company throughout your life has become obsolete, notes Barrick. “Lifelong lear ning, where workers constantly reskill or renew skills every 5 years, is becoming the norm,” she says.

3. QUALITY VS QUANTITY “The emphasis is shifting away from chasing money at all costs to a focus on critical values, like work/life balance, happiness and fulfilment,” says Barrick. “In future, there will increasingly be a shift away from the culture of ‘overwork’ towards a system where work is enmeshed in life – and reward is based on expertise and results, and not on job title or length of service.” 4 . T E C H N O L O G I C A L I N N O VAT I O N Te c h n o l o g y a l r e a d y e n a b l e s r e m o t e w o r k a n d , a s f i b r e b e c o m e s the norm in South Africa, internet speed is no longer the inhibitor it was 10 years ago. “ O v e r t h e n e x t 1 5 y e a r s , i t ’s p r e d i c t e d t h a t r a p i d t e c h n o l o g i c a l innovation will promote 24/7 work performed by employees in different geographic locations and time zones. The traditional notion of a ‘cor ner office’ as we know it today will become o b s o l e t e a s w o r k e r s w o r k r e m o t e l y, h o t d e s k a n d c o l l a b o r a t e in ways we can’t yet imagine.” “Ultimately what all of this means, is that individuals need to become more adaptable, and be able to manage their careers w i t h g r e a t e r r e s i l i e n c e a n d f l e x i b i l i t y, ” s a y s B a r r i c k . “They also need to become adept at building their personal brands and selling themselves on a fluid job market. Reputation management, customer relations and negotiation will be k e y t o t h e w o r k e r o f t h e f u t u r e . A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e y n e e d t o t a k e responsibility for lifelong lear ning and regular upskilling, with a good dash of entrepreneurship thrown in.”

Employers of the future also need to adapt, she war ns. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They will need to be able to manage complexity and ambigui t y e f f e c t i v e l y, a n d q u i c k l y a n d e f f i c i e n t l y i d e n t i f y s k i l l s g a p s a n d t a p i n t o t h e f r e e l a n c e m a r k e t . A d d i t i o n a l l y, e m p l o y e r s should already start investigating how they can develop collaborative, global, and virtual working environments in order to attract the best talent.

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connect with Georgina Georgina Barrick is the MD of Cassel&Co and Insource.ICT/ IT Edge, all divisions of ADvTECH Resourcing. www.cassel.co.za www.advtech.co.za

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Except Leader Except Times

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takes a special person to command true leadership uthority, but one thing real leaders have in common s where they come from, writes RENĂ&#x2030; CARAYOL.

With the sudden and tragic death of Princess Diana, the Queen s t r u g g l e d t o f i n d t h e a p p ro p r i a t e re s p o n s e . S h e w a s s e e n t o b e s t i ff a n d i n c re d i b l y o u t o f t o u c h w i t h a n a t i o n t h a t w a s i n c o n vulsive shock at the sudden and gruesome death of the ‘Peop l e ’s P r i n c e s s ’ . T h i s w a s p ro b a b l y t h e m o m e n t t h a t m a d e t h e t h e n P r i m e M i n i s t e r, To n y B l a i r. H e t o t a l l y c a u g h t t h e m o o d o f t h e n a t i o n a n d h a rd l y a n y o n e w i l l f o r g e t h i s n e a r p e r f e c t i n t e r v e n t i o n , a s h e re p re s e n t e d b o t h e m o t i o n a l l y a n d a u t h e n t i c a l l y, h o w t h e c o m m o n p e o p l e f e l t . I t t o o k a f e w y e a r s f o r t h e Q u e e n t o re c o v e r her place in our hearts, as her scripted, wooden and emotion f re e a d d re s s e s d a m a g e d h e r re p u t a t i o n .

In a crisis, what’s needed more than anything else, is the ability to emotionally connect with victims who feel aggrieved and neglected. I n a c r i s i s , w h a t ’s n e e d e d m o re t h a n a n y t h i n g e l s e , i s t h e a b i l ity to emotionally connect with victims who feel aggrieved and neglected. It is always empathy and EQ over strategy and IQ. T h e re s a M a y e m p h a s i s e d t h i s w i t h a b u m b l i n g a n d b a ff l i n g p e rf o r m a n c e i n f ro n t o f t h e v i c t i m s o f t h e G re n f e l l F i re . Her d es ire to b e in co mp l e t e c o n t ro l a n d a st y l e of w a nt ing t o man age e v e r yth in g, le f t h e r l o o k i n g a n d f e e l i n g comple t e ly out of tou ch . H e r gu a rd ed a n d c a u t i o u s a p p ro a c h wa s misc onst r ue d a s un carin g a n d rob otic . On t h e o t h e r h a n d , J e re m y Cor by n, be ne f ited fro m h is care e r o f c o n s t a n t p ro t e s t i n g a g a i nst t he e st a blishmen t and h is ab ilit y t o wh i p u p a l i k e -m i n d e d a u die nc e . His v isit s

to the s cen e of t h e f i re we re m e t wi t h r a p t u ro u s a ppla use a nd cheerin g, a s h e h ad n o h i g h -p ro f i l e se c u r i t y i n s ight , a nd w a ndered a rou n d a m on g s t t h e p e o p l e wi t h o u t ‘su i t ed a nd boot e d’ o fficial ad vis er s . H e wa s t a c t i l e a n d n o t a f r a i d to hug or c r y w it h his em otion a lly w roug h t so o n t o b e ‘f o l l o we r s ’. Where a re ou r tr u e le a d e r s t o d a y ? We a re n o t ta lking ma na ge r s o r exp er ts w h o rely o n p ro c e s s, d a t a , st r a t e g y a nd int e lle c t ua l prow es s . Th e re a re m o re t h a n e n o u g h t e c h n o c r a t s or bure a ucrats for lat e r on – t h i s i s t i m e f o r a u t h e n t i c l e a de r ship. Why t he hell w as S ir M ar tin M o o re -B i c k c h o se n t o l e a d wha t w a s a lw a y s g oin g t o b e a n em ot i o n a l l y c h a r g e d re v i e w o f wha t a c t ua lly caused t h e G re n fe ll f i re , a n d v i t a l l y i d e n t i f y wh o w a s t o bla me ? A s e v e r, t h e c r i t e r i a f o r t h e c h o s e n p e r s o n h a d n o t h i n g t o d o w i t h l e a d e r s h i p o r e m p a t h y. H e w a s c h o s e n b e c a u s e o f h i s t r a c k re c o rd o f b e i n g s t r a i g h t t a l k i n g , h a rd h i t t i n g a n d a n honourable judge. He would take no prisoners in getting to the bottom of what actually happened. Maybe, but that is not enough on its own.

L e a d e r s h i p i s A lt r u i s m W h a t i s re a l l y n e e d e d i s t h e a b i l i t y t o t a k e a l l t h e p e o p l e w i t h t h e m . T h i s i s l e s s a b o u t i n t e l l e c t a n d s o m u c h m o re a b o u t E Q and being seen to be able to connect, empathise and most of ‘walk in the shoes’ of the victims. This is Leadership. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, i n t h e s e t i m e s o f g ro w i n g g l o b a l u n c e r t a i n t y, w e n e e d i n s p i re d l e a d e r s m o re t h a n w e h a v e e v e r b e f o re , b u t w e h a v e f a l l e n i n t o t h e b a d h a b i t o f l o o k i n g f o r t h e ‘ c l e v e re s t p e rs o n i n t h e ro o m ’ o r s o m e o n e w h o i s “ s t ro n g a n d s t a b l e ” . J u s t i n Tr u d e a u a n d E m m a n u e l M a c ro n m a y w e l l b e m o re t h e m o d e l w e a re l o o k i n g f o r t o d a y. T h e y k n o w h o w t o e m o t i o n a l l y c o n n e c t ,

a n d u n l i k e T h e re s a M a y a n d S i r M a r t i n , t h e y c a n a d a p t t h e i r m e s s a g e t o m e e t t h e a t m o s p h e re p re v a l e n t i n a n y e n v i ro n m e n t they may enter – no matter how hostile. I t i s t r u e t o s a y t h e D a v i d C a m e ro n , To n y B l a i r, B i l l C l i n t o n a n d p e r h a p s t h e m a s t e r, B a r a c k O b a m a c o u l d a l s o re a c h a n d t o u c h p e o p l e w h e n n e c e s s a r y. I n a w e i rd s o r t o f w a y, D o n a l d Tr u m p h a s t h i s c a p a b i l i t y a s w e l l , a n d e v e n s t r a n g e r, s o d o e s V l a d i m i r P u t i n . T h e y d o h a v e a s u b t l e d i ff e re n c e t h o u g h , m u c h l i k e J e re m y C o r b y n , t h e y k n o w h o w t o p l a y t h e i r ‘ b a s e ’ . T h e y r a re l y l o o k t o p e r f o r m i n e n e m y t e r r i t o r y. T h i s i s t h e d i re c t b e n e f i t o f h a v i n g a l a r g e , t r u s t e d a n d t o t a l l y p re d i c t a b l e b a s e t h a t t h e y p l a y t o a n d p e r f o r m t o . A s w e c a n s e e f ro m re c e n t e v e n t s , t h a t i s p e r h a p s n e v e r e n o u g h o n i t s own. Over time, those they never bother trying to connect with can bring them down. H i l a r y C l i n t o n w a s p ro b a b l y t h e o b j e c t l e s s o n i n h o w t o t h ro w i t a l l a w a y, d e s p i t e a n o v e r w h e l m i n g l e a d , b e c a u s e s h e w a s a t e c h n o c r a t w i t h z e ro E Q a n d a n i n a b i l i t y t o e m p a t h i s e w i t h l a r g e audiences, despite being able to do it on a one to one basis. I f a l l w e b r i n g t o t h e p ro b l e m i s h o p e , t h e n w e h a v e m a d e a p o s i t i v e d i ff e re n c e a l re a d y. To d a y, l e a d e r s h i p i s n o l o n g e r a b o u t r a n k o r h i e r a rc h y, l e a d e r s c a n b e f o u n d a n y w h e re , t o p ro v e t h e p o i n t , t h e i d e a l l e a d e r s h i p ro l e m o d e l s f o r t o d a y a re m o t h e r s a t h o m e . Mothers have exceptional emotional intelligence and an empathy w i t h a l l w h o m t h e y s u p p o r t , n u r t u re a n d l e a d . T h i s i s f a r d i ff e re n t t o a l e a r n e d s k i l l o r ‘ c o m p e t e n c y ’ , i t ’s a w a y o f l i f e – t h e

n a t u r a l o rd e r o f t h i n g s . A n d v i t a l l y, i t ’s j u s t w h a t i s re q u i re d i n terms of leadership in these volatile times. M o re i n c l u s i v e a n d c o n n e c t e d l e a d e r s a re t h e w a y f o r w a rd a n d w e h a v e a h u g e a n d l a r g e l y u n t a p p e d re s e r v o i r o f l e a d e r s h i p t a l e n t re a d i l y a v a i l a b l e – w o m e n . T h e p e re n n i a l q u e s t i o n t h a t i s a l w a y s a s k e d a b o u t l e a d e r s h i p ; a re l e a d e r s b o r n o r a re l e a d e r s m a d e ? I p u t i t t o y o u , t h a t t h e a n s w e r i s n e i t h e r. L e a d e r s a re n o t b o r n a n d t h e y a re n o t m a d e – t h e y a re f o u n d . W h e n w e s t a r t l o o k i n g f o r t h o s e w h o c a n i n f l u e n c e a n d p e r s u a d e w i t h o u t a u t h o r i t y, w e k n o w w e a re o n to something.

If all we bring to the problem is hope, then we have made a positive difference already. Who would have thought that an African American, trained as a l a w y e r a t H a r v a rd , w h o h a d s p e n t h i s f o r m a t i v e y e a r s a s a c o m m u n i t y o r g a n i s e r w o u l d e m e r g e t o b e c o m e t h e P re s i d e n t o f t h e U S A ? T h ro u g h h i s a b i l i t y t o c o n n e c t i n a n i n c l u s i v e m a n n e r, h e n a v i g a t e d t h e n a t i o n t h ro u g h t h e t o u g h e s t a n d s t e e p e s t g l o b a l re c e s s i o n s e e n i n g e n e r a t i o n s . Give me EQ and energy over IQ and strategy every single time. T h e re o n l y o n e t h i n g w o r s e t h a n n o l e a d e r s h i p a n d t h a t i s p o o r leadership.

R e n é C a r a y o l | re n e @ c a r a y o l . c o m | w w w. c a r a y o l . c o m

the glo

What hap when the w world vot The recent Rwanda election was a massive landslide victory for incumbent Paul Kagama, while the Malta election offered their own incumbent, Joseph Muscat, a comfortable win. However, according to the votes cast by The Global Vote website, the rest of the world would have voted neither into power, nor Donald Trump.

obal vote.

ppens whole tes?

Photos: Rusumo Falls, Rwanda (SteveRwanda/Wikipedia)

T h e G l o b a l Vo t e “What are those leaders going to do for the rest of us?” asks t h e f o u n d e r o f T h e G l o b a l Vo t e , S i m o n A n h o l t , a n i n d e p e n d e n t policy advisor who has worked to help develop and implement strategies for enhanced economic, political and cultural engagement with other countries. He also created a fascinating w e b s i t e a n d w e b - b a s e d a c t i v i t y, w h i c h i s t h e o p p o r t u n i t y f o r people in other countries to “vote” in the elections of other countries. Anholt is quick to dispel the notion that taking part in The G l o b a l Vo t e c a n i n f l u e n c e a n y l o c a l e l e c t i o n s ( h e o n l y r e l e a s e s t h e r e s u l t s o f h i s w e b s i t e ’s e l e c t i o n s a f t e r e a c h c o u n t r y ’s r e a l e l e c t i o n s h a v e b e e n c o n c l u d e d ) , r a t h e r, h e h i g h l i g h t s t h e f a c t that we now lived in a globalised, hyperconnected , massively interdependent world. “The political decisions of people in other countries can and will have an impact on our lives no matter who we are and where we live, like the winds of a butterfly beating on one side of the Pacific that can apparently cause a hurricane on the other side, so it is with the world we live in t o d a y. ” Anholt highlights that around 140 million Americans voted in t h e 2 0 1 6 U S E l e c t i o n s i n w h i c h D o n a l d Tr u m p w a s e l e c t e d a s

It is a way for people to participate symbolically in the elections of other countries, and to learn interactively about the politics of those countries.

the 45th president of the United States… and yet that decision is going to directly impact most people throughout the w o r l d , a s A m e r i c a i s o n e o f t h e w o r l d ’s g r e a t s u p e r p o w e r s . H e h i g h l i g h t s t h a t t h e G l o b a l Vo t e i s n o t r e s e a r c h , r a t h e r i t i s a way for people to participate symbolically in the elections of other countries, and to learn interactively about the politics of those countries. “They do this because they understand that people and places are connected in many ways these days, and because they care about what goes on around the world,” says Anholt. His take on the current world situation is that everyone in a position of power and responsibility today has got a dual m a n d a t e . “ Yo u ’ r e r e s p o n s i b l e f o r y o u r o w n p e o p l e a n d e v e r y m a n , w o m a n , c h i l d a n d a n i m a l o n t h e p l a n e t . Yo u ’ r e r e s p o n sible for your own slice of

territory and every single square

m i l e o f t h e e a r t h ’s s u r f a c e a n d t h e a i r a b o v e i t , a n d i f y o u d o n ’ t l i k e t h a t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t h e n y o u s h o u l d n o t b e i n p o w e r. That for me is the rule of the modern age.” Aside from being a strong message for politicians, it also serves as a wake-up for all leaders, from the public to the p r i v a t e s e c t o r, b e c a u s e o u r w o r l d i s r e a c h i n g a s t a t e o f d i s ruption and critical mass that we can no longer operate as an independent island – we have to work together with the rest o f t h e w o r l d . W e d o n ’ t h a v e t o o p e r a t e l i k e a c h a r i t y, a n d w e can and should play to win for ourselves and our stakeholde r s , b u t i t ’s v i t a l t o a v o i d j u s t l o o k i n g i n w a r d s a n d b a c k w a r d s . “ H i s t o r y s h o w s u s t h a t i t ’s a d e a d e n d , ” s a y s A n h o l t . “ W h e n people tur n inwards and backwards, human progress becomes reversed and things get worse for everybody very quickly

indeed. I believe that the best thing about humanity is its diversity and the best thing about globalisation is the way that i t s t i r s u p t h a t d i v e r s i t y, t h a t c u l t u r a l m i x t u r e t o m a k e s o m e thing more creative, more exciting and more productive than t h e r e h a s e v e r b e e n b e f o r e i n h u m a n h i s t o r y. ” I r o n i c a l l y t h e G l o b a l Vo t e i s n e v e r t h e s a m e s e l e c t i o n o f t h e c i t i z e n s i n e a c h c o u n t r y, n o d o u b t b e c a u s e c i t i z e n s a r e m o r e c o n c e r n e d w i t h d o m e s t i c i s s u e s , w h e r e a s T h e G l o b a l Vo t e i s focussed on what the candidates would do in terms of the rest o f t h e w o r l d a n d t h e i r c o u n t r y ’s l e a d e r s h i p . A n h o l t ’s i n i t i a t i v e i s s t i l l r e l a t i v e l y s m a l l , w i t h “ i n t h e r e g i o n of tens of thousands of global votes being case for the highe r- p r o f i l e c o u n t r i e s ; m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 f o r t h e U S e l e c t i o n a n d getting on for twice that in the UK election a few months later; and just thousands for the smaller countries. On the other hand, the spread is truly impressive - we almost always get votes from 100 countries or more”, says Anholt. Small in terms of real life voting statistics, but impressive in t e r m s o f a h u m b l e w e b s i t e . F o r l e a d e r s , T h e G l o b a l Vo t e r e p r e s e n t s a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o l o o k f u r t h e r, i n v e s t i g a t e o t h e r c a n d i d a t e s , g r a s p t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f h a v i n g a g l o b a l v i e w, a n d t o lear n about people who otherwise might slip off the radar or conventional mass media. T h a t ’s p r e c i s e l y w h a t h a p p e n e d i n t h e c a s e o f t h e r e c e n t R w a n d a a n d M a l t a e l e c t i o n s , w h i c h T h e G l o b a l Vo t e b o t h s c o r e d t o t h e e v e n t u a l t h i r d - p l a c e d c a n d i d a t e i n e a c h c o u n t r y ’s actual elections

H o w T h e G l o b a l Vo t e p o l l e d t h e 2 0 1 6 U S P r e s i d e n t i a l E l e c t i o n s

T h e R w a n d a Vo t e Presidential elections were held in Rwanda on 4 August 2017. The incumbent President, Paul Kagame, was re-elected with an estimated 98% of the vote. K a g a m e w a s t h e l a s t c h o i c e o f G l o b a l Vo t e r s , h o w e v e r, w i t h just 10% of the international vote. The surprise winner was Green candidate Frank Habineza, who received 71% of the G l o b a l Vo t e , c o m p a r e d t o j u s t 0 . 4 5 % i n t h e o f f i c i a l e l e c t i o n . Only 3% abstained, suggesting a high level of certainty a m o n g s t G l o b a l Vo t e r s o n t h i s o c c a s i o n .

R w a n d a â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s G l o b a l Vo t e w i n n e r â&#x20AC;&#x201C; F r a n k H a b i n e z a Frank Habineza is the founder and president of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, the only legally registered party in Rwanda. Habineza has served as special assistant to a minister under President Kagame and has worked for Rwanda Newsline and the Rwanda Herald. In 2010, Habineza was forced to flee Rwanda and sought refuge in Sweden, where he lived until 2012. After retur ning home he eventually succeeded in getting the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda officially registered in August 2013. He was awarded a democracy prize in the Swedish Parliament in 2011, and has also received a honorary doctorate of humanities from Bethel College, Indiana, USA in 2013. The National Commission only confirmed his candidacy on 7th J u l y, l e a v i n g h i m l i t t l e t i m e t o c a m p a i g n . H e h a s p r o m i s e d t o fight unemployment and to end the monoculture imposed by

the authorities. Although he has not criticized Paul Kagame himself, Habineza has condemned alleged human rights violations committed by the government against political opponents and has pledged to retry political prisoners accused of dissidence. He has also criticized the government of canceling o n e o f h i s p o l i t i c a l m e e t i n g s . T h e G r e e n P a r t y ’s v i c e - p r e s i d e n t was murdered in 2010. “ W e w a n t t o b r i n g d e m o c r a c y t o t h i s c o u n t r y. D e m o c r a c y d o e s not fall from heaven, it will not come from America or Europe, we are the ones who must fight for it,” Mr Habineza has said.

Democracy does not fall from heaven… we are the ones who must fight for it.

R w a n d a ’s 2 0 1 7 E l e c t i o n Vo t e w i n n e r – P a u l K a g a m e Paul Kagame has been President of Rwanda since 2000 and i s t h e l e a d e r o f t h e R w a n d a n P a t r i o t i c F r o n t ( R P F ) . P r e v i o u s l y, it would not have been possible for him to run for a third term but a reform of the Rwandan Constitution, approved in a 2015 r e f e r e n d u m b y a 9 8 % m a j o r i t y, m e a n s t h a t h e c o u l d n o w s t a n d until 2034. Kagame won the 2003 elections with a 93% share of the vote, and the 2010 elections with the same share. He is w i d e l y e x p e c t e d t o w i n t h i s y e a r ’s e l e c t i o n t o o . P a u l K a g a m e ’s p o p u l a r i t y a m o n g R w a n d a n s a n d f o r e i g n g o v ernments is largely due to the fact that he is seen by many as a hero who united Rwandans following the 1994 genocide t h a t k i l l e d 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 Tu t s i s a n d m o d e r a t e H u t u s . N o t o n l y i s h e regarded as the saviour who he led rebel forces into Kigali in 1994 to end the genocide, but also as the leader who brought R w a n d a n s t o g e t h e r t o r e b u i l d t h e c o u n t r y. R w a n d a ’s g r o w i n g G D P h a s a l s o c o n t r i b u t e d t o K a g a m e ’s r e p utation, both at home and among donors and foreign gover nments. The genocide destroyed the economy but the country is hailed by many as a post-conflict economic miracle. According t o o f f i c i a l g o v e r n m e n t n u m b e r s , R w a n d a ’s e c o n o m y h a s g r o w n by an average of 8% between 2001 and 2014, while the poverty rate decreased by 6% between 2010/11 and 2013/14.

R w a n d a i s a l s o i n v e s t i n g i n t h e t e c h s e c t o r, g e n d e r e q u a l i t y, the environment, education and public health. H o w e v e r, P a u l K a g a m e i s f a c i n g i n c r e a s i n g c r i t i c i s m , a l t h o u g h it is hard to assess the public perception that Rwandans have o f t h e p r e s i d e n t . I n t e r n a t i o n a l l y, t h e i m a g e o f R w a n d a a s a post-conflict â&#x20AC;&#x153;economic miracleâ&#x20AC;? is disputed by some because the information is based purely on gover nment statistics. K a g a m e â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s l e a d e r s h i p s t y l e , v i e w e d b y s o m e a s i n c r e a s i n g l y a u t h o r i t a r i a n , i s a l s o u n d e r g o i n g m o r e s c r u t i n y. There have been allegations of human rights violations against political opponents, civil society leaders and the media, some of whom have been killed, imprisoned or found refuge abroad. These problems could affect the legitimacy of the gover nment and the fragile relationship between Rwandans.

At the beginning of the electoral campaign, President Kagame had several opponents, notably Diane Rwigara, his strongest o p p o n e n t . H o w e v e r, s h e w a s d i s q u a l i f i e d b y t h e n a t i o n a l e l e c toral commission, along with two independent candidates, for n o t m e e t i n g t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r c a n d i d a c y. T h e r e m a i n i n g o p ponents are Frank Habineza and Philippe Mpayimana, who are not well known among the electorate and have limited funds to run their campaigns. K a g a m e h a s s p o k e n o f t h e n e e d f o r i n c r e a s e d i n t e r- A f r i c a n trade: “We still have … more work to do, to strengthen continental integration and raise the share of intra-African trade, w h i c h a t 1 5 % , i s u n a c c e p t a b l y l o w. A f r i c a n e e d s t o b e m o r e resilient in the face of consistent global shocks and increasing p r o t e c t i o n i s m . To o o f t e n , w e f i n d o u r s e l v e s a t a d i s a d v a n t a g e when negotiating trade with other parts of the world. And within all this, there is the ever increasing need for Africa to indust r i a l i s e . T h e s e f a c t o r s s h o u l d n o t j u s t r e m a i n o b j e c t s o f r e f e rence. Instead, they should drive us to urgently increase trade w i t h e a c h o t h e r, i n v e s t m o r e w i t h i n o u r c o u n t r i e s a n d r e g i o n s , and build joint infrastructure, in order to better facilitate the movement of people and goods within Africa.” Kagame has also spoken of the need for Africa to play a more dynamic and proactive role in the inter national community: “We in Africa need to shift from expectation of largesse from every

incoming [U.S.] administration, to a mind-set of what Africa a n d t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s c a n d o t o g e t h e r, t h a t i s o f m u t u a l b e n e f i t . I t ’s r e a l l y a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o s h a p e a p p r o p r i a t e r e l a t i o n ships with the United States, and other global partners, based o n A f r i c a ’s p r i o r i t i e s a n d a m b i t i o n s . ” R WA N D A’ S 2 0 1 7 E L E C T I O N R E S U LT S Candidate

Vo t e s %

– P a u l K a g a m e

6,675,472

98.79

49,031

0.73

32,701

0.48

(Rwandan Patriotic Front) – P h i l i p p e M p a y i m a n a (Independent) – F r a n k H a b i n e z a

(Democratic Green Party of Rwanda) – Invalid/blank votes

12,310

–

T O TA L

6,769,514 100

Registered voters/tur nout

6,897,076

98.15

Source: NEC Rwanda F o l l o w i n g h i s v i c t o r y, K a g a m e w a s s w o r n i n f o r a n o t h e r t e r m on 18 August 2017.

T h e M a l t a Vo t e T h e M a l t a G l o b a l Vo t e W i n n e r – D r. A r n o l d C a s s o l a D r. A r n o l d C a s s o l a l e a d s Alternattiva Democratica, M a l t a ’s G r e e n P a r t y a f f i l i a t e d to the European Green Party and Global Greens. The party has never won parliamentary representation, with its best result being 1.8% of the national vote in 2013.

D r. C a s s o l a e s p o u s e s c e n t re - l e f t g re e n p o l i t i c s . H e i s a p ro - E U p o l i t i c i a n c a m p a i g n i n g f o r s o c i a l e q u a l i t y, s u s t a i n a b l e d e v e l o p m e n t , a n d t h e p ro t e c t i o n o f t h e e n v i ro n m e n t a n d a n i m a l w e l f a re . “ T h e f o r e i g n p o l i c y o f M a l t a i s t h e E U f o r e i g n p o l i c y, t h e s a m e f o r e i g n p o l i c y a s G e r m a n y, I t a l y o r F r a n c e , s o t h i s i s n o t h i n g n e w f o r m e b e c a u s e i t i s p a r t o f m y i d e a l s , t h a t ’s w h y I l i k e a lot the European thinking in politics and this I think is also going to be one of the ways forward for the future.” He also believes that in a world characterised by globalisation, democracy can only be safeguarded through more integration a n d t h e s t r e n g t h e n i n g o f t h e E U ’s d e m o c r a t i c a n d r e p r e s e n t a tive structures. The Malta 2017 Election Winner – Joseph Muscat Joseph Muscat is the current Prime Minister of Malta and l e a d e r o f t h e L a b o u r P a r t y, a s l i g h t l y c e n t r e - l e f t p o l i t i c a l p a r t y. Along with the Nationalist Party (PN), the Labour Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in Malta. It is a member of the Party of European Socialists. He is a pro-EU politician under whom Malta has posted its first budget surplus in 32 years: his party is committed to enhancing the role of the private sector and is firmly pro-business. H i s g o v e r n m e n t ’s p r i o r i t i e s h a v e i n c l u d e d b o o s t i n g t h e e c o n o -

m y ’s c o m p e t i t i v e n e s s , r e f o r m s i n h e a l t h , e d u c a t i o n a n d p u b l i c f i n a n c e s , a l o n g w i t h c o n t i n u e d d i v e r s i f i c a t i o n o f t h e e c o n o m y. Muscat was a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2008. During this period his report proposing new regulat i o n s f o r t h e E U ’s f i n a n cial services sector was adopted by the European Parliament. H e s e e s M a l t a ’s i n t e r n a tional position as a valid member of the EU, negotiating a net-beneficiary status for Malta in the EU, c o n t i n u i n g M a l t a ’s g o o d relations with the UK post

Joseph Muscat

M A LTA’ S 2 0 1 7 E L E C T I O N R E S U LT S Party

Vo t e s

Seats +/–

– Labour Party

170,976

55.04

–2

– Forza Nazzjonali

135,696

43.68

– Democratic Alternative

2,564

0.80

– Moviment Patrijotti Maltin 1,117

0.36

New

– Alleanza Bidla

221

0.07

New

– Independents

0.03

– Invalid/blank votes

4,031

–

T O TA L

314,696 100

–2

Registered voters/tur nout

341,856

–

92.06

Source: Electoral Commission

B r e x i t , p a r t i c i p a t i n g a s a C o m m o n w e a l t h m e m b e r, a n d t a k i n g a leading role in Mediterranean affairs. “Our geography means that we are never isolated from the global changes around us. Now as in the past. And we know that no-one owes us a living and that we are too small not to be part of a global system. So we have long lived with that phenomenon. It is not new to us. “We have always needed to get to grips with all the tensions. I think that a time of increased globalisation is when you need better governments.”

Europe is diversity, not singularity or hegemony. When asked in an interview whether he felt that Malta was t re a t e d i n t h e s a m e w a y a s l a r g e r c o u n t r i e s , M u s c a t re p l i e d : “I have never felt otherwise. In this world of ours, and especiall y i n E u ro p e , w h a t re a l l y c o u n t s a re i d e a s a n d n o t g e o g r a p h i c a l size, and we have good ideas.” Asked about the future role of Europe, Muscat says: “Europe s h o u l d n o t t r y t o g o d o w n t h e p a t h o f b e c o m i n g o n e c o u n t r y, b e c a u s e i t i s n o t o n e c o u n t r y a n d c a n n e v e r b e o n e c o u n t r y. I think Europe should go down the path of living in diversity and trying to coordinate as much as possible. Having one c o u n t r y w o u l d b e t h e a n t i t h e s i s o f E u r o p e . E u r o p e i s d i v e r s i t y, n o t s i n g u l a r i t y o r h e g e m o n y. ” Muscat has also commented, “Europe signifies something different for everyone. For some, Europe is a converging union, f o r o t h e r s , a n e x c e s s i v e i n t e r f e r e n c e . . . H o w e v e r, w i t h a l l i t s ups and down, the 60 year old European project has undoubte d l y b e e n t h e b e s t p e r i o d i n E u r o p e ’s l o n g a n d c o n v o l u t e d history and certainly the most progressive and prosperous. Hence our theme: rEUnion, as Europe should be focusing on moving forward, not contemplating disintegration.”

connect with simon Simon Anholt has worked with Heads of State / Government of more than 50 countries over the last 20 years, helping them to engage with the rest of the world. www.goodcountry.org

REACHING PEOPLE.

How into t

I got their ANDY HADFIELD, CEO of www.forgood.co.za, tells u|Chief how to build something that customers want, need and use.

The only way to figure out what customers want as opposed to what they need, is to ask and test. Customers pay for what they need, but not always what they want - understanding the difference is vital and timing is everything.

AN HADF 5 TIP

BUILDING

I’ve had a really interesting set of experiences, where I’ve been able to use technology to tackle specific challenges across quite a variety of industries. While I’ve had some successes that I’m proud of, I’ve also worked on many projects that have been tried, tested and failed… Never b e s c a r e d t o f a i l – t h a t ’s w h e r e t h e b e s t l e a r n ing comes from.

The only way to figure out what customers want as opposed to what they need, is to ask and test. Here are a few examples of interesting projects – where getting into the “mind” and figuring out the timing was almost more important than the p r o j e c t i t s e l f . A t F N B w e c r e a t e d t h e b a n k ’s f i r s t official Facebook presence. Back in 2008/09 Facebook was very new (scary) to business. D e v e l o p i n g t h i s t h r o u g h F N B ’s P r e m i e r / P l a t i num segment, a segment very much focused on relationships, gave us the opening we needed to experiment. After some early successes (and

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E C K YO U R TIMING G E T YO U R N DS D I R T Y

confidence building), the rest of the bank followed suit – they now dominate the social media landscape in t h e b a n k i n g s e c t o r. T h e we b 2 .0 c r a z e b a c k in 2009/2010 h e l p e d c re a t e a n a p p e t it e w it hin c o mp a n i e s f o r a n e w, more mode r n u s e r-c e n t r i c d e si g n a nd se t of digit a l se r v i c e s . P e o p l e s t a r t e d t o re a lise t ha t d i g i t a l c o u l d d o sa l e s – a nd w it h t he se s t a r s a l i g n e d , we g o t t o build SA’s fir st t r u e “sh o p ” f o r b a n k i ng produc t s. Imagine getting a cheque account from the comfort of your couch? Sounds normal today… but back then, it wasn’t. With Real Time Wine, we saw an interesting gap in the market – there were no resources for your rookie wine drinker in SA, only for wine snobs (who understood the crazy language used to figure out which wine was good and which wasn’t). This app was a good example of a product that people wanted, but didn’t need – and therefore w e r e n ’ t w i l l i n g t o p a y f o r. T h e numbers were good, the community was unique – but the start-up didn’t generate enough revenue.

Fast forward to the present, with forgood.co.za. We’re playing in the social impact space, testing another two interesting customer “needs”. Corporates in South Africa want to build bigger employee volunteering programmes – but they’re doing it on Excel instead of using an automated platform. Citizens in South Africa are becoming more socially active – but many don’t know where to start. We connect people (and companies) to causes. Time will tell!

Andy’s 5 tips for building products 1. Listen. 2. Listen again. 3 . I t e r a t i o n i s e v e r y t h i n g . D o n ’ t t r y t o b e p e r f e c t . S o u t h A f ricans always try to build something perfectly before they launch it – if you wait that long, you’ll either run out of money or the market would have moved on. 4. C heck your timing. If you’re ahead of the curve, how easy will it be to educate your market? Do they care enough to buy something they don’t know they need yet? 5. G e t y o u r h a n d s d i r t y, e n g a g e a s m u c h a s p o s s i b l e w i t h your customers. Everyone talks about scale; not enough people talk about caring for individual experiences. Find y o u r S u p e r FA N S . L o v e t h e m .

connect with andy Andy Hadfield is a South African entrepreneur in the technology sector and co-founder of forgood, a social impact startup that connects people to Causes. www.forgood.co.za

The purpose of a start-up is to find a sustainable business model. Many founders spend too much time working on a product in isolation, without knowing whether there are actually any real customers for the product. Every start-up should first find out whether thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an actual demand for their product before they start building it.

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

GET BLINKIST

BLINKIST EXTRACT FROM

Photos: ASOS

THINGS

retail legend.

KATIE SMITH of retail technology experts Edited.com dissects the incredible growth and success of the ASOS brand.

you need to know about the ASOS strategy

There aren’t many retailers that can claim a 32% sales increase r i g h t n o w. B u t A S O S d i d j u s t t h a t , i n t h e f o u r m o n t h s t o J u n e this year and is expecting full year profits to be £79.4m. C l e a r l y, t h e r e a r e t h i n g s y o u n e e d t o k n o w a b o u t A S O S . What is it about its strategy that means the OG of trend-led e - c o m m e r c e s t i l l h a s r o o m t o g r o w, i n a n i n c r e a s i n g l y c r o w d e d marketplace? O f c o u r s e , t h e r e ’s n o t o n e s i m p l e t h i n g t h e r e t a i l e r i s d o i n g t o m a k e t h e i r m i l l i o n s . S o r r y, t h a t w o u l d b e t o o e a s y. I n s t e a d t h e r e ’s a c o m b i n a t i o n o f f a c t o r s b a l a n c e d o u t t o r e s u l t i n b o t t o m l i n e g r o w t h . L e t ’s g o t h r o u g h t h e A S O S S t r a t e g y

1 . Tr e n d i s t o p p r i o r i t y At the very centre of the ASOS masterplan is an undying commitment to trend. Nearly half (41%) of the current offering arrived in the last three months, and the site receives between 2,500 and 7,000 new products every week. Newness drives the business. ASOS is meticulous on the timing of its trends too – the retailer doesn’t drop singular styles into stock, it waits for full stories to be in stock and launches them in the one hit (hence the variance in new product releases each week). And the retailer is among the first in the industry to break those trends. Ta k e t h e c o l o r y e l l o w, w h i c h i s o n i t s w a y t o b o o t i n g m i l l e n n i al pink off trend top-spot. ASOS began increasing its stock of t h e s h a d e d r a m a t i c a l l y i n M a y, i n t r o d u c i n g m o r e t h a n t w i c e a s many new products as in April 2016. The rest of the UK market still lags on this trend. Across the full market there was a rise in new arrivals in June, a month later than ASOS, but by only 32% compared to a year ago. We expect to see this ramp up in

the following months, but ASOS are already in prime position to take the win. T h i s s k i l l w i t h t i m i n g n o t o n l y f e e d s t h e r e t a i l e r ’s c o n t e n t , b u t having a full range of merchandise for a trend story places them as an authority on trend within consumers’ minds.

This skill with timing and having a full range of merchandise for a trend story places them as an authority on trend within consumers’ minds. 2. At any cost Tr e n d e v e n t a k e s a p r e c e d e n t o v e r p r i c e . D a t a s h o w s t h a t ASOS isn’t trying to be cheapest. In fact, its price architecture is very different from other trend-led youth retailers like Boohoo, H&M and Forever 21. Instead, ASOS opts to have s t a n d - o u t p r o d u c t , a t a n y c o s t ( w i t h i n r e a s o n ) . A S O S ’s p r i c i n g is more in line with traditional catalogue retailers than with fellow fast-fashion, trend-led e-commerce players. On branded goods, ASOS frequently buy into a higher range o f p r i c i n g t h a n t h e b r a n d s s t o c k o n t h e i r o w n s i t e s . T h a t ’s t h e c a s e w i t h b o t h N e w L o o k a n d Wa r e h o u s e . A S O S w a n t s t h e best, most unusual product. One way it differentiates its assortment is by working directly with brands to produce product with its own consumer in mind. In fact, 5% of the branded offering is merchandised as being ‘exclusive’. And prices on

those exclusives skew higher than the rest of the assortment. A S O S u s e s t h e s e e x c l u s i v e s t o d r i v e s p e c i f i c t r e n d s i t ’s f o c u s i n g o n . F o r e x a m p l e , c o l o r : t h e r e ’s a g r e a t e r e m p h a s i s on shades of pink and yellow in their exclusive selection than in their non-exclusive offering. E x c l u s i v e s a r e a l s o u s e d t o r e i t e r a t e A S O S ’s a c t i v e w e a r d i f f e rence – something the retailer has recently upped the ante on – featuring exclusives with Puma, Ellesse and Nike.

3. Despite that, there’s a reliable core A l t h o u g h t r e n d i s A S O S ’s g o l d e n c h i l d , t h e r e t a i l e r s t i l l h a s a solid range of replenished core items. In fact, more than 8% of the current offering was first introduced more than a year ago. T h a t ’s m o r e t h a n a t F o r e v e r 2 1 , w h e r e p r o d u c t 1 2 m o n t h s o r o l d e r o n l y a c c o u n t s f o r 3 % o f t h e o f f e r i n g , o r To p s h o p a t 5 % . S o w h a t ’s i n t h e c o r e ? • Own-brand blue and black denim for women and men. • To m m y H i l f i g e r t e e s a n d s h i r t s f o r m e n • Birkenstocks, Nike and Converse footwear • Bras – strapless and styles which run in larger cup sizes • S imp le ow n - b r an d sh i r t s a n d b l o u s e s i n wh i t e , na v y a nd bla c k • Lace occasionwear dresses • Items from ASOS Curve and Mater nity lines

ASOS’s pricing is more in line with traditional catalogue retailers than with fellow fast-fashion, trend-led e-commerce players.

4 . T h e r e ’ s a d i s t i n c t a p p r o a c h to discounting A S O S h a s a s t r o n g s t a n c e o n d i s c o u n t i n g , c h o o s i n g t o p a rtition its reduced product off into an outlet section rather than saturate its main offering with too many price slashes. T h a t w a y i t ’s o n l y t h e m o s t a r d e n t o f s a l e s s h o p p e r s w h o w i l l discover the ASOS outlet section. The retailer even introduces new branded product directly into the outlet section. Outside of outlet, discounting is mostly promotional, with key dates in June and December sales as well as driven by email discount codes. In the last three months, 20 out of 40 email n e w s l e t t e r s ( w o m e n ’s ) h a v e m e n t i o n e d s a l e s . G i v e n t h e s t r o n g emphasis on trend and the approach to discounting, ASOS may want to reassess this.

5 . Me n s w e a r t a k e s a b a c k s e a t I t ’s w e l l s t o c k e d , b u t m e n s w e a r i s n ’ t a m a j o r d r i v e r o f b u s i n e s s for ASOS. There were more than three times the number of f u l l p r i c e w o m e n s w e a r s e l l o u t s i n t h e l a s t m o n t h t h a n m e n ’s . Menswear accounts for 38.5% of the entire offering but only 23.8% of full price sell outs. ASOS is aware that its menswear customer shops differently to i t s w o m e n s w e a r c u s t o m e r. B e c a u s e i t k n o w s t h e h a b i t s o f t h e womenswear shopper innately – and has an aptitude for building tech to suit the way they shop – ASOS focus its innovation on women.

6. Smart brand mix A S O S ’s r e a l t r u m p c a r d i s t h e s c a l e o f i t s o w n - b r a n d a s s o r t ment. With petite, tall, plus size and maternity lines, along with premium and reworked vintage, ASOS manages to greatly extend its consumer reach. Athird of the assortment is ownbrand, with the majority of own-brand falling under the ASOS main collection. As the branded strategy has focused on unique product over price point, the private-label business gives ASOS the space t o b e p r i c e c o m p e t i t i v e . I t a l s o s h o w c a s e s t h e r e t a i l e r ’s u n d e rstanding of trend and timing.

all about asos Africa ASOS is a global fashion destination for 20-somethings, selling cutting-edge fashion and offering a wide variety of fashion-related content, making ASOS.com the hub of a thriving fashion community. ASOS sells over 80,000 branded and own-brand products through localised mobile and web experiences, delivering from our fulfilment centres in the UK, US, Europe and China to almost every country in the world. www.asosplc.com

Brands @ASOS focus on unique product over price but private-label allows ASOS to be price competitivetweet Outside of own-brand, the bestselling brands at ASOS are New Look (which accounts for 1.6% of offering), River Island (1.5%) Nike (1.2%), Boohoo (0.7%), French Connection ( 0 . 8 % ) , Te d B a k e r ( 0 . 4 % ) . I t w o u l d b e a g o o d i d e a f o r A S O S t o e x t e n d t h e i r F r e n c h C o n n e c t i o n a n d Te d B a k e r a s s o r t m e n t as they hit the higher price points. T h e s e a r e n ’ t t h e o n l y t r i c k s u p A S O S ’s s l e e v e s . W e ’ v e n o t touched upon its successful wedding collection, looked at best-selling categories or discussed its fresh look at activew e a r. I f t h a t ’s t h e k i n d o f d a t a y o u ’ d l i k e t o c h e c k o u t , y o u should check out a demo of our software!

EDITED is a retail technology company that helps leadi n g b r a n d s a n d r e t a i l e r s l i k e To p s h o p a n d R a l p h L a u r e n t o have the right product at the right price, at the right time. EDITED is the world leader of real-time data for apparel r e t a i l e r s w o r l d w i d e . w w w. e d i t e d . c o m T H I S A R T I C L E WA S F I R ST P U B L I S H E D O N T H E E D I T E D W E B S I T E . V I E W T H E O R I G I N A L A RT I C L E H E R E , A N D E N J OY T H E I R OT H E R I N D U ST R Y I N S I G H TS A N D I N T E L L I G E N C E .

intellectual property.

Securing revenue for your mental innovations Sumaiya Deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Mar (Director of SA Fashion Law), shares her insights on the importance and opportunities in the world of patenting.

Photo: EBEN Photography

I D E A S C O M E T O A L L O F U S I N VA R I O U S F O R M S . T h e a b i l i t y to generate new ideas is part of our inherent nature. The produ c t o f a p e r s o n ’s m e n t a l a c t i v i t y i s r e f e r r e d t o a s i n t e l l e c t u a l p r o p e r t y, t h e v a l u e o f w h i c h s h o u l d n o t b e u n d e r e s t i m a t e d i n our digital age. Not everybody has the inclination to start a business and there is no need to start a business to harness your ideas and monet i s e t h e m . Yo u r i n t a n g i b l e a s s e t s c a n s t i l l b e u s e d f o r c o m mercial advantage through licensing, which means selling your ideas to companies and ear ning a royalty income from that. How often do we hear of people coming up with brilliant ideas, only to let them disappear and then see someone else implem e n t i n g o r p r o f i t i n g f r o m t h e m . I t ’s n o t e n o u g h t o h a v e t h e i d e a w i t h o u t i m p l e m e n t i n g i t . To q u o t e R o b i n S h a r m a , “ I d e a t i o n without execution is delusion”. Which means the next time you come up with an excellent idea, execute it!

The next time you come up with an excellent idea, execute it! To s e e i f y o u h a v e a n i d e a t h a t i s m a r k e t a b l e , t h e f i r s t s t e p i s t o d o t h o r o u g h r e s e a r c h . Yo u c a n n o t p a t e n t a n i n v e n t i o n t h a t has already been created anywhere in the world. Start by doing an inter net search on Google Patents. This should give you a pretty clear idea of what has already been patented and forms part of the ‘state of the art’. If your idea has not been patented and is completely unique, it would suit you to draw up a strategy document to market

y o u r i d e a t o t h e r i g h t c o m p a n y. T h e n c o m p i l e a l i s t o f c o m panies that could benefit from your idea. All you need to do is demonstrate a problem and how your idea could provide a s o l u t i o n . To d e v e l o p a p r o t o t y p e o f t h e i d e a , y o u c o u l d g e t a graphic designer to do a visual representation for you. A proper strategy should outline the benefits of the idea and contain a detailed description of it, pictures relating to it, as well as your contact information. O n c e y o u ’ v e c o m p l e t e d t h i s p ro c e s s , y o u c a n f i l e a P ro v i s i o n a l P a t e n t A p p l i c a t i o n a n y w h e re i n t h e w o r l d . A c c o rd i n g t o t h e C o m p a n i e s a n d I n t e l l e c t u a l P ro p e r t y C o m m i s s i o n ( C I P C ) , “ F i l i n g a p ro v i s i o n a l a p p l i c a t i o n i s q u i t e i n e x p e n s i v e a n d g i v e s y o u 1 2 m o n t h s t o c o n s i d e r t h e c o m m e rc i a l w o r t h o f y o u r i n v e n t i o n a n d t o re s o l v e i s s u e s s u c h a s f i n a n c e a n d l i c e n s i n g . T h e n y o u c a n d e c i d e w h e t h e r t o c o n t i n u e w i t h p a t e n t p ro t e c t i o n . ” P a t e n t s p r o t e c t n e w t e c h n o l o g y, i n v e n t i o n s a n d o t h e r f o r m s of innovation. Once all the requirements of a patent application are satisfied and the patent is issued, no other entity can manufacture or market the invention. The final patent lasts two decades and then enters public domain. If there is competition in other countries, an inter national patent can also be registered. The search for South African patents can be conducted at the CIPC offices or online. Filing a provisional patent application allows you to put the words ‘patent pending’ on it. When establishing contact with companies, approach their marketing department, which can even be done via LinkedIn. Inform them that you’ve developed a product which you would like to submit to their company for review and what their

process is. They would most likely ask you to email your strategy to them. Most companies would love to pay royalties for a w i n n i n g i d e a , s o i t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s i m p o r t a n t t o i d e n t i f y a n d c o m m u n i c a t e with the most suitable companies. When a company sees your idea and they want to license your c o n c e p t , i t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s t i m e t o n e g o t i a t e a d e a l . I t c o m e s d o w n t o w h a t you are granting and what they are licensing. In their mind, they need something tangible. This is where a Licensing Agreement comes in, whereby the terms are agreed upon in writing. E s s e n t i a l l y y o u l i c e n c e t h e u s e o f y o u r i d e a t o t h e c o m p a n y, who then produces and markets the idea. In exchange you get payment in the form of royalties.

Most companies would love to pay royalties for a winning idea. An interesting example of a successfully patented idea is the story of Spanx. Spanx is the most popular shapewear worn by

references 1 . C o m p a n i e s a n d I n te l l e c t u a l P ro p e r t y C o m m i s s i o n ( C I P C ) w w w. c i p c . c o . za / i n d ex . p h p / t ra d e - m a r ks - p a te n ts - d e s i g n s - c o p y r i g h t / p a te n ts / 2 . S te p h e n Ke y : O n e S i m p l e I d e a : Tu r n yo u r d re a m s i n to a l i c e n s i n g g o l d m i n e w h i l e l e t t i n g o t h e rs do the work 3 . B i o g ra p h y w w w. b i o g ra p h y. c o m / p e o p l e / s a ra - b l a ke l y - 0 3 1 41 6 4 . F o r b e s w w w. fo r b e s . c o m / s i te s / c l a re o c o n n o r / 2 0 1 2 / 0 3 / 1 2 / h o w - s p a n x- b e c a m e - a - b i l lion-dollar-business-without-advertising/#5f2a7b44d646

women throughout the world, made famous by celebrities who claim to wear them under their red carpet dresses.

It is not about being an expert. It starts with one simple idea. Spanx founder Sarah Blakely was working in sales when she came up with a new business idea. She wanted to wear a pair of white trousers, but couldn’t find any undergarment she liked to wear under it, so she created her own solution by cutting the feet off a pair of panty hose. After realising the brilliance of her innovation, she worked on her new business venture, finalised the design and registered her patent. In 2012 Blakely was featured on the cover o f F o r b e s M a g a z i n e a s t h e w o r l d ’s y o u n g e s t f e m a l e s e l f - m a d e billionaire. As evidenced, it is not about being an expert. It starts with one simple idea that can potentially generate revenue and the execution of that idea in tangible form. Licensing can be used to multiply the effect of the idea, allowing you to benefit lucratively from your mental assets. – Sumaiya De’Mar

connect with Sumaiya Sumaiya De’Mar is the Founder and Director of SA Fashion Law www.safashionlaw.co.za sumaiya@safashionlaw.co.za

travel d

New york city

debrief.

ENVER DUMINY, CEO, Cape Town Tourism, debriefs u|Chief on his recent trip to NYC.

Te l l u s a b o u t y o u r r e c e n t t r a v e l s ?

networking opportunit

M o s t re c e n t l y, t h e L o v e C a p e To w n t e a m a n d

case of business trave

I t r a v e l l e d t o N e w Yo r k C i t y, U S , t o s i g n

and I made it to a few

a t r a d e a n d m e d i a p a r t n e r s h i p a g re e m e n t

attractions, including

w i t h N Y C & C o m p a n y, o u r c o u n t e r p a r t s

Park, The Highline, an

t h e re . I t ’s i m p o s s i b l e n o t t o b e s t r u c k b y

the global Broadway s

t h e s h e e r s i z e a n d e n e r g y o f N e w Yo r k , a c i t y f a m i l i a r t o u s f ro m m a n y T V s h o w s

We’ve been developin

a n d m o v i e s . We ’ re p ro u d t o b e a s s o c i a t e d

relationship for some

with them, to be placed in the category of

to meet up with our fr

world-class destination should make Ca-

carry on as if no time

petonians and South Africans thrilled.

The people you meet

travel experience, and What was memorable in terms of the

our stories.

travel and business experience? As far as this travel experience went, a

What results did you

lot of it was consumed with meetings and

this trip?

ties, as is always the

As mentioned, the trip was to sign a part-

e l , h o w e v e r, t h e t e a m

nership deal, the first of its kind between

w of the landmark

N e w Yo r k a n d a n y c i t y o n t h e A f r i c a n

L a d y L i b e r t y, C e n t r a l

continent â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a landmark deal. This will see

nd also getting to see

C a p e To w n To u r i s m a n d N e w Yo r k & C o m -

sensation Hamilton.

pany sharing our marketing platforms to encourage visitors to go to each city re-

ng this international

s p e c t i v e l y, a n d a l s o s h a r i n g b e s t p r a c t i c e .

y e a r s , s o i t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s g o o d

riends there and

What opportunities did you identify?

has passed at all.

As a developing nation, we must always

are central to any

be on the lookout for opportunities; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re

d we enjoy sharing

looking to increase awareness around all

u achieve through

t h a t S o u t h A f r i c a h a s t o o f f e r, a s w e l l a s seeking opportunities to develop more direct flights, for example, to provide ease of access. Getting there and back is

part of the challenge, so increased flights

has been facing, and

between both cities would encourage

ny doesn’t get distrac

business development across a number

trip there worthwhile,

of industries. We are also working via our

experiences are alway

N a t i o n a l D e p a r t m e n t o f To u r i s m t o e n g a g e

stood out most for me

with the Department of Home Affairs, in

liness of locals and a

d e v e l o p i n g a V I S A Wa i v e r P r o g r a m f o r

focus on customer se

South Africans travelling to the US.

m a n y o f u s i n C a p e To

in order to ensure tha What surprised you about the country –

the centre of everythi

positively and negatively?

s a y t h a t ’s a p o s i t i v e a

W h a t ’s g r e a t a b o u t N e w Yo r k i s t h a t t h e

tive situation.

c i t y h a s i t s o w n i n d e p e n d e n t c h a r a c t e r, so no matter what may going on outside

How did you grow pe

– p o l i t i c a l l y, s o c i a l l y – N Y C & C o m p a n y

travel experience?

continues to seek ways to attract visitors.

I was inspired by the

We’re aware of the challenges the US

across there, as well

yet NYC & Compa-

cted from making a ensuring that visitor

individuals I met. They have impressive resources, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also looking for ways to maximise potential with what they have.

ys top of mind. What

T h a t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s w h a t w e h a v e t o d o l o c a l l y â&#x20AC;&#x201C; r a t h e r

e was the friend-

than being limited by what we have, we

very high level or

ervice, something that

own need to work on,

need to ask ourselves, how can we make it work for us, how can we make what we have grow?

at the customer is at n g w e d o . Yo u c o u l d

approach to a nega-

What lesson did you learn or pick up during this trip that you would like to share with others? Possibility thinking is great, but it can

ersonally from this

take many months or years to see the f r u i t o f a d r e a m c o m i n g t o l i f e . P e r s e v e r-

creativity I came

ance and hard work go hand-in-hand with

as the energy of the

seeing a dream realised. And its amazing

to hear how many people love our South

eyes, watching how th

African accent – so don’t be ashamed to

T h a t ’s w h y t r a v e l s t i r s

speak up and laugh out.

want to see the world

live in it. No matter w Wa s t h e r e s o m e t h i n g a b o u t h o w t h e y d o

find people you can re

business or live their lives that readers

sonal, human level, an

could benefit from experiencing?

plenty to offer our vis

I believe that international travel opens

s o i t ’s a p l e a s u r e t o e

you up to fresh perspectives. There are no

in other countries to g

rights or wrongs about different lifestyles,

t h e m s e l v e s . T h e r e ’s X

but you can gain inspiration through

was printed on a coffe

s e e i n g t h e w o r l d t h r o u g h s o m e o n e e l s e ’s

back from NYC, which

h e y w o r k a n d p l a y.

d e r f u l l y “ U k u h a m b a K u k u b o n a – Tr a v e l l i n g

s so many of us – we

opens a window to the world”

d and the people who

where you go, you’ll

Any fun memories?

e l a t e t o o n a p e r-

Every memory is a fun one, as it is filled

nd South Africa has

with so many possibilities, and one is

sitors in that regard,

reminded of how beautiful the world is,

encourage people

but also how amazing our City is that we

get here to see for

sometimes take for granted.

Xhosa saying, which

ee mug on my flight

Where would you go to next time if you

h sums this up won-

visited for business or pleasure?

I’m privileged to travel to many places

w h a t ’s f u n t o d o a n d s

p r o f e s s i o n a l l y, t o s h a r e t h e g o o d n e w s o f S o u t h A f r i c a . I d e a l l y, I ’ d l i k e t o s e e m o r e

What did you learn a

of the Middle East and UAE countries –

L o c a l l y, w e ’ r e s t a r t i n g

t h e r e ’s m u c h a b o u t C a p e To w n , i n p a r-

in increased cultural s

t i c u l a r, t h a t w o u l d a p p e a l t o t h e M u s l i m

comes to our visitors,

t r a v e l l e r, s o I ’ d l i k e t o m a k e s u r e t h a t t h a t

ism operators are tran

message gets out there.

into more languages,

options for visitors fro Having travelled around SA in 2010 with

grounds – and that ex

t h e F I FA S o c c e r W o r l d C u p , I ’ v e f o u n d

options to providing p

many welcoming places. Business trav-

rections to places of

el doesn’t always provide opportunities

a c c o m m o d a t i o n . I t ’s a

to explore, but I do love to get into local

ing your business offe

neighbourhoods to meet people and find

have a home away fro

out what makes them tick – they’re the ones who can tell you their local secrets –

What were the langu

Photos: Pixabay

see.

W e l l , N e w Yo r k , a l t h o u g h a f i r s t - l a n g u a g e E n g l i s h - s p e a k i n g c i t y i s l i k e C a p e To w n , a

a b o u t N e w Yo r k e r s ?

c u l t u r a l m e l t i n g p o t . Yo u c o u l d b e s p e a k -

g to realise the value

ing to someone in Spanish one minute and

sensitivity when it

then in French the next. Wherever you go,

, s o l a r g e r t o u r-

t a k e p h r a s e b o o k s ( o r G o o g l e Tr a n s l a t e ! )

nslating literature

and pick up languages as you go. If not,

or providing more

just say I am South African and Madiba

om different back-

is our father – the recognition and assis-

xtends from menu

tance you will receive will astound you…

prayer facilities or di-

enjoy your travels.

worship near holiday

all about personalis-

ering so that visitors

om home.

uage challenges?

connect with enver Enver Duminy is the Chief Executive Officer at Cape Town Tourism. www.capetown.travel

the hum

Organisational doubt & fear

man factor.

l r

Human Resources consultant ANDREW SONNENBERG digs deep into the pitfalls facing corporations that lack transformational leaders.

There are differing views on the core purpose of an organization, ranging from the narrow purpose of generating wealth for shareholders (Friedman, 1970) to the broader ‘stakeholder perspective’ (Even & Freeman, 1988) emphasizing wider eng a g e m e n t a n d a p o s i t i v e c o n t r i b u t i o n t o s o c i e t y. I r r e s p e c t i v e of which perspective one favours, in this age of exponential technological advancement and digital disruption, the struggle f o r c o m p e t i t i v e a d v a n t a g e i s r e a l . M o r e o v e r, t h e p r e s s u r e o n CEOs, executive and leadership teams to perform and deliver often unrealistic growth targets is relentless. The expectation on these teams which is cascaded down t h r o u g h t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n a l h i e r a r c h y, i s : “ . . . D e l i v e r e x t r a o rd i n a r y r e s u l t s o f t e n w i t h v e r y o r d i n a r y, l i m i t e d o r s o m e t i m e s no resources at all”. This is a hallmark of an excellent service organization (Frei & Morriss, 2012). A common consequence o f t h i s t y p i c a l s c e n a r i o , h o w e v e r, i s o r g a n i z a t i o n a l d o u b t a n d l e a d e r s h i p f e a r. Although seldom explicit, the hierarchically advantaged fear that they will be unable to deliver to ever increasing targets. S e n s i n g t h i s f e a r, t h e w i d e r o r g a n i z a t i o n ( c o m p r i s e d o f m a n y followers) in turn, doubt the individual and/or collective lead-

The ability to make other people better is based on feeling good oneself. When I am not feeling safe, grounded, valued and confident, I find it more difficult to make others feel that way.

ership ability and capacity to lead the organization to sustainable success. Fear and doubt are the enemy of creativity and innovation. Creative expression and innovation are essential ingredients of organizational transformation and sustainability ( U n g e r e r, U n g e r e r & H e r h o l d t , 2 0 1 6 ) . I a g r e e w i t h F r e i & M o r r i s s ’ ( 2 0 1 2 , p . 8 ) d e f i n i t i o n o f l e a d e rship being about “...making other people better as a result of your presence and making sure that the impact lasts in your a b s e n c e ” . H o w e v e r, t h e a b i l i t y t o m a k e o t h e r p e o p l e b e t t e r is based on feeling good oneself. When I am not feeling safe, grounded, valued and confident, I find it more difficult to m a k e o t h e r s f e e l t h a t w a y. T h e ro l e o f l e a d e r s h i p i n s u s t a i n e d o r g a n i z a t i o n a l s u c c e s s c a n n o t b e o v e re m p h a s i z e d . A l t h o u g h I w h o l e - h e a r t e d l y e n d o r s e t h e v i e w t h a t w e a re a l l l e a d e r s i n o u r o w n u n i q u e w a y s , i t i s t h e f o r m a l , l e g i t i m a t e l e a d e r s w h o ( t h ro u g h a w i d e r e n g a g e m e n t p ro c e s s ) c re a t e t h e v i s i o n , m i s s i o n , o r g a n i z a t i o n a l c u l t u re a n d v a l u e s . T h e s e s t r a t e g i c p h i l o s o p h i e s a re w h a t m a k e t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n t i c k ( U n g e re r, U n g e re r & H e r h o l d t , 2 0 1 6 ) . I n h i s s e m i n a l w o r k o n h u m a n m o t i v a t i o n e n t i t l e d “ M a n ’s Search for Meaning”, Austrian psychiatrist Victor Frakel (1946)

d o c u m e n t e d t h e f u n d a m e n t a l i m p o r t a n c e o f m e a n i n g i n a s u rvival context. In more recent times, this universal concept has been expanded by Simon Sinek (2009) in his book “Start With the Why”. In an organization, as in life, having a purpose (a meaningful role) and understanding how this contributes to the o v e r a l l s u c c e s s o f t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n i s k e y, w h e t h e r a l e a d e r o r a f o l l o w e r. E s s e n t i a l l y, e v e r y o n e n e e d s t o f e e l s a f e , s e c u r e , n e e d e d , v a l ued, meeting survival, security and belonging needs on Abrah a m M a s l o w ’s ( 1 9 4 3 ) ( I n M a n n i n g & C u r t i s , 2 0 1 5 ) h i e r a r c h y of needs framework. These basic needs may sound straight forward but not every leader is able to meet them. When one

list of sources organisational doubt and fear •

Fr i e d m a n , M . 1 970 . T h e s o c i a l re s p o n s i b i l i t y of b u s i n e s s i s to i n c re a s e i ts p rof i ts . N e w Yo r k T i m e s M a g a z i n e , S e p te m b e r 1 3 , 3 2 - 3 3 , 1 2 2 - 1 26 .

•

Ev a n , W. M . , Fre e m a n , R . E . 1 9 8 8 . A s ta ke h o l d e r t h e o r y of t h e m o d e r n c o r p o ra t i o n : Ka n t i a n c a p i ta l i s m . I n T. B e a u c h a m p & N . B o w i e ( Ed s . ) , E t h i c a l t h e o r y a n d b u s i n e s s . E n g l e w o o d C l i f fs , N e w J e rs e y : P re n t i c e H a l l . 75 - 9 3 .

•

Fre i , F. , & M o r r i s s , A . 2 0 1 2 . U n c o m m o n S e r v i c e . B o s to n : H a r v a rd R e v i e w P re s s .

•

U n g e re r, M . , U n g e re r, G . & H e r h o l d t , J . 2 0 1 6 . C r ys ta l l i s i n g t h e S t ra te g i c B u s i n e s s La n d s c a p e . R a n d b u rg : K R P u b l i s h i n g .

•

Fra n ke l , V. 1 9 4 6 .

•

Manning, G., & Curtis, K. 2014.

•

Sinek, S. 2009.

M a n ’s S e a rc h fo r M e a n i n g . V i e n n a : B e a c o n P re s s . T h e A r t of Le a d e rs h i p . N e w Yo r k : M c G ra w H i l l . S ta r t W i t h W h y : H o w G re a t Le a d e rs I n s p i re Ev e r yo n e to Ta ke A c t i o n . N e w Yo r k : P e n g u i n G ro u p . •

Sinek, S. 2014. Le a d e rs Ea t La s t . Lo n d o n : P e n g u i n G ro u p .

layers on levels IV and V needs of respect and fulfilment, truly effective leadership becomes more challenging. Feeling respected, supported, inspired and empowered in addition to the afore-mentioned basic human needs is the catalyst for unleashing human potential. This is the gift that transformational leaders bring. They articulate and instil belief in a vision, rally support and unleash passion, commitment and sacrifice from others in the achievement thereof, making them feel safe and valued in the process. They care deeply and believe in their vision and the work required to achieve it, not allowing obstacles to impede this. They build critical mass, and collectively achieve what was once considered unachievable. General George J. Flynn (In Sinek, 2014, p. xii) said that “... professional competence is not enough to be a good leader; good leaders must truly care about those entrusted to their care”. Through consistently living these behaviours, leaders r e m o v e o r g a n i z a t i o n a l d o u b t a n d f e a r. When p eop le fe e l s a f e , se c u re , n e e d e d , re s p e c t e d a nd v a lue d th ey are en gaged . E n g a g e d e m p l o y e e s e x p e n d disc re t iona r y effort t ow ard ach ievi n g o r g a n i z a t i o n a l g o a l s – t he ma gic , t ha t drives or gan iza tion s f o r wa rd . L e a d e r s, i n t u r n , ne e d t o re c ogniz e and rewa rd th e s e e ff o r t s t o c o mp l e t e t h e v i r t u o us c irc le .

connect with andrew Andrew Sonnenberg is an HR consultant, an associate at Yellowtreehub and former Head of HR: Retail Operations at Woolworths in South Africa. Andrew@yth.co.za

words o

of wisdom.

Cutting through the

When it comes to enabling her clients with rebuilding, rebranding or rebirthing their products, services or business as a whole, CHANTEL OPPELT doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take prisoners and she definitely doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t suffer fools. And the graduates from her Institute love her for it.

In my tre n d an alys is o f c l i e n t s , I h a v e n o t i c e d t h a t ma ny c lie nt s have ex c e lle n t id eas a n d s k i l l s t h a t c o u l d b e o ff e re d t o t he business com m u n it y, b u t t h e y a re c h a l l e n g e d wi t h t he a r t ic ula t ion and acti on in g of th e s k i l l s . T h e c h a l l e n g e s a re n o t house d in t he ir i ntellect u a l facu lt ie s b u t , i n f a c t , o r i g i n a t e f ro m a la c k of unde rstan d in g of w h at s its i n t h e i r wo u n d s. To b e c l e a r, t h i s p ro c e s s i s n o t a t a l l a b o u t w o u n d a d o r a t i o n , i n s t e a d , i t a l l o w s t h e i n d i v i d u a l t o n a v i g a t e t h e a re a s o f t h e wound that would keep them ‘stuck’ as opposed to catapult them to new levels of integration.

My working philosophy is that there is no such feeling as ‘stuck’, as stuck is not a feeling, it is an outcome. My working philosophy is that there is no such feeling as ‘stuck’, as stuck is not a feeling, it is an outcome. The biggest part of my work is enabling the client to cleanly identify the decisions they are not prepared to re-alter to create an alternate outcome to ‘stuck’. For the most part, what underpins the choice to hold fast to a decision is the need to ensure that certain guarantees remain in place. For instance, some people say, “I’d like to leave my marriage BUT I’ve already ‘invested’ so much time and effort into it”. The result is that they hold onto the illusion that they DESERVE to reap the return on investment, and this overpowers any other factors they are prepared to take into consideration to create an alternate reality.

Based on this, clients are therefore, unable to translate some of these concepts and ideas into tangible business products, s e r v i c e s o r s y s t e m s . To y i e l d s p e c i f i c re s u l t s , I h a v e d e v e l o p e d a program based on reflexive principles – in other words, understanding cause and effect and how the individual contributes to that system of working. The Innovation Management and New Product Development Program© is for anyone who wants to transition into their own excellence with a view to craft a unique and viable career for themselves – knowing full well that excavation of the wound is paramount. The outcome of this process is that they are viewed as market and thought leaders in their field, as their journey itself is unique. This is an individual process that has a specific structure, tone, timing and project management component to it. I am clear that the translation of the concept to product is time-consuming.

“Effective communication sees both partners actively and comfortably exchanging ideas in a dialogiue that could strengthen the entire organisation.” The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufmanon

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To f a c i l i t a t e t h e s u p p o r t o f t h a t , I e n s u r e t h a t e x e c u t i v e assistance is available to all participants. This alleviates the data management, receiving, tracking and filing of all necessary documentation. T h e p ro g r a m c u l m i n a t e s i n a n e x h i b i t i o n o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s p ro d uct or services at a business forum. The forum includes industry l e ad ers from t h e for m a l , i n f o r ma l , l o c a l a n d i n t e r na t iona l se c t or s. This is a unique opportunity to showcase concepts as well as to p re s e n t a n e x i s t i n g m a r k e t i n w h i c h t o n e t w o r k . The intention is to bring the customer to the client and to create a space that can hold and contain business at a different frequency. The essence of the work speaks to intrinsic values of ownership and collective acknowledgement of the power we hold within to c re a t e s u b s t a n t i a l c h a n g e t h a t i s s h a re d b y a l l . E m p o w e r m e n t as an outcome cannot be achieved unless an individual is able to ascertain value and voice to their lived experience. My intention with my work is to impact the Gini co-efficient in SA, by ensuring that each citizen understands their individual wound and has sufficient inter nal scaffolding to extricate the gold that lies within.

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connect with Chantel Chantel Oppelt is a medical intuitive, life strategist and founder of the Chantel Oppelt Institute for Applied Alchemy. The Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship offering is the Innovation Management and New Product Development Program.

Chantel Oppelt A brief insight into the Woman who believes that Hope Inspires Action Chantel Oppelt is an Industrial Psychologist by trade, and a Medical Intuitive by calling. She is the Director of The Chantel Oppelt Institute for Applied Alchemy, whose core focus is on acknowledging what lies within and, through alchemical processing, allow our frequency to impact the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s we move in. The unique combination of her qualifications and gifts have unlocked many peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life intricacies beyond the boundaries of the professional world. Her ability to bring the unseen aspects of ourselves into workable, tangible parts bring healing at a fundamental level. She has the ability to facilitate and extrapolate the power that is housed in these unseen parts. An international facilitator that works in highly charged, conflict environments to bring conflict resoluteness has had phenomenal, multi-dimensional impact in terms of what is possible. Chantel is a professional who stands firm in what she believes and calls out the best in everyone and every atmosphere. Her approach is direct and her style is engaging.

"My intention with my work is to impact the Gini coefficient in South Africa by ensuring that each citizen understands their individual wound and has sufficient internal scaffolding to extricate the gold that lies within."

extended trust Tr u st i s to p o f t h e p o p s i n b u s i n e s s , l i fe a n d p o l i t i c s , s a y s R E N Ă&#x2030; C A R AYO L . H o w e ve r, w e a l l h a ve a d i f fe re nt re l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h i s e l u s i ve q u a l i t y .

P h o t o : M i c h a e l Va d o n

There was a time when any new joiner of a team, business or government would be put under close scrutiny until they had e a r n e d t h e t r u s t o f t h e l e a d e r. T h i s c a n l e a d t o f e e l i n g s o f i s o lation or alienation, leaving the individual slightly outside the ‘loop’ and always seeking authorisation to proceed or permission to participate. In some closely-knit environments, this might even take years before they were included in to the ‘inner circle’ and trusted. As we have seen play out recently on the world stage, even heads of state, presidents and prime ministers can also take their time in establishing trust with other world leaders and u s u a l l y t h i s i s n o t t o a n y o n e ’s b e n e f i t . Nowadays, with the world moving so much more rapidly than before, not many have the luxury of waiting a couple of years for the evidence that enables us to either build a trusting partnership or even just collaborate. Progressive leaders now fully understand that there is no ‘risk free’ approach to establishing trust. T h e r e i s a h u g e p r i z e t o b e h a d i n b u i l d i n g t r u s t q u i c k l y. C o n s e q u e n t l y, i n m o r e p r o g r e s s i v e e n v i r o n m e n t s , i n c r e a s i n g l y t r u s t is ‘given’, no longer earned over a long period of time. This does mean that as leaders we will face disappointment far more often than if we were more careful and patient about trusting people. T h e e l u s i v e p r i z e o f e m p o w e r m e n t , w h i c h d r i v e s h i g h p e r f o rmance, is always based upon being trusted.

Bu t as w e can w it n e s s i n t h e Gu l f , wh e re l o n g -t ime pa r t ne r s a nd allies have re c e n tly br u t a l l y f a l l e n o u t o f t r u s t wit h e a c h ot he r. Sau d i A r ab ia, Egyp t, U A E a n d Ba h r a i n h a v e b roke n off diploma t ic ties w ith Q a ta r. It ’s a l re a d y l o o k i n g l i k e i t m a y t a ke a long t ime to re-es ta b lis h tr u s t a n d i t wi l l b e a t a h i g h c o s t t o a ll. The much mooted ‘bromance’ between Vladimir Putin and D o n a l d Tr u m p a p p e a r s t o m o v e f r o m h i g h - p r o f i l e d i s p l a y s o f trust and camaraderie to confrontational statements bor ne out their obvious power plays. D o n a l d Tr u m p s a y s h e c h a l l e n g e d P u t i n o v e r e l e c t i o n m e d dling for ‘25 minutes’. In a relationship built on trust, there would be nothing wrong with this statement. In fact, it might feel rather a long time to be challenging someone you trusted. But if there is no basis for trust, then this sounds like no time at all to get to the bottom of things. W h e n a s k e d w h e t h e r h e f e l t h e c o u l d t r u s t P u t i n , M r Tr u m p replied: “I am not a person who goes around trusting lots of p e o p l e . B u t h e ’s t h e l e a d e r o f R u s s i a . I t i s t h e s e c o n d - m o s t powerful nuclear power on earth.” This rather contradictory statement leaves everyone confused. Tr u s t s h o u l d h a v e n o t h i n g t o w i t h s t a t u s o r j o b t i t l e s – t r u s t i s trust! There is no middle ground – you do or you don’t! E r n e s t H e m i n g w a y c a l l e d i t b e a u t i f u l l y, “ T h e b e s t w a y t o f i n d out if you can trust somebody is to trust them”.

R e n é C a r a y o l | r e n e @ c a r a y o l . c o m | w w w. c a r a y o l . c o m

make yo

Overcoming the fear of public speaking

ourself heard. Many talented people with expert skills or knowledge would rather die than stand up and speak in public. However, a simple four-step programme might be all that stands in their way of speaking out and being heard, writes EUGENE YIGA.

Photo: Thinkstock

I t ’s b e e n s a i d t h a t p e o p l e f e a r p u b l i c s p e a k i n g m o re t h a n d e a t h . Not so for Monique Rissen-Harrisberg, founder and CEO of The Vo i c e C l i n i c . O v e r t h e l a s t t h re e d e c a d e s , t h e c o m p a n y h a s c h a n g e d t h e l i v e s o f h u n d re d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f i n d i v i d u a l s , f ro m p o l i t i c i a n s a n d C E O s t o t e l e v i s i o n p re s e n t e r s a n d s p o r t s s t a r s . “The key is to find a balance between projecting confidence and enthusiasm whilst retaining integrity and sincerity in all f o r m s o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n , ” s h e s a y s . “ I t ’s a b o u t d e v e l o p i n g a voice that inspires others while projecting a professional, confident, and commanding presence.” Here are four key tips that can change your life too. 1 . D o y o u m u m b l e , s p e a k t o o q u i c k l y, s l o w l y, o r s o f t l y ? If you mumble, people assume you are lazy and inconsiderate. I f y o u s p e a k t o o s o f t l y, y o u ’ l l a p p e a r h e s i t a n t a n d u n s u r e o f y o u r s e l f . W h a t ’s t h e s o l u t i o n ? “The quality of our voice accounts for 38% of our communication message,” says Rissen-Harrisberg. “We are assessed according to the tone, pace, pitch, and clarity of our speech. One needs to speak with a deep, resonant, and clear voice t h a t p r o j e c t s s t r e n g t h , w a r m t h , c l a r i t y, a n d a u t h e n t i c i t y. ”

The key is to find a balance between projecting confidence and enthusiasm whilst retaining integrity and sincerity in all forms of communication.

2. Do you need to improve your accent? We tend to speak the way our friends and family speak, as those are the people who have the most influence over us w h e n w e a r e y o u n g . B u t i n t o d a y ’s w o r l d , i t i s e s s e n t i a l t h a t we are understood, and that whatever language we are using s h o u l d b e t r u e t o i t s r h y t h m s a n d f l o w. “When one is speaking English, one needs to be familiar with the formation of both consonants and vowel sounds in order to understand how the language should be articulated,” Rissen-Harrisberg says. “The flow of speech and neutral vowel is also essential to effective English pronunciation.” 3. Do you need to upgrade your presentation skills? W h e t h e r i t ’s t h e s t r u c t u r e a n d c o n t e n t o r t h e d e l i v e r y a n d style, most people could improve their presentation skills. W h a t ’s t h e b e s t w a y t o a v o i d d e a t h b y P o w e r P o i n t ? “One needs to pay particular attention to the introduction a n d c o n c l u s i o n o f t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n , a n d a l s o o n e ’s d r e s s a n d

i m a g e , ” R i s s e n - H a r r i s b e r g s a y s . “ O n e a l s o n e e d s t o l e a r n v a rious tools of the trade, such as ‘hooks’, opening statements, participation strategies, and many more tricks to keep an audie n c e i n t e r e s t e d i n w h a t y o u h a v e t o s a y. ”

4. Are you terrified of public speaking? When one stands up to address an audience, this is often accompanied by ‘butterflies in the stomach’, an increased heart rate, breathlessness, perspiration, and a feeling of being out of control. How does one deal with these unpleasant feelings? “ A n a d re n a l re s p o n s e o f t e n p ro d u c e s a f i g h t o r f l i g h t re s p o n s e , ” says Rissen-Harrisberg. “One needs to turn the ‘flight’ (wanting to remove oneself from the situation) into a ‘fight’ (seizing and making the most of the opportunity). One needs to turn fear into enthusiasm and energy by focusing on skills and techn i q u e s i n s t e a d o f b o w i n g d o w n t o n e r v o u s n e s s a n d a n x i e t y. ” – Eugene Yiga

The poverty trap has some more specific aspects. For instance, a major problem for poor countries is often their geographical positions. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because many of these developing nations lack the conditions necessary for economic growth. That might mean their climate is too hot for consistent agricultural success or that the country is riddled with deserts and mountain chains, making for poor farming conditions and high transportation costs.

The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey Sachs

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travel d

ghana Photo: Hillary Lane

debrief.

Blind inspirational speaker, workshop facilitator and author LOIS STRACHAN debriefs u|Chief on her recent trip to Ghana.

assist, and solution-fo entrepreneurial spirit vade Ghana and is ev

ing sidewalk business busy streets. While I’ve since learn with disabilities often

Ghana, I found people

whether it was in offe Tr a v e l i n g a s a p e r s o n w h o i s v i s u a l l y impaired, whether on business or leisure, may sound like a challenge. Having had the opportunity to travel extensively since losing my sight at the age of 21 I feel I’m q u a l i f i e d t o s a y t h a t i t ’s p o s s i b l e t o g a i n a good sense of a place and culture using your other senses. This was true of my recent trip to Ghana, where I was presenting a keynote at a conference on disability in Africa. Sadly my schedule didn’t allow me to experience much of Accra or Kumasi so I d i d n ’ t g e t a r e a l s e n s e o f w h a t i t ’s l i k e l i v i n g a n d w o r k i n g t h e r e . H o w e v e r, I f i n d I’m left with strong impressions from my time in Ghana that will stay with me for some time. I found the Ghanaian people warm and w e l c o m i n g . T h e y a r e f r i e n d l y, w i l l i n g t o

as I climbed out of a

me to navigate my wa

ocused. I enjoyed the

ence venue. It also made my life signif-

t h a t s e e m s t o p e r-

icantly easier that English is the official

ident from the thriv-

language of Ghana.

ses that line most I was startled at the high percentage of imported groceries we saw in Ghana â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ed that people face challenges in

e willing to assist me,

from South African milk to Spanish fruit juices. I was also very aware of how much business is cash-based â&#x20AC;&#x201C; neither of the

ering a helping hand

guest houses at which I stayed accept-

bus, or in assisting

ed credit cards. I was also unprepared

a y r o u n d t h e c o n f e r-

for the number of unexpected costs that

Photos: Pixabay

mounted up, in the form of gratuities for those who assisted us as we travelled. I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so much surprised by the fact of the payments as the amounts. On one occasion we were charged almost R800 to load 25 bags onto a bus. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if this is normal practice in Ghana or whether it was because we were visitors to the c o u n t r y. As a speaker and workshop facilitator in the field of disability and inclusion, my visit to Ghana helped me to internalize the real challenges faced by gover nments and organisations developing policies and strategies to increase the inclusion, education and employability of persons with a d i s a b i l i t y. T h i s w a s a m e s s a g e t h a t w a s strongly brought home at the conference I attended and will inform the work I do. The insight made me realize once again how fortunate I am that I have the education, knowledge, and resources to live a productive and independent life despite my blindness and to travel as extensively as I do to broaden my experiences. One of the memories that will remain most vividly in my mind was when our bus had a tyre blowout on the 5-hour trip from Kumasi to Accra.

I was impressed, not only by how efficiently our bus driver and his co-driver changed the tyre, but by the number of other buses that stopped to check if there was anything they could do to help and I’m not meaning trying to gain extra passengers from amongst those of us who were stranded on the side of the road! Instead, they stopped to offer the use of a hydraulic jack or other tools. To m e , t h a t e p i t o m i z e s t h e s p i r i t o f t h e Ghanaian people. If asked whether I’d go back to Ghana should the opportunity present itself I would answer positively yes. The only change I’d make is to ensure I had more time to experience the places I visited, and to buy a lot more of the delicious Ghanaian chocolate I discovered while I was there.

connect with lois Lois Strachan is a blind inspirational speaker, workshop facilitator, author, blogger and world-traveler who demystifies disability to increase the inclusion of persons with disabilities into society and the workplace. She is the author of “A Different Way of Seeing: A Blind Woman’s Journey of Living an ‘Ordinary’ Life in an Extraordinary Way” and the illustrated children’s books, “The Adventures of Missy Mouse”, available through her website or Amazon. www.loisstrachan.com

How the kin claime

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ng ed

hrone In the Game of Insurance, a young prince is challenging the staus quoâ&#x20AC;Ś and building a new empire. u|Chief held court with Gideon Galloway, CEO and Founder of King Price.

W h a t g o t K i n g P r i c e o f f t h e g r o u n d ? Wa s i t t h e p r e m i s e o f premiums that decrease, was it how you set up working with insurers… or was it all about a cool logo and website? Insuran c e is a gr u d ge p u rc h a s e , u n d e r s t a n d a b l y, a nd I a lw a y s l ooked f or a w a y t o m a k e i t l e ss so . Ou r d e c re a s ing pre mium mod el a lle v ia te s th e ‘ e i n a ’ f o r o u r c l i e n t s . I t g o t us off t he ground and kee p s u s ah ead . Cu s t o m e r se r v i c e i s a n o t h e r a re a w e ’re kn ow n for b u t eve n t h i s i sn ’t e n o u g h o f a d i ff e re nt ia t or. O ur d ecre a s in g p rem i u m m o d e l i s o u r U S P (n o o t he r insure r in th e w orld d oes t h is , a s f a r a s we k n o w). Bu t , I w a nt e d more , w hich le d t o ‘ c u s t om e r i s k i n g ’, a c l o s e l y -h e l d v a lue . This in t ur n l e d to ou r u n iq u e in t e r n a l c u l t u re , wh i c h l e a v e s no room for a ny th in g st iff an d s t iflin g i n t h e wa y d o b u si n e s s. We re c ognise innovatio n a n d im p le m en t b e t t e r wa y s o f d o i n g t h i n g s, a ll t he t ime .

I decided to take the greed out of the equation and rather offer insurance that’s fair and logical. How did the initial idea spark and what was the process of taking the idea to market? I’ve been in the insurance industry for many years and I rem e m b e r w o n d e r i n g w h y p r e m i u m s n e v e r d e c r e a s e . I n i t i a l l y, I raised the issue at the insurer I was working at but, because their business model is structured as it is, they were in no position to amend it. I now understand that their model is based on greed. So, I decided to take the greed out of the equation and rather offer i n s u r a n c e t h a t ’s f a i r a n d l o g i c a l .

What kept you going when people tried to dissuade you from continuing your ‘crazy idea’? Well, when I had spent all my savings and my wife and I didn’t own a house, I started to wonder whether my idea would ever come to fruition. I remember going for a run and asking God for guidance. I was three years into pitching and seeking investors, with nothing to show for it. All my savings were gone and I had two kids and a wife to take care of. I never heard God telling me stop, so I didn’t. A year and 40 pitches later I found an investor who was willing to bring my idea to life. What challenges did you go through with your website to make the user experience optimal? One of our challenges was registering the domain name King Price. When we started the registration process, we realised that the name was registered (and unused) by someone in Queenstown. It took a road trip and a little convincing, but eventually he gave us the rights to the name. How do you ensure you keep pushing the envelope? We have a fantastic team of people who are well-equipped to keep up with the latest advances that our business needs to make. I’m proud to say that they’re consistently on the ball and ensure that King Price is way ahead of its game on all the f i e l d s t h a t m a t t e r. What gave you ‘the right’ to become the founder of such a visionary company? I b e l i e v e i t ’s m o r e a c a l l i n g t h a n a r i g h t . I ’ m p a s s i o n a t e a b o u t w h a t I d o a n d I ’ v e a l w a y s b e e n a n e n t r e p r e n e u r. I l o v e creating, starting and building innovative businesses.

Are you computer savvy and app savvy… or do you just hire the right people? I’m computer savvy but I also firmly believe in hiring people who are more capable and knowledgeable than I a m . T h i s a l l o w s t h e b u s i n e s s t o f l o u rish. Entrusting skilled people to use their abilities to enhance a business can only work in the best interest and d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e c o m p a n y. I a d v o cate strongly for all entrepreneurs to hire the right people to fill the right positions. Based on what you’ve envisioned, believed in, and made happen, how do you see the potential for disruption in other industries to create a better local and inter national economy? Just as the industrial revolution changed the world, so artificial intelligence is going to affect every industry and force companies to evolve whether they’re willing or not. And the ramifications for local, national and inter national economies are going to be massive. We’re at the beginning phase of a time of massive development. The question for companies is whether they’re at the forefront, and using the potential to gain a disruptive lead, or lagging behind.

Entrepreneurs tend to want to ho instead to being open to g

Yo u r a d v i c e f o r o t h e r d i s r u p t o r s ? I s a y i t a l o t b u t I ’ l l s a y i t a g a i n : I t ’s better to have a small slice of a pie t h a t ’s w o r t h s o m e t h i n g t h a n t o h a v e a large slice of a pie that has no value. If it means having to sell a stake in your business to investors who can b r i n g i n re v e n u e a n d o p e n p a t h s t h a t y o u c o u l d n ’t h a v e d o n e o n y o u r o w n , t h e n d o i t . E n t re p re n e u r s t e n d t o w a n t to hold on to ownership of their ideas i n s t e a d t o b e i n g o p e n t o g ro w i n g t h e i r businesses. What do you see as the challenges and opportunities in insurance? T h e w o r l d ’s c h a n g i n g w e a t h e r p a t ter ns and increasingly devastating natural disasters have the potential to be a big challenge. Also, we’ll soon have self-driving cars hitting the market hard, which will see insurers having to evaluate and cover this totally new risk. Risks inherent to technology will also challenge t h e i n d u s t r y. I n s u r i n g c y b e r r i s k s i s g o i n g t o b e c h a l l e n g i n g . Is King Price moving international? We’ve already established a strong business in Namibia, and we’ll soon venture into Botswana and Mauritius as well. Then, watch out world!

old on to ownership of their ideas growing their businesses.

Te l l m e a b o u t h o w y o u l e a d y o u r t e a m ? Yo u ’ r e a p p a r e n t l y s o m e w h a t q u i r k y a n d d o n ’ t t a k e y o u r s e l f s e r i o u s l y. I lead a team of highly motivated and self-driven individuals that I don’t have to micro-manage. This leaves me more time t o f o c u s o n g r o w i n g t h e b u s i n e s s . I t ’s b e e n s a i d t h a t I h a v e n ’ t done much growing up as far as my wild heart is concer ned. I come to work to have fun and I truly believe that if you aren’t having fun then you’re doing something wrong. We always tell our clients that we take what we do very serio u s l y, b u t o u r s e l v e s … n o t s o m u c h ! M y d r e s s c o d e i s a r e f l e c tion of who I am. I love my shorts and flip-flops and, in our kingdom, they’re completely appropriate attire for the CEO and everyone else. How do you see the office and the employee of the future? I t ’s d e f i n i t e l y a p l a n f o r u s t o o w n o u r o w n c a m p u s , w i t h f a c i l ities that’ll truly empower us to ‘live with purpose’, which is another value. We’ve just opened an on-site training academy to host our new employee induction sessions, up-skill current employees, and enable further education for all our employees

to help them be the best version of themselves. In the future, we’ll probably have even more toys at the office, to encourage our employees to have fun at work. We’d also love to offer our employees more benefits. Our employees are just as important to us as our clients, and staff happiness is a key focus for us. W e d o w h a t w e c a n t o c r e a t e a n e n v i r o n m e n t t h a t ’s c o n d u c i v e for them as individuals.

We take what we do very seriously, but ourselves… not so much. Yo u l a u n c h e d w i t h a b a n g a n d m a d e a b i g i m p a c t . H o w have you continued that success, and what challenges h a v e y o u , a s a d i s r u p t o r, c r e a t e d f o r t h e i n d u s t r y ? We remain agile. This means we make decisions and execute actions faster than our competitors, which enables us to stay ahead of trends and challenges. Key to this is our analytics system, which allows each manager to see their KPIs and measure their performance against their targets at any time, i n r e a l - t i m e . N o t o n l y d o e s t h i s c r e a t e a c c o u n t a b i l i t y, i t a l l o w us to be proactive and make the correct decisions for the business at the right time. We don’t wait for month-end reports to assess our performance and then try to rectify probl e m s r e t r o s p e c t i v e l y.

connect with gideon Gideon Galloway is the founder and CEO of King Price Insurance, an innovative disruptor in the insurance industry. www.kingprice.co.za

travel d

san francisco

Photos: Julia Ahlfeldt

debrief.

JULIA AHLFELDT, a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP, debriefs u|Chief on her recent trip to San Francisco.

Te l l u s a b o u t y o u r r e c e n t t r a v e l s ?

tour of their offices, a

I recently spent three weeks in the US.

the staff canteen (whi

I’ve lived in South Africa for several years,

best staff canteen foo

but I’m originally from the US. I try to

Airbnb is one of my fa

visit at least once or twice per year to see

a brand that has care

f a m i l y, s p e a k w i t h c o l l e a g u e s a n d c l i e n t s , a n d k e e p a p u l s e o n w h a t ’s h a p p e n i n g i n the American market. At first, I’d refer to these annual trips as “going home”, but now I truly feel like I have two “homes”. I t ’s r e j u v e n a t i n g t o r e t u r n a n d r e c o n n e c t with my Americanness, but after a few weeks, I find myself longing to retur n to South Africa. Where did you go, and what was memorable in terms of the travel and business experience? I spent time in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland. It was a tour de West Coast! The motivation for the trip was both personal and professional. In addit i o n t o c a t c h i n g u p w i t h f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y, I also conducted some interviews for my recently launched podcast, Decoding the

customer experience,

C u s t o m e r. O n e o f m y i n t e r v i e w s w a s w i t h

to look under the bon

Desirree Madison-Biggs, who is the head

hand about some of t

of customer experience at Airbnb. I had

have aided their succ

the opportunity to spend part of a day at

release any spoilers b

A i r b n b ’s H Q i n S a n F r a n c i s c o D e s i r r e e a n d

episode is published,

I had a great conversation, she gave me a

from my day at Airbnb

and we had lunch in

standing that their team culture is a key

ich was definitely the

d i f f e r e n t i a t o r. T h e o r g a n i z a t i o n l i v e s a n d

od I’ve ever eaten).

breathes its values, and looks after its

avorite examples of

people. These strategies have paid off.

fully curated a great W h a t o p p o r t u n i t i e s d i d y o u i d e n t i f y d u ring the trip for yourself and your organization, as well as for other industries? The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is g r o w i n g b y l e a p s a n d b o u n d s . I t ’s c l e a r that this will be an important part of customer experiences in the future. One of the evenings that I was in San Francisco, I went over to some friends’ house f o r d i n n e r. T h e h u s b a n d n o w w o r k s f o r a company that has developed a fairly sophisticated AI robot toy for children. The robot knew everyone in the house by name, could recognize facial expressions and had learned how to beat the humans at particular games. It was fascinating to w a t c h m y f r i e n d ’s s o n p l a y w i t h t h e r o b o t . We are on the precipice of a whole new world of human/AI interactions, and comso it was fascinating

nnet and learn first-

panies need to understand how they will leverage this.

he strategies that ess. I don’t want to

before the podcast but I walked away

b w i t h a c l e a r u n d e r-

What surprised you about the country – positively and negatively? American customer service is excellent. Being service-minded is something that is

ingrained in our culture, and while negative customer service experiences do also happen in the US, on a v e r a g e t h e b a r i s s e t m u c h h i g h e r. When Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been away for a while and jump back into the American consumer world, great customer service sometimes takes me by surprise. The tech sector has flourished in recent years. This comes with benefits and drawbacks. In San Francisco, an influx of highly paid tech workers has driven up the host of housing, forcing many long-term residents to move elsewhere. These underlying tensions were palpable

to learn rather than a

at times.

embarrassment. This think outside of the b

Wa s t h e r e s o m e t h i n g a b o u t h o w t h e y d o

risks and champion c

business or live their lives that you feel that people living in other countries

The world around us i

could benefit from knowing or experi-

q u i c k l y, s o o r g a n i z a t i o

encing?

ure out ways to encou

Americans are optimists. They are more

vation, but this will on

likely to view a mistake as an opportunity

ronments that are sup

Any fun memories? Ye s ! O n m y l a s t d a y i n S a n F r a n cisco, my husband and I decided to be tourists in our former home town. We walked through our old neighborhood, recounted memories, and visited the place where we first met. San Francisco is an i n c r e d i b l y p i c t u r e s q u e c i t y, a n d i t will always hold a special place in my heart. Where would you go to next time if you visited for business or pleasure? The East Coast is definitely on n e x t y e a r ’s i t i n e r a r y. source of shame or enables people to

Te l l u s a f e w u s e f u l p h r a s e s o r w o r d s .

ox, take calculated

South Africans are probably aware of this

hange.

through US-produced media, but Americans use slightly different vocabulary and

is changing very

may not be familiar with the words that

ons will need to fig-

are commonplace in South Africa. For ex-

urage internal inno-

ample, if you are asking for directions and

nly happen in envi-

reference the “zebra” or the “robot”, you

pportive.

will get a few quizzical looks!

connect with julia Julia Ahlfeldt is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) who consults to bluechip and multi-national CEOs.

advertising.

Age of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;agency of returnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is here The advertising industry has shifted from

a focus on beautiful campaigns to driving for h i g h R O I s , s a y s N X T C E O Wa y n e L e v i n e

The ‘Agency of Retur n’, is a shift from the typical approach of big campaigns that push brand loyalty which is often built from misinformed data which results in loss of revenue for the brand. The model of ‘Agency of Retur n’ removes fake customer profiles, misinformed data, etc, which regularly limits the b r a n d ’s u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f i t s d i v e r s e c u s t o m e r s . NXT wants the brands it partners with to resonate with their customers on an emotional level. “This depends on knowing the customer intimately and marketing from the inside out,” says Levine. H e s a y s t h e c o m p a n y ’s u n i q u e C I C L O P S ( C o m m o n I n t e r e s t Community) methodology aims to do just that. “CICLOPS helps us build an accurate picture of brands’ customers by looking at micro-incentivised engagement. “By rolling out a series of micro-campaigns, we’re able to accurately analyse what customers are responding to, and then attribute their customer profiles based on their engagements (real data). “These micro-campaigns invite customers to be a part of the jour ney and enjoy it as we are truly aiming to understand and meet their needs – hitting the mark with accuracy and predictable results.” “These micro-communities have common interest – so instead of one big campaign, we target specific campaigns at specific c o n s u m e r g r o u p s . T h i s i s c a l l e d a t t r i b u t i o n – i t ’s a b o u t p u t t i n g the customer at the centre and building the data around the individual. We have seen this approach impacting the bottom l i n e d i r e c t l y, ” s a y s L e v i n e

He adds that traditional ROI funnels depend on a journey in which the goal is set, but those customers who are lost along the way are ignored. “We believe in Retur n on Investment funnels. We examine where and how customers dropped off or ‘leaked out’ of the funnel, and look at what we can we do to a d d r e s s t h i s . I n t h i s w a y, w e g e t t h e m b a c k o n t h e P e r p e t u a l Path to Purchase.” Levine says NXT is leaps and bounds ahead of its competitors as a result of one important fact – the space is only 20 years old. “People were first introduced to the Inter net in 1996. I started my first with a web-based company in 1997. There are probably only a handful of us in the country who were there f r o m t h e b e g i n n i n g u n t i l n o w. “ O u r s t re n g t h i s t h a t w e ’ re v e r y f l e e t - f o o t e d . We h a v e re a d j u s t ed our business model eight times since inception. Being in t h e i n n o v a t i o n s p a c e , w e o f t e n f i n d o u r s e l v e s a t a c ro s s ro a d s a n d h a v e t o c h o o s e w h i c h p a t h t o f o l l o w. We k n o w w e a re n o t g o i n g t o b e d o i n g t h e s a m e t h i n g i n t w o y e a r s ’ t i m e . I t ’s i n t e re s t i n g , h a rd t o f o re c a s t a n d w e ’ re t a k i n g r i s k s a l l t h e t i m e . “Our customers choose us because we deliver on time, every time and on budget. They know they can trust our execution. We have built a strong reputation and when we promise something, it happens.”

connect with Wayne Wayne Levine is the CEO at NXT\ Digital Innovation, an award-winning integrated agency. www.nxt.co.za

finance.

The Changing Role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) RENĂ&#x2030; CARAYOL runs the rule over the new role of the bean-counter-in-chief

There was a time not so long ago when the CFO was purely a technocrat and consequently unfairly derided as a simple ‘bean counter’. So those who passed their chartered accountancy exams looked forward to a career of being gleefully ‘narrow a n d ‘ d e e p ’ . I n t h e t i m e s o f c e r t a i n t y, t h e y h a d v e r y s p e c i f i c q u e s t i o n s t o a n s w e r a n d t h e y d i d j u s t t h a t p e r f e c t l y. They provided essential technical expertise and policed the processes and procedures of the organisation with zealous c o n t r o l . T h e y w e r e n o t i n t h e b u s i n e s s o f b e i n g p o p u l a r, b u t a p a r t f r o m t h e C h i e f E x e c u t i v e O f f i c e r, t h e y a p p e a r e d t o w i e l d the most authority and power at the top of the organisation. The profession appeared to attract those of a more scientific bent with a head for numbers, with perhaps little interest in the ‘softer’ skills. In many respects, they were the original ‘geeks’. D u r i n g t h e 8 0 ’s a n d 9 0 ’s w i t h t h e r i s e a n d r i s e o f c o m p u t e r p o w e r, I T h a d n o t y e t b e c o m e s t r a t e g i c t o t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n but, it was a huge and rising cost.

We can no longer wait for the data – we have to make judgement calls. This is what we call Leadership. C o n s e q u e n t l y, f l e d g l i n g I T f u n c t i o n s f o u n d t h e m s e l v e s u n c o m fortably reporting to the CFO. This was during a period where most opportunities or challenges for the organisation could be d e a l t w i t h i n a v e r t i c a l , n e a t a n d t i d y m a n n e r. I t w o u l d e i t h e r be an HR issue or a Marketing issue or even a Finance issue,

but these in the main, could be dealt with purely and solely by that function. W ith the changing nature of business, and the advent of more enterprise wide IT systems, it soon became very rare for any c h a l l e n g e a n d o p p o r t u n i t y t o b e s o n e a t a n d t i d y. I n s t e a d , nearly every opportunity or issue cuts right across the organisational structure. Most new initiatives now demand cross functional activity and cross functional teams, and nearly all of them require the attention and input of the corporate finance function. This demands essential collaboration right across the organisation. This in turn has made new demands on the capability and behaviour of the CFO. There was a time when the data a l o n e w o u l d p r o v i d e 1 0 0 % o f t h e a n s w e r, i n t o d a y â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s f a s t m o v ing and unforgiving markets with uncertainty becoming the norm, the data rarely provides 70% of the solution. In order to keep the organisation moving and functioning at pace, we can no longer wait for the data â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we have to make judgement calls. This is what we call Leadership. Along with the need for collaboration, this has started to paint a new requisite profile for the new age CFO. In recent history when any business goes through difficult times that lead to a change in the incumbent CEO, there tends to be two different types of candidate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if its assumed that the business outlook will be difficult then the preferred choice tends to be a senior executive from one of the control functions, and this is nearly always Finance. If the business outlook is more positive or requires transformation, then we

tend to see the CEO usually coming from one of the revenue generating business units. In quite simplistic terms, in times of change or growth firms tend to go for the most enterprising CEO, in times of difficulty or constraint it is highly likely that the appointment would be a practicing CFO.

What is needed is a little less management and a lot more leadership. In recent times, we have seen the appointment of a number of n e w b a n k i n g C E O â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a n d a f t e r t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s o f t h e g l o b a l f i nancial crash witnessed the appointment of a number of former investment bankers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this appeared counter intuitive and a few b a n k s h a v e a l r e a d y p a i d a h e a v y p r i c e f o r t h e i r a u d a c i t y. H o w e v e r, w i t h D e u t s c h e B a n k m a k i n g t h e m e d i a h e a d l i n e s for all the wrong reasons, what appeared to be a safety-first a p p o i n t m e n t o f t h e i r C F O t o t h e C E O â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s o f f i c e a p p e a r s t o h a v e b a c k f i r e d q u i t e d r a m a t i c a l l y. The CFO will always remain a key player both for the Executive Te a m a n d t h e B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s , b u t n o w a d a y s b e i n g a t e c h nocrat alone is no longer enough. What is needed is a little less management and a lot more leadership. T h e n e w a g e C F O n e e d s t o b e a n e x p e r t c o m m u n i c a t o r, s t r o n g team player with the ability to influence and persuade not just use the blunt instrument of command and control. Their increasing influence and ownership of the corporate strategy r e q u i r e s a m o r e r o u n d e d b u s i n e s s l e a d e r.

Those thinking of studying accounting and hoping to become a CFO, should not be put off by the new demands on the CFO, as this has now become the price of entry to all who would wish to sit in the top executive teams. And, oh, by the w a y, y o u s t i l l h a v e t o b e a q u a l i t y t e c h n o c r a t b u t n o w a d a y s that is secondary to the ability to lead and influence. “Forecasts may tell you a great deal about the forecaster; t h e y t e l l y o u n o t h i n g a b o u t t h e f u t u r e . ” – Wa r r e n B u f f e t t .

R e n é C a r a y o l | r e n e @ c a r a y o l . c o m | w w w. c a r a y o l . c o m

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order spike online here

“spike is a book that will change your life.” – u|chief

Emplo engage

Human Resources consultant AND delves into a not-so-secret ingredie

insight#

oyee ement

DREW SONNENBERG ent for business success

What is employee engagement? Whilst companies continue to debate the merits of custome r- c e n t r i c , p r o d u c t - c e n t r i c a n d p e o p l e - c e n t r i c s t r a t e g i e s amongst others, the one thing that is beyond debate is that p e o p l e e x e c u t e s t r a t e g y. A l t h o u g h c u s t o m e r s m a y b e a t t h e heart of a company (and products regarded as the lifeblood) without people serving their needs albeit in an ever increasingl y d i g i t i s e d m a n n e r, t h e y b e c o m e i r r e l e v a n t . The need for a motivated and inspired workforce, energised to exceed customer needs is becoming increasingly important for moder n organisations (Bakker & Demerouti, 2008). Organisations of all sizes are striving to achieve improved results t h r o u g h i n c r e a s e d a t t e n d a n c e , r e t e n t i o n a n d c u s t o m e r l o y a l t y. Employee engagement is widely regarded as an answer to this (Magem, 2017). From an academic perspective, several theoretical approaches defining the employee engagement concept have emerged, i n c l u d i n g : ( 1 ) K a h n ’s ( 1 9 9 0 ) p e r s o n a l r o l e e n g a g e m e n t , ( 2 ) M a s l a c h e t a l . ’s ( 2 0 0 1 ) b u r n o u t a n t i t h e s i s a p p r o a c h , ( 3 ) D e m e ro u t i e t a l ’s j o b d e m a n d s - r e s o u r c e s ( J D - R ) m o d e l ( 4 ) H a r t e r e t a l . ’s ( 2 0 0 2 ) s a t i s f a c t i o n - e n g a g e m e n t a p p r o a c h , a n d ( 5 ) S a c k ’s (2006) multidimensional approach. (Shuck, 2010). Although definitions of engagement tend to be numerous and inconsistent, all sources generally agree that “engaged employees feel a sense of attachment toward their organisation, investing themselves not only in their role, but in the organisation as a whole (Robertson-Smith & Markwick, 2009, p. 5). Most definitions tend to define engagement by its outcomes and the outputs of an employee to the benefit of the company (Magem, 2017), often highlighting the attachment toward the

company felt by engaged employees who invest themselves in both the job and the entire organisation. (Robertson-Smith & Markwick, 2009). Based on research of the theory outlined above, the following definition of employee engagement, is proposed: Employee engagement is the extent to which an employee feels emotionally attached and proudly committed to the organisation, its values and goals, delivering over and above what the job requires through the investment of their discretionary effort.

Employee engagement is the extent to which an employee feels emotionally attached and proudly committed to the organisation, its values and goals. Why is it so important? The increasing importance of employee engagement was highlighted by Johnson (2004, p. 1) when he proposed that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the ability to engage employees, to make them work with our business, is going to be one of the greatest organisational battles of the coming 10 yearsâ&#x20AC;?. In addition, an engaged workforce, associated with passionate, committed employees who are willing to go the extra mile in their performance, has become a key source of competitive advantage for businesses today (Shuck, Rocco & Albernoz, 2011).

Like culture, employee engagement is becoming a CEO-level issue. Approximately nine out of ten executives who responded to the 2016 Deloitte Global H u m a n C a p i t a l Tr e n d s s u r v e y, r a t e d e n gagement as an important (38 percent) or very important (48 percent) company p r i o r i t y. T h e f a c t o r s d r i v i n g t h i s f o c u s include the increasing transparency and a c c e s s i b i l i t y o f t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e m ployment brand, an increasing need to attract technologically-skilled workers fuelled by increased digitisation and the intense competition for Millennial talent ( B e r s i n , G e l l e r, Wa k e f i e l d , & Wa l s h , 2016). An increasingly mobile, diverse and multigenerational workforce, which includes up to five generations of workers, is comprised of a mix of various cultures, races, genders and sexual orientations who demand a more flexi b l e , e m p l o y e e - c e n t r i c w o r k e n v i r o n m e n t . Ye t r e s e a r c h i n d i cates that only 11 percent of companies have a highly inclusive work environment and only 4 percent indicate that they are very good at engaging Millennials and other generations in the workplace (Bersin et al., 2016). Mann and Harter (2016) note that for the 15 years that Gallup has been tracking employee engagement in the United States of America (U.S.), 32 percent of employees in the U.S. are engaged in their jobs and workplaces and are thus involved

in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace. Only 13 percent of employees across the globe were found to be engaged in their work. Results of a recent Gallup survey indicate that only 9 percent of the South African (S.A.) workforce is actively engaged, with 91 percent disengaged and, of that 91 percent, 45 percent were found to be actively disengaged (Kelley Group, 2017). The high levels of employee engagement – or the lack thereof – highlight a key issue for employers as engagement is b e c o m i n g a ‘ t e m p e r a t u r e g a u g e ’ f o r a c o m p a n y ’s a b i l i t y t o

proactively address employee issues (Bersin et al., 2016) and “…every interaction with employees can have an impact on e n g a g e m e n t a n d o r g a n i s a t i o n a l p e r f o r m a n c e ” ( M a n n & H a r t e r, 2016, p. 1). Numerous studies have found a positive correlation between a disengaged workforce and higher labour tur nover (Kelly & Quest, 2017). The consequences of labour or organisational tur nover has been the focus of many studies (Wells & Peache r y, 2 0 1 1 ) a n d i n c l u d e , a m o n g s t o t h e r t h i n g s , a d v e r s e i m p a c t s on customer service, employee morale, efficiencies (Abbasi & H o l l m a n , 2 0 0 0 ) a n d o r g a n i s a t i o n a l p e r f o r m a n c e ( Wa l t r o u s , Huffman, & Pricherd, 2006). Compounding this adverse impact is the fact that, according to Abbasi et al. (2000), the brightest talent are the most likely e m p l o y e e g r o u p t o l e a v e t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n . G r o b l e r, Wa r n i c h , Carrell, Elbert and Hatfield (2006) note that the disruptive and costly impact of turnover makes it an outcome that positive, healthy organisations avoid. They add that high staff tur nover is costing S.A. millions of rand a year as a result of lower prod u c t i v i t y, q u a l i t y p r o b l e m s a n d i n c r e a s e d a c c i d e n t s . The Saratoga Institute (2006) believes that “the war for talent has shifted from a battle of acquisition to one of retention”.

The Saratoga Institute (2006) believes that “the war for talent has shifted from a battle of acquisition to one of retention”.

They note that employee tur nover costs are significant and often hidden in items such as training, recruitment, selection a n d t e m p o r a r y s t a f f i n g . H i n k i n a n d Tr a c e y ( 2 0 0 0 ) e s t i m a t e the cost of losing each employee to be as much as twice the p e r s o n â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s s a l a r y. A l t h o u g h 2 0 0 p e r c e n t m a y b e b u l l i s h , p r o j e c t ed costs of between 100 and 150 percent more management level jobs are not. The following simple example may illustrate the lost retur n on investment to companies as a result of disengagement: A m a n a g e r o n a to ta l a n n u a l c o s t to c o m p a n y of R 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 w h o i s o n l y 5 0 % e n g a g e d e s s e n t i a l l y d e l i v e rs o n l y R 5 0 0 0 0 0 p e r a n n u m v a l u e to t h e c o m p a n y. T h i s e q u a te s to a R 5 0 0 0 0 0 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; l o s s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; . S h o u l d t h i s m a n a g e r re m a i n w i t h t h e c o m p a n y fo r 3 ye a rs a t t h e s a m e l e v e l of ( d i s ) e n g a g e m e n t , t h e l o s t re t u r n e s c a l a te s to R 1 . 5 m i l l i o n o v e r t h e t h re e ye a r p e r i o d . T h e l i ke l i h o o d of t h i s m a n a g e r b e i n g a n i n s p i ra t i o n a l l e a d e r i s v e r y s l i g h t . Te a m m e m b e rs a re m o re l i ke l y to b e c o m e u n i n s p i re d a n d t h u s l e s s e n g a g e d , d e l i v e r i n g to t h e m i n i m u m re q u i re m e n ts of t h e i r j o b ; a s t h e y to o w i l l s t r u g g l e to s e e a v a l u e p ro p o s i t i o n t h a t exc i te s a n d m o t i v e s t h e m b e yo n d p e r h a p s t h e i n i t i a l exc i te m e n t of j o i n i n g a n e w c o m p a n y o r te a m . A s s u m i n g t h a t t h e m a n a g e r h a s a c c o u n ta b i l i t y to l e a d a te a m of f i v e p e o p l e w i t h a c o m b i n e d c o s t to c o m p a n y of R 2 . 5 m i l l i o n , t h e p o te n t i a l f u r t h e r l o s s of c o m p o u n d e d d i s e n g a g e m e n t c o u l d c o n s e r v a t i v e l y e q u a te to a f u r t h e r R 75 0 0 0 0 . A p p l y t h i s l o g i c a c ro s s a n o rg a n i s a t i o n of s c a l e a n d o n e s e e s e i t h e r t h e f r i g h te n i n g l o s s o r m a s s i v e o p p o r t u n i t i e s t h a t ex i s t w i t h i n o rg a n i s a t i o n s a c ro s s t h e g l o b e to d a y. T h i s i s a d m i t te d l y a n o v e r - s i m p l i f i c a t i o n , b u t i l l u s t ra te s t h e l o s s of R O I a t a b a s i c l e v e l ef fe c t i v e l y.

The changing structure of companies is placing an increasing focus on empowered teams and team leadership (Bersin et al, 2016). Research indicates that managers account for up to 70 percent of variance in employee engagement scores with one in two job-leaving American adults indicating that they had left their job to get away from their line manager and improve their lives (Harter & Adkins, 2015). Swindall (2007) endorsed a simi l a r v i e w, i n d i c a t i n g t h a t t h e v a s t m a j o r i t y o f e m p l o y e e s d o n â&#x20AC;&#x2122; t leave companies, but leave bosses. A recent Gallup survey (cited by the Kelley Group, 2017) indicated that 67 percent of the staff who were surveyed would l i k e t h e i r m a n a g e r s t o l e a d a n d c o m m u n i c a t e b e t t e r. I n t h e i r study of Pharmaceutical salespersons, Mulki, Fernando and Locander (2006) established that trust in a supervisor is a critical element enabling an ethical climate resulting in enhanced job satisfaction, increased organizational commitment and reduced tur nover intention.

Classifying employee engagement types Gallup differentiates between three types of employees: Engaged, not-engaged and actively disengaged. Engaged employees work with passion and feel a profound connection t o t h e c o m p a n y. T h e y d r i v e i n n o v a t i o n a n d m o v e t h e o r g a n i s a tion forward. Not-engaged employees are essentially â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;checked o u t â&#x20AC;&#x2122; . T h e y a r e s l e e p w a l k i n g t h o r o u g h t h e i r w o r k d a y, p u t t i n g i n time but not energy or passion into their work. Actively disengaged employees are not only unhappy but are acting out their unhappiness. Every day these employees undermine what engaged co-workers accomplish. (Robertson-Smith & Markwick, 2009); (Lolitha & Johnson, 2016).

So what? Irrespective of how employees are classified, many employe e s a r e g e n e r a l l y d i s e n g a g e d i n t h e w o r k p l a c e t o d a y. T h i s i s harmful and costly to organizations, including the high cost of s t a f f t u r n o v e r. T h e f o u r t h i n d u s t r i a l a g e c h a r a c t e r i s e d b y c y b e r- p h y s i c a l s y s t e m s , b i g d a t a , s u p e r a n a l y t i c s a n d a d v a n c e d communications infrastructure is upon us. Industry 4.0 is best d e s c r i b e d b y Wa r r e n B e n n i s ( 1 9 9 1 ) w h e n h e p r o p h e t i c a l l y stated that: “the factory of the future will be staffed by a man and a dog…the man will be there to feed the dog, and the dog will be there to make sure the man doesn’t touch anything”. As employers get their heads around exponential technological advancement both inside and outside the workplace driving an abundance of data, there is a tendency to focus more on spreadsheets and numbers than on people.

In this age of hyper-connectivity and hyper-everything we seem less connected and engaged on a human level than we ever were. I r o n i c a l l y, i n t h i s a g e o f h y p e r- c o n n e c t i v i t y a n d h y p e r- e v e r y thing we seem less connected and engaged on a human level than we ever were. Companies tend to view their annual emp l o y e e e n g a g e m e n t s u r v e y, o r t h e m o r e r e c e n t p h e n o m e n o n o f abridged quarterly ‘pulse surveys’, as sufficient to ensure an engaged workforce. Asking employees how they feel repeatedly is simply not enough. Just as it seems natural to build a business around the needs of exter nal customers, it is the inter nal customers, or staff members, who ensure that these

needs are sustainably met. A c c o u n t a b i l i t y f o r p e o p l e ’s w e l l b e i n g a n d p ro d u c t i v i t y s i t s w i t h l e a d e r s h i p . A c c o rd i n g t o F l y n n ( i n S i n e k , 2 0 1 4 , p . x i i ) “ … a l e a d e r w h o t a k e s c a re o f t h e i r p e o p l e a n d s t a y s f o c u s e d o n t h e w e l l b e i n g o f t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n c a n n e v e r f a i l ” . F u r t h e r m o re , a s l e a d e r s “ … i t i s o u r s o u l re s p o n s i b i l i t y t o p ro t e c t o u r p e o p l e a n d , i n t u r n , o u r p e o p l e w i l l p ro t e c t e a c h o t h e r a n d a d v a n c e t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n t o g e t h e r ” ( S i n e k , 2 0 1 4 , p . 1 8 ) . L e a d e r s h i p c re a t e s c u l t u re , o r “ t h e w a y w e d o t h i n g s a ro u n d h e re ” , w h i c h i n t u r n s e r v e s a s t h e f r a m e w o r k o r t e m p l a t e f ro m w h i c h e m p l o y e e s o p e r a t e . T h e c u l t u re o f a n o r g a n i s a t i o n c a n e i t h e r s e r v e t o e n h a n c e o r d e t r a c t f ro m l e v e l s o f e m p l o y e e e n g a g e m e n t . A n e n g a g e d w o r k f o rc e i s c l e a r l y a f u n d a m e n t a l c o m p o n e n t o f sustainable business success. Employee engagement should be t h e f o u n d a t i o n o n w h i c h a n e m p l o y e e v a l u e p ro p o s i t i o n i s b u i l t . T h i s t r a n s l a t e s i n t o a n e m p l o y e e e x p e r i e n c e , w h i c h d i re c t l y impacts on the customer experience and hence the success and sustainability of the business. In my experience, a consistent communication and engagement methodology and framework t h ro u g h o u t t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n i s a n e s s e n t i a l v e h i c l e f o r s t r a t e g y e x e c u t i o n a n d a n e n g a g e d w o r k f o rc e . I t i s p r i m a r i l y w h a t I h a v e d r i v e n f o r t h e p a s t d e c a d e re a l i s i n g p h e n o m e n a l re s u l t s . There is no silver bullet for success in business but the solut i o n ( i n t h e o r y a t l e a s t ) i l l u s t r a t e d b y t h e ( a d m i t t e d l y o v e r- s i m plified) virtuous Leadership-People-Customer (LPC) Model© below seems simple enough: I t ta ke s c o n n e c te d , c a r i n g a n d fo c u s e d l e a d e rs h i p to m o t i v a te , i n s p i re a n d e n g a g e e m p l o ye e s w h o i n t u r n n u r t u re c u s to m e r re l a t i o n s h i p s , re i n fo rc i n g l e a d e rs h i p c o n n e c te d n e s s ,

Connected, caring and focussed leadership

sustainably successful business

happy customers

motivated, inspired and engaged employees

Figure 1: the virtuous Leadership-People-Customer (LPC) Model ©

c a re a n d fo c u s , c re a t i n g a w i n n i n g c u l t u re a n d a s u s ta i n a b l y s u c c e s sf u l b u s i n e s s . Engaged employees are key to this equation and the ‘unlock’ is LEADERSHIP (more of that in a future article). Unleashing the human energy and potential requires effort beyond engagement surveys. It requires leadership to move beyond the comfort zones of their offices and spreadsheets and make themselves vulnerable through building real relationships with their people.

connect with andrew Andrew Sonnenberg is an HR consultant, an associate at Yellowtreehub and former Head of HR: Retail Operations at Woolworths in South Africa. Andrew@yth.co.za

list of sources employee engagement •

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B a k ke r, A . B . , & D e m e ro u t i , E . ( 2 0 0 8 ) .

•

B e n n i s , W. ( 1 9 9 1 ) .

Towards a model of work engagement. Career Development International, 13(3), 209-223. I n M . F i s h e r, T h e m i l l i o n a i re ’s b o o k of q u o ta t i o n s ( p . 1 5 ) . I n d i a n a : T h o rs o n s . •

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•

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G ro b l e r, P. , Wa r n i c h , S . , C a r re l l , M . , E l b e r t , N . , & H a t f i e l d , R . ( 2 0 0 6 ) . H u m a n R e s o u rc e M a n a g e m e n t i n S o u t h A f r i c a . C a p e To w n : T h o m p s o n .

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H a r te r, J . K . , S c h m i d t , F. L . , & Ke ye s , C . L . ( 2 0 0 2 ) . We l l -being in the workp la c e a nd i ts re la t i o ns hi p to b u s i ne s s o utc o m e s : a rev i ew of t he ga llup studies. In C. L. Keye s, & J. H a i dt , F lo u r i s hi ng : T h e Po s i ti ve Pe rs o n an d t he Good Life (pp. 2 05- 224). Wa shi ng to n D C: Ame r i c a n P syc h o l o gi c al A s s o c i ati o n .

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H a r te r, J . , & A d k i n s , A . ( 2 0 1 5 , A p r i l 2 ) . H a r v a rd B u s i n e s s R e v i e w. R e t r i e v e d f ro m H a r v a rd B u s i n e s s R e v i e w We b s i te : h t t p s : / / h b r. o rg / 2 0 1 6 / 1 2 / w h a t - g re a t - m a n a g e rs - d o - d a i l y

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H i n k i n , T. R . , & Tra c e y, J . B . ( 2 0 0 0 ) . T h e c o s t of t u r n o v e r : P u t t i n g a p r i c e o n t h e l e a r n i n g c u r v e . T h e C o r n e l l H o te l a n d R e s ta u ra n t A d m i n i s t ra t i o n Q u a r te r l y, 41 ( 3 ) , 1 4 - 2 1 .

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Johnson, M. (2004). T h e n e w r u l e s of e n g a g e m e n t : l i fe - w o r k b a l a n c e a n d e m p l o ye e c o m m i t m e n t . C h a r te re d I n s t i t u te of P e rs o n n e l a n d D e v e l o p m e n t .

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Ka h n , W. A . ( 1 9 9 0 ) . P s yc h o l o g i c a l c o n d i t i o n s of p e rs o n a l e n g a g e m e n t a n d d i s e n g a g e m e n t a t w o r k . A c a d e m y of M a n a g e m e n t J o u r n a l , 3 3 ( 4 ) , 6 9 2 - 724 .

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Ke l l y , & Q u e s t , S . ( 2 0 1 7 , Fe b r u a r y 1 4 ) . Kelly Group. Retrieved from Kelly Group Web site: http://www.kelly.co.za/sites/kelly/ files/2016-08/Kelly_A%20Workfoce%20of%20Human%20%20Beings_Towards%20 a%20Holistic%20View%20of%20Employee%20Engagement.pdf

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Lo l i t h a , C . V. , & J o h n s o n , J . ( 2 0 1 6 ) . E m p l o ye e E n g a g e m e n t a m o n g S e r v i c e S e c to r : A n I n d i a n P e rs p e c t i v e . 3 rd I n te r n a t i o n a l H R C o n fe re n c e ( p p . 41 - 5 1 ) . B a rc e l o n a : D e p a r t m e n t of H u m a n R e s o u rc e M a n a g e m e n t , U n i v e rs i i t y of S r i J a ye w a rd e n e p u ra .

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Magem, I. H. (2017). A R e v i e w of t h e A n te c e d e n ts a n d C o n s e q u e n c e s of E m p l o ye e E n g a g e m e n t .

I n te r n a t i o n a l J o u r n a l of S o c i a l , B e h a v i o ra l , Ec o n o m i c , B u s i n e s s a n d I n d u s t r i a l E n g i n e e r i n g , 1 1 ( 4 ) , 7 3 4 - 741 . •

M a n n , A . , & H a r te r, J . ( 2 0 1 6 , J a n u a r y 7 ) . G a l l u p B u s i n e s s J o u r n a l . R e t r i e v e d f ro m G a l l u p We b s i te : h t t p : / / w w w. g a l l u p . c o m / b u s i n e s s j o u r n a l / 1 8 8 0 3 3 / w o r l d w i d e - e m p l o ye e - e n g a g e m e n t - c r i s i s . a s px

•

M a r ke y, R . ( 2 0 1 4 , J a n u a r y 27 ) . H a r v a rd B u s i n e s s R e v i e w . R e t r i e v e d f ro m H B R w e b s i te : h t t p s : / / h b r. o rg / 2 0 1 4 / 0 1 / t h e - fo u r - s e c re ts - to - e m p l o ye e - e n g a g e m e n t

•

M u l k i , J . P. , Fe r n a n d o , J . , & Lo c a n d e r, W. B . ( 2 0 0 6 ) . Em otiona l exhaustion a nd o rg a ni za t i o na l d ev i a nc e : Ca n t h e ri gh t j o b an d a l e ad e r’s style make a diffe re nc e ? Jo u r na l of B u si ne s s Re s e a rc h , 5 9 ( 1 2 ) , 1 2 2 2 - 1 2 3 0 .

•

R o b e r ts o n - S m i t h , G . , & M a r k w i c k , C . ( 2 0 0 9 ) . E m p l o ye e E n g a g e m e n t : A re v i e w of c u r re n t t h i n k i n g . B r i g h to n : U n i v e rs i t y of S u s s ex I n s t i t u te fo r E m p l o y m e n t S t u d i e s .

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S a ks , A . M . ( 2 0 0 6 ) . A n te c e d e n ts a n d C o n s e q u e n c e s of E m p l o ye e E n g a g e m e n t . J o u r n a l of M a n a g e r i a l P s yc h o l o g y, 2 1 ( 7 ) , 6 0 0 - 61 9 .

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S a ra to g a . ( 2 0 0 6 ) . I m p ro v i n g re te n t i o n . R e t r i e v e d f ro m S a ra to g a : h t t p s : / / w w w. s c r i b d . c o m / d o c u m e n t / 1 5 5 874749 / s a ra to g a - i m p ro v i n g - re te n t i o n - p d f

•

S h u c k , B . , R o c c o , T. S . , & A l b o r n o z , C . A . ( 2 0 1 1 ) . E x p l o r i n g e m p l o ye e e n g a g e m e n t f ro m t h e e m p l o ye e p e rs p e c t i v e : i m p l i c a t i o n s fo r H R D . J o u r n a l of E u ro p e a n I n d u s t r i a l Tra i n i n g , 3 5 ( 4 ) , 3 0 0 - 3 2 5 .

•

Shuck, M. B. (2010). E m p l o ye e e n g a g e m e n t : a n exa m i n a t i o n of a n te c e d e n t a n d o u tc o m e v a r i a b l e s . M i a m i : F I U E l e c t ro n i c T h e s i s a n d D i s s e r ta t i o n s .

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Sinek, S. (2014). Le a d e rs Ea t La s t . Lo n d o n : P e n g u i n B o o ks .

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S w i n d a l l . ( 2 0 07 ) . E n g a g e d Le a d e rs h i p : B u i l d i n g a c u l t u re to o v e rc o m e e m p l o ye e d i s e n g a g e m e n t . N e w J e rs e y : J o h n W i l e y & S o n s .

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Ts e , H . H . , H u a n g , X . , & La m , W. ( 2 0 1 3 ) . W h y d o e s t ra n sfo r m a t i o n a l l e a d e rs h i p m a t te r fo r e m p l o ye e t u r n o v e r ? A m u l t i - fo c i s o c i a l exc h a n g e p e rs p e c t i v e . T h e Le a d e rs h i p Q u a r te r l y, 24 , 76 3 - 7 76 .

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Wa l t ro u s , K . , H u f f m a n , A . , & P r i c h e rd , R . ( 2 0 0 6 ) . W h e n c o w o r ke rs a n d m a n a g e rs q u i t : t h e ef fe c ts of t u r n o v e r a n d s h a re d v a l u e s o n p e r fo r m a n c e . J o u r n a l of B u s i n e s s a n d P s yc h o l o g y, 2 1 , 1 0 3 - 1 26 .

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We l l s , J . , & P e a c h e r y, J . ( 2 0 1 1 ) . Tu r n o v e r i n te n t i o n s : D o l e a d e rs h i p b e h a v i o rs a n d s a t i sfa c t i o n w i t h l e a d e rs m a t te r ? Te a m P e r fo r m a n c e M a n a g e m e n t , 1 7 ( 1 ) , 2 3 - 4 0 .

travel d

turkey P h o t o s : M a r i o n K a t e , w w w. g i r l i n b l u e j e a n s . c o m

debrief.

Travel blogger (and The Girl in Blue Jeans) MARION KATE, debriefs u|Chief on her recent trip to Turkey.

Te l l u s a b o u t y o u r r e c e n t t r a v e l s ?

Heading back to Ista

I r e c e n t l y w e n t t o Tu r k e y, a c o u n t r y I h a v e

time in Afayon, where

n o w v i s i t e d 1 6 t i m e s . F l y i n g Tu r k i s h A i r-

hotels have thermal p

lines is a direct flight from Johannesburg to Istanbul overnight, so my trips always

What was memorable

start in Istanbul where I spend a few days

From the business pe

and then I map out a different route each

t h e Tu r k i s h A i r l i n e s h e

time so that I can explore different towns

w a s a n e y e - o p e n e r. I

a n d c i t i e s i n t h e c o u n t r y.

up the stairs and half

on the wall and a sign This past trip took me to Kas, a beautiful

â&#x20AC;&#x153;First impressions cou

town on the Aegan coast that looks out

smartly dressed, rega

onto the Greek Island of Meis. I hired a

tion within in the com

car and drove down the coast to see

around with speed an

Demre (better known as The Father

almost silence in the

C h r i s t m a s To w n ) . A l o n g t h e w a y i s t h e

unnecessary chit-chat

S u n k e n C i t y, a n o t h e r b e a u t i f u l s p o t .

loud laughing, no che

TURKEY FACT FILE Anthem “The Independence March” Official language Turkish Capital Ankara Largest city Istanbul Currency Turkish lira Time zone FET (UTC+3) Land area 783,356 km2 (302,455 sq mi) Population 79,814,871 (2017 estimate) Density 102/km2 (264.2/sq mi) Total GDP (PPP) $2.082 trillion (2017 estimate) Per capita GDP $25,776 BLACK SEA BULGARIA Cars Drive on the right

GREECE

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BULGARIA

e the majority of

AEGEAN SEA

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ead office in Istanbul

AEGEAN SEA

rspective, going to

TURKEY

Izmir Bodrum Olympos

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

150 km 150 miles

remember walking

Bodrum

m p a n y. P e o p l e m o v e

nd there is an air of building. There is no

t in the corridors, no

ewing of gum and,

Lake Van

SEA

TigGEORGIA ri

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Adana

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unt”. The staff are all

ardless of their posi-

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TURQUOISE COAST

way up is a mirror

n above it that reads:

Antalya

rates

e about your trip?

Bursa

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150 km 150 miles

pools.

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s elle Olympos

Nevsehir Kayseri

ph Eu

Istanbul GREECE Bodrum

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ANKARA

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KOS

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Patara

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Kalkan Kas Iclemer Marmaris Turunc Dalaman© The Free Range Dalyan Hisaronu Fethiye Oludeniz

Patara

MARION KATE’S Useful Turkish Phrase Guide

when walking through office, I did not see a

ing on their cellphone

on discipline, which is ioural trait and somet

I also had the opportu

the flight simulators in

are able to “keep up t

world-class machine a

Turkish Airline s wa s named the 2018 Five -Star Global Airline by the Airline pa ssenger Experience Association (APE X) of f icial airline s rating.

h a large, open-plan

to know that we are in good hands when

single person play-

aboard their aircraft. After that I explored

e. The company runs

the kitchens of the company that produc-

s a cultural behav-

es the food for the airline and I was highly

hing I find refreshing.

impressed by the levels of hygiene and the variety of meals they prepare. What

unity to sit in one of

I found interesting was that many of the

n which the pilots

long-haul flights for the larger carriers

their hoursâ&#x20AC;?: it is a

actually have an on-board chef to prepare

a n d i t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s c o m f o r t i n g

meals for passengers.

Food is always something that makes or

what the difference is

breaks an experience for passengers, and

cost airline and an air

to fully illustrate how the flight attendants

a Skytrax winner six y

and ground crew work together to deliver such a high service, Do & Co had us sit in

What opportunities d

a make-shift plane, with the proper seats

during the trip?

and narrow walkways. They then delivered

The re is a lot more roo

the food and drinks to us while explaining

c ount r y a s w e ll a s t he

h o w d i f f e r e n t m e a l s a r e s e r v e d o n d i f f e r-

Afr ic a ns, a nd t he re a re

ent flights and how the food and drinks

on bot h pla t for ms. Fro

are sourced.

t he re ha s be e n signific Sub- Sa ha r a re gion, w i

This entire experience opened my eyes to

Dur ba n a nd Ca pe Tow n

the world of flying and made me realise

bour ing c ount r ie s. The

Joha nne sbur g t o I st a n A traditional drink of the Ottomans,

t r ue . I t flie s a t a c onv e

“serbet” take s it name from the Ara bic

e a r ly in t he mor ning in

word “sariba”, which means “to drink“.

s between a low-

y o u t o g e t o n wi t h y o u r d a y. The Tur kish

rline that has been

A i r l i n e s a r r i v a l l o u n g e – a s w e ll a s t he de -

y e a r s i n a r o w.

p a r t u re l o u n g e a t A t a t u r k A ir por t – is she e r l u x u r y. W i t h a t t e n t i o n h a v i ng be e n pa id t o

did you identify

t h e f i n e st d e t a i l , t h e re i s n ot hing a t r a v e lle r c a n wa n t f o r. T h e l o y a l t y c a rd progr a m is

o m to market t h e

another added benefit.

a i rl i ne to So u th

e s o many benefit s

From the country perspective, South

o m the airlin e’s s id e ,

Africans don’t need a visa for visits of up

c an t g row th in th e

to 30 days – the eVisa is obtained online

th fl i g hts fro m J H B ,

within minutes and is free. Once inside the

n , as w ell as n eigh-

c o u n t r y, y o u r m o v e m e n t i s n o t r e s t r i c t e d

e d i re ct flig h t f rom

and you can go wherever you want. This is

n b u l i s a dream c om e

one of my big loves, as I will decide at the

e n ien t t ime and lan d s

last minute to climb onto a bus and travel

n I s tan bul, allow in g

a c r o s s t h e c o u n t y.

I t ’s e x t r e m e l y c o s t - e f f e c t i v e , a n d y o u

The well-known South

would be surprised at how far the Rand

Defy appliances has r

c a n g o i n Tu r k e y. T h e r e a r e a l s o v a r i o u s

b y Tu r k i s h - o w n e d A r ç

travel options within the country which are

their strategy of expa

all perfectly safe, ranging from single trav-

markets in Africa.

ellers to women and family groups.

Tu r k e y i s e v e r y t r a v e l l e Besides having plenty of options within

the size of the country

the travel industry (which includes winter

landscape, varying cu

s k i i n g ) , t h e r e ’s a l s o t h e i m p o r t o f p r o d u c t s

re g i o n s , a n d t h e f a c t t

like textiles. The manufacture of clothing,

country situated in Eu

linen, shoes and so on is of the highest q u a l i t y, a n d v e r y w e l l - p r i c e d .

What surprised you a

The friendliness of the Edirne wa s the capital of the Ottoman

disciplined country an

Empire for 88 years. It boa sts more

still able to enjoy life.

than 600 monuments and of fers

proud and hard-worki

the be st Ottoman cuisine.

h African brand of

never too much effort to go the extra mile.

recently been bought

They also have a beautiful countryside: in

çelik Group as part of

m y o p i n i o n , t h e d r i v e a l o n g t h e Tu r q u o i s e

nding into emerging

Coast could outdo Chapmans Peak any d a y, a n d i t ’s f r e e . T h e r e ’s a l s o n o l i t t e r anywhere, from Istanbul to the quaint sea-

e r ’s p o t o f g o l d , f ro m

side towns and inland villages.

y and the contrasting i s i n e i n d i ff e re n t

On the negative side, English is not spo-

t h a t i t ’s t h e o n l y

k e n e v e r y w h e r e s o , a s a t r a v e l l e r, i t c a n

u ro p e a n d A s i a !

be difficult to communicate outside the big tourist spots, although the locals don’t

about the country?

give up trying. With hand signals and lots

e people. It is a very

of smiling, the problem is always resolved.

nd yet the people are

T h a n k g o o d n e s s f o r G o o g l e Tr a n s l a t e –

. They are a nation of

and there is W iFi just about everywhere,

n g p e o p l e , a n d i t ’s

a n d i t ’s e a s i l y a c c e s s i b l e .

How did you grow personally from this

never been made to fe

travel experience?

unwanted in the coun

I have become very independent as a r e s u l t o f m y f r e q u e n t v i s i t s t o Tu r k e y, I

What lesson did you

have also lear nt a lot more about doing

during this trip that

business with men. Most decision-making

share with others?

positions are held by men, so I have had

Speak to people arou

to learn how to think like a man. I have

the time to pronounce

also learnt not to be swayed by comments

correctly when you ar

in the media that are often out there to

always carry a busine

just cause damage, but rather to make

pocket. As South Afri

decisions based on my own experiences.

and obnoxious at time

to pay attention to a c I have learnt a lot about being open-mind-

dress, and to speak a

ed and tolerant of other cultures and religions. I am a total opposite of the

Wa s t h e r e s o m e t h i n g

s t e r e o t y p i c a l Tu r k i s h c i t i z e n , b u t I h a v e

locals do business o

eel uncomfortable or

that people living in other countries

t r y.

could benefit from knowing? T h e Tu r k i s h p e o p l e a r e a v e r y h a r d - w o r k -

learn or pick up you would like to

i n g a n d u n i t e d s o c i e t y. T h e y a r e a l s o v e r y family-orientated. When they work they w o r k h a r d … b u t , w h e n i t ’s f a m i l y t i m e , i t ’s

nd you and take

family time. There is no going off on

e t h e p e r s o n ’s n a m e

a Sunday as a split family so that the

re introduced… and

husband can play golf and the wife can

ess card in your

have coffee with her friends.

cans, we can be loud

es, so it is important

First run in 1979, this year the Vodafone

c o u n t r y ’s c u l t u r e a n d

Istanbul Marathon will be sta ged on

a c c o r d i n g l y.

g about how the

or live their lives

12 November and will be run over two continents (Europe and Asia). The race starts on the Asian side just before the Bosphorus bridge, with a prize of approximately US35,000 for the winner.

They also donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t waste money on frivolous

bread out of the lugga

t h i n g s â&#x20AC;&#x201C; t h e y s a v e t h e i r m o n e y, a s m a k i n g

His wife had made it a

big purchases like a house or a car using

ed to taste it!

cash is the preferred option to creating debt and having to pay interest.

Then there was the ve Istanbul in December

Any favourite memories?

seen such large snow

T h e r e w e r e s o m a n y. I s t a y e d i n a r u r a l

docihia I once watche

village once where the people where so

sitting in a carved-ou

friendly and all the food was home-made.

been a church. It was

I took a ferry at midnight to Cyprus on the Tu r k i s h s i d e , h a d s o m u c h f u n a n d t h e n

In Bursa, I went up th

retur ned, travelling to the far Easter n Side

in the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it stops

o f Tu r k e y t o a s i t e c a l l e d A n i . I t t a k e s o v e r

change over into anot

16 hours to tavel there by bus from Is-

was beautiful at the to

tanbul, and every time I have been to this

had African interior de

town of Kars it has been an adventure. There was once a man on the bus who

Where would you go

insisted the bus stop 10 minutes after we

visited for business

left a rest stop so that he could get his

This is a difficult choi

Got a taste for

Turkey?

age compartment.

and he said he need-

ery heavy snowfall in 2015: I have never

wflakes. In Cappa-

ed the sunset while t rock that had once

s a breathtaking site. e longest cable car

s halfway up and you h e r c a r. T h e s n o w

op and the main hotel

e c o r a t i n g i n t h e f o y e r. to next time if you or pleasure? ce. I love Istanbul

For more information on the 5th Turkish Film Fe stival and bookin g details, visit w w w.cinemanouveau.co.za, follow on Twitter @sterkinekor or Facebook (Cinema Nouveau). Download the Ster-Kinekor App on your smart phone for update s, news and to book tickets from your mobile. For more info, call Ticketline on 0861 MOV IES (668 437).

and the vibe, but I als

C o a s t . H o w e v e r, i f I w

the mountains are alw

My son also wants me

of Batman, so that I c

Facebook â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he finds t

What cultural tips for you have for v i s i t o r s t o Tu r k e y ? Te a i s a l w a y s o f f e r e d – b u t d o n ’ t r e f u s e a c u p o f Tu r k i s h t e a , a s i t i s s e e n a s r u d e . Women should not wear revealing clothes, especially not in a business environment. Also, women should not cross their legs when seated.

so love the Aegan

Hugging is not a form of greeting, but the

want some quiet time

shaking of hands is acceptable.

ways a firm favourite. Once you get to know a person you should

e to go to the town

greet them with three kisses on the cheek:

can check in there on

left, right, left. The same applies when

that entertaining.

you are saying goodbye.

connect with marion

www.girlinbluejeans.com

What makes an ideal CEO? Heading up Mosaic, my job is twofold. I need to be able to articulate our vision, what we stand for and what we offer our c l i e n t s . T h e n , b e h i n d t h e s c e n e s , i t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s m y j o b t o b u i l d a n d l e a d the best team to deliver that vision. When we started Mosaic a lot of the core team were people who I had worked with for a long time in my previous roles, so I knew that they were the best of the best and were on t h e s a m e p a g e i n t e r m s o f w h a t w e a r e t r y i n g t o a c h i e v e . Yo u cannot buy trust and so selecting people who youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had prior experience with and who you know both professionally and p e r s o n a l l y, r e a l l y m a k e s t h e d i f f e r e n c e . A s w e g r o w, p a r t o f t h e challenge is to select the right people to keep that culture of excellence and singularity of purpose going.

ceo focus. Is there any ideal preparation or lear ning a prospective or aspirant CEO should focus on? My industry experience is what has given me the tools to build M o s a i c . H a v i n g s p e n t a l o n g c a r e e r i n t h e f i x e d i n c o m e m a rket, I really understand my clients’ needs and we have been able to build a product which is specifically catered to them. It might sound simple, but there really isn’t any substitute to knowing your clients. If someone reading this is thinking about setting up their own c o m p a n y, e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e e n t e r p r i s e s p a c e , I w o u l d s a y, spend some time working for your prospective clients. In any business, but especially finance, there are always extra pain points and road blocks that you can only really spot from the inside and it will save you a lot of time and energy if you know them before you build your product. Starting a company looks easy from the outside but can be enormously challenging. I’ve focused most particularly on the timing of launching our new software and ensuring ‘product-market fit’. This is an iterative process and requires relentless dedication to find the exact pain point your

Matthew hodgson P O S I T IO N C E O , M o s a i c S m a r t D at a LO C AT IO N U n i t e d K i n g d o m

c u s t o m e r s f e e l a n d t h e n s o l v i n g f o r i t . T h a t b e i n g s a i d , i t ’s really all about timing and launching too early will see you fail as the market isn’t ready for you. Going too late and new entrants are already competing away market share and profi t a b i l i t y. T h i s i s t h e s i n g l e m o s t i m p o r t a n t d e c i s i o n f o r e a r l y stage companies to consider and this balancing act cannot be sufficiently emphasised. T h e n o n t o t h e d e c i s i o n a ro u n d y o u r t e a m a n d t h e i r a b i l i t y t o execute. I always say to people who ask me how I’ve selected t h e t e a m t h a t t h e re i s n ’t m u c h s p a c e i n t h e c o c k p i t o f a ro c k e t . C h o o s e f e l l o w t r a v e l l e r s w h o y o u c a n re l y o n g i v e n t h e i r e x p e rt i s e a n d w h o a re a p l e a s u re t o w o r k w i t h . T h e n i t ’s v i t a l l y i m p o r t a n t t o m a k e s u re t h a t t h e p ro d u c t y o u a re l a u n c h i n g h a s a s u s t a i n a b l e p ro p o s i t i o n a n d i s e x t e n s i b l e . We ’ re a l w a y s a s k e d w h a t o u r ro a d m a p f o r n e w f e a t u re s a n d f u n c t i o n s l o o k s l i k e a n d t h i s d r i v e s o u r t h i n k i n g a ro u n d e n s u r i n g t h a t w e re m a i n re l e v a n t t o o u r c l i e n t s . T h a t b e i n g s a i d , s o m e t i m e s i t makes sense to take bold risks in anticipation of client demand a n d t h i s re q u i re s d e e p a n a l y s i s . F o r i n s t a n c e , w e ’ re w o r k i n g with Natural Language Generation partners to deliver automated re p o r t i n g f ro m o u r p l a t f o r m . We ’ v e n o t b e e n a s k e d f o r i t b u t i t ’s a natural and logical addition to the platform. We’re always focused on accessing broad networks which open up avenues to partner with other complimentary busin e s s e s a n d s o I ’ d b e r e m i s s i f I d i d n ’ t t h i n k a b o u t t h a t d a i l y. Remember you can’t build everything and so focus on where you have a competitive advantage and partner with or outs o u r c e w h e r e y o u c a n g e t t o m a r k e t f a s t e r. L a s t l y, l o o k a t y o u r b u s i n e s s m o d e l a n d m a k e s u r e t h a t y o u

stress test it under all scenarios. As entrepreneurs, we’re all guilty of positive bias and so this can cloud rigorous analysis of financial outcomes under challenging or negative conditions. We never stop looking at this as the road to profitability isn’t straight.

Sometimes it makes sense to take bold risks in anticipation of client demand and this requires deep analysis. What is the key to striking the right balance as a visionary leader or an expert in your field? I think you have to be able to do both. If you don’t have the vision, you can’t get clients excited enough to come on the jour ney with you. If you aren’t an expert in your field, you will n e v e r m a k e i t t o t h e e n d o f t h a t j o u r n e y. In banking especially you are going to be sitting across the table from some very intelligent people. If you don’t know t h e d e t a i l s y o u a r e g o i n g t o c o m e u n s t u c k v e r y q u i c k l y. E v e n some of the people we deal with within the banks don’t fully grasp the scale of the technology problem which we tackle at Mosaic until they really investigate their own systems. Yo u c a n ’ t g e t a n o f f - t h e - s h e l f d a t a b a s e s o l u t i o n f o r t h e s e problems. We have to really understand how the bank works t e c h n o l o g i c a l l y a n d w h a t i t l o o k s l i k e f r o m t h e d a y t o d a y p e rs p e c t i v e o f t h e e n d u s e r, t h e n b u i l d a s y s t e m t h a t i s t a i l o r e d to all these factors.

At the same time, what we are doing with Mosaic is proposing a fundamental transformation of the way that fixed income desks operate in banks. When we start talking about artificial intelligence and automation, some people start to get nervous because it can sound like proposing to replace their job with a few lines of code. Part of our role is to paint the vision of the f u t u r e o f f i x e d i n c o m e t r a d i n g , w h e r e t h e t r a d e r ’s l i f e i s e a s i e r and they are far more profitable because they have the tools which Mosaic provides at their fingertips.

Remember the power of compounding. Try to do just one impactful thing every day. By the end of the year, you’ve done roughly 250 things to improve your business.

What advice do you have for young CEOs in terms of coping with the immense pressure and expectations on them? Again I think it comes down to building the best team. As the CEO, you cannot possibly do everything or be intimately i n v o l v e d i n e v e r y d e c i s i o n . Yo u h a v e t o f i n d p e o p l e w h o y o u really trust and are the very best at what they do and then give them the space to perform. My role is then to make sure that everyone is pulling in the same direction and ensuring we are making progress. I t ’s v i t a l t o r e m a i n p o s i t i v e u n d e r e v e n t h e m o s t c h a l l e n g i n g of times as your team will respond positively to consistency a n d a ‘ c a n - d o - n e v e r- s a y - d i e ’ a t t i t u d e . I a l w a y s k e e p r e m i n d i n g

myself to operate from a transformational rather than transactional perspective. W ith software such as ours, we’re focused on improving our clients profitability and market share and that requires consultative sales and deep domain expertise. If y o u r e a l l y k n o w w h a t y o u a r e t a l k i n g a b o u t , i t ’s o n l y a m a t t e r of time before you can transform your clients environment and a s a c o n s e q u e n c e t h e t r a n s a c t i o n a n d i n v o i c e w i l l f o l l o w. I spend much of my time focusing on our core value proposition and what unique technology we require to maintain and g r o w t h a t p o s i t i o n . I t ’s e a s y t o g e t s w a y e d b y t h e n e x t n e w ‘big thing’. Have faith and confidence in your idea and hold the line. Many companies have failed due to the dwindling conviction of the CEO given how long it can take to build and sell your product. That said, be flexible enough to know when you’re missing the mark and then pivot. R e m e m b e r t h e p o w e r o f c o m p o u n d i n g . Tr y t o d o j u s t o n e i m p a c t f u l t h i n g e v e r y d a y. B y t h e e n d o f t h e y e a r, y o u ’ v e d o n e roughly 250 things to improve your business. After two years, those ~500 enhancements will begin to feed off each other and suddenly you’ll arrive at a place you never imagined would be possible. L a s t l y, h a v e f u n . Ta k i n g o n t h e c h a l l e n g e o f b u i l d i n g a c o m pany is so hard, we love to break the tension and long hours w i t h l a u g h t e r.

connect with MATTHEW Matthew Hodgson is the founder & CEO at Mosaic Smart Data in the United Kingdom. www.mosaicsmartdata.com

travel d

chicago,, USA Photos: Pixabay

debrief.

PETER KOWALSKI, MD of Formfunc Studio, debriefs u|Chief on his recent trip to Chicago.

Peter Kowalski, MD of Formfunc Studio,

inspiring to hear what

travels internationally as the exclu-

achieving in their resp

sive distributor in South Africa of the

although there are so

brand Humanscale. Humanscale is the

d i s c u s s i o n s . I t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s r e a l l y

premier designer and manufacturer of

opportunity to bond w

ergonomic products for a more comfort-

people.

able workplace. Their award-winning ergonomic office solutions are designed

What results did you

t o i m p r o v e t h e h e a l t h , e f f i c i e n c y, a n d

this trip?

quality of work life.

The trip to Chicago w terms of building a re

Te l l u s a b o u t y o u r r e c e n t t r a v e l s ?

executive in the US. W

In the last year I have travelled to Hong

cept for a new factory

Kong, Amsterdam, Cologne, London and

be nett positive to the

Chicago for sales meetings with my Humanscale country Manager counterparts.

What other opportun

Sounds really boring but truthfully quite

identify for yourself

t our colleagues are

We received approval in principle from

pective markets â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

our partners, which means that we have

me serious strategy

the green light to develop a facility very

y festive and a great

u n i q u e t o o u r i n d u s t r y, a n d o n e t h a t w i l l

with like-minded

be an African first. These are exciting times as we have an opportunity to become pioneers for genuinely earth-friendly

u achieve through

production in Africa!

was meaningful in

What surprised you about the country

lationship with the

during your visit?

We presented a con-

It was not my first time in the US, but it

y facility that aims to

still knocks me to see how the US lives in

e environment.

excess â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everything is supersize!

nities did you

What do the locals do that you feel

during the trip?

people in other countries could benefit

from knowing?

globally is about doin

Our Partners, Humanscale, announced

u l t i m a t e l y, m e a n s t h a t

their intention to become a nett positive

bad things to the env

( t o t h e e n v i r o n m e n t ) g l o b a l b u s i n e s s . I t ’s

not genuinely sustaina

a n i n d u s t r y f i r s t a n d i t ’s f a s c i n a t i n g l i s t e n ing to the team promoting the idea that

Any fun memories?

“sustainability” as we all understand it,

Sitting next to a 65-ye

i s a b a d w o r d . I t ’s r e a l l y f o r w a r d t h i n k i n g

Amtrak train from Chi

stuff as what we are currently preaching

He had no idea where

g less bad which,

Where do you plan to travel to next?

t we’re still doing

Nairobi – we are opening a new branch

i r o n m e n t a n d t h a t ’s

office in East Africa to strengthen our

able in the long run.

e x p o r t o p p o r t u n i t i e s f r o m t h e C a p e To w n b a s e d f a c t o r y.

e a r- o l d r e t i r e e o n a n c a g o t o Wa s h i n g t o n .

e South Africa was!

connect with peter Peter Kowalski is the MD of Formfunc Studios. www.formfunc.co.za

travel d

bali Photo: Pixabay

debrief.

Jane Stevenson, Strategic Director of Magnetic Storm, debriefs u|Chief on an inspiring 10 days in Bali.

Finding flow

B e hind t he sc e ne s, I h

Te n d a y s i n B a l i f o c u s i n g o n t o o l s t o b u i l d

t o be c ome a n a c c re dit

high performing teams that will accelerate

ma nc e Consult a nt t hro

Magnetic Storm on its business develop-

st it ut e .c om, a nd t he m

m e n t p a t h w a y ? Yo u â&#x20AC;&#x2122; d b e t t e r b e l i e v e i t .

na t e d in a progr a mme

t he E nt re pre ne ur I nst it Many have wondered what I was doing in

R oge r Ha milt onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s V isio

Bali, and few questioned if it really works. Now that I have come down from cloud

Let me explain. Put si

nine, I can begin sharing snippets of the

path of least resistanc

experience.

time when something

everything seemed to work. Those days where you feel you achieved more than y o u t h o u g h t p o s s i b l e . T h a t ’s f l o w. W h e n y o u a r e p a r t o f a t e a m i n f l o w, p r o ductivity increases, results improve dram a t i c a l l y, y o u h a v e m o r e f u n a n d f e e l m o r e connected to the organisation as you are d o i n g w h a t c o m e s n a t u r a l l y. Understanding that everyone has talent a n d v a l u e t o a t e a m , i t ’s a b o u t f o c u s ing on natural abilities of individuals and assessing where they are best suited to s e r v e t h e b u s i n e s s n e e d s . Yo u n e e d t o have the right people in the right role, in the right team. Once you have this, you then have an easi e r o p p o r t u n i t y t o b u i l d a h a p p y h i g h - p e r-

h a ve b een stud y in g

forming team, a product of clear entrepre-

te d Fl ow and P e r for-

neurial vision and strong leadership.

o u g h entrep reneu r s in-

m i c ro - deg ree c u lm ihe ld f o r d elega te s a t

As a qualified Flow and performance consultant I can now implement what I have

tu t e co urse fou n d er,

lear nt here at Magnetic Storm and within

o n V i l l a Reso rt , in B a li.

o t h e r o r g a n i s a t i o n s , t o b u i l d h i g h p e r f o rm a n c e . I t ’s a p r o c e s s , n o t a q u i c k f i x b u t

imply; flow is the

the results are phenomenal, and I cannot

ce. Think of a

wait to get started. In addition to the time

felt ‘easy’, and

spent concluding my studies, I had a free

weekend to explore the island. Bali is a magical island, and I left feeling enriched. The Balinese culture is one of sincere g r a t i t u d e a n d h u m i l i t y. S h o p o w n e r s t h a n k y o u f o r v i s i t i n g t h e i r s t o r e , a s y o u e n t e r, whether you purchase an item or not. They believe in serving others. Their devotion to faith is felt in every interaction, in e v e r y t h i n g t h e y d o a n d s a y. I t ’s t h e l i t t l e t h i n g s t h a t m a t t e r, l i k e y o u r c h o i c e t o v i s i t their business or the care and pride they put into meal preparation. Each ingredient serves a purpose to heal and care for the b o d y a n d m i n d , a n d i t ’s p r e s e n t e d i n a way that would give professional Wester n c h e f s a r u n f o r t h e i r m o n e y. Every person I met in my two weeks in Bali appeared to live in the moment; from sweeping steps to providing a tourist dir e c t i o n s . A n d i t ’s n o t b e c a u s e t h e r e m i g h t

be something in it for

I t ’s s i m p l y t h e w a y t h e

ingrained in them that natural way of being.

To b e s o g i v i n g , h a p p y their norm, despite th

of possessions. It mad

get so caught up in th

what people think of u

deal, what we own/dri

But imagine the happi

i f y o u w e re i n t h e m o m a l l i t o ff e r s i n e v e r y t h i i t ’s t i m e t o c h a n g e o u

connect with ja

Jane Stevenson is Stra Magnetic Storm. www

t h e m f i n a n c i a l l y.

ey live, and it is so

re a l i s i n g t h e p o t e n t i a l b e n e f i t s t h a t w o u l d c o m e o u r w a y.

t i t ’s a n u n f o r c e d , Eat Pray Love indeed! Thank you, Bali, for feeding my mind and my soul.

y and full of love is e poverty and ‘lack’

d e m e re a l i s e h o w w e

h e p a s t , t h e f u t u re ,

us, chasing the next

i v e , w h e re w e l i v e .

iness you would feel

ment, enjoying life for ng you do? Perhaps r way of being and

ane

ategic Director of w.magnetic.co.za

travel d

united states of america

debrief.

KAREL VERMEULEN, serial entrepreneur and founder of Lubrimaxxx (one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best personal lubricants), debriefs u|Chief on his recent trip to the USA.

Te l l u s a b o u t y o u r r e c e n t t r a v e l s ?

is a good lesson for o

I recently had the wonderful opportunity

I had a three-hour lay

to travel to the USA for the first time.

ton airport, I decided

I have had to transit through USA airports

thing and walked arou

in the past on most of my travels, but

shops. Then I decided

had never set foot on USA soil before.

real American hambur

Where did you go and what was memo-

W o w, i t w a s s o g o o d

rable from the trip?

with oily chips and all

I f l e w w i t h E m i r a t e s f r o m C a p e To w n t o

baseball magazine. I f

D u b a i . E n r o u t e t o Wa s h i n g t o n I m i s s e d

is the American way”.

my connecting flight to Atlanta and took

shucks! I still had a S

a three-hour Uber drive to my final desti-

nection plug for my la

nation – the beautiful town of Hiawassee

s e a r c h o f a n a d a p t e r. ”

o n t h e H i w a s s e e R i v e r. I w a s a s e x c i t e d as a child in a candy store! The reason I

When I eventually fou

missed my connecting flight to Atlanta

at the electronic boot

other travellers. As

Afrikaans, so we just kept on talking.

y o v e r i n Wa s h i n g -

Eventually I had to cut him short as I real-

to do the touristy

ised I was running late. I dashed to my

und, visiting the little

departing gate, only to discover I had

d to have my first

missed my connecting flight by five min-

r g e r.

utes! I was furious with myself. The ladies at the flight desk were very understanding

– a fatty burger patty

and friendly and they booked me on the

l! Then I picked up a

next flight out – free of charge. That flight

felt like “oh yes, this

was two hours later but, having learnt my

. Then I realized: “Oh

lesson, I made sure that I sat waiting at

South African con-

that gate and did not move.

aptop,” so I went in

”

I took this trip after attending a five-day intense workshop that offered training

nd one, the guy

th spoke a bit of

o n M e g a S a l e s a t D a m i e n E l s t o n ’s l a k e house. He is the CEO of the JT Foxx

F o u n d a t i o n . J T F o x x i s t h e w o r l d â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s # 1

O ur Ube r dr iv e r pic ke d

w e a l t h c o a c h a n d p l a t f o r m s p e a k e r. T h e r e

Dodge t r uc k. He w a s e

w e r e 1 0 s t u d e n t s i n a t t e n d a n c e a n d , w o w,

w e ha d a gre a t t ime dr

what a life-changing experience it was!

t old us a lot a bout Am

luc ky t o ge t him, a s Ub I was the only South African and I met

ma lly t r a v e l so fa r out ,

such wonderful people from different

t ur ne d from holida y a n

countries and nationalities. We all bonded i n a r e a l l y m e a n i n g f u l w a y.

There are no Uber dri Hiawassee, so luckily

T h e E mir a te s c a b in cre w o n t h e f l i g h t f ro m

other team members r

Cap e To w n to Du b ai we re e xc e l l e n t . T h e y

got a lift back to the a

w ere in good s p ir its , f u l l o f e n e r g y a n d mad e su re w e w e re a l wa y s c o m f o r t a b l e a n d

What did you achiev

had en ou gh to eat and d r i n k . T h e y t o o k

At the five-day event

g reat ca re of u s , b u t I c a n â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sa y t h e s a m e

strong networking con

abo u t th e fligh t from D u b a i t o Wa s h i n g t o n .

up with two financial

d u s up in a h u ge, re d

and authors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Michael and Robby

e x t remely friend ly an d

Mathews. They wrote a chapter for me in

riv i n g w ith h im a s h e

m y u p - c o m i n g f i r s t b o o k , Ye s Yo u C a n !

m e ri ca. We w ere v e r y

I t I s N e v e r To o L a t e To A c h i e v e Yo u r

b e r dri vers d on â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t n or-

First Million Rand. I am very grateful and

, b ut h e h ad ju s t re-

blessed. I also teamed up with some of

n d needed th e m on e y.

the other members, and we are going to d o s o m e f u t u r e e v e n t s t o g e t h e r. W e a r e a l l

vers in the county of

s t i l l i n c o n t a c t w i t h e a c h o t h e r.

for us most of the

rented cars and we

I was grouped with Dan Woodruff from

airport with them.

London. We shared accommodation, which proved to be a great saving, as

e on this trip?

accommodation is very expensive in the

I managed to build

USA. We bonded very well and we keep

nnections. I teamed

on motivating and coaching each other

literacy teachers

in business.

What future opportunities did you

This was very time-co

identify during the trip?

plus side, the security

I teamed u p w it h ot h e r h i g h l y s u c c e s sf u l

f r i e n d l y, a s w e r e m o s t

entrep re n e u r s w h o are c o n t r i b u t i n g t o my

they hear you are from

up coming b ook , w h ic h i s sc h e d u l e d f o r release in O c tob e r 20 1 7 . I a l so sh a re d a l o t

It also took some time

o f my Lu b r im ax x x p er s o n a l l u b r i c a n t s a m -

ing bagels, pancakes

ples w ith m y grou p m e m b e r s . We a re n o w

breakfast. Where is th

strateg is in g h ow to g e t L u b r i m a xxx i n t o t h e USA and N or w a y m a r k e t s .

What surprised me ab

Hiawassee is that it is What surprised you about the country?

are no fences and the

It was quite an experience going through s e c u r i t y. N o l a p t o p s w e r e a l l o w e d f l y i n g

I loved driving on the

in from Dubai and they even unpacked

are so much wider tha

all our hand luggage in front of everyone,

traffic lights are suspe

a n d j u s t a b o u t s t r i p - s e a r c h e d e v e r y b o d y.

cable. That was some

onsuming but, on the

How did you grow personally from this

y staff were all very

travel experience?

t of the locals when

I feel so honored and blessed that I could

m a n o t h e r c o u n t r y.

v i s i t t h e U S A a n d m e e t a l l t h e s e w o n d e rful people. They have a friendly culture

e to get used to havand doughnuts for

he healthy stuff?

and display great open-heartedness. I will go back soon! I feel richer as a person, bolder and with new-found courage to speak to strangers and just to be myself.

bout the county of

s so green â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there

Any fun memories?

e yards are all huge.

Lots of fun memories. My hamburger experience and missing my connecting

roads because they

flight. Searching for my friend at Atlanta

an our roads. The

airport: I was at Domestic while he was

ended from an aerial

at International arrivals. I eventually take

ething to get used to.

a shuttle to get to him after walking for

almost an hour in this huge and busy

What did you learn a

airport searching for him. Then there

They teach us in busi

were the boat rides, jet skis and other

know your audience w

fun activities at the lake house â&#x20AC;&#x201C; after

Know the culture and

a full day of intensive training we were

try you are going to v

free to just breakout and enjoy these

travel book on the US

watersports. Oh, did I mention the food?

about the culture and

To p - q u a l i t y a n d v e r y t a s t y !

Always have your pas

tion with you when yo What is your next business trip?

and want to order a d

We are going to Los Angeles in November

ter your age, they will

to attend the Mega Success event, where

identification.

I will be interviewing the actor Al Pacino. I am beyond excited. We will then rent a

Any words of motiva

campervan to travel up North for about

| W h a t e v e r y o u t h i n k i

three weeks. This is going to be for busi-

| M y t h o u g h t s , m y w o

ness and pleasure.

are powerful forces

about Americans? ness that you should

when you do a talk. people of the counisit. I bought a little

SA to educate myself t h e d o ’s a n d d o n ’ t s .

| Practice daily gratitude. | P r a c t i c e m i n d f u l n e s s e v e r y d a y. | S t o p a l l n e g a t i v e s e l f - t a l k . S t o p s a y i n g “I Can’t”. | Tu r n y o u r i m p o s s i b l e i n t o “ I ’ m P o s s i b l e ” . | S u r r o u n d y o u r s e l f w i t h p e o p l e t h a t believe in you.

ssport or identifica-

| Yo u r n e t w o r k = y o u r n e t w o r t h .

ou go to a restaurant

| I a m w o r t h y t o h a v e a l l m y d r e a m s

drink: it doesn’t mat-

l always ask you for

come true. | Believe in yourself and love yourself.

connect with karel

ation to share?

is true to you, it is! rds and my actions of attraction.

Karel Vermeulen is a serial entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, business transformation coach, author and the founder of Lubrimaxxx personal lubricants. www.lubrimaxxx.com

words of wisdom.

"No-one is born hating anoth because of the color of his sk background or his religion. Peo learn to hate, and if they can hate, they can be taught to love comes more naturally to the heart than its opposite. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NELSON MANDELA QUOTE

er person kin or his ople must n learn to e, for love e human ." BARACK ROCKS TWITTER Former US President Barack Obama set the record for the most-liked tweet in history when he posted a Nelson Mandela quote (in three tweets) as his message to the Twittersphere in response to the tragic violence in Charlottesville, Va., in August. The first of Obama's tweets passed the 2.7 million likes mark that singer Ariana Grandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heartfelt tweet after the Manchester terrorist attack in May. The third most-liked tweet of all-time at time of writing was Ellen DeGeneresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Oscars selfie tweet from the 2014 Academy Awards (2.4 million likes). * Obama has one of the most-followed Twitter accounts (@BarackObama), with 93.3 million followers.