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2017 launches South Africans into a year in which the presidential race is on. We will be inundated by political speak. Already spokesmen and women for the contending factions have begun pointing out all the shortcomings of their expected opponents. Political speak is a language all of its own. Experience has taught most of us to not simply believe and accept all we are told! When promises of epic proportions are proclaimed behind the mikes, no sound amplification can lend them credentials! Those of us who have the stamina to endure political speeches till the final words often conclude: ‘Don’t…

Interesting words start with an X, like ‘xenophobia’. In SA, regrettably, we are very familiar with what ‘xenophobia’ means and how it manifests in extreme ways, when what belongs to strangers who are seen as a threat is destroyed. And worse. BNI as a business community embraces the opposite mindset: inclusiveness.This makes it possible to for us to build business constructively. We have practical guidelines that start with converting the visitors to our chapter into members of our chapter. Our Regional Director, Butch Coetzee, is big on this – pushing us to apply the basics! ‘The first step is for…

A not so well-known singer made a single (1) which sold 8 million copies in a flash. The lyrics of this song open up with: ‘Words don’t come easy to me!’ I’m very partial to this song! Especially every time I present speech-training workshops. Or sit with a client who needs to prepare for a ‘difficult conversation’. How often do I hear the candidates sigh: ‘I just can’t find the words!’ Finding the right words for a particularly challenging occasion can indeed be very difficult. This goes way beyond mastering a reasonably good vocabulary – though inevitably mastering the language…

Everybody loves a winner! The sports-mad South Africans often associate victory with winning sport games and with physically challenging pursuits like our Comrades Marathon. We’re glued to the screen, following the match, cheering for our favourite team or competitor, and glory be when they get the laurels and step onto the podium! The JC Le Roux pops in the neighbourhood! There is a collective celebration of such mega victories! We chat to neighbours and strangers, we would normally not speak to. It becomes a victory we own – as a nation. Our world of business also demands heavy-going competition, and…

We all know how to write a neat capital letter U: one leg coming down, going through the narrow U-turn and the second leg coming up again. Envision a U. The formation of a U is used as the image that represents what happens during ‘big change’. The kind of change that really changes things – from losing the old ways of doing something, followed by sinking into the pits of doubt and uncertainty about what is going to happen – and eventually crawling upright again and trying to climb towards new things. There is a whole theory about transformational…

Trust is a strange thing. I was thinking about the wonder of spontaneous trust the other day at Profiles gym swimming pool. While doing my laps, I could follow what was going on with the swimming class for tiny toddlers. How cheerfully they hurled themselves forward in the pool, with total abandon, sure in their trust that they will land in the arms of their coach. It reminded me that sure we were born with a natural trusting instinct – and that indeed it works wonders for us as we explore the world – until we lose it. As adults…

The letter ‘S’ comes with a topic which I found suitable for our BNI ‘Woman’s Day’ celebration. Sisterhood as an idea assumes that there is a kind of glue that binds women together, as a ‘gender’- category where we all have something in common – no matter how different as individuals we may be. It also assumes that on the grounds of what it is that we have in common – there is a solidarity among us. Well … when we launch ourselves in a cat-fight – nothing could be further from the truth! Yet – though I’ve witnessed a…

We all know Robin Hood, the defender of the downtrodden, who clashes with authority and is forced to become an outlaw. He rebels against the injustice of his time, the 12th century, when political plotting leads to imposing taxes beyond all reasonable limits. All this to fill the royal coffers and gain control of the throne. All this making the poor in the kingdom cringe. Robin Hood, with his band of Merry Men, robs from the rich and gives to the poor. The legends about Robin Hood are filled with intrigue, suspense, adventure and tricky archery contests. We’re rooting for…

Wishing all of us South Africans in 2016 zest for work and life, plus a good dose of business acumen. All of us running our businesses, know we’ll need extra this year! Please find here the thoughts I shared with my Business Network International (BNI) chapter, at our first meeting in 2016: 2016 is about a big challenge – bigger than last year’s by any count. What do we need to jazz ourselves up for our business in 2016? We can’t undo the impact of the horrific drought. We can’t reverse the damage done by our Nr 1’s game of…

Two Latin words, made famous by Hollywood movies. Words that ask the question: ‘Where are you going? On a Friday afternoon, I found myself alone on the 30-minute gym circuit. The newly recruited trainer had me as captive audience. A young first-year university dropout, she entertained me in detail about the countries and the cities and the jobs that her uncles, aunts, cousins and nephews have pursued. They all have left SA. She herself is also planning to do so in the near future. She said: ‘A few weeks ago my uncle phoned my gran to tell her that he…