Leadership | Brenda Eckstein International

Twelve lessons during lockdown

May 7, 2020 by Brenda 1 Comment

There are certain conditions that we consider ideal in order for us to function effectively as leaders, whether we are talking of leading groups or self-leadership.

Leaders like:
• Stability …. and now we are in a state of extreme …. Volatility
• certainty .... what we are experiencing now is …. Uncertainty
• simplicity .... as opposed to our current state of …. Complexity
• clarity …. instead at present we face constant …. Ambiguity

Three worlds

The above describes the external VUCA world we are living in and it is highly unlikely that we can control that. But there are 2 other worlds we should consider while trying to manage the present and at the same time, lead to the future:
The world of work. Here we can have some control although we are still coping with VUCA conditions. For example, in South Africa, after 5 weeks of level 5 lockdown, in some cases 1/3 of the staff were allowed to return to work this week. We are having to make our work environments safe, catch up on the ‘lost’ weeks, reallocate functions and a myriad of other tasks to get going again. We are uncertain about so many aspects of the present and future.
The third world can be described as man’s ‘inner man’. Here we have a great deal of control and through working on that during our tough times, we can enhance our ‘way of being’ and prepare ourselves better for the future.

Let me give you some background: During this tough period, globally we have experienced various levels of lockdown. I’m fortunate that I have been able to continue coaching virtually and my clients have shared many coping and future planning strategies with me. From these and my own reflections each day I have drawn up a list of ‘Twelve Lessons in coping while restructuring our new reality’. These are just of few of the many possible tips. Below is an overview and each will be expanded upon in sequential articles.

1. Change your mindset. Think of this period as a transition. It may seem as though nothing is happening. We are physically in lockdown. But picture us, prior to the current tough times, being caterpillars free to crawl around on the branches, eat the green leaves and enjoy the fresh air. Then the caterpillar becomes trapped within the cocoon. (That sounds like ‘lockdown’ doesn’t it!) The larvae are not visible and we can see no activity. Yet a great deal is happening within. After a while the beautiful butterfly emerges. Let’s try to think of this, not as a time of being trapped or stagnation, but rather as a time of metamorphosis and personal growth.

2. Reflect. Reflect. Reflect so that you can convert the sea of implicit knowledge, thoughts, and experiences into something explicit. That way you can crystallise your thoughts, understand the meaning and implement and sustain your actions where it is prudent to do so. A stop/start approach is not most effective at this time although we need to do this to re-adjust to the volatility in the changing world around us.

3. Be in touch with your inner selves. Reflection will help us to do that. We need to consciously embrace mind, body and soul. Are we remembering to exercise and nourish all three domains? Mindfulness and meditation come in here. We can enhance our mental toughness, build our resilience.

4. Manage your physical energy through building, storing and spending wisely. Understand your own energy levels. Research shows that most of us have natural highs, lows and prime times. Plan to do what is most productive for each level during that time of your daily cycle.

5. Structure so that you have a daily routine optimising your energy. Too many pyjama days will most probably not help you to become more productive. Try to develop and test new frameworks. What worked for you yesterday may not be the best for today. Build time-frames – for example, supper at 6pm, computer off at 10pm, asleep by 10:30pm. Have boundaries.

6. Become the ‘go to’ person, a leader in your field and show that expertise. There is so much you can do in order to be the ‘person of choice’, ‘business of choice’, ‘professional of choice’, ‘organisation of choice’, ‘source of choice’ etc. Two people who have done this exceptionally well during these tough times are Gary Eckstein and Mario Redlinghuys and I commend them on establishing themselves further as leaders in their fields during these tough times. They have kept up to date with emerging trends and their clients have benefitted through regular ongoing communication including Zoom sessions.

7. Communicate often. Don’t let perfection get in your way. Don’t wait until your message is perfect. Let people know what is happening timeously. Keep in touch with your business and private connections. Sustain your visibility. Find innovative ways of reminding people of your existence. Practice new ways of ‘showing up’. Check that you are combining head, heart and action in your approaches.

8. Relationships are paramount. How often are you checking how individuals in your network are doing? Use the head-heart-action approach. How can you support others whether from a business or personal perspective? Reach out. There is some-one somewhere who could benefit through your support or your sharing. What are you good at? What might others need? Strengthen existing relationships, build new. Alliances are so important right now. What can you do together?

9. Maintain the best of the past while exploring and testing new approaches. Use the past-present-future approach and practice an attitude of positive discontent. In other words, be on your toes, don’t become complacent. Constantly evaluate saying ‘is this aspect the best it can be’? If the answer is ‘yes’, that applies to this point in time. Things are changing so fast that we need to constantly check to avoid complacency. Test continuous improvement in product, service and the way we operate.

10. Manage the present while leading to the future. A great metaphor is the captain of a submarine. He has to keep the engines running while plotting and changing course. A periscope enables him to explore the external environment, the big picture. What is happening ‘out there’? Have your antennae out.

11. Use your resources to maximum advantage. We have hidden assets. Recognise and optimise opportunities in using resources. For example, one of my clients mentioned how she was starting to plant vegetables in every suitable corner of her garden. I have done the same. Another example is that we can no longer go to gyms, but we can find creative ways of using resources at home.

12. Make use of the wonderful available offers to learn, grow and connect. My free offers are open to all readers but will be allocated on availability.

• This article is an outline to maximise opportunities for your present and future. Further articles will expand on each point.
• A complimentary one-hour Zoom workshop ‘Restructuring your own reality’ based on this article. These sessions are identical but there is a choice of two dates:
o Monday May 18 5pm (South African Standard Time)
o Tuesday May 19 8am (South African Standard Time)
To book, please send me an e-mail on brenda@strategy-leadership.com (NB – please use this form of communication)
• A free one-hour individual executive coaching sessions for each of the first five people to e-mail me at brenda@strategy-leadership.com (NB please e-mail – no other form of communication – and this offer is open to existing and past clients and others who have never been coached by me before)

In summary, I have provided a random selection of only twelve tips. This is not intended as a comprehensive list but as an outline. Further tips will be woven in to the articles that follow.

For more information on Executive Coaching, please contact Brenda Eckstein on +27 82 4993311 or e-mail brenda@strategy-leadership.com. The website is www.strategy-leadership.com

Update on the benefits of networking

June 29, 2016 by Brenda 1 Comment

The more we work at building a range of meaningful relationships, the more we’ll understand what others really need or how we can add value to their lives. We should be open to recognising and optimising opportunities to help others and we can do this through networking as it involves linking people with people, people with information and people with opportunities.

Brenda Eckstein and Sizwe Mkhize – June 2016.

In addition to the books and articles I have written on the topic of networking, training in networking or in relationship building is an exciting part of the work that I do. A networking module often forms part of longer courses, particularly in leadership development or communication skills.

These are run for a wide range of different professions and businesses. For example, each year for the last sixteen years I have been privileged to be invited back to present a 12-session course in communication skills for engineering trainees. These young men and women, most in their early to mid-twenties include metallurgists, chemical engineers, maintenance engineers and others. And while their technical skills are good, this company, quoted on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, finds that through these communication skills course, participants’ effectiveness has increased considerably through improving their ‘soft skills’. By the end of the course they are able to report more effectively to their supervisors and teams, get better results when instructing the artisans and generally conduct themselves more professionally. They become more valuable to the organisation.

An added advantage is that their lives are more goal-orientated through building their personal strategy plans. These include tactics for consistently developing their networking skills while constructively developing their personal networks. During groupwork exercises, the participants discuss the benefits of networking as applied to themselves, their organisations, their industries and in the leadership roles to which they may aspire.

In capturing and consolidating the input of the groups of this year’s 30 wonderful young people, I was able to reorganise the elements of their input and capture the essence of the benefits of networking in an Integral way:

How can building positive relationships improve our ‘way of being’ ?

Being exposed to people with different points of view, our outlook may change. By taking us outside our comfort zone, we avoid complacency. Thus instead of being ‘stuck’ in our current ‘worldview’ which influences the way we respond or re-act to experiences, we become more ‘open’ to possibilities. This helps us to recognise and then optimise opportunities for ourselves and for others.

Networking can help us to improve our communication skills in general. By holding quality conversations we learn more about others and by reflecting, more about ourselves. This helps in achieving our potential. Being in a better place also enables us to be more aware of our authentic ‘personal brands’ which we can now protect and we will thus more consistently show our true selves. Networking helps us to promote ourselves. We gain visibility and people may think of us when there are opportunities. For example, a new post may become available and we might be looking for that kind of work. People know us and our capabilities and may nominate us for leadership roles. The benefits are endless.

By having role-models and mentors within our networks, we can more easily reach our goals, achieve higher standards of performance and in general, shift our ‘way of being’ which may benefit all areas of our lives in an Integral way.

In which ways may becoming a better networker improve the way we operate?

We learn new approaches through interacting with others. And from reflecting on what we see in others, it may help us to recognise our own strengths and consistently use them more. In addition, awareness of our strengths enables us to consciously use these strengths to leverage our weaknesses. Through building positive relationships and getting to know others, we’ll be more aware of how their strengths may be used to compensate for our weaknesses.

The more we network, the more we are able to practise those skills that enable us to be better networkers. And the more competent we become, the greater our confidence and we are possibly able to venture forth and participate more fully in new networking areas that we wouldn’t have considered before. An example of opening new territory for ourselves would be that we are now more willing and relaxed when attending functions of cultural groups that are different to ours. Getting to know the culture and customs of others and be more comfortable in their company facilitates greater understanding, usually lowering prejudice and enables us to build healthier networks within a more culturally diverse and stronger framework.

Networking can introduce more fun into our lives and this will reduce stress thus enabling us to perform better in all areas of our lives. In addition, we have a safety net when things go wrong! Our feelings of security are enhanced.

What are the benefits when joining groups or working in teams?

A sense of belonging is important to all of us. Here I’m referring not only to groups that we join or to which we are assigned but also to informal groups that evolve through our relationships. Often we may join groups or organisations for one reason, but friendship and support form the glue that binds us together and we may continue as members long after our original need has been met. An example of this is my membership of the New South Wales Chapter of Professional Speakers Australia. My work involves more coaching and training than it used to, and less professional speaking, but I feel like a member of that tribe and when we are together, I really feel that I belong. Thus I continue my membership and enjoy it even although, living in South Africa, I attend very few meetings and the reason for my joining twelve years ago is no longer a big part of my life.

Building positive relationships helps us to feel that we are part of the group and this in turn means that we most likely will enjoy support when we need it. Having a strong support group can help us to achieve so much more not just because they motivate and encourage us, but also when we want to try new things.

An illustration of this was that, recently when preparing a new talk for specialist doctors, I first invited a group of my friends and business associates to a ‘practice run’. I knew they would give me constructive feedback, which they did and this was very much appreciated. I would not have been able to do this with a group of strangers and may not have trusted their feedback.

In general, networking can give us constructive advice from experienced people.

Within our organisational or work teams, stronger bonds facilitate more efficient teamwork. The task gets done better, the team is happier and the needs of individuals are more likely to be met. And this makes it easier for the leader to work from a position of strength, especially in these VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) times like this where collaborative leadership works well. Leaders can discover new talent and use the diverse strengths of individuals within the team more effectively. Networking can help to enhance a leader’s performance in so many ways.

How does networking have a positive influence on systems?

Networking helps to provide access to general and exclusive information through sharing. We know who to approach for the right advice. In addition, if we know the ‘right’ people, we are far more likely to be told about vacancies, given appointments, introduced to previously inaccessible people, and know how the organisation works. There is always a great deal of ‘tacit knowledge’, that which is not articulated. And by speaking to insiders we learn ‘how things work around here’, what really happens and what is important to those who belong. Others can help us to unearth the implicit and make it explicit. Thus networking helps newcomers to be absorbed into systems and be assimilated into cultures.

I was inspired to write this article through the input of the young engineers. I’m grateful to them. The above are just some of the benefits of networking as consolidated from the benefits which they identified and I have added considerably to their contribution.

My questions for you are:

In which ways can networking help you to shift your ‘way of being’?
What should you be doing right now to improve your networking skills?
Who should be included while you build a stronger network?
How can you harness the power of collective networking?

For more information on networking or communication skills workshops or executive coaching, you are welcome to visit the services section of our website - http://strategy-leadership.com/services/

Attitude or behaviour?

October 12, 2014 by Brenda Leave a Comment

During a recent stay at the Oyster Box Hotel I met a fellow trainer and coach from the UK. I was delighted to be invited to observe one of his excellent training sessions during which he asked participants the question: ‘What is more important, attitude or behaviour?’ This generated healthy discussion. Pondering their responses, I thought of the work of Dr John Adair who in one of his books entitled, ‘Action Centred Leadership’ draws attention to the fact that a person can have all the characteristics of a good leader, but if that person doesn’t put them into action (behaviour) they remain dormant characteristics.

The question of the importance of attitude and/or behaviour linked to my experiences as a presenter of interactive workshops. During the sessions, wherever possible, I get participants to practise using their own examples from their work, home and community lives. And as the day progresses, they become more and more proficient. However, no matter how enthusiastic participants might appear during the session and how much they show the right attitude, I receive little feedback, especially after short courses. I want to know how they have applied the new techniques and other learnings during the days, weeks and months following the workshop.

So I was delighted when Bradley Bissessar, Senior Security Supervisor at the Oyster Box Hotel, a few weeks after attending ‘How to get your point across’ proudly showed me how he carries the formulae cards with him in his wallet as a reminder to apply the principles (Please see the photo). He spontaneously and enthusiastically told me exactly how he is applying the simple formulae he mastered during the workshop. He gave me an example of how in his work situation he has used the PREP formula for safety briefings to groups of guests. This enables him to easily structure his information into a coherent talk which is logical and easy to follow. Bradley says: ‘the course gave me a lot of confidence in myself. It helps me to get my point across effectively’. He also added ‘knowledge is power. And this is a priceless gift that cannot be taken away even with the essence of time. Use it wisely.’

Bradley Bissessar.

He is also constantly applying the formulae in his private life. An example is where he used the PREP and assertiveness formulae to structure a personal letter and this helped him to crystallise his feelings and resolve an issue amicably. Well done, Bradley! So he has applied the learnings and made them part of his way of functioning. It becomes so easy when you know how!

Yes, it is important to have the right attitude. In the case of training sessions, people might be eager (attitude) to improve the way they do things (behaviour). And they might participate effectively on the day (attitude and behaviour). However, the way the person actively and consistently applies and practises afterwards will determine ongoing success. New neural pathways need to be built.

Let’s move away from the training perspective and look at the question of ‘attitude or behaviour’ from an integral coaching approach. Attitude shows a ‘way of being’ and in coaching terms this links to ‘heart’. Behaviour links to ‘action’. So a missing component is ‘head’. The next question is how do we bring ‘head’ into the equation? By helping our clients to ‘self-observe’ they become aware of what they are or aren’t doing, feeling and experiencing. They might notice their ‘blind spots’. By practising the right behaviours over and over we build new neural pathways. Through an Integral or Executive Coaching approach clients can thus more easily ‘self-correct’ and ‘self-generate’ and thus shift their ‘way of being’.

Going back to the original question regarding ‘attitude or behaviour’ being more important, while I believe that a combination of attitude and behaviour is important, there are many other aspects in achieving sustainable success. What is your opinion?

For more information on training in communication skills, leadership development or executive coaching, please contact brenda@146.66.90.172 or phone +27 82 4993311.

Successful women

August 27, 2014 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Have you read ‘Lean In: women, work, and the will to lead’ by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook? It has stirred up some challenging responses from both men and women. One of my clients gave me a copy and reading it has inspired me to observe certain leadership behaviour patterns in others and in me.

This topic was the inspiration behind conversation at a recent lunch at my favourite coffee shop, Aubergine to which I had invited seven of my women friends. It is amazing what happens when you gather around a table eight intelligent, diverse women who don’t know each other, nor who have any agenda (either hidden or declared!). Thank you to Cheryne, Des, Hannah, May, Pam, Pranitha and Rosie for sharing their responses and for their quality input into our conversations.

L-R: Pranitha Pather, Rosie Chite, and May Bingham.

Success

First, I asked them to write their ‘gut’ response in defining or describing ‘success’. The answers were fascinating and included:

Independence, guidance and the ability to make a difference in other’s lives; happiness at work and at home but continuously involved in the learning process.
Happiness in the ‘in-between’ moments; loving the sound of the alarm in the mornings; striving for excellence; satisfaction with a job well done; making a difference; mentoring; confident in own abilities I matter: what I do matters.
Balance implying appropriateness for individuals in time management, which will differ from person to person, under different conditions.
Love what you do; see others growing through you and the ability to seeing and live the outcomes to your actions; and to be able to let go and let others go.
Enjoy and find your passion.
Learn from failure and be able to move on.

Characteristics of a successful woman

Next they were asked to list ten characteristics of a successful woman. I have divided their responses into four groups or domains:

Honesty and integrity – ethics and values.
Courage.
Self-Belief.
Humility.
High standards – aim at excellence.
Kind, empathetic, loving.
Positive attitudes - enjoy hard work – don’t see it as ‘work’.
Sense of humour.
Inner strength.
Enthusiasm.
Passion for ‘work’.
Joy.
Patience.
Authenticity and not having to prove oneself by being a ‘superwoman’.

Confident and prepared to take a chance.
Resilient.
Flexible, adaptive.
Strong.
Powerful.
Have an opinion and be able to share and convince others.
Develop and grow people to see the change and make them happy.
Listening openly to others for interest – not just for networking.
Learning always – from family, peers, workers and network.
Stable, grounded and rock-like.
Curiosity – ask questions – and then really listen to the answers.
Open minded – and also know when to close it!
Fit - physically and emotionally.
Motivated.
Articulate for accurate communication.
Have the ability to ‘go against the flow’.
Leadership.

Emotionally intelligent.
Tolerance but with clear boundaries.
Non- discriminative – research and know before taking a decision.
Generosity.
Quick to praise and do this publicly.
Slow to criticise and do this privately.
Community spirit.
Helpful.
Empowered.

Visionary.
Determination in achieving goals.
Attention to career development and success.
Chosen balance between work and family.
Faith in something more powerful than you.
Balance – whatever that means to each individual.
Knowledge.
Ability to separate life roles.

As South African women, how can we ‘lean in’ more?

This was the third and final question.

We need to:

Develop the competence to know what to do;
Stop seeing each other as competition;
Engage with women from all communities, particularly in business;
Mentor, encourage, inspire and work with everyone;
Support each other – males and females;
Be sensitive to the process of withdrawing when necessary, and then returning if necessary;
Share in forums and groups for quality conversations;
Participate and not just observe;
Lose the fear;
Be aware – have a finger on the pulse of situations;
Be postmodern – well-informed;
Be in the present;
Network;
Use the voice we have;
Support and motivate.

This exercise is not intended as an academic survey but simply the spontaneous answers written individually by a group of eight diverse women; the exercise took less than ten minutes. Quality conversation and the sharing of ideas, the purpose of the meeting was achieved. A greater understanding of each other and of the way different people view the world was the outcome. Great insights were gained and the conversations continued naturally and informally after the event. This is a great way to build relationships and to network.

Two years ago, under similar circumstances, I asked a group of women to list the characteristics of a successful woman. Their answers are outlines in an article entitled, ‘Success is…’. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all show these characteristics and feel successful? Through Executive Coaching, whether you are a woman or a man, you can shift towards a better ‘way of being’. This will enhance all aspects of your life.

For more information on Executive Coaching, training in networking and communication skills or the other services offered by Brenda Eckstein International, please contact brenda@146.66.90.172 or phone +27 82 4993311.

Promoting effective communication

August 10, 2014 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Each year I run a 12-session programme on ‘Communication Skills and Leadership’ for the Treverton Post-matric group. The participants are young people who have completed their formal schooling and are spending the year developing a whole range of skills. They are privileged to be under the enriching leadership of Athol Davies who has been the Director of Post-matric for the last twelve years and enabled a series of young people to shift closer to reaching their potential.

This week was the 2014 group’s ‘Session 7’ and during the four hours a new exercise was introduced. Each group was asked just one of two questions:

What promotes effective communication?
What hinders effective communication?

I was surprised and impressed by the intensity of their discussions and the quality of their input.

Megan Fussell, presenting group input showing perceived inhibitors.

Input from a group working on ‘promoters’.

In summary, those factors perceived to impact negatively on the effectiveness of communication also opened possibilities for enriching communication. Conversely, those factors which enhanced communication could also close down possibilities.

In order to improve our communication skills, we need to be more conscious of factors that enhance effectiveness of our communication. Under different circumstances the same factors might impede the clarity of our message. We should strive to close the gap between the intention of our message and the perception of the person receiving the message. This also involves being clear on what our message is, presenting it in the most appropriate way for the recipient and checking afterwards that it has been correctly understood.

For more information on Leadership Development or Communication Skills please contact brenda@146.66.90.172 or visit www.strategy-leadership.com.

Personal networking – a different perspective

June 11, 2014 by Brenda Leave a Comment

‘Personal networking as a Business Tool’ is the title of a workshop I presented recently for the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This session emphasized the importance of building positive relationships which, in turn, help us to become the person of choice, firm of choice or business of choice.

Positive relationships also generate an ‘absence of malice’. When things go wrong, as they often do in business, within an existing positive relationship, we are more likely to be given the benefit of the doubt. So while acknowledging the importance of social media, the focus of this workshop was on the benefits of building positive relationships.

L-R: Iqbal Sheik, Harold Sampson, Vidhaan Deolal and Zanele Nzaza.

In summary, the consolidation on some of their ideas on the benefits of personal networking are:

Personal networking is beneficial within groups and organisations and externally as well. We need to carefully identify where we play roles and who our stakeholders are. In other words, whom do we serve? And which entities or people have power over our organisations or over us? The benefits of fostering those relationships are enormous.
Business expansion can be gained through personally engaging in a range of different activities. We thus interact with a wide range of people. For example, by playing cricket and getting to know the other cricket players and their supporters, opportunities for new avenues of communication through their networks may be recognised.
A greater connection between personal passions and building networks which can benefit us in the work situations. For example, where we have an interest or capability, by offering to serve on committees or boards, or taking other leadership roles, we become more ‘visible’, and are also ‘in the know’ regarding developments or other information which could be helpful to us or to others, if appropriate to share.
‘If you grow yourself, you grow some-one else.’ Within an organisation, if we improve our product, service or the way we operate, we can more easily complete processes, enhance the over-all performance, thus lifting standards for everyone. Quality conversations play an important part in this.
By having a ‘finger on the pulse’, we can notice issues and problems as they arise and thus solve them more quickly and easily.
By keeping track of people, and knowing about their new positions and developments, we can create opportunities for them, for ourselves and for others.
Willingness to help is reciprocal. If we have an attitude of ‘what can I do for you?’ others will be influenced by this. When we need help, others are more likely to notice and offer to help us.
When we are searching for new staff, if we have positive relationships with others, we are more confident in accepting referrals from them. Thus, gaining the right people for positions in our organisations can become less onerous and the positions are more likely to be filled with ‘the right person for the job’.
As networking involves connecting people with people, people with information and people with opportunities, the more we network, the more likely we are to recognise and be able to optimise opportunities on a larger scale for ourselves and for a wider range of people. Our networks become broader and broader.
People get to know us, our products and our services. And we know more about others and their current and changing business needs. Thus we can more easily match our products and services to their actual needs.
Although we all know that networking builds trust and positive relationships, the more we network, the more we are reminded of this and able to recognise and optimise opportunities.
Through networking we are exposed to new ideas which we can transfer to our own situations. In addition, being able to test our ideas within trusted relationships creates opportunities for us to try new things, take prudent risks.
Networking helps us to set new goals and create focus on what we want to achieve.
Elements of time management are significant. We get things done a lot faster by knowing who to go to. And this isn’t always the decision-maker at the top. Sometimes, by having a good relationship with say, the CEO’s personal assistant, we are more likely to get the appointment with the CEO.
By allowing more time for the important or strategic activities, there is more time available for a work/life balance. By having more quality time with family, we are able to concentrate on the important things at work and growth is more likely.
Life is more enjoyable when we work with people we know and trust. And this applies in our formal work positions, with our families and in our community engagements, too.
By guiding others, we develop our own leadership abilities and become recognised for those. This opens further opportunities for us and for others.
By developing our own potential further, through networking, people begin to perceive us as an expert in a field. Thus they come to us for advice and this often makes us ‘lift our game’ and we in fact may become that ‘expert’.
We develop our field of influence. And this can apply at a micro (internal) or macro (external) level.

For more information on our personal networking training programmes or keynotes please contact Brenda on brenda@146.66.90.172 or +27 82 4993311.

Stay connected – enrich each other’s lives

May 16, 2014 by Brenda Leave a Comment

When strong relationships are in place, it is not necessary to measure gaps between our interactions. People who are important in our lives should stay intangibly connected and continue to enrich our lives in ways we may not appreciate unless we pause. I’m reminded of this each month when my newsletter containing a summary of the last few articles is sent to those who have subscribed to my mailing list. I’m touched by the responses I receive, often from people I may not have spoken to for some time. These relationships stay alive.

Let me share an example: Some months ago, in the Leadership category, I wrote an article about Michael Mathews, an outstanding leader who taught me a great deal about effective leadership. Recently, after reading my current newsletter he contacted me. I was delighted when he responded positively, reminding me of the poem ‘Leisure’ by W H Davies. Reading the poem again now is particularly relevant. My life has evolved to a point where I’m constantly reminding myself and those whom I coach about the importance of stopping. Yet, like many others, I am so busy on the treadmill of life that I had not stopped to rekindle that connection to the poem. So, thank you Michael for reminding me.

Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad day light,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

from Songs Of Joy and Others (1911)

Reading the poem inspired me to find out more about the poet’s colourful life. From Wikipedia I learnt that as a young man, Davies finished school under a cloud of theft and was considered delinquent. He spent a significant part of his life as a tramp or hobo, in the United Kingdom and United States, but became one of the most popular poets of his time. The principal themes in his work are observations about life's hardships, the ways in which the human condition is reflected in nature, his own tramping adventures and the various characters he met. Davies is usually considered one of the Georgian poets, although much of his work is atypical of the style and themes adopted by others of the genre.

W. H. Davies

Davies in 1913, photographed by Alvin Langdon Coburn.

Born: July 1871, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales

Died: 26 September 1940 (age 69), Nailsworth, Gloucestershire.

Occupation: Poet, writer, tramp

Nationality: Welsh

Period: 1905–1940

Genres: Lyrical poetry, autobiography

Literary movement: Georgian poetry

Notable work(s): The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp, "Leisure"

Spouse(s): Helen Payne (m. 5 February 1923)

By taking the time to read my newsletter and including the poem in his response, Michael inspired me to ‘take action’ and explore further.

By responding we let people know that we care. So, take time to stop and absorb what others are saying. And respond appropriately in a meaningful way. You’ll enhance your own ‘way of being’ and enrich the lives of others.

For more information please contact Brenda on brenda@146.66.90.172 or +27 82 4993311.

Inspirational reflection and journaling

April 21, 2014 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Amidst the bustle of everyday life, it is good to see inspiring quotes that give rise to meaningful insights. But we need to stop and reflect in order to process these messages.

In a previous article, ‘The streets where you walk’ I mentioned the experience of walking along the pedestrian Zone in Rosebank, Johannesburg where inspirational quotes are embedded in granite pavers. To me it is fascinating how the planners managed to provide a combination of sculptures and inspirational thoughts that encourage pedestrians to stop and reflect.

The designers of the Zone certainly managed to create an appealing environment where people want to be.

Think of the design in your own life: what are those things you ‘make’?
How would you describe that which is ‘between those things’?
How would shifting to a different angle change your view of the spaces between objects, events or other experiences?

My reflective questions for this quotation are:

Recently, how have you allowed your mind to be stretched? Give an example.
How has this changed your thinking?

When I was elected to a leadership position that meant that I’d have a ‘public profile’ my brother-in-law warned me… ‘Remember, when you are on the stage, people throw bouquets. But they also throw rocks. Be prepared for both’.

His wise words echo in my mind often. In leadership positions we have to make quick decisive decisions. This is particularly true in these uncertain and volatile times. And we are going to make mistakes. And so the quote above is relevant to all of us.
My questions here are:

When did you last make a mistake?
What did you do to recharge your energy?
And how quickly did you recover?
What did you do to make sure that you weren’t permanently scarred?
How are you going to transfer the learning from this mistake to future scenarios?

Often we don’t appreciate our own capabilities. And being thrown into a crisis can help us to function in a way that planned endeavours may have made impossible. Our own thinking limits us. We need to dream, explore and expand our horizons so that we can get closer to achieving potential.

I encourage you to reflect further on these inspirational quotes. What do they mean to you? Journal your thoughts and you’ll be surprised at how your own ideas will surface.

For more information on Keynote Speaking or Executive Coaching please contact Brenda on brenda@146.66.90.172 or +27 82 4993311.

150: Service Excellence at the Oyster Box Hotel

January 24, 2014 by Brenda Leave a Comment

When your business has incredibly high levels of service excellence, how do you consistently sustain your standards? Of course, leading by example, having the right tools and resources and effective training play a huge part in this. In addition, how do you continue to add value, to exceed expectations? And once people are all focused on effective outcomes, how do you connect with the hearts of your clients, customers or guests? It is the "people factor" that I am emphasizing in this article.

Let's set the scene and put the "people factor" in context. The Oyster Box Hotel, Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu-Natal is an outstanding example of service excellence. Let me give you an example: for a special wedding anniversary this week we decided to spend three nights at our favourite hotel which definitely has a soul. I work for hours in the Clock Library – and in those beautiful surrounding, it certainly doesn’t feel like ‘work’. I enjoy a movie in their quaint cinema with popcorn and sweets ‘on tap’. We were allocated our favourite sea-facing room which provides one of the most magical views imaginable.

The view from our window.

And of course, we had delicious meals, too. My favourite meal in the whole world is the breakfast served on the Terrace. Guests can ‘mix and match’ food to their heart’s content. Sometimes we are delighted to hear the gong ringing and when that happens everyone rushes outside to watch the dolphins in the surf. But here again, it is the warm and sincere hospitality imbued in every staff-member that makes this the ultimate in enjoyable experiences. The "people factor" make everything else possible.

I’d like to talk more about this concept of going beyond just making guests believe that they have made the right choice from a cognitive perspective. The people in the organisation add the warmth, the extra touches that bring the experience to life. And at the Oyster Box Hotel, Wayne Coetzer, the General Manager, one of the most characterful people I’m privileged to know, spreads his warmth and caring to the staff, guests and all those with whom he interacts. In fact, he is so ‘nice’ that I often forget his competence and ability to run this magnificent, many-faceted hotel. Of course he is ably supported by his deputy, Tyler Liebenberg, executive chef Kevin Joseph, personal assistant Barbie Hamilton and a team of dedicated managers and staff. But he is the one who has the uncanny ability to connect people with people, people with information and people with opportunities. Wayne, I salute you as one of the greatest networkers I’ve ever been privileged to meet.

Part of his networking this trip involved introducing me to the iconic ‘Mrs Tollman’ who happened to be staying at the Oyster Box Hotel. She and her husband, Stanley lead the Red Carnation Group internationally. What a privilege it was to meet her! I can sense how her warmth, caring and competence have a ripple effect, impacting on every aspect of their business enterprise. So here you see a very strong ‘heart’ connection. And, Mrs. Tollman you have captured my heart, too! (How I’d like to be more involved in your businesses!)

Let’s go back to Wayne: Another way in which he more than ‘went the extra mile’ was in organising number plates for Ed’s ‘Sportscar’. (This was the topic of a previous blog post). Innovators have the ability to firstly recognise (cognitive) and then optimise (action) opportunities. And Wayne is a master at finding creative, appropriate solutions. You should just see the number plates! We absolutely love them (heart)! So the outcome is effective because head and heart are aligned and this provides the energy for appropriate action! It wasn’t just a case of ‘here are some number plates’ and we would truly have been impressed and grateful at that point. But part of the process involved the great kindness and consideration with which Jonathan Olsen, Maintenance Engineer orchestrated the fitting of the number plates to ‘Sportscar’. Thank you, Jonathan!

Jonathan Olsen, Maintenance Engineer, Ed and ‘Sportscar’.

Please look carefully at the wording of the number plates. These have been great for starting conversations both while Ed proudly tootled around the Oyster Box Hotel and also when he is out in one of the many shopping malls he frequents. So that is generating further action and connection, too.

So, there is a huge ripple effect spreading outward from the essence of a true spirit of service, whether it be from the customer service strategy in place, the effectiveness of the leadership or the passion for the quality of service that everyone involved in the Oyster Box Hotel seem to possess.

Readers, in aiming at service excellence, observe how cognitively your internal and external customers are viewing your service and products. But we also need the ‘heart’ connection and you and your teams are the ones who should build those relationships. Capture the hearts of your staff, clients, customers, guests, patients, members and the impact and ripple effect will be huge if you ‘take action’ in an appropriate and timely manner.

For more information on Sustainable Customer Service Strategy, Customer Service training or Executive Coaching, please contact Brenda on brenda@146.66.90.172 or +27 82 4993311.

148: Colour your life

January 15, 2014 by Brenda Leave a Comment

I have often written and spoken about the importance of ‘touchstones’ in enhancing our well-being. ‘Touchstones’ are the experiences, aromas, tastes, sights, sounds, touches that bring out the best in us and make us feel really good? In my Executive Coaching I help people to identify their touchstones and then consciously bring them into their ‘everyday lives’.

This ties in with my insights a few years ago when reading ‘Care of the soul’ by Thomas Moore. The subtitle is ‘A guide for cultivating depth and sacredness in everyday life’. He says: ‘when you look at the image of soulfulness, you see that it is tied to life in all its particulars – good food, satisfying conversation, genuine friends, and experiences that stay in the memory and touch the heart.

To demonstrate my message, let me share one of my own examples: I’m passionate about sunrise and am privileged to live where I can experience the joy of sunrise from my bedroom window each morning. This starts every day with great wonder and appreciation of my connectedness to the Universe. I enjoy watching the light changing and going through different tones of pink, I love the sounds of the bird calls backed by the stillness of a world still half asleep. The busyness of the day has not yet begun.

So, in addition to making sure I’m up every morning in time to experience sunrise, how else can I bring more of that touchstone into my life? Let’s look at patterns - I enjoy the privilege of having my own garden where I can plant and grow flowers and I consciously plant those that will remind me of sunrise. Yesterday I was excited to find that a rose I planted last year had come into flower. Appropriately named, ‘African Dawn’ this rose has the most amazing range of colours. In the photo you’ll see three flowers from the same bush.

So I picked those roses and brought them into my home. What do they remind me of? You guessed it….. sunrise. So this is one way in which I’m consciously creating a ‘golden thread’ running through various aspects of my life. I placed the roses in my coaching room as a reminder that I need to help others to bring their touchstones into their lives on a daily basis.

A good Executive Coach can help you to live life to the fullest. The benefits are enormous – more energy, greater work/life balance, enhanced self-leadership and leadership of others. Continuous improvement leads to sustainable growth and helps us to shift our ‘way of being’.

What are your touchstones?

How can you include them even more in your everyday lives?

For more information on coaching or keynote speaking please contact Brenda on brenda@146.66.90.172 or +27 82 4993311.

Twelve lessons during lockdown

Update on the benefits of networking

Attitude or behaviour?

Successful women

Promoting effective communication

Personal networking – a different perspective

Stay connected – enrich each other’s lives

Inspirational reflection and journaling

150: Service Excellence at the Oyster Box Hotel

148: Colour your life

Recent Posts

Blog Categories

Search this website

Contact Brenda

Login