Avi's Blog

BEAUTY BOOST

Innovation

Innovation is the life-blood of an organization. There is nothing so stultifying to a company - or the people in it - as a belief that the old ways must be the best ways. An Organization which tries to stand still will not surive. And this I see everyday in business around me. They work hard to get to a certain point and then theys it back and relax, unfortunetly it does not work that way. 

Innovation requires a blend of creativity, clear thinking and the ability to get things done. It requires thinkers and doers to work closely together. Management or Owners must create a climate in which staff have the scope to develop new ideas and the resources to implement them.

The success of innovative projects, therfore, can be seen to depend on two things:

1. The Characteristics of the individual manager and

2. The Climate of the Business.

Next week I will talk a bit more about innovation and what individual charactaristics is needed to be an effective innovator.

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Mercia Kruger

Dr Baumann

National Sales & Business Development Manager

Tel:    +27 (11) 262 5003

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email: mercia@dr-baumann.co.za 

Behind The Mask

Why Things Go Wrong

The main reasons for things going wrong are:

1. Inability to learn from mistakes

2. Sheer incompetence through over promotion

3. Poor selction, inadequate training

4. Over-confidence

5. Under-confidence

6. Laziness

7. Lack of foresight

What can you do about it?

1. Mistakes will happen. The unforgivalbe thins is to make the same mistake twice. Learn from your mistakes by analysing what went wrong.

2&3 This is something you should minimize in your subordinates by a constant drive to improve selction and performance standards and by training and coaching aimed at correcting specified weaknesses.

4. This is the most difficult problem to eradicate. Mistakes occur because you are so certain that you know all the answers that no attempt is made to foresee or take care of the unexpected. Over-confident people tend to have tunnel vision not taking notice of what is happening on either side or beyond.

5. This can be overcome as long as the individual is fundamentally competent. Mentorship works well here.

6. No one would ever admit to being lazy. But they do exist, either because they are naturally indolent or they have not been given sufficient leadership and a well-defined roll in the business. If you have such a staff member give them the boot, it cannot be tolerated. 

7. This is a common reason for mistakes. You must try to anticipate all the eventualities and make contingency plans accordingly. You may not get it right every time, but you will at least be better prepared if thought has been given to some of the eventualities. 

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Mercia Kruger

Dr Baumann

National Sales & Business Development Manager

Tel:    +27 (11) 262 5003

Fax:   +27 (11) 444 2597

email: mercia@dr-baumann.co.za 

A Legacy of Courage...Celebrating International Woman's Day

If we go back in time and think of all the woman before us and how they lived, the struggles they had to face and the sacrifices they had to make. The generation of women today, and this is only my opinion, have the option to become what ever they can dream up. We have endless resources of knowledge and information that our predecessors did not have, so why is it that women of today still make uninformed decisions? 

Today we bring in half the income, so why are some women leaving the financial side of their household up to their husbands, I know of at least 7 women that own their own businesses, but lets the husband do the accounting. Is it not better to know where you stand as a business yourself, or to see where the money is going? I know that looking at all those numbers can sometimes be very intimidating, but rather ask your partner or your husband to rather teach you how to work with the books. This is the only way to make important decisions about your business, especially when it comes to orders and payments. If left unattended you may just wake up one day to find that you are to far in the red and your business cannot be saved.

If you have no business savvy and have no interest in finding out how it works, at least ask for an overall report so that you can get an overall feel of what your business is doing. The other option is to get a qualified accountant to do your books for you, this has a perc when it comes to tax season. I don't know about you, but I still struggle to figure everything out. These guys know exactely where to safe you money and how to get some back. So don't neglect your figures, rather look to it for guidance. 

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Mercia Kruger

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National Sales & Business Development Manager

Tel:    +27 (11) 262 5003

Fax:   +27 (11) 444 2597

email: mercia@dr-baumann.co.za 

Red Hearts & Ribbons Week 3

Efficiency And Effectiveness

Today I would like to talk about the difference between effiency and effectiveness, which most of the time gets confused. This is one of the main charactaristics that should be high in any spa/salon manager. Effiency is obviously an excellent characteristic. It includes the notion of effectiveness which often emphasized less than it should be in the quest for efficiency. To concentrate on efficiency rather that effectiveness could be limiting and therefore dangerous.

A manager that concentrates on efficiency instead of effectiveness tends to:

* Do things right rather than do right things.

* Solve problems rather than produce creative alternatives

* Safegaurd resources rather than optimize resource utilization

* Lower costs rather than increase profit

The danger of focusing too much on efficiency is that the object of the excersise becomes obscured. You should aim to manage for results. You adopt the most efficient way of getting there but never forget that it is the end that counts not the means.

The trick is to balance the two out because without efficiency you won't achieve effectiveness, but you won't achieve effectiveness when put to much efficiency in to the mix and vice versa. 

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Mercia Kruger

Dr Baumann

National Sales & Business Development Manager

Tel:    +27 (11) 262 5003

Fax:   +27 (11) 444 2597

email: mercia@dr-baumann.co.za 

 

Age Defense

Being a business owner in South Africa can sometimes become very tricky, especially when you start dealing with staff and the labour law. Now when we start or buy a new business this is the furthest thing from your mind, and nobody ever think that they will be placed in certain uncomfortable situations. So today I will try and simplify some of the basics for you, especially when it comes to staff dismissals. 

You find two types of dismissals, Fair & Unfair dismissals. There are some reasons for which employees may never be fired, under any circumstances. An automatically unfair dismissal is any dismissal that is made on these impermissible grounds. If an employee is dismissed directly for any of the following reasons, the dismissal is automatically unfair. Employees cannot be dismissed:

1. For participating in a legal strike
2. For refusing to do another striking employee’s work
3. For not accepting employers’ demands if the dismissal is used as a means to get compliance
4. For acting against the company, while complying with the LRA
5. For being pregnant or for matters relating to the pregnancy
6. On arbitrary grounds like on race, religion, sex, age and any of the other constitutionally protected categories. The only exceptions are if the employee has reached retirement age, or if the dismissal is based on the inherent requirements of the job (e.g. somebody who has become blind cannot work as a bus driver).
7. Because the company’s ownership was transferred or sold as a going concern 
8. Because of a protected disclosure made by the employee, known as “whistle blowing"

If an employee alleges that they have been unfairly dismissed and the employer contests this, acourt must discern the primary or main reason for dismissal. If a union member was dismissed for gross misconduct, for example, the court must decide which was the primary motivating reason – the membership or the misconduct. If it is the former, the employee must be compensated. However, employees don’t become immune from dismissals simply if they join unions, are pregnant, become disabled, speak a different language or for any other reason listed above. They cannot be fired purely on these ground

If it is discovered that an employee was unfairly dismissed, the employee may be given the choice either to be reinstated, or to receive compensation (generally double the amount that is given for other  types of unfair dismissals).

There are only three reasons for a ‘fair’ dismissal. And even if you dismiss with due cause, if you don't follow the correct procedure, you'll end up at the CCMA for sure! 

1. Conduct of the employee
2. Capacity of the employee (his ability to do his job)
3. Operational requirements of your business (retrenchment)

The above three reasons for dismissal form the basis of 'substantive fairness'. However, if you dismiss someone for fair reason, but don’t follow the proper procedure, your dismissal will be unfair. 

The dismissal should pass (and you must prove) all of the following tests to ensure substantive fairness:

1. The accused employee committed the misconduct.
2. The employee knew or should have known that the conduct was an infringement of your rules.
3. The rule or standard was valid or reasonable.

Use this checklist when you hold your next disciplinary hearing

It’s common practice to give 24 hours’ notice of a hearing.
However, in many cases the circumstances will require you to give longer advance notice, especially if there are numerous charges, or your employee will have problems accessing data to prepare for the hearing.

• Inform your employee of the allegations against her in writing. The allegations should be clearly set out, identifying exactly what she allegedly did wrong.
• Give your employee reasonable time to prepare for the hearing, which will depend on the nature and complexity of the allegations.
• Allow your employee a representative if she wants one.
• Present your employee with the facts that support your allegations and give her an opportunity to state her case in response.

Next week I will write about procedural fairness and dismissals and how to use it correctly so that you won't have to end up in hot water.

Please feel free to visit the following links for more information on Dr Baumann.

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Bionome Greetings

 

Mercia Kruger

Dr Baumann

National Sales & Business Development Manager

Tel:    +27 (11) 444 3633

Fax:   +27 (11) 444 2597

email: mercia@dr-baumann.co.za 

 

Investing in People

We all tend to look back at the previous year and try to find the things that did not work well for us in business as well as our personal lives. Starting each new year is a very important time for our businesses, because it sets the rhythm for the rest of the year and the pase we will be taking on. One of the things that most businesses overlook is the people that work for them and the potential in them. So today I will be talking about how important it is to invest in the people that work for you. 

For every business the prime resource - the working capital - is people.  Money matters, but the human beings who work there matter even more. If you want to take a pragmatic view of people, regard them as an investment. Every employee costed money to acquire and also to maintain and they should provide a return on that outlay. The more you invest in them the more their value increase as they become more effective in their jobs and capable of taking on greater responsibility. 

So how can you as owner or manager contribute to effective training of your staff?

Determine the standards of performance required for each of the positions/jobs in your business.

Analyze the competences (knowledge and skills) relevant to the achievement of these standards.

Agree with these individuals concerned what these standards and competences are.

Review with these individuals their performance so that an agreement can be reached on any gaps to be filled between what they can do and what they should be able to do.

Every time you give someone an instruction treat it as a training  opportunity. Get individuals to tell you how they would do the job. This way you can help them to work out the best way for themselves, progressively giving them less guidance so that they learn to stand on their own feet.

Allow for the learning curve. Don't expect to much, but do require your staff to improve at a pace which matches their natural aptitudes. Only bear down hard on people if they are clearly not trying and have no excuse.

Always train and develop by example.  Give people the opportunity to learn from the way you do things. Remember that managers learn best how to manage by managing under a good manager.  And this principle applies equally well to other categories of job holders.

Remember that the prime responsibility for training and developing your staff rests with you and your results depend on their competence. 

Plan the training for your staff in accordance with a regular review of their training needs. 

Remember to use a variety of training techniques such as job instruction, assignments, coaching, and guided reading.

As written in "The Practice of Management" - Development is always self-development. Nothing could be more absurd that for the enterprise to assume responsibility for the development of a man. The responsibility rests with the individual, his abilities, his efforts ...Every manager in a business has the opportunity to encourage self-development or to stifle it, to direct it or to misdirect it. he should be specifically assigned the responsibility for helping all men working with him to focus, direct and apply their self-development efforts productively. And every company can provide systematic development changes to its manager.

This year Dr Baumann South Africa as a compony will be offering educational seminars relevant to the skin and the products we use in our Skinology Seminars  as well as new innovating ideas on business in our Millionaire Seminars. This will be just one of the ways we will be trying to assist you and your staff in your business ventures for new year.

Please feel free to visit the following links for more information on Dr Baumann

Dr Baumann

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Bionome Greetings

 

Mercia Kruger

Dr Baumann

National Sales & Business Development Manager

Tel:  +27 (11) 262 5003

Fax: +27 (11) 444 2597

email: mercia@dr-baumann.co.za 

Barriers To Communication

Barriers To Communication

In today's world we are all so connected through websites, chat-sites, cellphones etc, and yet we are all so disconnected. More and more people recognize the need to communicate but find it difficult. We are like hedgehogs that want to get together, but our prickles keep us apart. Words may sound or look precise, but they are not. All sorts of barriers exist between the communicator and the receiver. Unless these barriers are overcome the message will be distorted or will not get through. 

We like to hear what we want to hear. What we understand when someone speaks to us is largely based on our own experience and background. Instead of hearing what people have told us, we hear what our minds tell us they have said. 

We tend to ignore or reject communications that conflict with our own beliefs. If they are not  rejected, some way is found of twisting and shaping their meaning to fit our preconceptions. When a message is inconsistent with existing beliefs, the receiver rejects its validity, avoids further exposure to it, easily forgets it and, in his memory, distorts what he has heard. 

It is difficult to separate what we hear from our feelings about the person who says it. Non-existent motives may be ascribed to the communicator. If we like someone we are more likely to accept what he says - whether it is right or wrong - than if we dislike him.

Words mean different things to different people. Essentially, language is a method of using symbols to represent facts and feelings. Strictly speaking, we can't convey meaning, all we can do is to convey words. Do not assume that because something has a certain meaning to you, it will convey the same meaning to someone else.

Our emotions colour our ability to convey or to receive the true message. When we are insecure or worried, what we hear seems more threatening that when we are secure and at peace with the world. When we are angry or depressed, we tend to reject what might otherwise seem like reasonable requests or good ideas. During heated argument, many things that are said may not be understood or may be badly distorted.

These are just some of the barriers we face during communication. So how do we overcome these barriers?

Well we have to adjust to the world of the receiver. Try to predict the impact of what you are going to say on the receiver's feelings and attitudes. Tailor the message to fit the receiver's vocabulary, interests and values. Be aware of how the information might be misinterpreted because of prejudices, the influence of others and the tendency of people to reject what they do not want to hear.

Another good method is using feedback. Ensure that you get a message back from the receiver which tells you how much has been understood. 

Use face-to-face communication. Whenever possible talk to people rather than write to them. That is how you can get feedback. You can adjust or change your message according to reactions. You can also deliver it in a more human and understanding way, this can help to overcome prejudices. Verbal criticism can often be given in a more constructive manner than written reproof which always seems to be harsher.

Being so close to the end of the year as well as the new year, let us all make our new years resolution to start to try and communicate better with our husbands, friends, work colleagues and bosses. This way we might just be a bit closer to a society that is in harmony. 

Please feel free to visit the following links on more information. 

Stephnie-Anne Dickinson’s Blog

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Bionome Greetings

 

Mercia Kruger

Dr Baumann

National Sales & Business Development Manager

Tel:    +27 (11) 444 3633

Fax:   +27 (11) 444 2597

email: mercia@dr-baumann.co.za 

UNMASK YOUR PERFECT SKIN

This weekend my husband and myself decided to treat ourselves to a lovely massage at a spa in Gauteng, we were very excited because we haven't done this since before we got married. By first entering the spa we found the atmosphere to be lovely and tranquil and we were taken to the waiting room and told that our therapists will be with us shortly and handed us our client cards. While we were waiting we heard two ladies heatedly arguing in the room next door and realized that the waiting area is next to the managers office. To our horror the argument just got louder and louder until we could actually hear every word that they were saying, needless to say the argument was about the manager wanting the therapist to do a specific duty and just by saying it in the wrong tone of voice, sparked the fight between them. I probably don't have to tell you that my husband and I did not enjoy our treatment very much, because all we could think about was the fight in the office.

 So today I would like to talk to the spa managers out there, however good you are - or think you are - you can always get better.  You may already be a good manager, but to be an even better one it is worth spending some time increasing your understanding of all things managerial. This can be a long discussion so for today I will start with Assertiveness.

Being Assertive means to stand up for your own rights in such a way that you do not violate another person's rights as well as expressing your needs, wants, opinions, feelings and beliefs in direct, honest and appropriate ways. When you are being assertive you are not, therefore, being aggressive, which causes two counter productive reactions: fight or flight. In other words, aggression breeds aggression, which gets you nowhere, or it forces people to retreat in a demoralized or dissatisfied way. Inducing this sort of behavior will not help to achieve your aim of getting them to go along with you. Behaving assertively puts you into the position of being able to influence people properly and react to them positively. 

I you are faced by aggression, take a breath, count up to ten and then ask calmly for information about what is bugging the aggressors. State clearly, and again calmly, the position as you see it. Always empathize with the aggressors by making it plain that you can see it from their point of view, but at the same time explaining the matter of fact way how you see the discrepancy between what they believe and what you feel is actually happening. 

Assertiveness is about fighting your own corner and using the right influencing skills. There are four influencing styles you can use:

Asserting - making your views clear.

Persuading - using facts, logic and reason to present your own case, emphasizing its strong points, anticipating objections to any apparent weaknesses and appealing to reason.

Bridging - drawing out other people's points of view, demonstrating that you understand what they are getting at, giving credit and praise in response to their good ideas and suggetions, joining your views with theirs.

Attracting - conveying your enthusiasm for your ideas, getting people to feel that they are all part of an exciting project.

I believe as a previous therapist as well as manager that this industry does not properly equip us to be able to become fantastic managers, so we need to take it upon ourselves to go out there and learn about new ways to communicate with our staff as well as all the other aspects of being a manager, so that we too can become an even better manager. 

Stephnie-Anne Dickinson’s Blog

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Bionome Greetings

 

Mercia Kruger

Dr Baumann

National Sales & Business Development Manager

Tel:    +27 (11) 444 3633

Fax:   +27 (11) 444 2597

email: mercia@dr-baumann.co.za 

Summer Sizzlers

How to Identify your 9 different personality types

Take a minute and think of the different personalities between your friends, there are a lot right. So how can we communicate and understand them better, especially if there is 9 different personality types out there. Understanding the different personalities can help you develop better relationships and more productivity in the work place, especially if you need to sell. So lets see how to find out who is who....

1. The Perfectionist

The perfectionist know exactly what the want, and when they want it. For this person there is only on way to get the job done and that will be their way. They might come across as critical and judgmental, yet intriguing. They pride themselves on their discipline, organizational ability and quality control. 

2. The Helper

Everyone knows such a person, who needs to be needed and always wants to help. This person's main concern is to please others, and helpers enjoy knowing that their work is appreciated. They are your most loyal customer or friend. They also tend to bring out the best in others, which makes them indispensable.

3. The Achiever

Success is very important to a Achiever.They are extremely hard working and efficient to achieve goals and very action orientated. If something needs to be done, they are the ones that will make sure it is done right. Because of the sense of accomplishment, Achievers give off the same degree of confidence that you might see in a team captain and is also sometimes accompanied by a bit of cockiness.

4. The Artist

The just want to explore their deepest passion and be understood. They are the sensitive ones, often basing their decisions of intuition. Their creativity often brings a positive force to any project as intellectual stimulators. They need to express their creativity even if it means bending the rules.

5. The Observer

The observers, the listeners. They are the quiet ones of the group, but they always pay attention to the details. They are very self motivated and intense Like "The Artist" the Observer can be quite creative, even brilliant, though sometimes it may take a while for others to recognize the brilliance.There approach to life is rather to think than to feel, and are inspired by mentally challenging tasks.

6. The Troubleshooter 

 "Always be prepared" is the motto of the Troubleshooter. With a need for safety and security, Troubleshooters often worry about what could go wrong instead of what could go right. This is not a negative aspect, this means they will always anticipate and prepare for every possibility. And don't try to sneak anything past them, they will be able to sniff out your hidden agenda. They enjoy interacting with people and have a strong commitment to fair treatment.

7. The Adventurer

They love the excitement of new projects at work. They love looking at the future and plan multiple options and scenarios. The Adventurer is not someone that like being tied down. In the work place this is where all the new and innovating ideas start. They are very optimistic but be careful, they sometimes get caught up in their own ideas and can come across as being narcissistic. In reality their minds are just moving a 100km an hour, so they tend to overlook what is going on around them. 

8. The Asserter

The Asserter is down to earth and direct with others. The Asserter has a strong personality and often protect those who are more vulnerable. The Asserter loves taking charge in any situation. They are also perceived as strong individuals who are never afraid of confrontation. 

9. The Peace Keeper/ Mediator

They are the deal makers and compromisers. They are completely uncomfortable with confrontation, and often tend to merge sides to avoid conflict. This makes them great at empathizing with others. People tend to trust them as they see them as being neutral and sympathetic. The Mediator needs time and space to make their own decisions.

These 9 personality types give you a good indication of the people at your work and the clients that come through the door. But always keep in mind that these are only guidelines and sometimes you may get a person that falls in more that 1 of these personality types. These guideline can be used to enforce your selling technique on how to approach each individual.

Please feel free to visit the following links on more information. 

Stephnie-Anne Dickinson’s Blog

Dr Baumann

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Bionome Greetings

 

Mercia Kruger

Dr Baumann

National Sales & Business Development Manager

Tel:    +27 (11) 444 3633

Fax:   +27 (11) 444 2597

email: mercia@dr-baumann.co.za 

 

Youthful You

I think that a lot of businesses forget that the greatest asset to your business is the people who work for you. Mostly when we start a new business we are all excited and motivated and ready for anything, but when you don't have the support of the people who work for you, your company will never thrive. If you have a team that backs you up and supports you, there is nothing that will prevent you from succeeding in anything you take on.

A lot of managers / owners think that they will get there staff motivated by forcing their authority onto the their workers. I can tell you now, it does not work. You will only create a lot of negativity and it will cause resentment that will work against you. The more successful way of doing it is to create and develop communications skills with your staff. If they feel that you are communicating with them, they will work harder.

If you are anything like me, you will know that some of us find communicating very hard sometimes and it does not come naturally for everyone. But let me tell you what someone wise told me. . . practice, practice, practice. Nothing ever came naturally, we only become good at something if we practice. The only advise I am able to give you is that, always try to be happy and people would want to be near you. Know what goes on in your employees lives and always be eager to praise them for work well done. Listen to what you employees have to say in meetings or one on ones, and really listen. Always be compassionate and show some empathy and remember to think of how thinks look from their point of view. 

You also need to build the type of culture that you want in your work place. Nothing will happen if you don't initiate. Schedule informal group meetings, always try to meet with everyone in one to one meetings and have loads of group meetings not just to let everyone know specific things at the same time, but also to see your staff reactions and listen to comments. There are so many sources out there for us as managers and owners to find out and learn how to communicate, that no one really has any excuse any more of not knowing of to.

Please feel free to visit the following links on more information. 

Stephnie-Anne Dickinson’s Blog

Dr Baumann

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Bionome Greetings

 

Mercia Kruger

Dr Baumann

National Sales & Business Development Manager

Tel:    +27 (11) 444 3633

Fax:   +27 (11) 444 2597

email: mercia@dr-baumann.co.za