Career risk mitigation – the way to go for corporate high flyers by Michelle Moss* (Signium Africa: www.signium.co.za) 2019 Obsolescence. It happened to VCRs. It also happens to executives, even high flyers; especially the tunnel-vision variety that obsess about the job on hand.

Obsolescence no longer takes decades. It can happen at pace as technologies change and businesses react to new legislation, heightened competition and more demanding customers. Forward-thinking executives increasingly realise they have to be fit for purpose today and in five years’ time. Obsolescence is a career risk and like any risk can be managed by putting proper mitigation strategies in place.

Talent search and management companies – so-called corporate head-hunters – face increasing calls from individuals for a heads-up on changing competency requirements. Often, the request comes from the mid-life CEO, the high achiever who took a leadership role aged 45 and is determined to be in place (or to have moved on to bigger and better things) by the time he or she is 55. Competency-focused future-spotting is driven by the desire to mitigate the risk of a stalled career. However, parameters widen almost immediately.

Reference to relevant literature like the World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of Jobs Report 2018’ and the work of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy indicate that personal competencies are inextricably linked to the corporate future. The business or industry vision invariably shapes the personal quest for continuing relevance by individual executives.

A global player like Riverwaves (a world leader in bespoke competency-based HR solutions) is close to these developments. Alexandra Pascu, Riverwaves’ GM - Middle East and Africa, notes: “Customised competency models drive business strategy while delivering benefits across the board - at individual, HR department and organisational levels.”

According to studies on the statistical validation of competency models**, the tangible return on investment includes a 63% reduction in staff turnover through increased employee satisfaction (attributable to greater clarity on performance expectations), a 19% improvement in employee performance and a 12.5% rise in sales and profits (a by-product of competency-based training). Adoption of a bespoke competency model enables organisational vision and values to be translated into employee behaviour.

According to Pascu, the corporate embrace of competency modelling has been accompanied by a global increase in demand for in-house competency training for line managers and talent professionals. So, we see shared focus on future-ready skills by both the organisation and its people (including those in the C-suite).

Individuals looking to avoid personal obsolescence increasingly find themselves working in a de facto partnership with organisations that are just as eager to stay current and relevant. The result doesn’t have to lead to a total immersion in new technologies. We may find ourselves working alongside robots and co-bots while dealing with digitisation and artificial intelligence, but very human attributes will make us special and keep us on top.

The World Economic Forum believes workforces will become even more diverse (multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-generational with greater female representation). Orchestrating the input of ‘gig’ workers, freelancers, short-term project teams and consultants will be vital as structures become more flexible. Such scenarios help explain a quick competency to-do list suggested by MIT’s Erik Brynjolfssons. He advises us to put our focus on: o Creativity o Emotional intelligence (interpersonal skills, teamwork and leadership) o Passion for our work Apparently, love never goes out of style.

Not even love for what you do.

-- ENDS --

*Michelle Moss is a Director at Signium Africa (previously Talent Africa), a leading South African-based executive search and talent management company servicing sub-Saharan Africa. www.signium.co.za **Meta-analysis study reported in “The economic value of emotional intelligence competencies and EIC-based HR programmes”, Lyle Spencer. In Cherniss, C. and Goleman, D. eds. The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace: How to Select for, Measure, and Improve Emotional Intelligence in Individuals, Groups and Organisations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Wiley 2001. Spencer, Lyle, “Competency Model Statistical Validation and Business Case Development.”www.inscopecorp.com/resources-papers-statistics.aspx, 2004.

Website: www.signium.co.za Tel: +27 11 771 4800 Issued By: Tale Spin Media & Marketing Zelda Williams 082 461 0689 or Gillian Schmid 082 960 3233 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Michelle Moss*

Obsolescence. It happened to VCRs. It also happens to executives, even high flyers; especially the tunnel-vision variety that obsess about the job on hand. Obsolescence no longer takes decades. It can happen at pace as technologies change and businesses react to new legislation, heightened competition and more demanding customers. Forward-thinking executives increasingly realise they have to be fit for purpose today and in five years’ time. Obsolescence is a career risk and like any risk can be managed by putting proper mitigation strategies in place.

Talent search and management companies – so-called corporate head-hunters –  face increasing calls from individuals for a heads-up on changing competency requirements.

Often, the request comes from the mid-life CEO, the high achiever who took a leadership role aged 45 and is determined to be in place (or to have moved on to bigger and better things) by the time he or she is 55. Competency-focused future-spotting is driven by the desire to mitigate the risk of a stalled career. However, parameters widen almost immediately.

Reference to relevant literature like the World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of Jobs Report 2018’ and the work of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy indicate that personal competencies are inextricably linked to the corporate future. The business or industry vision invariably shapes the personal quest for continuing relevance by individual executives. A global player like Riverwaves (a world leader in bespoke competency-based HR solutions) is close to these developments.

Alexandra Pascu, Riverwaves’ GM - Middle East and Africa, notes: “Customised competency models drive business strategy while delivering benefits across the board - at individual, HR department and organisational levels.” According to studies on the statistical validation of competency models**, the tangible return on investment includes a 63% reduction in staff turnover through increased employee satisfaction (attributable to greater clarity on performance expectations), a 19% improvement in employee performance and a 12.5% rise in sales and profits (a by-product of competency-based training).

Adoption of a bespoke competency model enables organisational vision and values to be translated into employee behaviour.  According to Pascu, the corporate embrace of competency modelling has been accompanied by a global increase in demand for in-house competency training for line managers and talent professionals.

So, we see shared focus on future-ready skills by both the organisation and its people (including those in the C-suite).  Individuals looking to avoid personal obsolescence increasingly find themselves working in a de facto partnership with organisations that are just as eager to stay current and relevant. The result doesn’t have to lead to a total immersion in new technologies. We may find ourselves working alongside robots and co-bots while dealing with digitisation and artificial intelligence, but very human attributes will make us special and keep us on top.

The World Economic Forum believes workforces will become even more diverse (multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-generational with greater female representation). Orchestrating the input of ‘gig’ workers, freelancers, short-term project teams and consultants will be vital as structures become more flexible.  Such scenarios help explain a quick competency to-do list suggested by MIT’s Erik Brynjolfssons. He advises us to put our focus on:  Creativity Emotional intelligence (interpersonal skills, teamwork and leadership) Passion for our work Apparently, love never goes out of style. Not even love for what you do.

-- ENDS --

*Michelle Moss is a Director at Signium Africa (previously Talent Africa), a leading South African-based executive search and talent management company servicing sub-Saharan Africa. www.signium.co.za **Meta-analysis study reported in “The economic value of emotional intelligence competencies and EIC-based HR programmes”, Lyle Spencer.  In Cherniss, C. and Goleman, D. eds.The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace:  How to Select for, Measure, and Improve Emotional Intelligence in Individuals, Groups and Organisations.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Wiley 2001.Spencer, Lyle, “Competency Model Statistical Validation and Business Case Development.”www.inscopecorp.com/resources-papers-statistics.aspx, 2004.

Website: www.signium.co.za
Tel: +27 11 771 4800

Johannesburg, South Africa, 17 July 2017 - On 11th and 12th July 2017, 20 Enactus university teams from across South Africa came together at the Enactus South Africa National Competition to showcase their social entrepreneurship projects that are changing lives and provide innovative solutions for sustainable impact in their communities.  The University of Zululand Enactus team was crowned as the Enactus South Africa National Champion Team and will now advance to represent South Africa at the Enactus World Cup 2017 to be hosted in London, England on 26 - 28 September. Here they will compete with 35 countries that are part of the Enactus network. The Championship was held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, Johannesburg with Barloworld and Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited as the presenting sponsors of this competition. Other supporting sponsors were: AIG, CHEP, MTN Foundation, Nedbank, Rich’s and Unilever.

The Opening and Semi-Final Rounds of the competition took place on Tuesday 11 July when business executives who judged the teams to advance to the Final Round selected four university teams. The four teams that presented in the Final Round were: Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban University of Technology, University of Zululand and the University of Venda.  

The team from the University of Zululand presented on two of their 6 projects: Vukuzenzele and iMbali. These projects focused primarily on food security, job creation, quality education and poverty alleviation.  Vukuzenzele and iMbali were initiated in 2015 through a phased approach, which resulted in the employment of 40 people. Both also address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).After establishing a secondary cooperative, for their Vukuzenzele Project, they empowered 30 member farmers with business, financial, and farming skills. They also set agreements in place for diversification of their sweet potatoes which included diversified crop production. These farmers now also produce coffee beans, sugar beans and cabbage for increased revenue streams and soil fertility.  Through their iMbali Project the team assisted two cooperatives of 5 members to obtain 74,5 hectares of land and improved the production of the rose geranium grown for the production of essential oil. They also assisted them with geranium seedlings. This will deliver an estimated worth of R2,5 million of product that can be harvested 6 months subsequent to planting. Through this expansion of additional land, 10 new jobs were created for unemployed youth. They also empowered the 15 members with business management and computer literacy skills along with improved farming methods e.g. utilizing crop rotation (butternut) for sustainable land use.  

Chief Executive Officer and Country Director for Enactus South Africa, Letitia de Wet, says that Enactus is aiming at unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit of their student members to enable real human progress and empower communities while developing the next generation of entrepreneurs and future leaders. According to Jurie Welman, Enactus South Africa Board Chairman and President, CHEP Africa, India, Middle East (AIME) & Automotive Europe: “This event gives all delegates, a unique opportunity to witness first-hand the tremendous results achieved by our Enactus students that have a head for business and a heart for the world. More exciting, is to see how our teams take on sustainable enterprising initiatives to address real socio-economic issues in our country. So, it is true to say that Enactus teams are changing the world – here in South Africa, in Africa, and around the globe”. 

The National Competition programme also included two Action Leader Forums sponsored by MTN SA Foundation that focused on Water Scarcity and Digitization – the Megatrend. In particular the latter topic with Paseka Lesolang, Managing Director of WHC motivated students to a live debate on ICT and how this is relevant to inform solutions to address every day challenges in disadvantaged rural communities. In addition to the Enactus SA National Championship no less than 6 Special Competitions challenged the active teams to address specific causes and needs relevant to the participating partners this year. This provided opportunity for the amplification of projects to change more lives and communities. The themes of these Special Challenges were:  Barloworld Social Innovation Youth Awards; MTN SA Foundation ICT Enactus Challenge; Harmony LED Enactus Challenge; Ford Change the World Innovation Challenge; Ford C3 Building Sustainable Communities Project Partnership; and Unilever Zero Waste for Job Creation Challenge. 

Group Chief Executive Officer, Dominic Sewela from long-term partner, Barloworld Limited acknowledged the vital role of youth development and social innovation through recognising young entrepreneurs and future leaders who are addressing pressing social problems through innovation. Chief Executive Officer Peter Steenkamp from Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited, recognized the impact of the partnership with Enactus that motivates students and promotes entrepreneurship to empower, and in doing so, actively contribute towards the socio-economic development of the country. 

Visual footage and high-resolution pictures are available for usage along with opportunities to interview the Team President or the Enactus leadership.

Issued by: Linda Thompson
Enactus media liaisonEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: +27 72.054.1179 

ABOUT ENACTUS: Enactus, an international non-profit organization brings together students, academic and business leaders through the belief that investing in students who take entrepreneurial action for others creates a better world for us all. Founded in 1975, Enactus now has more than 69,00 student participants on over 1,700 campuses in 36 countries.  Enactus South Africa was founded in 2001. The organisation operates in 27 universities with more than 2,800 participating students in the country. The winning team from the National Competition represents Enactus South Africa at the annual Enactus World Cup. During 2016, Enactus students around the world volunteered more than 7 million service hours creating and implementing over 4,100 projects that directly impacted more than 1,117,000 lives. These experiences not only transformed the lives of the people the projects serve, but also help the students develop the kind of talent and perspective essential to leadership that sees challenges facing people and planet as opportunities to im