Starting a new job can be very exciting. But I'm not gonna lie. It's unlike anything you've ever experienced. And no, it's not the same as your volunteer job at the church. And neither is it the same as your part-time job at the coffee shop. Your experience in the workplace have a large role in shaping your personality and your life. You will meet new people and build new relationships. You will face challenges and get opportunities that will test your character. There will be a period of learning and adjustment. And many employers will conduct an orientation week where they will lay out the expectations of the new job. New employee orientation refers to the process where employees are given access to the basic company information. This includes products and services about the company with the intention of providing you with ...
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The Beginning of a Journey to a Better Life
I wasn't really anybody special at school. Neither did I have a bunch of friends. I was just a teenager, trying to get through life and school. Life was hard. My mom was an alcoholic and substance abuser. My stepdad a weirdo, just abusing his power in the house. The only good thing I can say about him was that he took us to church and my mom stopped drinking because now she had to go to church. But it's not like he was a good person. He believed in the Bible, but he believed that my mom was a slave to him. Because that's what the bible said a women should be. I went through a phase of feeling sorry for myself and resentful of those who had seemingly 'normal' parents and a normal life. My only goal after school was to get out of there. I went to study, got a job, got married to the most amazing husband. And I started to live a ...
Confessions of A Corporate Director – I Hate Policing People
I remember many years ago when I started at a new company as the head of the office, I saw a small little table just outside my office with something that looked like a roster on it. I was immediately curious. A saw the same roster-type journal in random places in the office. I would later come to learn that each manager has one of these rosters. A closer look revealed a "smoking check-in/check-out" roster. Oh my gosh! It was the first time in my life that I saw something like that. I mean, I know managers were checking up on people that regularly go out for a smoke break, but having a sign-out/sign-in roster everytime you take a smoke break, was something completely new to me. You see, I don't smoke. I've never smoked. So I never had the need to take a smoke break. But I know about all the complaints from the non-smokers. ...
Performance Reviews – Start With The End In Mind
It's that time of the year again. Performance Reviews are almost like a swear word for some employees in the workplace. Some dread it because they just don't have time for another meeting and feel it's a top-down approach which they cannot avoid. Some dread it because they are nervous about the outcome and really need a decent increase to make ends meet next year. Let's face it, very few people look forward to performance reviews for the above reasons. Generally, people feel that performance reviews serve no meaningful purpose as it doesn't help in improving work performance, nor does it help to improve working relationships. But before we get into what you can do make it a fruitful discussion with your manager, let's first understand exactly what the purpose of a performance review is. Per the dictionary, a performance review ...
Resourceful People – How Do They Do It
My youngest and I was working on a school assignment for the past few days. I used the opportunity to teach him how to properly use Google to do some research. Strangely enough, this topic also came up during a conversation we had last night with some friends at a barbeque. Apparently, being able to do research with resources the majority of people now have available, doesn't always come naturally to people. I've seen it in the workplace as well. People will ask me questions. I will google it or search on the intranet. And in 99.9% I will always find my answer. And then people are astonished about the "wealth of information I have". No, it's not that. I've just come to learn that if you really want to get ahead in your career, you have to learn how to be resourceful. A person is resourceful if they are able to achieve ...
The Face of Grit and Determination
It was a week full of rich learning with my own business coach. Yes, I do spend money on my own personal development to ensure I can continue to bring you the best I can offer. Anyhoo...my homework? Go and buy some magazines in our niche and see what they do for ads and headlines. Great. It's been a while since I laid my hands on a physical magazine and I very much looked forward to it. Because this meant only one thing - some quiet time in the bath with me and my mag. I bought a few which also included some fitness magazines. I love health and fitness. What could possibly go wrong? In the first magazine the editor's note talk about living fit and being authentic you. Great, sounds like my jam. She goes on to cover the #BeAuthentic movement. Something I know nothing about. It's great because I need to do some hashtag ...
What Was and What is Now Has Nothing to Do with One Another
Rewind… I had a decent corporate career, but I worked 70-80 hours a week with NO work-life balance - whatever that may mean. It was just how it was. If you want a decent salary increase, it's what you do. Otherwise, you were labeled as uncooperative, not collaborative and disloyal to your company. That's really what triggered by discontent. What made me evaluate the miserable life I had where I've spent very little time with my kids and my family. Where I felt so just to take a day or two off. I could never relax. Fast Forward... I'm done apologizing for the fact that I hate the idea of having to work for somebody else until I retire. Because that is just that - you work for somebody else. I'm done apologizing for the fact that I have a dream to give my family a better life and the fact that I acknowledge, by working ...
The Idea of Having a J.O.B for the Rest of My Life
I finally took the plunge and spoke about why I hate the idea of having a J.O.B for the rest of my life. If you missed that episode, you can catch it HERE.. (Recommended by CapeTownInsider) So if that makes you uneasy, let's rephrase just for you. I hate the idea of not doing enough to get my story out there, of not doing enough to really help and empower others. It has nothing to do with the job itself. Just like somebody else who hate the idea of living in a flat for the rest of their lives, I cannot imagine not sharing with others, what I have acquired over all these years. For me, it's a basic principle in life. I know something, the person coming behind me, don't know yet. Just turn around and reach out a hand to the person. I have a story to tell and people need to hear it. I want to help women be the bad assess ...
