Tag: empathy

South African business leaders might be willing to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) to improve their business operations, but they are being held back by a crucial ingredient: technical skills. A recent snap poll we conducted shows that budget is not an issue, but a skills vacuum is.

The economic landscape continues to present formidable obstacles for South Africans. With the prices of essential goods surging and wage growth stagnating, disposable income has dwindled forcing consumers to cut back on spending to focus on essential items.

For too long, private banking has been stuck in an outdated transactional mindset, focused solely on expediting daily banking needs for wealthy clients. True private banking needs go far beyond mere transactional prioritisation and convenience; it requires an understanding of the powerful emotions tied to an individual's finances and life goals and a fundamental shift towards a model that provides comprehensive value-adding advisory solutions.

Now well over the 20-year milestone mark in my marketing career, one of the key lessons I learned along the way, is that academic ability alone wasn’t going to be enough to cause me to thrive in the workplace. It was through firsthand experience and keen observations that I discovered the profound significance soft skills play in a successful corporate career.

In today’s rapidly evolving market, customer experience (CX) is a battleground for companies vying to secure a competitive edge. Globally, evidence of the unequivocal correlation between CX and a company’s financial performance is widely understood.

In the bustling world of hospitality, each guest arrives with a unique set of expectations, preferences, and desires. I've had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how technology has transformed the landscape of personalised guest experiences, ushering in a new era of innovation and connection.

Gender inequality is still rampant throughout society and in the workplace, it can take on many forms -  disparity in promotions, unequal pay and less leadership roles. While this is often the case in big corporations and civil society, we should also be turning a lens towards the education sector, where gender inequality is even more pronounced.

Bullying is a pervasive risk to, resulting in long-lasting emotional and psychological harm. In addition to physical and verbal bullying, a particularly concerning trend is the increased incidences of cyberbullying, also known as social media bullying.

Stories sell. They grab at us and hold our attention in ways that fact-heavy reporting does not. What’s more, the stories we in the communications industry tell often have an impact, even on ourselves, that we don’t immediately grasp.

Effective communication, emotional intelligence (EQ), trust, and willingness to be vulnerable are the most sought-after qualities for today’s business leaders. New global research reveals a significant shift in our relationship with work and our expectations of it in recent years with employees seeking work environments in which they can grow. In a nutshell: we want more from our work and our bosses.