Month: February 2017

 

Why is my staff demotivated?
We have all been taught to rely on our circumstances in order to make us happy or motivate us.
This is a dangerous concept because it means your happiness is depended on your circumstances.
Happiness and motivation are in fact something that needs to come from inside of us. When we connect to our inner life source and experience our joy and motivation from there, we will be happy and motivated no matter what the circumstances. When emotions/beliefs/habits and goals are in balance, this concept happens automatically.

How can we expect to reap joy when we never sow happy thoughts?
Everything we sow, we sow via our thoughts. Our thoughts will
Manifest in our reality and then become what we reap! Yes, this means that self-loathing thoughts will also manifest.
What is the impact of unhappy/trouble staff members? I’m sure, if you are reading this, you know exactly what the impact is – they are very much unproductive plus they infect each other with negativity.
The key is then to shift your staff’s perception from ‘happiness and motivation comes from outer things’ to ‘happiness and motivation comes from inside yourself. ‘

How can one do this;

• lead by example
• treat staff as you would like them to behave.
• provide staff with opportunities to find/enhance their inner life source
• provide staff with tools to improve their emotional/thought life
• listen and be prepared to build a relationship by understanding a heart BEFORE asking for a hand.

What can staff members do;

• focus on the things you are grateful for
• find the little joys in your daily life
• change your attitude from “poor me” to “how fortunate am I”
• search/enhance your inner life source.
• if you are unhappy in your current job, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
• Remember: YOUR happiness is entirely up to YOU.

NOTICE: CHANGE OF CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERSHIP FOR THE EDEN JOINT MUNICIPAL PLANNING TRIBUNAL

Notice is hereby given in terms of Section 17 of the Memorandum of Agreement for the Eden Joint Municipal Planning Tribunal, that the rotation in Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson takes place from 1 February 2017. The following members will be Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson from 1 February 2017:

Chairperson: Mr CWE Schliemann (Pr Pln A/994/1997)

Deputy Chairperson: Mr H Visser (Pr Pln A/1233/2002)

Notice is further hereby given in terms of Section 9.1 of the Memorandum of Agreement for the Eden Joint Municipal Planning Tribunal, that the following tribunal member, as nominated by its Municipalities, be appointed as internal tribunal member:

B Ndwandwe (Pr Pln A/2332/2016)

This appointment will take effect and commence on 1 February 2017.
ADV T GILIOMEE
DESIGNATED MUNICIPAL MANAGER
EDEN JOINT MUNICIPAL PLANNING TRIBUNAL

Marsh Street 101
MOSSEL BAY
6500

Explore creative minds and encourage youth to tell their own stories.
Let your imagination take flight during this year’s Knysna Literary Festival, taking place from 16th – 19th March 2017. The schedule reveals a diverse selection of critically acclaimed, award-winning authors who are set to descend on the Knysna seaside town for the festival’s 8th consecutive year.
The Knysna and Plett Literary Liaisons with Evita Bezuidenhout have sold-out but don’t fear… Pieter Dirk Uys will be back in full-swing again on the 16th of March at the White House Theatre in Plett and the 17th of March at Conrad Pezula in Knysna. Enjoy Pieter Dirk Uys ‘unplugged’ – speaking from the heart as he shares his private and public life with his theatre production The Echo of Noise, at Conrad Pezula Resort and Spa from 18h00 – 19h30. Don’t miss this master storyteller who can make as much fun of himself as he does with others. Tickets are available from the 1st of February; R200 per person. (Booking Reference F)
Tickets for the Knysna Literary Festival will be available from 07h30 on the 1st of February, at the Pam Golding Property Office at 5 Grey Street, Knysna and with Webtickets (excluding the Delicious Word Journey and Look ‘n Cook events).

PAY IT FORWARD.
Expand creative minds and donate your ‘old but loved’ books at the Pam Golding ticket office – books will be donated to the local Concordia High and Primary School.
OR Sponsor a child to attend this year’s Children’s Theatre Event, for only R10 per child. Enquire at the Pam Golding ticket office.For more information visit www.knysnaliteraryfestival.co.za.

New Plettenberg Bay Airport road set to impact regional economy
The 15-month project was motivated by the need to connect the western side of Plettenberg Bay to the N2, also creating easier access from the Plettenberg Bay Airport and the new industrial development area adjacent to the airport on the N2. This would now be the fourth access route into Plettenberg Bay, he said in a statement following the official opening of the road on Saturday.
The new road was also expected to be a key driver in increasing tourism in the region, and would increase the potential of property developments along the new road. Tourism remained a huge economic driver in the region, contributing an estimated close to 60 percent to the region’s GDP, which was in excess of R2 billion a year, he said.
“The tourism sector in the region is also the highest employer, employing more than 4000 people with the prospects of more jobs created as the sector continues to grow. The size and continued growth of this sector is testament to what this region has to offer to the thousands of visitors that flock here annually.
“All of these factors make this R100 million investment by the Western Cape government through its department of transport and public works into Plettenberg Bay a strategic one that has the potential of reaping great rewards in the future. The Eden district continues to be one of the fast growing regional economies of the Western Cape, aided largely by infrastructure investments such as this one,” Grant said.
The Western Cape government had invested billions of rand in infrastructure in the Bitou municipality and the greater Eden district – investment in the form of three new schools, two clinics and a hospital, and major roads construction projects. The impact of this investment across the community and across future generations was enormous.
The airport road project had also far exceeded any empowerment targets set as part of the contract. A total of close to R12 million (12 percent of the contract value) was set aside for targeted enterprises, far surpassing the seven percent target initially set. A further R10 million (10 percent of the contract value) was also set aside to benefit emerging contractors which was also notably higher than the 5.6 percent target initially set as per the contract.
“Empowerment is a key feature of all projects undertaken by the department of transport and public works. I am pleased to see that we continue to meet, and often surpass by huge margins the targets set in this regard.
“Road infrastructure is an important factor for the productivity, safety, and future development of this country, and the Western Cape in particular. This importance is demonstrated in areas where they are in a poor condition. The adverse impact on economic activity and general safety can be clearly seen. For these reasons, we will continue to do our part to plan, construct, rehabilitate, and maintain the provincial road network as a valued and strategic asset of this government,” Grant said.The new R100 million Plettenberg Bay Airport road will impact positively on the regional economy and has the potential of reaping great rewards in the future, Western Cape transport and public works MEC Donald Grant said on Sunday. – THEGREMLIN

In addition to the basics your bird needs – food, water, shelter, sleep, and social interaction – he also requires intellectual stimulation, the kind that can only be derived from play and training. Researchers are finding that birds can solve problems by insight, and even learn by example, as do human children. How much conscious thought is taking place, versus instinctive behavior, is the subject of ongoing study.

Parrots are considered to be the smartest of birds. They can be taught to distinguish colors, shapes, objects, and even people. The African Grey parrot is a bird now believed to have the intelligence and emotional make-up of a 3- to 4-year-old child.

Umbrella CockatooAs birds continue to evolve, their capacity for analytical thinking appears to be on the rise:

Birds can be very resourceful – “Tool user,”once a term used exclusively to define and distinguish mankind, is today also applied to birds. Wild birds have been observed to lay walnuts in the roadway so passing cars will crack them open. Captive cockatoos will clip off small sticks of wood with their beaks, and then use them to scratch various parts of their body. Keep an eye on how your bird uses his toys, ropes, chew sticks, and similar items. The items just might be put to new uses.

Some birds can understand… and use… human language – At one time parrots where thought only to mimic speech. Hence, the term “parroting” was coined. Now, it appears this was in error. How would you react if, after you clean your bird’s cage, he commented, “Looks good”? Alex, an African Grey parrot who was studied by Irene Pepperberg, did just that. Reportedly, Alex developed a 100-word vocabulary and could identify 50 different objects, recognize quantities up to six, distinguish seven colors and five shapes, and understand the difference between big and small, same and different, and over and under. Amazingly, Alex could put words together in new and meaningful phrases. Inspired to engage your bird in speech training? Check out a variety of educational CDs, tapes, and books.

Birds may have exceptional memory – Wild birds can collect and bury thousands of seeds across hundreds of square miles, then retrieve over 90% or them. It is thought that these species have developed a specialized portion of their brain to accomplish the task. Alex, the African Grey, could tell you that corn is yellow, even if there is no corn in view. Though Alex’s memory was exceptional, his ability suggests you should make every effort to optimize your bird’s potential.

Birds take enjoyment in intelligent play – Frolicking in a bird bath may, or may not, be simple instinct. But what about dropping marbles into a water bowl to study the splash? Turning somersaults? Or climbing a rope with their beak? Clearly, birds do many things just for the fun of it. Provided the right interactive toy, they will invest hours in play to satisfy their curiosity, and possibly earn intellectual reward.

Birds may display emotions – According to scientists, birds have the right equipment for emotion. They have a limbic system, a specialized portion of the brain, necessary for true emotional behavior. Other than birds, this system is found only in other higher vertebrates – man and other mammals. Bird owners have long felt they can tell whether their pets are happy or sad, fearful or content. Now research is underway to determine whether birds are aware of their own emotions, and the impact this awareness may have on their individual behavior.

Research is proving what most bird owners already know… their bird is a smart companion. Don’t miss an opportunity to open new doors for your pet.

(Sadly, Alex, the African Grey Parrot passed away in 2007.)