KISS and inspire a culture of clarity!
IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), TMI (Too Much Information) in TLAs (Three-Letter Acronyms) leads to LOL (Loss of Logic) and FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt). Using TBD (Too-Broad Definitions) makes B2B (Business-to-Business) communication confusing.?
The C-suite (Corporate Suite) might find it efficient, but it can quickly turn into an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) nightmare. One person's ASAP (As Soon As Possible) is another's RSVP (Respond If You Please). Clear definitions are the key to avoiding a situation that is FUBAR (F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition) or confusion arising from acronyms like ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) and EOD (End of Day).
IT (Information Technology) acronyms fly fast and thick, but without proper understanding, they can lead to major SNAFUs (Situation Normal, All Fouled Up). For instance, an SME (Subject Matter Expert), not to be confused with an SME (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise), might throw around terms like SQL (Structured Query Language) or API (Application Programming Interface), baffling everyone and leading to?chaos, delays and errors.
Even HR (Human Resources) isn't immune - acronyms like BCEA (Basic Conditions of Employment Act) or COIDA (Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act) are essential. Employees need to know and understand them, or they will miss out on crucial benefits.
I advise defining your acronyms and developing a glossary or quick reference guide to avoid these pitfalls. So, KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) and inspire a culture of clarity.
The state should not be increasing the price of goods
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced that it will impose a 45% import tax on goods that cost R500 or less, imported from China through online retailers such as Shein and Temu.
Unions and businesses praise this as a ‘levelling of the playing field’, but for the consumer it simply translates to higher prices.
The de minimis rule
SARS decided to stop the abuse of the de minimis rule. In international trade this rule refers to...
Crypto assets & the SARB Financial Surveillance Department
For most people, one of the most fascinating aspects of cryptocurrency is the ability to bypass traditional financial intermediaries, such as banks, and directly control their funds. But what many people may not know is that cross-border crypto asset transactions require prior exchange control permission.
It is with great concern that I have noted lately that legal and/or financial advisors are incorrectly advising their clients, individuals, entities and even Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs) to enter into cross-border crypto asset transactions that are clearly in contravention of the Exchange Control Regulations.
Cross-border transactions
The mere fact that a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) has been registered and authorised by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), does not mean that such CASP is permitted to enter into cross-border transactions that require prior exchange control permission in terms of the Exchange Control Regulations. It should be noted that...
Red flags to spot social media job scams
As social media becomes more intertwined with our daily routines, sly cybercriminals are using it to trick people with fake job offers. What are these social-media recruitment scams, and how can you spot the red flags?
With over 32% of South Africans struggling to find jobs, it is no wonder that scams targeting job seekers are becoming more common. Cybercriminals are always evolving their tricks to match the latest trends. As job-searches on social media grow, so does the potential for recruitment-related fraud.
Types of recruitment scams
There are two types of recruitment scams, although they all have the same aim: conning you into giving them money or your personal details.
The first kind involves...
How Nedbanks digital revolution gives you back your time
Between work, family, and personal commitments, carving out moments for ourselves feels like a constant battle. One area that often gets squeezed? Managing our finances. This challenge is interlinked to our most valuable commodity: time. People simply do not have enough time.
What if managing your finances wasn’t another time-consuming chore on your ever-growing to-do list? Nedbank is passionate about empowering South Africans to see money differently, and a core part of that vision is revolutionising how you interact with your finances. The bank has championed digital innovation, creating user-friendly financial tools that are accessible anytime, anywhere...
The art of stock selling - key strategies and mistakes to avoid
Warren Buffet’s favourite holding period for a stock is “forever”, but even he acknowledges there are valid reasons for selling a stock.
Deciding when to sell a stock is something both professional and retail investors grapple with. In fact, it’s accepted wisdom that it is psychologically easier to buy a stock than to sell one.
When to sell?
Fundamentally, the two human emotions that influence investors when they are considering selling a stock are greed and fear. However, selling stocks is a necessary part of your investment journey and there are right and wrong reasons for doing so.
To steer investors toward a more rational approach to selling stocks, there are several guidelines to...
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Why did Moses have only 10 rules, but we have thousands?
Life might have been harder in the times of Moses, but it was simpler: Move towards a promised land, move away from an evil persecutor, and survive in between. His people understood where they were going and what they were prepared to sacrifice for it, and they had a clear purpose.
Reaching your destination and leaving a few offspring was enough for you to have felt you lived a good and moral life. Terms and conditions applied but they were few and could fit on two stone tablets: don’t kill each other, no stealing, stick to the rules and make sure you run fast enough when the time is right, so the Red Sea doesn’t close in on you.
It is difficult to establish what percentage of the population was considered...
Upholding dignity - the power of a strong code of conduct
In a South African context, ‘dignity’ is a word that is often supercharged, laden with meaning and emotion.
Given our dark history where apartheid stripped whole groups of people of their dignity – and because of the prevailing gap between rich and poor, with South Africa having the highest Gini coefficient in the world – we not only have to believe in dignity, we must also strive to uphold it across all aspects of society. And in fact, this is very much the premise on which South Africa’s remarkable constitution is built.
Respect for co-workers
Now, zoom into the local mining environment, where the prevailing culture is largely hierarchical and autocratic. That is not to say that...
Social media & job-hunting - the good, the bad & the savvy
When it comes to job hunting, social media can be a double-edged sword. For young people who have graduated or who are looking for employment, there’s no doubt that having an online presence is important; some might even say critical.
Not only can social media be a valuable tool in helping you discover career opportunities, it can “also assist in your own personal and professional brand-building.”
A survey among more than 2,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals by a recruitment site CareerBuilder revealed that two in five companies browse candidates’ social media profiles to evaluate their character. When respondents were asked what they were looking for, 65% said they did it to see if...
The secret sauce of cybersecurity
Who knew that cybersecurity was not about sticking a firewall on the edges of the corporate network? Well it is, but if that’s all you’re doing, you’re already in trouble.
At the recent Amazon Web Services (AWS) annual cybersecurity conference, re:Inforce, held in Philadelphia this year, a constant refrain was that cybersecurity is as much about corporate culture as it is about technology.
It starts with people
Chris Betz, who joined AWS as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) last year from Capital One, where he played the same role, told a media briefing that what struck him when he joined the company was the systems and processes it used to deliberately...
Technology is making health & safety more attractive to project teams
Maintaining exceptional Health and Safety (H&S) standards is integral to the ongoing success of any project in the mining, construction, and Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCM) industries. However, the time and expenses involved can be discouraging, leading to less effective outcomes.
For experts in the H&S field, the solution is clear: utilising technology can streamline the health and safety process, and lead to more beneficial outcomes for companies, contractors, and stakeholders across the board.
Simplifying & automating the process
A focus on H&S in the workplace substantially lowers incident risk, protects employees, reduces lost time injury frequency, and, ultimately, protects against...
Founder and CEO | International Women Leadership Expert
8 个月Great articles…as always James Scott ????