Of Teamwork in your Business:

I have always wondered why many businesses collapse after the death of the owner. In Africa especially, SME are built around the ideals, dreams and objectives of the owner. The importance of teamwork gets doubly highlighted in the realm of businesses. Delving deeper into the issue of teamwork we see that irrespective of the size of a particular business venture, teamwork among the partners, staff or employees, as may be the case, is of immense importance. Even if it is a small scale business with a modest start up, constructing professional relationships and working together as a team, goes a long way in achieving dynamism and success.

A one man army entrepreneurship is sure to betray a business at some point or the other. Most successful businesses get help and support both from those within and outside the peripheries of the venture. The owner of a business venture must highlight the importance of teamwork by blending it with the company's culture and business methods. Effective networking and working together with other business leaders is a fool proof method of successfully promoting a small scale enterprise.

Teamwork involves the combined efforts of two or more people contributing different skills but sharing the same view point and working towards common aims and goals. Employees of the business must be made aware of the goals set for the enterprise and must work in such a way that catapults the business closer towards meeting these aims and targets. Mutually beneficial interactions and networking with other small business owners can be the perfect antidote to a future of long term struggle.

It is very crucial to incorporate and blend teamwork into one's business culture and working methods. Teamwork incorporates mutual respect for each other's opinions and capabilities, injects a sense of ownership and thus accountability within the employees and allows for honest communication and discussion about the issues dealt by the company.

RICHARD BRANSON: When small-business owners think big

Question: How can a small-business owner go about laying the foundation for a corporate culture like Virgin’s?

Published: 2011/02/14 08:25:44 AM

Q: How can a small-business owner go about laying the foundation for a corporate culture like Virgin’s?

A: Whether you’re launching a new business or preparing to expand your existing one, laying a solid foundation for the future is critically important – bringing in investors, getting your contracts right, hiring your core team members, choosing the right suppliers. The fact that you are thinking about this question shows that you already have a sense of where your priorities should lie and you’re ready to follow through.

To be honest, when my friends and I started the first Virgin business 40 years ago, we had no master plan – especially not one for a group of companies that by 2011 would number more than 400 businesses around the world and employ 50,000 people. Had we tried to plan for such a future, we would certainly have messed it up.

If there is a "right" way to develop your company’s culture, our experience shows that it should evolve organically. In 1970, my friends and I weren’t planning to do anything other than make some money and have a good time while doing something we loved. We loved listening to music, so we tried to sell records to other kids who wanted a fun place to hang out while deciding which ones to buy. We had no marketing plan or budget – our goals were simply to make enough money to pay the rent and our suppliers, and to have some cash left over at the end of the month.

Our launch was really no different from that of most small companies, since few entrepreneurs start thinking about their business’s culture until it is already well established. If I think back to what we did right, it was in our planning process, when we made sure we were having fun working together and that everyone who had a good idea was included in our decision-making process. We had accidentally stumbled on the core elements of a culture dedicated to delivering great customer service! It turned out that people who work in a friendly environment that is tolerant of mistakes, and who are empowered to make decisions about how they do their jobs, arrive at the best possible solutions for serving customers.

When you’re sorting out what your front-line colleagues’ priorities should be, remember that how you treat the customer will form the basis of your corporate culture. Put your staff first, listen to them, and follow up on their ideas and suggestions.

Because you can be sure that every person on your staff already has deep insights into what your customers want and what employees need in order to deliver it. Should they focus on delivering solutions tailored to each customer’s needs? Or on building lasting customer relationships? Or should they quickly deliver the goods or services your company offers? Listen carefully and find ways to empower each person to do a great job. One of my mentors, the late Sir Freddie Laker, was famous for his standard response to any staffer who came to him to whine about something: "Don’t bring me problems, bring

me solutions!" (He could certainly never be accused of running an autocracy.)

Small-business owners often find it tough to learn how to handle success. When a business does well, many chief executives start to focus solely on increasing profits, no matter what the cost – leaving behind everything that originally made the business special. The founder usually moves to a big corner office on the top floor and never again sets foot in the factory. Employees who were integral to the company’s early success suddenly find they are the last to know what is happening, and their views are no longer valued or sought.

So try to ensure your company grows at a comfortable pace and, whenever possible, involve your employees in the company’s evolution. If you are a small-business owner mulling over an expansion, tell all your employees about your plan – include everyone from the truck driver to your senior team – and ask for their input. If you can, it would be best to work out the details of the expansion plan together, taking into account the challenges faced by your employees, and incorporating improvements they would like to make. The ultimate winners will be your customers and the bottom line.

At Virgin, we have never had to struggle with the typical problems of big corporations, probably because we never really got big – we just diversified. Our growth was once described as "vertical disintegration" because our new businesses frequently appear to be tangential or even completely unrelated to our core mission. When Virgin was known for producing and selling records, for instance, we started up an airline.

The traditional corporate response to our typical plan for a new business would be, "I’m sorry, but we’re a ____ company. This business not within our core competency." But we see a uniting factor in our dedication to customer service. Instead of becoming a huge, bloated entity locked into a single sector, these tangential forays have kept our company fresh and different – we are always learning new businesses and recruiting smart new people. Each Virgin company is run by its own largely autonomous management team that relies on the same small-business principles we’ve employed since the very beginning.

Whatever route you decide to take as you expand your business, make sure that it builds on your company’s past successes, and that it fits with the corporate culture and the vision for the future that you and your team have created. If someone says, "That’s not the way a big company would do it," take it as a compliment! ©2010 Richard Branson. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate

• Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group. He maintains a blog at www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog. You can follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/richard branson. Questions from readers will be answered in future columns. Please send them to branson@bdfm.co.za and include your name, country, e-mail address and the publication where you read the column.

Customer Service Skills

WE ARE ALL SALESMEN/WOMEN one way or another, but how we do it is entirely another matter. many times we stamp our feet in frustration over how the we have been treated un respectfuly across the counter. Once is enough for us to write off the service as extremely poor and make demands of wanting to see the manager... do we even know that ourselves are sales persons at a certain time 'T' ? Do we even know what good customer care translates to? I find myself wanting to share my thoughts on customer care. here we go...

1. Personal Skills

The first thing I look out for in a customer service rep is the personal skills. A customer service rep must have good intra-personal skills to be able to effectively discharge his/her duty. Patience, discipline, humility, team spirit and a good sense of humor are intra-personal skills a customer service rep must possess for effectiveness.

Aside the intra-personal skills listed above, a good customer service rep must have good appearance; display confidence, always wear a charming smile and speak with a clear voice.

2. Communication Skills

The second customer service skill a rep must possess is good communication skill. A good customer service rep must be able to communicate fluently in the language of the people. This is where bilingual customer service reps come in handy. A good customer service rep must be able to send a message across to a customer or client and that message must be clearly understood by the customer. Body language is also essential in this case.

3. Negotiation Skills

A good customer service rep must be good in negotiating and striking deals with the customer. Since a rep has direct contact or access with the customers; he/she must be a good negotiator.

4. Listening Skills

A good customer service rep must be able to listen with rapt attention and clearly understand the needs, concerns or complaints of the customer before proffering a solution. Customers hate being ignored; nothing annoys a customer more than talking to a less concerned staff.

Sometimes, customers find it difficult to express them clearly; but remember that the customer is always right. It’s your duty as a customer service rep to clearly decode the customer’s message before passing it across to the appropriate quarters and you can’t achieve that if you lack good listening skills.

5. Sales Skills

Sales skill is something I don’t joke with when hiring an employee. Customer service reps are always in touch with the customers so there is a high tendency that they can instigate a sale; that’s if they are good at the game.

Sales skill is an essential customer service skill. A customer service rep with a good knowledge of selling will outperform a rep that lacks sales skills. So work on improving your sales skills; it may become an asset in the long run.

6. Retentive Memory

Retentive memory is a must have for every customer service rep. A good customer service rep must be able to remember loyal customers and address them by their names. A good customer service rep must also be able to recall past discussions and important transactions made. Nothing annoys a customer other than repeating what has already been said; it’s a waste of precious time.

7. Adequate Understanding of the Business products or services

A good customer service rep must have adequate understanding of the business products or services; as this may be the major subject of discussions with customers. If a rep is new on board; the ability to learn quickly is highly essential. You must understand the company’s product and services; its benefits and features like the palm of your hand.

8. Persuasion Skills

The last but not the list customer service skill a good rep must possess is persuasion skill. A good customer service rep must be able to sense a customer’s soft spot and touch that spot. A good customer service rep must be able to win back the heart of lost customers and calm the nerves of aggrieved customers. This cannot be achieved without mastering the art of persuasion.

Persuasion skill is essential for getting the sale and winning negotiations. If you are really interested in developing your persuasion skill; then I will advice you read the “Persuasion Skill Black Book.” It’s the bible for those who want to master and harness the power of persuasion.

As a final note, these are the eight customer service skills a good rep must possess to be effective. But possession of these customer service skills is not restricted to reps alone. Even entrepreneurs, corporate managers and employees need such skills. So if you are lacking any of the customer service skills listed above, it’s advisable you work on strengthening it.

Seeing Sex as Sadaqa...

Turning Sex Into Sadaqa
[an act of voluntary kindness pleasing to God]

"Women shall have rights similar to the rights upon them; according to what is equitable and just; and men have a degree of advantage over them." (Quran, 2:216)

They do indeed! This passage of the Holy Quran was revealed in connection with the rights of women following a divorce, but it also has a general sense. One basic right of every person taking on a contract never to have sex other than with their own legitimate partner is that each spouse should therefore provide sexual fulfillment (imta') to the other, as part of the bargain.

Now, every man knows what sexual things please him--but some men, particularly those who have not been married before and are therefore lacking experience, don't seem to know much about how to give the same pleasure to the woman; even worse, some men do know but they can't be bothered to make the effort. Yet this is vital if a marriage is to succeed and not just be a disappointing burden for the woman, and it is a vital part of one's Islamic duty.

It is not acceptable for a Muslim man just to satisfy himself while ignoring his wife's needs. Experts agree that the basic psychological need of a man is respect, while that of a woman is love. Neither respect nor love are things that can be forced they have to be worked for, and earned. The Prophet (SAW) stated that in one's sexual intimacy with one's life partner there is Sadaqa (worship through giving):

God's Messenger(s) said: "In the sexual act of each of you there is a Sadaqa." The Companions replied: "0 Messenger of God! When one of us fulfils his sexual desire, will he be given a reward for that?" And he said, "Do you not think that were he to act upon it unlawfully, he would be sinning? Likewise, if he acts upon it lawfully he will be rewarded." (Muslim)

This hadith only makes sense if the sexual act is raised above the mere animal level.

What is the magic ingredient that turns sex into Sadaqa that makes it a matter of reward or punishment from Allah? .....

more in the next issue of the rayah magazine 2011

2011

And so the time for resolutions is here. Its always amazing how we muse over these things without consideration for fate. this year I want this and that, this much this little. perhaps its the human aspect of arrogance that prompts us to think we control everything. But if you are not satisfied with the simple pleasures in life, you will always reach for the impossible or un necessary. so while you make new resolutions, you ought to put in mind the pleasures life gives and be more realistic with the demands from it! happy 2011 and may Allah continue to shower his abundance upon us.

Rayah Magazine: The hijab at work…

Rayah Magazine: The hijab at work…: "I recently got an invitation to a lecture on the hijab by email interestingly. I thought to myself oh here we go … again! I have heard, ..."

The hijab at work…

I recently got an invitation to a lecture on the hijab by email interestingly. I thought to myself oh here we go … again! I have heard, read and talked about the hijab yesterdays and many more past. But seeing that it was on a weekend, out of my never ending desire to learn and the discipline to listen, off I went.

The first shoe dropped when the lecture was not in defense of the hijab. There was nothing to be defended about it. It was for believing women. Those who disagreed had the lines clearly drawn; they belong to the other side of the coin. [ النور، ٣١ ]  وَقُل للمُؤمِناتِ 

"And say (O Muhammad (SAAW) to the believing women" (Qur'an 24: 31)

The second shoe dropped moments later when the direction of the lecture took on the acceptance or the lack of it, at the work place. Make no mistake; the aggrieved were those who were not ones to wear it at any one time, it simply hurt their eyes, person and generally class to see their hijab adorned colleagues. Here, I got a little jolt in my heart to write home about bits of the lecture I thought I could share with you.

That it’s old fashioned and drab is not one issue I would like to discuss. Fashion and glamour are personal choices. Besides it will be shallow of me to dignify such arguments with a reply. What am interested in is the hypocrisy of the employers who pick on our brilliance and efficiency at the work place (they are blind about the hijab at this point) but find it out of place during the coffee breaks or in the meetings. What you should look at is my work not how I dress.

I will briefly refer to the Qur’an (of course) on the hijab… wear the hijab so you will be known… يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ 

[ الأحزاب، ٥٩ ]  يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ

"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies (when outdoors). That is most convenient that they should be known and not molested."(9) (Qur'an 33:59)

I invite ye to appreciate why the hijab adorned woman will be known (or should be known) effortlessly

· For brains- wearing the hijab automatically disqualifies the use of her curves as a tool to get or keep her job. For her, it’s about results. The long yards of cloth will force you to listen.

· For decency – need I say more on this?

· For her unquestioning belief – surely I don’t need to labor you with how those who chose to dress this way are, believing women?

· For her patience- do you know how much patience it takes to wait for someone to stop looking you over before they listen to you?

· For her optimism – the hope is that they will be rewarded in heaven despite them not knowing how heaven looks like or when they will enter its gates. How optimistic can one get?

· For will and character – you must be a person of good character to chose humility over vanity

· For confidence – believe me, it’s at this point that you can tell who is confident of themselves as a whole. Wearing skimpily may translate into a desperate or unconscious attempt at pulling attraction towards you. This may mean you are not confident of what you have to present or that you cannot hold the fort without some borrowed confidence.

· For empathy- it’s believed that men find it hard to control their sexual thoughts on sight of particular bits of the female anatomy. Imagine the hours spent while day dreaming of what you can do if only you got the chance to feel those breasts… those in hijab have empathy for you and your job.

· For discipline – most of you will do something because the over head authority will reprimand you immediately. Has anyone ever seen God? He is the one who told us to dress this way. Following his command without him chasing after us is of utmost discipline.

Before you squeeze into a small corner to gossip about this article, ask yourself why, when upon marriage, women tend to go for longer, lose and more comfortable clothes. Or that, husbands will ask of their wives to change into something “more appropriate” before they leave the house? You may want to reconsider the manner of dress if you are to have a sensible appraisal at work or have someone – anyone take you seriously.

I will take offence at the employer who minds my hijab after them demanding that employees dress decently at work. Besides scoffing at you, I will comfortably assume you are insane, hypocritical or are simply inviting me to sue you.

it is indeed for this reason that I gave my self the challenge to organize the first ever Hijab show in my country.