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11 August 2021: Locally, the trend of digitisation has accelerated, with the use of digital payment options such as “Tap to Pay” technology, mobile apps like SnapScan and Zapper, and biometric authentication infrastructure like Apple Pay, on the rise. The pandemic has accelerated this shift, in part due to the need to minimise contact to avoid the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The statistics reflect this – PayFast reported over 400% growth in QR code payments between March 2020 and February 2021, and between April and September of 2020, Standard Bank’s card division showed an 84% increase year-on-year in value of online spend at supermarkets and grocery stores. According to Jeremy Lang, General Manager at Business Partners Limited, the move away from the use of cash for purchases, as it is replaced with innovative technologies, comes with its fair share of challenges for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), but also presents an opportunity. The consumer appetite for digital payment methods is undeniable, and business owners would do well to capitalise on this. H e explains: “In this new ‘less-cash’ society, the worst thing that any SME can say to a customer is, ‘I don’t accept that method of payment.’ This means that South African businesses are under significant pressure to adapt and evolve their mentality towards digitisation. It is a change for the better, for a number of reasons and we urge all SMEs to get onboard and use digitisation as a way of establishing a competitive advantage going forward.” SMEs have a myriad of reasons to make the shift to digital, including the fact that transacting digitally can cost businesses less. The process is also significantly more frictionless. What’s more is that the data collected by transacting digitally can be used to understand your customers better, increase a business’s credit score and make important financial decisions. “In South Africa, there is also the issue of cash-related crime – it is simply safer for consumers to use digital methods of payment as opposed to carrying cash,” says Lang. “If the consumer is going digital, then businesses need to accommodate this change.” A study by Deloitte Africa revealed that the leading barriers to adoption in the digital payment sector exist within the informal economy and include data connectivity issues, high data costs and a general lack of trust in digital alternatives. He says that despite these roadblocks, South African SMEs have an unprecedented opportunity to expand their reach to a consumer market that is slowly moving away from the exclusive use of cash to a hybrid system that includes mobile apps like SnapScan, which are relatively easy to set up for customers and SMEs. All evidence seems to point to the reality that in South Africa, like the rest of the world, “cash is no longer king.” It is estimated that by 2030, the number of cashless transactions per capita will triple, and reach over three-trillion transactions a year. “Within Africa, mobile operators and retailers are leading the charge and we are confident that we will see this trend continue to rise from large-scale retailers and boutiques to local spaza shops and informal traders. It’s definitely an exciting space to watch,” concludes Lang.
We cannot control our environment. We tend to allow our external circumstances to dictate our internal wellbeing and behaviour, which can be disempowering and unproductive. Since we can only control our perspective of our environment, the responsibility and opportunity lies in learning how to manage our perspective so that we see our environment from a place of health, mindfulness, optimism and resilience, rather than from a place of fear, anxiety and overwhelm. We cannot predict or shift all the factors that cause stress in our lives, nor can we change or control other people, or our environments. We can learn to strengthen our resilience and inner resolve so that the way in which we perceive and engage with our reality, how we handle our stressors and environment, is more mindful and less reactive. Let me introduce you to REST - a practical framework developed by Lumminos Coaching & Associates that is an interactive toolkit for people to manage the vulnerability of uncertainty, fatigue and overwhelm. Considering the current context of the world and the impact that Covid-19 is having on employees, the premise of this framework invites people to develop the skillset required to lean in and to learn how to better manage their perspective and energy in the face of stress, for the sake of their own wellbeing and those around them (both personally and professionally). In this COVID context, stress is not only ‘job-related’, but also related to the blurred boundaries between work and home life, as well as other difficult circumstances that have played out during this time. This REST framework is aimed at supporting people to feel energized and calm - better equipped with practical tools to handle the uncertainty of stressful situations more skilfully and mindfully, so that they can maintain levels of productivity, increase trust, calm and psychological safety in the virtual and physical workplace – which is necessary for focused delivery, collaboration and innovation. R – Right-size . Be clear on what you are focusing on and is true and proportionate to the reality of situation. Is this situation bigger or more threatening in my perception than it actually is or needs to be? Am I possibly ramping this up and overreacting or overthinking this? Is it possible you are under reacting and not facing the gritty facts and details? Consider what or who could help you to right-size. E – Energy. Our ability to right-size challenges is directly related to our energy levels. How do we become more intentional about replenishing our energy – physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally and spiritually? Scheduling regular activities that address each of these areas can be simple and impactful and needn’t take up a lot of time. For example, a ‘brain break’ at set times during the day where you get up, move away from your desk and spend a few minutes in nature just tapping into your senses, can help reduce stress. S – Story . According to researcher and author, Brené Brown, one of the key practices of people who display the highest levels of personal resilience, is the ability to check and reframe the stories we tell ourselves. What is the story you are telling yourself about your life right now? How can you shift this to more accurately align with your values? T – Triggers. Part of the skill of managing our perspective, is to proactively become aware of the situations and people that ‘hook’ an emotional reaction in us (very often this is linked to a story we have in our minds about that person and situation). Rather than reacting in the moment and potentially causing damage, focus on naming and calming your emotions, so that you can think more clearly, and then respond in a considered and balanced way. We are living in a fast paced, ever-changing world, where we are conditioned to always be working, moving forward, achieving and getting things done. Rest is often associated with being weak, unambitious and lazy, but buying into this myth can lead to burnout and breakdown. Taking time to include rest as part of a personal strategy for success, along with learning to ask for what you need, setting boundaries and saying no to the things that don’t align with your values, can pave the way for sustainable success. Benefits of putting REST into practice Exploring individual and team strategies to apply the principles of REST Supporting people to feel resourced, energized and calm Normalising the effects of pressure and change and naming challenges, struggle and fatigue with the goal of learning new ways and de-escalating stress Equipping people with shared language, models and practical tools to handle the uncertainty of stressful situations more skilfully and mindfully Offering ways to maintain levels of focus, motivation and productivity Providing interactive platform/s to increase trust, calm and psychological safety in the virtual and physical workplace - necessary for focused delivery, collaboration and innovation To find out more about running an online REST webinar in your team/organisation, contact Julia@lumminos.co.za
“We are not using technology: technology is using us.” South Africans have once again battened down the hatches following this weekend’s announcement that the country would be placed under adjusted level 4 lockdown. With somewhat glacial progress in the vaccine rollout, citizens are having to do what they can to protect themselves from the virus. This means more virtual meetings and what many local and international experts, and commentators are calling ‘zoom fatigue’. It’s been one of the biggest gripes among employees in organisations across the world. In countries where the majority of citizens have been vaccinated against the virus, this move back to office is well on its way. Zoom fatigue is only one of the problems working from home. Efficiency, productivity and social cues are all taking a hit. Purple Group founder and former South African Post Office CE Mark Barnes is firm on the issue: there are several disadvantages to working from home, notably that as social beings, people can’t interact meaningfully anymore. This, he says, impacts negatively on both efficiency and productivity. Barnes recently spoke to Linda Trim of Giant Leap, South African workplace specialist, during a podcast series titled ‘Where is the Office’. Giant Leap has undertaken extensive research over the last year to determine the future of the office since lockdown. Longer working hours According to Barnes, while people no longer spend time travelling to and from the office or deal with the inconvenience of sitting in traffic, there is a definite shift in ways of working. “You’re constantly in demand and working longer hours than ever before. This is an invasive alternative to social interaction. We are in back-to-back meetings, there’s no time for lunch, no drinks after work or gathering for a coffee,” says Barnes. Lack of social cues and body language Barnes finds it difficult to connect in the new virtual office space. “You can’t see social cues like hand gestures, or read body language. These are all important critical parts of communication within organisations. “Talking to a flat screen is nowhere near as interactive as seeing people in a room and getting a feel for the room one-on-one,” says Barnes. The inefficiency of perceived efficiency Working from home is perceived by some to improve efficiency, but Barnes believes that it doesn’t produce the same cohesive output as a team would normally do when working from the office. “The sum of screens is not the sum of individuals,” says Barnes, by way of debunking the perception that employees showing up virtually are as engaged as meeting and collaborating in person. In addition, Barnes is critical of the generalised view that technology is improving ways of working and positively enabling the new work from home. “We think that technology is making our lives easier but there is a two-way invasiveness about technology. We are not using technology: technology is using us.” Office culture and socialising Barnes maintains that they hybrid model of working from home and the office isn’t enough either. “The current quiet of the office is disarming and unsettling. People are in defined spaces, and we are aware of our space and the distance between us. Those things are not pleasant. We are naturally social beings. We like being with each other, shaking hands, kissing, saying howzit. We are missing that.” “The office gives us the opportunity of engendering spirit and changing things that are not on the surface but rather something that lies deeper – the culture and oneness, the feeling of being part of a team,” says Barnes.
i-Manage Compliance is an automated management system that was developed in response to the growing demand for comprehensive Electronic SHEQ Management Systems and online auditing. The platform includes a Legal Library, which you can search through to create your own custom legal register using relevant keywords. The system will extract all legislation where these keywords are found. You can then copy the legislation content and add an interpretation on the legislation and how it affects your business processes. Your legal register can then be linked when compiling system documentation, policies, procedures work procedures, audit reports, etc. For more information about the i-Manage Compliance system, please contact us at info@imanagecompliance.co.za or visit our website: www.imanagecompliance.co.za #healthandsafety #environmental #quality #compliance #compliancemanagement
Pulse MegaClub Three Rivers is the first of its kind to enter the market in Vereeniging, South Africa and is an exclusive MegaClub of the Pulse franchise which serves as the Pulse flagship location in the Vaal triangle. It is powered by the latest and most advanced wireless electro muscle stimulation and smart innovative bio-electrical impedance analysis technology. Pulse Three Rivers is an all in one solution to all your health, wellness and fitness needs . Pulse offers a variety of world class training solutions like fast lean muscle building, rapid fat loss, cellulite elimination and advance recovery. Achieving optimum results in only 20 minutes per week, which is accurately monitored by the Innovative Pulse Body Composition Technology. Driven and owned by the Lucas Family, they strive to offer Vereeniging effective and efficient technology for driven workouts, in a state of the art training facility. Complimentary introduction sessions to personally experience the Pulse Concept can be booked via their Facebook Page @ Pulse Three Rivers or visit their facility @19 Generaal Hertzog road, Three Rivers Proper, Vereeniging. Transformation In Motion
When engaging with new potential ActionCOACH candidates I’m often asked: ‘What are the requirements for becoming an ActionCOACH?” The answer is always the same. “It depends.” It depends because the answer is less of a checklist, to tick-off, and more of a combination of the right factors. The decision to award any new franchise will also include a combination of the following ‘right factors’: 1. Educational background including ongoing education, reading, courses, etc. 2. Business and professional experience 3. The heart and personality for this business 4. Track record of past success 5. Passion and a sense of purpose However, those are just the criteria we use as part of our final assessment before awarding a new franchise. That only gets you into the ActionCOACH business coaching franchise. That still leaves the question: “What makes a great ActionCOACH business coach?” On the 28th of January 2007, Pieter Scholtz and I, separately from each other responded to the same advert in the Sunday Times newspaper. It was on the inside front page of the Business Times section. The headline is what grabbed our attention and is today still at the core of what we do. ‘Are you passionate about business and helping others? ’ That advert is today framed at our offices in Stellenbosch and serves as a great reminder of why we’re in this business. A great ActionCOACH first and foremost has a passion for business, as well as a passion for helping others. All our successful coaches love business. They love the mechanics of business, how it works, finding ways to improve it, fixing broken pieces, breaking unhealthy old ways, learning about different types, creating new ways of doing things and having fun in the process. Most, yes most not all, of our successful coaches love people. Business is fun but they are run by people; and people can be complex. Whilst, not all love people, they definitely love the growth they facilitate in people, the energy and excitement they see returning, the impact the ‘fixing’ of the business has on people. That is like a drug for a great ActionCOACH. It keeps them coming back for more and aids in working through the complex nature of the people they coach. Like it or not, people run businesses. For our clients their businesses are often their only route to success, wealth, fulfilment and legacy. The same businesses are also often the cause of their greatest stress, the cause of their health issues, relationship problems, disappointments, financial stress and so on. If you want to know if you’d be a great ActionCOACH business coach, ask yourself these questions: 1. Do you truly have a strong passion for business and for helping others? 2. Do you have a deep sense of purpose and a desire to make a difference? 3. Do you have the discipline, focus and structure to do what needs to be done – no matter what? 4. Do you have a healthy competitive streak in you? 5. Are you a positive person and already seen as a leader by those around you? 6. Are you inquisitive, love to learn and ask a lot of questions? 7. Are you truly Proudly South African? A great ActionCOACH business coach answers yes to all of these. A great ActionCOACH business coach constantly works at improving these and never stops. A great ActionCOACH business coach is committed to success, theirs and the success of their clients. A great ActionCOACH business coach is not only a great ActionCOACH, but more importantly a great human being. To all the great ActionCOACH business coaches: I salute you! If you’re the next great ActionCOACH business coach … let’s stop messing about and let’s talk! Take ACTION today! Visit our website to apply: https://southafrica.actioncoach.com/