Improve Your Communication Skills          Reading completes a person; speech trains them for the job; writing teaches accurate expression.          This year make a special effort to improve your communication skills – don’t take them for granted. This is the first of several blogs on this complex topic.          Have you noticed our electronic servants…

It’s never too soon to start saving for your retirement. You may have no say in the matter. Your health may make the call for you, or you may have an accident that limits your ability to work.           Reaching old age is a privilege and much better than the alternative. Plan for a long…

           Life is too short to have a job you do not enjoy. If you are not happy at work start looking for a job you will enjoy.          Think of the times you have enjoyed your work. Think of the times when you have been frustrated. This makes a good starting point to…

        A worthwhile objective this year is to make meetings more effective. How will you do that?          Effective meetings start well before people come together. They start at the planning stage          Before your next meeting answer these questions.          “Do I need a meeting?”          “What type of meetings should we hold?”         …

Make New Year plans This is the time to take stock and make plans for 2023.         Enjoy your break but use the time to dream and make plans. Where do you want to be this time next year?         Don’t let your past experiences retard your future achievements. You don’t know what you can…

Good Listening Habits “Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly” “A wise person talks little, and an ignorant one talks much.” Eliminate distractions. Shut the door or the window. Rearrange the seating. Put the speaker at ease. Start with a chat – “How is the family?”. “I hear you have a new dog.” Ask…

Become a Leader Accept new responsibilities – A good leader will inspire people to share and support their vision and values.         Leaders can be recognized because their teams give superior performances. Inspire your people to achieve. What motivates some people may not work for others.         Set high standards – Positivity and encouragement will…

“Delegation means delegating responsibility, authority, and accountability.”          You delegate to improve your efficiency and to give more time for your high-priority tasks, such as spending time talking to your people and clients. You delegate to develop your people into better teams and to improve efficiency by placing decision-making authority in the hands of the…

Beating the Competition “Hard-nosed competition is the best assurance of a healthy business. Aim to exceed your rivals in all facets of activity.”          Set up a research section. Constantly research your products, your services, and your markets and react swiftly to any changes needed.               Invest in new technologies. Set up strong alliances with…

“Plans are only good intentions until you carry them out.” “A plan is not a static thing – it’s dynamic, and changes must be made to respond to changing environments.”          As a leader, it’s your job to make sure the organisation survives and lives within the budget – for a commercial organisation good profits…