Unlike at a tertiary level, workplace feedback sounds and looks different. Feedback from the classroom came by the way of test scores, comments, and final grades. These methods revolve almost entirely around the accuracy and content of your work. On the other hand, workplace feedback takes into consideration the content and quality of your work […]

Let’s face it, the vast majority of us in today’s business world is facing this dilemma. Global competition is fierce, business disruption is everywhere, senior management is relentlessly driving for increased productivity … and whose desk does it land on? If you’re in senior management, and you consistently hear “too many priorities” or “initiative overload” […]

There is a quote attributed to Epictetus, which states “We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.” This quote came to mind when I was chatting with Paul Ruinaard about his experiences with the Enneagram and how he and his sales team use it to ensure […]

It has been said that E.Q. is more important than I.Q. and in today’s ever-changing world leaders must have the emotional intelligence to lead people. It is always a sad situation to watch a person with a high intelligence remain stuck on the ladder of success because he/she has never developed the awareness and social […]

The author, inspirational speaker, and leadership visionary Simon Sinek posted a video recently, which critiqued the use of the term soft skills. As a learning and development professional, this really spoke to a common bugbear of mine and pretty much all my HR-related colleagues. We used those scare quotes almost like a nervous tic because […]

One of the top challenges facing South African HR organisations right now is the looming deadline of completing your Workplace Skills Plan (WSP). You need to be responsive to the here and now and balance critical and scarce skills demands with looking far enough down the line to make informed strategic accredited training recommendations. An […]

2020 ended with a lot of deeply fatigued workers. Did 2021 change anything? Not specifically, but as we always do at the end of a year, we expect things to change with the hanging of a new calendar. So what are you doing to change things proactively? I spend a lot of time in Zoom/ […]

As I write this I am at the bedside of my father who fell and is now admitted to hospital with broken ribs and a broken wrist. My father is in his eighties and is frail both mentally and physically and I am responsible for his day-to-day care. Typically when I say I have this […]

Research over the years has consistently shown that over 60% of all new supervisors and managers fail to make an effective transition from being an individual contributor to their new leadership roles. Why is this so? Remarkably, because the large majority of first-time supervisors are thrown into the deep end of the pool, with little […]