Thursday, July 30, 2009

How To Improve Community Deveopment Service Delivery

How to improve community development service delivery.

I think in other to improve community –development service delivery, the department of social development have to find a way of teaching or standardizing the qualifications and training of community development practitioners.

The departments also have to consult stake holders in drafting a community –development policy, which is an important aspect for improving community –development service delivery. This envisaged policy on community development will integrate the norms and standards for community –development practice. I also think that the national department should provide strategic leadership policy to nine –provincial departments that are responsible for direct service delivery to citizens.

May be this can curb all the demonstration in the country by the local communities due to lack of service delivery by the municipalities.

By Jeffrey Shisinga.

Keeping Employees Motivated During a Recession.

http://www.tomorrowtoday.biz/

Keeping Employees Motivated During a Recession

Published by Dean van Leeuwenon July 17, 2009in Leadership and Recession solutions

I’m a big fan of BNET it’s a great source for business ideas and thought leaders and I’d encourage you to use them as a resource. But I came across this videocast on their site today which was so far off the mark that I had to comment.

In the video Sumi Des interview Caty Everett, Vice President of Alliance Coaching, on how to get more from dissengaged workers. She’s right – two thirds of workers are dissengaged, it’s a huge problem costing the USA about $350 billion and the UK £30 billion per year in lost productivity. Now Caty puts forward that improving engagement is as “basic as having one-on-ones…asking people what motivates them and what they enjoy about their job” so good so far but as Sumi puts it what if “your hands are tied and you can’t give them what they are looking for?” Caty responds by saying she believes that it’s enough to have “Started a dialogue” and that you need to manage expectations…say things like “I hear you, but not sure we can focus on that now… got my feelers out for you… you don’t have to give them an immediate solution”

Oh come on! As Bruno (aka Ali G / Sacha Baron Cohen) would say this is soooo yesterday’s approach to management. Today’s employees have heard this all before – coaching and 1-on-1’s – the “we’ve heard you now so get on with your job” no longer cuts it, especially not with Gen X and Gen Y workers, who seek instant gratification in their work now.

Coaching and 1-on-1s are important don’t get me wrong but if you want to get your employees more engaged and get more from less, then you need to be creating a deep rich culture that connects with people’s value systems, it’s about creating a tribe culture through regular, informal, company meetings and celebrating mistakes and not just success. It’s about building fun and even a little zaniness into the workplace. if you want to get more from less you need to be tapping into people’s value systems…Zappos is a company that appears to get this right. The Zappos management team got their workers to come up with their own company values and they didn’t come up with lame ones like trust, integrity and honesty, which lets be frank are values that everyone expects. They came up with this list and it forms the bed rock of their “tribe culture”.:

1.Delive WOW Through Service

2.Embrace and Drive Change

3.Create Funand A Little Weirdness

4.Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded

5.Pursue Growth and Learning

6.Build Open andHonest Relationships With Communication

7.BuildaPositiveTeamandFamilypirit

8.Do More With Less

9.Be Passionate and Determined

10 Be Humble

New workers are even bribed with cash to leave Zappos if they feel they can’t live these values. And the results:

- over $1 billion in sales within 8 years… not bad for a online shoe retailer!

Check out some of the activities they get up to in the Zappos as they live these values.

If you want to get more from less and improve engagement with your workers then you need to connect with people on a more personal level and to treat your staff like adults and partners who you need to get you through the recession and not like kids who you sit down with have a one-on-one and say “we hear you but can’t do much about it because our hands are tied” Take a feather out of Zappos’s cap and create a tribe culture. What they are doing is fun, inexpensive oh and by the way Zappos customers love them!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Papa G live at Fest

Papa G is live at Fest
Jeffrey Shisinga

The famous Isindingo actor Darlington Michaels has been catching a few shows during the National Arts Festival. This reporter last saw him attending Money Maker, a Abangani Theatre production written and directed by Julian Seleke-Mokoto.

Unlike most other celebrities who cooped themselves up, Michaels enjoyed talking to ordinary people before going in for the show.

“I’m not influenced by the television, but I influence the television,” he said as he waved his fingers, which as full of rings in real life as they for his Papa G. character on Isidingo.

You can catch Michael’s ‘Who’s To Blame’, a play he wrote and directed on the 10 July at 10:00 NG Kerk

Jeffrey Shisinga is a Media Studies student at University of Limpopo. He is participating in the Future Journalists Programme Winter School at Rhodes University.

Festival has not felt credit crunch!

The 35th annual National Arts Festival (NAF), taking place between 2 and 11 July in Grahamstown will sustain the city’s economic stability regardless to the global recession according to CEO, Tony Lankester. He was talking at a press conference arranged for the Future Journalist Programme yesterday.

The Rhodes Conferencing Office Manager, Carolyn Stevenson-Milln confirmed that over 4000 locals will be hired as temporary workers in Halls of Residence around campus. Rhodes normally rents out its residences to tourists and festival goers, and Milln said their rent helps keep the students’ residence fees low.

Lankester told the FJP press conference that the success of the festival has kept sponsors aboard because of its unrivalled capacity to generate profit.

Standard Bank has always been there for the festival, and it has upped its sponsorship up to 2011. Their CEO says Jacko Maree told the press recently that “the festival has always been a platform for freedom of expression and, in the corporate and financial world. “We know that a free society is the best environment for our business to grow,” Maree added.



Reporting and writing by Andile Dube, Jeffrey Shisinga, Sophiane Bengeloun, Anele Ngwenya.

Touching is believing










Blind supporters marched through the streets of Grahamstown, 6 July, to promote literature for the blind.“The blind are in desperate need for the books” said Andrew Brooks the digital technical assistant for South African Library for the Blind. The SALB is the only institution that produces an audio book in an audio digital format. All books used by the blind are made from six dots called “Briaile cells" said Brooks.“We want government especially Arts and Culture to sponsor the South African library for the blind,” he said.The march was honoured by the MEC for Sports, Recreation, and Arts and Culture Xoliswa Tom.
Jeffrey Shisinga- FJP

Time for a hotdog







Food vendor have been particulary busy during the Festival period.

Pic.: Jeffrey Shisinga

Are you happy with your skin colour?

Can you really report something without judging it according to your past experiences, race and beliefs? I have strongly commented on Michael Jackson changes of his skin even though his not an African, but many of our African people wish they had different colour. The thing is, Jackson is a role model to many, and you know how people wish to do what their role model does?

For example, many people wish they can have different colour skin.

That is what makes me look at the guy differently folks.

Jeffrey Shisinga

How is the festival so far?





Daisy Brown, East London: I love the festival; I wish they can extend days”. I must say Grahamstown is not cold like what people have been telling me, since I arrived here on Monday I haven’t felt the cold.
Festival must continue.







Lunga Mangqengwana, Extention 9 Grahamstown:
Ewe si ya yi thanda fesival, ne weather is being good compare to last year".
People are supporting our shows.

My Grahamstown

My Grahamstown

Jeffrey Shisinga

Wow! This is one of those memories of my life that will never fade away. Let’s see where should I start? First on my arrival day to Grahamstown, it was 07:55 Tuesday 30 June 2009, after a long travel by Greyhound bus. We were warmly welcomed by our co-ordinator Moagisi Lethlaku, who took us to Wimpy, where we had our breakfast. After that, we were shown our rooms at Chris Hani residence hall, and I must say the room service there was great.

By Wednesday all Fjp’s arrived. We went to Afri Media Matrix where we met our favourite trainer Sim Kyazze. I remember that day I and Lwando were standing outside AMM when Sim arrived with His green BMW. I could tell by His smile that he missed us. That very same day we were taken to the monument where we had an interview with the CEO of National Arts Festival Tony Lankester. I must say he is down to earth gentleman; he was talking to us like we are some professionals with journalism licences.

After an interview with Tony, we went back to AMM to meet Guy Burger who officially welcomed us. Grahamstown is surrounded by great people, just like Tony, Guy Burger talked to us about twitter and how to write a good review. He showed us some twitter messages, where he said some of them were not well written.Starting from Thursday onward, it was tough, but exciting where we started to attend the festival shows, and write some reviews. Sorry I think I missed something before we attended the shows; we had a work shop where Adrienne Sichel briefed us on how a good review should be.

When I discovered my shock a bout Grahamstown was Wednesday the 8. Myself, Masebe, Lucky, and Bongani, went out looking for *Chisanyama* because we had enough of Steers and KFC so we wanted something else. Haaa! I could not believe it; we walked the whole of Grahamstown mainly the town at Rhodes, and there is no place where they are selling Chisanyama. We even went to the Taxi ranks. Normally those are the guys who eat Chisanyama.

*Braai meat.

Jeffrey Shisinga

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

My Talent

Guys have you ever sat down and wonder as to what can really bring you money or income? If you did not, I did let me share it with you. Your talent. It is true only your talent can generate income for you. Let me give you one example, the likes of Michael Jackson the guy did not care about the PhD in English. He recognized his talent and nurtured it. Just recognize your talent and follow it. A talent is your gift, something you do best or what makes you motivated all the time, something that you do all the time and you don’t get tired of doing it. That is the secret to life and that will draw people to you.
Fellow Brothers and Sisters if you haven’t given it a though yet , please consider doing it, and you will be amazed on how exciting it is to do something that you love, not because you have to but because it is your passion.

With lots of love.

Jeffrey Shisinga

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Papa G Live at Festival

Papa G Live at Festiva
Jeffrey Shisinga








Papa G is live at FestJeffrey ShisingaThe famous Isindingo actor Darlington Michaels has been catching a few shows during the National Arts Festival. This reporter last saw him attending Money Maker, a Abangani Theatre production written and directed by Julian Seleke-Mokoto.


Unlike most other celebrities who cooped themselves up, Michaels enjoyed talking to ordinary people before going in for the show.

“I’m not influenced by the television, but I influence the television,” he said as he waved his fingers, which as full of rings in real life as they for his Papa G. character on Isidingo.

You can catch Michael’s ‘Who’s To Blame’, a play he wrote and directed on the 10 July at 10:00 NG Kerk

Jeffrey Shisinga is a Media Studies student at University of Limpopo. He is participating in the Future Journalists Programme Winter School at Rhodes University.