pd 1 2011 jan

PeopleDynamics

Jan

201

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Journal of the South African Institute of People Management www.ipm.co.za

Blasting off to 2011

Conference report back

CONTACT OUR SALES TEAM FOR MORE INFORMATION / TEL: 0860 EDUCOS / 011 475 5040 / EMAIL: [email protected] / www.educos.co.za

THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE IN HUMAN RESOURCES

OUR HRMIS TAKES CARE OF HR,SO YOU CAN DEAL WITH THE EARLY MORNING SURPRISES.

Our HRMIS provides your business with the HR management information that counts, which means that HR can focus on motivating employees, thus enhancing their performance and productivity. HR managers will have more time to take care of employees, creating a productive and happy working environment.

It also provides the information relevant to each employee such as names, addresses, contact details, medical details, family members, qualifications and birthdays. This enables the HR manager to get the information they need about an employee quickly, should it be necessary.

GREY 123680

CONTENTS

Editor’s lEttEr 2

iPM CoNVENtioN 2010 4

Another resounding success

iNtErViEw 6

iPM CEo of the year – Motshoanetsi lefoka

CAsE study 8

Coach out your inner leaderBy Melanie Blythe

CoAChEs 10

Five key attributes By Debbie Hartung

E-CoAChiNg 11

the role of an intranetBy Udo Richard Averweg

lEAdErshiP trAiNiNg 12

use it or lose itBy Ken Blanchard

trAiNiNg ANd dEVEloPMENt 13

People-focused strategy to drive Nissan growth

MENtor MAttErs 14

Mergers and acquisitionsBy Gary Taylor

ProduCtiVity surVEy 15

sA workers spend most hours at workBy Billy Last

sAlAry study 16

Pretoria is top paying sA cityBy Kevin Laithwaite

iNsurANCE 18

Ease the pain of car insurance renewal season for employees

CoAChiNg 19

Coaching in the workplace

NEws ANd rEViEws 20

hr in brief

hr strAtEgy 22

Application of systems thinking principles to integrate the skills shortage into a human resources development strategy

By Steve Kgatuke & Gordon Day

skills AssEssMENt 23

No faking itBy Shelley Ball

ExECutiVE CoAChiNg 23

Tangible business benefitsBy Sandra Burmeister

gAbriEl’s horN 24

A whale of a time in hermanusBy Gabriel Mofekeng

NEXT ISSUEThe Februay 2011 issue of People Dynamics features Recruitment & Retention, Job Enrichment, Career and

Talent Management

Corporate Services

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Part of the P-E Suite of remuneration surveys, this is the most exhaustively researched sum-mary of personnel practices available within the South African market. Information is practical and up to date ensuring its relevance for policy formulation and review.

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• A description of salary administration practices and pay policies incorporating issues such as:

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CONTACT OUR SALES TEAM FOR MORE INFORMATION / TEL: 0860 EDUCOS / 011 475 5040 / EMAIL: [email protected] / www.educos.co.za

THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE IN HUMAN RESOURCES

OUR HRMIS TAKES CARE OF HR,SO YOU CAN DEAL WITH THE EARLY MORNING SURPRISES.

Our HRMIS provides your business with the HR management information that counts, which means that HR can focus on motivating employees, thus enhancing their performance and productivity. HR managers will have more time to take care of employees, creating a productive and happy working environment.

It also provides the information relevant to each employee such as names, addresses, contact details, medical details, family members, qualifications and birthdays. This enables the HR manager to get the information they need about an employee quickly, should it be necessary.

GREY 123680

EditorialEldene Eyssell E-mail: [email protected] BookingsHelen BennettsTel: 011 326 0303 Fax: 011 501 2878E-mail: [email protected] Eagle Publishing CompanyTel: 011 326 0303 Fax: 011 501 2878E-mail: [email protected] FurneyTel: 011 326 0303 Fax: 011 501 2878E-mail: [email protected] ProudlockTel: 011 326 0303 Fax: 011 501 2878E-mail: [email protected] Carter Tel: 011 326 0303E-mail: [email protected] Central Office287 Kent & Harley Street, Randburg PO Box 3436, Randburg 2125Switchboard: 011 329 3760Keith PietersenTel: 011 329 3760 Fax: 011 329 3765e-mail:[email protected]

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

In terms of fast emerging global challenges, it is critical to champion the strategic role of human resources and to acknowledge that both development and management are catalysts for growth.

In the spirit of progress and support, the IPM provides members with effective leadership and access to appropriate knowledge, information and the opportunity to network with key local and international players.

People Dynamics provide a forum for debate and discussion on all issues affecting people managers in South Africa, the African continent and beyond.

People Dynamics is distributed to all members of the South African Institute of People Management (IPM), and to other key decision-makers in the industry. To receive People Dynamics regularly and enjoy additional benefits, including discounts on HR-related services, professional networking events and HR vacancy postings on the IPM web-site, contact the membership manager of the IPM.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written approval from the IPM.

INTERNATIONALFEDERATION OF TRAINING

AND DEVELOPMENTORGANISATIONS

ISSN 0261-2399The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the values of the IPM.

WORLD FEDERATION OF PERSONNELMANAGEMENTASSOCIATIONS

EDITOR’S lETTER

I’ve been undergoing some training and mentoring myself recently. And what a delight it has been. For three months I was a student again, learning to teach English as a foreign

language. And learning what it is like to learn a foreign language when we had to take a Polish class. Constructive and patient mentors/observers helped us through our practical teaching sessions with students from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Angola, and Somalia.

How things have changed since I was last a student (or a lecturer). Learning is all about serious fun and games, about being real. And it works, switches on lights, makes one look at things from a whole different angle. I never realised how difficult English really is. How does one teach it to a student who is a qualified medical doctor, yet does not know the English words for neck, toes, shoulder…? I now have some of the insights and tools to do this.

At the same time, I am mentoring your new editor, Alex. She will be looking after this journal soon. I am sure she will bring a new approach, a different angle. She will, no doubt, also teach the staff of PD a thing or two.

All the best for 2011. May you also know the fun and joy of learning and teaching, no matter what your age.

◆ recruitment advertising ◆ response management ◆ media buying ◆ employer branding ◆ e-recruitment ◆ search & selection ◆ call centre management ◆ external legal communications: tenders advertising, etc.

Quality First

Recruitment Solutions

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Kaya Mabandla-Nyati Regional Operations Director

Irene Gilbert Regional Operations Manager

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People (unashamedly elitist) mainly comprising young, gifted and

black individuals-slash-team players who are keen and able to go

beyond the normal for clients and colleagues alike.

Yes, it’s high time you said goodbye to cost-driven recruitment

and hello to quality-driven recruitment.

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Call Ayanda in Johannesburg on 011 548 6006; Kaya in

Cape Town on 021 413 7518; Irene in Durban on 031 202 2916.

Also visit us all at www.ayandambanga.co.za

The future of recruitment is looking pretty black

4 People Dynamics January 2011

Over 500 delegates attended this year’s IPM Convention at Sun City and according to many of them it was the most successful ever. With

the theme “Beyond 2010 – people leadership in the next decade”, the 54th annual convention, provided a highly stimulating intellectual environment over its four-day duration.

Against a backdrop of economies still reeling from the aftermath of the economic recession, the annual convention was carefully designed with an uncertain business environment in mind. Thus the glittering array of speakers spent much of their time concentrating on issues that had the potential to contribute to organisational competitiveness and sustainability.l Critical themes of the convention were:l People innovation and technology.l Talent management and mobility.l Employee engagement.

sustainability and going green.The convention placed considerable emphasis on examining the role that HR should play, as part of the collective, to address the pressing challenges related to the quality of learning attainment and competency acquisition within the skills pipeline, starting from basic education.

In an upbeat introduction to the convention, IPM President Sandy Mohonathan seemed to polarise the event’s raison d’être.

“We have to operate like a mean machine to have the right positive influence we desire across society,” she stressed. “This year’s convention is packed with leading thought leaders who embody professional excellence. Let’s engage with all our esteemed guests and speakers and learn from them as we chart the new game – beyond 2010.”

It was an inspirational event which served as an admirable precursor to next year which sees the celebration of IPM’s 65th year of operation.

IPM awards presented at the gala dinner held on 16 November 2010 at Sun City were:

hr Practitioner of the year In any organization the HR practitioner plays the pivotal people management role and this award recognises those with a demonstrated track record of excellence in HR leadership. This award recognises HR practitioners who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in the strategic management of human capital within their organisations. This award is relevant to anyone who has demonstrated this value-add to people management. It is applicable to all HR practitioners, spanning junior to senior levels and including HR Specialists, HR Business Partners, HR Managers and HR Consultants.

The IPM HR Practitioner of Year – Patience Mathebula, AccentureRunner-up - Zogan Opperman, Airports Company South Africa

hr skills developer of the year Skills and capacity shortages are a critical obstacle to growth in South Africa. Strategic human resource development has become a critical measure for organisational success. This award recognises individuals or organisations who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in the strategic development of people in their organisation, industry or in the economy as a whole.The nominee must have demonstrated commitment and contribution to closing the skills gap in South Africa as well as being innovative in bringing skills development solutions to the market. The nominee could be either an individual or an organisation. The committee mentioned that with the high focus in South Africa on skills development it was encouraging to see how many training managers and training institutions entered in this category. And subsequently this was indeed a tough category with stiff competition.

The IPM Skills Developer of the Year – Dormac. The award was received on behalf of the company by the training and development manager, Imran Allijan. Runner-up - Mandi Wallace - NWU

hr director of the yearIn today’s business environment, strategic HR leadership at board level is becoming critical for sustainable organisational success. This award recognizes HR directors who operate at board or Exco level and have demonstrated a track record of excellence in HR leadership.

In this category the committee has decided to award 2 of the finalists as runner up. In no particular order:

The IPM HR Director of 2010 – Mr Leonard Mavuso, SanParks Runner up – Dirk Theron, ConcorRunner up – Angela Bosini, The Cape Grace Hotel

CEo of the yearThis award recognises CEOs and MDs for their contribution to HR. For HR to be successful in any organisation, management buy-in is critical. HR champions are those who have gone the extra mile and who drive successful HR strategy from the top. Entries for this award should have shown examples of a CEO/MD who will act as an ambassador to promote strategic people management in the executive community.

The IPM CEO of the Year – Motsoanetsi Lefoka, South African Post OfficeRunner-up – Andrew Layman, Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Commerce

iPM branch AwardMost improved branchIn this category the branch will have demonstrated improvement in the following areas:l Administrationl Networking and Events l Membership increasel Promotion of the IPM brand locally, andl Finance

The winner was – Cape Town Branch, Chairperson Sandy Isaacs.leading branch The Branch must have demonstrated with supporting evidence that it has performed above expectations and leads the other branches in the following areas:l Administrationl Networking and eventsl Membershipl Promotion of the IPM brand locallyl Finance, and l Thought leadership, for example professional articles/publications

The winner was – Durban Branch, Chairperson Nadia Thomson.

Another resounding successIPM CONVENTION 2010

Mr Imran Allijan receiving IPM 2010 Skills Developer of the Year Award from Mr Raj Seeparsad in Durban. Mr Allijan was unable to attend the Awards ceremony at Sun City and a special arrangement had to be made at an IPM Breakfast session.

January 2011 People Dynamics 5

Left – (R-L) Rre Elijah Litheko receiving Special Award from Dr Raju Bhatia (Fun and Joy at Work).

Right – Patience Mathebula receiving 2010 IPM

Practitioner of the Year Award from Howard Stafford (IBM) and Rre Elijah Litheko.

Left – Motshoanetsi Lefoka receiving 2010 IPM CEO of the Year Award from Johnny Dladla (BHP Billiton) and Rre Elijah Litheko.

Right – Mandi Wallace receiving 2010 IPM HR

Skills Developer of the Year Runner Up Award from

Howard Stafford (IBM) and Rre Elijah Litheko.

Left: – Leonard Mavuso receiving 2010 IPM HR Director of the Year Award from Johnny Dladla (BHP Billiton) and Rre Elijah Litheko.

Right – Dirk Theron receiving the First Runner Up Award

for 2010 IPM HR Director of the Year Award from Johnny Dladla (BHP Billiton) and Rre

Elijah Litheko. Left – Zogan Opperman receiving 2010 IPM Practitioner of the Year Runner-Up Award from Howard Stafford (IBM) and Rre Elijah Litheko.

Right – Andrew Layman receiving 2010 IPM CEO of the Year Runner-Up Award

from Johnny Dladla (BHP Billiton) and Rre Elijah Litheko.

Left – Angela Bosini receiving the Second Runner-Up Award for 2010 IPM HR Director of the Year Award from Johnny Dladla (BHP Billiton) and Rre Elijah Litheko.


South African Post Office Group Chief Executive Motshoanetsi Lefoka was recently named the Institute of People Management’s

2010 CEO of the Year. In this feature, People Dynamics finds out why:

PM: Motshoanetsi, congratulations on the Award! And how do you feel about this achievement?

ML: It is a great honour indeed – one that would not have been possible without the men and women who constitute the Post Office’s workforce. Their dedication and loyalty is unsurpassed and they have always been the backbone of our operations. We continue to make strides and to remain a relevant and major player in the country’s economy because of their commitment. I am proud to be their leader.

PM: HastherebeenanysignificantchangewithinthePostOfficeinthe last decade?

ML: The SA Post Office of 2010 has evolved from the government department it was in 1991, into a modern, progressive organisation that is rapidly shedding the negative perceptions of the past. Today, it is a dynamic, innovative business that measures its success in terms of financial (profit), social (people) and environmental (planet) sustainability. From battling bureaucracy, to global postal services leader in just 10 short years, that is the story of the SA Post Office.

The company has become one of the great success stories of this country’s young democracy through an astonishing turnaround which would do any Fortune 500 company proud. Within a space of seven years, the SA Post Office turned a R900 million annual loss into a net operating profit of more than R350 million, and we are now looking into kick starting a new growth strategy supported by a new business model.

PM: Howhasthisbeenpossible–giventheglobalfinancialcrisis?

ML: The success of the company is built on four key business imperatives: customer service, impeccable financial management, ongoing people development and a strong focus on growth, whilst ensuring that we meet the mandate given by our license agreement and Universal Service Obligations (USO) within an approved legislative framework. This is constantly aligned to the priorities outlined by the broader government objectives and the Department of Communication’s programme of action anchored, overall, by our sound corporate social investment.

Over and above this, our financial turnaround has also been realised despite the many challenges that face economies globally and also in spite of our ongoing obligation to deliver a universal service to the country’s vastly diverse population. It is worth remembering that the SA Post Office delivers to an area of more than 1, 2 million square kilometres - a region larger than Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the

Netherlands and Switzerland combined. With more than 2 400 outlets and 5 500 service points, it is one of the largest business undertakings in the country.

Our notable milestone, reached in 2004, has been profitability for the first time in the company’s existence. The tireless remodelling of our business processes, the steady transformation of a sprawling institution to a focused business entity, the ongoing use of technology to do things better and faster, the relentless investment in people (training, development, wellness programmes), embracing of environmental and corporate social initiatives: it’s all paying off at last.

PM: How have you been able to balance these achievements?

ML: All of the above accomplishments would not have been possible without the exceptional leadership that is currently steering the SA Post Office ship. Our executive management team has shown great commitment to leading the company to a high performing organisation by amongst other things, fully embracing the Human Resource (HR) function. This has been done through ensuring that a key focus is placed on entrenching grounded HR fundamentals within the organisation as a leading factor to achieve greatness.

The tireless investment in our people which is co-ordinated by our HR has, over time, yielded great results. Our HR’s five strategic imperatives are to: l Achieve operational excellence l Create an innovative business culture

IPM CEO of the year – Motshoanetsi lefoka, South African Post Office

INTERVIEw


INTERVIEw

l Constantly improve HR systems, processes and practice efficiencies

l Ensure sufficient succession, sourcing and retention plans to ensure sustainable human capacity

l Create relevant employee wellness programmes

PM: Exactly how is your workforce motivated to deliver on your mandate?

ML: The company’s investment-in-people initiatives are based on both internal and external programmes to train and develop internal employees, children of employees, employees from external companies in postal related issues as well communities to enable them to use the SA Post Office’s products and services. The organisation further assists the Southern African Development Community’s postal administrators with their training requirements. Another key focus area is the development of leadership skills and embedding a culture of values driven leadership in the organisation. This is done through the Executive team’s personal involvement in and sponsorship of all HR processes – one of these, is the development board process. Through the development board process we identify and retain key individuals who are needed to take the Post Office to a higher operational level, ensuring sustainability and profit. It also puts a key management focus on all staff issues affecting the operational performance of the organisation.

Diversity is also another main area of focus. The company’s drive to ensure a diverse workforce – and especially the development of women within the company is widely commended by staff. In this regard I also personally mentor women on public speaking and managing meetings.

PM: What about the well-being and health status of employees?

ML: The SA Post office believes that employee health and wellness is a huge contributing factor to employee productivity and happiness; and that workers are the foundation of the organisation. In this regard, the company acknowledges that this valuable resource determines, to a large extent, the success of the organisation and that is why we place a premium on ensuring that our workforce is healthy and productive.

To this end, in 2007, we introduced a best-practice health and wellness programme for staff members. Since then; a lot has been achieved. For example; around 82% of our employees know their HIV status and as a consequence thereof, HIV and AIDS support groups were launched. Each one of our six regions has their own support group which is managed by people living with HIV.

An occupational health programme was also started in 2008 and one of its greatest achievements is that 65% of SA Post Office employees had their baseline health assessments. The programme is linked to the organisation’s own medical aid, MediPos, to help employees better manage their health through tailored disease management programmes.

PM:Earlieron,youreferredtotheSAPostOffice’simportanceinthe South African economy. What exactly is that contribution?

ML: There is a growing body of evidence that highlights the crucial social and economic roles local post offices play in their communities. Not only do post offices provide a wide range of postal, financial, government and commercial services, but often their very existence helps keep open retail outlets in rural and deprived urban areas.

This diversity has seen the organisation develop an advanced geo-coding system, using advanced technology to meet the needs of rural communities that are now proud to have an address and access to economic services previously denied. Over the last three years, the SA Post Office has rolled out more than five million new addresses.

We believe that many companies can learn from the successes of the current SA Post Office model which understands that a company is not made by the products and services it sells, but rather by the people who walk the corridors and streets of our wonderful country.

Motshoanetsi Mmakotlolo Lefoka

Ms MM Lefoka is currently the Group Chief Executive Officer of

the South African Post Office, with over 15 years of professional

management experience. She has been with the Post Office for the

past six year and previously held the position of Chief Operations

Officer.

Ms Lefoka is an executive director of the S A Post Office Board.

She also sits as non-executive director of both the Courier Freight

Group and Docex Boards which are subsidiaries of the SA Post

Office. Ms Lefoka also serves as a non-executive director on the

boards of the Nuclear Energy Company of South Africa (NECSA)

and Kabo Capital.

Prior to joining the Post Office, Ms Lefoka held senior positions

in government as well as in the private sector.

Ms Lefoka has a Bachelor of Administration (Statistics) from the

University of Botswana; Master of Science (Industrial Engineering)

Operations Research; Certificate in Public Finance Management

from the University of Botswana and a Senior Executive Programme

Certificate from the Harvard/WITS Business School.

Stop PressThe 2010 Annual report was awarded a merit certificate in the recent ICSA/JSE Annual Report Award competition in the category State Entities. The Company won this category in 2009

ANNUAL REPORT 2010

Financial Services and PostbankLogisticsMail BusinessDigital Solutions


Coach out your inner leaderby Melanie blythe

CASE STUDy CASE STUDy

Being a good leader is about much more than management. It is about uniting people behind a cause or common purpose;

it is about providing direction and inspiration so that others can perform at their best.

Leadership development, however, has proved a rather tricky area. The ‘soft skills’ needed to be a good leader can’t be honed as successfully in a classroom setting as can the functional skills of management.

Given this scenario, could executive coaching now offer the key to producing great leaders?

Grant Rothman, Head of Finance at Nedbank’s Corporate Property Finance division, believes it can. He is nearing the end of a one-and-a-half-year personal coaching journey with executive coach Janine Everson, and says the experience has transformed him as a leader.

“Coaching has given me a better appreciation of my position and the influence I hold over others,” shares Rothman. “I am far more focused on the people aspects of my role and how this is as important, possibly more critical, than the technical aspects of what we do, thanks to my coaching experience.”

Nedbank is just one of several companies in South Africa harnessing the benefits of leadership coaching – Toyota Tsusho Africa, British American Tobacco, Metropolitan, Anglo American and ABSA are just a few of the others that have worked with the Centre for Coaching, based at UCT’s Graduate School of Business, in recent years.

Craig O’Flaherty, Director of the Centre, says the trend is confirmation that coaching delivers results when it comes to leadership development.

“Coaching is not at all the same as mentoring or counselling,” says O’Flaherty. “The coaching process is designed to help each individual become more focused, more driven, more balanced and better able to deal with life’s challenges.

“It is not about digging up the past but rather about focusing on the present and the future so that people can replace negative behaviours with positive ones and perform better at work and be happier at home. The people-orientated nature of coaching makes it the ideal tool for leadership development,” he explains.

Rothman agrees, but cautions that coaching is not about being instructed on how to behave differently – it is about looking deep within to find the answers yourself.

“Coaching is about self-exploration, not about being mentored or instructed. This is very important to understand upfront. The coach is there to guide you along your journey, which can be challenging given the amount of introspection it requires – people find it quite difficult to look at themselves honestly,” he says.

Frank Berkeley, Managing Executive at Nedbank Corporate Property Finance and Rothman’s superior, sees it the same way. He was coached by O’Flaherty prior to Rothman’s own coaching experience and describes it as “possibly the single most important thing I’ve ever done”.

Such a resounding endorsement asks the question, Why?“Craig held up the mirror for me so that I could really look at

myself,” he explains. “While I liked the person I saw, I didn’t like some of my behaviours.”

Berkeley shares how, some four years ago, he became stuck in a negative headspace. “I found that everybody was irritating me all the time. I decided to take a three-month sabbatical and after a lot of thinking I reached the scary conclusion that I was the common denominator.”

That realisation prompted him to take on a coach and the difference it has made, according to him, has been incredible.

“My coaching experience fundamentally changed my life – with my family, my colleagues and my boss,” he enthuses.

Berkeley and Rothman are among a growing group of leaders at Nedbank Corporate Property Finance who have now undergone some level of personal coaching, and the division is weaving coaching interventions into its leadership development programmes.

Rothman, for example, was initially introduced to the practice when he and his colleagues were sent on a three-day programme at the Centre for Coaching in 2009. The experience, he says, “immediately struck a chord”.

He describes his time with coach Janine Everson, who is also the Academic Director of the Centre for Coaching, as “challenging and fulfilling” and says he is seeing notable differences in his behaviours and outlook – as are his co-workers and family.

“Before coaching I was a very rules-orientated person. I had very strict rules for the way I lived my life and could be quite


CASE STUDy

uncompromising about them. Coaching helped me to realise this more fully and recognise the effects of my behaviour on colleagues and family.”

To counter this, Rothman was given a number of practices and self-observations – one of which was to “break one rule every day” – even if it was something as simple as climbing out of bed on the ‘wrong’ side.

“This technique helped to break entrenched patterns of behaviour and allowed Grant to realise that breaking rules and doing things differently wasn’t going to bring the world crashing down around him,” explains Everson.

Berkeley confirms that Rothman is now far more flexible and confident.

“Grant was not someone who I thought needed to be coached but I can definitely see the differences in him for it. He was very rules bound and now he is more flexible. There is no doubt that he has grown as a leader. I think that proves my view that coaching can benefit anyone.”

In terms of the actual coaching process, Rothman had a once-a-month session with Everson and was given reading material to assist the process. He was encouraged to do deep thinking and exploring both with Everson and on his own. A 360˚ observation was conducted to give an honest appraisal of his strengths and weaknesses as a leader from the perspective of his colleagues, superiors and subordinates.

“The 360˚ observation often forms the foundation for the coaching we do,” explains Everson. “It gives the coachee an opportunity to see exactly how others perceive them. It can prove to be quite shocking for some.”

Reflecting on his journey with Everson, Rothman says he now feels more at ease with himself and his role as a leader.

“I truly believe that I did change through coaching,” he affirms. “I am more in tune with what’s important to me at work and at home; I am less stressed about life and I’m generally more open minded. This is hugely important because as a leader you need to be able to spot opportunities and deal with challenges effectively when they arise.”

Feedback from his team reinforces that the transformation has not just taken place in his mind, but in practice.

“Previously you used to avoid conflict like the plague, now you handle conflict situations very calmly and well,” one colleague has commented. Others point to improvements in delegation, decision-making and public speaking, as well as a less stressed out demeanour in tense situations.

His team’s performance has also been enhanced. Berkeley reveals how the modest Rothman has improved his leadership scorecard to such an extent that it couldn’t possibly get any better.

Says Rothman: “The output of my team has improved as I have taken my head out of the operational detail and am focusing more on people. I have learnt that when you focus on people and how you engage with them, the output actually takes care of itself.”

The comment demonstrates clearly how coaching has enabled Rothman to make the jump from management to leadership.

However, “There is no silver bullet to becoming a great leader,” he advises. “Experience and good role models count for a lot, but looking within counts for more. Coaching has put me on a journey of continuous self-improvement, and for a leader that is crucial.”

MelanieBlythe,CentreforCoaching,UCT’sGraduateSchoolofBusiness, www.centreforcoaching.co.za

dormac


W ith the growing popularity of coaching and mentoring over the past 10 years, many organisations are investing

significantly in the services of coaches. Unfortunately, the coaching industry in South Africa is not yet regulated, thus creating the opportunity for many individuals who have no formal coaching qualifications and who do not adhere to strict codes of conduct and ethics, to operate freely in the coaching and mentoring arena.

To ensure that the time and money which you invest for corporate coaching and mentoring is well spent, here are the five attributes you should be looking for in coaches before they are engaged as a service provider and strategic business partner.

EthicsCoaching and Mentoring South Africa (Comensa) has a strict code of ethics, by which all member coaches and mentors are required to abide at all times. It is important that the coach that you engage, submits and adheres to such a formal code of ethics and that he commit to professional and ethical conduct in the coaching profession. You would expect this from any medical professional, from psychologists, counsellors and industrial psychologists, and you should not expect or accept anything less from professional coaches and mentors.

QualificationsThere is a multitude of ‘coaches’ operating in the South African coaching and mentoring arena, who have no formal coaching qualifications. This exposes you and the coachee to significant risks in terms of the methodology that is utilised in the coaching process and the typical results that you could expect from the coaching intervention. You want a coach who has obtained a legitimate qualification, preferably approved by the Services SETA, or a well-known international qualification that is certified by bodies such as the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

specialisationAs with most other professions, coaching makes provision for specialisation in sub-fields such as executive coaching, leadership development coaching, performance improvement coaching, relationship coaching, health and wellness coaching and a multitude of others. From a strategic point of view, you need to establish the desired outcomes and the reason for the coaching intervention prior to even starting with the search for a suitable coach. Once you know the purpose of the coaching and what type of coaching will best benefit the coachee and the organisation, you will be able to find a specialist coach who will be able to assist the coachee in moving forward and creating the necessary changes.

MethodologyDifferent coaching methodologies exist and coaches should be able to draw on a variety of models and methodologies in order to assist the coachee on her journey. Prior to engaging a coach in a corporate assignment, you need to establish what methodology she uses and towards which outcomes she typically works. In the corporate sense, it is often best that the coach works off a 360 degree assessment of sorts and, together with the coachee and his line manager, identifies a coaching strategy with clear objectives and desired outcomes. A post-coaching assessment will also assist in establishing to what extent the coaching intervention has met and/or exceeded the desired outcomes.

rapportArguably one of the most important attributes to search for in a coach is his ability to connect with and communicate on a deeper level with the coachee. Different personalities respond differently to gender, sense of humour, age, work experience and the like and it is therefore important that you find a coach with whom the coachee has the best rapport. An ethical coach will not accept an assignment – regardless of how lucrative – if he does not have a good rapport with the coachee or if he is not able, in the first meeting, to communicate and connect at a deeper level. It is therefore advisable that you meet with various specialist coaches and ‘match’ coaches to coachees in your organisation, as opposed to working with only a single coach and expecting her to really unlock potential and move the coachee forward in his thinking and behaviour.

Coaching is an investment in both the coach and the coachee and it is a longer-term investment in human capital development within your organisation. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution in the coaching arena, and knowing what attributes to look for in a coach will ensure that the time and money that you invest in this life-changing intervention, really bears fruit for the organisation and for the individual coachee.

Debbie Hartung , Hartung Associates, 082 600 1322, www.hartungassociates.biz

COAChES

Five key attributesby debbie hartung


E-COAChINg

Intranets can be viewed as private in-house domains in organisations and may be suitable as a tool for internal coaching. However, internal

coaching is relatively ‘untapped’ in the coaching field. An intranet should be seen as an important tool to augment coaching and to develop a coaching culture in an organisation. For example, an intranet could be used to support a managers-as-coaches programme in a learning organisation.

Electronic coaching (eCoaching) is coaching delivered via an electronic medium such as an intranet. eCoaching focuses on the same goals as regular face-to-face coaching. Botz (2009) suggests that eCoaching delivered to employee desktops in an organisation is an excellent supplement to face-to-face coaching sessions. The question arises whether the enabling role of an intranet can augment eCoaching in an organisation.

Electronic coaching (eCoaching)An intranet is based on the Web-based technology of the Internet. eCoaching therefore utilises technology to connect people (such as employees in an organisation).

What is eCoaching and how is it defined in the literature? Clutterbuck and Hussain (2009) indicate that problems arise with defining eCoaching: “[W]e searched a range of websites offering e-coaching services. Typical was the statement: ‘E-coaching is a way of providing executive coaching services with remote communication’. Another site saw e-coaching as online therapy. The general theme was ‘doing what I’ve always done, but online’”. These researchers suggest a simple definition for eCoaching as a “developmental partnership, in which all or most of learning dialogue takes place using email, either as the sole medium, or supplemented by other media”. eCoaching should be seen as a developmental partnership, in which much of learning dialogue can take place using e-mail, augmented by the enabling role of an intranet.

Enabling role of technologyInformation technology (IT) offers many potential value-creating opportunities in the coaching domain in organisations. An example of such an opportunity is using e-mail to support eCoaching. Information systems (IS) designed to support an organisation also need to complement and enhance the coaching culture in an organisation. For example, in the past it was common to design IS focused on codified knowledge (i.e. explicit organisational knowledge). However, IS designed to facilitate virtual coaching may provide an opportunity for extending the scope of IT-based knowledge provision to ‘redefine’ the existing culture in a learning organisation and spawn an eCoaching culture in such an organisation.

intranet technology and intranetsAn intranet (or internal Web) is a network architecture designed to serve the internal information needs of an organisation using Web (Internet) concepts and tools. Truch (cited in Skok and Kalmanovitch, 2005) demonstrates how an intranet’s role varies according to the corresponding user epistemology. One user epistemology of an intranet is an autopoietic view. In an autopoietic view, the epistemology places increasing emphasis on an intranet as a communication tool to facilitate the direct conversion of both contingently and inherently tacit knowledge via internalisation and externalisation processes and indirectly via socialisation, encourages knowledge-sharing through the provision of data that enables individuals to identify relevant employees for making contact (Skok and Kalmanovitch, 2005).

For the purposes of this article, an autopoietic view of an intranet is taken since emphasis should be placed on it for augmenting communication between a coach and an individual employee (in an organisation). Furthermore, with ‘abundant’ tacit knowledge usually available on an intranet, an employee is able to take greater responsibility for his own personal development in an organisation without having to place reliance on a coach to provide him with all or some of his career development needs. By utilising the information contained in content management processes on an intranet, a coach may utilise this enabling technology to facilitate employees’ achieving their aspirations and fulfilling their needs.

eCoaching implications for organisationsWhile coaching involves face-to-face sessions, eCoaching utilises technology wherein the sessions are communicated electronically instead of face-to-face or by telephone. In order that eCoaching may be seen as a development partnership, the following six implications for organisations are suggested:l Coaches will need to learn the capabilities of Intranet technology

for facilitating eCoachingl Coaches will need to adapt and change their ways and develop new

best practice methods of dialogue for eCoachingl Employees will need to use the intranet technology to record and

share progress and ideas, i.e. the intranet technology will have an enabling characteristic

l From an IT/IS perspective there will be a need to revisit existing content management processes on an intranet

l By extending the scope of IT-based knowledge in an intranet, an existing organisational culture may be ‘redefined’ and spawn an eCoaching organisational culture

l Collaboration and eCoaching will facilitate the creation of a learning organisation.

Concluding remarkseCoaching is coaching delivered via an electronic medium such as an intranet. eCoaching focuses on the same goals as regular face-to-face coaching. Rather than the intranet technology and intranet being simply an add-on to established processes in an organisation, technology and coaching are synthesised into something new and exciting in the eCoaching domain. Since internal coaching is relatively ‘untapped’ in the coaching field, eCoaching may serve to redefine an existing coaching culture and may also result in, for example, a manager as coaches programme becoming a ‘reality’ in a learning organisation.

suggested further readingBotz, P. (2009), “Nine Cost-Effective Ways to Boost Contact Center Quality

and Performance in 2009”, available at http://www.contactprofessional.com/issues/article.asp?ID=575 (accessed 9 April 2009).

Clutterbuck, D. and Hussain OBE, Z. (2009), Virtual Coach, Virtual Mentor, Information Age, United Kingdom. Forthcoming.

Skok, W. and Kalmanovitch, C. (2005), “Evaluating the role and effectiveness of an intranet in facilitating knowledge management: a case study at Surrey County Council”, Information & Management, Vol. 42, pp. 731–744.

Udo Richard Averweg, Information Technology (IT) Research Analyst at eThekwini Municipality and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. This article is an abridged version of a research paper which was published in January 2010, in Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 47–52, ISSN 0019-7858.

The role of an intranet by udo richard Averweg


lEADERShIP TRAININg

Unless you spend ten times more energy on following up on training than you do delivering it, then it won’t stick.

Whether you’re a large or a small organisation, training will always be a major investment in terms of both time and money. Yet do you realise your training, however good the facilitator or the content, might make little or no difference to how people work, unless you plan ahead to make sure people use their new skills back on the job?

This is especially true when it comes to soft skills development, such as leadership training. I have come to believe strongly that leadership training must be seen as a process that really gets going only when the course ends. It makes no difference whether training is classroom based, online, a blended learning or an experiential offsite initiative: what matters is what impact it has. Too many organisations are still focused only on training courses themselves, forgetting about building goals and outcomes into courses, forgetting to plan for success. They pay too little attention to what we call the ‘Five Critical Successful Factors’ of training, all of which need to be considered long before any kind of training even starts.

top management buy-inWithout this, you’re in trouble from day one. Senior management must set the tone for any learning initiative, as only they can generate the necessary excitement and passion needed to drive it into a workplace culture. They must make the strategic link between what is being learned and achieved by individuals and teams, and the mission, vision and values of their organisations. When senior leaders support and champion what is going on, people are led by example and get motivated by this. Without top management buy-in, why should anyone believe what they are learning is important for them to succeed in their jobs as an employee of the company?

Follow-up and reinforcementThis is the backbone between learning and doing and where the real effort needs to be. I believe you also need to spend ten times more energy on follow-up than you do on the training delivery itself, if you are really going to see learning embedded into and making a difference within your organisation. Using a leadership language is one especially good way to keep learning current: Situational Leadership® II for instance teaches a leadership language alongside an important, practical leadership model, a language that can later permeate through into HR, performance management and goal setting systems. This has the power to keep training current and meaningful for years.

demonstrate tangible valueIf you want training to pay off where and how you want it to, you must be clear on l Its demonstrable valuel How it will create changel How it will make a positive impact on people and performancel Whether it is being taken seriously enough.

strategic integrationTraining must be linked to a strategic and ongoing process, which is in turn linked to ongoing business objectives. If you link mission, vision and values with training objectives, so strategies, competencies and critical tasks are aligned, people will be equipped to make a difference.

the four keys to effective learningThis is about what happens in the classroom. First, you need to set the context for training – tell people why training is necessary, why it is relevant, why learning new skills is important to the success of the business, and how it will help them do their job.

Then teach them the new skills, then get them practising those new skills and behaviours, through exercises, role plays, games, simulations, doing real work. These are all important throughout the training process and ideally, should move back and forth through skills learning and practice, with feedback from experts, peers and, ideally, videotape.

Finally, make sure new skills are applied on the job. This is where organisations need to put most of their effort, but where many just let things slide. Coaching for performance is essential at this stage – application, productivity and morale improve dramatically when training is combined with powerful, results-orientated coaching, be that a one-on-one or a telephone-based coaching service for a couple of months after training, or a Web-assisted, goal-setting, tracking and monitoring system to boost return on T&D.

The best clients we work with are those who agree the training event is the beginning of the process, not the end, and who will jump up and down and do whatever they can to keep the training alive. It’s not easy – there’s no magic potion – sustainability takes hard effort, but is worth even penny and every minute of the investment.

Ken Blanchard, The Ken Blanchard Companies, www.kenblanchard.com

Use it or lose itby ken blanchard


TRAININg AND DEVElOPMENT

Nissan South Africa (Nissan SA) has tasked its recently-appointed group human resources (HR) director with implementing an HR

strategy that keeps pace with its growth and expansion agenda. Musa Mkhwanazi, the company’s first black HR director, is responsible for equipping the automotive manufacturer with the necessary capability and capacity to meet immediate and future targets. This is especially crucial as Nissan SA prepares to ramp up production from 44, 000 units in this financial year to 50, 000 per annum by 2013, in line with the incentive quota demanded by the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP).

At the core of the company’s HR strategy are three centres of excellence – organisational structure and design, learning and development and performance management. A key focus will be on black economic empowerment and employment equity to better reflect the Tshwane metropolitan municipality’s demographics. Currently a Level 5 Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) contributor, BEE and employment equity underpins the HR strategy. “Although we have had a number of key black appointments this year – including my own - we know there is room for improvement in our employment equity numbers,” concedes Mkhwanazi. While a five- and 10-year recruitment and people development plan is to be developed to meet transformation challenges – including gender equity and people with disabilities - the company’s anticipated growth may speed up the process.

“We are ultimately looking to more than double the 50, 000 unit target. To achieve this, we have to make sure that the HR processes are standardised and understood by everyone in the organisation,” says Mkhwanazi, alluding to the Shift_NSA programme which has been implemented across the organisation to deliver on the company’s growth and expansion vision – increased production (at the right quality and cost), greater SA market share and expansion of the export market.

“The enabler of Shift_NSA is people development,” explains Mkhwanazi. “Emphasis is on attracting, developing and retaining talent. That means looking at the functional competencies of our employees and the quality of management, as well as performance management in terms of rewards and recognition.”

Responsible for around 1,400 permanent and 500 contract employees in the manufacturing division (purchasing, supply chain management, production, production control, quality control and engineering) and commercial division (marketing and sales, general affairs, corporate communications finance, HR, product and product engineering), Mkhwanazi’s says a priority is quality managers with training,

leadership and functional competency, as well as a workforce with the competencies to deliver required volumes as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.

“People need to be clear in terms of their roles and responsibilities in terms of the processes and procedures that must be followed, whether it be a building a car or marketing a product,” emphasises Mkhwanazi, underscoring the importance of standardisation of both manufacturing and corporate functions.

Skills development and training – especially as regards BEE and employment equity - is an important aspect in grooming quality management and increasing employee capabilities. In the belief that home-grown talent is preferable, Mkhwanazi points to Nissan SA’s learnership and student scheme programmes as channels to hone proficiency within the organisation. Exposure to Nissan’s global best practice training facilities and high-productivity plants are also pivotal to the skills development of junior and senior level employees.

“My vision is for a department that adds value to the organisation and to our employees – that we attract, motivate and retain the right talent that is able to grow with the company as it grows. Ultimately we want to become an ‘employer of choice’,” sums up Mkhwanazi.

People-focused strategy to drive Nissan growth


MENTOR MATTERS

There is seldom a better example of the potential for a strategic contribution from HR than in the specialized but high-impact

activity of mergers and acquisitions. Traditionally, one would observe corporate accountants and lawyers dominating this space, with HR getting involved only during the implementation phase, but we are increasingly seeing HR executives playing a vital role from the outset.

There are many reasons why mergers fail or, at least, do not achieve the objectives desired by the shareholders who instigate M&As. Seldom are the reasons for failure cited as the incorrect valuation of assets, equity restructuring or legal compliance. Things go wrong in mergers when:l Staff, clients or management don’t want it to happenl The real objectives of the merger are masked in investor-

relations speakl Former competitors just cannot get alongl Cultures cannot be reconciled.

One wonders whether it is the people with the CA qualifications or the BAs who are best equipped to deal with these so-called soft issues which can derail an acquisition. Arguably, these deal-spoilers are intangible issues which do not easily respond to project management by corporate financiers, and are generally not well understood by external shareholders themselves.

At the time of the due diligence exercise, it is essential for HR to be assessing culture, talent retention and sentiment issues, in parallel with

the critical work being done by our finance and legal counterparts, and then integrate into the mix prior to decisions being taken. The consequence of missing out on the value-added HR element are significant. All the institutional dust kicked up by mergers often provides the perfect cover for another competitor to poach jittery staff (or clients) before the details can be communicated – and all the while, corporate PR is still touting the wishful thinking line of “synergies” and “best-of-breed.”

A truly strategic HR practitioner would be looking behind the gung-ho statements to ascertain the real reason for the merger (for the record, I am not sure that there ever is such a thing as a real merger – they are all takeovers to some degree, with one player calling the shots). HR is an ideal party to strategize about how to achieve the merger objectives and ensure that these get communicated as honestly as possible to all stakeholders (e.g. is it really to increase the footprint, or to reduce operating expenses, or to “buy” a book of clients?)

Here again, HR’s experience in communicating to employees through their credible representatives can add immense value to the process. Remember that shareholders and corporate bankers will be thinking that the SENS press release is the most important communication document, together with the

17th version of the joint CEO statement and the handshake photo for the financial press. People with careers on the line have a very different perspective, and they are the ones who will really optimise (or sabotage) the opportunities for that elusive synergy.

HR needs to lift its head from concentrating on all the other operational HR issues which arise during an M&A process – marrying the compensation and benefit plans, what grading system to use, who gets the key jobs, and does this mean we have to move office again? Yes, I have been there, and most good HR people have been through (and want to go through only one) merger in their careers. It is the stuff of grey hairs and (literally) suicides.

During this burst of frenetic activity in corporate life, the adept HR practitioner is able to demonstrate the role of “strategic partner” in a tangible and lasting way – THAT is what really earns credibility.

Mergers and acquisitionsby gary taylor

Gary Taylor has written several articles for People Dynamics over the years. His Mentor Matters is a regular column in which he addresses topical HR issues from the perspective of a career HR practitioner (and mentor) and offers some new perspectives on regular issues that HR practitioners face daily.

Gary has been in HR for 25 years, in National Mutual and Unilever, HR director at Medscheme for 14 years, and three years as Executive Director: HR at Wits University. Two years ago, he was appointed to start up HR for a new university in Saudi Arabia, where he is now Director of the Policy Office. He is registered as a Master HR Practitioner and Mentor with the SABPP, served as vice president for the IPM for two years, and received the IPM President’s Award in 2008. He has written a chapter for an HR book, been published in People Dynamics and HR Future, and was the SA correspondent for the UK magazine, People Management, for a year.


The 2010 LexisNexis® International Workplace Productivity Survey revealed that South African professionals spend the most hours at their

job in a typical workday. South African professionals spend on average 9.5 hours of their day in the office, compared to their counterparts in the United States who spend 8.8 hours, United Kingdom (8.2 hours), China (8.1 hours) and Australia (8.6 hours).

The study was fielded from June 2010 to July 2010 in South Africa among 300 professionals. The survey found that the amount of information workers have to manage for their jobs continues to increase at an alarming rate, with much of it irrelevant to employees getting their jobs done. With the increase in information, it is not surprising that 82 per cent of South African professionals wish they could spend less time organising, and more time using, the information that comes their way.

According to the survey, nine in ten South African professionals (88 per cent) agree that not being able to access the right information at the right time wastes their time. Given the rising tide of information, it is not surprising that the majority of workers across markets (62 per cent) admit that their quality of work is suffering at times because they cannot sort through the information they need fast enough.

Employees admit that the quality of their work suffers, with many missing deadlines, meetings and delivering incomplete documents because they could not sort through the information that they need to fast enough. Workers believe they could be more productive at work if the tools they had access to were designed to “work the way that they worked”.

Employees are now looking to their employers to help them find customised solutions. Although companies are aware of the challenges of information overload, and have taken some steps to manage it, gaps still exists between actions they’ve taken and what employees’ needs are. Professionals have now begun to implement their own techniques to cut through the clutter.

According to the survey, professionals make use of spam filters, web dashboard tools, RSS feeds and Twitter decks to help them prioritise and filter the information they receive at work. A quarter of South African

professionals’ (25 per cent) productivity is negatively affected, because they don’t have consistent access to the Internet at work. This excludes the time that professionals need to attend to the conversation and stream of information they receive from their social media networks.

Workers report feelings of dejection from this endless stream of information and believe they will soon reach their breaking point.

Globally business and legal professionals are demanding sophisticated online research tools that are not only capable of searching, sifting and filtering through information, but tools that are intelligent enough to evaluate results and tailor them to the use’rs specific needs.

Now that we are in this new reality, it’s time to adapt or be left behind by those who are able to use technology for business benefit. To survive in the competitive online content marketplace, professionals must know how to filter through information and conduct research quickly. LexisNexis’s online solutions can help professionals save time on research and add intelligence to information. This is becoming increasingly important in a tough competitive environment where companies need to cut down on research costs and with pressure on employees to be more productive in their research efforts.

BillyLast,CEOofLexisNexisSouthAfrica

SA workers spend most hours at workby billy last

PRODUCTIVITy SURVEy

LexisNexis sponsored the 2010 International Workplace Productivity Survey. The study included 1 700 white collar professionals across five countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, China, South Africa, and Australia. This diverse group of countries was chosen to provide a sample that included white collar workers from a variety of geographies, who are working in different economic conditions and whose access to technology is not uniform in every location. The study included 300 non-legal and 200 legal professionals in the US and 200 non-legal and 100 legal professionals in each of the other markets. The findings are available online at http://www.multivu.com/players/46619-LexisNexis-International-Workplace-Productivity-Survey


SAlARy STUDy

Pretoria is the best-paid city in South Africa, earning 7% more than the national average salary, according to salary data drawn from the

JobCrystal candidate database. The Johannesburg average salary is 4% more than the national average of R19 273, while Cape Town comes in at 5% below the average.

In addition, on average, South African men earn 41% more than their female counterparts. This gap is particularly prevalent in senior executive positions. White men are still the highest earners, taking home 116% more than black women, the lowest earners in the country. It is important to note, however, that these figures vary according to job and education level.

Asian employees typically earn 9% less than their white counterparts, with black employees earning 28% less, and coloured employees 29% less than their white colleagues. These figures also vary when the data is broken down according to education and job level.

The gender salary gap is the largest among white employees registered on JobCrystal, with white men earning 53% more than white women. It’s the narrowest among black candidates, with black men earning 17% more than black women.

Looking at the JobCrystal data, it appears that South Africa still has a way to go before achieving pay parity according to gender and ethnicity. However, it does appear that the so-called ‘Cape Town tax’ – where candidates in Cape Town are paid less than those in Gauteng, ostensibly due to the better lifestyle – is showing signs of narrowing. Drilling down to specific job functions, candidates with skills in high demand, such as IT skills, are being rewarded with higher salaries wherever they are in the country.

Below are tables showing the average salary by: region, ethnicity, gender and ethnicity, job level, job titles, and department. This data is drawn from the 140 000-strong JobCrystal candidate database. All salary figures refer to cost-to-company rates per month. This salary overview is a precursor to a more detailed salary survey to be released by JobCrystal later this year.

Average salary by region

Average salary % above/below average

Nationwide R 19 273

Johannesburg R 19 964 + 4%

Cape Town R 18 291 - 5%

Pretoria R 20 663 + 7%

Durban R 17 020 - 12%

Average salary by ethnicity

Asian Black Coloured White

Nationwide R 20 403 R 16 055 R 15 977 R 22 409

Johannesburg R 22 768 R 16 243 R 19 000 R 23 410

Cape Town R 23 650 R 14 323 R 13 726 R 21 863

Pretoria R 23 145 R 17 865 R 20 243 R 22 670

Durban R 16 383 R 13 577 R 14 439 R 21 229

Average salary by gender and ethnicity

Male Female

Total population R 19 818 R 14 098

Asian R 20 698 R 15 298

Black R 13 684 R 11 643

Coloured R 16 512 R 12 683

White R 25 093 R 16 398

Average salary by job level

General skilled

ManagerSenior manager

Executive

Nationwide R 14 943 R 26 847 R 32 418 R 46 186

Johannesburg R 15 546 R 28 511 R 34 106 R 48 697

Cape Town R 14 090 R 24 008 R 29 138 R 43 334

Pretoria R 15 895 R 28 476 R 34 208 R 49 964

Durban R 12 971 R 24 323 R 30 669 R 39 682

Pretoria is top paying SA cityby kevin laithwaite


SAlARy STUDy

Average salary by job titles selected from JobCrystal

Nationwide Jo’burg Cape Town Pretoria Durban

Accountant R 21 144 R 21 865 R 19 894 R 21 029 R 20 406

Business analyst R 29.025 R 31 487 R 23 001 R 33 336 R 19 013

Buyer R 21 080 R 24 406 R 17 492 R 18 230 R 15 092

General manager R 31 755 R 34 210 R 29 312 R 33 063 R 28 933

HR manager R 29 249 R 31 866 R 25 499 R 29 206 R 26 176

IT manager R 27 788 R 31 190 R 26 144 R 25 010 R 17 384

Personal assistant R 13 622 R 13 999 R 11 841 R 15 179 R 11 852

Project manager R 34 041 R 33 733 R 30 165 R 38 411 R 36 375

Sales manager R 24 678 R 25 033 R 25 655 R 25 304 R 20 676

Average salary by department selected from JobCrystal

Nationwide Jo’burg Cape Town Pretoria Durban

Education / teaching R 16 611 R 15 405 R 18 035 R 20 448 R 12 763

HR / training R 24 753 R 26 476 R 21 456 R 27 211 R 17 984

IT / systems / networking R 24 632 R 25 227 R 23 310 R 26 617 R 18 593

Marketing / PR / advertising R 18 564 R 19 282 R 17 877 R 18 613 R 14 662

Retail / FMCG R 17 047 R 17 889 R 17 178 R 15 242 R 16 665

Kevin Laithwaite, managing director of JobCrystal, www.jobcrystal.co.za (for jobseekers) or www.jobcrystal.co.za/talent (for employers). For more detailed salary data, register on www.jobcrystal.co.za/talent and search for the various job titles for which you would like more information.


INSURANCE

Employees of corporates countrywide have returned to their desks and factory benches in the New Year faced with

the de-motivating news of cost increases on many fronts. Mandy Barrett of insurance brokers Glenrand M.I.B. does

however have some solace to offer, suggesting that in terms of car insurance costs at least, there is something that can be done about it.

Barrett makes the comments in the context of Glenrand M.I.B.’s Group Scheme insurance offering which brings numerous benefits to employees of participating companies.

One of those benefits, in turn, has to do with specialist advice to employees on insurance matters via a dedicated Glenrand M.I.B. account manager.

“We raise the issue right now in the context of vehicle insurance renewal season, which, typically, takes place early in any given New Year for many motorists.

“What we are advising our Group Scheme clients is that, in respect of our employees’ vehicle insurance policies, up for renewal at this time of the year, ‘right sizing’ of cover to fit specific insurance profiles helps to mitigate the cost of premiums.

“Indeed what we are saying is that the old ‘one-size fits all’ approach of the insurance companies to motor cover is old news and if your employee is deemed to be a ‘good risk’ it’s possible to obtain more favourable rates” Barrett points out.

In general, premiums charged are determined by various factors such as value, make, model, engine capacity and age of vehicle. Certain types of vehicles are more expensive to repair than others and this too is taken into account by insurers when determining the premium

“Insurance profiling, as it’s known, includes a myriad of factors and underwriting criteria that will always be applied, depending on the risk. One of the most important of these for example, is security measures applied to your vehicle.

“The minimum in this respect is an approved immobilizer. However, insurers may also require a tracking system to be installed on certain vehicles that they have identified as theft targets.

“It also matters who the regular driver is – age, gender, occupation, claims history and driving experience are factors. Then there is geographical area and the use to which the vehicle is put, (business or private) to take into account.

“Many South African insurers are now also following the international trend of taking into account the motorist’s credit rating to establish that they can reasonably be expected to pay premiums and that they are good risks in general and this too should be taken into account by employees.

“Another way for employees to reduce their premiums is to adjust their ‘excess’ - the portion of a claim that they are

prepared to pay. This could take the form of a fixed amount, a percentage of the damages, or a voluntary amount. If it’s

increased there is increased risk to the insured, but the benefit is a lower premium.

“Remember that there are various schemes for specific types of vehicles such as vintage, 4x4s, luxury vehicles etc that are available at special rates with qualifying terms and conditions, but in return for which the driver receives good cover that may not necessarily be available in a standard policy wording

“Employees should be aware however that less premium could mean less cover. For example windscreen and hail cover is not automatically included in all comprehensive policies, so they should take the time to read the terms and conditions of the policy.

“Also, most insurers will offer a reduction in the motor premium if the motor insurance is supported with household contents insurance, so it pays to place an entire insurance portfolio with one insurer.

“We are suggesting to our Group Scheme clients that they post this information on their company intranets. Alternatively they are welcome to contact us to arrange a group presentation on the subject – all in the interests of value adds for employees, in keeping with the ethos of our Group Scheme offering.”

FORFURTHERINFORMATIONCONTACTGlenrandM·I·BLimited,Insurance Brokers & Risk Advisory Services Tel: +27 11 329 1020 Fax: +27 11 329 1410 Email: [email protected]

Ease the pain of car insurance renewal season for employees

Mandy barrett


COAChINg

A search on the worldwide web for defining coaching resulted in 14900 results reflecting the diversity in

the understanding of coaching. Coaching in effect is a conversational tool used to help someone achieve certain goals and objectives in a structured manner. The role of the coach is to help the coachee find his or her own solutions to a specific outcome through generating insights based on his or her own mental maps.

David Rock is the CEO of Results Coaching Systems. Rock (2005) identifies five elements that needs to be present in a coaching relationship:l Self directed learning – The role of the coach is to

help the coachee reach his or her own answers through probing questioning. The coach does not provide specific advice or opinions.

l Solutions focus – The coach focuses firmly on solutions - where you are now, where you want to be and how you can get there. Focusing on the solutions gives you a very different result to taking apart a problem. More often than not managers focus on the problems especially when giving feedback. By focusing on the problems the existing mental maps are hardwired and the opportunity for solutions is lost.

l Positive feedback – Coaching is a way of delivering encouragement and belief in people in order to really move the coachee forward. Negative feedback creates a state of fear and anxiety, which results in disengagement.

l Structure – A structured approach to coaching helps the coachee to plan ahead and to monitor progress. This structured approach is focused on habitual change and requires commitment and focus from both parties.

l Stretch – People perform at their best when they are appropriately challenged. Coaches focus on empowering the individual to develop their own answers, maintain a firm focus on solutions and then challenge them to be the best they can be.Internal coaching in the workplace is a relatively new field of

coaching that can be applied in many areas such as: Organisational Development, Learning and Development and Human Resources. The main objective of internal coaching is to:l increase performance of leaders within the organisation;l embed skills learnt during training and development programs;l create accountability and responsibility within the workforce

through better engagement; andl create an environment of innovation.

In a study done by Results Coaching in 2007 that looked at the broader impact of coaching in the workplace, 90% of the coachees reported an increase (post-coaching) in how valued they felt by the organisation, with an average increase of 18% per individual. 50% felt more committed to the vision or the organisation and 60% reported an increase in their engagement levels.

From an individual point of view the impact was that 80% felt more motivated at work and 40% reported a decrease in their overall stress levels at work.

The question is then what internal coaching did do to deliver these results in the workplace. Internal

coaching works as an effective development tool for employees within an organisation. The effect of coaching programs in organisations mostly surpasses the expectations of all involved. The morale of those who are trained as coaches as well as those coached increases significantly, which results in improving of overall job satisfaction.

Participating in a coaching program enables the coach and the coachee to explore personal beliefs and allows for self-reflection around existing mental maps. By merely providing a platform for this kind of reflection and engagement we create an environment where employees feel more valued which leads to greater engagement.

Indirectly a coaching program affects everybody in an organisation. Senior managers are normally identified and used as coaches in the workplace. The research shows that more often than not managers see a change in culture within the workplace, which in turn increases revenue, improved client relationships and strengthening of the brand in the marketplace, Rock (2005).

As a leadership development tool, coaches transform their managerial styles and manage their people more effectively. As internal coaches, they are able to identify more with their coachees and bridge the gap that so often exists between senior management and employees.

By accessing coaching, coachees are able to identify gaps, put strategies in place to address these and go above and beyond their normal performance levels. High performers are identified, developed and retained as a result of coaching, one of the key issues most organisations are trying to address.

ByMary-JoeEmde(CEOResultsWorkplaceCoaching)

Coaching in the workplace


NEwS AND REVIEwS

Effective behaviours for work qualification Pioneer Foods, one of Southern Africa’s largest food manufacturers as well as global exporter of well-loved food and beverage brands such as Bokomo, Sasko, Ceres and Heinz and Pepsi, is piloting the world’s first qualification for staff to develop effective behaviours at work. Together with global qualifications awarding organisation, Edexcel, Pioneer Foods will effectively equip students with practical work related behaviours that are currently lacking in most traditional qualifications and training.

The suite of behavioural units was created in response to the findings of an international research project. Behavioural qualities such as achieving results, managing conflict, work ethic and networking for success, are becoming increasingly important to employers globally. This much anticipated programme addresses the need for specific behavioural skills within the workplace.

Pioneer Foods will be piloting six of the units, namely Cultural Intelligence, Communication, Commercial Awareness, Developing Creativity and Innovation, Managing Self and Progressing Your Career. These units were specifically selected by Pioneer Foods to address scarce skills identified within the organisation.

Pioneer Foods is the first of a handful of forward-thinking organisations across the world to trial effective behaviours for work (EBW). The partnership stems from a mutual desire to see vocational training develop and flourish in South Africa as well as a shared vision for an effective and motivated workforce. EBW is delivered in an interactive manner, using experiential learning techniques to enhance learners’ understanding. All participants will be required to provide regular feedback on content and delivery of the new curriculum.

“The programme teaches on-the-job fundamentals, not necessarily found in our text books,” says Vusi Mshayisa, second year Food Technology student at Cape Peninsula University of Technology and one of the Pioneer Foods recruits. He continues, “Edexcel’s practical insights are helping us to succeed both at university and in our future jobs.”

Commenting on the exciting partnership, Mashumi Tutu, Group Manager: Scarce Skills, for Pioneer Foods comments, “In line with our philosophy of ‘growing our own timber’, we take great pride in developing our employees at Pioneer Foods. When we came across the programme, we immediately identified an opportunity for skills acquisition to complement our strategies to attract and retain talent. “By participating in this programme we are not only strengthening our workforce, but we are also tapping into valuable resources.” Ian Yoell, African Regional Director of Edexcel, www.eee-edexcel.com/Home

Culture fit vital Of all the elements that need to be considered if a company is to be able to select the best candidate for a specific position, the most difficult to gauge or judge correctly is the culture fit. It’s also one of the most important elements in any evaluation of potential employees.

Agencies and companies, if they are handling the recruitment in house, need to have a feel for and understanding of the company culture. Culture is usually driven from the top down and is established by the upper echelons of management. However, it is never cast in stone and can change with the appointment of a new CEO or management team.

There are many influences on company culture, including the alignment of the company vision, the business objectives and the business ethics. Whoever is conducting the recruitment needs to have a feel for the vision, objective and ethics because they not only shape the company culture but also the various job descriptions and purposes are aligned to them within a specific department.

Key performance areas (KPAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) are also important in assessing the culture fit and ensuring the candidate will be able to deliver what the business needs.

This is complicated by the fact that not all companies have integrated the business culture and the company values with their KPAs. Whereas these were historically used to measure individual performance, the process is now open to much wider interpretation.

Employers need to clearly understand the purpose behind each individual recruitment and employment process. The information for this understanding must come from the person for whom the new recruit will be working.

People involved in the hiring process often sway towards taking on someone with a similar personality to their own, which is not necessarily the best fit; and so it is important to also involve line managers and team leaders to provide another perspective.

It very often pays dividends to run recruitment workshops in which candidates are given random tasks designed to draw out their natural personalities. The different attitudes adopted towards this process reveal a great deal about people and how they operate in stressful environments.

The characteristics most sought after in recruitment are trustworthy, respectful, honest, accountable, integrity and consistency.

Honesty throughout the recruitment process is paramount because it saves time and money for both parties. The company should state exactly what it is looking for and the applicants need to present themselves honestly. A complication is the fact that divisions within companies tend to develop subcultures and the candidate fit has to match.

Personality traits also need to be examined. There are four main personalities – Analytical, Driver, Amiable and Expressive – and combinations these such as a ‘Driver/Analytical’. This is a whole science in itself, but it is an important area and it is very useful to know a candidate’s personality as it will also be a strong indicator of suitability and culture fit.Lindi Dickinson, placements manager at Softline Pastel, 011 304 4190, www.pastelpayroll.co.za, www.sage.com

Four new labour law books by John groganEmployment Rights deals with all the issues that may arise during the existence of an employment relationship, from the moment an employee applies for a job, to the moment the relationship is terminated. Topics covered include the nature, scope and effect of employment contracts, unfair labour practices, discrimination, affirmative action, unemployment insurance, health and safety in the workplace, and skills development. R310.00 (incl. VAT, excl. delivery).

Dismissal deals with all the issues that may arise when employers decide to dispense with the services of their employees. Beginning with the ‘conventional’ dismissals – termination by the employer with or without notice – the book goes on to investigate the many other forms of dismissal now recognised in South African labour legislation, such as automatically unfair dismissals, constructive dismissals, selective re-employment, and failure to renew fixed-term contracts. The procedural requirements governing the various forms of dismissal are also described in detail, as are the remedies available to unfairly dismissed employees. R595 (incl. VAT, excl. delivery).

Collective Labour Law deals with all the issues that may arise in the relationship between organised labour and employers. Beginning with a description of the main players in the field – trade unions and employers’ organisations – the book undertakes a systematic exploration of the available bargaining forums, the collective bargaining process, the conclusion of collective agreements, the legal requirements covering strikes and lockouts, and the consequences of unlawful industrial action. R365 (incl. VAT, excl. delivery).

Labour Litigation and Dispute Resolution is a comprehensive exposition of practice and procedure in the various forums charged with the responsibility of resolving employment and labour disputes in South Africa. More than a practice manual, the book provides an overview of the nature, powers and jurisdiction of the CCMA, bargaining councils and the Labour Court, expertly guiding the reader through the jurisdictional and procedural maze. The rules of the several forums are discussed, and there are useful tips for all role players in labour litigation, arbitration, and other forms of dispute resolution. There are also separate chapters on private arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. R375 (incl. VAT, excl. delivery).Juta Law Customer Services, [email protected], 021 659 2300

hR in briefNEwS AND REVIEwS


the importance of the workplace for attracting and retaining south Africa’s generation y talentSouth Africa’s Generation Y (18–25-year-olds) places great importance on the workplace when it comes to attracting them to an employer. More than 8 in 10 (84%) young adults said that the quality of the workplace was either an important or very important factor in attracting, recruiting and retaining them.

The South Africa portion of the global ‘Oxygenz Workplace study’, conducted by Johnson Controls in conjunction with the University of Pretoria, also revealed that almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents would like to work in a mobile way, rather than from a static desk location. Interestingly 86% would prefer to have their own dedicated desk when they come into the office, rather than a shared or ‘hot-desk’.

The study also produced a number of other insights from South Africa, including:l 97% prefer their employer to demonstrate their engagement

in environmental issues at work and going beyond regulatory compliance

l 94% would like to personalise their individual spacel 62% would prefer to have a flexible working patternl 55% expect to have a fixed or conventional working patternl 45% of Generation Y want a modern environment with subtle,

clinical and relaxing colours.The results of the study highlight the challenges South

African employers face in attracting and retaining the best and brightest from Generation Y. As the South African economy recovers following the global recession, employers should use the workplace as a strategic tool to attract and retain Generation Y employees.

There is the opportunity to make the office a ‘home away from home’, for example, by allowing them the freedom to personalise their desk space.

The South African Oxygenz results also showed that collaboration between teams is important for Generation Y. Although it has been suggested that this generation resists face-to-face verbal communications, the report reveals that Generation Y in South Africa favour collaborative working environments, with 41% of our respondents preferring to use team spaces rather than just 32% who prefer traditional meeting rooms.

There are a number of innovations that will completely revolutionise the FM industry over the next five to 10 years. Among them are infrared thermography, biotechnology, mass collaboration and the ability for companies to benchmark their energy efficiency against industry peers. Dr Marie Puybaraud, Director of Global WorkPlace Innovation, Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions, www.johnsoncontrols.com

Crs technologies launches enterprise ready hr and payroll software for the sME marketSmaller companies can now enjoy all the benefits of enterprise HR and payroll solutions with CRS Technologies’ integrated solution, Compact.

Designed specifically for companies with fewer than 500 staff members, Compact offers a fully functional solution which is easy to install, robust and cost effective.

“After a lengthy study of the needs of smaller companies, CRS has developed software which allows organisations to enjoy the benefits of an enterprise-like HR and payroll solution without the need for costly and protracted installation processes,” explains James McKerrell, CEO of CRS Technologies.

The CRS research and development team has designed Compact in a modular format, allowing companies to start with the basics and add on modules as they require.

“In our study we found that many small- and medium-sized companies either had no HR systems at all, or were relying on spreadsheets to run their business. Not only is this inefficient, but could land many a company in hot water when they can’t meet legislative compliance requirements,” McKerrell explains.

Many companies have shown they are either unaware or ill-equipped to deal with the multitude of legal and compliance issues. Ensuring data is secure, backed up and accessible is the baseline requirement for every operation, no matter their size.

Data integrity is also a key challenge and many companies have found themselves on the wrong side of the law when they can’t produce documentation for employment equity and skills levies.

Compact offers the perfect solution for many companies who have either never considered a proper HR and payroll solution, or even for companies which have an existing system, but are not using it effectively. CRS Technologies, www.crs.co.za

Authenticate employees with biometricsMislaid, lost and stolen access cards are an ongoing security risk for business owners. By switching to biometric technology, companies not only reduce their risk, they also improve overall productivity. The employee presents his finger, hand or face to the sensor and access is either granted or denied. The access control terminal admits only authorized personnel, and then provides a 24/7 time audit of every person who has entered the zone.

“A card or access code does not in fact authenticate the user – it only confirms that the card or number is valid,” explains Raymond Noppé, managing director of Uniclox Technologies, a specialist in advanced access control and attendance systems.

“Biometric systems are not only harder to cheat, they also reduce administration time and costs – there is no need to continually change passwords or PIN numbers, allocate cards or retrieve security tags from ex-employees.

Access control terminals linked to Uniclox Technologies’ Vision time and attendance software have advanced capabilities. Management can determine who is on or off the premises at any time. Entry can be limited to appropriate shifts and times on a person-by-person basis. It is an ideal way to track working hours of sub-contractors or part-time workers. Placed on a perimeter door, it can even be used to monitor smoke breaks.

An advanced biometric access control solution requires a terminal (which could be RFID or biometric) working in tandem with an electro-magnetic lock or Strikerlock to release the door or gate. Uniclox Technologies’ Vision Software provides a secure administrative interface that links multiple access control or time and attendance terminals to employee HR records, integrates with payroll applications and offers full reporting capabilities.

Uniclox also offers a range of optional access control accessories such as slave readers that are located on the inside of a perimeter door to track “exits” from the zone, automatic door closers and “no touch” RFID exit buttons.

While biometric scanners are commonly used for time and attendance in large manufacturing and commercial enterprises, the competitive price of biometric systems has meant that they are increasingly used for security in small businesses, schools, clinics, retail shops and boutique hotels.Uniclox Technologies (Pty) Limited, 011 454-2234, [email protected] www.uniclox.co.za

NEwS AND REVIEwS

The skills shortage presents a serious challenge in terms of South Africa’s ability to remain

competitive in the global market. The authors argue that one of the responses to the challenge should include the integration of the skills shortage into an organisation’s Human Resources Development (HRD) Strategy. How does one know the universe of skills shortage issues that an organisation’s HRD Strategy must address? The authors recommend the application of systems thinking principles. Systems thinking involves:l Thinking in modelsl Thinking in interrelated, systemic structures

The authors illustrate the systems thinking concept through the Human Capital Systems Model below.

The model depicts the inter-play among various factors:l Labour Market supply l Transformationl Skills Developmentl Career progress andl Industrial Relations

If organisations systematically analyse these factors, they’ll be able to hone in on the specific skills shortage issues facing their sectors. Data on skills availability is available from a number of sources, including: SETAs, Human Sciences Research Council, Institute of Race Relations, etc.

The process to develop an integrated HRD strategy involves the following activities:l Conduct a desk audit and review

of all current HRD strategies, policies, procedures, plans and

statistics in the organisationl Involve all stakeholders (using the Human

capital Systems Model as a guide) in a workshop to develop the strategy. A typical strategy will include:l The HRD vision and measureable strategic

objectives of the organisationl Specific strategies for induction, training,

talent management, performance management

l Skills audit and inventoryl Resource requirements (time, effort,

money)l Governance

l Ratify the HRD strategy to ensure buy-in and commitment from organisational leadership

l Communicate HRD strategy to all stakeholders

The full text of the paper is available on www.i-cap.co.za

Application of systems thinking principles to integrate the skills shortage into a human resources development strategyby steve kgatuke & gordon day (Extract from a paper delivered at the 54th Annual iPM Convention)

hR STRATEgy

your t ransformat ion partneryour t ransformat ion partner


SkIllS ASSESSMENT

Often, clients ask us how they or we can determine whether a candidate really fits in with his team. It’s actually the easiest thing in the world.

Place your candidate in a situation where he must perform some of the duties of the position, and see how he performs the work while you observe his interpersonal abilities in action. Here’s what I mean.

Ask the candidate to take a day off work, and then invite him into a real, live meeting where your team is working on a project. (Obviously, you don’t want this to be a setting where any company confidential information would be divulged.) Let the candidate know in advance that they he feel free to participate just as if he were an employee – it is very unfair to make him expect an interview, if you’re planning a work session. Then just observe him.

The point is to simulate actual work behaviour. No matter how well designed an interview question is, it will never reveal the full breadth of information you can get when you give a candidate some real work to do. Even nervous candidates tend to relax when they realise that instead of having to answer contrived questions, they have to show how they handle the work. It also makes it impossible for them to lie about their true capabilities.

Good candidates will have done their homework and be prepared to offer comments and suggestions. Of course, they may be off the mark for lack of detailed knowledge about your operation, but what matters are how they participate. Do they indicate a willingness to learn from others? Are they open to changing their perspective? Do they behave like they can work with your team? Do their suggestions generally make sense and demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to tackle the responsibilities of the position?

This kind of experience reveals substantive aspects of a person’s skills and abilities. It also reveals their personality in a natural setting. It’s hard to pretend to be someone you’re not when you’re focused on actually working with a group of other people. Personalities and attitudes are revealed. Quirks and social skills are showcased as well. Often, a company will use a lunch or drinks

(yes, these scare all of us) meeting to really get to know a candidate; but even that is artificial, because the candidate is nervously trying to do the right thing. In a natural work setting, where all the candidate’s faculties are focused on a real work task, the person is revealed. What you see in that work session is what you will get if you hire her.

After this working meeting, have the candidate visit with two or three team members, but not to have interviews. Instead, let her shadow your staff members for an hour or so each. Stop in to observe each interaction. Then debrief each team member and the candidate. You will learn a lot – and possibly even more about your current staff.

Experts in our industry often advise using “the behavioural interview” allow the candidate to explain how she handled a situation in the past. In my opinion – even though we are often forced to use behavioural interviewing as well – that’s risky, because people can make incidents up on the spot, and even if they’re honest, the demand characteristic of such questioning can colour their responses dramatically. The other problem is that there is no behaviour in the behavioural interview – it’s all story telling. Why mess with hypothetical situations or with history, when you can take a look at how a person handles a real, live situation in your own work setting?

You can still conduct a traditional interview and even administer objective tests. But I believe the best way to assess a person’s skills, style, personality, and cultural fit is to let them work with your team for a while. You’ll learn a lot because it’s real, it’s live, and there’s no faking it. The really great candidates will shine, while the tire-kickers will probably decline to come share some work with you. Why rely on questions and talk, when you can see and judge a person’s ability to actually work with the rest of your employees?

Shelley Ball, Communicate Personnel Managing Director for Gauteng and Durban, www.communicate.co.za

No faking itby shelley ball

South Africa has more professional coaches than all other African countries combined, yet executive coaching is not yet perceived as a business tool

that adds real value to the organisation.Faced with the challenges of building a diverse and representative

workforce and developing future leadership for business continuity and sustainability, executive coaching should be a critical component of every organisation’s agenda. As more young people and first-timers enter the workforce and take up leadership positions, we should be using every development tool at our disposal.

According to a Frank Besser Global Coaching Survey, business coaching is on the rise across the world and there are outstanding, highly developed and dynamic “centres” of coaching. But comprehensive area-wide coverage of coaching is far from a reality. The survey estimates that there are no more than some 44 000 business coaches operating across the world. The seven countries with the highest numbers of coaches comprise only 10% of the world population, but about 73% of all coaches.

Only one-fifth of the 162 countries surveyed – including South Africa – has a representative coaching association, indicating that coaching is not only in a growth phase but also on its way to becoming “a real profession”. Australia is the country with the highest density of coaches with one business coach per 5 300 inhabitants. In SA, the density is one coach per 30 000 inhabitants.

Most coaching takes place in large organisations, which account for a relatively small proportion of companies in our economy. Coaching is virtually unheard of in smaller businesses.

With about 1 600 coaches, SA is the only African country where the

concept of a coaching culture is quite well known. However, supervision of coaches is not widely adopted. In view of our need to substantially increase our leadership capacity and fast track young executives, it is surprising that executive coaching is not widely accepted and used as a business tool in this country. We must ask ourselves: Why not?

Research shows beyond a doubt that executive coaching delivers tangible business benefits such as better leadership, resulting in increased productivity and quality of work. It enhances organisational strength and improves customer service, resulting in reduced staff turnover and a contribution to bottom-line profitability. Intangible business benefits include improved relationships with staff, peers and clients along with improved job satisfaction and reduced conflict. However, the business impact of executive coaching is often not properly measured. Too often coaching is judged purely on the basis of whether the coachee ‘feels good’ about the process. Clearly, if coaching is to deliver its maximum potential, we have to adopt a rigorous approach to its implementation. Coaching is often incorrectly regarded as a remedial intervention for employees who are sub-standard. Instead, it should be adopted by top management – not just the human resources department management – as part of a strategic intervention for the long-term development of leaders and potential leaders against set business objectives.

The key to success is the development of goals that coaching initiatives will be measured against, so as to determine their return on investment in concrete terms.

SandraBurmeister,CEOoftheLandelahniRecruitmentGroup

Tangible business benefitsby sandra burmeister

gABRIEl’S hORN

As readers may have noticed, I was on leave last month. Just for something completely different, the spouse and I journeyed to the

Cape and the charming little town of Hermanus.Our mission was to see the famous whales that every spring take

obvious delight in frolicking in the huge expanse of water that is Walker Bay. You’ve got to get your timing right as once the water warms up these enormous creatures make their way back to the cooler temperatures of the Antarctic .

I am glad to report that we got it right. There were whales everywhere. A local helicopter pilot told me that he had counted at least 80 of these magnificent mammals in the bay.

The great thing about whale watching at Hermanus is that you don’t need to get on a boat to see them. Walking along the cliffs and down into the numerous little bays is all you have to do to get a close-up view of the 40 ton behemoths – so close do they come to the shore. To watch them hurl their 16m long bodies into the air – the aficionados call it “breaching” – is as spectacular as it is noisy.

And if you need any help with spotting, the ever present town “whale crier” is on hand to point you in the right direction with his unique traditional horn.

All in all it’s an experience that no South African should miss. Even better, Hermanus provides the perfect backdrop for whale spotting. It’s a town brimming with character and characters. It boasts a plethora of reasonably priced boutique hotels and great restaurants. And it has two features almost unknown to us Jozi dwellers: the place is spotless and the locals go out of their way to be perfect hosts.

Customer irritationHaving struggled manfully, and with a total lack of success, for over three months to get a globe replaced in one of our street lights, I can’t help agree with columnist Pinky Khoabane. She recently posed the question “Does the City of Johannesburg operate on a master plan designed specifically to irritate and frustrate the customer?”

She went on: “I’m talking about what normal business organisations would call a customer satisfaction plan or a marketing plan which, in the case of this municipality is probably titled something like Customer Irritation Plan.” She adds that it is inconceivable that an organisation could manage to unwittingly – without proper planning – be so efficient at inefficiency.

Having endured hours of listening to dreary music on the phone while waiting for a “consultant”, and having sent numerous faxes and e-mails all to no avail, I don’t think I could have put it better than Pinky.

[email protected]

A whale of a time in hermanus

pd 1 2011 jan

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