HR 101 - Out with the Old, In with the New – Part 3

HR 101 - Out with the Old, In with the New – Part 3

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd -  October 2009

This is my last blog post for the year as I close the office until the 14th January 2019.  I wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and prosperour New Year.  Travel safely and I'll see you all in the New Year.

Please note that that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice requirements.

So following on from last time – let’s have a look at some of the other changes that were made to the Act that received a typical ‘knee jerk’ reaction.  They are (but not limited to).

“Employees are entitled to a disciplinary hearing even where they are accused of being on an unprotected (illegal) strike.”

For me this is just logical – I mean how can you discipline anyone for anything without a proper disciplinary hearing.  The whole deal about this however is that as the employer, you have to prove that the strike was unprotected (which usually is not very difficult at all) and then you have to ensure that the staff member was actually on strike and not on ‘sick’ leave or even ‘annual’ leave.

During the apartheid era, this was often used as an excuse to ‘get rid’ of staff that you no longer wanted around.  Nowadays the rule of “innocent until proven guilty” applies.

In fact whilst I am on the subject of disciplinary hearings – remember this.  If your employee is caught say, stealing and you have them arrested, or they are arrested and end up going to jail.  That’s not the end of the story – you still have to go through the motions of having a disciplinary (in abstentia), where they need to be found ‘guilty’ and then dismissed.  This would also apply to someone who has gone AWOL (absent without leave) and who never ever comes back to work.

The reason for this is, if you don’t hold a disciplinary, find them guilty, and summarily dismiss them, the reality of the situation is that you could be forced to re-employ (and pay all the back pay) when they are released from jail and want to come back to work or they suddenly remember that they have to come back to work after being AWOL. 

So, go through the motions, I know it is a pain in the rear end, but it certainly is less than the pain that you will feel if you don’t follow the correct procedures and then they come back and demand their jobs back.

Next time we will have a look at some of the other changes that were made to the law.

 Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 6

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 6

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Last time we looked at the opportunities around Television, being Angry or Upset and Victory and Defeat, for inspiration or ideas for articles of interest that pertain to your particular passion.  Today we will have a look at a few more.

Year
Share the lessons that you have learnt during the course of the past year and maybe some of what you consider to be your greatest achievements.

In terms of ‘lessons learnt’, if you have had to learn the lesson the hard way, I am sure that there are many individuals out there who would really appreciate not having to go through the angst and  anxiety themselves.

When you share your achievements it might be a good idea to take your readers on the journey as you experienced it as there may be someone who is on a similar journey who will be motivated and inspired by your achievements.

Everyday Activities
For me the ‘everyday activities’ are about the routine things that I have tasked myself to do every day, like for example the writing of my blog. It might be a good idea to explain ‘why’ you have chosen to perform these tasks on a daily basis and how you feel once the task has been completed.  Again for me, writing is extremely important as it is part of the ‘creative’ side of me.  If I don’t write something every day, then I am not ‘balanced’ and that causes its own set of complications. So once my blog for the day is written I feel that I have released my creative energy for the day and that brings about a sense of peace and well-being – clearly a great way to start the day.

Hiatus
Believe me when I tell you that you can literally write something to death!  I know I did.  When I first started on my ‘blogging’ journey, all I wrote about was “The Power of Networking” – 170 odd blogs on Networking later, I found myself procrastinating every time I had to write another article and realized that I was all blogged out on the subject.  So I stopped writing about Networking and found something else to write about.  Am I still passionate about Networking – of course I am, but I can find no more to write on the subject and it is still all there for anyone to read.

Also, sometimes the creative juices are just not there – don’t force it, give yourself a break for the day or several days for that matter – you can always come back to it and re-kindle your passion for writing.

Remember though, if you do not enjoy what you are doing, then what is the point!  Always have fun!

Next time we will have a look at some more ideas to keep those blogs flowing. Until then “Happy Writing” and don’t forget to have fun!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking 101 - Don’t Manipulate

Networking 101 - Don’t Manipulate

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Don’t subtly manipulate relationships with exclusionary tactics.  This does you no favours in the long term.”

Wow!  Renate certainly doesn’t pull the punches, does she?  Quite frankly she shouldn’t.  As far as I am concerned manipulation of any sort, for any reason at any time, is not a good thing!

Come on folks, let’s be honest about this – we don’t like to be manipulated, well I certainly don’t, so why on earth would anyone else like to be manipulated?  Stands to reason, doesn’t it?

The other thing of course is that manipulation, like dishonestly always comes back to you and generally bites you on the rear end.  It destroys friendships and carefully built up relationships in a matter of moments.  It is a destructive force and in my opinion should be avoided at all costs.

It is far better to lay all of your cards on the table, be transparent and have no hidden agenda’s.  Let’s face it, we all have a ‘what’s in it for me’ aspect to what we do and why we do it, let’s just be honest about it and move forward from there.  That way, when the chips are down we all know where we stand.

So for my part avoid manipulation of any kind.

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking 101 - Be Prepared to Continue Learning

Networking 101 - Be Prepared to Continue Learning

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

I might be a natural Networker and a natural connector, but I am far from being an expert.  I am sure to learn something at every meeting that I attend and I take something away with me from every encounter.  I understand that in order for me to continue moving forward I have to continue learning – I have to keep striving to grow to get better.

It is also important for me to read more motivational business books.  I have to engage more with people who are like minded.  Now that may sound like I am stating the obvious, but you would be absolutely amazed at the number of people who don’t seem to have the drive, let alone the energy to move forward.

I need to keep my promises and in so doing strengthen my credibility.

I have to remember who I am, where I am, where I have come from and where I want to get to.

I have to nurture and try to understand all of my business relationships and one of the ways that I can do this is to continually add value and substance to the relationship.

I have to remember that although it is a service that I offer as apposed to a product – that in order for my business to flourish and be successful, I have to be the best salesperson in the company.

I have to understand that there will be times when I lose, but that in losing I will grow as an individual.  I cannot lose too much though so I must only be willing to put out what I am comfortable with, to learn the lesson.

Not only must I learn, but I also need to teach.  I need to teach people the lessons that I have learnt – to be successful and in the teaching, I am also connecting with people.  Without people there can be no communication and communication is very important not only to my business but also to every micro enterprise or small business out there.

I have to understand that the first thought or perception isn’t always the best – that I can be creative and think outside of the box and in the words of the popular ad ‘throw the box away.”

I have to understand that if I don’t see synergy with someone the first time I look, I need to look harder and longer – it is in there somewhere.

I need to remember that I do not have any competition in my business but rather I have more opportunity for collaboration.

As a closing thought I also need to remember that opportunities are never ‘lost’ they just go to someone else who is perhaps more suited and that it is in the ‘letting go’ of the opportunity, that I open myself up to receive yet more opportunities that are best suited to me.

This is why I network.  Why do you network?

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or https://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - it's a Sign of the Times

Business Tips – It’s a Sign of the Times

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

As Business Owners and Entrepreneurs, we all need to look for new opportunities – if the 2008 ‘so called’ recession did not teach you this and if you are still in business, then I am really surprised.  We all need to find the ‘edge’ over our competitors.  We all need to do things differently.  We all need to ‘think out of the box’ (well those who still live in a box need to – that’s for sure).  We all need to look at doing things differently or finding new ways in which to ‘work it’.

I have, for several years now been using my blog as a marketing tool and quite honestly it has worked fantastically for me.  Early in 2009 I started using Twitter – just playing around with it, ‘tweeting’ and having fun – it was, quite frankly addictive!  I had to limit the amount of time that I sat playing on it.  It opened up a huge new world for me.  I found interesting articles that I would never have even dreamed of ‘googling’ for and it put me in touch with people that I would never have ordinarily met.  It actually made me look at life in an altogether different way – a great way.  Slowly, but surely I have started building relationships with these people – virtual relationships.  Will I even meet them in person, who knows!  What I do know though is that there are some of them that I follow religiously because I enjoy the type of information that they hook me into.  I like the way that they think and I also like the way that they share.

I have also been on facebook for a number of years now – I never looked at it other than in an absolutely ‘social’ type of way and it has been great to catch up with friends, all over the world that I had lost contact with.  What’s also great is that thanks to my web designer Meryl Rosenberg of Pixel Magic, I now also have my own ‘page’ on Facebook, which means that I can set up events, such as my workshops and as a result of that I now also have connected with other people all over the world.  Complete strangers, who I interact with on a daily basis.

Now here’s the thing, I have started using both Twitter and Facebook to link to my website and thereby to my blog articles and the response has been absolutely fantastic.  On Twitter, the number of people who want to follow me has increased quite dramatically – clearly there are people out there that want to read or hear what I have to say.  The number of hits to my website has increased, more than tripling and in the space of 5 months I had more visitors to my website than I have had from the day that the website was launched to the end of September 2008.  How absolutely cool is that? 

The average time spent, by visitors, at the moment is around 5 ½ minutes and I am told that that is really good and it is because my website is so ‘content rich’.  Apart from that, I got my first ‘twitter’ client in January 2010 and that makes the whole deal the sweeter!

Will I stop using traditional methods of Networking – not at all, but what it does do is show me that ‘new’ is not always bad and even if I don’t really understand the technical aspects of what it is that I am doing, I need to move with the times.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Inspiration – What is Standing Between You and Your Goal

Inspiration – What is Standing Between You and Your Goal

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Jordan Belford says “The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story that your keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.”

Don’t confuse this with the little voice inside your head that you have a discussion with from time to time – this is your very own self telling you all sorts of stories to justify why you have not achieved that you have set out to do.

You know the stories that I am talking about . . .  it’s the one we’ve always used from time to time. You know the “my dog ate my homework” one or “the alarm did not go off!” one.

It’s the ones that we always use when we want to shift the blame for something that we have not done, onto someone else.

It’s the ones most politicians use when they refuse to take responsibility for not doing what they should have.

We all know that it is wrong, but we do it anyway.

So how about it folks -  how about we all stop mucking about and start taking charge of our own lives and in doing so, our own destinies.

How about we sit down and put pen to paper in the form of an action plan, that has not only the things that need to be done, but also the date by which by which it must be done.

How about we make a commitment to ourselves, for ourselves and then we actually keep it.

How about we change what we usually do (and that is to blame somebody else) and hold ourselves accountable for our own actions (or non-actions)!

How about we just get it done so that we can succeed and  achieve our goals.

How about we just get out of our own way and stop the bullshit stories and write a new story of how we achieved what we said we would.

How about that . . .

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 - Out with the Old, In with the New – Part 2

HR 101 - Out with the Old, In with the New – Part 2

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice requirements.

So following on from last time – let’s have a look at some of the other changes that were made to the Act that received a typical ‘knee jerk’ reaction.  They are (but not limited to).

Employees are entitled to refuse to do the work of colleagues who are on strike.

This, quite frankly is another favourite of mine and it honestly takes me back a few decades to my Corporate life, in the bank and the again in the retail sector.

Here are the stories:

During the late 70’s and early 80’s, I worked in one of the ‘lesser’ known banks in Cape Town.  Those of you who were around at the time, will remember that here in South Africa we were in the middle of the apartheid era and life certainly was very different to what it is now.

Strikes and protests, although not quite the order of the day yet, were still fairly frequent and of course very disruptive.  Imagine working in a job that is quite pressurized (I was a clerk in the foreign exchange department at the time and the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station was in the throes of being built) and then having to take on a share of the work of the 5 or 6 employees who went on strike at every opportunity.

Working even longer than usual on a indefinite basis (who knew when the strike would end) doing work that was not mine and that I often did not even fully understand, often brought out huge resentment which would then be directed both at management, for putting me under this added pressure and for making me do work that was not mine and that I did not enjoy and my agitation was also directed at my striking colleagues, who by their striking actions, had put me in this position.

As you can imagine, inter office relationships deteriorated, both between colleagues and then also between management and employees and it actually resulted in many of the staff resigning (ironically, never the striking ones) and they were replaced by more staff who would also go on strike.  It was an absolute relief when I was offered another position in another ‘lesser’ known bank in Johannesburg.

The second story is about when I was in the wholesale retail sector in the early 90’s. The apartheid era was coming to a close, but it was during the time when strikes and protests were the order of the day.  I was, at the time a Senior Manager with around 50 employees working for me and more than half of these belonged to the unions and went on strike on a regular basis.

We were instructed to ‘share’ the work amongst the remaining staff and it pretty much also cause the same sort of problems that were caused in the previous story, but it gets worse.

You see, I still take pride in the work that I produce, irrespective of whether it is my work to produce or not, in the first place.  Unfortunately, that cannot be said about the rest of the general workforce out there and the result of that was that most of the work had to be re-done, which caused even more delays and producing even more hostility.

Clearly forcing employees to do the work of striking colleagues is not good for morale and it is not good for the business.

So how do we turn this around and make it work for us.  Well here’s the thing – when employees strike it’s a ‘no work, no pay’ kind of situation.  Doesn’t it then make sense to hire a bunch of temps or casuals to do the absolute necessary of what needs to be done.

Here’s the deal then – getting other people in also provides the employer with a unique opportunity to observe prospective future employees at work and also in unusual circumstances.  How cool is that?

Next week we will have a look at some of the other changes that were made to the law.

 Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 5

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 5

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Last time we looked at the opportunities around Lateral Thinking and even the Wisdom of our Parents, for inspiration or ideas for articles of interest that pertain to your particular passion.  Today we will have a look at a few more.

Television
Now I know that there are many people out there who very seldom watch TV and whilst on some level I do understand their reasons, it is one of the ways that I relax and chill out.  Also, if I am really honest, there are several shows that I am particularly fond of (read absolutely hooked on).  The fact of the matter is that I learn from many of these shows, trying to figure out who the culprit is in all of the ‘who-dun-its’ and learning the life lessons on the fantasy and esoteric type ones and just pure enjoyment and predicting the winners on the reality ones.  Yip, it’s official – I love watching TV.  There I said it!

Actually I have used examples of what I watched and the lessons learned, in several of my blogs – two that come to mind immediately are when one of the contestants in a reality show dissed the opinion of one of the judges – that was a motivational piece on respect and the other was a woman who documented her every move (giving specifics like pictures and the name of the place that she was at and then the next place she was going to) on Facebook (I think it was  CSI or one of those profiling shows) – that was an early warning about the content we share online.

So very much like Celebrities, watching TV can spark an idea that you can link to your subject material to illustrate what you mean.

Anger or being Upset
Who would have thought that being upset about something that you have read/watched/listened to/seen (insert anything you like here) would produce some of the greatest articles that you have every written?  I know that there is nothing like a good rant to clear the air and for me writing it all down transfers the anger (or indeed sadness) from my mind onto the paper.  It is one of the ways that I have of ‘releasing’ the pain or the anger. Obviously, once you have calmed down, you need to edit it to ensure that you have all your ducks in a row and that you haven’t mentioned anyone’s name, or you could find yourself in trouble.  Again I have, on occasion used some of these writings to illustrate a point.  Two that come to mind immediately are the one I wrote on the unrealistic begging bowl type expectations of entrepreneurs or start-ups, especially around the issue of funding and the other was also about an unrealistic expectation of someone who expected everything to fall into her lap, or everything done for her, without her actually doing anything herself!  Both really got my blood boiling!

Victory or Defeat
This is one that I have used on many occasions and this year will be no exception.  A friend of mine said to me one evening during the course of the holidays, as we sat on her balcony sipping at an extremely cold beverage as we watched the sunset dip into the ocean “What were your highlights in the last year and what were your biggest regrets”?  I really had to think carefully about this and decided to split it into two separate camps – one being in my professional life and the other in my personal life.  In both instances there were huge lessons learnt, but it was only in the “looking back” that the lessons became clear and this only re-iterates my conviction that we need to ‘look back and see where we have come from and what we have achieved’ more often. 

This is a theme that I have written about on more than one occasion and clearly something that I will be writing about again, during the course of the year.

Remember though, if you do not enjoy what you are doing, then what is the point!  Always have fun!

Next time we will have a look at some more ideas to keep those blogs flowing. Until then “Happy Writing” and don’t forget to have fun!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - Improving Your Business Website

Business Tips - Improving Your Business Website

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Before we go any further, and before all who know me fall about with laughter – I am a bit of (hell let’s be honest – a helleva) a technophobe.  So what I am putting down here is what I have found on the web (a little common sense and logic) and because, no matter what I tell you or write here, my web is looked after by Meryl of Pixelmagic (http://www.pixelmagic.co.za), so no matter how much I ‘break stuff’ she assures me she can fix it!  How cool is that?  Anyway, back to the subject at hand.  The bottom line of course, is that if you are going to try these things yourself, it’s a good idea for you to have a “Meryl” of your own, or I am quite happy to share mine with you.

Here goes!

It really does not matter if you use your website for fun, family connections (when your family is scattered to the four corners of the world, like mine is) or for Business purposes, the fact is that around 70% of Businesses have websites.  No wonder we are spoilt for choice!  The problem however is that the majority (some home made and even some that have been professionally done) are really crappy!

The reality is that even the really crappy ones are competing in the market and trying to sell their products  or services – how scary is that!

So – let’s have a look at what the internet says are the top 10 tips for improving your Business Website.

1. You have to have a plan!
As is most things in life, if you don’t have a plan, you have exactly . . . nothing!  Write it down – what is the purpose of your website, what do you hope to achieve.  Write down your goals, short term, medium term, long term and then brainstorm them – how are you going to achieve them.  What do you need to do in order to fulfill them.  Be realistic, we all have budgets.  Match your immediate goals to your wallet – you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve!

2. Measure.
Again – if you can’t measure it you have a problem.  How would you know if your website is being effective, or if you are just wasting your time, money and effort.  You need to measure, how many people visit your website, how many sales result from your website, how many connections are made out of your website?  Is enough traffic being driven to the website and how can you improve on these numbers?

3. Promote yourself?
I keep saying – if you don’t tell people who you are, how will they know?  So, use your website.  Keep your customers updated on what is happening in your life – actually they are interested.  Tell them about your successes, post your testimonials, tell them what plans are in the pipeline (they may want to partner up with you).  Now is not the time to hide your light under the bushel – let it shine out brightly!

4. Branding
Remember your brand will always be associated with you – so make sure that it is special! Your brand, logo and by line should be unique to you and your product or service. It has to stand out to the world and especially your target market.  Keep it simple though – complicated branding looks messy and cluttered on a website.

5. Content
You are the expert on what it is that you do – aren’t you?  So write down what it is that you do, give out tips or teasers.  Keep your content updated and interesting.  Like it or not, we are all looking for information (yes even in this world of information overload) – make sure your information is new, fresh and current – it will keep people coming to your site on a regular basis.

6. Navigation
This is one of my pet hates – getting myself lost on a website or having to ‘go back’ all of the time to get myself to the home page or where-ever it is that I want to go, is really just a pain in the rear end.  Let me tell you from experience – the easier it is for me to get around your site the longer I will stay and browse.  So keep it simple.

7. Sales
Statistics tell us that Product or Services sold over the internet increased by 100% between 2002 and 2005.  How fabulous is that?  This means that your website should make it easy for your clients to purchase what they want/need/desire online.

8. Database
Your database on your website should not only have all your business and personal contacts on it, but it should surpass anything that you may have in your ‘little black book’ or your customer base.  This is because as people visit your website, they should be encouraged to leave their contact details behind.  This gives you a huge opportunity to entice them to spend some money with you by sending out regular communications to them, in the form of newsletters, specials and useful tips and information.

9. Promotion
Make sure that everybody gets to know about your website.  Put the address on every single piece of literature that you have, your Business Cards, your Letter Heads, in the signature on your e-mail – everywhere!

And finally

10. Overloading your website
It is said that often ‘less is more’ – keep everything short, simple and to the point.  Don’t waffle on and on about something.  Say what you have to and then move forward.

Now – let’s have a look at an additional 3 tips as recommended by Meryl.  Meryl says:

a. Know what you want your website to do for you
Yes, generate more income, but how?  Do you want to be talking about your past successes and showing testimonials from other clients?  Do you want your site pointed towards getting the visitor to contact you?

b. Know what you want your website to ‘feel’ like
The ‘feel’ of a website selling kids’ toys is going to be very different from one selling financial services to big corporates.  Draw up a list of 20 or so emotive words that describe the tone of your site: fun, funky, young, colourful or corporate, serious trustworthy etc.

c. Copywrite
Also, asking your designer to get you a good copywriter is a very valuable option.  Copywriters ensure that Search Engines love reading your site as much as humans do, as well as getting the feel you’ve chosen to carry across into the words!

Oh, and a – don’t have a look at my website just yet – Meryl and I will be doing some changes right now!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Inspiration – Unfulfilled Potential

Inspiration – Unfulfilled Potential

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Pope John XXIII said “Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential.  Concern yourself not with what you have tried and failed, but what it is that is still possible for you to do.”

What I write about is so often exactly what it is that I have to hear myself!

In my opinion we are really far too hard on ourselves.  We actually just need to give ourselves a break from ourselves!

We live in a world that is fearful.  Certainly here in South Africa we hide in houses and dwellings that are barricaded from the rest of the population.  Homes with metal bars in front of windows and doors that are situated behind huge walls topped by electric fences or razor wire, guarded by patrolling guards and their trained dogs.

Is it any wonder then that we live in a state of fear in our minds as well.  Fear of not being good enough, or brave enough or clever enough or pretty enough or thin enough.  Fear of failure and even success!  Fear! Fear! Fear!

One of my guru’s Dr. John Demartini says that fear is something that we worry about that will only (perhaps) happen in our future and of course the reality of that is that it may never happen.  Yet many of us live in this state of fear, waiting and waiting and predicting all sorts of stuff -  that may never happen.

Isn’t it time that we changed our mind-sets and instead of looking at and living with the fear, that we consciously and deliberately turn our thoughts to what we can do or better yet, what we would like to do, given the opportunity?

Let’s take that particular thought even further and think of ways that we could even “create” that opportunity.  Let’s consciously and deliberately thing of  one , just one little thing that we could do differently or even one new thing that we could do, every day, that would bring us closer to creating the opportunity that would allow us to do something that we love to do and in so doing, we would change the course of our lives or even make a difference in someone else’s life.  Do that one thing every day, for 21 days (to ensure that it becomes a habit) and then find one more thing  . . .  and repeat the exercise.  Before we know it we will no longer be taking just ‘one step at a time’ but running full speed towards our goals, towards reaching our full potential.

Frustrations are a part of our daily lives and there is probably no hard and fast rule to get past them.  What we can control however, is how we choose to deal with them.  Getting upset and angry at the situation achieves nothing.  So again it’s about our mindset and the choices we make.  How about we choose to react in a positive way and we will make life that much easier for ourselves.

Without failure there is no success!  That is the reality of our lives and the fact remains that we all fail on a daily basis.  It’s the green robot that turns to red just before you get to it or the appointment that you are five minutes late for.  Failure is an integral part of our lives and we need to accept that and deal with it and get over it!

Understanding how to deal with that failure and using the lessons contained in that failure in order to improve or fix or leverage off it, is the only way to succeed somewhere down the line!  If you don’t learn from that failure all that will happen is that you will continue to do the same thing over and over again whilst expecting a different result! Like that is going to happen!

The more that you are challenged by life and the more you overcome these challenges, the more you will grow as a person.

Personal growth and the rewards that that brings, for me is the most self-satisfying experience that I can have.  Those “Ah-Ha” moments, to coin an Oprah phrase, are more precious than gold or silver and will last with me for my lifetime!

Find your purpose, find your joy.  Make the right choice and do whatever it is that needs to be done.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 - Out with the Old, In with the New – Part 1

HR 101 -  Out with the Old, In with the New – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice requirements.

One of the most incorrect perceptions and the one that is most often uttered is that the Labour Relations Act (LRA) favours the employee.

In 1995, the old Labour Relations Act that was created in 1956 was scrapped by the new ANC government and a new act was put into place.  The new act is the Labour Relations Act of 1995.  Yes the act does more to protect the employee from unscrupulous employers, but the new LRA also protects the employer – now how is that for a mind shift?

Granted the new law also meets the Labour Movements Agenda, but that said, if the employer follows the basic rules, the employer is also protected from the employee.

Here’s the way that I see it: -
The law, the way it was, was fundamentally flawed and very lopsided and very much in favour of the employer.  The law today is a lot fairer to both the employer and the employee.

Yes it is different!  The biggest difference is the fact that employers now have to know the law and they have to follow the procedures.  Here’s a thought – if people spent as much time learning the basics of the law and implementing policies and procedures in order to implement that law, as they do moaning about the fact that the law has changed, they would find themselves in an incredibly strong and empowered position.

Some of the protection for employees is (but not limited to):

“Employees are entitled to join and participate in legitimate trade union activity without fear of being fired for this.”

Now most of us look at the unions as a bad thing.  Me, I think that they are fabulous!  I can just see everybody looking at me as though I have lost the plot!  The truth is though, that as much as the unions can cause a lot of perhaps uncomfortable moments for the employer and that they are most definitely on the side of the employee, they also have a responsibility to the employer.  Employers can hold the trade union responsible for the behaviour of the employees.  How’s that for a thought?

If you as an employer have staff, who are members of a trade union – use the trade unions to get your message across to your staff.  Staff, who are not performing put themselves at risk in terms of their employment contracts.  Employers have the right to have employees that perform in terms of the requirements of the job and it is incumbent upon the trade unions to ensure that their members meet these requirements.

So once again, instead of moaning and griping about how bad the trade unions are, turn it around, use the trade unions to make your staff aware of your requirements and also, that these requirements if not met, have serious consequences.

Next time we will have a look at some of the other changes that were made to the law.

 Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 4

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 4

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd -  December 2012

Last time we looked at the opportunities around Justice, Karma and even the use of Satire, for inspiration or ideas for articles of interest that pertain to your particular passion.  Today we will have a look at a few more.

Lateral Thinking
I know that this one can sometimes be really difficult for people to get their heads around simply because many people are not lateral thinkers – so how about you try the word association game.  It’s the game where you start off with one word, any word – write it down, then when you picture that word in your mind, what is the next word or picture or thought that comes into your mind?  Write that one down and then the next and so on. Once you have finished you will find that you have written a really interesting blog, or a really hilarious one – depending on how your mind is wired.  I always have great fun with these and in fact, on the Business Master forum we sometimes, just for the fun of it do these, with different rules in place, such as (but not limited to) only 5 words at a time and only 3 posts a day and you cannot follow on from your own post.  They often go really pear-shaped because you have upwards of 20 people participating – different people, different mindsets, different ideas and different dynamics usually result in great fun!

Parents Wisdom
Do you remember, when as a kid, the stuff your parents said always was a pain in the rear end?  When I grew up however and I understood the meaning behind the words – they took on a whole different life.  Actually if the truth be told, there are many articles that I have written that contain snippets of stuff that my Dad used to say to me or even stories from my childhood. 

Writing those stories transported me to another time, to another place and have brought back memories of sounds and smells and laughter and I have no doubt that they have transported the readers as well.  Don’t be scared to write about them, don’t be scared to share them – the sharing will empower you.

Next time we will have a look at some more ideas to keep those blogs flowing. Until then “Happy Writing” and don’t forget to have fun!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - Holding Directors Personally Liable for Company Debts.

Business Tips - Holding Directors Personally Liable for Company Debts.

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Please note that this pertains to South African Companies Act requirements.

Today’s article  should perhaps, come with a warning – this is going to hurt someone, somewhere and at sometime and it is going to hurt badly!

It’s all about if you run your business recklessly or fraudulently and I am very serious people, when I tell you that it does carry a jail sentence and you will do jail time.

Have a look at the facts.  There have been some pretty well known big Corporate companies that have gone for a ‘ball of chalk’ in the last couple of years.  Names like Tollgate, Leisurenet and Fidentia spring to mind.  In all of these cases, the directors and officials of the company have been handed hefty jail time sentences.  In all cases, the business has been run recklessly and fraudulently.  In all cases the media have had plenty to say and you must admit, they have kept us pretty up to date with what has been happening.

Now here’s the crunch.  Don’t for a minute think, that because you are a very small company, and that most people have never heard of you, and therefore you will fly happily under the radar.  That would be silly in the extreme.  If you are a Business owner and you are deliberately running your business in a reckless or fraudulent manner, you could well be the next guest of the Department of Correctional Services.

Think about this though, if you are an unpaid supplier of someone who is running their business in a reckless or fraudulent manner, it may very well make you feel heaps better when they end up as a guest of the Department of Correctional Services, but that does not necessarily mean that you will get your money at the end of the day – you could still be ‘out of pocket’.

The problem here is that although the Companies Act allows the courts to declare that the Directors of a Company are personally liable for debts and losses incurred, specifically in the instances where those Directors have carried out the business of the Company in a reckless or fraudulent manner, the courts themselves do not enforce this easily.  Again be warned, just because the courts don’t award or enforce this easily, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen.

So be careful about how you run the affairs of your Company.  Be honest, be upfront and for goodness sake do not engage in fraudulent dealings.  You will be held accountable at some point.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Inspiration – There Will Always be an Opposite

Inspiration – There Will Always be an Opposite

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd – March 2016

Maslow says “No matter how thinly you slice it – it still has two sides.”

We all have an opinion and we all want our opinion to be heard, or our side of the story told.  And yet, how often do we not want to hear someone else’s story or someone else’s opinion – especially if that story or that opinion is different to ours.

We wander through life getting upset with others when our own expectations are not met or our own perceptions do not meet the reality of what transpires.

We moan and groan about what our colleagues get up to or what is wrong with the government or how unfairly our significant other’s treat us or how they don’t listen or how they don’t do enough stuff to satisfy our requirements.

But, do we ever think about what we do?

Are we meeting the expectations of our colleagues?  Do we actually know what our colleague’s expectations are and if so would we even try and consider meeting theirs?

Do we ever try and look at the reality of the situation through eyes other than our own?

Am I suggesting that we put everybody’s needs ahead of our own – of course not!

The reality of course is, that we would never be able to please everybody all the time and apart from anything else, we would become exhausted and drained and of no use to anyone, including ourselves.

What I am suggesting however is that we perhaps stop for a moment and think about things before we walk through life like a bull in a china shop.  That we try and see the world through the eyes of others in order to better understand the “why” of what people do and perhaps act on that instead.

Yes we should always dance to our own drum beat, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t at least listen to the drum beat of others.

We may be pleasantly surprised at the different tunes we may get to hear.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 –What to do When . . . You Have Contractors Working on your Premises – Part 2

HR 101 –What to do When . . . You Have Contractors Working on your Premises – Part 2

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Law and Best Practice requirements.

Moving along from last time, when we saw Philip, George the Contractor’s employee fall from a ladder when it’s one leg shattered, and where he hurt himself quite badly.  Mike who owns the retail outlet where Philip had his accident may very well be liable for all Philips medical and recovery bills and we are taking a look at how he can protect himself from this.

Apparently there are six ways to ensure that Mike is covered from every possibility and it is these that we are going to have a look at in greater detail today.

First and most obvious is to ensure that your contractors have signed a contract with yourself (have a look at http://www.agreementsonline.co.za).  This contract must include (but not be limited to) the section 37(2) agreement, as we discussed last week, which states that the contractor will comply with all the health and safety laws and your own company rules. 

The contract should also document that it is incumbent upon the contractor to supply you with a copy of their ‘Certificate of Good Standing’ from the Compensation Commissioner which is his proof that he is registered with Workmen’s Compensation.

Make sure that your contractors’ employees have been properly trained in the task that you are hiring them for.  Make sure that they are included in any Health & Safety training that you may be doing with your own staff and that they are aware of your Company safety and health rules.

Make sure that your contractors are compliant in terms of the law.  This includes (but is not limited to) things like First Aid kits and how to use them, fire drills, protective clothing and so on.

Make sure that the contractor that you have hired is fully aware of what their obligations are in terms of their responsibilities to their employees and their responsibility if one of your employees are hurt during the course of their employees activities.

If necessary make yourself a checklist of what is required on your site (in Mike’s case his new store) in order to ensure that you are in compliance with the Health and Safety Act.

Failure to do this could result in some very heavy medical bills, rehabilitation bills and additional salary bills that have not been budgeted for.

Remember that getting all your policies, procedures and templates in place is usually far more cost effective than paying the reactive bill.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 3

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 3

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Last time we looked at describing how people use gestures, for inspiration or ideas for articles of interest that pertain to your particular passion.  Today we will have a look at a few more.

Justice
Here in South Africa, although I suspect it is the same the world over, there are more than many instances where people don’t get what they deserve.

Let’s turn it around for a change and put a positive spin on things  - we are always very quick to complain when things are wrong, but how often do we give praise or make a big deal out of things that go right?

After getting intense headaches for a while now, I realized that I haven’t had my eyes tested for over 3 years now, so I promptly took myself off to Torga in Cresta (Torga have a great deal going at the moment) and was told that my new glasses would be ready in about 10 days.  Yesterday, after only 3 days I got a call to let me know that the glasses were ready.  What great service this was – great savings on the deal and glasses ready, way before the expected date!  Well done Torga!

Karma
Don’t stress it – I am not going all ‘airy fairy’ on you all.  The truth is though, that I do believe that what you give you get in return.  It is a simple philosophy, but one that has worked well for me over the years.  Again, there is always good karma and bad karma and gain, let’s turn it around and focus on the good.

The really great thing about this type of ‘giving’ though is that it doesn’t have to cost you a ‘financial anything’!  It’s about a kind word, or sharing some time with someone in need, or donating blood or even doing a ‘pro-bono’ mentoring session with someone.  Or how about endorsing some else’s blog or website or tweet, with several reasons as to why your readers may want to go there.

Satire
This is one of my favorites and let’s be honest here.  With all of Zuma’s and Malema’s antics, not to mention the rest of the crew we have, here in South Africa there is an absolute wealth of material!  Hells Bells, look at what Pieter Dirk Uys or Trevor Noa or even Zapiro have done with some of that material – not only have they built careers and made a lot of money with it, but they have also highlighted certain political and sometimes even very sensitive issues, with humour and they have made us laugh (we South African’s love to laugh at ourselves), whilst all the while also making a difference.  Now how cool is that?

My particular take on this is  . . . .  “so many articles to write and so little time”!

Next time we will have a look at some more ideas to keep those blogs flowing. Until then “Happy Writing” and don’t forget to have fun!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking 101 – Introverts are Great Networkers

Networking 101 – Introverts are Great Networkers

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Introverts can network successfully too.  They simply need to be more selective about where, when and with whom they associate.”

Quite frankly, I am always amazed when people look at me in absolute disbelief when I tell them this.  Actually if the truth be told its then next bit of information that always gets them – you see I am an introvert!  So now that everyone who fell down to the floor laughing has picked themselves up and dusted themselves off – the truth of the matter is that – I am an introvert!  Ask my shrink if you don’t believe me.

I am really not comfortable with most people, I dislike crowds intensely, I am actually quite shy and given half a chance I would become quite a recluse.

I know that I have said, on more than one occasion that I am a natural Networker and on most levels that is absolutely true – here’s the thing though.  Every morning when I get up, and I have to meet with people, I have to make a conscious decision about that.  I have to have this chat to myself about how it is in the best interests of my business and therefore myself.  It’s a motivational chat of great proportion and it is what gets me going and keeps me going for the rest of the day.

Absolute bliss, for me are the days, when I don’t have to meet with anyone and I can sit quietly at home and get on with my work or write what needs to be written and I can deal with people on the phone – if I have to.  That really works for me in a ‘natural’ sort of way, I can just relax.

So, as an introvert, if I can get Networking to work for me in the way in which I have, what on earth is stopping you?  Find a way that allows you to be comfortable in a Networking environment and get going – it will make a world of difference to your business and ultimately to yourself.

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - Firing a Client - Part 4

Business Tips - Firing a Client – Part 4

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

The next client has got to be of the worst kind.  They are the clients that are really stressful to work with.  In many ways they are the most fabulous clients to have – they pay on time, they don’t quibble about the price, there’s always work coming in and the work itself is exciting and it stretches your mind.  It’s challenging and a pleasure to do.  So what’s the problem, I hear you asking? Well for me it is when I don’t particularly like the client as a person.  They are usually unpleasant, difficult to work with, rude and over bearing.  They have no respect for what you do, yet would not be able to do it themselves, which is why they hired you in the first place.  They impose ridiculous deadlines and feel that they have the right to call you any time of the day and night and that you should be at their beck and call.  Quite simply put they are exhausting.

When you are caught up in this merry-go-round, you will need to think very carefully about whether or not you want to continue this relationship – if you do, you will need to set very firm ground rules.  One of my colleagues does it by charging double time for anything that she has to do after hours and that includes taking telephone calls.  They soon learnt not to call her after hours.

Whatever the reason – before you fire a client, you need to sit down and ask yourself some questions.  Are you ok about losing the client?  Would you be able to work with them again if you had some sort of break with them?  Would you consider doing any future work with them?

The answers that you give yourself would clearly make a difference on how you went about actually firing the client.

Here’s the thing – screaming and shouting, swearing and slamming the phone down, storming out of the office and saying things in the heat of the moment, is not  the way to do it – remember you are supposed to be a professional person.

Not returning messages, phone calls, e-mails and just ignoring them until they go away is just plain rude – also not the way to do it.

Then of course you are just too busy and you will be too busy for the rest of your natural life. For me this is also not the right way to go about it.  For me it’s about being upfront and honest about it. It’s about being professional and dealing with the problem in a mature manner.  Let’s be honest, often the client will not even know that they are being a royal pain in the butt.  If you show them and explain to them what the problem is, and they are equally mature about things, there may even be a way to salvage the relationship.

If you can’t, or if (as in the case of a friend who ended up being threatened by the client) they don’t want to or you realize that you don’t want to keep them either – then it’s time to walk away.  Don’t walk away angry – learn from the experience and just walk away.  Remember the Universe is a funny old place and as one door closes, somewhere another opens.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Inspiration - Changing your habits

Inspiration – Changing your habits?

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

It is said (am I am not sure who the author is, but it’s not me) that if you “change your habits you will change your life”.

I went on a T Harv Eker’s MMI (Millionaire Mind Intensive) seminar in March of 2014  and WOW, did I get a mind F&^$ or what!

It’s no secret that I challenge myself on a regular basis.  It’s no secret that I like to be challenged and have my mind stretched, and OMG was my mind stretched.  Not only was it stretched, it was buckled and bent and turned upside down, but in such a positive great way!

Turns out that all my life I have been “thinking” things wrong.  Now I am sure that I am not the only person who has gone through life like this.  Not that we are necessarily doing things wrong, but that we’re thinking things wrong!

Let me try and explain -  at the beginning of the 3 day seminar we were asked to write down whether we agreed with or not, a number of statements, all around how we think about money.  Now let me be clear on this, it wasn’t just a few statements, if memory serves me correctly there were around 80 or so of these statements.

Fast track to the end of the seminar, after many “Ah Ha” moments (as Oprah Winfrey calls them), we were given the instruction to go through another similar exercise to see if our answers and therefore out mindsets had changed in any way.

I diligently started going through the statements and logged my answers.  At around ¾ of the way through the exercise, I started getting the ‘déjà vu’ feeling that these were exactly the same statements that we had previously done. I went back to the beginning of the work book and wasn’t too surprised when I saw that the statements were, in fact the same.  What did surprise me however was that my answers were completely different.  What had changed was my mindset and it had actually changed without me being aware of the changes.

The challenge now of course is how to keep the momentum of what that mindset change has uncovered.  It’s about “how” you stop doing something the way you have always done it.

Well in the first instance, you have to make a decision to make the change and then you have to change the habit.

How do you change a habit?  Well how did you get into the habit in the first place? By consciously doing something repetitively until you did it without thinking.  So for me it’s about firstly being aware of what I am doing at all times and as I find myself performing the old habit, to stop immediately and then straight away perform the new habit!  A word of caution here – don’t beat yourself up when you find yourself performing the “old” habit – rather give yourself recognition for the fact that you have noticed that you were doing the wrong thing and “kudo’s” for changing it to the ‘new’ habit!

You see you need to understand and recognize the fact that that habit took time to establish itself and that no matter how greatly you desire instant gratification, the reality is that you are not going to change your habit overnight.

Understanding that and encouraging yourself in a positive way will be far more helpful than beating yourself up for occasionally slipping up.

Has my habit changed?  I’m pleased to say, Yes it has!  Do I still slip up – of course I do, I am after all human.

Has my life changed – absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt and all for the better.

So as your mindset changes, so too must your habits and as your habits change to accommodate your new mindset, so too your life will change.

You still have to take that first step though and that is to change your mindset and the next course then, is to change your habit – your life will then change all by itself!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 – What to do When . . . You Have Contractors Working on your Premises – Part 1

HR 101 – What to do When . . . You Have Contractors Working on your Premises – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practices requirements.

According to the law, if you have contractors working on your premises you are liable for their health and safety.

Here’s the story

Mike owns a retail store in a busy mall.  Mike’s business is doing really well and the store next to his has become available and Mike decides that he needs to expand his operation into that space.

So Mike hires George, the contractor and soon work begins.  Mike is really impressed at the way George and his team go about getting the work done.

Within hours there are ladders all over the place and workers are going about their specific tasks.  All of a sudden, there is a loud CRACK/SNAP and a ladder collapses as one of its legs shatters.  Phillip, who is on the top of the ladder, doing something in the ceiling, falls some three meters and lands on the concrete floor with a loud THUD.  Phillip’s one leg is lying at a very odd angle beneath the rest of his body and it is clearly broken and it is also clear that he is hurt badly.  The ambulance is summoned and Phillip is rushed off to hospital.

Now we get to the serious bit – the money.  Who is responsible for what?  Here’s the thing, if George, the contractor is not compliant in terms of the Health and Safety Act, then Mike is liable and responsible for all the costs including but not limited to, the cost of the accident, medical costs, rehabilitation costs and even 75% of employees wages.

Let’s see what Mike has to do in order to ensure that he will not be held financially accountable or liable for the safety and health of the contractors working in his store.

One of the things that Mike should have included in his procurement policy is that the contractor (in this case George), would need to sign a Section 37(2) agreement.  The agreement would need to state (but not be limited to) that the contractor will comply with all health and safety laws and company rules (in this case Mike’s Company).  Mike should also insist in obtaining a certified copy of George’s “Certificate of Good Standing” from the Compensation Commissioner, which will evidence that the contractor (in this case George) is in fact registered and compliant with the Workmen’s Compensation fund Act.

Next time we will have a look at some of the other issues that Mike should include in his Contractor Procurement Policy to ensure that everything is managed correctly and that Mike is in no way liable for anything other than the Contractors invoice.

 Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 2

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 2

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Last time we looked at using Celebrities and their causes or keeping a journal for inspiration for ideas for articles of interest that pertain to your particular passion.  Today we will have a look one more.

Gestures
How about that for a common daily occurrence?  We all use gestures in our daily communication.  Usually we use them in conjunction with our speech, but often gestures are an alternative form of communication – when you can’t find the right words.  More often than not, when you are a visual person like I am, the gesture can make more of an impact that the written or spoken words themselves.

Let me explain.  I mentor several individuals, one of them is quite an artistic person who operates in the entertainment arena.  Let’s call her Susan.

Susan is looking to embark on a journey of her own into the world of business.  She is bright, articulate and open to ideas and absorbs information at a rapid rate.  At the moment, Susan’s greatest challenge is taking all the ideas and discarding what she doesn’t need and ‘parking’ what she does.  Her greatest fear is that she doesn’t have enough time and enough of ‘her’ as a resource to accomplish all that she perceives she needs to get done.

I explained to Susan how to ‘unpack’ things so that they become ‘bite sized’ chunks that can be easily dealt with and we also chatted about the art of delegation and outsourcing.  You see Susan doesn’t have to do anything other than give the project her name and put in an occasional appearance.

As Susan ‘got it’ and realized that she had been focusing on the wrong issues, she lifted her hands to the center of her forehead and made a motion like someone, whose face has been pressed up close to a curtain and who was now opening that curtain, curiously, to peek out into the wild world beyond.  This simple gesture had a profound effect on me and the visual had far more punch than any written or verbal explanation.  You see I had opened her mind to other possibilities.
Think about the gestures that you make to add value to your words and be aware of the gestures of those that you talk to – all could be used as or in the topic of your next blog.

Next time we have a look at some more ideas to keep those blogs flowing.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking101 – Networking for the right reasons

Networking101 – Networking for the right reasons

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Strange as it may seem – well to me anyway, many people who go to Networking events, really don’t understand how to Network or even what their objective is.

Most people usually join or attend a networking event in total desperation.  It’s often the ‘last ditch’ effort to keep their businesses alive.

That is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as they then Network effectively.

The problem arises of course, when they come purely to sell their widget or service and that is all that they are focused on.

Sadly at this point all that happens is that they foist their attentions on everybody at the meeting or event, telling those that are polite enough to listen, how wonderful said widget or service is.

Please believe me when I tell you that this is not going to work and they will leave, sadly disillusioned about Networking and Business and probably life in general too.

Networking is not just telling people what you have to offer – it is also about listening to what other people have to offer.  It’s about asking questions in order to understand what the other person does so that you can see who to refer them to.  It’s about answering questions, openly and honestly so that the other person can understand what you do in order for them to refer you to others.

It’s about building relationships.

If you go to a Networking event purely to sell – you will fail!

I go to Networking events to meet people who are like minded and who are serious about business, and who want to form collaborations or engage in dialogue to explore opportunities that are mutually beneficial.

I go to Networking events to develop relationships that I know will bring about a lot of work for me and for everyone else in my ‘circle of influence’.

Why do you go to Networking events?

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - Firing a Client - Part 3

Business Tips – Firing a Client – Part 3

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

We all agree, at some point in our lives, that there are clients that we just have to get rid of or we ourselves will suffer a slow and agonizing death.  Here are a few more reasons for you to look at, to know and understand, that now is the time to fire these clients.

At some point in our lives, we have all done work that has been boring to the point of screaming inside ourselves, ‘if I have to do this one more time I am going to kill myself’!  Often we hold onto it because of the financial implications – it puts food on the table. The problem is, what it does to our ‘souls’.  It can go a long way to destroying the entrepreneurial spirit, or it  often crushes our self- confidence.  Sometimes we do it to ‘add’ to our portfolio’s or so that we can show that we have worked for a plethora of interesting clients – my suggestion to you though, is get rid of them as soon and then as fast as you can.  They will rob you of the essence of who you are faster than you can blink!

Then of course there is the client that you have had since before ‘pa fell off the bus’!  Let me tell you a story.  When I first started my business in 2003, one of my first clients was also in the retail game.  They had little in the way of policies and procedures and they also had a host of hungry shark type suppliers following them around.  Several months into our relationship I discovered suppliers stealing from them and I mean stealing goods – actual goods going missing and stealing money in over charges and the like and then the fun started.  To cut a long story short the claims and the court cases amounted to several million rand – nothing to be sneezed at.

Once the main hurdles had been jumped, although there was still a lot of work to be done and policies and procedures to be implemented – my weekly obligation was suddenly cut from 3 days a week to 1 and then just as suddenly, only when they needed me.  I weathered the storm understanding the lessons that I had to learn and got on with my life.  Almost a year went by and suddenly, out of the blue, I received a call to please come and assist them with their shipping documents – it appeared that the new supplier was also over charging them.  It was the 2nd week in December, my diary was full and I was handed the shipping documents for the entire year to check and go through.  I ended up working through the night every second night and at the end of the exercise I even gave them a 15% discount – they’re “old” clients after all.

This is where it gets interesting – they paid, but asked me to reduce my fees even further as they could not afford me.  Here they are, both partners driving in the latest Merc’s, wearing the height of fashion, going overseas on holiday several times a year – money seemed to be of no consequence, yet here they were asking me for a ‘better rate’ – never mind that they had not given me any work for an entire year, never mind that I had to work through the night every second night for almost 3 weeks – none of that seemed to matter in the slightest.  You see they had given me one of my ‘first breaks’!  Here’s the thing though – I had worked like a dog for every cent that they had given me and it wasn’t as if I had not delivered.

My reply – well it went something along the lines of “my hourly rate is RXXXX.  If you are willing to guarantee me, in writing a minimum of Y hours a month, I am prepared to give you a 5% discount, on anything over the Y number of hours that I work.” 

Did I get any more work from them?  Of course not. Was it sad to see them go?  Of course it was, my relationship with one of the partners spanned more than 15 years and we have now seemed to have gone our separate ways. Has it made any difference in my life?  Of course it has – I found a bunch of other clients who are willing to pay the full price and who don’t dump things on me at the last minute and who don’t expect me to work all hours of the night and day because they are not organised. 

Don’t be scared to walk away from something that does nothing but build up resentment in your heart – it’s just not worth it.  By walking away from something that is harmful, you are opening up the door for something a lot more worthwhile.

Next week we will have a look at some additional reasons on why to get rid of some of your clients.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Inspiration - The Most Important Relationship

Inspiration – The Most Important Relationship.

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Robin Good says “The most important relationship is the one that you have with yourself.”

I must confess that whilst I absolutely, emphatically agree with this statement, when I sat down to write my musings  today, my thoughts on the subject were strangely ‘missing in action’!

I suspect that it is because I have undergone some huge changes in my life over the last year or so.

You see, someone came into my life last year and I have learnt some very big, very personal lessons from them.  One of the biggest of these life lessons is around how I value myself and my self-worth, what I think of myself and how much of this is evidenced by how I allow others to treat me.

The reality of course is that I did allow others to treat me with disrespect and disdain and even on occasion complete disparagement. How utterly ridiculous is that! 

This person gently pointed out what was happening and quite frankly I was horrified at the extent to which I had allowed this to happen.  For years now I have allowed myself to be belittled and slowly but surely this has eaten away at my self-respect, which of course has eroded my self-esteem and my self-worth. How utterly sad is that?

Believe me when I tell you that I have done an about turn and am living life with my eyes wide open.  Those who have gotten away with treating me so badly for so long have had a rude awakening and know that they can no longer do this -  the choice of course is theirs, they can have me in their lives . . . or not.  Some have chosen to continue to walk with me on the path of this journey through life, some have chosen not to, not necessarily because they have walked away, but because they have continued to treat me badly, and I have walked away.

For the first time in a very long time I feel alive!  It is as though every nerve ending in my body is awake and alert and waiting in anticipation for what is about to happen next.  The Universe has also responded and so many doors and opportunities are presenting themselves and I know it is because “I am different”!  I look the same and I sound the same, but I am different.  My demeanor is different, the way that I think is different and therefore the way that I engage with people is different. The way that I look at things and people and how they respond and react to me and with me is different and this change in me is what is making things happen differently.

How fabulous is this – a mindset change is responsible for the way I see myself, the way that I deal with myself and therefore the way that I deal with others. 
My relationship with me is different and it’s wonderful!  I have discovered that I am a worthwhile person and I am now going to invest in me, be gentle and nurturing with me and have fun with me!

Perhaps it is time for you to also look at yourself, inwardly, openly, honestly and unashamedly and see how your relationship is with yourself. If like me, you wouldn’t be friends with you, then maybe it is time to make the changes that you need to make.

Today, I am my own best friend and quite honestly, I like it like this!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 - It’s How You Play The Game – Part 2

HR 101 -  It’s How You Play The Game – Part 2

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) LTD

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice requirements.

Following on from last week – the decision on the part of the Arbitrator or Commissioner is particularly unfair and in this instance it is incumbent upon the ‘wronged’ party (be it the employer or the employee) to challenge the decision via a review at the Labour Court.

What does this mean?

Well for starters the challenge can be made on the grounds that the Arbitrator took a bribe, or was biased, or that there was important information or evidence that was ignored or that he/she failed to arrive at a reasonable or proper award. You see the CCMA Arbitrator has to ‘weigh up’ and consider all the evidence, both oral and documentary, prior to embarking upon the process of making factual findings.

Therefore:

• The Arbitrator’s judgement cannot  about his/her own opinion, but rather the judgement has to be based on the facts presented.
• The decision must be made by following reason and not based on fantasy, guesswork, ‘hallucination’ or speculation of any kind.
• The Arbitrator must have applied his/her mind seriously to the issues at hand and not treat them or the charges as some sort of joke.
• The Arbitrator is required to justify his/her findings in a defensible and logical manner. He/she must be able to give solid reasons for the decision that he/she has come to and why.
• The decisions must comply with the law
• The decisions must be rational

Now here’s the kicker – the Arbitrator’s reasons for giving all of these decisions must be given at the time that he/she renders the decision, otherwise it can be assumed that he/she did not actually have a good reason for making the decision that was made.

The bottom line is that the both parties have the right to know why or how the Arbitrator came to his/her decision against them so that they can decide whether or not and  how to challenge the decision that has been reached.

This is one of the controls that have been put into place to try and ensure that Arbitrators don’t make ‘faulty’ decisions.  The thinking is that if the Arbitrator has to explain his/her actions he/she will be less likely to ignore or misrepresent the facts and evidence that was put before them and ensure that a fair decision is reached.

So the Arbitrator has to have considered all the serious objections and all the alternatives to the decision that they have made.  They have to provide a rational connection between the facts that were presented and their ruling.

This also places a requirement on employers and that is that they too must have good reason when acting against employees and they too must be able to provide these reasons clearly and comprehensively to the Arbitrator.

For the employer, this means having all their ducks in a row, facts and evidence readily and professionally at hand and good presentation skills.  Emotion does not play any part here – simply state the facts and back them up with the evidence, witnesses and whatever else that you have at hand.  This will show the Arbitrator that you have followed the procedures correctly and your reasoning for instituting disciplinary measures and he/she, will in all probability will have to follow the your line of reasoning.

In this way, you as the employer help the arbitrator find in your favour.

Of course, this does mean that the employer has to ensure that all management decisions are made unemotionally and in line with the law and that all the requirements in terms of policies and procedures have been met.

As always, if you are in any kind of doubt, don’t try and do this by yourself, rather get professional help.

 Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 1

Blogging 101 – Where Else to look for Ideas – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

So last time we had a look at just how easy it is to turn everyday experiences into ideas for articles.  Today I am going to give you some more examples of where to look for inspiration.

Using Celebrities & their Causes
We all have our favorite celebrities and many individuals avidly follow what their favorite celebrities are doing and getting up to.  Celebrities also often use their status to highlight their pet projects – pretty much like Angelina Jolie uses her name to advance her projects and her position as a UN Ambassador or Al Gore who highlights Global Warming.

Using my friend Jacques the gardener again, his ideal celebrity to use to promote his business “Grow your own food” to highlight how we can all feed ourselves as well as grow our own little sustainable food businesses, would be someone like Annie Lennox or Cameron Diaz or Leonardo de Caprio, who are all very outspoken about our carbon footprints and issues around hunger and the starving poor – all of which can be addressed in some way by growing our own food.

Sure Jacques would have to do a little research on the exact or specific areas of their passions and commitments, but with his commitment to sustainable and organic food growing, there would be a wealth of information on the issues that they stand for, that he would be equally as passionate about.

I can see the article right now starting with words that go something along the lines of  “Like Annie Lennox who strongly believes that no child should go to bed hungry – neither do I!  Growing your own food  and  . . . .”

Keeping a Journal
Now I know that keeping a journal can be a real pain in the rear end – especially if it is something that you have not done all your life.

Oprah Winfrey often talks about the “gratitude” journal that she keeps and how she writes down at least 3 things every day that she is grateful for.  So what about keeping a journal, either as a full journal about your business day or if that is too much, then say 3 things a day that you learnt, discovered, noticed, experienced etc. about your business?

In the case of my friend Jacques the gardener, this could be a full journal on the gardens that he works in and what works and what doesn’t (and yes all gardens are very different depending on the type of soil or how much sun they get etc.) or the project that he is involved with  and how they are progressing or evolving or it could be on the things that he researched on that day and how they could change whatever it is that he needed to do the research for.

I am sure that you can see that that would open up a huge amount of possibilities and inspire a great number of things to write about.

Next time we have a look at a few more options for inspiration.  Until then don’t forget to have fun with your writing.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking 101 - The great state of interdependence

Networking 101 - The great state of interdependence

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Inherent in successfully networking, is the philosophy of mutual support and interdependence.”

This is so cool, I was wondering when it was going to come up and I am so pleased that it has finally arrived.

Let’s just get the terminology right!  There is a huge difference between ‘interdependence’ and ‘co-dependence’!  The one is really healthy, the other is quite destructive – so make sure that you know which one it is that you are attached to.

Co-dependence – well, let’s just say it is not a good thing – it means pretty much that you cannot function on your own.

Interdependence on the other hand is about the joining of forces.  It’s about collaboration and joint ventures.  It’s about the joining of synergies and strategic alliances.  It’s about doing what you are really, really good at and having an even greater value add by having someone who is really, really good at the things you aren’t so good at – in a partnership of sorts.  It’s about teamwork!

For me, on both a personal and professional level, it’s about making us SMME’s, you know – us little guys and gals, far more powerful than any of the big Corporate companies, because when we stand united and together, we can give any client far better service than any Corporate.

That’s a helleva statement to make, I am sure that you would agree, but it is actually the truth.

You see, each one of us individually are incredibly passionate about what we do and we are specialists in our own fields, but when we get together we are a huge force to be reckoned with.

Each one of us, passionate, committed, specialized – there is not one Corporate on the planet that can say that about each and every one of their staff.  In my book that makes us far more powerful and far more lethal.

So how about it folks – let’s all get interdependent upon one another and make the difference that we know we can!

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - Firing a client - Part 2

Business Tips - Firing a Client – Part 2

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Here we are, pulling our hair out, having heart palpitations and generally feeling like we just cannot cope any more.  The reason for us feeling like this is a difficult client.  These are some of the reasons why you should be firing your client (or getting them to fire themselves.)

You have to continually chase after them, follow up for feedback, constantly remind them of things and literally baby them.  This means that you are managing your client and usually the management of the client takes longer than it does to do the actual work.  Now if you are not charging for the time that it takes you to manage the client, this means that you are actually running at a loss and no-one gets into the business of business to run at a loss.  It’s like having a wayward child and one that you didn’t even give birth to – so here’s the thing, either charge them for the additional hours or get yourself a client that doesn’t need to be treated like a child.

What about the client who expects you to do illegal things?  No I don’t mean the client who asks you to take someone out – nothing that serious, but the client that asks you to use photographs that neither of you have taken or download and use music that you haven’t paid any licenses for or material that neither of you have written.  Either which way, it’s not legal and it’s not ethical and . . .  well, it’s just not right.  Walk away from them and you do the right thing.

Oh and don’t forget the client who constantly moans and groans about the costs of what it is that you doing – no matter how much ‘discount’ you give them, it’s never enough and from experience the more discount you give them, the more demanding they become, giving you work at the last minute and expecting you to drop everything in order to do it and then groaning about the cost again and haggling about the price again and expecting yet another discount.  You will come out of this one mentally and physically exhausted and wondering if it is worth it all – no it isn’t.  Cut your losses and walk away – rather find a client who understands and appreciates your worth.

Next time we will have a look at some additional reasons on why to get rid of some of your clients.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Inspiration - What are you waiting for?

Inspiration – What are you waiting for?

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Jonathan Winters says “I couldn’t wait for success, so I went ahead without it!”

Oh wow!  This one really made me smile.  You see I often find myself in limbo . . .  waiting!  Waiting for people to arrive for meetings (I like to be a bit early to make sure I am on time), waiting for people to make a decision or to make up their minds or catch up with me or even just to make an appearance in their own lives.

I am sure you all resonate with the aspect of waiting for someone to do what they need to do so that you can get on with what you need to get on with.  That for me is a really painful process, especially if the other person does not have the same work ethic as I do.  Equally frustrating if not more so is if my contribution to the process is entirely dependent on the outcome of the other persons – now that’s enough to drive me absolutely crazy! Little wonder then that I prefer to work alone.

Here’s the thing though -  we all have a choice and mine is to make things happen!

I remember one of my service providers, let’s call her Jane, was having a lunch at her home one Sunday for all of her clients.  There were many more people attending than there were chairs around the dining-room table and as I got up to help her carry chairs into the dining room, she said to everyone (although no-one in particular) “Get out of the way – Nikki is making things happen again!”

I was quite amused and chatting to her afterwards about the comment she stated that it was best for people to get out of the way when I was doing stuff as I always made things happen and if someone got in the way  it was likely that they would be toppled over or pushed out of the way.

You see, she was someone that stayed on the sidelines and waited for things to happen.  Waited for others to do things for her . . . . waited and waited and waited.  I can think of nothing more soul destroying.

Now it wasn’t that she was lazy or didn’t have any skills.  Quite the opposite in fact, but she didn’t market herself or her business or source any client’s on her own merits – she waited for referrals of other people to make contact with her, and if no new work came in, well that seemed to be just fine. That for me would be absolutely excruciating!

That seriously would not work for me at all.  In fact I would have closed my business before it even got off the ground!

Do I like getting referrals?  Of course I do, who wouldn’t?  The fact of the matter though is that I see referrals as a ‘bonus’.  They’re great and they are wonderful and they bring in loads of money and that is always a good thing, but I could never rely on them and wait for them to come in. 

So in essence, what I am saying is, get up off your butt, get a plan of action in place and move your own sweet self into success.  The sense of achievement that you will feel as you cross each goal off the list and celebrate each little victory as you move closer and closer to your end goal, is something that is priceless and beyond words.

So stop waiting . . .  do something and get the ball rolling!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 - It's How You Play the Game - Part 1

HR 101 -  It’s How You Play The Game – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Please not that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Brest Practice requirements.

There are often times that you will end up at the CCMA no matter how closely you follow the rules. Now I know that that sounds a bit harsh, but following the rules doesn’t mean that you will not end up at the CCMA, but what it does mean is that if you do end up at the CCMA, there is less chance of you losing your case.

Sadly there are also many cases where the ‘loser’ at the CCMA is not only disappointed at the verdict but that they also appear to be quite shell shocked!  Most of the time these individuals were extremely confident of success only to have that confidence lying shattered at their feet.

The reality is that often it is not about right and wrong – it’s about how you play the game.  I just heard all the pins drop, the chins drop and the sharp intake of breath being rapidly inhaled and resulting in a shocked gasp!

You see in the majority of cases are lost as a direct result of procedures not being followed, so you lose the case on those grounds.

But what about where you have followed every single rule, I hear you say?  Well here are some of (but not limited to) the main reasons people (both employers and employees) lose their cases.

• The case was weak without you realizing it or despite the fact that you thought it was a strong case.  Often this is because you did not have your case properly prepared, no documents or witnesses to give or confirm your evidence.  Your sense of outrage and your emotion here was actually stronger than the facts in the case.

• Then of course you have the situation where you actually do have an extremely strong case, the problem is that again you are inadequately prepared.  You don’t have the correct documentation or you failed to present your case in an understandable and convincing manner.  Pretty much like representing yourself in a murder case in a court of law.  If you don’t know what you are doing, chances are you will make a mess – so get some help!

• The worst of the lot is when it is genuinely unfair to the loser.  This is when you have a strong case, you have followed all of the procedures correctly, you have presented it in the proper manner, you are properly prepared with all of the correct documents, you have witnesses who have corroborated your evidence, in fact you have done everything correctly, but the arbitrator has failed to appreciate your case and you lose.

This is the one that you really want to challenge and this is the one that you absolutely have the right to challenge via review at the Labour court.

Next time we will have a look at how to do this.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za