Africa

Sandton, March, 17, 2021 - I understand that some people can’t wait to see the back of a pandemic disrupted 2020. In real terms, some have not survived let alone thrived! For those who are hanging on to survival and hoping they will thrive in 2021, I suggest they start with a critical reflection based on the following question: How can I adapt my contribution so that I answer the questions posed by my stakeholders’ current and future needs and in so doing survive and thrive? My answer is threefold. We need to work on our relevance, by providing answers that satisfy our stakeholders’ needs. To do this we improve our competency by adding relevant knowledge, practicing our skills, and polishing our performance. But, when the effect of this pandemic diminishes, relevance will not be enough, and we will still be faced with challenges like AI and Biotech that will hugely impact and negate our relevance. Thus, we need to scaffold onto our relevance and become remarkable. This means we develop 21st-century human competencies. To access the level of remarkable and get ahead in the game, we need to question the answers that made us relevant in the first instance. To do this we build mental toughness and teamwork so that we can work within the context of the new and not feel threatened by it. The third scaffold in our reach for thriving requires us to go beyond remarkable and access even greater heights and become rare. When we are rare, we get ahead of the game. This means we question the questions; we benchmark across disciplines and industries to find competitive advantages that herald new value and in so doing give us a thriving 2021 and beyond. The attached video on Jerusalema is an example of developing teamwork and team spirit so that this team becomes remarkable. My next step is to help them become rare! Motivational Speaker, Dr Steve Harris, translates a powerful combination of real-world experience, business success and academic insight …

Sandton, March, 17, 2021 - Remote working under lockdown has transformed workspace models and brought a new way of thinking with regards to flexible co-working space or what is also known as “co space”. When the concept of renting shared office space first reached the shores of South Africa, most people viewed it as an opportunity for self-employed entrepreneurs to make a move from their kitchen into something more professional. It was almost unimaginable that, by the end of 2020, both professionals and corporates would be looking at swapping their large corporate offices for shared office space! The current pandemic has seen corporates increasingly investigating co-working and flexible office space that is available to rent. Businesses have recognised the following benefits of sharing office; Reducing office space rents and related service costs. Entering more flexible lease agreements to easily increase or decrease the office space required. Exploring synergies with other like-minded business people. Exchanging ideas. Increasing sales leads and productivity. Connecting and networking to increase business opportunities. It has also been interesting to realise how many different types of businesses at various stages in their lifecycles are already successfully using the benefits of the fully-serviced office space that they rent. These types of businesses include; Freelance Entrepreneurs This type of business person is used to working on their own and has quickly adapted to the co space working model. They are now able to reap the benefits of sharing their ideas with other similar professionals and expand their business networks accordingly. Outsourced / Remote Workers The pandemic increased the incidence of remote working, and employers observed how their remote employees were able to function just as effectively as in a traditional office. However, they still required access to copiers, faxes and meeting rooms from time to …

Sandton, March, 12, 2021 - Flexible office space is the future of workspace design. For a company to prosper, employees need to thrive in their office environment, be productive, drive the business and build progressive companies. Thriving in the flexible office space environment relates to employees’ experience of well-being, creativity, better interaction and work performance. A well-designed, flexible office space is essential if employees are to thrive. Under the current pandemic, a large portion of the world’s population adopted remote working, with many enjoying the option of working from home. However, alongside the satisfaction of flexibility that remote working brings, people are missing out on a work-life balance. This balance comes in many forms, from interacting with colleagues in the office to simply getting out of the house for a change of scenery. For many, it is to find a place where one can work more productively – a place where one can concentrate without the distraction of children at home or the coffee machine’s noise at the local cafe distracting them from a Zoom call. While enjoying the current flexibility, people are missing some aspects of the workplace, which is why flexible office space is being seen as the workspace of the future. Fully-serviced, flexible office space is appealing to more individuals and businesses as they realize the cost and time-saving benefits of being able to move into their office space and immediately begin focusing on their core business activities; without the necessity of unpacking and having to engage the relevant business and IT services that are required for daily business operations. Benefits of fully-serviced flexible office space Flexible office space has many other benefits too: It frees people and businesses from committing to long-term commercial property leases. It saves companies money as set-up, and ongoing costs are covered. It saves time and energy for companies having to …