Money and Learning!
2 Comments Published by Clayton September 2nd, 2010 in General, Avo in the media
Extra Extra, read all about it!
Jules features twice in this month’s issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. Her special feature on Money describes her vision for Footprint and a bit of it’s history. You wanna know more about how it works and the ripple effect that spreads out afterwards? Then check out the article here!
The second featurette is on learning and how managers in all diversities of business should be viewing their employees. How does one train their staff effectively? And how should you view the selling trends of this generation? Find out here.
Bosses must learn - Even at 50
2 Comments Published by Clayton August 26th, 2010 in General, Avo in the media
To be Gen-x or to be Gen-y… that is the question.
What was the question again? oh ya, with each new generation comes new challenges with understanding each other, how does one cope in a business with such diversity when it comes to generational gaps?
In Steve’s new article in the Workplace he speaks about just that.
Check out the PDF here, and let us know what you think.
Things can’t go on like this. I mean the whole thing – this global economy. It’s all up-side-down in its values and drivers. Just thinking about it threatens to make me wordless and hopeless. Eventually – because I have to get up every morning – I will start to nibble at it in my little corner of the world, do what I can, but inevitably my nibbles seem so insignificant when compared to the size of the problem. It’s such a very large and multi-faceted problem.
A shortlist I’ve been mulling over this weekend:
- Most people on the planet have given their decision-making power away to governments who do not serve them
- Capitalism (as it is) is reaching its sell-by date. The planet is running out of the basic resources to sustain a linear production-consumption system
- The gestures business and governments make to global ecological conservation and alleviation of global poverty are not helping enough
- There are too many people on the planet to allow for quality of life for most of us – our population projections tell us that we have already exceeded the planet’s capacity to sustain us all
- Primary resources (like water) have been centralised to governmental or big business distributors which lock people into relationships in which they have no power
- People in power have been corrupted by greed, people in positions of powerlessness have been corrupted by hopelessness.
- Media (the bulk of the content of our global communications) is largely driven by consumerist messaging and sensationalist drama
Is it possible to fix a super-system that is just so sick? At times I would like to say that I wish we could all just stop and begin again. Chances are, we might get that opportunity – though not on our terms if Mother Nature is left to organise it.
With a sigh I look about me to see who’s doing something about all this. Doing seems like the best response, both practically and psychologically. Locally, Lead SA looks like a good idea: an opportunity for South Africans to roll their eyes at ineffective governance and get on with the job themselves.
Not-doing is another alternative. This means, not doing what we normally do, not defaulting to the easiest behaviours, not continuing to give energy to systems that have run their course and are no longer useful.
But I began with the title, “What would Marxists do?” If there is good one out there, let’s have a detailed critique which can lead us to some workable solution. Something that sees us clearly as the contradictory humans we are with an opportunity to turn a huge problem into something Truly Great.
What Distinguishes Dodgy Dealers from Sales Pros
2 Comments Published by Clayton August 20th, 2010 in General, Avo in the media
Raelene has done it again, her new article is making waves around the sales world and has left Sales Guru’s editor HUNGRY for more…
Check out the article and let her know what you think by leaving a comment.
Click here to read the PDF article.
…and then came that bloody pirate ship!!!
5 Comments Published by yojules August 2nd, 2010 in GeneralThe risky thing that happens when there’s too much talk about ships and things (see previous blog), is that your metaphor runs away with you, and unanticipated consequences can occur.
This one, as anyone who has a history with Avo will know, has sent us reeling for a while. After almost a decade of being one of Avo’s key rainmakers, Hanli Buber has been given an offer she can’t refuse, and has decided to move on to a new and challenging role. She will be the training manager in a company that designs staff share schemes, amongst other things, and it will be her job to ensure that thousands of people are trained in line with that. We’re hoping, of course, that she becomes one of our key customers in that regard!
Hanli was ‘Avo number 3′ when we started growing this company years ago. She joined me to help with the SAB logistics account when it all got a bit much for me to manage on my own, and soon wove herself into the fabric of SAB to the point when they had no idea that she actually worked for us and not them! She grew the SAB relationship in her own quirky fashion so that they have remained one of our key accounts throughout the decade, ensuring the sustainabiity of Avo, and adding significant value to SAB through the projects she spearheaded.
My road with Hanli has been rich, albeit bumpy. In so many ways we have been each other’s teacher: we have worked together creatively so well, and have also knocked spots off one another along the road. I have valued her courage to speak out when other voices have not been able to; her quick mind; her huge ability; her colourful way of approaching life, and the way she makes me laugh my head off!
But more than anything, I have admired her braveness. There is a painting of Hanli which, until recently, has hung in the entrance hall to our Avo building, painted by my sister, Caroline. It tells the story of a woman who has suffered in her life. The skin on her back is raw with the beating her journey has given her. But the story she tells in the painting is that she has chosen to thrive and grow through her pain and vulnerability: her back is strong, her chin, proud. It has been a great and inspirational privilege to be privy to the unfolding of Hanli’s power over this decade. The painting has gone to live at Hanli’s house where it will become a cherished heirloom for her daughters, and, I hope, a powerful example to them of a woman who can overcome huge obstacles to become what God intended for her.
Han. Mate! You are one of my precious people. I’m sad that we are losing your exceptional talent from the Avo space, but I know I’m not losing a friend. I hope you’ll find even more of that brave and powerful woman in your new space. Go with all my blessings and love!
There’s been a lot of ship talk around Avo lately. Mostly because we’ve been feeling a bit low in the water after the recession and quiet world cup time. But Avo isn’t the kind of place where the bosses would easily go ‘Hmmmmm… tooo many folks on the boat: Time to make some walk the plank!’ In a market where there have been 232 000 jobs lost already this year, that would just be tossing our precious people to the sharks, so to speak.
In a turn of fate that verges on divine intervention, though, a wonderful opportunity has presented itself in the form of a new ship that just pulled up alongside ours’. Ngikwazi, our sister company, just closed a really exciting deal with a new client which has meant that they have had to staff up an entirely new team. In the last 3 weeks, some awesome job offers have come the way of our team, and some of our Avos have decided to take advantage of the opportunities that were on offer and ‘jumped ship’. Most of them are already on board, slaving away at getting the new boat ship-shape and ready to sail.
It’s and exciting new development in the life of the Avo and Ngikwazi group of companies. Congratulations to Andre and his team for landing this fabulous deal. It increases the number of boats in our flotilla, creates real growth opportunities for our talented staff, and gives us all the chance to be part of growing South Africa.
Of course, the reality on our Avo office is that we have some empty chairs: Sandi, Soz, Stephen, Lele and Noma have already moved into new roles on the Ngikwazi ship. Jeanette is moving across for a short term project 3-month period. And one or two more Avos are looking at roles that will become available a few months down the line.
To all of you already on the new ship: bon voyage! We’re missing you already, but wish you all the very very best in this next phase of your careers. We’ll be watching your progress with pride.
To the Avos in the Avo ship: it’s been really hard to watch some of our precious Avos go, and it’s going to be tough sailing our ship without them. But we’re now lighter in the water. As the winds begin to blow after this sluggish time, we’re perfectly positioned to hoist our sails, and shoot off into the sunset. And at the risk of making my reader vomit, of course I can’t resist saying “All hands on deck…..”!
Today is a very auspicious day for Avo! After almost 15 years of operating (and my final acceptance that Vanessa actually did move to Hout Bay 2 years ago, and isn’t coming back to Kensington), we have finally decided to launch an official branch in Cape Town! Today is the first official live day for our Cape Town team!
Joining Vanessa, on the sales team, is Annie Dicey, who has also been a friend and associate of Avo for more than 5 years. She’s now a full-blown Avo and we’re all darn excited to have her on board!!!
Welcome aboard, Cape Town branch. If your ramp-up period is anything to go by, we’re in for a pumping season ahead!!
Soccer Feva has well and truly hit Avocado Vision – we are all buzzing around in the euphoria which has hit South Africa. To say we are seriously wrapped up in the excitement would be an under-statement. We are attending matches, watching matches on TV, talking matches and trying to get tickets for matches (Clint -
!)… Each Avo has even been assigned a team (some are happy, and some not so much) and we are all indirectly, actually participating in the matches…
It’s been a great experience to personally attend a couple of matches myself, to walk through the stadiums with a sense of pride at how we are actually pulling this show off – It has been said so much, and rightfully so, we really do have a lot to be proud of… There is no denying that it’s great to rejoice and celebrate the way we do, when we do so in our personal space, but we all felt that we needed to raise up the energy in style and truly step it up at the office (bring the joy into the space in which we actually do spend a majority of our time)…
A decision was made when The World Cup started, that we would celebrate her arrival with a good old fashioned, Avo-Family, Socca Feva Braai… We put a projector up in the conference venue, connected it to a TV and prepared ourselves to watch South Africa play their last game (against the French) in the group stages, hoping against all hope that our Bafana would make us proud, and that perhaps we would maybe even make it into the next round…
Avo Family members brought their families along for the ride; Chicken and steak prego’s sizzled on the braai; Laughter, joviality and the bellow of our Avo-zelas echoed and rolled down the hill as we took the opportunity in full grasp to relax and enjoy each other’s company; chatting, joking, anecdote-ing and energizing each other with the spirit of South Africa which is currently connecting the people of our nation…
There were a few absent members of our Avo family… can I just say that you guys really and truly missed out… The day before the braai I was offered tickets to attend the Greece–Argentina match (in Polokwane, which under normal circumstances would’ve been a no-brainer), but I made the decision to attend the Avo braai (which had been a long time in planning) and watch My Bafana Bafana with my colleagues and friends – and I am so glad that I made that decision: Call me Crazy, it really was the best time, and the best way, to enjoy the day…
The weather was perfect, as the sun beat down we painted faces, the Avo children running around, playing soccer on the grass; we snacked and giggled amongst each other over glasses of wine, a beer or two, and passed the time away as the big match approached, drawing nearer, with nerves and excitement in it’s stride. We belted out our anthem full force with the start of the game… We had gathered together, and cheered together, and screamed together in joy and pain, we hoped together, we wished together, and together we prayed that Bafana would reign…
As the sun set, after some glorious moments and nail-biting tension the end drew near, and when it ended we smiled, shrugged our shoulders, of course we were disappointed, a little upset, but we were most definitely proud at the same time… A great day had been shared, a valiant effort put forth by our boys, a victory achieved, a first for the team, at the first for a continent, the Avo’s had a day like only the Avo’s can – And there is simply no denying the fact that Our Bafana Bafana have done us proud!
What is people management all about? Should companies in South Africa and in fact globally place more emphasis on the people management side of things?
One of the most important things to implement within your company is a little thing called a people process.
Rachels new article in the Business Brief will tell you just what you need to know about People Management and the key to its success.
Click here to read the scanned PDF article.
Some of you might already know that Jules was recently interviewed by SABC for a show called Umnotfo Wami. She talks about the top tips to expand your business, what to watch out for and what to expect.
Just so all of you can check it out, I’ve uploaded it to our Community of Learning site.
Check it out here.
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Avo cares about helping our clients solve their people connecting challenges. We work with managers and people who want to lift their communication game, no matter what the context. We offer skills development programmes, management development and coaching solutions, and learning solutions that help people get better at this stuff. It's no longer a 'nice-to-have': the ability to communicate well is fast becoming a non-negotiable.
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