It is not a surprise that the main failure of family businesses is succession planning, with only 17 percent of family entities having a succession plan in place. The moment of transition from one generation to the next is a huge fault line of this business model. There is no point in having detailed plans for business continuity if the single most significant risk is not addressed.  There may well be a strong pipeline of potential next-generation leadership, but with no formal succession plan in place, internal family conflict may undermine future growth, profitability and ultimately the existence of the business.

What companies such as McCain Foods and Pick n Pay have in common is that both successful businesses came from humble beginnings and were first and foremost family businesses. 

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment businesses require top-notch leadership teams that have a deep understanding of disruptive technologies, dynamic workplace changes, and potential disruptors of their company’s business model. Building such high performing teams is a challenge when there is no formal succession plan in place. 

So, how can businesses manage succession planning more effectively?

The answer lies in HR’s ability to identify high potential employees and individuals and groom them to meet requirements of senior roles.Psychometric Assessments are a key enabler in helping HR identify leadership potential and move employees from individual contributor to leadership positions. When used effectively, these tools can help identify and rank high potential candidates. 

Here are three ways you can leverage assessments for effective career planning and succession mapping: 

No. 1: Identify high performers

Senior leadership roles require a complex range of skills, abilities and traits. Assessing behavioural competencies, cognitive and critical thinking abilities and role expertise can provide a comprehensive view of potential leaders’ capabilities and gaps. Assessments can help you determine if an individual has the necessary expertise and their ability to deal with pressures and stress and carry out long-term planning. 

No. 2: Build leadership skills

Psychometric assessment tools are useful in exploring an individual’s leadership style and identifying the work personality required for complex leadership roles. Based on the results of the assessment, you can deploy the right learning modules for reskilling and up skilling to close the identified gaps, and equip them for leadership success.

No. 3: Match mentor and mentees

Mentoring, when done right, can accelerate leadership development and readiness. But the success of mentorship program depends on the mentor-mentee relationship.  Assessment tools are great way to analyze the skill and intention gap, and build a mentorship program that is aligned with business succession goals and individual development. Such initiatives not only help create a highly engaged workforce but also pair high potential managers with the board of directors and managing partners for on-the-job training.

At a time when building a talent rich business is pivotal to success, companies with assessment-backed succession planning are better placed to objectively rank employees for senior positions according to job-specific qualifications, behavioural competencies and current job performance. 

The result: an enhanced ability to map future leadership needs and build a leadership team that has the right combination of skill sets, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives for running a successful enterprise.

www.encapsulate.co.za

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

By Michelle Moss* (www.signium.co.za)

Valentine’s Day is not just about flowers and candle-lit dinners. It’s an annual opportunity to contemplate the power of love and the promise of happiness when you find the only one for you.

‘The one’ doesn’t have to be a person. It could be a job; especially one offering fulfilment and satisfaction. Research indicates love is good for you. You perform better and live longer. You feel happy, care-free. Everything seems possible. You feel less stress (love really is good for your heart). Love for your job is positive, too.

Happiness at work fosters team spirit while good health supports high productivity and quality outcomes. Unfortunately, true love for the job is rare. A 2017 Gallup survey found 70% of employees are “actively disengaged”. They are indifferent, confirming that the curse of ‘presentism’ afflicts countless companies.

The lovelorn are frequently misunderstood. It’s the same at work. 89% of bosses say staff leave for money while only 12% of job-movers say money prompted their exit – so says the book The 7 Hidden Reasons Your Employees Leave by talent-retention expert Leigh Branham.

You stop being faithful because you are out of love. Clearly, finding something to love about your job is key to a lasting relationship. This prompted the inclusion of a ‘love test’ in questions put to job candidates and clients over several months.

They were asked ‘what is the one thing you love about your job?’ Many said the coffee breaks, the great cappuccino and water-cooler moments when they could chat to colleagues. The office bar or on-site drinks also featured strongly. A chance to unwind with peers is greatly appreciated. Altruism and the opportunity to make a difference were also highlighted.

People love to feel their work matters, that what they do improves lives or addresses social problems. Technical proficiency can also instil love.

‘Digging out the truth’ created some loving moments for one claims investigator and childhood Nancy Drew fan. Change, unpredictability and surprises were also cited. People love facing the unknown, not knowing what to expect from day to day, but coming out on top. Many love to learn. They felt their position gave them a chance to broaden their knowledge and ask questions.

Wow moments also foster love – those occasions when you complete a project or champion an idea and see the impact on your company and industry. You love the firm for believing in you and letting you take the initiative. However, negative feedback was frequent. Some confessed they loved the day the boss was away (‘because he’s crazy and impossible to work with’).

Others said they simply loved going home, and many said ‘Friday’ and a weekend away from work. So, what can we learn about love for the job and the chance to get the best out of your loved ones? Firstly, small things matter. Colleague interaction and socialising are important. Secondly, create a sense of purpose. People need to see the bigger picture and have a role in the wider scheme of things. In addition, change the routine when you can. Same old, same old is boring. People love change and challenge.

Some even love occasional chaos for the thrill of conquering it. Building learning and development into the job also helps. It’s worth the effort. When people love their job, you’ll love the results. 

*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.

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

Corporate narcissism…SA’s secret curse - By Annelize van Rensburg* (www.signium.co.za)

It is the unspoken curse stalking corporate South Africa. Few people talk about it but many executives encounter it and may be vaguely – or acutely – aware of the danger to organisations and careers. The potentially toxic issue is corporate narcissism and its personification, the corporate narcissist. Psychologists, consultants and corporate head-hunters have been aware of the issue for many years, though it came into sharp focus internationally following the 2008 financial crisis as the egotism of some business leaders may have paved the way to the Great Recession. Specialists describe corporate narcissism as a corporate culture characterised by excessive pride, leading to destructive behaviour and strategies that boost personal egos rather than a company’s long-term prospects. It is often found in large firms, especially those with clear hierarchies as corporate narcissists favour structures that support their power and protect their position. One chartered psychologist notes negative correlation with honesty and humility, yet positive correlation with openness and extroversion. Translation? A corporate narcissist initially appears charming and open. He or she makes a great first impression and exploits it to win high ratings for performance. Sometimes performance can be impressive, but narcissists are likely to ride early successes for all they are worth to secure personal advantage. Narcissists steal credit for the work of others and minimise the contribution of subordinates. Narcissists are manipulative and enjoy the trappings of success … the best office, first-class travel and accommodation, luxury cars and celebrity lifestyle. A corporate narcissist may build a reputation as a stellar deal-maker and financial wizard. He (or she) is the corporate rain-maker with a knack for building a network of admirers and praise-singers. Peers and subordinates often do the real work while the manipulator hogs the limelight. Those with a different perspective are marginalised. Mistakes may be covered up and blame wrongly apportioned. Abuse and erosion of ethical values set in. Anyone challenging the narcissist is ostracised. An ace manipulator undermines the self-esteem of others.

Colleagues may find themselves working harder and harder as they are led to believe under-performance is their fault. Three consequences may manifest:                                                                                                 

victims (frequently talented individuals) refuse to be victims any longer and quit, hurting organisational performance as staff turnover rockets victims become depressed and demotivated (health and work suffer) victims become whistle-blowers as egotism may lead to mis-statements of fact, even fraud (though raising a red flag may initially do more harm to whistle-blowers than narcissists who supposedly do no wrong). The extent of the local challenge is not only apparent from anecdotal reports, but from feedback given by executives looking to leave seemingly successful organisations.                                      

Upon close questioning, they reveal the angst, anger and frustration of working alongside corporate narcissists in several sectors. There is some good news. International experience shows individuals can resist manipulation by setting clear boundaries and refusing to be sucked into the sycophantic culture that often surrounds a narcissist. You can’t change narcissists, but you can change your reaction to them by refusing to do their jobs or cover for them. Corporate scandals and persistent organisational under-performance are also beginning to alert boards to risks posed by corporate narcissism. Well-informed boards know self-confidence is good, self-absorption bad. With the help of skilled head-hunters, they are becoming better at spotting the difference. Taking a good hard look is a good start if we wish to combat the toxic effects of corporate narcissism. It then becomes possible to build cohesive teams that deliver good, consistent results without glory-hunting … or narcissism.

 *Annelize van Rensburg is a director of Signium Africa (previously Talent Africa), a leading recruitment company based in South Africa offering executive head-hunting and leadership consulting - servicing sub-Saharan Africa.  www.signium.co.za 

South African talent search specialists *Signium Africa and UK consultancy *Riverwaves today announced the launch of a strategic partnership to bring world-leading competency-based HR solutions to companies across sub-Saharan Africa. Signium Africa is primarily known for head-hunting top executive talent for some of the continent’s leading corporates and state-owned enterprises. Riverwaves is a global leader in the optimisation of ‘people capability’ through the customisation of competency-driven HR models designed to energise and strengthen corporate teams.

Following in-depth exposure to Riverwaves’ Intellectual Property (IP) and proprietary modelling tools, Signium Africa is positioned to apply its partner’s globally respected competency framework, build internal capability and develop HR solutions specifically crafted to meet the unique needs of each client company, at every organisational level.

Said Michelle Moss, Director, Leadership Consulting, at Johannesburg-based Signium Africa: “We have offered competency-based services for some time. Now the partnership with Riverwaves enables us to deliver world-leading competency solutions that have been proven internationally across multiple industries and deliver measurable benefits, no matter what the nature of the team or level of responsibility.

“Access to innovative IP of this quality meets a huge need as the challenge in South Africa and so many countries across the continent is to make the most of available talent, either through internal development or external recruitment. The competency fit has to be optimised and Riverwaves models are designed to do just that.” Hisham El Badawy, Non-Executive Board Member of Riverwaves, noted: “The relationship with the seasoned professionals at Signium Africa opens up exciting opportunities in a region with boundless potential.

Many markets in sub-Saharan Africa show significant growth, creating challenges for business and state enterprises. “Unlock the potential of the people of sub-Saharan Africa and you unlock the potential of the region as a whole. Worldwide experience over more than 20 years tells us the key is professionally implemented competency-based HR solutions with the capacity to invigorate both the individual and the organisation. “The link-up with Signium Africa gives us the ability to roll out those solutions via a reputable partner with intimate knowledge of the region.” Ends 

*Signium Africa, previously Talent Africa, is a leading South Africa-based executive search and talent management company with reach across sub-Saharan Africa. www.signium.co.za 

*Riverwaves, is an HR consulting firm that helps companies realise the potential of their people. They operate globally out of the UK with a strong business partner network. www.riverwaves.co.uk  

By Annelize van Rensburg, director at Signium Africa www.signium.co.za

Leadership identification and development continues to be one of the most pressing business issues keeping executives awake at night. Every business has the same aim: success and sustainability. Established routes to this destination include competitive advantage, new technology to improve productivity and product innovation, and cost reduction to secure pricing efficiencies. Without superior leaders, none of this is possible.Companies progress through a life cycle from seed to start-up, growth to established, expansion to mature, and then to decline and exit, or renewal through invention.

In the same way, leadership identification and development progresses through a cycle.Leadership consulting offers the most suitable answers to these current dilemmas by helping leaders to align their people strategy with their business strategy; providing scientific and objective information through assessments; designing development interventions to help leaders function at their highest potential; and then embarking on acquiring and retaining leadership talent when talent needs to be acquired and not ‘home-grown’.In order to remain competitive and relevant, business leaders must start by aligning their talent strategy with their business strategy. This is critical because talent strategies translate the company’s vision and values into expected employee behaviour and define how they will contribute towards the company’s success. Misalignment is likely to result in strategic goals not being met. 

It is a myth that only large organisations need a talent strategy. Smaller organisations are more at risk because there are fewer possible successors in unique roles.In addition, not only is it important to understand the current talent pool within the company but also future needs. This is done by analysing the readiness of the current leaders to meet the future business needs of the organisation and provides a realistic pipeline of leadership talent.Plan your talent for five years from now and not only for today; look to the future of the company. Use competency assessments to test employees’ long-term strategic thinking ability, innovation, as well as their flexibility in decision-making, because these are critical skills for building a successful business.Assessments are an objective and scientific way of gathering insight into a person’s current functioning and future potential. They provide an understanding of the impact of the person’s behaviour on others in the workplace.

If the assessment tools used are valid, reliable and culture-fair, and if assessments are professionally conducted, the insights are extremely useful.Most leaders are built, not born. Top performers take responsibility for developing their knowledge, skills and competencies. There are many ways of doing this, including leadership development programmes, on-the-job training and executive coaching, which is a powerful way to provide support to leaders and help them navigate current and future challenges.

Executive coaching can help turn good leaders into great ones.If leaders within the company are not yet ready or fully developed, leadership needs to be acquired, preferably with the assistance of a reputable headhunter or talent-search professional for those executive level positions.That suitable candidates can be found from outside the company’s industry is beyond doubt; they may even have an advantage over industry insiders.

Their advantage is the ability to ask embarrassing questions while taking nothing for granted. Successful cross-industry movers acknowledge that their first job is to listen, then listen some more. The reinvigorated executive team around the new leader stops making assumptions and starts to question old habits. They may also acknowledge that new technology, new legislation and the emergence of a new consumer are having major impact on their sector. There are no guarantees of success, however. Outsiders don’t always work miracles.Pros are accompanied by cons.

The ‘safe’ industry insider does not have to go through a period of intensive familiarisation with a new industry and its dynamics. He or she can hit the ground running. In contrast, the outsider faces a steep learning curve. Suddenly, evolution seems safer than revolution. Continuity seems a better bet than a thorough shake-up.Stay open-minded.When recruiting leaders, don’t ignore the importance of diversity to balance your team. Remember generation, gender, race, religion and so forth. Businesses with diverse workforces will have a strategic advantage in the marketplace.It is difficult to attract executive talent. It is easy to lose executive talent.Offering opportunities to grow and giving leaders room to express themselves remain key to executive retention.

This is according to Michelle Moss, director of Leadership Assessment Consulting at Signium Africa.There are also other ways business leaders can meet their employees’ needs and foster employee satisfaction to support retention.Give them the permission to dream up new ideas and different ways of doing things. Of course, the boss still needs to keep a bird’s eye view of what is going on and provide advice and guidance whenever necessary to ensure ultimate success.Make work meaningful because most employees want to identify with the vision, the mission and the goals of the company they work for. As business leader, make sure that these are communicated often and that all leaders walk the talk.

Pay your employees what they are worth. Reward and recognition is still critically important in the workplace. A fair trade is important to most people.Business success is a journey, leadership is the compass. Leaders should develop talent strategies for the right reasons, and not just to tick a compliance box. It is worthwhile remembering that we are dealing with individuals who should be esteemed in the workplace.

A leader is a dealer in hope – Napoleon Bonaparte.

* Annelize van Rensburg is a founder and director of Signium Africa, previously Talent Africa, a leading provider of integrated talent solutions and leadership development in sub-Saharan Africa, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

BY: Annelize van Rensburg, Director at Signium Africa (previously Talent Africa) www.signium.co.za

Executive DNA is not immutable. Requirements shift. Profiles change. Business needs and economic conditions are obvious drivers, but societal factors, technology developments and the spirit of the times play a major role in how executives see themselves, their role and priorities.We are what we eat, but we are also what we read, think and feel.

What happens around us, shapes us. Executives are not elevated above the society they serve. They are rooted in it.Global trends research strongly supports this view, even when the primary focus is much broader than the executive head-hunter’s fixation with managerial skill and leadership potential.

Parallels between evolving executive profiles and changing consumer preferences are inescapable when consulting in-depth studies like ‘Megatrend Analysis (Putting the Consumer at the Heart of Business)’ by a market research firm like Euromonitor International.For instance, the world trend to ethical living and its direct consequence, ethical shopping, are echoed by the growing C-suite emphasis on personal values and adherence to well-defined moral principles.Companies and their leaders are held to a higher standard than the balance sheet. How you perform is not limited to how much profit you make, but how you respect people, communities and the environment.

Today, this broader yardstick is fully endorsed by those hoping to achieve leadership positions. They don’t want to work for businesses that cheat and blur ethical lines.In addition, consumer trends to healthy living and mental and spiritual wellbeing are closely aligned with growing emphasis by senior managers on a balanced lifestyle, with time for reflection, for family and for personal growth.Consumers are not the only ones focused on local produce, local sourcing and local alignment. Businesses and executives increasingly stress their commitment to communities and local schools and charities.Another major retail trend is s-commerce, with sidelights provided by the contemporary techno-savvy executive. Social media and social messaging influence the purchasing of the Net-enabled shopper. Simultaneously, familiarity with digital platforms has become a key characteristic of ambitious managers.They don’t delegate personal techno tasks to PAs.

These executives use Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and other mobile messaging apps. Many make effective use of blog posts.They make themselves accessible, knowing isolation is impossible as well as undesirable when social media reach is global. Asia Pacific has more than half of the world’s Net users while three-quarters of the planet’s population is served by 3G telecom networks.Techno sophistication increases all the time. Smartphone users totalled an estimated 18.48 million in South Africa in 2017 and will top 25 million by 2022.Willingness to explore new media is accompanied by willingness to explore new markets.

Consumer researchers see this as recognition that market saturation forces change. Retail brands that made major inroads into China’s megacities now target mid-tier cities while other businesses are looking at new methods of reaching rural areas, whether in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia or South America.Similar flexibility is evident in the make-up of the modern executive.

Very few believe in 10 years’ time they will still be conducting business in the same way in the same market or that their current skill set will never need a makeover. Some look at radical career change and movement into totally new industries.Social shifts and fresh thinking are reconfiguring the attitudes and attributes of the current consumer … but you could say exactly the same of today’s flexible, adaptable and socially attuned executive.

Annelize van Rensburg is a Director at Signium Africa (previously Talent Africa), a leading South African-based executive search and talent management company servicing sub-Saharan Africa. She is also Leader of Signium’s Global Consumer Goods and Services Practice.

What to do when … Integrity may get you fired 

By Auguste Coetzer*, Director at Signium Africa (www.signium.co.za)  

Rising levels of perceived corruption have sharpened the ethical challenge for those in responsible positions. When the spoils might run into billions, it seems you can be fired for doing the right thing and rewarded for doing what you know to be wrong. How do you stay on the side of the angels, stay in your job … and stay out of jail? The issue receives growing attention. The PwC study, Strategy & Recent CEO Success notes an international rise in ethical lapses and subsequent dismissals at senior level. It attributes the uptick to public outrage at corporate scandals, social media as a platform for experience-sharing and a 24/7 news cycle that makes any cover-up highly problematic.

The topic is also examined by author Ira Chaleef in his book, Intelligent Disobedience: Doing Right When What You’re Told to Do Is Wrong. Intelligent Disobedience indicates the impossibility of being only slightly dirty. You might  object to an unethical practice and go along reluctantly, but your ethical lapse can still land you in jail. So, do you simply resign in protest and walk away? Sometimes, this is the only thing to do. You might then go public and become a whistle-blower – with huge personal consequences if you are labelled a ‘trouble-maker’. This is not always a wise move, and is often not necessary.

In a small market like South Africa, industry peers, professionals and specialists in executive recruitment are usually aware of the organisations where leadership is flawed and irregularities are apt to occur. Quitting an operation like this – or being fired for taking an ethical stand – holds no stigma. Your career will often resume an upward trajectory after an initial bump or two. In many cases, however, the issues are not nearly so clear cut. The organisation might decide on suspension rather than dismissal. You can then be pressured to go quietly. In South Africa, there have been cases where senior personnel have been suspended for years, leaving them and their careers in limbo. With this in mind, it may be advisable to avoid an outright rift in the event of unethical demands.  Intelligent Disobedience suggests four techniques: Obvious shock. By your tone and facial expression indicate the request has taken you aback. Don’t give an outright refusal (yet). Your demeanour may be enough to prompt a rethink.

The boss or board may backtrack and subsequently abandon the idea without losing face. Seek clarification. Ask ‘Did I understand you correctly? Do you really want me to do this?’ You might even ask for the instruction to be put in writing. (For your own part, never sign any documents sanctioning unethical practices. This puts you in the cross-hairs while guilty parties stay camoflaged.) Suggest a better alternative. There may be a chance other, less dubious, steps could be taken and deliver a positive outcome. Emphasise self-preservation. Use expressions that enable a superior to retreat. Say, ‘This could make us look bad if this comes’ rather than ‘You will look bad.’ Point out that in the social media era, dirty secrets always come out eventually and this will not look good for ‘us’. But, at the end of the day, remember there are worse things than quitting a job or being fired from it … for instance, going to prison. 

*Auguste Coetzer is a Director of Signium Africa (previously Talent Africa), a leading South African-based executive search and talent management company servicing sub-Saharan Africa.

By Michelle Moss*, Director at Signium Africa - www.signium.co.za

Politics was once a dirty word in business. You did not play politics to get ahead. It was just not done. Rubbish! Corporate politics have always been played.

The challenge is to play without deceit and duplicity while boosting the business. Of course, smart political players boost themselves as well.Currently, a corporate politics rethink is underway overseas. International literature confirms it.

A similar reassessment is underway in South Africa.Local indicators include executive search feedback to job candidates that their ‘political’ skills need attention and growing demand in the executive coaching arena for assistance with this aspect of personal development.Stalled careers are a key driver.Long hours and impressive gains should have resulted in career recognition but haven’t.

The individual then asks, ‘What more can I do?’The answer is ‘Learn to play the game’, and that game is corporate politics.

Many newcomers to the game are shamefaced about it.They confuse politics with ‘brown-nosing’ and manipulation.

They believe good people do not network for self-advantage.However, a good executive coach will point out that access, visibility and credibility are essential for personal and corporate success.Good ideas are useless unless they’re shared with decision-makers.

ccess to senior ranks is therefore essential. Once access is gained, the ambitious manager has to be seen as a credible performer making a visible difference.Credibility is rarely an issue. The go-getter usually has the qualifications and experience, has put in the time and achieved success.The challenge relates to access and visibility, but first mindsets must change.This is no problem for those who are aware their career has stalled and change is overdue.

Good coaches also point out that personal values are not compromised by networking and relationship-building. Behaviour might change, ethics remain intact.Behavioural change helps put a name to developments that were previously anonymous.Bosses are swamped by data. Often, they don’t have time to ask ‘who worked on this project?’ or ‘who led that team?

By changing behaviour and creating favourable awareness, players make it easier for superiors to remember a face and name.Once the mindset has been adjusted, it is necessary to identify decision-makers and influencers; external as well as internal. Impress some clients or suppliers and the word may go all the way to the top of your own organisation.Once identities have been established, relationships can be developed. Often, this is through participation in various initiatives or at certain social occasions.Take an interest. Get on to the invitation list.This can be difficult for introverts. They need to become more outgoing. Extroverts face a different challenge. They can come across as pushy and egotistical.One way forward is to tell a story that subtly conveys the contribution of the ambitious manager without bombast. There may be a humorous pay-off line, but the story-teller is positioned as a key actor.These techniques involve no play-acting. Superiors are not being deceived.

They are being alerted to interesting developments and the impact of new role-players.Advancement from this base can be impressive. Stalled careers may go into overdrive.Stellar success like this is not built on a lie. You have to be the real deal to make real progress. Play the political game to win recognition. But remember; real winners always deliver results.

*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