#bblchat

When one is considering recruiting a staff member the big debate on what to look for comes down to: should you be looking for experience or talent?

Those with experience have proven their dedication to furthering their skills and have gained the knowhow and wisdom that comes with it. On the other had those with talent have a natural ability. As described in the article by Payal Chanania, Talent or experience – which is important,  “It can be an inherent creativity, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving, managing crisis, leadership or any other ability for that matter.” (http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/talent-or-experience-which-is-important/article2772871.ece)

So which wins out in the end? Is talent enough? In a blog post by cream, (Raw Talent vs. Experience. Which is Best? http://plum.io/blog/raw-talent-vs-experience-which-is-best/), we are reminded that “The answer isn’t always clear cut and the truth of the matter is that there are pros and cons to both.” As with most things there are multiple opinions and views on which should be sought after over the other.

In this week’s #BBLChat on Thursday 23 October 2014, at 8pm on twitter (@BigBreakLegacy) we want you to share with us your stance on whether experience trumps talent, or whether the talented fight harder as they don’t necessarily have the experience to fall back on?

Questions we will be asking:

Q1: What qualities does a person with experience have that one with talent alone does not?

Q2: At what stage is experience overshadowed by talent?

Q3: Have you had to choose between experience and talent? Which did you go for at the time?

Q4: Can the two balance each other out?

No matter the decision we need to make, whether it is regarding a new opportunity, employing a new staff member or what course of action to take in our marketing strategy, we all have a process we abide by to assist us in making the final decision. These steps often include gaining figures doing market research and meeting with advisers to gain more insight into the matter. What is often overlooked as a legitimate step is reflecting on your feelings, paying attention to what your instincts are telling you about the decision to be made.

Instincts are based on your experience and are an important aspect to consider throughout all aspects of your life including your business. They should be part of your decision-making process. Once all the data has been collected and everyone has had their say, you should step aside and see what your ‘gut’ is telling you about the situation.

“I've trusted my instincts. I take in all the information I can gather. I listen to proposals, ideas, and advice. Then I go with my gut, what my heart feels most strongly.” These are the words of Oprah Winfrey, when talking about her successful businesses. If someone with her success is relying on her instincts to assist in decisions making, shouldn’t we try to do the same?

Join us for this week’s #BBLChat, Thursday 16 October, at 8pm on Twitter (@BigBreakLegacy) and share with us your view on listening to your instincts when it comes to your business.

  The questions we will be asking:

Q1: When making a decision what factors do you take into consideration?

Q2: Do you listen to your instincts when you conduct business and how much do they influence your decisions?

Q3: When should one be careful about relying too much on their instincts?

Q4: How often have you ignored your instincts when it came to your business and realised later that they were spot on?

When we start out in business we tend to say yes to any and all opportunities that come our way. While this can help boost our revenue and reputation, it unfortunately becomes a habit that is hard to break. We end up saying yes when we should say no so as to not disappoint or due to the fear of missing out on a great opportunity.

The longer we are in business, the more work we take on starts to affect our ability to focus on the important and jeopardises our level of service. Kevin Daum highlights when entrepreneurs should be saying no, in his article for Inc.com “7 Great business reasons to say ‘No’ (http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/7-great-business-reasons-to-say-no.html) Kevin observes that, “ Some may seem obvious, but I have often witnessed smart people get themselves in trouble by thinking they will somehow work everything out.” This is a very real issue with some entrepreneurs and it is something that can be overcome as they learn when to say no to a colleague, client or supplier.

Ed Batista advises that, slowing down “the pace of an interaction or a decision-making process can allow us to catch up and make the choice that’s right for us”, we must recognise our emotional cues “What do we feel—physically—when we consider saying “no”?” and practice saying no, as we can “improve only with repeated effort,’”  to effectively learn how to say no (read more here: http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/11/learning-to-say-no-is-part-of-success/)

This Thursday, 02 September 2014, join our #BBLChat on twitter (@BigBreakLegacy) at 8pm and tell us how saying yes too often, has affected your business and how you learnt to say ‘No!’

The questions we will be asking:

Q1: How difficult is it for you to say ‘No’ even if you know saying ‘Yes’ is a mistake?

Q2: What are the most common reasons entrepreneurs don’t say ‘No’?

Q3: When did you realise that you needed to say no to a client, colleague or supplier?

Q4: How has learning to say no affected your business?

Heritage month reminds us all of where we have come from and where our country is going. It rejuvenates the sense of pride we have in our country. As entrepreneurs we have come to realise that to be proudly South African, is to not only love our country, but also to work towards using that patriotism to grow and benefit the country’s society and economy.

Fellow entrepreneur Guy Harris is a great example of what it is to be proudly South African. Not only is Guy the Chief Entrepreneurship Officer for the South African Institute for Entrepreneurship (http://www.entrepreneurship.co.za/) he also serves on the Boards of ProudlySA, SA Bureau of Standards, Booyco Engineering and Greybeard Business Catalysts and, until recently, Bell Equipment. To add to that he is also an Advisory Board Member of Partners for Possibility.

What does it mean to walk in the shoes of Guy Harris, how does he view being proudly South African, and what role does he believe entrepreneurship plays in advancing our county? Join us this Thursday, 25 September, at 8pm SAST on Twitter (@BigBreakLLegacy) for the #BBLChat to find out.

We will be opening up the floor for the last 15 minutes of the chat; allowing you the opportunity to ask Guy any question you have about his journey as a proudly South African entrepreneur.

The questions we will be asking Guy:

Q1: What does being a proudly South African entrepreneur mean to you?

Q2: How has entrepreneurship impacted South Africa?

A proud moment for South Africa was at the beginning of this month when the National Outsourcing Association (NOA) Professional Awards, which were held in London, named BPeSA (Business Process enabling South Africa) co-winners of the “Skills Development Programme of the Year” award, for their skills training initiative (see more here: http://www.bpesaskillsportal.co.za)

We all know that skills development is vital for South African businesses to thrive and prosper. Some South African businesses have gone so far as to develop skills development programmes in-house to ensure that their employees are better equipped to perform the work that they are assigned.

There are other businesses that provide the courses to those that cannot train in-house but want their employees to gain new skills. Websites such as The Skills portal (http://www.skillsportal.co.za/) are there to bring together the Skills development institutions and those businesses that wish to implement skills development in their companies.

In addition organisations are forming to represent the skills development practitioners and administrators. An example of one of these organisations would be ASDA (Association for skills development in South Africa).

These are but a few of the organisations and initiatives that have seen the need for skills development in South Africa.

In this week’s #BBLChat we want you to tell us your view on skills development. Are South Africans receiving the skills training they need and how can we as entrepreneurs and business owners play our part?

Join us on Thursday, 18 September 2014, at 8pm SAST on twitter (@BigBreakLegacy) to add your voice to the discussion.

The questions we will be asking:

Q1: How do you feel about hearing that a South African company won an international award for skills development?

Q2: What aspects should a company consider before deciding on the correct programme for their employees?

Q3: What benefits does a company gain from implementing a skills training programme?

Q4: Are these programmes as effective as they ought to be? How could they improve?

South Africa is a young nation with a culturally rich vibrant people who have a drive to make this country a force to be reckoned with. Due to the high unemployment in the country, caused mainly by a struggling economy after the recession, many South Africans are finding their ‘inner entrepreneur’ to generate an income. With the next generation of university graduates about to enter the job market, many are worried that there will be no work for them which will cause a rise in the unemployment rate of the country.

Over recent months entrepreneurship has been highlighted by many as being the answer to the unemployment facing South Africa. ThisDayLive.com reported on Ernst and Young (EY) (http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/ernst-and-young-harps-on-entrepreneurship-to-address-youth-unemployment/188619/) who have embraced entrepreneurship as a solution. “Recent EY studies had shown that entrepreneur-led businesses would create more jobs than large corporates over the coming year, with 76 per cent of entrepreneurs saying they’ll expand their workforce in 2014.” This is a great boost for entrepreneurs and provides hope for the unemployed.

J. Brooks Spector, of the Daily Maverick, (http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2014-02-03-analysis-to-get-ahead-south-african-economy-needs-entrepreneurial-spirit/#.VBAri8KSySo) points out that South Africans need to regain their entrepreneurial spirit. He believes that “what seems to be needed is real effort to turn these young people into enthusiastic entrepreneurs and entrepreneur-wannabies” How then do we encourage entrepreneurship amongst our Youth? He believes that the education system needs to start implementing the teaching of the skill required for our youth to have the option and the knowledge required to start their own business.

Minister Lindiwe Zulu is known to have said, “South Africa is a youthful country. The long-term solution to the nation's unemployment crisis is to create a nation of entrepreneurs, and not a nation of job-seekers.” She is convinced that South Africa needs to teach entrepreneurship education from primary school level right through higher education institutions.

Does this now put undue pressure on the entrepreneurs of this country? Or is it a source of motivation? We want to you to tell us. Join us this Thursday, 11 September 2014, on twitter (@BigBreakLegacy) at 8pm SAST, for the #BBLChat, and tell us how you feel about the new focus on entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and how we can effectively educate our youth to encourage a spirit of entrepreneurship.

The questions that we will be asking:

Q1: Are you surprised that entrepreneurship is gaining recognition as a viable answer to unemployment?

Q2: What ‘red-tape’ issues are entrepreneurs and SME’s facing with regards to hiring staff?

Q3: What measures can be implemented by government to support the small business’ ability to employ more staff?

Q4: How important is education to the growth of entrepreneurship and small business?

With the country recovering from a recession, South Africans are looking at ways in which to boost the local economy. Many are arguing that to do so, South Africans must start buying local. This means supporting companies that manufacture and produce within South Africa. Others may ask whether it is enough to just have the South African consumer purchase local products.

The South African government says no, they want South African businesses to support local as well. They are aiming to get 80 companies on the JSE list to commit to purchasing more products locally. Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies also announced that the DTI would ensure that 75% of the government’s goods and services would come from local companies. In his budget vote speech in July he urged that “To add to this momentum, the private sector needs to buy more from local companies…” This is very encouraging for local businesses.

In an interview with CNBC Africa (see more at http://www.cnbcafrica.com/176151.aspx), Coenraad Bezuidenhout, the executive director of the Manufacturing Circle, states that “We think the move towards localisation overall is very positive. We think it’s important that there be responsibility placed in front of corporate South Africa to support local manufacturing, and to understand the very important role that manufacturing plays in sustaining services and other sectors of the economy.” Certainly something that all South Africans interested in boosting the local economy need to understand.

So how can we as South African Entrepreneurs assist with this endeavour? How can we play our part? Is this just something everyone talks about without actually putting into practice?

Join our #BBLChat this Thursday evening, 04 September 2014, from 8pm-9pm SAST on twitter (@BigBreakLegacy) to add your voice to the discussion on how we can encourage and maintain buying local.

Questions we will be asking:

Q1: What are some of the main reasons South African businesses are not buying locally?

Q2: Should it become legislation that a certain % of products bought by companies be from local manufacturers?

Q3: If tax breaks or incentives were offered to encourage local purchasing, would this be effective?

Q4: What long-term benefits can be gained by buying local?

In this day and age, one would think that gender bias in the workplace has become a thing of past. Unfortunately this is not so. There are still industries that are seen as male-dominated like the mining, construction and engineering sector. Though there has been a rise of the number of women entering these fields, there is still a sense that this is a “Man’s job”.

So how do we overcome the gender bias and inequality in these industries? Yes government can issue legislations to promote women to higher levels of business, which they have. This, however, does not mean that these legislations have been implemented. As is evident by the study conducted by Grant Thornton Johannesburg, (http://www.gt.co.za/news/2014/08/support-for-gender-quotas-rises-worldwide-while-sa-support-starts-to-diminish/) where the findings show that only 26% of senior management jobs in South Africa are held by women. During the research it was discovered that only 52% of South African companies said that they would support the introduction of quotas for the number of women on executive boards of large listed companies.

Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) argues that the 50% target demanded by the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill is ‘unrealistic and unattainable’. Is this due to a lack in highly skilled women or due to a high bias towards women taking on high ranking positions?

Sangita Kasturi, president and founder of Tan270 Consulting, argues that gender inequality and bias needs to be addressed at home, in her blog “Gender Equality - Can We Have It in the Workplace without Having It At Home?” (http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140605233311-14020801-gender-equality-can-we-have-it-in-the-workplace-without-having-it-at-home). From little we are raised with certain gender expectations. The same behaviour is interpreted differently depending on whether you are a boy or a girl or a man or a woman. Sangita suggests that we should “…start by celebrating the remarkable diversity of personalities, ambitions, strengths and challenges that define each of us as well-rounded human beings, rather than limiting ourselves and others by the gendered expectations that define so much of our culture today….We will have equality in the workplace when we have equality at home.”.

Join us this Thursday evening, 28 August 2014, at 8pm SAST on twitter (@BigBreakLegacy) for the #BBLChat, and share with us your opinion on gender bias and inequality in South Africa’s businesses and how we can overcome it.

The Question’s we will be asking:

Q1: Can the low percentage of women in high level management positions be attributed to gender bias or a lack of highly skilled women?

Q2: How prevalent is gender bias and inequality in the workplace and is it only focused at women?

Q3: Have you ever seen or experienced gender bias and how did you deal with it?

Q4: Will addressing gender equality at home influence its presence in the workplace?