Teryl @ Work

It is National Payroll Week, and choosing Payroll as a career has to be top of mind. From way back in the day when I wrote my first wages and salaries solution as a junior programmer, I never met a person who went into payroll as their career of choice (and we are talking the 70s.) But, hooray, it is starting to change. With the advent of formal qualifications in payroll, young people are starting to see a career in payroll as an option. Payroll people often talk of themselves as the Cinderellas of the business - stuck in a back office, with the oldest computers, piles of historical data that nobody has time to file, and ignored until something goes wrong... Today, green offices are becoming a reality, Employee Self Service (ESS) is getting rid of literally tons and tons of paper and real business intelligence about employees through data analytics is possible in both small and large businesses. Reporting on possible outcomes and future trends, instead of simply what has al...

I am really pleased about this wonderful initiative from South African Payroll Association to recognise the contribution of payroll people over the years.   While the formal recognition is limited to SAPA members, it would be great if we took the time to remember who mentored and taught us all about payroll, in the days before a professional qualification was available. This special week celebrates important aspects to each of us who are passionate about payroll. From the economic, cultural and social achievements of workers, to the significance of "an honest day's work for an honest day's pay," National Payroll Week is a celebration on many levels. To celebrate this important week we want to honour our loyal heroes of the payroll family. We call on you to remember your Hero in Payroll who had a fundamental impact on your career and inspired you to Payroll greatness. ...

Are your salespeople included in setting targets?   Very few are.  Sales targets are based on previous individual performance, sales division performance and budget requirements.   In some companies everybody gets the same target, regardless of abilities or previous successes, while in others it is an enormously complex beast with all sorts of criteria used. While the business requirements have to be met, it is important to discuss and collaborate with the salespeople themselves. Sales is a game, and each time you play a game, you should want to do better.   If you are not competitive by nature, sales can be a very tough career.  It is, anyway. More and more, sales management is about coaching, not managing, so it really important for sales managers to understand how coaching works.  There are great courses out there which guide sales managers through the coaching methodology. A simple, but structured approach to target setting with lots of commun...

 The sales cycle is pretty simple really.  It starts with a prospect, ends with a close, and starts again with the next opportunity. So how do you make the numbers work for you?   First of all, you need to understand your own numbers.  You can benchmark against other sales people, against industry standards and all manner of other statistics, but if you don't know your own hit rates, and own them, you are lost. Sales Managers put complex models together to measure sales people.   This is partly so that they are able to understand what is needed for success from each person.   Unfortunately, many sales people don't spend the time to understand the model, and do not buy into the numbers game. Lets look at a simple example: Target = R1.2 million of new sales per annum Prospect pipeline = R3.6 million Last years hit rate = 20% of pipeline 20% of pipeline = R720 000 Taking this into account, there are two possible scenarios: Improve the hit rate...

"Will you be mom?" was a frequent request in my early boardroom days.   Not to mention, "will you take the notes?" Not sure why, but while the notes just bothered me a little, the tea request drove me crazy. The advent of coffee machines and tablets has largely done away with those two, but my discussions with many women who are sitting on boards and excos today tells me that there is still a way to go for women to feel fully included. Gender jokes, swearing and male exclusive activities are some of the not so subtle ways that women mention.   Should you laugh at the jokes, accept the c word as a standard and take up deep sea fishing? And if you don't, should you feel guilty about curbing their natural behaviour when you are around, which you are worried they will use as an excuse for further exclusion? In other words, they are much more relaxed and themselves when you are not there, so do you accept things that make you uncomfortable in order to fit i...

Success To laugh often and love much; To win the respect of intelligent persons And the affection of children; To earn the approbation of honest critics And to endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To give of one's self; To leave the world a little better, Whether by a healthy child, A garden patch Or a redeemed social condition; To have played and laughed with enthusiasm And sung with exultation; To know that even one life has breathed easier Because you have lived - This is to have succeeded. Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist, poet and leader of the American transcendentalist movement (1803 - 1882)

Impossible to arrange?  Or a much needed, occasional escape from reality... I do love travelling, both business and pleasure.  I am a B & B fan, and I try and stay in the same ones as often as I can. I have built up great relationships, and am really well looked after.  I am also a bit of a security freak, so need to feel safe, years of living behind gates and burglar bars have had their impact. Regular business travel started between having my daughter and my son.   Up till then, it was my husband who got away a lot and his trips were always very well timed. My personal favourite was when we were doing an owner/builder alteration and he landed up going to the States for three weeks, leaving me with 2 kids under 5, a very unreliable builder (we had to bail him out of jail for drinking) as well as my own full time job. Somehow, though, we managed for around ten years, with our trips not coinciding.   We were lucky enough to have some lovely friends wh...

What is the difference between balance and integration?  Well, this is how I interpret them: Balance is about creating two separate lives, work and play, and ensuring there is time for both Integration is more around creating a situation where the two overlap, and are well aligned, allowing time for both work and play Imbalance is when work and play are constantly encroaching on each other, there is no down time, and whatever you are doing, you feel like you should be doing something else.... I have really tried to build an integrated life.   Laptops, tablets and smart phones have made it almost possible. There have been some significant positives and negatives.   And my family would be able to share a lot of them, fortunately, none of them have blogs! So what is integration? It is integration to respond to emails over weekends so that you can go to a swimming gala on a Friday afternoon It is not integration to play Candy Crush at your desk during work...