Going green is on everyone’s lips: How green is my valley?

November 5, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Eldari Visser

Amidst the huge outcry of global warming warnings and several energy crises looming, a group of big corporations and government sectors, NGOs and Greenpeace nature lovers are putting their minds together, to find the next best solution for our planet. Operation “Going Green” seems so be on all the agendas. Some agendas are very close to serious activism if you ask me. We read in newspapers from around the globe on some of action taking place, some even to the tone of tomato purée and art! Gosh…

Quiet Quitting: Setting Boundaries or Employee Engagement Crisis

November 5, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Kulani Shiluvah, Founder of Shiluvah & Chief Solutionist

Quiet quitting is the new hot topic in the human capital space and everyone and their aunty has their point of view, with the majority coming to two conclusions that quiet quitting is a result of an employee:

Setting boundaries with their work (chasing the elusive work-life balance we always talk about, or
The worsening employee engagement levels

So, what is quiet quitting and why is it causing such a global stir?

Just Get Started!

October 30, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Nontobeko Mbuyane

We all have big dreams, big goals, and big ideas on what we think our life should look like, or how we think life will end up. Some of us meticulously plan out our lives, envisioning and letting ourselves daydream as we think about all the stuff we would love to accomplish. The problem is, a lot of us have trouble reaching the potential we have set for ourselves. Time kind of flies by, and we end up looking back and wondering what went wrong. Well, one reason stands out like a sore thumb: We never really get started doing the things we truly want to do.

Let’s trade, shall we? Part 4: Human resources in business

October 30, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Tsitsi Mutendi

This week we continue on our journey with Ms. Olivia Simbajena. Ms. Simbajena is a businesswoman whose business falls under the category of SME and MME. Hers also falls under the category of Family Business. As we have defined before Family Business is a business started by an individual for the benefit of his or her family and is then run by the individual to serve the interests of their communities as well as those of their family. Family Business’s main characteristics are that a family owns the majority shareholding of the business. However, from the characters and their situations, although fictional, we are starting to see that there are dynamic intricacies that effect Family Businesses. Laying down a foundation by introducing our fictional business owners will help to establish context when we go in-depth and unpack more problems and solutions for Family Businesses.

Would you consider employing someone with a criminal record?

October 29, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Jenny Reid

In 2018, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) partnered with the Charles Koch Institute to launch research on individuals with criminal records in the workforce in the USA. In 2021, they revisited the topic with some interesting findings. Recently the 2021 Getting Talent Back to Work Report was issued by SHRM. Whilst the findings are US based, it is worth unpacking the main elements of the report.

Your friendship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have

October 29, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

The relationship with yourself is the foundation upon which every other aspect of your life develops. Your health, wellbeing and happiness are directly proportional to how you treat yourself. If you want a different life, it's nothing to do with more money or career success. It is all about making decisions that are in your best interest. I remember asking my coach for the unconditional self-love and acceptance checklist; I wanted an excel spreadsheet with a bullet list I could work through and tick off each item. By the time I'm done, voila – a new friendship with myself!

My ABC of Business - 10 Things I learnt after 10 months in our first retail shop

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lizl Naude

Having a retail space is a huge responsibility and not one I thought I would get so soon. But in October 2021, I was offered a great deal on a small space, and I decided to take the leap of faith and open up shop! I was both terrified and excited at the same time! After a few weeks of renovation, we officially opened on 19 November 2021.

Inside Customer Care

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Helena Naitsuwe Amadhila

Our businesses exist to serve customers. As entrepreneurs, we should know our customers inside out to be able to serve them better, and to meet their diverse and unlimited needs. Customers are unique people and this calls for entrepreneurs to care for their customers in a unique and individualized manner. This will ensure provision of tailor-made services and products to customers which will results in customer satisfaction and retention. These customers could also share the exciting customer care received and recommend the business to other people and as a result, there will be increase in customer base. Entrepreneurs should also know that customer care requires patience, discipline and the ability to learn, adapt, adopt, adjust and implement.

Let’s trade, shall we? Part 3: Family structures in business

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Tsitsi Mutendi

This week, we continue on our journey with Ms. Olivia Simbajena. Ms. Simbajena is a businesswoman whose business falls under the category of SME and MME. Hers also falls under the category of Family Business. As we have defined before, a Family Business is a business started by an individual for the benefit of his or her family and is then run by the individual to serve the interests of their communities as well as those of their family. The Family Business’s main characteristics is that a family owns the majority shareholding of the business. However, from the characters and their situations, although fictional, we are starting to see that there are dynamic intricacies that affect Family Businesses. Laying down a foundation by introducing our fictional business owners will help to establish context when we go in-depth and unpack more problems and solutions for Family Businesses.

The ultimate goal is to outgrow bad habits, not break them

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

A bad habit is a pattern of behaviour that sabotages you somehow. The language associated with habit change is that you want to start a good habit and break a bad one. Breaking a habit assumes that the problem is with the habit, but really, it's about your beliefs, triggers and actions about what this habit will give you.

How emotionally intelligent is your team?

October 15, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Anja van Beek

As we enter year three of the pandemic and confront global difficulties that force us to live in a state of uncertainty, empathy in the workplace is now taking on a new level of significance and necessity.

Stepping-stones to your goals

October 15, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Alison Hofer & Angelique Adcock

When students ask me how they should go about achieving their life goals, my answer is always “Work Backwards”. Sometimes you are fortunate enough to have wise people around you to support and guide you. Sometimes you must figure it out yourself, and this is where the “Work backward’ method is just genius.

3 Steps you can take to live by design, not default

October 15, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

Think about a personal goal you would like to achieve – it could be getting fitter, eating healthier, reading, starting a course or a new hobby. The typical pattern is you begin on a Monday, you manage to keep it up for about two weeks and then fall back into old ways. You probably have attributed this pattern to a lack of willpower. The good news is that the solution to keep the promises you make to yourself has nothing to do with motivation.

It takes courage to be yourself

October 15, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Kathy Mann

I’ve been thinking about how we become so conditioned by other people’s expectations of who we are and who we ought to be. I attended university in Cape Town and I had to wait a year because my father didn’t want me to leave home. I wonder what the cost of that year of earnings equates to, compounded over my career? Anyway, in my wisdom, it was worth the wait and I found a good career path, nice and respectable. I’m learning now that I have other talents that could be used to make a more fulfilling career path for me in future.

17 Essential qualities of great startup founders

October 2, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Farida Yahya

The early days of most startups are full of creativity, passion and sometimes doubt. At this point, most startup founders double as operations managers and business owners. They have the title but barely have enough time to actually do the work required of a founder or chief executive officer, which is, the ability to step away from the daily operations and create a long-term vision and strategy that will sustain their company.

Consistency

October 2, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile

Consistency: acting or done in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate - Google

Every guru in every speciality will tell you that you can do anything you set your mind to, and you will excel if you are consistent in it. If you have a strategy and you follow it religiously, over time it becomes easier and you start seeing the results of your efforts. The simplest example is gym. A lot of posts on social media on the subject of weight loss talk about being consistent. Even if the exercise is 5 minutes long, as long as you are consistent daily, at some point you start seeing a difference.

Human Connection: The glue that binds your business

October 2, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Filipa Carreira

Our relationships determine the quality of our lives. Deep and meaningful relationships are crucial to our mental and physical health. Studies show that people with deep and meaningful relationships are more resilient to burnout and other mental health issues. Did you know that the feeling of loneliness causes the same amount of stress on our cardiovascular system as smoking 20 cigarettes a day? We are living in an era of unprecedented geographical mobility and social change but have our relationship skills kept up with the times? Does it matter? And how does this have any effect on the workplace?

Let’s trade, shall we? Part 2: Governance in Business

October 2, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Tsitsi Mutendi

This week we continue on our journey with Ms. Olivia Simbajena. Ms. Simbajena is a businesswoman whose business falls under the category of SME and MME. Hers also falls under the category of Family Business. As we have defined before, a Family Business is a business started by an individual for the benefit of his or her family and is then run by the individual to serve the interests of their communities as well as those of their family. A Family Business’s main characteristics are that a family owns the majority shareholding of the business. However, from the characters and their situations, although fictional, we are starting to see that there are dynamic intricacies that affect Family Businesses. Laying down a foundation by introducing our fictional business owners will help to establish context when we go in-depth and unpack more problems and solutions for Family Businesses.

Let’s trade, shall we? Part 1: Women-led family businesses

September 25, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Tsitsi Mutendi

We have been following the journey of Transport Businessman for a few weeks now, and by so doing, we have scraped the surface of the SME, MME, and the Family Business in Africa from one of its players. These characters and their situations, although fictional, are putting in place a bird’s eye view of some of the intricacies that affect Family Businesses. Laying down a foundation by introducing you to these characters will help to establish context when we go in-depth and unpack more problems and solutions for Family Businesses.