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THREE THINGS ABOUT LEGAL

PREVENTION IN YOUR BUSINESS

Nicolene Schoeman-Louw 2. So, why do business owners oversight? Alternatively, the cost
choose to do the ostrich head in saving of avoiding an avoidable
the sand move? risk?
hen a legal crisis
strikes your business – We can only deduce that this is as 3. So, why is legal prevention so
Whow do you feel? What a result of ignorance, alternatively important?
a misconception regarding the
do you do?
actual cost of hiring a professional In my experience as a legal
Maybe you have worked hard provider. Also, underestimating professional, most disputes
and until now, successfully the gravity of the need, particularly can be avoided by ensuring
managed to avoid expensive as the business grows. legal compliance and further
legal bills? But now… something So, if businesses are not adapting your processes to the
has gone very wrong, and you dealing with this by engaging a ever-changing demands of
cannot avoid making that grudge professional – does this mean that the regulatory landscape. Few
purchase! many businesses attend to their people realise the gravity of the
legal matters? So, startups and destruction of an avoidable dispute
The reality is, legal risk is one SMEs do not only aggressively until they receive the related legal
of the most prudent risks facing focus on their businesses, which bill and end up spending more
businesses today! they should do, but also keep hours attending to the dispute than
abreast of all the changing on building their business.
1. What is meant by legal regulations that may affect them.
prevention? This is a time when there is so In truth, not all disputes can be
much to do conceptually. Really?
Formally this is often referred avoided by planning and advice,
to as legal risk aversion or Alternatively, worse, they do but the majority can.
mitigation. nothing, because they do not see
legal risk as any risk whatsoever… We, therefore, recommend that
In essence, this entails always Why be “penny wise and pound businesses consider hiring a “legal
being one step ahead from a legal foolish”, as they say? goalkeeper” for their business. This
perspective. Ensuring that you are is a legal professional dedicated to
still aware of legal developments that This way of thought is, in my the business and the people behind
may impact you and your business. opinion, only a cost saving on it. We assist in helping you avoid Nicolene Schoeman-Louw
the surface. If we are genuinely avoidable risks and disputes. 
The problem is many business considering savings – what
owners appreciate the value of legal about the cost resulting when For more information, please see: www.
prevention. Many put their heads something was missed and what schoemanlaw.co.za/get-your-very-own-
in the sand as ostriches do… Why? about a negative outcome from an legal-goalkeeper/

AIM FOR BEHAVIOURAL INTELLIGENCE!

ver been in a role at an Cheryl Mackinnon has a
organisation where you passion for putting people We define the term
Eknow it’s just NOT for into the right positions “behavioural intelligence”
you? Ever employed a person through simple, accurate and as the ability to think, get energised and
and soon realised they don’t scientific methodologies. These respond in an effective way, simplifying
have the behavioural traits methodologies can be used
required for the role? They throughout the entire human the answers, to our surroundings.
are just not assertive enough resources spectrum: recruitment, Studies show that intelligent behaviour
or they are too direct… They development, succession planning is that which is adaptive to the context,
are not people focussed or and managing individuals.
they talk too much… They are Let’s help you customise the meaning that a human being is intelligent
extremely slow paced or their ideal traits for your next high- when they can differentiate between
approach is extremely hurried… level vacancy. Together we adaptive behaviours according to each
They are painfully compliant would put benchmarks in place
or a ‘maverick’; they function for behavioural traits, emotional specific environment and function with
through the absence of policy… intelligence, cognitive ability, the appropriate level of behavioural
integrity and possibly values. activation, showing different psychological
We have all worked with These are critical dimensions
these people and we need all to assess when making that and sociological aspects. In addition,
of them in our organisation as decision for your next executive/ experts claim that the standards of
individually, they have unique director vacancy. The cost of intelligent behaviour are personal
strengths, though they are bringing onboard the wrong
different, they are predictably person far outweighs the cost persistence, interpersonal coherence
different. As an employer, of a placement fee and a few and output differentiation.
you need a strategy as to how assessments.
you are going to create that
winning team and how you are This article is also an Assessment is a tool which does
going to retain this talent. invitation to doing some not classify behavioural profiles For more information contact,
introspective work, through as “good or bad”, but describes Cheryl Mackinnon, Principal Partner –
Did you know that 90% of which you can discover your the characteristics of each KwaZulu-Natal
people are hired for their skills own behavioural profile, decision individual person. For a free Mobile: +27 73 669 2670
but are dismissed or leave for making, leadership, motivators assessment visit www.pdakzn. Email: cheryl@pda-africa.com
Cheryl Mackinnon behavioural reasons? and sales style. The PDA demowebafrica.pdaprofile.com Website: www.pdainternational.net

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