With the Christmas and New Year break behind us, most of the Team found their way back to their desks on 9 January.
It has been an “on your marks, get ready and go start” with the prep and planning of a Wonder and Wine event on 19 January. More about that later.
We are back at Around the Water Fountain as well as Virtual Coffee – great to see the familiar faces there as well as one or two new faces.
The LinkedIn postings by Dr. M and VL continue this year with some very interesting topics, which have been well received, liked, and shared. Thank you to the Petanquers for your engagement which does help us be seen far and wide. Dr. M is seeing good results as people are connecting and engaging.
Mr. J flew off to Egypt – and we hope to get him onto a Lunch and Learn slot to tell us more!
And we started Monday morning happy tunes sing along or dance along – some good music suggestions coming in – get your moves ready for Monday mornings!
The Pétanque NXT Roadmap for 2023 was the subject of our first Lunch and Learn this year.
Ktlank Ktlank!
A project secured with an existing client. One-year OKR project, assisting the client to achieve its sales and development targets globally. Elmarie Bisset is assigned, and the work kicks off during the first week of February. The client was referred by a previous client and WP colleague.
The Yacht Club – Wonder & Wine
Our first W & W 2023 event was on the 19 January, the topic was “Define an executable strategy for 2023.” Once again, an informative session hosted by the Pétanque NXT team and our guest presenter, Andrew Lenti. Well done to the Team.
We are changing our event calendar and content this year, focusing on small W&W events.
This is a great video to listen to see where we are heading: https://www.youtube.com/c/TillyDavies
And now for the Team:
We wished Elané Jacobs Au Revoir and wished her all the best after concluding her contract at BP.
Ingrid: It’s a short month so all I’ve done of significance is translate Sanlam’s Dynamic Risk Assessment into French (applying translations, not actually doing the translations!)
Vincent: I enjoyed working with our Colorado-based client. The experience has cemented the perception I had, that the US has an overly complicated legal system with many of the compliance laws saying the same thing, all trying to achieve the same thing, but then having individual nuances making. There’s a democracy and there’s a bureaucracy and America, seems to me, to be more a symbol of bureaucracy than democracy – but it has been fun and rewarding getting very positive feedback from the client on our methodology using VizPro
Annerie: I am back in the swing of things following a quiet season and excited to get stuck into 2023. My current focus is on preparing training course content for SEM’s online e-learning initiative (relating to the use of Bridger Insight) and remodelling our weekly and monthly reports around SEM management reporting requirements, 2 years into the project. What I have learned is that patience really is a virtue – no good comes from stressing over things we have no control over. Good things come when the time is right!
MJ: My focus is currently on converting the ProcessStep Body of Knowledge to the VizPro Body of Knowledge. It was a mammoth task that Michelle tackled some years back to rebrand VizPro to ProcessStep under the TenStep banner. The venture did not work out, but the documentation work is priceless!
Dr. M: January started on 27 December! I connected with so many people on LI, saw many people in person whilst in Cape Town, prepared for travels to the Netherlands, wrote LI postings, learned about Colorado and Californian GDPR with Vincent and Nalini, did a Wonder and Wine with the team and spent a week of one hour sessions learning more about LI with Neeraj. As an exit from WPO Johannesburg, spent an amazing day at a beautiful venue in Constantia for 2023 vision boarding and goal setting. And was great to get back into the rhythm
of seeing the team and planning for our successes.
Carina: I had an energizing start to 2023, being surrounded by incredible nature in the Mapungubwe National Park. Elephants and wildlife in abundance and birds enough to attract avid bird watchers. Just pure 24/7 soul food. 😊
Inspired by the enthusiasm of the bird watchers, I decided to also become more aware, and upskill myself on the vast variety of species we are lucky to have in our beautiful country! I am slowly learning, referring to my bird guide often.
Anybody knows about a great birding app I can download, with the bird sounds??
I have subscribed to a course on Udemy: “The Project Management Course: Beginner to Project Manager”. After that, I think I might just take on Advanced Excel and Canva.
I am also busy reading the book “The Zahir” by Paulo Coelho. He always takes me to a place where I contemplate and philosophize about the deeper meaning of life. This book really speaks to my soul, and I am enjoying it immensely.
Workwise, January 2023 started at a fast pace, which delights me. Things are happening.
PNXT is finally (after 10 months) the trusted partner for LexisNexis Risk Solutions UK, and the logistics are running. We hope to start a project with our first client in mid-February.
Ingrid and I are also part of the CURA Compliance product’s UAT, training and implementation at Sanlam Emerging Markets. It is quite hectic with various African countries on board, and with both English and French into the equation.
PNXT is on a roll………… already 2 strategic sessions before the end of January, and various proposals in the pipeline. Exciting things happening.
Moira: It’s been a good start to 2023 with Wonder and Wine and preparing for the next events coming up on the calendar and getting back into the swing of things…Looking good for 2023!
Tanya: My husband and I had an amazing weekend with friends over the new year weekend. Being in nature and taking in the amazing nature on the water, rebooted our souls and got us ready for the start of the year.
On the business side, we met with a prospective client, who approached us about a year ago, and we have since signed up – so grateful for this!
With Petanque NXT, the finance department started off with a bang, we got our financial documents to the auditor to get our Financial Statements signed off before the end of February.
Elmarie – Have been joining Michelle on EduSquare and the strategy session.
Justin – watch this space.
Marlene: Magnascape has asked Petanque NXT to assist with their PoPI compliance using The PrivIQ system. We last assisted them in 2021 when they had opted for doing it themselves.
Abby – It's been a busy start to the year, kicking off with events – Wonder and Wine and ProThink on the 16 February. And a new member of the family – a French Bulldog called Cooper!
Looking into February:
On 1st February 1915, the passport photo was introduced in Britain by the British government. February is considered one of the best months to visit South Africa, especially for northern hemisphere travellers escaping the cold winter snow.
And don’t forget Valentine's Day on the 14th of February…