We recently discovered that certain routine functions in a motor assembly plant are repeated by a worker every 1.3 minutes. It was explained that the task was broken down to its smallest possible piece to ensure minimum error – the quality of the product was the...
“Any investment that can help me retain the services of my experienced call centre agents for an additional 6 months will be worth considering.” These words were recently expressed by an executive in a financial management company. We were discussing the difference...
The scars of apartheid and the on-going revelations of state and corporate corruption demand extraordinary measures to restore trust. The World Economic Forum (2016) showed South Africa ranked 49th in global competitiveness. This goes hand in hand with productivity...
Let’s be clear, there’s no magic wand to create a perfect working environment – but employee wellbeing remains an ideal well worth striving for. With a better understanding of the inner mental and emotional experience of employees, managers can acquire skills to...
When we begin to see emotions as ‘energy seeking purpose’ we can understand the simple truism that employees will move towards that which they find appealing, and away from that which is not. The required skill is to be able to identify the emotional drivers. In the...
A Gallup survey shows 45% of SA employees actively disengaged – we need to release that captured energy and enterprise into productive engagement. There is an elephant in the room that we need to recognise – it’s called active disengagement. This growing global...
A common argument against COVID-19 vaccination is “Surely the vaccines can’t be effective if I require a booster?” All vaccines work to train the immune system to recognise foreign invaders and produce antibodies that will attack them. But the strength of the initial immune response, and the amount of time the antibodies will last, varies depending on both the pathogen the vaccine is fighting, and the vaccine itself.
We all know the experience when, at the crucial moment, the rolling blackout hits and bam, you are no longer in that meeting, or the piece of equipment you’re using cuts out mid-job. But we South Africans are creative people and have found ways to manage as best we can. Now, with the anticipated hike in electricity tariffs, we need to be creative about reducing our energy usage.
It’s been a rough two years – physically, emotionally and financially. Even those who are usually the most committed to their new year’s goals have had to re-assess as COVID-19 numbers swirled, petrol prices sky-rocketed, and load-shedding made an unwelcome return. January is a ‘fresh’ time of year – a bit like it feels outdoors after a good shower of rain. You’re feeling refreshed and full of hope that maybe, just maybe, 2022 is going to be better than last year. It’s time to imagine how fit, how healthy, how light your 2022 self will be.
Some parts of the country are experiencing really hot weather. If you are drinking too little water, you could be at the risk of dehydrating. Our bodies are designed to work at an ideal temperature. When our environment is hot, in an attempt to keep our temperature stable, we perspire. As the moisture evaporates it cools our skin which, in turn, cools the blood vessels and hence our whole body.
As we enter 2022, the recognition of the milder physical effects of the Omicron Covid-19 variant brings some hope that the pandemic might be easing, or even coming to an end. That is why Government announced the lifting of many restrictions on movement and activities. You can again go to bars and restaurants – and the beach!