Hello everyone this is Michael from BM product solutions. Yes, it’s just a small little two-minute blog message. Think of this is just me saying stay strong and keep your business sustainable. Now with regards to COVID-19 a lot of small businesses have taken strain and people have been wondering how to make an income and how life is going to treat them there after.

These are questions that are hanging over a lot of businesses heads and specially in South Africa. So, I would say that if you have controlled your financial situation correctly and you’ve made provisions for situations such as this thing well done and you. Also, in this time a lot of businesses can take us 21 day break and actually revive their businesses and come back even stronger because now you’ve got ample time to some remodeling look at areas of improvement look at gaps in the market places where you can improve your business in terms of strategic and competitive advantage. And also in in that light don’t look at it as a negative there is a positive. Someone has given you 21 days to basically look at your business from an outside perspective. Look at where you have had shortfalls, look at where you need to make these changes to actually save and cut costs for events such as this which may arise in the future.

I am not saying lay people off or retrench them, but look at the brighter side and think to yourself, “how do I prevent this from happening in the future”? “How do I make sure that my business is sustainable should and event like this occur once again”? I mean this has hit the world, nations and countries by storm and it’s bad because you have people that thought they had good jobs and now they’ve been placed under lockdown with no security regarding their income and so forth. So do not be one of those businesses that just thinks okay fine I’m in it for the money. Think of the people that help you make that money. Think of the people that you have at tell now in this period of time that I can to pay you. It’s not just about you! Your business does not survive just because you are there. Your business survives because of the people that are there helping you make it survive.

Employees, I think that’s the most important part of this message that you need to take away right now is that how do you sustain your business? Not just for yourself, not just for your family not just for the person it’s going to take over your line of your generations to come. But how do you make your business sustainable to insure that people who work for you are valued, people that work for you feel valued and people that work for you see that you are going to the ends of the Earth and beyond to make sure that they are safe and they have employment and that their jobs are secured. These are the types of things that you as a business owner need to start taking initiative on now, bearing in mind that look at what has happened, look at what has happened in this world.

People are losing their jobs left right and centre people are dying, out there! And I mean companies need to start stepping up, I mean small, big, and large. I am not just putting it out there that it’s the big corporations or the small corporations or the private sector, it’s everybody. And in order to create that sustainable future not just for us but for the for the generations to come, We need to start adopting that knowledge, we need to start adopting that emotional intelligence. We need to be aware of what we are doing to this planet! We need to start thinking of the planet first. We need to then start thinking of the people there are in this planet and then, we need to start thinking of the profits that we are making off the planet and the people. That’s the triple bottom line in reverse. Before it was People, Planet Profit! I think we should put the Planet first, then think of the people on this planet, and then we think of the Profit.

So in closing I just want to say that take this time to reflect on your business, take this time to actually think as to how you are going to come back from this setback that we have had. And yes you may come back stronger you may come back knowing for a fact that there is another area of opportunity but that’s up to you.

From myself, Michael and BM Project Solutions – we ask that you stay safe keep your family safe and follow all the guidelines set out by the ministers and your country’s policies.

Myth: I’m not creative

You are only as creative as you allow yourself to be. If you do not step out of your comfort zone you will become monotonous to yourself. You are literally causing damage to yourself and the potential within you.

People in the workplace tend to blame others for their lack in creativity. This is one myth that needs to be dispelled within the workplace as it causes unnecessary barriers. This negative attitude in the department makes the others around you just as despondent to changes as you are. Employees become so complacent in their environment. They forget that we are all there to learn from one another in order to make the business as sustainable as it can be.

This myth creates a barrier to creative thinking. While the rest of the department is attempting to come up with ideas to better the workplace, the complacent employees are clouding the office with negativity. This starts creating a mental block in all the staff as there is no buy in from the very people who are going to do the work. Yet when management implements the innovation, they start arguing that management does not care about them.

Myth: Creativity is the result of the lone innovator

This myth almost links the one identified above. If there is only a handful of people prepared to do the thinking, then what is the use of the department existing. There is currently a situation where employees are not happy with the changes taking place in the organization. However, we need to ask ourselves the question why?

When management calls a team/department meeting and mentions the changes that they plan to implement, nobody voices their opinions. This gives management the impression that everybody is on board with the idea and they can go ahead. The moment the idea is implemented the very people who kept quiet in the meeting are the ones who complain. This myth creates a barrier where management is the lone innovators and the rest of us follow like sheep. We need to ensure that input from the entire department is considered. This only helps the innovation become better.

This is another myth that needs to be dispelled from the department. People need to understand management is there to lead the department to the goals set out by the organization. It is the people on the ground doing the actual work that needs to help them reach these goals not just by doing the work but being creative and innovative. Without this input the department will seize to exist or be overlooked come bonus and salary increase time. Thus, the reason management becomes the lone innovator.

Myth: Being creative is a waste of time

If being creative is a waste of time then what are you doing with the life God has given you. You might as well be living under a rock or back in the Stone Age. Organizations cannot afford to sleep on the job as their competition is always lurking around the corner. The moment you close your eyes they get the better of you. This creates a negative barrier in the workplace as the people are not interested in change. The rest of the people in the department will not be willing to be creative as they will also start to think that it is a waste of time.

As mentioned in the previous myths, complacency has gotten the better of most employees. They do not know what value they bring to the organization just by giving their valid opinion. The reason people may feel this way is that they are not very receptive to negative feedback. If management says that the innovation will not work, it does not mean you must just leave it there and give up. There are many things one can take from this response to get the result you want.

Maybe you should go back to the drawing board and re-look at your innovation. There might be little thing which can be tweaked to make the innovation more appealing to management. Maybe the way you presented it did not touch crucial points and details as to why the innovation is needed and why it will work. Sometimes the longer explanation is needed than that of a high level one.

This myth needs to be dispelled from the organization. People need to understand that maybe the timing of the innovation might be clashing with one that management has already considered and busy implementing. They need to see what it is that they can do to maybe improve this creativity once it has been implemented.

Myth: Creativity is not for adults or people with serious careers

If this is true, then why do we need to employ elderly people or those with serious careers? Clearly you can do better all by yourself and you do not need the organization just as much as it needs you. This creates a barrier as the adults in the business do not share any past experiences in the organization. The individual with the serious career is so caught up in his success that he does not see the need to be creative.

If people believe that they cannot add value or creativity due to their age or job status then they are clearly mistaken. For the organization to prosper we need input from everyone in the organization. Adults are more mature and can bring some form of calm in a very despondent department. You also need these adult’s maturity and knowledge as they have probably grown with the business for a long time. They have seen many changes and ideas being implemented in the organization in their time here. They are the ones who are more likely to add the most valued points in a meeting.

The person with his serious career can learn from this adult. If they work together they can take new ideas and see how they converge with the old ones which did not work out or were never implemented. It is thus the reason that creativity has no status, age limit or expiration date.

This is one myth that should be dispelled. The people in the department need to understand that they have been employed for a reason. They do not have to come up with a fortune five hundred idea but any input is valuable input. It might not make sense to one person but the others in the room it might just make perfect sense. Do not keep your creativity hidden in your degrees or doctorates or take it with you to your grave.

Myth: Creativity always from an epiphany

Some of the greatest ideas probably came from an epiphany. This does not mean that it will always be the case. Some employees merely pretend to be creative to score points for their appraisals come year end and bonus time. This can create a barrier as people lose confidence in their thinking as they think management does not take them seriously.

This is what makes employees feel that they need to go into some sort of complacency mode. Just because this wonderful idea popped into your head does not mean it must be implemented immediately. You need to right down the idea and explore it to the point where it not only makes sense but your research of it makes it make sense. You must cover all angles of this idea as it can touch other areas in the department. This can turn your simple epiphany into a great innovation.

Management needs to see that thought and effort went into your idea. They are looking for one thing and that is if the idea will add value to the department as a whole. Employees need to understand that being creative is far from just having an epiphany. Your epiphany may seem creative but try explaining it to yourself first and see if it makes sense and is valid.

This myth needs to be dispelled. Validation of creativity needs to be the driving force. Epiphany’s can only take you to a certain point of being creative. Drawing out the plan can help you understand your epiphany better. The better you understand your epiphany the better you will be able to interpret it to management in a way that can sell your idea.

Michael Joseph

Business Management Project Solutions.

info@bmprojectsolutions.co.za

Website

If you wish to donate to my blog please do so via PayPal or scan the QR code below.

 

“Management means doing the things right, leadership means doing the right things Drucker in: (Krames, 2009, p. 125)”. (Kardos, S. 2012).

There are five knowledge worker roles which the author will be investigating. The main aim is to demonstrate and establish if these roles work well within the workplace.

These knowledge worker roles are;

• Reconnoiter
• Navigator
• Handyman
• Shepherd
• Gatekeeper

“Knowledge workers have high degrees of expertise, education, or experience, and the primary purpose of their jobs involves the creation, distribution, or application of knowledge. Knowledge workers think for a living. They live by their wits – any heavy lifting on the job is intellectual, not physical. They solve problems, they understand and meet the needs of customers, they make decisions, and they collaborate and communicate with other people during doing their own work. What becomes clear is that by applying their knowledge in new, complex situations, knowledge workers create new knowledge while developing on the job continuously”. (Kardos, S. 2012).

Reconnoiter

Reconnoiters would be individuals who can detect changes and looking for new opportunities. This would mean that reconnoiter could be someone working in the compliance department. Compliance is always detecting new changes and laws being passed by government. This means that their main function is to ensure that we are always up to date on our processes regarding legislation.

Reconnoiters could also be senior management and directors. These are the individuals who see opportunities in the market and possible areas where the business can thrive. Managers with reconnoiter mentality generally want to see results and numbers. They are quick to identify areas where there could be possible threats and make sure to shift the business away from it as quickly as possible.

“This person acts an early detection system to any changes or threats to the environment. This role also acts as a data gatherer, providing the rest of the team with the data they need to formulate and validate their ideas”. (The Da Vinci Institute. 2016).

Navigator

The navigator is the person who generally provides direction to the organization. They are clued up on how things like the economy and macro-environment can impact the organization. They tend to work closely with reconnoiters as they need to analyze data together to see if the business is heading in the right direction.

The navigator is also the person who tends to look for ways in which the business can save money or time. This does not necessarily have to be connected to the economy; however, it needs to be in line with the business strategy. Navigators in the authors’ department would be the operations, finance and compliance managers.

“This person is normally identified as a thought leader who takes the core data and enriched sources to interpret and provide new opportunities to the data, so that the team can understand the internal and external forces that will have an impact on their environment”. (The Da Vinci Institute. 2016).

Handyman

The handyman will consist of the project manager and business analyst in the department. They take the information from reconnoiters’ and navigator and simplify this into a process. They are responsible for ensuring that the correct systems are utilized to carry out the correct process.

The handyman can also be an innovator as they tend to see things that others cannot. They can be people working on the ground doing the daily tasks. They have a more hands on approach to the problem in the workplace and a perfect source for gathering information. These individuals would be the ones that can inform the department of what the system should be able to do and what would satisfy the customers’ needs.

“This person is the practical doer. At times the visionary puts plans and structures into place to ensure that the end outcome is achieved and the operation is effectively maintained”. (The Da Vinci Institute. 2016).

Shepherd

The shepherd would generally be the manager reporting to the head of the department. Shepherds look after smaller teams which make up the department. They have team leaders who assist them in delegating work to the team. Shepherds take the information analyzed by reconnoiters’, navigators and the handyman, and simplify this further to their individual teams.

Think of the shepherd as the subtitles you would get in a movie. Everyone does not understand the jargon used by senior managers hence the team leader and managers are there to interpret that language. They ensure that every individual in the team understands their role and function. They ensure that the team has the necessary tools to perform these functions to the best of their abilities.

“The shepherd is the mediator that facilitates the team to ensure that each role is given equal opportunity to engage and contribute to the process. This role is also integral to knowledge sharing across the team, without this function; there is a chance that the information will be considered in isolation”. (The Da Vinci Institute. 2016).

Gatekeeper

Gatekeepers could be considered as the training department. They are the ones who take the information received from all the other knowledge roles and provide detailed training about it. This means that they run sessions with the employees in the department. They relay the information in greater detail and conduct detailed user acceptance testing.

They make sure that the employees are well trained regarding the new process and systems which have been innovated. They ensure that further feedback is given back to the other knowledge roles to go back to the drawing board for future changes or enhancements. The gatekeeper ensures that there is continuous feedback from one knowledge role to the other.

“The gatekeeper is the final role in the community of practice and acts as an evaluator. This role controls the flow of knowledge into and out of the team and is instrumental in creating and developing the community of practice. The gatekeeper is the innovations architect”. (The Da Vinci Institute. 2016).

Michael Joseph

Business Management Project Solutions.

info@bmprojectsolutions.co.za

Website

Ifyou wish to donate to my blog please do so via PayPal or scan the QR code below.