Thembelihle Khumalo: I never want to look like I feel apologetic for being African
Thembelihle Khumalo is a branding guru with 20 years experience in the media industry. She specialises in translating the stories of individuals and corporates into compelling brands, through her consulting firm Brandbuilder. She is also the founder of Labour of Love, an organisation contributing to the financial empowerment of African women artisans. What are you current career goals? My main career goal is to build my businesses in order to provide multiple streams of income in the short and long term. These businesses are strategically independent so that the problems in one sector don’t have a ripple effect on the other businesses. Would you say multiple sources of income are necessity for the average young woman? For an ambitious entrepreneur you need multiple streams of income because you need to be able to cushion yourself against financial peaks and troughs. Established and experienced wealth builders tend to employ this strategy. What are 5 insights you think every young woman should know early on in their career? Get rid of any psychological and emotional issues you have with money. Start investing immediately, invest in both long-term and short term goals. Leverage your assets, if you are talented at something, find a way to make it work for you. Understand how to get along with people, and that anybody can add value to you and vice versa. Learn how to make smart decisions quickly, by deciding on your set of values and vision for your life, then narrow down your options based on this. How did you create “Labour of Love”? My grandmother was a talented seamstress who passed these skills down. Initially I made a few things to sell in high school, and then went on to create a short-lived start-up with my sister. Labour of Love only became fully operational in 2015. The advent of online shopping and social media created new opportunities, and tremendously heightened the global appetite for all things African. Subsequently changing the ball game for entrepreneurs and marketers. Hence my current business model of creating opportunities for African women artisans. To use their homemaking and craft skills to increase their financial well-being, build their individual self-esteem, provide for their families and develop their communities. Tell us about Brandbuilder I’ve worked in media and advertising for more than twenty years, but left full time employment to pursue a passion project. I realised that I was leaning on the skills that I have expertise in – brand building and storytelling. I then spent a few months figuring out exactly what my value proposition would be, where my competitive advantage lay, in essence, developing my own brand. How does one get to a place of consistency in business? Timing is one of the factors that largely influence the success of a business. This encompasses the market you intend to service and timing in your own life. You have more resources to input into your business when you are single with no children; responsibility has a way of diminishing your willingness to take risks. There are also political and economic factors that affect your timing and at the end you have to listen to your gut. What are the top three places on your travel list? Definitely Morocco, Zanzibar and Nigeria. What tops the list of African countries you’ve been to and why? Definitely Rwanda! It’s well-led, that’s an important factor for me. The seriousness about achieving the vision they have for their country is seen in the mechanisms and systems they have in place to enable that. A close second is South Africa, the land of my ancestors and for its very cosmopolitan pulse. Would more women leaders make a difference to the African economy? Better, braver leaders would make a difference. If women are better and braver, then yes, more women in leadership. If women are not already competent, then we make them competent and compete on a level playing field. Competence and character should be the only things that decide those best suited for leadership. Tips for a woman trying to enter a male-dominated industry? I’d give her Lloyd P. Frankel’s book “Nice girls don’t get the corner office” and tell her to focus on doing the job properly because we can get distracted by the whole gender conversation. If you don’t get an opportunity, don’t assume it’s because you’re a woman. Ask yourself what you could have done better, where were the opportunities for improvement. What’s your take on leveraging your femininity in a business setting? It’s capital – employ it! It’s no different from your intellectual capital; if you have morals and ethics that can create boundaries for you, you shouldn’t have a problem. What governs your style, what you choose to wear, how you choose to wear your hair? I’d like for anyone who sees an image of me to see a proud African. I never want to look like I feel apologetic for being African. Seasons in your life tend to govern this and they can be different. Some require healing, nurturing and mending bits that have been chaffed and bruised. Then there are other seasons, where you are chasing something so big that you might even forget to brush your hair, and that’s okay too, for a season. What are the biggest relationship lessons you’ve learnt? Listen to hear, as opposed to listening to answer. Understand yourself and the lenses through which you understand what people say. Invest in knowing yourself. Embrace pain and understand that life is going to be difficult, you’ll have painful experiences and that shouldn’t be the end of the world, learn from it. If you were to have dinner with anyone, who would it be, where and why? I would love to have time stand still and spend a few hours with Malcom Gladwell on a beach with the drinks flowing and take time to understand his mind. He is a real
How to Keep Motivated While Job Hunting
Looking for a job? We have all been there. At SLA, we are all about empowering women who are successful in their industries, but it’s just as important to empower those who are still trying to make it. Looking for a job is no easy feat, and a couple of rejections here and there can really get to you. Staying positive is not easy and sometimes you need make a few of changes to get you ahead. We spoke to HR Specialist Sonia Hlahla, who has great tricks up her sleeve to give us for the perfect job hunt. Hailing from the Free State, Sonia majored in Industrial Psychology and has since then, used her skills and expertise to empower the youth in the professional environment. Take a look at Sonia’s tips on what you need to do to land your dream job. Make sure your CV/Resume is detailed The first thing the recruiter needs to see are your most recent qualifications and jobs . Your CV is meant to sell you to us, so make sure it is highly detailed according to the job spec you are currently looking at. We also take references very seriously, so eliminate your friends and family from that list. You would also be surprised at the amount of CV’s we get that do not even have contact details, so make sure we are able to reach you for an interview! Volunteer if you have time Volunteer at your local school, hospital or children’s home. Especially if you are not working. Even if it’s not in your field, it helps in building great communication and interpersonal skills outside of your expertise. Getting a job is not just about being good at it, recruiters also want to see that you are able to interact with people from different backgrounds, it shows you can be a great fit for any company. Skills, skills and more skills Take a short course online, especially if you want a job in a certain industry. This tells recruiters that while you were unemployed, you are still eager to learn and improve yourself. This looks amazing on a CV, especially as a young professional. Most online courses are free and easy to get through if you are dedicated. Career Portals are important Always keep your LinkedIn page professional. A great tip that I love to give to people is that you should use these portals as a way to apply directly with the company. This eliminates the middle man and gives you direct contact with the company you want to apply to. Never give up Keep looking! Make an effort to apply for at least one job a day. Looking for a job can be a job in difficult and as human to get lazy at times, but you may miss out a job post that could be perfect for you. Pushing past your frustration will probably become challenging, it’s important to stay positive when you’re in a difficult spot, and a positive you creates a much happier job seeker. So use these tips to stay level-headed. Keep on pushing and praying until you find the job of your dreams. How did you stay motivated when you were job hunting? We’d love to hear your story and tips. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more here.
Own your destiny and be your own boss
Entrepreneurs breathe life into ideas Entrepreneurs create their own future—they own it! Think of all the new technology and ideas that have come to life over the past few years. Those were all once just an idea but entrepreneurs brought those ideas to life. Yes entrepreneurship is Life. Entrepreneurship is a way to bring your passion to life as you help make people’s lives better. Sounds great right? Here are a few steps to becoming an entrepreneur! Action Start where you are with what you have! The distance between you and the greater you is: action! Part of starting a business is conducting thorough market and product/service offering research. Evaluate your idea; the more information you can gather about the potential demand for your product or service, about your competitors, and about the needs and wants of your prospective customers, the more successful you are likely to be. Remember: 80% structuring 20% implementation. Love and believe in what you do Do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life,doing what you love is freedom and you will always do great. The biggest difference I’ve noticed between successful people and unsuccessful people isn’t intelligence or opportunity or resources. It’s the belief that they can make their goals happen. Believe in yourself and become unstoppable- nothing will work if you don’t . The first step towards action is saying ‘I can’. Adopt an all-or-nothing mentality Whatever you do, don’t give up, why go at all if you are not gonna go all the way?? It always feels better after every step because it means you are one step closer. The secret behind entrepreneurship is doing what others are not willing to do. Take small steps toward your goal Be specific about what you want to achieve and devote your time to it; draw up an action plan and follow every step. Affirm with faith and feelings that your goal has already been achieved. Check your direction, then learn from your mistakes “Life is like a compass. When you set your goals correctly it will take you to the right direction”. Mistakes have the power to turn you into something better, and experience is the best teacher. Admit it, learn from it and move forward “ The greater you awaits you” Are you an entrpreneur, let us know how you built your business? Share your story here
How to Approach and Connect with your Dream Mentor
A few days ago, I was reading a piece by one of my favorite bloggers and it started like this: “There will come a moment when all that matters to you is that you experience growth, not comfort. When that time comes, it will shake your world up. It will cause you to expand into areas of thought that you never thought possible”. As I read those first sentences, the words jumped out at me, and me stand up. Those first few sentences resonated strongly with me because it took me back to how I felt at the beginning of this year. I have noticed many of us desire growth, but we never really actively work towards it. On the other hand, some of us actually start to work towards it, but we never grow all the way because we lack a few things. One of the things that I discovered going into this year, is that I had been lacking having a mentor, specifically for my career path. The truth is many of us have people we look up to from a distance. We admire them, we even observe what they do and try to emulate them. Very often, I would hear people refer to such individuals as their mentors. Can we really regard them as mentors if there is no interaction with them at all? Can you imagine if these same people you refer to as your mentors actually had conversations with you on a monthly basis or quarterly basis? Imagine you being able to reach out to them whenever you needed advice, insight or help navigating a difficult stage in your life, job, business, academics or ministry. When these kind of interactions begin to happen, that’s where active mentoring takes place. A mentor is someone who takes the initiative to join you on your life’s journey and willingly helps you become all that you were born to be, so that you are able to do all that you were born to do. A mentor can also be described as someone who gives you a vital push at a certain stage in your life and without whom you may not have done so well. Sounds like a real life superhero right? Believe the hype! A great mentor is an invaluable asset to anyone who wants to grow. But how does one approach and connect with a mentor especially when the person is far away or sometimes has no idea that you need them? I will share three steps I have learned to use this year. Step 1: Identify your Mentor Approaching the right mentor to come along on your journey is extremely critical. In very rare cases, will your mentor approach you offering ‘mentoring’ services. Usually, it’s the person who wants to be mentored who will need to take the initiative. In this step, it is also very important that you have a good grasp on who you are, where you want to go, and most importantly, why you need a mentor. You can’t invite someone to help you on your journey if you have no idea where you want to go. After you have answered these questions, you can now begin to look for someone you would want to have by your side on your journey – as a student, wife, parent, entrepreneur, working professional, creative etc. Great mentors have a variety of characteristics but here are a few that you can be on the lookout for. A great mentor is someone: Who has achieved what you hope to achieve, and could potentially provide you a platform to get started. Who could give you advice or insight and help you see the bigger picture. Who has values you would want to emulate. That can help you navigate difficult terrain. After identifying this person, get your hands on any material about the person, do your research so that you are able to establish if the person is a good match. Step 2: Making the First Connection You will need to reach out. This is usually where most of us get stuck because we don’t know what to say. You can reach out physically if the person is close by, but if the person is in another city or country, you will need to reach out virtually. Email is a great way to make a first connection, but when email fails, try social media. In addition, if you know someone who already knows your mentor, you can ask the person to make an introduction on your behalf. When it comes to what you have to say, keep it simple. Start by telling the person a little about who you are. Next, tell the person where you are right now and where you are hoping to go. This is a great time to share your story. Follow up with why you need a mentor and end by telling the person why you want him/her to mentor you. Be honest. Be real. Mentors see through ‘fakeness’ and flattery. Step 3: The Pursuit This can be one of the hardest aspects of establishing an active mentoring relationship. But when you know how valuable a mentor can be to your success, you’ll take this last step seriously. The pursuit involves following up, especially when the mentor is far away, in a different city, country or time zone. You will need to be deliberate and intentional about communicating, asking questions, and giving your mentor feedback on what is happening with you, so they are able to give you the input you need for your next step. Be serious about the mentoring relationship. Even when you aren’t having that physical interaction in person, endeavor to keep learning from them. If they have books, blogs, or other material- read them. If they are active on social media – participate with them on those platforms. If they are members of a particular organization, volunteer at that organization. Observe what they do, and always keep
Starting A PR Career And Finding The Right Fit
Graduating with a degree in Communications or Public Relations (PR) will indeed feel like a great accomplishment when you have your degree in hand. Many students, graduates or young professionals will agree that when it comes to a PR career, it really can be a tug of war scenario where you get pulled in different directions, until you finally find what works for you. There’s the option to work in agency or in-house, but without real knowledge of how it all works, how do you go about making the right decision? If you are an aspiring PR girl, or in the early stages of your career, but still haven’t found your silver lining, here are some pearls of wisdom to help navigate your PR career. Don’t Take Anything Personally Before you even begin the job hunting process write this down somewhere: “don’t take anything personally.” As with any creative role, you’ll be asked to come up with a whole bunch of out of the box ideas and work well in a team. This will often be epic campaigns, newsworthy story ideas, client management and working well under tight deadlines. With this, can come a great deal of internal conflict. You have to learn to manage yourself well when your ideas aren’t received well, or a journalist belittles the relevance of your hard work on a press release. In theory you might be thinking nothing can shake you, but until you are in this situation, you will find true meaning to these words. If you learn to brush it off quickly before it gets to you, you will develop a thick skin that will give you that Olivia Pope “gladiator status.” [bctt tweet=”Don’t take anything personally” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Seek Environments That Will Foster Your Growth There was a post on LinkedIn that every young professional and hiring manager/trainer should read: If we want our juniors lawyers to be great then we need to see things for what they are. In terms of the somewhat unpredictable boss buffet, I was extremely lucky, I started out my legal career with the best possible boss a junior lawyer could have. I was always supported, never scapegoated or scared to ask questions or admit mistakes. I was given responsibility, lots of client contact and lots of coffee. I was allowed to be me and do things my way (to a reasonable degree and supervised, of course!) The poor man had to put up with me working Beastie Boys references into my first ever firm presentation (admittedly this was for the firm only not for clients). I’ll stir fry you in my wok! I once remember a client calling me and, after a brief discussion, demanding to be put through to my former boss. My boss took the call and said loudly (so that I could hear him) that everything I’d told the client was correct and he couldn’t have said it better himself. We all know some lawyers who aren’t good at managing people. But this isn’t good enough because junior lawyers can’t grow into something great unless the senior lawyers around them are willing to support and mentor them, especially in their early years. Eyes on them because their eyes are very likely on you. -Eleni P (Lawyer) Linking it all back to PR, this reflection from Eleni should serve as a reminder that when you place yourself in the right environment, you will flourish. But if you find yourself hard pressed for options, and in spaces that don’t allow you to grow, never stop searching; whether its through mentors, old college professors or anyone who knows and understands how the PR industry works. The Learning Never Stops Just because you have your shiny degree doesn’t make you an automatic PR expert. You have to keep pushing the boundaries and challenging even the very information that was fed down your throat by lecturers, stay hungry and don’t become complacent. Lerato Chiyangwa, an Account Executive for Djembe Communications and contributing writer for various platforms says: never stop asking questions. If you want to show how valuable you are, consistency and practice are key. Have a go- to person Never underestimate the ability of having a go- to person who knows and understands the industry well. This might be a hard one because everyone is so time poor, so it might take a while to find someone who is willing to invest in you and serve as a guide from time to time. In the meantime, reading articles such as this one is a great place to start. From here you start to unpack different elements of your career journey, take what works for you, leave what doesn’t and keep fighting the good fight. These are just a few tips to be mindful of when stepping out into the real world and figuring things out for yourself early on in your PR career. Remember, there will be bitter failures along the way, but also success. Take the good with the bad. If PR is what sets your heart on fire every morning, you will find the right fit. Do you have career tips for an aspiring PR student? Let us know here.
Basirat Razaq-Shuaib: You must be able to establish yourself as an authority in your chosen field
Basirat Razaq-Shuaib is a Chartered Accountant, Business Strategist and Social Entrepreneur. She started her career at Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Nigeria, as an Executive Trainee in Financial Control back in 2004 and, until recently, was the Deputy CFO at UBL UK- A UK retail bank. She now runs her own firm – Actify Consulting Limited where she helps small businesses move from emerging to established, by developing their business and financial plans; and implementing business processes. Basirat Razaq-Shuaib is also the founder of The Winford Centre for Children and Women- a charity supporting children with developmental challenges both in Nigeria and the UK. She shares on how to excel in a male dominated sector. How were you able to cope in a male-dominated sector? Firstly, I was assertive and very resolved about what I wanted to achieve by working in the first place. I was able to learn very early in my career to speak for myself, and speak to the ears that matter. This means you can’t afford to be intimidated by anything or anyone. Secondly, I supported my assertiveness with technical competence and that helped me to stand out. You have to be so good at what you do that your name precedes you. You must be able to establish yourself as an authority in your chosen field; but without sound knowledge or a genuine interest in the business, this is going to be very difficult. Thirdly, I ensured I was personable. It is important that people are able to connect with you emotionally and not just see you as a work machine with no feelings. You cannot do all the work by yourself, and without the support of others, you will end up being frustrated. Lastly, I had female mentors at work. These are people who have walked the path before me and were positioned to guide me on my own journey. What do you think young women are doing wrong in this area? There are three things I see happening a lot: The first one is that young ladies just starting out tend to not have a definite goal, and therefore do not have a strategy. This makes it difficult to position yourself rightly so that your achievements can be noticed. The second one is underestimating the power of standing together with other women especially those who are higher up on the career ladder. The last one is not adding value to your life outside of the workplace. What are your tips for them? Have a plan- a game plan, a strategic plan, whatever name you choose to give it, but have a plan- a realistic one. Never take your eyes off the ball. When you have a plan for your life and career, it will be easier to spot opportunities and take advantage of them. I always say to people, “You can’t get where you are going if you don’t know where you are going”. Be confident in yourself and in your abilities. Learn to speak clearly and dress appropriately. Your look also matters. Learn from other women who are senior to you. Women pull other women up. Don’t expect things to be handed to you on a platter of gold because you are a woman- NO. You will have to go and claim your spot in the limelight. Add value to yourself at all times. Always remember that your technical competence alone will not take you to the top. As you start to rise, your social and leadership skills will become important factors as well. What has been your most significant career achievement? My most significant achievement would be Heading and Managing an entire finance department in a UK bank successfully just 6 years into my career. The regulations are a lot stiffer in the UK and it was a huge responsibility. Besides, there were only a couple of us (women) holding senior positions. A lot of focus seems to be on entrepreneurs these days. What would you advise a confused career woman? Don’t just join the bandwagon. First, know where your destination in life is and then assess your current journey. If where you are now is not on the way to where you ultimately want to be in life, then you don’t have any business being where you are now. There is a price to pay for everything in life, success inclusive, and when your current journey is not in sync with your final destination, you will never be able to justify the price you are paying. Remember that not everyone is going to be an entrepreneur and being an entrepreneur is not just a walk in the park. [bctt tweet=”Being an entrepreneur is not just a walk in the park” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is your tip to live a balanced life as women in the workplace? You must always remember that if you pass away today, the business will run very well without you, so it is not a do or die affair. However, to ensure that you live as close to a balanced life as possible, you need to: 1. Prioritise the things that matter to you in life and assign your time accordingly. Family, friends, spirituality, health etc. are areas of our life that should not be neglected. 2. Be disciplined with your time. Plan your time and practice the art of sticking to your time allocation. It is not easy but with practice, it gets better. 3. Delegate tasks that are not critical for you to do by yourself. What would you like to be remembered for? I would like to be remembered as the person who overhauled the provisions for children with special needs in Nigeria. I think this is an area that is currently not receiving the right level of attention and I would love to change that story. Do you have any career tips for working in a male- dominated field? Let us know here.
3 Awesome tools that can transform your company culture
“Culture is the organization’s immune system.” — Michael Watkins Every entrepreneur’s dream is to grow a company that outlives them; every existing organisation’s hope is that their vision comes alive. One of the key factors in creating successful organisations, is that we must create an atmosphere that generates a love for what we do. Over time, as society, we have come to accept that people enjoy doing what they are passionate about, they will take risks for things that speak to their hearts. Understanding this innate desire in every human being is essential to stimulating welcomed behaviours. Our company culture is a way of doing things, what we do and how we do it repeatedly over time. We must first of all determine the essence of who we are as a company and why we do what we do. We must understand what our vision and mission represents and how we can play roles in sustaining both. A good work culture sets the standard for every occurrence, the way employees are hired, the daily interactions, incentives and opportunities that are offered. Our culture is reflected in how we treat ourselves internally and how we handle our customers, services and products. Our way of doing work successfully is the practice that we must maintain. Clever CEO’s and team leader’s factor in the 3 C’s into their company’s mantra, these are the building blocks needed to create and establish patterns that build successful brands. Communication From the first day of work employees must adopt your way of communicating, how you manage crisis, how to receive and give feedback; also, how you analyze information, and how you want to be perceived by your customers and the public. For example, you can be known for the best after- sales care; while practicing these traits needs to be deliberate, it sets into motion after some time.Culture does not have to be big or overly dramatic. Clarity What makes the organisation? What drives your system? What attributes do you look for in an employee? How can you further develop those attributes? and how can employees be rewarded when they adopt the attributes and values which help the organisation progress? Consistency This word cannot be over emphasized; good management practice implores us that good practice makes perfect. The one recipe to injecting a new or an existing culture is by maintaining and repeating the processes over and over again. A good employee by default looks at the teammate that performs excellently and copies the behaviour of that person; humans desire to be the first. This awesome competitive streak can be beneficial to growth. It is more likely that people will emulate the ways of a high performing staff; especially the one who finds favour with customers or management. [bctt tweet=”good management practice implores us that good practice makes perfect” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Your company culture is your way of making best friends out of your processes and your people. According to Lazlo Bock, head of People Operations at Google: ”People operations are where science and human resources intersect. And it’s what keeps Google a top performing company”. After making the list of best companies to work for, in Fortune Magazine’s annual list, Dan Satterthwaite, Head of Human Resources at the company Dream Works Animation said “We’ve been at it for over a decade in terms of really trying to create a unique and special place for people to come and do work; Any creative enterprise needs an environment where people can explore and feel valued and you can’t create that in a dungeon.” Creating a winning organisational lifestyle involves a lot of work, finding the right people who add the finishing touch to what you want to establish, and providing the environment necessary for change. Cultures are not stagnant they are living beings who flow freely in time and space. ‘An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage’- Jack Welch Do you have tips on how to build an amazing company culture? Let us know more here.
Take Stock of Your 2017 Goals
December is around the corner. The last few months of the year seem to fly by and we seem to have that looming anxiety about the 2017 goals we made at the start of the year. So, have you managed to tick off all the boxes next to the goals? Or an even better question, do you still have the list? Should we still be making year long goals that we seem to forget by mid- January or should we go with the flow? Having goals and ambitions is not a bad thing at all. It empowers you and drives you more when you know what you are working towards. There is nothing like that feeling when you finally achieve that dream you’ve had for a long time, whether it’s buying that car or getting a promotion at work. Goals are great and accomplishing them is even better. But what happens when you fall short of your own expectations, or even completely forgot what you wanted to do at the beginning of the year? Does this render the whole year meaningless? I don’t think so! Right now is actually a great time to take stock of the last 10 months. We always drive ourselves to the ground worrying about what we should have done or could have done, but actually fail to realize what we have actually done. Take a step back and account for your last few months. Remember the small wins Remember that amazing project you got to be a part of from start to finish, remember that park- run your friend forced you to join? Our goals don’t have to be these large, wonderful sky- high achievements. It’s the little things that actually show that you haven’t been chilling all year doing nothing. It was the ability to send out all those job applications, it was standing up for yourself in that meeting, it was the ability to ‘do’ when the world said you couldn’t. Take stock of what you have managed to achieve There is definitely nothing wrong in having the grandest dreams about where we should be. However, it is wise to take stock of what you have managed to achieve. This balance is necessary. Write down a list of your accomplishments so far and stick them up on your fridge or office cubicle. Look at where you have been and how amazing it was. How does this help your mindset for the rest of the year? Well for starters your track record shows that you have accomplishments worthy to be proud of. You have done some pretty amazing things this year. Appreciate what you have done, appreciate yourself and use it to propel your success even further. Evaluate your January goals If you still have your list of January resolutions and none of the items have been crossed off, this may be a good time to consider why you haven’t done the things you promised to do. Look at what has changed, where were circumstances out of your control? You also have to hold yourself accountable, why did you not go for that promotion or not save for that trip you wanted to take? I don’t recommend this to make you feel bad, Motherland Mogul, but if we do not ask ourselves the hard questions who will? It’s also about considering the shifting priorities and incentives. If the year did not go how you thought it would, how did you respond to that? What did you have to change to accommodate your different reality? This will help you re-evaluate your goals for the rest of the year based on what you know, as well as help you manage your expectations. Consider how you can add to what you have already accomplished earlier in the year Looking back is an amazing way to create motivation for what feels like both the longest and shortest year. Also, your achievements so far can help you plan for the last 2 months of the year. Consider how you can complement what you have already done earlier in the year. Maybe you could come up with another project that takes the previous one to another level. Maybe you could motivate a friend to join you for that park- run. Look at where you have been and where you want to go, what could you do to bridge that gap? Create new goals for these last two months, what do you want to do that could make the last part of the year exciting and different for you? Create weekly and monthly goals for these last 2 months One of the great ways to avoid this looming anxiety about not achieving your big goals, is to actually create weekly or monthly goals. This helps you create goals for the reality you actually are in, not what you thought the year would be like. This is important because achieving and celebrating the small things can really motivate you to push for the bigger goals. Writing down and shaping smaller goals is more realistic. You are holding yourself to attainable goals, founded on what’s happening here and now. So, what have you done this year to be proud about? Let us know more about you and your story here.
5 Tips To Make The Most Out Of A Job You Don’t Like
Let’s be real, sometimes you just hit a rut. You could be at a job for 1 year going on what feels likes a 100 years; or all of a sudden your boss is no longer easy to work with; or the dynamics are no longer favorable for your growth and bills still have to be paid. As a Motherland Mogul, this should not get you down for too long, there are creative ways to help you better manage a job you don’t like. Focus on what you like Not everyone enjoys writing reports and paperwork. So instead of focusing on the areas of your job that do not interest you, put energy and focus on areas which do. It’s likely that your perspective is solely focused on parts of the job you hate, instead of the aspects of the work you enjoy. Make a list of the work tasks you actually like. This won’t be easy and your tendency will be to look at your work with negativity. However, you brain cannot think of the positive and negative at the same time, so commit to actually looking for positives and focusing on that instead. In doing this, you will bring a more positive out look to your work. Challenge yourself to have a gratitude mindset and in no time you will find more things to be grateful for. Bring “you” to work We bring our Slay queen characters to other areas of our lives like fashion, our hair or clap backs on twitter. Bringing the same enthusiasm and energy to your work could help you do your work more creatively, and change the dynamic and approach you currently have. For example, if outside your 9-5 work you happen to be a blogger, you could add value to your work by working with the social media team and on the company website- with their blogging platform. These are ways you can bring yourself and character to your work, instead of separating yourself from your work. Work towards your goal While waiting for the next big move, commit to actually working towards your ultimate goal. So you are not enjoying your job? When was the last time you worked on your CV, sent an application or took up a course? Nothing changes unless you apply your energy to it, and align yourself with the work you see yourself doing. If it means taking up classes, or reading up on what it takes to move up the career ladder, it takes effort and consistency. Look at at your job as a pit stop towards your final destination. SLA has amazing resources to get you started, so keep working at it until it manifests. Invest in your relationships with your work peers Work can be stressful and your boss might be Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. Your peers at work might be the wealth of support that you have been missing out on. Invest in your relationships, as these are the people you spend majority of your time at work with. Identify people you can learn from, who are not negative, and can encourage each other to do better at work whilst still sharing memes as well. Your job does not complete you Just like when we realized that Tom Cruise saying “You complete me” might not have been as romantic as we thought, it’s also very likely that sometimes we put unreal expectations on our jobs. Whilst you are supposed to derive some happiness from your work, it is not the end all and be all of your joy. There are passions and interests outside of work which you might have neglected because you have put the pressure on your work. Go back to those interests outside of the 8 to 5; like, exercising, writing, art, dance, poetry or giving back to your community. Investing in those interests might give you the fuel to keep going at work, even on days when it feels like you can’t. Stay slaying, you are doing a great job! What tips do you have for making the most out of a job you don’t like? Let us know here.
5 tips on how to handle difficult clients as a startup business owner
As someone in the business of cloth making and operating a business which is barely a year old, I have had to deal with some clients who are the human versions of ‘bitter pills’. If I did not absolutely love my business, I would have closed shop the first time a client made me cry. Yes cry. And I know that a lot of us as start-up business owners can actually relate (if you can’t, then I hail you). The good thing about having difficult clients, as a start-up business, is that they toughen you up. They teach you lessons and help you create boundaries and principles. Here are some tips that have helped me deal with difficult clients as a start-up business. 1. Understand your clients Your business will attract different personas with different values and backgrounds, and all of this will play a part in their business interaction with you. At your first meeting or consultation try getting a feel of your client, they are most likely there to try/ figure you out as well. Your first job for them might not turn out right, but the feeling they have around you might bring them back for a second try. 2. It is not worth the effort. I am talking about screaming. Sometimes I think the bane of the cloth making business is when styles are being referenced in pictures. When your client has made a request, which you then try your best to fulfill, it can be pretty frustrating when they begin to have an attitude. The worst is when the client says “this isn’t what I wanted”. Oh boy! There are so many sides to this particular story and so many ways this can go. But, despite the strong need to defend yourself and react in like manner, don’t. Yelling right back at them will solve nothing and frankly is not worth it. 3. An apology does not make you foolish Even if you are right, a riled up client is not going to listen to your explanation and definitely not to excuses. Apologise and apologise again. Eventually they will calm down (even if it takes days) and may realize their mistake. Don’t hold your breath though. 4. Agree to disagree. Sometimes we come across clients who seem to block out all explanations and suggestions. Agreeing with them in the moment will save you the headache. You can drive your point home, later, with facts. 5. Be honest no matter what It can be difficult sticking with the good side when your client acts like ‘the boss of the underworld’. But, I have had really annoying clients come back and say they appreciate my honesty. In spite of who your client is, compromising on morals is never the best route to take, for any business. P.S: Remember: your client is your boss! What are your top tips on how to handle difficult clients? Let us know here.