My recent business trip to Nairobi was my first time in Kenya, and my reflections on the time are contained below.

1. Gratitude: I live in South Africa, and we do not shy away from complaining when our sports teams lose or our municipalities get things wrong – perhaps rightly so. It is good, though, to be reminded that we have much to be grateful for. I think, in particular, of  Joburg traffic. Yes, I have complained about the hour it might take to travel the 11km to Sandton, or the 90 minutes to reach ORTI airport at times. Having experienced Nairobi traffic, however, we are blessed! Locals recounted being in traffic for 5 hours from the airport to town – which is approximately 16km! A 2-hour trip in rush hour is considered normal, and the 6 km from town to a conference venue can take…you guessed it, 90 minutes. By the way, there are at least three rush hours a day, and LA has four! So, the next time I am impatient, please just remind me of Nairobi.

2. Awe: I am constantly reminded of  the resilience of the human spirit. In spite of considerable obstacles, we are able to bounce back, and learn from hardship. Entrepreneurship is alive and well in Nairobi, and I was taken aback by the scores of home/stores along Ngong Road. We tend to be hungry for employment in South Africa – perhaps our parents thought that this was the best way to be successful, as it was in their era. In reality, we need more more people to be creative. I am in the services industry, true, but I use physical products – some that I need and others that I just like – every day.

I saw every type of metalwork and woodwork, from beds and embellished gates to cupboards and couches, as well as food stalls, curios – near life-size giraffes prominent – and lawnmower services. All at the roadside, and all optimised for easy weekend shopping, in particular. Is it any wonder that there is less tangible poverty in Kenya? I would love to see more skilled craftsmen and craftswomen in South Africa, plying their trade, as opposed to hundreds challenging each other for three positions at Company X.

3. Diversity: How different,  and yet how similar, we are. Whilst our cultures, traditions and skin hues may differ, the love for family and the desire to learn and find meaning persists wherever I go. Our languages are diverse, yet love and encouragement resonate globally.

4. Security: I have long been troubled by our “blindspot-tainted” view of security in South Africa. As mentioned, I can sign in as a new celebrity each day at most organisations.  We hire the least-educated (i.e. cheapest) people possible to occupy the critical first touch-point of customer interaction! Many books in which . The Willows Estate has some of the best security, due to fingerprint scanners that affirm ID number and thus identity, but it is infuriating. Exactly because of cost-reduction: there are never sufficient machines or guards to service the many guests who are waiting to be interrogated. This is systemic, and easy to resolve. I saw good levels of security at my hotel in Nairobi: a boomed-off area where each vehicle entering must stop and be searched for explosives. (One of our clients in Johannesburg has something like this…on one side of their building. The other side welcomed me as Madonna recently).  Secondly, there was an airport-style metal detector for guests to clear before entering the lobby. And the elevators had a key-card slot, granting only legitimate entrants access to the residential floors. Of course, one could simply have used the steps…which is as easily overlooked as the issuing of metal cutlery to business-class “travellers” and plastic cutlery to the economy-class “criminals”.  Why have we not seen more “mystery-shopping” on security?

There is much to be learned from those around us, if we are willing to engage, and to challenge ourselves in the fine detail of our thinking.

I am constantly confronted with old mindsets about the world of work. No experience of this is more apparent, nor more intrinsically flawed, than banking in South Africa. I am grateful to fellow entrepreneur and IT guru, Darryl Baumann, for his thoughts on this over a fine breakfast this morning (thank-you, Lemon Rose Farm).

It used to be a fair assessment that an employed person had a lower risk of default, and thus bad debt. A self-employed person could lose his or her business overnight, it was thought. Whilst statistics were perhaps on their side in the past, banks have not changed their mindset to reflect the 21st Century, wherein many sustainable and competitive businesses are “entrepreneurially” initiated.

I work mostly with large multi-national organisations and can attest to the fact that they face uncertainty as much as the average SOHO business owner. In fact, Bob Johansen – from the Institute for the Future – calls this the VUCA World: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. In this environment, nothing is stable. Blackberry’s competitive advantage has been eroded to the point of insignificance. Banks in Europe and The U.S. have closed their doors. The rate-fixing scandal of previously-reputable Barclays will cost $1.65 Billion more…which comes at the loss of…share price, their African market and thus jobs.

And in this environment (can anyone say Kodak? Nortel? Woolworths UK? Nationwide? 1Time?), someone with one month’s worth of paycheck from a known entity is still seen as a more secure risk than a business owner with 5 years’ worth of trading experience, loyal clients and a sustainable product offering. Please help me understand the logic?

It is time for a new mindset, one that explores people and businesses as individuals, looking at the big picture of their track record and their earning potential. That does, of course, mean that real people -with knowledge, not just a microphone – will need to take a few minutes to engage with a customer. And listen, not recite what is on their screen, or programmed in an algorithm meant for 1995.

Those who adapt, and master new millennium brand leadership, will find that their customers feel valued, inspired and remain relatively loyal, communicating positively on social media about them. They will have the opportunity to apologise if they should err, and to gain feedback in real time, from customers who care enough to want a relationship with the brand.

Those that continue on their present path will steadily lose ground to technology, which is already making banks redundant. Nedbank’s Pocket POS will provide credit-card facilities for every SME and Spaza shop, and wifi capabilities for customers. Physical buildings will hardly be necessary, except as warehouses and customer interaction centres. A central credit bureau serves all of the banks, so why can’t it be bank-independent in future, too? The writing is on the wall, for those who care to read it, instead of last year’s annual report.

Congratulations to Graeme Smith, who takes the field today, earning his 100th Test as Protea Captain.

Some of us may recall how he took the reins from Shaun Pollock as a 22 year-old, and had to fight to be seen as credible. He earned his stripes as a fearless and courageous captain, never allowing other teams to dominate. Working with Shane Warne in the IPL seemed to take the edge off the negative aspects of his intensity, and brought even more discipline to his fighting leadership.

It is difficult to imagine how Graeme would have grown to be the icon of wilful perseverance, had he not been exposed to hardship. He lost the ODI and T20 captaincy, and his position as opening batsman was in doubt a year ago. Yet he has worked on his game, confounding critics by adding new (off-side) strengths to his armoury of weapons. Excellent! A true example of the growth mindset, first researched by Carol Dweck.

In contrast, we see The Gambia shortening the civil service work week to four days (http://bbc.in/XrpOSs). While rest and “tending to one’s fields” are admirable and necessary, this will not encourage wealth creation for their nation. Wealth seems to follow those who workharderthan most, not less. Not that it means we need to be cubicle slaves (thanks, Tom Peters) or even at the office, but we certainly need to use our free time to advance ourselves. We need our Saturdays to be used for research, reading, learning, growing, writing, training or marketing our unique contribution. Then we may stand out from the crowd, rather than be commoditised, as many have been.

Thank-you, Graeme, for showing us how to lift our heads out of our work and be more than average.

Organisational Development (OD) often, bizarrely, falls under Human Resources (HR). HR, itself, oversees talent management – attraction, retention and engagement of staff – and Learning and Development (L and D). Thus means that leadership development, coaching and mentoring is often in the hands of the OD/ HR team, and often off the “radar” of other senior executives.

If the HR team understands your business operations well, as well as your market differentiator (competitive advantage), you may yet win. In my experience, though, people do most often what they are rewarded for doing, and HR is seldom rewarded for strategy execution, bottom-line increase or market-share optimisation. Likewise, HR leaders are seldom equipped to deliver 21st Century leadership development and brand management, which requires partnership with Marketing and Operations, at a bare minimum.

For this reason, we continue to see “bums on seats” strategies for training, as opposed to dynamic action-learning, foreign-opportunity-immersive, simulation and practice-rich methods applied. OD and HR is most often caught up with legal compliance and listen to disciplinary disputes most often. Yet this is seldom why they joined their profession, and doesn’t necessarily give meaning or add inspiration to their days.

I do believe it’s time for HR to move beyond being a nominal – in name only – business partner, and become one in essence. This is a radical paradigm shift, one which is embraced by Dave Ulrich in his 2012 book, “HR from the Outside In,” in which he affirms that HR needs to “give value or give notice”.

Why not invest in the development of the HR team, so that they become strategic ambassadors of your cause, rather than unfulfilled purveyors of products?

The recent incident, whereby Orlando Pirates fans hurled fireworks at the Supersport goalkeeper, raised some interesting questions. Firstly, how were fans allowed to bring (illegal) fireworks into the stadium? The second question is how well-prepared are security personnel, in general, for anything untoward? Lastly, of course, why do people support this team, when they could support Chiefs instead?

Regarding security, I cannot vouch for the alertness of even airport security personnel. Flying regularly, I am grateful that it is only a small minority of people that have the urge to take out others – and themselves – in the air. When it comes to security, proactive responses are surely the best. Security officers patrolling an area – on foot or in a vehicle – are a presence that averts opportunistic crime and responds quickly to hardened criminals – those with iron will.

I laugh when I consider what security means in most organisations. Mostly, it means that there is a sign-in procedure. In all honesty, I hope this is to account for guests, in the event of a fire. A multi-national organisation I have worked with checks vehicles for bombs – with a mirror under the vehicle  – at entrance 1. At entrance two, the log book doesn’t even have space for a car registration number, there is no “holding area” for a vehicle to wait upon entering and I am tired of signing in as Hugh Masekela, F.W. De Kkerk or Rebecca Molope without so much as a glance.

It is time that organisations – including stadium security – take a long hard look at their practices, audit their sites through “mystery shoppers” and do the things that actually avert crime or potential injury. I can guarantee that regular training on potential threats, alertness and a sense of urgency will go a long way towards providing real security, instead the current false peace-of-mind.

Perhaps then we will be able to endure a home football match loss with dignity, instead of amnesty.

Are we meant to go where others have gone before?

We’ve long spoken of basic human needs, and Maslow’s hierarchy is most quoted, but the 1950′s psychiatrist, Murray Banks, narrowed it down to four: a need to survive, love and be loved, feel important and experience variety. To this list, fellow psychiatrist William Glasser added the need for freedom. The latter tow needs are significant for organisations to note: if people are built for variety and freedom, are we structured to accommodate and harness this?

Most organisations rely on financial results as a planning tool. This is logical…and historical. The assumption of incremental change is implied: “Add 10% to last year’s figures and call it risk.” Our world is not, however, static. Neither are established norms going unchallenged. In his book, “Shattering the Myths of Darwinism,” geologist and reporter Richard Milton questions the geological column, the basis of most evolutionary theory. He notes that it assumes a constant average rate of sedimentation globally of 0.2mm per year (over millions of years), yet that has yet to occur anywhere repeatedly, as far as he can ascertain. What if he is right, and Darwin wrong? Apple keeps redefining what is possible electronically (and attempting to control how users use their products), while others keep up or drop out. How is it in your playing field?

It is always helpful to compare notes with others – feedback – but measuring up to external factors is unhelpful. As a drummer, I cannot compare myself to Carter Beauford, drummer for Dave Matthews Band, and hope to measure up well: it is his lifelong pursuit, and my hobby. I can glean from Carter’s technique or showmanship and assimilate this into my context, with 30 minutes a day to practice. Who I am (my style and unique differentiator) lends itself to certain interpretations, which will hopefully please our audiences.

Likewise, your culture (your unique way of doing life) is a large part of your competitive advantage – reference Southwest Airlines, SAS Inc, Innocent Drinks or Virgin. These organisations may have competitors, but their clients are attracted to HOW they do business, not merely WHAT they do, for this is easily commoditised within 6 weeks.

Measure yourself against how authentically you are being true to your core, yet growing constantly. Then comparisons will offer interesting angles on your core, rather than disconcert you.

Identity is a complex matter, made all the more so by well-meaning psychologists. At its heart, though, identity is about a label (“archetype” or “persona”) that we choose to be linked to. Similarly, the concept of branding stems from cattle-farming, where cattle are branded with the name of their owner’s business.

Two labels, or identities, seem to be most important at work, according to research by Kate Walsh (Cornell university) and Judith Gordon. These labels are “occupational” and “organisational” identity. In essence, do you choose to link your personal brand, or sense of who you are, with your occupation and/or organisation? Are you happy to be a ____ person (think Steve at ****bank), in _____ role? If not, you will not be engaged, neither will your work be excellent, it seems.

What makes you identify with an occupation or organisation? According to the research, you choose labels that offer distinction (or distinctiveness) and status. In other words, that which makes you stand out from the crowd positively. If your occupation can give this to you (e.g. doctor, commercial property mogul), but not your organisation, you will not stay at your company for long, but will probably stay in your field. Some love their organisation, but not their occupation within it (e.g. a plumber at NASA). If you are dissatisfied with both your occupation and your organisation, you are likely to revert to your personal brand as your core identity, and life will then start when work ends.

Ideally, then, you want to ensure that your occupation – WHAT you do – and the organisation – WHERE you do it – are a match for WHO you are, and want to be. If the three identities align, you will find it easy to get up and go to work, offer better customer service and feel more positive about the contribution you make each day.

The Titanic infamously ignored multiple messages sent to her crew, continuing in her quest to make it in record time. Her passengers paid the penalty for their erroneous belief in an unsinkable ship – the Costa Concordia’s recent demise will confirm that folly.

More often, it seems, leaders ignore multiple warnings of danger, and persist in their pattern of being, as though change will not affect them. The harsh realities of the global playing field are such that outsourcing to India or China is commonplace, and the trend will only increase. The nature of business is ever more collaborative – developers on O-desk, entrepreneurs on Springwise, Silicon Cape or Biznetwork. Where will it end? It won’t. Rather, the era of “Lone Ranger” business is in decline, and leaders need to equip themselves with the future skills to lead “transformatively”, being assertive and visionary, yet collaborative and inclusive. The necessary skills are not natural any more, either, as electronic communication dominates the landscape and thumbs rule the inner space. Leadership education needs to equip leaders with the soft skills to not just do their work, but inspire, empower, encourage and lead (i.e. pull, not push)their teams. Performance appraisals are not mechanical sessions around a document, but rather an opportunity to give and receive vital feedback, changing course appropriately.

On the 14th of April, 2012, it will be 100 years since Titanic sunk. Let it not be the year that your team does the same.

The security measures were inadequate, the crowd control non-existent and the actions of the students deplorable. But UJ is accountable and culpable in another way: flawed thinking. Once-off anomalies can be forgiven, but patterns indicate root causes that need to be addressed.

How has this great institution managed to land itself in a position whereby people feel that entry to a UJ degree can be on a first-come, first-served basis? Surely there is still screening, for a most-likely-to-succeed win-win? I’m sure that smarter minds than mine could spin alternatives, such as a locked submission box, emptied daily and followed up with personal replies.

Another issue that surfaces, of course, is why our black citizens are the ones subjected to this annual humiliation while ‘advantaged’ others can apply online?

The UJ brand is growing in stature, but it is not bulletproof. Come on, colleagues, let’s never see these consequences again.

I was recently asked to consider whether people are basically good and trustworthy, or basically unreliable and self-seeking. If the latter is true, then being “true to yourself” – or your heart – would be essentially self-seeking and not empathetic or generous. Or would it? I am not wanting to delve into the religious aspects of the argument (“sinful nature” discussions), but rather the fruit of the paradigm. If we believe people are basically bad, untrustworthy or self-seeking, we are not likely to empower them with information, responsibility or opportunity. Whereas, if we believe that they may choose the “higher way,” even if they were born with a propensity for evil, in my experience, we achieve more. In fact, business thrives, employees are more engaged, and fewer instances of abuse or passive-aggressive behaviour result.

How is this possible? Surely taking precautions, to prevent people from “messing our great business up,” promotes control and sustainable wealth? Apparently not. People, research tells us, do their best work when they feel respected, engaged and fulfilled. They feel like partners, accountable and passionate, and thus become “brand ambassadors”, rather than compliant “workers”.

Whether someone is authentically nice or not, it pays to give him or her the benefit of the doubt, and watch their productivity soar.