The Parameters of Resolutions
With all the good wishes for a prosperous New Year behind us, the reality sets in: it is now only you and your New Year's Resolutions. Thinking about it, these resolutions usually focus on only one of two things: reducing something or increasing something. Getting more exercise this year.... cutting down on your time in front of the television... spending more time with family and friends... reducing your intake of coffee. In business terms, we should also strive for these same resolution parameters: increasing our profits and reducing our costs. This month we focus on both: we introduce you to the often overlooked area of Error Reduction as part of a cost reduction strategy, while our guest writer, Lorna Powe, highlights the 3 things you need to understand to increase your sales this year. And as a final bonus to set you on the right track for a successful 2012, Syndi Seid offers sound advice on the proper etiquette for doing introductions. Wishing you a successful January!
The Imperative of Error Reduction
Introduced by Michélle Booysen
"Let's be honest. Most of us think that mistakes simply happen - that human error is inevitable. After all, 'to err is human', right?"
"Wrong."
These are the words of Tim Autrey, Practicing Perfection Institute (PPI) Founder and Error Reduction Advisor.
Our partnership with the PPI, which we formalized in 2011, resulted in a successful pilot project during November where we applied VizPro® Practicing Perfection to impressive effect in our client’s environment. This pilot proved beyond any doubt that the impact of Error Reduction on an organization is such that it cannot be ignored.
Tim continues: "Human error can be stopped. How do I know this? Immersed within the most highly regulated industry in the world for the past 23 years, I discovered the formula. Want to know the secret? Click here for an audio link and listen. It just might be the most important 2 1/2 minutes you will ever invest for the future of your business."
For more information on how to Practice Perfection and reduce costs associated with human error in your organisation, contact us
Michélle and Tim in Mechelen, Belgium, where the Pétanque PPI partnership was formed in May 2011
Click here to learn more about Tim Autrey.
Michélle Booysen, PH.D, PMP is Managing Director of Pétanque Consultancy and is the winner of the Technology for Women in Business (TWIB) award for 2011. To read more about her, please click here.
How To: 3 things you need to understand for Effective Sales
By Lorna Powe
During my time owning businesses both here and in Europe I've noticed that people take many approaches in the contact aspect of sales. Some phone anybody and charge in, assuming that anyone will buy. Some do months of research before they even determine what to sell. Focus on a specific product and market turns a business into a success. What makes a sales success?
One of the local household names is Ina Paarman. She started teaching cooking and then moved to her own business doing the same, starting with just 6 pupils she managed to get onto the TV demonstrating cooking, and from there, classes were oversubscribed. Her reputation grew and she became the Food editor for Femina, from there on to other media and suddenly there was a brand name of 'Ina Paarman'.
We are not all able or want to be on TV or in the media – what can we do to contact people more effectively?
- Understand the 'pain' that you are resolving for the people in your market. Then find a way to tell them how to resolve it.
- Find out where your market goes to network. Offer to help to organize events for that network, get on to the committee or provide a service for free for them.
- Understand your market. You can then focus on your target market and determine the aspects of your product or service that they will be interested in. This enables you to be meaningful and pertinent in your discussions about your product or service.
In Selling the message is clear: contact your prospects regularly.
Lorna Powe is the co-founder of SalesPartnes RoseBankTM. a global sales and business development company. Click here to learn more.
Etiquette...The softer side to business success!
A new year brings new acquaintances, who at some point might have to be introduced to last year's acquaintances. Syndi Seid explains all there is to know about proper Introductions, made easy.
A proper introduction is something many people wonder about, stress over, and are most uneasy about. Yet, it is something quite simple and easy, once you keep two things in mind.
When performing business introductions, here's my two-step golden rule:
Step 1: The first person's name you say is always the most important person.
Step 2: Thereafter, everyone else's name is introduced to that most important person.
ALWAYS say the most important person's name first. In business, rank and status are the primary determinants as to who takes precedence over whom. Gender and age are typically not factors.
NEVER use the word "meet" when introducing someone. For example, read the following sentence and tell me who is the CFO and who is the newly hired staff member: "Jane Doe, I would like you to meet John Smith."
Which person is the most important person in this sentence? Who sounds like the most important person? Is Jane or John the CFO?
We learned the most important person is the first person; yet by the way this sentence reads, it appears John is the more important person of the two. So who's the CFO?
When you use the word "meet" to introduce someone, you will always throw the emphasis off toward to the wrong person, thereby falling out of protocol for a proper business introduction. In my mind, throw that "m-word" out of your default brain of proper introductions and never use the word "meet."
Rather, for an informal introduction, use the words "this is" as the bridge between saying the most important person's name first and then introducing the second person. "Jane Doe this is John Smith, our new staff member. Jane Doe is our CFO."
Remember: Be careful not to get too wordy when using the word "introduce." For instance, which of these three sentences is correct?
A. Jane Doe, may I introduce John Smith
B. Ms Doe, may I introduce to you Mr. Smith
C. Jane Doe, may I introduce you to John Smith
Answer: A is correct and best by using the fewest words; B is correct although wordy; C is not correct, because by switching the words "to you" to "you to" you have again thrown the emphasis onto the wrong person.
Other reminders:
- Keep the forms of the address equal. If you use Ms Doe, you must use Mr. Smith. You should not say, "Jane Doe this is Mr. Smith."
- In all situations, it is best to use both a person's first and last name when making introductions. To use only a first name is not introducing the total person.
- Try to say something about the people you are introducing so they will have something from which to springboard their own conversation. Then you may excuse yourself to meet and greet others.
For a fun 3-minute video recap of the above, click here
Happy Practicing!
Syndi Seid is the recognized world’s leading authority on business protocol. Read more at www.advancedetiquette.com
Inside Pétanque
A big "Congratulations" to Justin Siljeur who got engaged to Charlin Andrews over the New Year. We wish him and his fiancée all the best for a happy future.
EcoFacts
by Anuradha Roa
Plants without soil? The process of growing plants in sand, gravel or liquid with added nutrients, but without soil is called hydroponics. Hydroponics offers many advantages for commercial agriculture and to the home gardener. Plants can be grown anywhere as long as there is light - land/soil is not a factor! This is an important green benefit in areas where land availability is at a premium. Think for example about cities with roof tops gardens. It is also possible to grow plants in multi-levels, and problems of soil-borne pests and erosion are non-existent.
As part of a competition, a friend and I conducted an experiment related to hydroponics. We found the yield of a hydroponically grown jasmine plant to be better than that of one grown in soil. 
The hydroponic medium we used instead of soil was vermiculite (see picture). This result supports the general finding that hydroponics tend to produce higher yields. Gardens of the future? Most certainly, especially in overcrowded urban areas.
Source: various internet sites
Anuradha is one of the young women who received leadership training with iLivetoLead (www.il2l.org ) in India in March of this year. As the top student of this group, she was selected to receive intensive leadership training at the Leadership Summit in Washington DC in July. Her iCAN project, in which she was mentored in Project Management by Pétanque and which forms part of the leadership curriculum,- focused on raising environmental awareness. You can find her environment blog at http://environconsciousness.blogspot.com/ We are proud to welcome Anu as a regular contributor to monthly En Route.
Upcoming Events
Pétanque, in partnership with TenStep, Inc (www.tenstep.com), provides Strategy Delivery Services globally. We are proud to introduce the following webinar:
Use a Strategic Delivery Office (SXO) to Align Organization Processes
The Strategy Execution Office (SXO) supports and integrates strategic performance management, portfolio management, program/project management, and operational process improvement across the organization. It can (and should) be cascaded to lower level units as required. This office integrates a number of management tools and competencies to ensure synergy and communication are optimized.
This webinar will provide an overview of the SXO. We will also demonstrate an SXO software tool - cordin8 collaborative. This product supports key sets of functionality for the SXO as well as helps to integrate them into one seamless strategic execution tool to address both performance management and strategic plans.
Join us to learn more about this exciting new concept and supporting tool.
Monday 23 January
12:00 noon (Atlanta time)
Participants attending the live webinar will receive 1 PDU towards continuous PMP accreditation.
Register Now
Inside Pétanque
Happy Birthday Pétanque
Message in a Bottle
In January of this year we started a new tradition. Very befitting for the month January, one might say. The new tradition? Message in a Bottle.
How did it work? Each one of the Pétanque Team wrote down their personal and career goals for 2011, and sealed these in envelopes. During a special breakfast ceremony we placed these envelopes in an official Company Bottle, as "time-capsuled messages in a bottle" to ourselves, and sealed it.
On Friday, the 25th of November, we broke the seal of The Bottle. Each team member had an opportunity to share with the rest of the team how they had fared against their given goals for the year.
The amazing thing was this: what was focused on, was achieved. Clear as daylight. Makes one think.
How to create your own Team Time Capsule:
- Ask your team to record their goals, but assure confidentiality. Do this at the start of the year.
- During a special event dedicated to this occasion, seal the team's goals in a jar or bottle. Create a ceremony around closing and sealing the bottle to mark the occasion.
- Store the jar or bottle in a safe place during the year. Through internal e-mail communication, send a photo of the bottle with a note to keep the Message in a Bottle concept alive in everyone's minds. Do this a few times during the year.
- At the end of the year, arrange a ceremony to break the seal with as many team members present as possible. Ask everyone (who would like to) to share their goals with the rest of the team, highlighting what the current status against those goals are. It is very important to allow enough time for each team member to share what he or she would they would like to share.
- As a team, celebrate the achievements and provide support as needed.
Another achievement to celebrate
It gives us great pleasure to announce that Dr Michélle Booysen, MD of Pétanque has been re-elected onto the Cape Chamber of Commerce Council as an "Elected member" for the year 2011/2012.The (not-so-) small change
by Annelize Booysen
The year 2011 was, shall we say, interesting. It tested long established practices and forced change and innovation. Was it tough? No question. Did we grow? For sure. And isn't that what it is all about?
As we reflect on the lessons learnt, we focus on the epitome of change this month: Adaptive Case Management. We'll walk you through the basics. We also introduce a few How To year-end thoughts by our guest writer, Tom Mochal, President of TenStep International. And as an added holiday bonus we touch on the finer things in life with guest writer Syndi Seid, a leading authority in business etiquette and protocol.
Wishing you a Festive December!
Moving with the Times: Adaptive Case Management
by Michélle Booysen
Adaptive Case Management is an integral element of Business Process Management. Is it relevant to you?
Let's take a look.
What is it? Traditional management techniques that stress repetition and routine - as defined in processes - may not be what is needed in the way we do business anymore. "Learning, thinking, and acting on the fly are keys to success in the modern workplace", according to Keith D. Swenson, author of Mastering the Unpredictable: How Adaptive Case Management Will Revolutionize the Way that Knowledge Workers Get Things Done. Adaptive Case Management (ACM) is that what is needed whenever processes must react to changing customer needs and interactions, to ensure efficient and effective outcomes.
Who uses it? Enterprises with unpredictable, non-repetitive and/or non-replicable business situations would do well by using ACM.
How does it work? In Business Process Management, processes focus on what is repetitive or replicable, and mostly predictable. By adapting these defined, rigid processes to become responsive to fluid circumstances, one ensures agility in addressing specific requirements. 
For example, a client calls into a call centre with a unique query. The basic requirement is that the operator has to respond effectively. To do that, he, however, has to be flexible enough to adjust to changing circumstances. Adaptive case management provides those parameters by ensuring that the operator has a certain tone of voice that conveys assurance and an acceptable (standard) way of addressing the caller, but simultaneously also has the freedom to respond to the best of his or her trained ability with a custom-made solution to the query. Another example would be a doctor in an emergency room. She needs to follow process up to a point, but then needs the flexibility in that process to make a case-specific decision on how to deal with a specific emergency. The doctor's knowledge, the circumstance and the specific patient case requires the flexibility of a unique process to allow for effective assistance to the patient. That is ACM.
What are benefits? ACM enables the best possible response to any one of many unique circumstances.
Something for you to consider? If you want to know more about ACM, please click here to read about our partnering with Achievement Awards Group on a published ACM case implementation, and for a collage of case studies, benefits and "how to's" on the topic.
Michélle Booysen, PH.D, PMP is Managing Director of Pétanque Consultancy and is the winner of the Technology for Women in Business (TWIB) award for 2011. To read more about her, please click here.
How To: 5 techniques for managing Virtual Teams
by Tom Mochal
This year's projects brought a number of teams together to collaborate and deliver great results. Next year's projects will undoubtedly do so again, but the teams might take on a new character.
It has always been understood that the most effective teams are those located together. Now, however, there are trends that are driving teams in the other direction. The Internet, faster and more reliable communication, and collaborative tools are allowing people to work together on teams that are no longer co-located. In fact, the whole concept of globalization is pushing work all over the globe. They are real teams but they are "virtual" because they do not communicate and interact in a traditional face-to-face manner.
There are some special techniques that can be used to manage these virtual teams.
1. Establish team objectives. The team members need to know and understand what it is that they are doing together.
2. Establish ground rules. Even though the team members may be remote, they still need to exhibit a common and acceptable set of behaviors. These ground rules include setting common work hours, establishing known lunch times, determining which meetings are mandatory (in-person, web or phone), etc.
3. Look for opportunities to "socialize." Team members located together have opportunities to socialize throughout the day. Virtual teams need to work at this. This might include getting everyone together one time in a face-to-face setting – perhaps a Project Kickoff meeting. The teams also need opportunities for ongoing staff meetings so everyone can stay connected.
4. Communicate, communicate, communicate. People can start to feel isolated if they do not receive regular communication. Proactive communication is extremely important on virtual tams.
5. Give people shorter assignments. Shorter assignments provide more confidence that the project is moving forward as planned. Instead of assigning a six-week activity, for instance, the project manager should assign the work in three two-week activities.
These techniques, and others, will make your virtual teams more successful and make it easier to manage the teams.
Tom Mochal, PMP, PgMP, TSPM, ITBMC, is President of TenStep, Inc., a company focused on Project Management methodology development, training and consulting with a network of offices in the United States and around the world. Amongst Tom's many achievements is the 2005 Distinguished Contribution Award from the Project Management Institute (PMI). He is the author of Lessons in People Management, Lessons in Project Management and has published over 800 columns on project management, people management, organizational process management and the development life-cycle. He is a member of the Atlanta, Georgia (USA) chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI), of the American Management Association (AMA), the American Society for Quality (ASQ), the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management (asapm®), and the Association for Strategic Planning (ASP). His is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®), a Program Management Professional (PgMP®) and a TenStep Project Manager (TSPM™)
Tom is an expert instructor and consultant on project management, project management offices, development lifecycle, portfolio management, application support, people management and other related areas. He has spoken extensively around the US and around the world with work experience at Geac Computers, the Coca-Cola Company, Capgemini, and Eastman Kodak.
Etiquette...The softer side to business success!
You learnt a lot in business school – how to watch the bottom line, problem solving, creative marketing. But, they probably skipped over the part that will most certainly help business along – business etiquette.
We are happy to introduce Syndi Seid, the world's leading authority on the subject and trainer of (amongst others) Miss Universe Pageant winners, who will share the "finer points" of doing business anywhere in the world.
With The Festive Season upon us, the invitations for holiday parties and year-end gatherings are rolling in. Wouldn't it be nice to be forearmed with a little knowledge on the finer points that need to be observed?
Syndi explains... the 5 things to know and do during a family-style celebration meal
1. When I'm the first person to receive a platter of food, do I pass it to the right or left?
At the beginning of a meal, pass all food counter-clockwise, to the right. Thereafter, for seconds you may pass in whichever direction is fastest to get to that person.
2. When may I begin eating?
Among close family and friends you may begin eating as soon as everyone has received a little helping of each dish being passed. In a more formal setting, you may want to follow proper etiquette which dictates you wait for the host to begin eating. A good host may encourage everyone to start eating while platters are being passed. If this occurs, feel free to begin. If the family tradition is to offer a blessing before eating, either participate or sit quietly while others do. At larger gatherings, you may want to say grace before the food begins to be passed to avoid everyone having to wait a long time while the food gets cold. If individually you want to say a private blessing, simply lower your head in brief silence before you begin eating.
3. How do I politely refuse something being passed?
If you have food allergies or clearly defined religious or other food restrictions, inform your host prior to the meal, if at all possible. Simply make a brief statement when you accept the invitation or at the time you arrive, "I just wanted you to know I am allergic to peanuts. Please let me know if there are any dishes that contain peanuts. I'll just pass on those. I'm sure there will be plenty of other wonderful foods to eat. I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't think I was passing on a dish because of any other reason." Having given notice, your host will not be offended when you pass on that dish. If you are unsure about a particular dish, discretely ask the host how it was prepared and what ingredients were used. Most hosts will gladly disclose the ingredients. Otherwise, if you have no serious food restrictions, do try a small portion of everything being served. You never know, ... try it, you'll like it! The bottom line is, neither host nor guest should place an emphasis on the food. Rather, the focus of a family-style meal should be the overall enjoyment of a celebration and an evening in good company.
4. Is it o.k. to grab the last piece of something, especially if it is sitting right in front of me with my name written all over it?
It is always best to offer an item to your dining companions on either side of you before you grab it. You could say something such as, "Jane, Joe, this last piece of turkey looks mighty delicious. Would you enjoy having some of it?" If yes, share it. When they decline, help yourself.
5. Do I have to write a thank you note?
DUH! A guest should always write a thank-you note. While your parents will be pleased to receive a simple note expressing gratitude for their hospitality, just imagine how impressed your future in-laws will be. Creating a family-style meal for special gatherings and celebrations is a large undertaking. Receiving even a very simple hand-written thank-you note in return is always a gesture most appreciated. If you are the guest of a guest, notes to both your host and the person who invited you are appropriate.
Syndi Seid is the recognized world's leading authority on business protocol and etiquette and has appeared on ABC's Good Morning America, CBS' Eye on America, Fox's Trading Spouses, HGTV's Party At Home, and Discovery Channel's Picture This. Major companies like Hewlett-Packard Worldwide, Sprint International, National Semiconductor, Marriott Hotels, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and the Miss Universe Pageant trust her to train their employees to avoid social faux pas that could lead to major business and political blunders. As founder of Advanced Etiquette worldwide, Syndi helps senior executives, business professionals, and main-line employees overcome their fears and insecurities to find poise, confidence, and authority in any social situation, anywhere in the world.
Syndi is the Etiquette Expert for Staples.com and a contributing writer for SBTV.com and Bnet.com. Syndi is also a guest lecturer on Celebrity Cruises and appears on Office Depot's web-based series, Web Café. Her monthly column on etiquette appears in AsianWeek and was a contributor to the book, "Business Etiquette for Dummies." Her own book, Etiquette In Minutes... 201 practical tips for business and social behavior is now available at www.EtiquetteInMinutes.com.
As a graduate of the prestigious The Protocol School of Washington, in D.C. and the Emily Post Institute, Syndi earned their highest levels of certifications, including Certified International Protocol Officer and Corporate Trainer. She lives in San Anselmo (a suburb of San Francisco, California USA) with her husband Ron Hildebrand and has affiliated offices in Beijing, China and Chennai, India. Contact Syndi today to learn more about the many services provided and to subscribe to her increasingly popular free "Etiquette tip of the Month" newsletter at...
EcoFacts
by Anuradha Roa
When we talk about chemicals that "hurt" the soil, we usually refer to chemical pesticides and fertilizers used by farmers. Surprisingly, homeowners use ten times more chemicals per acre than farmers do! It simply proves that saving the planet doesn't always mean change in the fields of agriculture, politics or social planning. We could individually contribute by making a few lifestyle changes.
Source: various internet sites
Projects that make a Difference
by Annelize Booysen
It started with a book, and ended with a badge. That is Anu's story. Except, that is not quite where it ended...
In February this year Pétanque Consultancy teamed up with iLivetoLead International (iL2L), teaching project management skills as part of their dynamic international leadership training programme for young women. An integral part of the training programme is the delivery of a community project , called the "I Commit to Act Now project" (iCAN), whereby each student gets the opportunity to use the leadership skills that she had learnt in a manner that would benefit her community. To ensure the success of these iCAN projects, Project School for Girls – a Pétanque initiative - was brought to life whereby the basics of Project Management is distilled to its essence and adapted to a younger audience.
The students are taught how to articulate their passion for social change by clearly defining a perceived need within their communities and then learning how to go about implementing a workable solution to address that need. The students learn how to plan effectively, covering dimensions like deliverables, detailed work breakdowns, budgeting, risk management and milestone management. The iL2L leadership training teaches these young women how to dream big and believe in their ability to make a difference in their world. Project School for Girls complements this by teaching the young women how to take those big dreams and turn them into reality, step by step, with the aid of good project management skills. Although it is taught within the context of the iCAN projects, its reach is so much wider: it exposes these young women to a way of thinking, a way of dealing with complex and seemingly overwhelming situations in a constructive and positive manner. Let's face it – landing a boyfriend is every bit as important as setting up a charitable organization to eradicate poverty at that tender age. And project management skills are applicable in both situations!
Back to Anu.
Anuradha Rao is a young women in her final year at school who received training at the iL2LIndia Summit in Chennai during March this year. Co-hosted by Global Adjustments Relocations services, 20 young women from all over India were trained in the nuances of leadership. Voted as the most promising young women of her group, Anu was selected by her peers to attend the prestigious International Summit in Washington DC in July this year.
She was very clear about the focus of her iCAN project: being a passionate environmentalist, she perceived an urgent need to educate her fellow school students about environmental degradation and their role in halting it. With the aid of her iCAN Project Workbook and her two mentors, she planned a project – called Environ - through which she would subtly educate and inspire her fellow students to get involved in Green initiatives. Her milestones included upskilling herself in Green speak, ascertaining the pre-project Green perceptions of her target audience, bringing in guest speakers to educate the students on the topic, exposing the students to facts and tips through a Green notice board and a dedicated Green newsletter, arranging an arts competition on biodiversity, and instituting a Green award for top performers. Her enthusiasm and expertise in the field was noticed by her teachers and she was invited to set up the Economics and Environment section displays of the quadrennial project organised by her school. Focussing on 'Sustainability: Industries and Renewable Energy', her team produced, amongst other things, a model of a sugarcane-producing village that has a bagasse plant using the waste material of the juice extraction factory to meet the energy needs of the entire village, as well as the factory -a sustainable village of the future.
As a result of her project Anu has already noticed more enthusiasm for environmental affairs amongst her fellow students, with a marked improvement in perceptions that one person can make a difference. And this one person, Anu, did make a difference. She also learnt how to translate an idea into reality. Anu says that "I've never realized it until now, but planning and sticking to the plan is actually a very good idea!" She highlights learning to communicate effectively and coordinate multiple tasks and people as valuable skills learnt from the project. Setting up her newsletter and starting a blog on the project had furthermore added valuable editing and writing skills to her experience list. Perhaps most importantly though, is learning about being a leader and what that entails. "The very objective of taking up a community service project as part of the iLive2Lead programme was to hone my leadership skills. I am happy to say that Environ gave me the opportunity to do all of the above and much more! I was also made the Environment Monitor of my school, and here is a picture of my badge!!"
Anu is one of many young women who have benefited from leadership training and are now making a difference in the world. To learn more about the programme, contact us or visit www.il2l.org
How To: the 5 things.....you need to know about doing business in India
by Ranjini Manian
Number 1: Think of India as a verb and not a noun. It is dynamic and has many variations. You need to know regional differences before you come to do any national business in this country. It fits into it as many differences as the European Union. 28 States, 100s of languages, all ethnicities, 60% still in rural India. So don't think of one pan India strategy or person. Take the time to learn nuances.
Number 2: Whatever you say of India , the opposite is also always true. 70% of India's population lives in top 10 towns, for instance. India is rich in heritage and talent, India is poor in infrastructure and has poverty of the underclass. So accepting what India offers, not calling it black or white, allowing for grey is a big part of succeeding in any business you do here. So do be patient and plan for 5 years while doing business in India.
Number 3: Golden Rule No 101: It is always about relationship building in Indian business. Relations matter more than time, more than money, more than deadlines. Relationships come before contracts, before revenue goals.
Exception to Golden Rule No 101: There is no exception.
Number 4: Indians of the days of Mahatma Gandhi, not interested in material wealth or power and status, are a misnomer. The young Indian is Upwardly Mobile, has many job offers on the table, is puffing with confidence as the GDP stays ahead of most of the world. He likes titles, bonus, and overseas experiences, offer him those to retain the best talent if you come to do business in India.
Number 5: Spirit Matters. You may come to India to partake in material growth, yet spiritual progress will be helplessly intertwined. There is nothing secular about India, Hinduism is the major religion, 80% of Indians worship many Gods of the Hindu pantheon. Celebrate life along with them, know that every sixth person in the world is a Hindu living in India and come with cultural respect and empathy to do business here.
With these 5 tips, double digit profits are assured!
Ranjini Manian, CEO Founder of Global Adjustments, India's premier cross-cultural and relocation company, is author of Doing Business in India for Dummies. Her new book UpWorldly Mobile – Behaviour and Business skills for the New Indian Manager is making waves. She uses Pétanque to upskill her teams in Project Management. Her email: globalindian@globaladjustments.com
EcoFacts
by Anuradha Roa
According to scientific assumptions the Earth has existed for 4.6 billion years. Scaling this to 46 years we come to 46 years of existence, which means that humanity has been around for four hours, while the industrial revolution has begun only one minute ago! In such a short period, we have destroyed much of our natural environment just in order to get raw materials and fuels.
Source: various internet sites
Technology for Women in Business
It is with great pride and much pleasure that we announce the results of the South African Department of Trade and Industry's TWIB award:
"... and now, the 2011 Small Companies Category for Technology for Women in Business (TWIB) award goes to: Dr. Michelle Booysen, founder, co-owner and Managing Director of Petanque Consultancy".
This was the announcement made by the Minister of Economic Affairs, Free State at the TWIB gala event last night just after 23h00.
Dr. Moretlo Molefi, the Managing Director of Telemedicine Africa was crowned the overall winner with prize money of over R600k to be invested in IT development and equipment, a laptop and a Blackberry plus a trip to Athens Greece. The winner in the Emerging Companies Category is a fellow Capetonian and owner of Globescope Security Systems.
The event, sponsored by the DTI and with key sponsorships from SEDA, is an annual recognition and celebration women entrepreneurs who have successfully used appropriate technologies to improve the performance of their businesses.
What is the plan for 2012? "This award has come at exactly the right time and the substantial prize money earmarked for IT will be invested to develop and roll out applications to continue delivering our Project Management and Process Management services and training globally" says Michelle. The prize also includes a laptop and a Blackberry.
She continues: "I am an entrepreneur who sees opportunities and love the exhilaration of innovation, and my enthusiasm results in me being a go-at-full-speed person. However, without the support of the Petanque Team at every business level, the ideas and opportunities will not become reality. I receive this recognition of behalf of a super team that has contributed to Pétanque's growth and successes and given me the opportunity to be nominated for this award. This award is further inspiration to simply do more and do better in our quest to bring clarity and achieve results ".
In closing: "A very special thank you for the many text and email messages I received wishing me luck in the days before the event. It was wonderful to experience the support"
New Team Members
Introducing a new team member – Monsieur Pasqual. Mr Pasqual joined us as a key member of the marketing team. His mission is to educate, entertain and speak on behalf of Pétanque when words are simply not enough.
Joining Pasqual as new members of the team, are Rob Trueman, Nicholene Kieviets, Nkosana Ndwenda and Lephethesang Dieko. Sales expert Rob joined our sales team in June. Nicholene is an experienced Project Manager and specialist Business Analyst with MI as her field of specialty, Nkosana joins us as a Business Analyst and Lephethesang as a Project Manager with IT as his specialty.
Global Award for Excellence
We are also proud to announce that we were chosen as one of the 10 finalists (out of 105 entries) in the Global Award for Excellence in Adaptive Case Management where we showcased a project done in partnership with one of our clients, Achievement Awards Group.
BEE Status
We are proud to announce that we have been awarded level two B-BBEE status.
CSI
Pétanque has embarked on a new era of engaging in a number of CSI projects. Spreading our wings, we reached across the ocean and with the help of technology is currently assisting SCAD Foundation Bangkok (www.SCADBangkok.org – "Helping to improve the lives of street animals") in developing a strategic and business plan to ensure sustainability. As to the question of why, just take a look at this video clip www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlA3mMlrWQs
Closer to home, we are partnering with The Big Issue (www.bigissue.com – "Helping homeless people to help themselves") in clarifying their strategic goals and refining their processes.
We have also teamed up with iLivetoLead International (www.iL2L.org – "Teaching leadership skills to young women around the world"), teaching project management skills to young women to ensure success in their I Commit to Act Now projects (iCAN). Pétanque helped iL2L launch the second International Girls' Leadership Summit in Washington DC this past July, training 35 young women from around the world. We salute the efforts of iL2L to bring the gift of leadership skills to numerous young women.
Red Sock Friday
We joined the likes of Avis as part of the Red Sock Friday fraternity to celebrate "Humanity – Our passion for life – to make a difference, one step at a time." Redsockers celebrate life every Friday, reminding ourselves of what is good in life by proudly wearing our red socks. To find out more, visit facebook.com/iwearredsocksonfridays
TenStep World Conference
Pétanque, in collaboration with TenStep South Africa, was host to the TenStep Global conference this past week. The team welcomed participants from around the world with the best of South African hospitality, creating life-long fans of South Africa in the process!
