Smart Business Performance Podcast

In this episode of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, Roger welcomes Derek Kinnear and discusses the 5 Procurement Tips to move the bottom-line needle. This episode will boost your Business procurement to a whole new level!

Derek is the former Managing Director of Bidvest Group Procurement since 2009.

He was the Chairman managing the procurement of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA 2014 Brazilian Football World Cup.

Prior to that, he was the CEO of Group Procurement at FNB (First National Bank) and a Financial Services Charter Committee Member.

Tune in now and make sure to take away the notes with you!

5 Procurement Tips to move the needle are:

• Run Procurement as a profit centre.
• If savings is the mandate: then the initiatives must exceed CPI.
• Monitor KPI’s, using clean data.
• Ensure you adopt collaborative programs and relationships with your Partners / Suppliers.
• Communicate regularly with your Target audience (internal and external stakeholders).

Conversation Highlights:

[01:01] Derek thinks that the World Cup experience was interesting. He thought of using most of the procurement process as the base of the 2014 World Cup. He joined Bidvest in 2009 and prioritised providing a great experience to everyone.

[05:40] Derek thinks that the easiest onset to get the cohesion going was with difficulty. A lot of the emphasis throughout the process was driven from a financial perspective.

[09:36] He explains his approach towards procurements in that environment.

[12:33] He unfolds the 5 Procurement Tips to move the bottom-line needle and elucidates the first procurement tip with the help of some intriguing examples.

[22:35] He further emphasize the need to pursue initiatives significantly higher than the CPI rate while clarifying the basic principle of 80-20 (Pareto Principle).

[30:06] You need people at a lower level. The only way you will translate that kind of financial result is through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that drive the Executives as well as operational people.

[38:38] If you’re chasing only one criterion, and that's the price, then you will be doing yourself an injustice and you are going to do the organisation a massive injustice.

[50:45] Derek explains that if you can put all the above tips together, it could be the best-kept secret in the world. What you must do is to communicate!

About Our Sponsor:

KPI Management Solutions helps organisations to meet their Stretch Goals using KPIs, OKRs, AI-enabled Technology and Training. KPI offers advanced data-driven  Procurement Performance services in association with Derek Kinnear.

Check us out at www.kpims.co.za.

Download the KPI Spreadsheet for FREE for a limited time only.

Connect with Derek:

• [email protected]
• Ring him up at +27 83 327 0001

If you enjoyed this episode of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to our podcast.

In this of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, Roger welcomes Bryan Clayton, and discusses the entrepreneurial ventures of Bryan. He definitely will revamp your thoughts about Entrepreneurship by the end of this episode!

Bryan is the CEO and co-founder of GreenPal an online marketplace that connects homeowners with Local lawn care professionals. GreenPal has been called the “Uber for lawn care" by Entrepreneur magazine and has over 200,000 active users completing thousands of transactions per day.

Before starting GreenPal Bryan Clayton founded Peachtree Inc. one of the largest landscaping companies in the state of Tennessee growing it to over $10 million a year in annual revenue before it was acquired by Lusa holdings in 2013.

Bryan's interest and expertise are related to entrepreneurialism, small business growth, marketing and bootstrapping businesses from zero revenue to profitability and exit.

Tune in now and make sure to take away the notes with you!

Conversation Highlights:

[01:09] Bryan has been in business for more than 20 years. His father, one day, asked him to cut the neighbours grass. It was his first business, that he grew to one of the largest landscaping company, worth more than $10 million.

[02:48] He wanted to sell the company so that it could become a part of something bigger and his team members could have better opportunities. Lusa holdings finally acquired the company in 2013.

[04:24] It was as if the author of the book was shedding light on Bryan. If you have too many products and services, you need to consolidate before you sell your business. Bryan then emphasized the need to be the best at one thing.

[08:29] Bryan, after selling the Peachtree Inc., realised that business gives him the reason to level up and grow. So, in order to fill the void, he laid the foundations of GreenPal. GreenPal is like the “Uber for lawn care." He believes that revenues are the best form of financing.

[14:00] Bryan explains the importance of Profit at different stages of business. You first need is to get revenue. He further elaborates on the importance of customer feedback and shares some of the memorable feedbacks he received at GreenPal.

[21:19] Leveraging technology is a great opportunity for you to take your business to the next level and now is the time to implement it.

[24:57] Hire an expert for 4-5 hours a week than hire a newbie for 50 hours a week.

[27:28] Bryan thinks that if you look at your business as an infinite game, then you can help yourself get through the hard times. Failure is not an option. He also stresses the importance of Culture.

Special Reminder:

Make sure to get your copy of

• Built to sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You
• Fix this next: Make the Vital Change That Will Level Up Your Business
• The Infinite Game

Download the GreenPal app Now!

• On App Store
• On Google Play Store

About Our Sponsor:

KPI Management Solutions helps organisations to meet their Stretch Goals using KPIs, OKRs, AI-enabled Technology and Training

Check us out at www.kpims.co.za.

Download the KPI Spreadsheet for FREE for a limited time only.

Connect with Bryan:

• Website
• LinkedIn

Do you know? Coaching can be a key driver of performance.

Want to know more about coaching and how can it enhance your business performance?

Our guest today, will break down everything you need to know about coaching.

In this of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, Roger welcomes Clive Kaplan, the CEO of GREEN MIND CAPITAL (Pty) Ltd. The company focuses on assisting executives, especially emerging young CA’s, in maximizing their potential and fast-tracking their careers.

Clive is a South African Charted Accountant CA(SA) with over 20 years’ experience as an executive director in both listed and unlisted companies.

He brings some interesting perspectives to the field of management. Having been involved at Director/Board level, he offers a wealth of wisdom on both the people and business front.

Tune in now and make sure to take away the notes with you!

Conversation Highlights:

[01:04] Clive was, from the beginning, preparing himself to become an executive coach. He explains that Passion is important as it fuels your drive towards success.

[05:14] Clive focuses mainly on coaching the CA market. He has more of a fifth-dimensional view of the clients and helps them move from the manager space into the executive space. He also elaborates on the present scenario of CAs in the business world.

[09:15] The CFO is responsible for everything regarding finance in the business. Clive markets a 6-Session package which covers the important things that one needs to be aware of in stepping into the executive space.

[16:47] It's all about the candidates and not about the company.

[22:22] Clive explains that not every executive needs a coach. If you do things differently, you can create different results.

[25:35] Clive thinks that COVID has turned the world into a digital space. It has created a lot of opportunities for the people.

[31:14] Clive elaborates on the key technical skills that young financial professionals need to develop. He / She needs to digitize the office of finance and then go on to help the colleagues.

Special Reminder:

Still confused?

Don't know your passion?

Make sure to check out Clive's Course to help you find your passion.

Want to get coached by Clive?

Visit here.

About Our Sponsor:

KPI Management Solutions helps organizations to implement their BUSINESS STRATEGY and track the PROFITABILITY impact through to the Income Statement.

Check us out at www.kpims.co.za.

Download the KPI Spreadsheet for FREE for a limited time only.

Connect with Clive:

• At GREEN MIND CAPITAL website
• On LinkedIn
• Or email him at [email protected]
• WhatsApp him at +27 72 280 6878

People say that the topic of cold calling was dead many years ago.

Or… is it?

My guest today says, “false,” and by the end of this episode, you will be too!

In this of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, Roger talks with Chantell Kanes, Managing Director at The Cold Calling Company. She has a strong passion for sales consulting and lead generation.

She breaks down everything you need to know about the benefits of Cold calling. She definitely will revamp your thoughts about Cold calling by the end of this episode!

Tune in now and make sure to take away the notes with you!

Conversation Highlights:

[01:28] Cold calling is the only way to get to get through a potential prospect in a direct form. She explains that if executed and monitored correctly it's definitely not dead!

[03:13] She describes Cold calling as the most cost-effective way to generate new leads and business. Cold calling directly targets specific people.

[07:10] There is no Cold calling without planning and preparation. The biggest part of Cold calling is to pass the gatekeeper. It takes blood to do this job!

[13:19] All goes down to preparations! You’ve got to be prepared and planned before even making the first call.

[16:50] You will definitely get 100 No's every day! Chantell believes that everyone can be taught to cold call if they are having the right mindset.

[19:02] Cold calling is actually a full-time job because you need to follow-up on the calls you made the previous day. She explains that they decided to go virtual in order to manage their employees.

[23:12] Business owners choose the Cold Calling Company for monitoring and managing whether the B2B Cold calling is being executed correctly.

[28:40] They do Cold call to the whole of South Africa. They also have run some campaigns for UK and would be keen to help you out!

[30:13] Cold calling is not dead. If your preparations are correct, then you will be able to provide this service in a very cost-effective way.

[31:31] Chantell is passionate about Cold calling because at the end of the day she see that it really does work.

Connect with Chantell:

• On LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• The Cold Calling Company website
• Email her at [email protected]
• Phone her on: +27 71 275 6293

If you enjoyed this episode of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to our podcast.

In this episode of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, Roger talks with Alina Miertoiu.

Alina is the OKR Product Manager and a Senior Management Consultant at The KPI Institute. She has a professional background in business research, process improvement and management consulting, being involved in international strategy and performance-related projects for clients from various industries, including IT, utilities, healthcare, venture capital, financial services and manufacturing.

Starting with the basics about OKRs, they end up giving some powerful tips and tricks on how you can use OKRs to boost your business.

Tune in now and make sure to take away the notes with you!

Conversation Highlights:

[01:10] A snap recap of the previous episode

• OKR is a goal-setting framework for defining and tracking objectives and their outcomes.
• The benefits of OKRs
• Objective v/s Key Result
• OKRs value purpose over performance.
• OKRs are more suited for a very innovative and fast-changing environment. They work better in a structured organisation.

[03:03] Link it back to the vision and strategy

• Settings up Individual OKRs
• You need to have 3 to 5 objectives and key results to measure each one of them. Alina doesn't recommend the OKRs to focus mainly on the numbers.
• Try to set priorities rather than going for the numbers.
• What about the big organisations?

[07:54] Why the OKRs are required to have aspirational goals?

• If you are doing the same thing, you won't get different results. Aspirational goals are the best way to know what we can do to have different results!
• Make sure to give your employees a safety blanket.
• What happens after you achieve your goal? How do you sustain your success?
• Balance the hygiene metrics with future-focused OKRs

[14:16] Can OKRs and traditional KPIs co-exist?

• With the OKRs, you are just trying to see what extra values and involvement they can bring.
• Can everyone use individual OKRs?
• If you want to have integrated OKRs, then you need to have approval.
• A story to take a lesson from…..

[22:21] The Topic of Cadence

• Is it a necessity to check your OKRs?
• You will need to readjust the path in order to achieve your goals.
• "A review doesn't need to be a formal 3-hour long discussion as long as we have an informal short chat and we are in agreement."
• Where does the agile framework meet the OKRs?
• A word of gratitude.

Special Reminder:

Check out the first episode with Alina and make sure to share your feedback with Alina

Connect with Alina:

• On LinkedIn
• Email her at [email protected]

Where can we find out more information?

• Look out for the white paper by Alina called “OKRS – the silver bullet of performance management?” coming February 2021

If you enjoyed this episode of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to our podcast.

In this episode of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, Roger talks with Alina Miertoiu.

Alina is the OKR Product Manager and a Senior Management Consultant at The KPI Institute. She has a professional background in business research, process improvement and management consulting, being involved in international strategy and performance-related projects for clients from various industries, including IT, utilities, healthcare, venture capital, financial services and manufacturing.

Starting with the basics about OKRs, they end up giving some powerful tips and tricks on how you can use OKRs to boost your business.

Tune in now and make sure to take away the notes with you!

Conversation Highlights:

[02:20] What are OKRs?

• OKRs is a goal-setting framework for defining and tracking objectives and their outcomes.
• Is there really need for another framework?
• The benefits of OKRs
• OKRs value purpose over performance.

[05:31] A practical approach towards OKRs

• Objective v/s Key Result
• An aspect of a good key result is to focus on outcomes rather than measuring the things in between.
• Do statistics matter?
• The frequency of reviewing the progress is a key element for a successful business.
• OKRs provide you with flexibility which is not possible in traditional frameworks.

[12:50] Who uses OKRs?

• OKRs have been around since the 70s!
• How OKRs played a crucial role in Google's success?
• OKRs are more suited for a very innovative and fast-changing environment.
• How can OKRs work in your context?
• Creating a hybrid system towards success
• OKRs work better in a structured organisation.

[17:35] Traditional KPIs v/s OKRs

• The key difference is the execution of the framework.
• 'This is what I want to achieve, how are you going to do that?'
• OKRs monitors how value is created rather than monitoring the numbers.
• Split your goal into short objectives.
• OKRs help you do things in a better way.

[21:51] Stop working in silos!

• How collaborations can lead you to success?
• The beauty of OKRs
• What about smart goals?
• Theoretically, you should achieve 70% from your OKRs.
• How to practically approach perfection?

[27:27] The essence of OKRs

• An example of how OKRs can put you closer to success

[31:31] Whole episode in a minute!

• OKRs are an agile and innovative way for managing performance.
• They are probably the best way to fast track and implement changes in your organisation.
• OKR require people to stretch their minds and vision.
• They require tracking on much more frequent basis and are part of a team effort.
• OKRs are something that drives cultural changes as well.

Connect with Alina Miertoiu:

• On LinkedIn
• Email her at [email protected]

Where can we find out more information?

• Look out for the white paper by Alina called “OKRS – the silver bullet of performance management?” coming February 2021

If you enjoyed this episode of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to our podcast.

1. Sales - profit = expenses 
2. Bank Profit as the first transaction each month 
3. Multiple bank accounts to manage your cash flow  
4. Right size your business - Teach the business to work with less including innovation 
5. Declare profits (according to well-defined profit benchmarks) each quarter and celebrate  

• Right size your business taking out duplicate or unnecessary costs 
• Your Profit will therefore increase immediately 
• There will be adequate and predictable cash flow leading to reduced stress 
• You will become proactive with a forward-looking view of your business 
• Scaling and selling your business becomes much easier 

This is an Interview with Brad Forrest who runs very successful Graduate programs focused on data analytics:

The demand for business-driven analytics is growing exponentially and organisations need a mechanism to develop people to grow and run solutions in an affordable and sustainable way.

Tips

1. Select Graduates according to a Profile that suits the type of work
2. Train the Graduates using rapid techniques
3. Don’t train everything you could. Focus on what’s important
4. Repetition is important
5. Time the graduates to ensure they reach the required benchmarks before releasing them
6. Coach them on the job
7. Give them real projects to work on with real milestones
8. Bring them back to the classroom each month and plug the problems they identify
9. It takes 12 to 18 months to really get up to speed
10. Build sustainability and longevity for your organisation using Graduates

In previous podcasts, we spoke about the importance of balancing KPIs to avoid getting distorted results. 

When looking at the selection of KPIs for a team or for the overall business, there is another level of balancing to be added. 

The idea was first documented by Robert Kaplan & David Norton who Identified 4 perspectives that KPIs can be grouped by. 

1. Financial Perspective - ask yourself, “How is Shareholder value created? The answer to this is normally answered with KPIs that address
   1. Financial Growth
   2. Financial Efficiency
   3. Optimized usage of their funds which includes generating cash, not consuming it
2. Customer Perspective - ask yourself, “What valued our Customer expect from us?” They are normally seeking
   1. Quality Products and Services
   2. Meeting due dates
   3. A competitive price
   4. Good relationships or partnerships
   5. Product leadership and Brand could be important
3. Internal Perspective- ask yourself “to satisfy our shareholders and customers, what internal processes do we need to excel at?” This will typically talk to
   1. Quality processes
   2. Efficiencies continuously improving the cost to produce outputs 
   3. Reducing cycle times of processes
   4. Ensuring good governance
   5. Executing projects on time, in scope and within budget

1. Learning and Growth - ask yourself “how will we sustain and improve the business long term?” This perspective does not address customer-facing activities but rather activities that are behind the scenes such as
   1. Building the capabilities of your people
   2. Optimising IT systems 
   3. Building the environment and culture that is needed

Within each of the above 4 perspectives, you also need to balance between efficiency and effectiveness otherwise you may be driving one at the expense of the other. 

Tip 

Group your business and Team KPIs into the 4 perspectives to ensure you have sufficient balance in your KPIs to execute on your strategic goals.