Category: Improve Your Skills

What Every Career Woman Can Learn from These Black Iconic Women

by She Leads Africa

It can be challenging to navigate the professional world. Especially while trying to find yourself in your career journey.  However, there are many black women who have come before us and blazed trails. They prove that anything is possible with hard work and determination. 

Mo Abudu highlights the importance of pursuing a career you love, while Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma emphasizes the importance of self-confidence. Lupita Nyong’o encourages women to stay true to themselves and never let anyone dim their light. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka motivates women to believe in their abilities and not let anyone tell them they can’t do something. Finally, Wangari Maathai inspires women to stand up for their rights and encourage others to do the same.

Here are six quotes from some of the most renowned black women in Africa. Wise words that every career woman can learn from.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

– Mo Abudu, Nigeria

Mo Abudu is a Nigerian media mogul and philanthropist. She has made a name for herself in the media industry. Her quote emphasizes the importance of loving what you do in order to achieve success. Pursue a career that you’re passionate about.This will keep you motivated to work hard and achieve your goals.

 

“You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.”

– Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, South Africa

Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is a South African politician. She is also the first woman to lead the African Union Commission. Her quote emphasizes the importance of self-confidence and believing in your own abilities. Trust yourself and your abilities in order to achieve your goals.

“Stay true to who you are, and never let anyone dim your light.”

– Lupita Nyong’o, Kenyan-Mexican actress and producer

Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan-Mexican actress and producer who has made a name for herself in Hollywood. She has won numerous awards for her acting, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Nyong’o’s message is to stay true to who you are and never let anyone dim your light. Embrace your uniqueness and let your light shine bright.

“Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.”

– Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, South African politician and UN Under-Secretary-General, South Africa

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is a South African politician and activist who has been a strong advocate for women’s rights throughout her career. She served as the Deputy President of South Africa and is currently the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. Mlambo-Ngcuka’s message is clear: don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. With hard work and determination, anything is possible.

“The beauty of standing up for your rights is that others see you standing and stand up as well.”

– Wangari Maathai, Kenya

This quote by Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmental and political activist, can inspire career women to be confident and vocal in advocating for their rights and the rights of others. By standing up for themselves, they can encourage others to do the same and create positive change in their workplaces and communities.

The professional world can be challenging, but these six quotes from renowned black women in Africa provide guidance and inspiration for every career woman.

These wise words remind us that with hard work, determination, and self-confidence, anything is possible in the professional world.

5 Tips to Effective Time Management

by She Leads Africa

Time management is one of the most valuable skills you will need in life. We all have 24 hours in a day, but some people get the most out of their time while others don’t.

Working as a content marketer has taught me to manage my time wisely.

It gets crazy sometimes as projects are thrown your way. Which one do you focus on or delegate?

I like this quote from Zig Ziglar:

“Lack of direction and not lack of time is the problem. We all have 24 hours in a day.”

There are a lot of people juggling multiple jobs and when I ask how they do it, they laugh and say, “It’s not easy.”

Below are some simple steps you can take to manage your time wisely:

5-tips-to-effective-time-management

Let’s dive in…

Complete the most important tasks first

Some people leave the most important for the last. But if you want to be better at time management, you should complete the most important tasks first.

This way, even if you fail to get all your work done at the end of the day, you still conclude the day as being a success.

Prioritize wisely

5-tips-to-effective-time-management

Group your daily tasks into each category. This will tell you where to spend more time and less time.

Important and urgent – tasks that must be done. These, you must do right away!

Important but not urgent – tasks that look important but really aren’t. They can wait!

Urgent but not important – these are tasks that appear pressing but have little or no value. You can delegate these if you can!

Not urgent and not important – these are not urgent and they’re not important either.

Learn to say “NO”

A lot of us are guilty of this. Out of the goodness of our hearts, it’s almost impossible to say “no”.

Want someone to run an errand? They come to you. Need someone to edit and proofread a doc? You’re the go-to girl.

Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with helping a colleague BUT, saying yes to everything and everyone eats into your time.

It’s okay to decline every now and then. And no, it doesn’t mean you don’t have a heart, it simply means you value your time.

5-tips-to-effective-time-management

Organize Yourself

There are so many time management and productivity resources you can utilize. Tools like Asana, Trello and Wunderlist help track and manage your projects.

5-tips-to-effective-time-management

Distractions steal your time. When distractions are managed well, it can lead to a balanced life but when not managed, they can keep you from accomplishing your goals. - Judith Abani Click To Tweet

Create a timeline for a particular project

I had to learn this. I’ll just dive in and get to work but now I’ve learned to allocate a specific amount of time to a task. Let’s say there’s a blog to write among other things.

I tell myself “I’m going to work on this for 2 hours.” What this ‘time constraint’ does is that it pushes you to focus and be more efficient.

Time management isn’t something you learn at once. You cultivate it over time. It’s one skill that can help you make the most out of your day. Follow these 5 tips and you’re on your way to working smart.

Your turn,

What are your best practices for managing your time?

   Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.

The Boss-Level Talk From The Confidence in Action Summit Nigeria

by Elvira Dias

Have you ever started a new job and realized you hate it? Are you finding it hard to get your dream job or even a job? Would you like to know how to position yourself as the best job candidate? 

 

The Confidence in Action Summit helped the Nigerian Motherland Moguls discover how to build their professional brands and answer the questions above. It was juiced up with the boss-level talk that elevates careers and took place on the 12th of February 2022. 

 

SLA partnered with Darling Nigeria to bring the summit to 3 African countries. It kicked off in South Africa, came to Nigeria and now is headed to Kenya. 

 

More than 2,900 Nigerian queens showed up to the free, 3hrs of masterclasses, workshops, networking sessions and the keynote speech ‘Bouncing Back From Rejection’ given by Dr Chinny Ogunro.

 

All attendees had direct access to some of Nigeria’s high profile career experts, and it was epic. 

The career expert speakers and coaches included Isioma Coker, an HR Advisor Team Lead at Shell. Nwamaka Okey-Aguorun, Senior HR Manager at Diageo – Guinness Nigeria. Toun Tunde-Anjous, founder & CEO of The People Practice. Tiwalola Ogunlesi, international speaker, author and founder of Confident and Killing it. 

 

If you missed the South African and Nigerian summits, register for the Kenyan summit taking place on the 19th of February 2022. You wouldn’t want to miss out on another chance to build the professional brand of your dreams and grow your network.

 

Here are the Boss-Lady Conversations You’ve Missed

 

We learnt how to revamp our professional profile, make a strategic career plan and build our network.  

 

The attendees had the option to be in a masterclass or networking session each hour before the keynote speaker. They were also coached on how to harness communication skills needed to negotiate job offers, ace job interviews and gain strategies to propel their career forward. 

 

Masterclass 1:  Getting Unstuck When You Feel Trapped In A Job with Isioma Coker.

 

Masterclass 2:  How to Position Yourself As The Best Candidate For The Job with Nwamaka Okey-Aguoru. 

 

Workshop 1: Do Things & Tell People: Develop Your Professional Brand to Land Your Dream Job with Tiwalola Ogunlesi.

 

Workshop 2:  How To Find A Job That You Actually Care About with Toun Tunde-Anjous.

 

We lit things up with Confidence in Action and showed our boss ladies how to launch powerful professional brands!

 

We were captivated by world-class information, tips and advice on owning our careers and being intentional about our career moves, from the beginning to the end.

 

Here’s to raising a glass to all our boss ladies who showed up for the Nigerian summit. They came out in numbers to take in the career gems we had prepared for them, and it was an experience worth watching again. You can watch the masterclasses and keynote speeches on YouTube to get a snippet of how the summit was. 

2 EASY WAYS TO MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT MISS YOUR SHE MEANS BUSINESS TRAINING

by She Leads Africa

So… you register for She Means Business– all pumped and ready to learn how to dominate the online business world. You are looking forward to your training and all the amazing online business knowledge you KNOW you are going to leave the class with.

But then two days later you get an email saying you were absent from your training…yesterday. You had totally forgotten. Believe it or not, it happens to the best of us.

This article is going to show you two easy ways to make sure you do not forget to attend your She Means Business training. We want to see your awesome business grow and we are willing to do what it takes to make sure you get the knowledge you need.

OPTION 1- Add the event to your calendar.

  • Once you register for any of the sessions, you will get a confirmation email in your primary inbox. It looks like the image below. Please open it.

  • Scroll down a bit and tap on the calendar option of your choice and it will automatically take you to that calendar.

  • It will ask you to give Zoom permission to access your calendar. If you are fine with the terms, agree and your calendar will be displayed. Tap on “Save” and the session will be added to your calendar automatically.

  • On the day of the training, you will get a calendar reminder with a link to your session. Click on the link and voila, your training will begin!

OPTION 2- Join a WhatsApp Reminder Group

  • When you open the confirmation email above, scroll down a bit till you see what is in the image below. Tap on any of the blue links to join a reminder group.

  • Interaction is limited to admins on the group, so do not worry, you won’t get spammed. The only messages you will get will be session reminders.

If you want to make super super sure that you do not forget, you can try both options. This way, you will get a reminder via the WhatsApp Group and also through your calendar.

We can’t wait for you to gain the knowledge you need to run your online business like a pro so that you can strut into places like this:

What is She Means Business?

She Means Business in partnership with Facebook offers digital skills training and business finance sessions for entrepreneurs to learn how to effectively grow their business online and share strategies for success. 

Here is what you can expect from She Means Business-

  • Practical courses on how to use Instagram, Facebook and Whatsapp to make more money for your business.
  • Business finance training to help you stay financially healthy.
  • A certificate to show you have successfully mastered the digital marketing skills from the training. (If you can score 80% or higher on our course quizzes😏)

You definitely do not want to miss out on this opportunity! Tap here to register today.

     

    4 Ways To Become A Financially Literate Mogul In 2021

    by Ifeoma Nnewuihe

    Every two to four business days, I come across very questionable advice on how to be “financially literate” on the interwebs. I almost want to ask the person giving the “advice” if they believe what they are saying or if it is just vibes. 

    See, not everyone is giving you advice is they have fact-checked, taken time to think through or practice. We have to learn how to filter what we hear about managing our hard-earned money, especially in a Panoramic.

    Financially Literate Woman

    So, in this piece, we’ll be discussing-

    • What it means to be a financially literate mogul.
    • How you can increase your financial literacy without any of the shenanigans online.

    Sign up to get your FREE finance worksheet!

    So, what does it mean to be a financially literate mogul?

    A financially literate mogul has a basic knowledge about managing personal finances and building wealth.

    If this is you, it means you have an understanding of how to

    Now that all this has been listed, reflect on what you understand through PRACTICE and what you need to get better at. 

    Want FREE finance-related content, resources and updates? Click here!

    Here are some No-BS ways to become financially literate.

    Read –

    Books, Magazines, web articles, newsletters, Facebook posts, Tweets, IG posts- read as much as you can about finance from trustworthy sources.

    Read sources that speak about finance in a way that is relatable to you.

    While some sources are very helpful in the advice they offer, the context that they operate in might not provide you with the insight you need. With reading comes fact-checking so Google what you do not understand or need more information on.

    Use Finance Tools And Apps-

    As much as we want to learn, we may not be able to do so all by ourselves. This is where apps and tools come in handy. These days, thankfully, there are apps and tools for almost every aspect of finance- be it saving, budgeting, tracking expenses or investing.

    Some finance apps even have learning centres and blogs to help you stay updated. Find one that incorporates the aspects of finance you want to improve on and commit to using it.

    Take A Financial Literacy Course-

    Sometimes, what we need is a course to help us step up our money game. If you are clueless about where to start on your finance journey or how to stay consistent, consider taking a financial literacy course.

    Find a course that breaks down what you need to know and gives take-home assignments. This will help you practicalize your learning and stay accountable.

    Sometimes, what we need is a course to help us step up our money game. If you are clueless about where to start on your finance journey or how to stay consistent, consider taking a financial literacy course. Click To Tweet

    Join A Community Of Money-Minded Moguls-

    There is nothing as uplifting as being a part of a community of people with similar goals. When you belong to a group that shares your goals and has your best interest at heart, you remain motivated.

    The added accountability and access to resources can also not be underestimated. Find a community or group of friends and become an active member. 

    There is nothing as uplifting as being a part of a community of people with similar goals. When you belong to a group that shares your goals and has your best interest at heart, you remain motivated. Click To Tweet

    Key Takeaway

    Learning about finance takes constant practice. There is always room for improvement so do not beat yourself up about what you haven’t learnt.

    Approach learning about finance with an open but cautious mind and you will be surprised by how much you will grow.

    Join our community of young African women to get FREE finance-related content, resources and updates.

    How to keep your inner child and laugh more

    by Ibukunoluwa Owa

    Happy New Year Everyone. Wishing you a healthy and amazing 2021!

    By now, we’ve all probably written our new year’s resolutions with renewed effort, energy and discipline to ensure we achieve all our goals. Goals such as; (a) losing weight; (b) getting healthy; (c) finding a job or a new job; (d) possibly relocating; (e) meeting the one (*wink wink*), travelling and so on, are usually top of our lists. While all these plans are great and will generally contribute to our mental wellbeing during the year, we should all aim to maintain the child within us. Now, what does this mean? “We should try to laugh more and be happy.” 

    There is a common myth that children laugh about 300 times a day and adults laugh about 20 times a day. While these numbers may not be accurate, the message is clear. As we grow older, we tend to laugh less and take life too seriously. This is mostly because our responsibilities and goals increase, and we are always looking to achieve more in different aspects of our lives. We can, however, try to laugh more while carrying our burdens and hoping for what is to come. 

    “So how can we laugh more?” Well, here are some of my tips:

    1. Be grateful – Take a moment each day to remember all the things we are grateful for. This exercise helps us to remember everything in our lives that is going well, and what we should be grateful for. It also gives us renewed hope and strength that at the end of the day, everything will fall into place.
    1. Watch a funny movie – Funny movies make us laugh, even when we are in the worst of moods. When someone shows us a funny scene or says something hilarious, no matter how much you try to hesitate, you find yourself laughing.
    1. Solo dance parties – Now this is one of my favorites. I love listening to happy music, and dancing alone in my room, car, or the park. Anywhere you feel safe, just dance, let it all out and be happy. 
    1. Talk to people who make you feel safe and happy – We all have that one family member or friend that always leaves us in a better mood every time after we talk to them. Speak to people like these more. 
    1. Exercise – It’s scientifically proven that exercising releases endorphins, which are known as “happy hormones”. These happy hormones interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain and triggers a positive feeling all over your body.   
    1. Learn to let things go – Now this is something that I still struggle with but have personally seen the benefits of by taking baby steps. As we go through life, a lot of things will most likely not go our way. When this happens, we should learn to accept it and move on. 
    1. Stay hopeful – Believe that what you want, or need will happen. Have faith that God has answered your prayers and act like it. This programs our brains to believe we have already received all our heart’s desires and in turn, makes us happy. 

    At the end of the day, we all have one life, so let us try to enjoy it and never let go of our inner child. 

    Ingressive For Good is Impacting the Lives of Women in Tech all over Africa

    by She Leads Africa

    Stella Fii had always wanted to learn more about programming and coding, but she never really had the resources and time to take courses. This year, Stella went to visit her brother in Kaduna after writing her JAMB exams and then he told her about Ingressive For Good (I4G), a nonprofit equipping young Africans in need with tech skills to help them impact and contribute to the development of Africa, socially and economically.

    Stella Fii


    She inquired and found out about the I4G Coursera program; Ingressive for Good had partnered with Coursera, the world’s leading online learning platform to offer scholarships to 5000+ African youths in tech to help them develop high-demand skills in technology, personal development, and career development.

    It also provided access to over 4000+ courses and highly sought-after professional certificates like the Google IT Support Professional Certificate from leading universities such as Yale, Michigan, and Stanford, as well as industry leaders such as Google and IBM, designed to train people with no tech background for IT jobs.

    She took courses in programming in less than 2 weeks, she was able to code a landing page from scratch. This skill has not only opened a new earning opportunity for her but has inspired her to pursue a formal tech education and career.

    Another woman, Folashade Fapohunda, worked in a hospital as an accountant but COVID19 cases started to increase and she was at risk. The hospital closed down and she lost her job. She casually picked up an interest in Graphic design. That was when she came across the I4G.

    Folashade enrolled in the Coursera design courses. These courses gave her the confidence she needed to start freelancing and so far, she has had over 3 paying design clients, with payments worth more than her salary as an accountant.

    True to their promise, Ingressive for Good is impacting Africa and the economy.

    Two key indicators of a country’s GDP are the economic power of citizens and the percentage of gainfully employed youth. However, 30% of African youth are unemployed. Ingressive For Good (I4G) is looking to change that with their mission to increase the earning power of African youths through tech training, job placement, and community. 

    In the last 3 months, I4G has aided the training of over 20,000 African youth, built a community of over 17,000 youths, provided tech tools and resources for over 10,000, and placed over 100 in jobs.

    “The I4G community collectively has the strategy, the network, and most importantly, the passion to actually change Africa.” Sean Burrowes, the COO and Cofounder of Ingressive for Good said. “The more our community grows, the less I4G feels like a charitable foundation. It feels more like a Pan-African talent development revolution, powered by Africa’s tech-enabled youth.”

    With collaboration at the heart of Ingressive For Good, is impacting the lives of Africans, one youth at a time. During this pilot phase, I4G partnered with Coursera, Facebook, Datacamp, HNG, SemiColon, Tekedia, CareerBuddy, FindWorka, Live Your Dreams, Covenant University, StudentBuild, Bankole Williams, and so many amazing organizations to reach the Africans in need and provide training, scholarships, job placements. 

    “Ingressive For Good has not only distributed the most licenses of all of DataCamp’s Giveaway Partners so far, but their learners’ adoption and engagement levels on the platform are some of the highest as well. This exemplifies the enormous impact a nonprofit run by caring and talented people can have on communities big and small, local, and abroad.” Nathaniel Taylor-Leach, Community Partnerships Manager at Datacamp, the leading interactive learning platform for data science and analytics.

    “Folashade’s success story is one of many young Africans who have been impacted through one or more of the Ingressive For Good programs. Many have gotten access to courses that were cumulatively worth thousands of dollars for free” – Blessing Abeng, Director of Communications at Ingressive for Good.

    Watch the success story of Christabel Omuboye, another woman in the I4G network and one of the I4G x HNG Internship finalists who received new MacBooks from Ingressive for Good to help her improve their tech skills. She has transformed from selling soap to support herself into a programming whiz ready for a tech career:

    In the last 3 months, I4G has surpassed its pilot goals in tremendous ways. This is the impact so far:

    View the full report here.

    To benefit from other Ingressive For Good Opportunities, join the I4G Network of over 17,000 tech enthusiasts across 55 cities across Africa.

    To join I4G on this mission to increase the earning power of African youths and eradicate poverty from Africa, send an email to hello@ingressive.org and Follow @ingressive4good on social media to stay updated.

    About Ingressive For Good

    Ingressive For Good (I4G) is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating and increasing the earning power of African youth through tech training and resources. 

    For more info, partnership, or donation, contact: Blessing Abeng, Director of Communications, Ingressive for Good on communications@ingressive.co

    Find out more about Ingressive For Good here.

    4 Bad Money Habits That Will Keep You Broke Forever

    by Judith Abani

    Bad money habits are kind of hard to break. We do them over and over without even realizing it.

    We all want to be rich. I mean, who doesn’t? But it’s one thing to fantasize about the many things you can do with a big paycheck and it’s another thing to muster the discipline you need to make it a reality. If you have bad money habits, you’ll get into a lot of financial trouble.

    For so long, I had no clear plan for my financial journey. All I knew was there was money and it had to be spent.

    Are you having issues saving? Do you feel like it’s a load of work putting some money down for the future? Well, I’ve got a couple of tips that can help you.

    Here are 4 bad money habits you need to quit this minute if you want to become more financially independent:

    Procrastination

    This is personal for me. I put off starting an investment plan for a later time. And I just kept pushing it farther. Not that I was super busy or anything, just plain laziness and a lack of self-discipline on my part.
    It wasn’t until I told myself the hard truth: that I can either continue pushing it later or just do it now and get organized. I realized that time was running out and that I had no clear financial goals.

    The Fix

    No one is coming to do it for you so you better get on with it. If you keep procrastinating, you’ll end up broke with lots of debts.

    Impulse Purchasing/Buying

    We’ve all been here. That urge to buy something. We give ourselves all the reasons why we need to have it. Impulse buying is all in the name. You see a bag and immediately want to buy it. You don’t even stop to consider the cost or whether you actually need it. You buy it before you stop to think whether you need it or can afford it.

    The Fix

    You need to first recognize this is a problem and keep track. Before you find yourself reaching for that candy or new pair of shoes, ask yourself if you have the resources and if you really need it. Don’t be in a rush; be certain you need it before you do.

    Not Budgeting

    A lot of people live on more than they make. If you don’t have a monthly budget, your money will disappear and you won’t know where it went.
    A budget allows you to see how much money you’re bringing in and where it’s all going. It enables you to make changes that help you save more money and avoid going into the red each month.

    Pro-tip

    It doesn’t have to be a big chore. It can start with only carrying a small amount of cash with you each day. You can also sign up with a money-saving app that automatically tracks your spending for you. Here’s an easy budget template for you.

    Love of Convenience

    Once a while, it’s okay to make a convenience purchase. These are purchases that are routine and take little thought when being bought. However, if you find yourself regularly making convenience purchases, it’ll cost you.

    Pro-tip

    You can start by cooking instead of buying fast food every day. Make a regular weekend event of preparing a dish that can be separated into freezer containers for future use.

    You can also stop getting that expensive breakfast on your way to work every morning and rather get up 5 minutes earlier to prepare something. I know waking up early might be hard for me so, I cook when I come home. At least I know lunch for the next day is sorted out.

    So, there you have it, 4 bad money habits that are keeping you from attaining financial independence. Which of them are you  guilty of?

    Performance Appraisal: A death sentence or a means to do better

    by Veronica Alfred

    I remember my first ever performance appraisal calendar invitation and the 35-page document I was asked to fill out before the chat with my manager.

    I can tell you for a fact that I had a mini heart attack upon receipt of that email; primarily because I was convinced that I would complete that document and still get fired. 

    Recent trends, however, include a less formalized process focused on more feedback and coaching, rather than a time-consuming paper trail. This article debunks the myth that performance appraisals are a death sentence and provides you with tips on how to measure performance in an effective way. 

    Performance appraisals include setting clear and specific performance expectations for each employee and providing periodic informal and/or formal feedback about employee performance relative to those stated goals. A well-structured performance appraisal should do the following:

    1. Provide adequate feedback to each person on his or her performance
    2. Serve as a basis for modifying or changing behaviour toward more effective working habits
    3. Provide data to managers with which they may judge future job assignments and compensation. 

    There is a great deal of evidence to show how useful and effective performance appraisal is to any employer. If your appraisal system does not serve any of the functions listed above, then these tips will be of great value to your team.

    Effective goal setting 

    This is a process of establishing objectives to be achieved over a period of time. It is the performance criteria an employee will be evaluated against keeping in mind that each goal should align with the organization’s goals.

    Types of goals include:

    a. Job description goals: Goals expected to be accomplished continuously until the job description changes. 

    b. Activity goals: These goals may be based on the achievement of a project or objective. They may be set for a single year and changed as projects are completed. 

    c. Personal development goals: Goals can be based on certain behaviors. These goals are expected to be accomplished continuously. Behavioral goals are “how” things need to be accomplished.

    d. Stretch goals: Goals that are especially challenging to reach and usually used to expand the knowledge, skills, and abilities of high-potential employees. 


    In addition to the above, effective goals should be Specific, Realistic, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. Most importantly, both managers and team members should be involved in the development of goals to ensure understanding and commitment.

    Goals should be documented, available for review, and managed continuously by providing regular feedback. Goals should be flexible enough to account for changing conditions.

    Feedback!

    An effective performance review process should include a feedback process that is continuous and timely throughout the review period so that team members know how they are performing and what is expected.

    Also, there should be a process for acknowledging the outcomes of the performance review process (checklist) that is documented between the manager and the employee. Regular one-on-one sessions that allow for feedback, coaching and mentorship cannot be overemphasized.

    I would recommend using collaborative tools that allow for transparency, keeping information in one place, scheduling regular calls and tracking progress. Tools such as Slack, Google Calendar, Google Docs/Sheets, Trello and Zapier.

    Include the Performance Improvement Plan

    Many employees see this as a step to getting fired but what I see this to be is a progressive discipline process regarding performance level, a guide to improvement and an opportunity to do even better than before.

    The first step in planning a PIP chat involves creating a document used to guide the process. This will help in facilitating performance discussions, recording areas of concern and ways to correct them, and serve as legal and decision-making documentation. 

    The format of the PIP should contain the following components:

    a. Employee information.
    b. Employment start dates
    c. Description of performance discrepancy/gap.
    d. Description of expected performance.
    e. Description of consequences.
    f. Action points and timelines for review
    g. Signatures of the manager and the employee.

    Some of the most common problems with appraisal systems these days include:

    a. Lack of top management support
    b. Perception of the process as time-consuming “busywork”
    c. Failure to communicate clear and specific goals and expectations
    d. Lack of consistent and constructive feedback

    Oftentimes, the performance review process can be viewed as uncomfortable, unfair and uninspiring. In order to improve the fairness factor and ensure employees accept the feedback, managers must accept that we all have a role to play when it comes to the overall performance of the organization.

    There are intentional and unintentional biases inherent in appraisals and being aware of them and training managers may be useful in dealing with some of them.

    Good Money Management Tips to Protect your Future

    by Zimkhitha Mathunjwa

    The pandemic has admittedly done a number on some of us and our money. It came unexpected and nobody knows how long until a vaccine is found. Though some of the countries are slowly moving towards opening their economies, our pockets have undoubtedly felt the pinch.

    If you’re an avid spender on things you ‘absolutely must have’ or enjoy going rampant on sales or specials, well, then grab a cuppa and notebook. We’re about to get real about some of our nasty (or savvy) money habits and look at some hacks to help us navigate towards a money relationship that is as healthy as our laid edges.

    What does smart budgeting look like?

    It is up to you to decide how you’re going to split your funds, take time out to make a tally of the activities you have planned with your girlfriends, the commitments you have agreed on with bae and the spoils you’ve got up your sleeve for the tiny humans- or just some funds for the everyday needs. Let’s not forget that we’re intentional queens. So this includes that stash you’ve set aside for intentional self-care Saturday or Sunday.

    If we’re to piece this puzzle together, we need to unbox it first. Let’s see what this looks like:

    Budget planning

    From a horizon perspective, have a 3-month or 6-month projection in terms of what it is that you would like to do. Think about how much accessibility you’d like in terms of the cash component of your budget.

    Tracking your monthly spend

    Take stock of the accounts you have, transactional, savings or any investment accounts you have in your arsenal (retirement annuity or shares). Pay yourself, honey! Set aside some money for your savings/investments, your future self will thank you. Shed some of that debt weight, sis. If you can inject a little extra towards your credit agreements, go for it, this will help ease the strain of the interest rate and you can pay the debt off faster.

    Then look at how much you spend on average per month, and if you can make changes and reduce the spend list. If you can do this? Kudos to you! This means you’ll have more cash flow available.

    Checking (and improving) on your credit status

    A considerable part of being savvy is knowing exactly where you stand financially. How you can gear yourself up for the power shift, is to know what you have and what offers are available to you. This is not only so that you improve your credit score for creditors, it is so that you can make an informed decision about your money moves.

    Here are 2 sites in South Africa that offer a free credit status for you, check them out:

    If you’re outside South Africa, you can find similar sites in your country.

    Is there value in having a Money Coach or a Financial Advisor?

    Whether you’re mulling over the idea of purchasing property, getting a car or investing, you should always be thinking about how you can get more bang for your buck.

    Do not be afraid to ask questions- there can never be a silly question when it comes to how to manage your funds better. Click To Tweet

    You can keep yourself on track and accountable by having someone to help you make the right decisions based on your current reality. Having someone in the know helps to eliminate the pain points of navigating the terrain. Your coach or advisor will assist with your financial ABC’s.

    Before you look for an advisor, you need to know what you want out of the relationship. Have an idea of what your state of monetary affairs looks like. Doing this groundwork means you will be able to get the most out of your initial session.

    Start documenting what it is you’re looking for. Do not be afraid to ask questions- there can never be a silly question when it comes to how to manage your funds better.

    Being smart about your expenditure is especially important in the current context and it shouldn’t take a pandemic for us to get this right. Either way, we’re thankful for the grace of learning through lived experience. The benefit of having a coach or advisor is that the pressure is removed from you and you get to have a professional as your sounding board. They’ll offer guidance and help unlock your financial prowess or potential.

    Stay pushing to arm yourself with the knowledge you need to plan for your future. Continue to share your money experiences with your girlfriends. Eventually, we can shift the conversation from being inactive participants in our financial lives to owning the narrative.

    We can shift the conversation from being inactive participants in our financial lives to owning the narrative. Click To Tweet

    Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and geared towards motivating a more hands-on approach to your money habits. This is derived from my experience personally and as someone who works in the Financial sector. For a tailored financial or a specific needs analysis, you should contact a financial advisor or money coach.