Leverage & Growth

I'll offer you an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.
Servicing City of Cape Town
 
Based in Hout Bay, Western Cape
 
 
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NEWS BLOG

Assessment Process

Assessment Process

22 September 2016 by Leon Grove

Organisations have different cultures, requirements and needs when recruiting so there is no process which fits all. Nevertheless, there are guidelines that form the basis for an internal standard operating procedure for recruitment.

Most organisations commence their recruitment process by considering what they require in terms of experience and competence, deciding where such a person can be found, writing an advert and advertising the job as applicable.

Work Profiling System:

This is essential so as to determine the following elements:

  • In which context will the candidate be working in? On their own of in a team?
  • Who will the candidates customers be? Individuals, groups or companies?
  • What competencies are needed? Problem Solving, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Selling skills, Customer Service Orientation, Relationship Building, Pro-activity, Business Acumen, Concern for Order and Accuracy.
  • What outputs will have to be achieved? After sales service, maintained customer relationship?

We would point out that all information gained from any assessment instruments (questionnaires, discrete selection, role plays, psychometric tests, individual or panel interviews) should not be used in isolation within the "screening in" process. In order to ensure fair practice, they should always be considered with all other available information.

Once these competencies have been determined it is important to compile a set of valid and reliable assessment instruments to assess the candidates true potential. The recruitment process does not stop here. It is vital to develop any competencies that do not meet the selection criteria.

Hiring the wrong people impacts your bottom line. Findings from recent research by the Future Foundation are alarming. $158 billion is lost worldwide every year through managing poor performers – people that could and should have been identified by better recruitment practices. Recruitment should therefore be considered a "strategic" issue because success or failure can have a dramatic effect on organisational performance.

Issues to keep you awake at night:

  • When will the 1st CCMA case be lodged against your company by someone or a group of people who were not appointed?
  • Do you have a sound recruitment / assessment process in place?

We offer:

  • Leadership skills training
  • Vocational guidance
  • Administrative staff training
  • Career path development

Stress Management
22 September 2016

Stress Management

by Leon Grove
The purpose of my book, the ABC of Stress is an attempt to share the information and experiences I have encountered in my 25 years as a Clinical Psychologist and Management Consultant. The idea to put my experiences into writing received a kick start after receiving a book "Power of Positive...

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ABOUT US

The company name, Leverage & Growth, says it all.

We are here to offer you a competitive advantage by giving you some much-needed "Leverage" and in the process you will also experience personal or business "Growth".

If only one of your brain cells develops we have achieved what we set out to start - a process of a series of "cerebral popcorn explosions." Leon is a registered Clinical Psychologist and Management Consultant living in Pietermaritzburg. He has clients all over South Africa and has more than 25 years experience in the corporate world.

List of Clients: Aberdare Cables, Afrikaanse Protestante Kerk, AHI, Anderson Enginerring, BEI, Berg Business Consultant, Boehme Africa, Business Buzz, Cavell Clarke Brokers, Digital Xposure, Don's Tree Felling, Dr Faure, Dunranch Group, Duzi Computer Forms, Ebony Optical, Epworth School, Eugene Kikia, GPT Alliance, Haggie Fibre, Hans Merensky, Haythorne High, Hermannsburg, Hluhlwe Inn, HTD, Kay Makan, Key Delta, KZNU Hons Stud, Linpark High School, MDW, Midnet, Moffat Optical, Myburgh and Smith, Netcare Hospital, New Hanover Primary School, Newton High School, PADCA, PCB, Pentravel, ProSys.Com, Remax, RTI, Samoc, Sanlam, SAVF, Schoerie, Southland, State Advocates, St Charles, St Johns, Toyota, Vodacom, Voortrekker School

COURSES

Schools:

We offer a series of interventions to dealing with issues that may be of concern for the parent and or learner.

  • Life skills
  • Sports motivation
  • Study methods
  • Vocational guidance - fees can be claimed back from your medical aid. We assess what the student can do, what he/she wants to do and what they prefer to do. We also offer study methods.
  • Staff development
  • Team building

Lunchtime Learning:

Regular networking sessions to share ideas on a variety of topics. The sessions are there to get people out of the office and to meet people and learn from each other.

The meetings are usually held on the last Friday of the month. The most popular time has been from 07:30 to 09:30. Occasionally they are held from 12:30 to 14:00. The session starts with registration and informal networking whilst having tea, coffee, muffins and rusks.

The next 30 minutes of the session are spent with a formal presentation or video of the topic under discussion. Thereafter the perception points are discussed in groups. Firms can sit in groups with their colleagues or with people from other companies.

Notes from each group are kept and typed and sent out to all people who attended the sessions.

Previous topics include:

  • Stress management
  • Trauma
  • Non-monetary rewards
  • Networking and
  • Celebrating what's right with the world

Work Profiling System:

This is essential so as to determine the following elements:

  • In which context will the candidate be working in? On their own of in a team?
  • Who will the candidates customers be? Individuals, groups or companies?
  • What competencies are needed? Problem Solving, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Selling skills, Customer Service Orientation, Relationship Building, Pro-activity, Business Acumen, Concern for Order and Accuracy.
  • What outputs will have to be achieved? After sales service, maintained customer relationship?
We offer:
  • Leadership skills training
  • Vocational guidance
  • Administrative staff training
  • Career path development

Communication:

  • Body Language
  • Communication Styles
  • Listening Skills
  • Empathy

Customer Care:

Customer Service Strategy:

Three Steps to Take (Harvard Business Review) Great service providers inform customers about what to expect and then exceed the promise. Not all customers want or deserve high levels of service, but they are entitled to what they have been promised, explicitly or implicitly .

The strategy of great service providers has a rather familiar ring. Almost all of these companies have taken the same three steps:

  • First, they segmented the market carefully and designed more core products and core services to meet the needs of the customer base. They realised that not all customers who bought the same product or service had the same service needs.
  • Second, they realised that only the customer knew what he or she wanted. Therefore, they researched the needs of the customer base thoroughly, both with formal programs and by paying close attention to what the customer was saying.
  • Third, they were careful to set the customer's expectations at the right level. They under promised and over delivered.
  • Providing good service is a towering challenge. There are many reasons business and professions fail in the endeavour, even when they have a perfect strategy. Without a focused service strategy, however, meeting the challenge becomes impossible.

    Some of the sessions we run include:

    • Demanding Customers; The PERFECT way to approach Customer Service
    • Give E'm a Pickle
    • Relationship Building: "How to Keep your Customers for Life"
    • Sustainable Customer Service Strategy
    • Do you have a customer service strategy in place? We have a course to meet your needs. Contact us now.

    Leadership:

    • Leadership Styles Executive Coaching 
    • Six sigma is a philosophy of doing business with a focus on eliminating defects through fundamental process knowledge. Six sigma methods integrate principles of business, statistics and engineering to achieve tangible results.
    • Six sigma tools are used to improve the processes and products of a company. They are applicable across every discipline including: Production, Sales, Marketing, Design, Administration and Service.

    Networking:

    You need to dig the well before you need the water. People invariably choose to do business with people they know and trust. "What you know is important. Who you know is even more important " Peter Cheales I have added "Who knows you" is the key to enormous success and wealth and will assist you in satisfying your own needs and those of your clients.

    In this series we offer you ways to learn how to network which will ultimately lead to you increasing your competitive advantage and keeping your customers for life. Networking is a process that takes years of practice. We make use of videos, presentations and practical exercises.

    • The power of relationship building
    • The ABC of networking
    • Member of networking group - Business e InterACT
    • Associate of 'Networking Tactics'

    NETWORKING:

    N: New Names

    E: Elevator Statement

    T: Trust, Thank You

    W: What do you do with who you know? What knows you well enough to get you what you want?

    O: Organisations

    R: Respect / Reciprocate

    K: Kangaroo

    I: Information Technology,w.w.w.

    N: Name Tags

    G: Goals, Give Help

    Rewards and Incentives:

    Recognition for a job well done is the top motivator of employee performance. Yet managers do not understand or use the potential power of recognition and rewards.

    While money is important to employees, what tends to motivate them to perform – and to perform at higher levels – is the thoughtful, personal kind of recognition that signifies true appreciation for a job well done.

    Many organisations are unaware of the costs associated with discontented employees, such as poor employee retention, poor safety records, low productivity and absenteeism. It stands to reason, then, that such costs would be reduced when employees have a vested interest in the success of the business.

    We offer a series of talks and videos to deal with motivating your staff:

    • Recognition
    • Personal Recognition
    • Non-monetary Rewards
    • Money spent does not necessarily equal value received

    Vision and Purpose:

    Vision is so simple yet inspiring. If you believe it you will see it. Vision controls our perception and our perception becomes our reality. When the vision is clear then passion and creativity is there as well. Do you have a vision? How open does your vision allow you and or your team to be? When we celebrate what's right with the world we find the energy to fix what's wrong with the world.

    Your vision is...

    • A short, simple statement . . .
    • Of some value-adding and marketplace-advantage factors
    • Which positively distinguishes your organisation
    • In the minds of everyone with whom your organisation interacts (customers, employees, suppliers) 
    • And provides clear, inspiring decision-making criteria
    • 'Celebrating What's Right with the world' by De Witt Jones for National Geographic. Following this video, we will work through concepts like: 'We live in a world of possibilities....when we believe it, we'll see it."
    • Look for ways to work cooperatively with others.
    • Focus on opportunity, rather than scarcity.

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    EVENTS

    DOCUMENTS

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