We can’t always control our circumstances or the people that come into our personal space but we can learn to manage our surroundings and relationships in a healthy way. The Mindspa Institute will be running a range of soft skill…

Head of digital content at Investec, Tim Spira quoted leading labour expert Andrew Levy saying: “The State President switched off the economy with a flick of a switch. But it can’t start again the same way. It’s going to be…

This is the second part of a series of 3 articles discussing the second point of 3 things: 1.      How to secure your job better during this Pandemic 2.      How to find a new job through this time 3.      The 6 top soft…

This is the third part of a series of three articles discussing Job Hunting During The Covid-19 Pandemic. We are now at the end of the series where we list the 6 tops soft skills employers will look for in…

In a world where you can be anything…be kind – Human Relations should be as important in your business as chasing profits. Kindness is a very underrated leadership quality. I realised early on in my career, that people are extremely…

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is changing the way we live, work and associate with one another. It forms part of our human development, supported and empowered by exceptional technology advances. In the words of Robert J. Shiller, 2013 Nobel laureate…

Conflict is inevitable. It will always exist among people, in relationships and yes in the workplace, but your ability to handle conflict and how you react will determine whether the outcome will be positive or negative. Unresolved conflict in the workplace reduces…

Anger is an emotion which you can learn to control. We live in a rat race with a great diversity of people where society constantly judges you and increases the rage. Anger is not always a bad thing. The only…

We all experience life uniquely. Everyone reacts differently to change. When we are faced with making choices, different things influence diverse people to make distinctive decisions. What makes you happy is exclusive to you. And, with all the havoc and chaos in…

How positive thinking can benefit your mental wellness. There is not a single person, who hasn’t had bad days, hasn’t gone through struggles, or hasn’t faced difficult challenges in their lifetime. To excel in life, you, unfortunately, must go through…

3 things you should stop obsessing about in the workplace. Sitting in traffic on your way home and obsessing about what you should or should not have done or said? All the “what if’s” shuffling around in your mind, over-analysing…

Hygiene and Cleanliness in any work environment is the new norm and should be regarded as a high priority. Yes, the coronavirus is mainly transmitted between people, but touching infected surfaces may increase the spread. Here are 6 tips on…

As the world move towards ‘COVID normal’, many aspects of life are returning to normal and work is no exception, with many businesses contemplating the re-opening of offices and other workplaces. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to sweeping changes and…

When women decide to take a career break, it can be hard to get back into the saddle.  Women usually take a break from their careers because of personal reasons like: starting a family; attending to a loved one either…

In recent news, the British Government announced that they will start implementing Mindfulness in randomised control trials in more than 200 of their schools.  But is teaching Mindfulness within organisations not also hugely important? Increased life pressures, stress, constant connectivity…

Your mom was right! Mothers have a sixth sense. As a child at home, you become aware of this from an early age. Before she can even catch you in the act, she says: “don’t even think about it”! Who…

Some people might think that they are multi-tasking at work. Most of the time they are really just switching from one task to the next, jumping and scrawling around without completing anything. They are like jugglers. They try to keep…

Based on the SA FM Radio podcast interview with Elmarie Pretorius, Managing Owner of The Mindspa Institute, on developing our personal negotiation skills. Elmarie Pretorius says that negotiation skills are a real critical skill set everyone should acquire. She explains that “negotiation skills are methods…

New research by the company Korn Ferry Hay Group in Los Angeles showed that women are better in applying the various essential soft skills that they obtained for effective leadership to increase business performance. They determined that women outperform men…

Administrative assistants are in place to support a company, team or manager. Although they act as the lifeblood for most businesses, there is a common misconception that it’s an easy job. But nothing could be further from the truth. According…

Why dads must enforce this Where do you eat your dinner at home? Most will reply “in front of the TV”. It seems that a lot of families have done away with having dinner at the dinner table as a…

I don’t only declutter, do a bit of maintenance and tidy up here and there only for therapeutic reasons, but it also provides me a chance to start on a fresh, new, blank page every spring. Peter Walsh, the author of…

A performance appraisal or review is conducted by a supervisor or manager not only to increase the employee’s effectiveness and efficiency, but also to recognise his/her achievements, and efforts within the company and team. Depending on the policies and procedures of a company, most…

Springtime is a season for refreshed outlooks, regrowth, and renewal. Work teams have gone through a lot these past few months with sudden and abrupt changes and challenges brought on by the pandemic. This also intensified a lack of trust,…

Upon doing numerous surveys, more and more human resources departments discovered that there is a definite need for employees to understand the thinking differences between younger and older staff members. Ms Elmarie Pretorius from The Mindspa Institute, a soft skills…

Predominantly a female deemed occupation, the original “Secretary” evolved and advanced to a multi-tasking super human. Formerly referred to as a Typist or a Secretary, the secretarial and administrative profession is all but stagnant. We have even dedicated an entire…

At the beginning of the year, social media and newspapers are swamped with photos of kids starting school, looking both cute and odd in their oversized school uniforms. Matric results are revealed and the high achievers reach front page while…

10 uniquely human skills that can secure you professionally In the report called “The Future of Jobs”, The World Economic Forum identified 10 uniquely human skills, workers will need to acquire by 2020 or they might find their jobs replaced…

The hard lockdown caused by COVID-19 has impacted the very livelihoods of the majority of SA citizens. The economy is on a difficult road to recovery, but there is a life-line…Women. Nunu Ntshingila, a regional director of Facebook Africa at…

By Elmarie Pretorius, Managing Owner at The Mindspa Institute, International Trainer, Motivational Speaker and Author. Companies around the world complain about a general lack of soft skills in postgraduates who are freshly entering the job market. Younger workers lack a…

Each time a new generation enters the job market, the previous generations question their ability, their behaviours, their methods, the technology they use, and their culture. Employers and managers should know what to expect by getting themselves ready to welcome…

In this age of fast-changing technology, email is the preferred and often most efficient form of business communication. Yet many organisations overlook the etiquette framework that should be in place when using this very important business communications tool. Email is used for more…

As with everything in business, sales techniques have evolved over time. There is no room anymore for door to door sales and cold calling is a technique that needs to co-exist with digital sales methods. Sales are not only done…

What is an Elevator Pitch?  An Elevator Pitch is a core statement or introduction of about 30 seconds where you explain what value you or a brand can bring to the table. When looked at in a personal capacity, this statement typically…

What do you do when you don’t know something? Who do you ask if you need a “how-to” guide? You Google or watch a YouTube video, right? People have book knowledge, they learn through what they read or watch either…

A quick guide to identifying and solving micromanagement. Management specialists say that micromanagement is a sign of weak managerial skills. Whether it is true or not, our years of experience in upskilling managers indicates that most employees who step into…

Before the world wide pandemic working remotely was largely intentional, and people who chose it generally did so knowing it would fit well into their lives.  However, that wasn’t the case for the millions of people working remotely for the…

What will be expected of HR Managers to help Employees adapt to the ‘new normal’ in the workplace?   Pre-pandemic, Management and HR Teams learned through training and experience how to motivate, inspire, and drive employees. HR Managers knew and understood…

HIV/AIDS is a reality for all South Africans. Statistics show that HIV/AIDS influence the economy and affects businesses nationwide. There is a definite need for educating people in the workplace. Ag-Chem Africa (Pty) Ltd, situated in Silverton, Pretoria, is part…

There is a saying “when a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” This is exactly what this article is about. We want to give a few guidelines on how to help people…

Is Emoji language allowed as part of business etiquette? “Emojis are by no means taking away from our written language but rather accentuating it by providing a tone that words on their own often cannot. They are, in a sense,…

“We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored.” – Sheryl Sandberg. There are great women leaders who hold positions…

5 Skills you learn along the way. (By Elmarie Pretorius) It’s funny how sometimes random quotes pop up in your head that make you think. This was the case with IBN Batutta’s quote: “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then…

We all fear the unknown. Helen Keller said: “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” There lies a lot of truth in these words especially, when focussing on disabilities within the…

Over the years, several clever businesspeople developed quite a few strategies, tactics, methodologies, models etc… on how to do business successfully. Having said that, have you heard of Virtual Design Thinking? Although it is undoubtedly a strong strategic tool to use…