One of the things constantly bugging me at the moment is the absolute risk aversion within the South African investment community. If we're going to grow (and grow we must) to create the sustainable future envisaged by the 'Rainbow Nation' collective - we have to invest in our future.

Since making the move from consulting in a purely Innovation driven environment, I have become increasingly interested in the number of businesses in the QSE range (5m - 35m turnover) who have a less than effective BBBEE scorecard.

My interest stems largely from the fact that Code 600 of the Codes of Good Practice is in many cases largely ignored. Possibly this isn't too surprising - it is one of the least understood codes; but it provides for 15 points on the scorecard, is a tax deductible expense, and requires no sweeping change and no expensive resource dedication from the sponsor.

Various Enterprise development agencies exist to assist with the process, which simplifed, takes the following form:

• ED agency sources the beneficiary, provides education and mentorship, and develops the reports you need.
• ED Agency provides monthly development updates – sponsor can track the benefit of spend directly.
• Online facilities generally exist to allow sponsors to draw ad hoc reports where required.

So why am I so concerned about ED?
Consulting in the ED space, I've seen the masive benefits derived by the business owners. If we're really serious about building a sustainable 'secondary' economy, ED is critical...I wish more people would take the time to consider the benefits...and the long-term outcomes.

For more info, contact me!

Cheers
G

What's concerning me at the moment - and I guess it has for a while, is that people - when referring to crime, unemployment etc - like to use an indefinite collective when deciding that action should be taken.

For example:
"They should do something about it."
"Someone should stop this."

My question is: Who exactly is the 'they' that's referred to?
If not us, then who will do something about anything?

The defence of "I don't know how to" doesn't ring true anymore (if it ever did). The internet provides myriad ways to collaborate with interested people, to research, to skill up etc.
In this spirit I started the G12i (www.g12i.co.za) - it may not be perfect, it may not have all the templates it needs - but these things will come. And as more people get involved, offer criticism, offer skills and time - it will get better.

Corporate change management. Herding cats. Father Christmas.
Legendary. Impossible. Figments of imagination.

During the course of the consulting work I do, I'm often asked what the 'Innovation process' is - in fact this is one of the more frequent questions, along with 'how do we innovate?' and 'are we ready for innovation'?

Headlines are disturbing beasts.
Not only their content, but the fact that a news editor somewhere made a conscious (instinctive?) decision that that's what people want to read about, hear about, watch on the various mediums respectively.

Got (tentatively) offered a job recently. Project Managing a large implementation of a scenario not seen in South Africa before.
Sounds cryptic? It is - for the moment...but the point isn't the job, although that's awesome in itself, the point is the management style of the offeror.

This is a rant - originally aimed at Samsung, and intended to be delivered via their website.
Unfortunately their website doesn't have an email address - and answering the survey which pops up in response to a link doesn't actually work.
Hence no written way to contact them.

I'm really sick of the words Quality, Luxury and Deluxe...what the hell do they mean?
Buy this Luxury Ice-Cream.
What, for God's Sake, is Luxury Ice-Cream?

You sit in a meeting, discussing options...sooner or later someone's going to say 'let's not reinvent the wheel'...and everyone else nods sagely.
And I want to cry.
Because we've just discarded the very process that could lead to Huge! Innovative! Value! in favour a small incremental improvement that will in all likelihood fail.
Why Fail?
Because the same people who're too scared to reinvent the wheel (a wheel whose invention they probably never saw) will not have balls the drive the change necessary even to implement an incremental improvement.