There is a great energy all around and the enthusiasm is infectious. What makes this moment so special is the unity and relationships that has been formed in the build up to the event.

Looking back on the journey I can see many of the challenges that the organisers faced but I’m writing this post to celebrate the men and women that worked hard to make this day a reality. To everyone who ignored all of the negative publicity, applied their skill and stuck (with purpose) to the plan to bring the event to the African continent – Thank you!

As South Africans we have a responsibility to maintain the momentum and build on this solid foundation, even after this great event is over. Let’s continue to keep our focus and keep showing the world the value that our rainbow nation brings to the world.

Need I say more?

Mentoring our people, using technology as an enabler and skills development are the cornerstones of gyrationfive, so below are some thoughts on each as we prepare to launch into a new year.

People

Thank you for the relationships formed and strengthened, professionally and personally. You are the reason why this organisation exists and why gyrationfive will continue to evolve and grow from strength to strength.

Technology

Use technology wisely and responsibly to unlock value in your daily tasks. Remember that in business people pay for value (even in the tough times). Empower yourself.

Skill

Invest time in your craft. Have a goal, that is specific attainable and realistic, and be diligent to practice and improve your level of skill on a daily basis.

We wish everyone, especially the gyrationfive family, a Happy New Year! Continue to dream big while being diligent in the small things. May 2010 be filled with many moments of joy and success.

It has been my observation that when this kind of thinking is applied on any level, be it in business or just in our normal day to day lives, it can produce powerful results.

Sustainability is a key ingredient to successful partnerships and relationships, yet it is impossible to achieve without a vision, a sense of ownership and responsibility – which also happen to be the key attributes of an effective leader. Coincidence? You decide.

On a more fundamental level, sustainable thinking also demonstrates that individuals or organisations care for other people and not just themselves.

This kind of thinking comes naturally for some but it is a challenge for others – why this is so I cannot explain. I can only strive to be part of a society that applies and promotes sustainable thinking.

I felt proud that this is the community that I came from and I decided that it was time to give something back.

gyrationfive’s contribution to this event will be revealed over the coming weeks. We are excited to be a part of this project which celebrates the lives of the people who want to ensure that a legacy is left behind for future generations.

It is in cases such as these, that technology and people compliment each other and where collaboration and community can make a difference in the lives of ordinary people.

This is why taking the time to do a value ladder exercise for your organisation can be invaluable. Richard Stutely covers this in detail in his book The Definitive Business Plan.

Showcasing the value that your people bring to your organisation internally will result in them continually aspiring to do their best work. Showcasing this value to your clients will result in them having no excuses to pay the appropriate price. This is the foundation of any strong business partnership: the relationship between value and price. As a bonus they will continue to partner with you. We ALL win when value is at the core of the partnership.

Some benefits of doing a value ladder exercise for your organisation or team:

1. It serves as a check and balance – If you are leading a team toward a specific goal, this ensures that you have a handle on your processes.
2. It helps with scoping out your prospective projects – Doing the exercise puts you in the position to, at a later stage, analyse and evaluate your cost against your customers value. This will minimise your risk on future projects and help you to make informed pricing decisions.

More importantly, in a challenging economy, clients need to clearly see the value that you add as their service provider of choice.

gyrationfive is alive and the organisation is growing! It has been a triumphant evolution from dream to concept to plan and more recently has manifested into a reality. I am thrilled at how the process has unfolded and what excites me the most is that, despite tough economic times, my family, friends and even business acquaintances believe in the organisation and the values on which it is being built.

There is no turning back. We’ve made the commitment and now we need to deliver – and deliver we shall.

I would like to thank everyone who has made a contribution. Stakeholders, family and friends. Our strength is in our people and we are currently making huge investments in up skilling and mentoring every member of the gyrationfive team with the intention of building good relationships and partnerships internally and with our clients.

Watch out for some important announcements and additions to the gyrationfive family.

For some, getting a message across with clarity is sometimes not as simple as one would imagine – yet effective communication is a critical element for good personal and professional relationships and partnerships.  

It is important that the message or thought you are trying to convey resonate and connect with the intended audience. In my experience I’ve found that it helps to communicate with authenticity. 

• Believe in the message that you are conveying.  In my experience this makes it a lot easier for the audience to believe it too.
• Get to know your audience, or at least make an effort to understand who you are talking to. This gives you an opportunity to make your message a little more personal.  

 Finally, just like with learning to play the guitar or perfecting your golf swing, practice makes perfect. So work on mastering this skill on a daily basis.

Truth be told – gadgets can cause clutter. Clutter can result in time wasting and these days it seems that what people (and organisations)really need are simple, uncomplicated solutions to their day to day challenges, in other words, efficiency – getting more done with less clutter in the same amount of time.

It is important to reflect on how technology can contribute to our lives (or business) as well as the lives of those around us. Productivity is key to your success and making the right device choice can help you get things done faster.

In my opinion, productivity plugs into how you are “wired” and  by this I mean how you think, absorb your surroundings, analyse and solve problems etc. As an example, one device that I see working a lot harder for me over the coming months is my Windows based Pocket PC. It has also become a lot more than “just a phone”. For me, it has become an enabler – a tool to increase my productivity at work and at home. In fact, sections of this post was written on my Pocket PC. I capture my thoughts immediately and revisit them later – simple.

So before you rush out to purchase your next gadget, pause for a moment and answer one question… All things considered will having it make my life easier or will it add to the clutter?

One last thing. If your “gadget” handles data, be vigilant about doing regular back ups!

Let’s be honest, business is ultimately about profit. Business leaders and management teams are responsible for executing on the organisation’s strategy and to ensure that goals and targets are met.

Experience suggest that, in business, meeting goals and targets are easier said than done. One reason for this is because we have to rely on our people to apply their skill and talent day to day in order for the organisation as a whole to generate profit. When you have a team of people working together toward a common goal your organisation has a greater chance at achieving the ultimate business goal – being profitable.

Not rocket science, but my comments above form the foundation of the main idea for this post – a good attitude toward your job, your colleagues and the organisation.

So why is it so important for everyone on the team to have a good attitude?

When the individuals in your team have a good attitude it;

• promotes openness  and trust (communication)
• encourages participation and innovation 
• is a motivating force     

These are the softer elements to managing an organisation and frankly many of us don’t have time for this, but these elements indirectly affect the bottom line.

Great companies and organisations know this – and find unique ways to cultivate an environment that promotes satisfied and content employees. So what about those baddies? In time they will find the need to move on to “greener pastures”. If they don’t (on their own) start nudging them toward their greener pasture.