COLLECTION / DONATION DAY

NIC Head Office is having a Collection / Donation Day and we would like to encourage sites / branches to do the same!  LET's MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!

COLLECTION / DONATION DAY

for

Books (new or old), Magazines, Tinned Food, Packet of Soup and Blankets (new or old)

When 

Tuesday 18 July 2012 at Head Office

Where

Head Office - Unit 1 Reception with Diba

Where are these items going??

• Books, tinned food and blankets to be donated to Pick ‘n Pay Donation Drive – where it will be distributed to needy children
• Old or damaged blankets to be donated to the Randburg / Midrand SPCA
• Magazines to be donated to Nkosi Children’s Home

I know some of us cant donate allot, but have a look in your home there might be something!!

• A magazine can help a child with a school project
• A book can educate a mind
• A blanket could keep a helpless animal / homeless warm in the winter nights
• A tin can of food can feed a hungry person for a day

NIC - GET TO KNOW

The BLOG is wanting all staff to "get to know" each other a little better so here we kick off this month with the Frontline of NIC Head Office;

Getting to know Des (Deisree) Coetzee (Head Office - Unit 2 Receptionist) a little bit better you will learn she loves sport, has been very lucky and desires fast flashy cars!

 What kind of music do you listen to? 70’s & 80’s

What is your dream car? Audi Convertible

What are your biggest pet peeve / dislikes? Animal Hair all over the place and cats on the countertops in the kitchen

Do you have any pets? Used to have German Shepherds

If you could paint this office any color you wanted to, what would it be? Like Clean and Natural colors in paint

Do you prefer white, dark or milk chocolate? Milk Chocolate

Do you have a favorite animal? Horses

Where would you choose to live: by the ocean, in the mountains or in the woods? Definitely at the Sea

What is the 1 thing / achievement in this world you are most proud of? That I am who I am not a clone of who someone wants me to be

Do you have any hobbies? All types of Motor Sport, Rugby & Dancing / Music / Cooking / Reading

What’s your favorite cartoon character? The Mask (Jim Carey)

What was your favorite TV Show? Any Reality Show (Survivors, Amazing Race)

Where were you during [NIC’s Inception in 1986] Group 5 Projects

What other languages other than English do you know? English, Afrikaans a bit of Xhosa and a little German

Have you ever won anything? What was it? Twenty thousand rand and a trip all expenses paid

What’s your favorite fruit/vegetable/food? Mushrooms, Steak, Lamb and don’t forget the pastas

What’s your Least favorite fruit/vegetable / food? Guavas

If you could be on any TV game show, which one would it be? Survivor

What’s your favorite color? Purple and Black

What’s a fear you’re proud to have overcome? People (Once in my life believe it or not I was extremely shy, it was really bad)

Which sports team(s) do you support? All Blacks

What was the last thing you heard or saw which made you laugh out loud? This Quiz

Have you ever met anybody famous? Do you have any photos (if you have photos please submit them)? Over the years you meet many people they are all famous in their own way, photographs and memories are in my mind and is full of unforgettable ones.

The best one in the future would be my granddaughter Amber in the Dance World– She is definitely going places

If you had just 1 box for all of your stuff, what would you put in it? Hairdryers, Makeup, perfume, jeans T-shirt and don’t forget the smokes

If you could go back in time to any era, which would it be? LOL this is definitely a give a way for age but probably in the late 70’s

Which superhuman power do you wish you had? The Midas Touch to turn anything into Gold LOL

Are you right or left handed? Right Handed

What did you want to be (career) as a kid? Here is the laugh of the year – A Nun

Birthday (Day and Month) 20 October

If you won R2 Million what would you do with it? Buy myself an Audi Convertible Take a trip to Monte Carlo to see the Formula One and then invest the rest in a business to make money.

NIC - GET TO KNOW

The BLOG is wanting all staff to "get to know" each other a little better so here we kick off this month with the Frontline of NIC Head Office;

Getting to know Diba (Diba’batso) Marole (Head Office Unit 1 - Construction - Receptionist/Admin) a little better you will learn you shouldn't  chew gum around her, she cannot live without her shoes and doesn’t watch game shows?

What kind of music do you listen to? RnB, House and then everything else comes after

What is your dream car? Mini Cooper S & Jeep (Nothing fancy)

What’s your biggest pet peeve / dislike? Chewing gum

Do you have any pets? Scared of anything 4 legged

If you could paint this office any color you wanted to, what would it be? Green

Do you prefer white, dark or milk chocolate? White

Do you have a favorite animal? Dolphins

Where would you choose to live: by the ocean, in the mountains or in the woods? Ocean

What is the 1 thing / achievement in this world you are most proud of? Paying for my own Fashion Design Studies final year!

Do you have any hobbies? Drawing/Painting

What’s your favorite cartoon character? Tweety Bird

What was your favorite TV Show? Gossip Girl

Where were you during [NIC’s Inception in 1986] Sucking on my dummy (Baby back then)

What other languages other than English do you know? Sotho

Have you ever won anything? What was it? During my School days Sports medals

What’s your favorite fruit/vegetable/food? Junk food my favourite

What’s your Least favorite fruit/vegetable / food? Cabbage

If you could be on any TV game show, which one would it be? I don’t watch game shows

What’s your favorite color? Light Green

What’s a fear you’re proud to have overcome? There is this 1 small dog that I’m not scared of, her name is Hoopsy and I love her to death! lol

Which sports team(s) do you support? Chiefs #soccer#

What was the last thing you heard or saw which made you laugh out loud? Someone being very uncreative with names.      

Have you ever met anybody famous? Do you have any photos (if you have photos please submit them)? Black Coffee (Musical - DJ)

While in Mozambique - Diba and Black Coffee

If you had just 1 box for all of your stuff, what would you put in it? My Shoes and Childhood photos with my mom

If you could go back in time to any era, which would it be? 1800’s

Which superhuman power do you wish you had? Invisible woman

Are you right or left handed? Right

What did you want to be (career) as a kid? Social worker

Birthday (Day and Month) 01 May

If you won R2 Million what would you do with it? Invest in property

NIC Staff (Midrand)

NIC's Blog post of NIC Staff - This will be a chance to see the faced of the people that work for NIC in various departments and branches.

Finance / HR / Administration - Head Office Midrand (Unit 2)

12-07-2012

 From Left to Right:

Back Row:

Desiree Coetzee, Amelia Zwiegelaar, Jimmy Joubert, Johanna Mmushi and Jameel Hoosen

Middle Row:

Mpho Mosebo, Maria Kekana, Aneshrie Khandai

 

 

Seated Front:

Ennie Josias, Michelle Rossouw and Cindy Conje

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Its National Mandela Day on July 18th

 - Why not make a difference this year.

Take 67 minutes of your time and GIVE BACK to your community, underprivelaged or even a friend

http://www.mandeladay.com/

Ideas to use your 67 Minutes:

THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICES

CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE 2.8 DAYS OF STOCK

Maybe use that 67minutes and donate some blood?

TAKE A BLACK BAG AND CLEAN UP THE STREETS IN YOUR AREA / NEIGHBOURHOOD

JOIN www.cheesekids.org.za on SUNDAY 15 JULY TO ASSIST THE NEEDY

(They have listed a few projects for the day)

TEACH SOMEONE A NEW SKILL (Its amazing what you can learn in 67 Minutes)

DONATE BLANKETS / BOOKS / FOOD TO CHARITIES

(Most Shopping malls have donation bins - Pick n Pay is collecting books for needy children)

PLEDGE TO GIVE BACK EACH DAY / WEEK / MONTHLY TO A CHARITY OR ORGANISATION

(Volunteer your skills / services)

MIDRAND - Ryk Neethling

Seems like its CELEB SPOTTING at NIC

So while waiting for the Guatrain on 10 July 2012 Charles Ellis-Banks and Charmiane Buttrick spotted Olympic Swimmer Ryk Neethling at Marlboro Station.

They seemed to have been a little star-struck and didn’t get a photo with him, but Charmaine snapped this one on her phone.

NIC - 26 THIS YEAR

NIC Instruments and Engineering was founded in 1986 by Danie Erasmus, Jimmy Joubert, Mickey Clough, John Ferreira and Ben Wakeford.

All of the founding members were from the Instrumentation industry, with a lot of sound knowledge and experience in the Instrumentation Industry.

In the early days NIC Instruments and Engineering mainly supplied Instrumentation to various role players in the mining, petrochemical and other related industries. In 1996, NIC Instruments and Engineering started taking on bigger construction work, and a “new” division was born within the company.

Since then the company has gone from strength to strength, both as a supplier/importer of quality Instrumentation products as well as a reckoning force in the Construction industry

Here is wishing for another BRILLIANT 26 YEARS AND MORE!!

FLASH BACK TO 2010

Its been a whole 2 years since the FIFA World Cup 2010

Here is a FLASH BACK from the 2010 News Letters

MIDRAND - UNIT 1 (Before and After)

Warehouse of Unit 1 (Construction)

BEFORE - View from the Back Entrance - 10 February 2012

 AFTER - View from the Back Entrance - 10 July 2012

BEFORE - View from the SHEQ Office - 10 February 2012 

AFTER - View from the Document Control Office - 10 July 2012 

In just 5 months the Warehouse has transformed into a functional workshop / area that boasts;

Full Kitchen

Function Room

*Relaxation Area (Above Function Room)

Change Rooms for Staff

Containers for Archiving / Stores

Stores Area

Receiving and Dispatch Offices

Workshop Area

Congrats ons the Team that worked so hard to get this in tip top shape

GUIDES

Published in MKA Trends for Key Financial Executives, Fall 1995.

How To Fight Fires Without Burning Bridges

A little over a year ago, I was boarding a flight from New Orleans to Dallas/Fort Worth when a couple began to occupy the two adjacent seats. The wife got into her seat, but her husband, Bill (who looked as if he was held together by the medical equivalent of baling wire), couldn't manage to sit. It was obvious he was in serious pain.

Sometimes you want to negotiate when you don't feel as if you're in a position of power. In this situation, I was a lowly airline passenger on a short flight. I derived power, however, from the fact that there was nothing to lose and everything to gain. It was in the husband's interest to sit in a roomier, more comfortable seat. The flight attendant had an interest, as well; unless she could get Bill in a seat, the plane could not take off. It took a little work, but I was able to convince the flight attendant to move Bill to the only empty seat in first class. No one lost face, everyone's interest had been considered, and the negotiation worked well for all. As a provider of negotiation training for corporate clients, I felt pleased to see benefits resulting from some of the techniques I teach.

Resolving, Managing and Preventing Conflicts
Whether the predicament is commercial lenders who are stressed out by the direction to "never lose a deal because of the rate," department chiefs contending over budget issues,or human resources directors wrestling with issues of diversity - the use of good negotiation skills can resolve, manage, and, most importantly, prevent conflicts. According to the Rolling Stones, "You can't always get what you want." The question now becomes, "How many of the stakeholders can get what is in their interests?" If a business is to succeed in today's climate, everyone must be prepared to negotiate to arrive at favourable results.

Pillars of Negotiation Wisdom
Negotiating is an art practiced by virtually everyone; it is a craft practiced by few. There are many techniques to making negotiation work. If you pay careful attention to the following factors, which I call the Eight Pillars of Negotiational Wisdom, you should find that negotiating, with all the stakeholders who are clamouring for your attention, will yield more efficiency, less stress, and greater long-term success.

• Be Conscious of the difference between positions and interests. If you can figure out why you want something - and why others want their outcome - then you are looking at interests. Interests are the building blocks of lasting agreements.
• Be Creative. Anyone can do things the same old way. Using brainstorming techniques, listening to outlandish proposals and opening up to unanticipated possibilities expands agreement opportunities. If you respond with new ideas and do the unexpected, you can open doors to far greater gains than when you behave predictably. Creativity can make everyone look good.
• Be fair. If people feel a process is fair, they are more likely to make real commitments and less likely to walk away planning ways to wriggle out of the agreement. Sometimes things are helped when a neutral, external authority issued to measure fairness - a dictionary, a lab test, or an academic article, for instance.
• Be prepared to commit. You shouldn't make a commitment unless you can fulfill it. Your commitment isn't worth much unless the parties to the negotiation are Drop-Dead Decision-Makers. Moreover, commitment is not likely to result unless all parties feel the process has been fair.
• Be an active listener. Communication takes place when information passes from a source to a receiver. If you spend all of your listening time planning how to zing the other party, then, when they finally stop talking, you haven't heard them. Focus on what others say, both on their words and their underlying meaning. This will help you understand the interests upon which agreement can be based. When your response makes it clear that you've really been listening (and after the other party gets over the initial shock), they, too, may be more prepared to listen. Active listening can change the rules of the game and raise the level of civility in the negotiation.
• Be conscious of the importance of the relationship. Most of your negotiation is with repeaters (people you run across time after time such as your spouse and kids). The same is true for borrowers, directors, and representatives of affiliated institutions. If you understand the relative priority of the relationship, it can be easier to know when giving on a particular point may yield short term costs but long term gains.
• Be aware of BATNAs. BATNA stands for the Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. Your BATNA is the situation you want to improve by negotiating with a given party or set of parties. If you can improve things on your own, you don't need to negotiate. But BATNA is not your bottom line. It is a measure of the relative value of negotiating a particular issue with a particular party -- or whether you can fall back on better alternatives. Be Prepared. In order to negotiate effectively, efficiently, and wisely, it is crucial to prepare. Your job is not to outline a perfect, total solution; that would be a positional approach. Preparation means studying the interests and BATNAs of every possible party. It means understanding the short and the long term consequences you use and the substantive results you pursue. Doing your homework can save a lot of time.

Enhancing Negotiation Skills
Enhancing your negotiating skills is an important element of personal development. Helping your colleagues and staff to negotiate better will save time, reduce stress, and increase productivity. The changing cast of stakeholders means that successfully negotiating the minefields in the business world can be crucial to your own health and success.

As you consider the brief lessons contained herein, it makes sense to remember the old story about the New York tourist. She asked a passerby, "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" The response: "Practice, Practice, Practice."

TAX SEASON 2012 NOW OPEN

http://www.sars.gov.za/

Deadlines for this Tax Season are as follows:

• Taxpayers who continue to submit manual returns via post or a SARS drop box have until 28 September 2012
• Non-provisional taxpayers who submit their returns via eFiling or at a SARS branch have until 23 November 2012
• Provisional taxpayers who submit via eFiling have until 31 January 2013

RICHARDSBAY - ZUMA IN TOWN

Christelle Louw from Richardsbay captured these images of South Africa's President Jacob Zuma while on a trip to Richardsbay for the Jobs Fair 05-07-2012

It was held on July 5-6 at the Zululand Chamber of Business Foundation (ZCBF) Community, Guldengracht Street, Altron in Richards Bay. (Same premises as NIC)

Extracts from the SABC News Website;


The president was speaking in Richards Bay, in KwaZulu-Natal at the launch of the Jobs Fair - a government initiative to link job seekers, especially unemployed youth with prospective employers


Zuma says: "We are happy to see this occasion of the job fairs, where people come together to interact between the potential employees and potential employers so that they can look around for the skills they are looking for and for the jobs those who are looking for jobs."


Addressing business people on the sidelines, Zuma criticised Cosatu for blocking the Youth Wage Subsidy. Zuma says: "Companies say where is the experience, sorry, they take the one with experience. So how do we close the gap and we say we should do something to close that gap and you say no, no, no, if you do so you are affecting something else but you are not saying if
not that this is what we think we should do."


Jobs Fairs will be held throughout the country. Unemployed people with
skills can register at their nearest Department of Labour.


http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/59e2f1804bddccafbcf7ffdcfc8ee867/Zuma-slams-Cos
atu-for-opposing-Youth-Wage-Subsidy-20120507

QMS - TRAINING RESULTS

Congratulations to the staff attending the Standard Procedure and Quality Policy Manual Training
05 to 06 July 2012

Results;

Kevin Kotze (Aite Agent – Lonmin) 93%

Otto Husemeyer (Storeman – Lonmin) 93%

Buks Jv Rensburg (Area Manager) 92%

Herman Potgieter (Site Manager – Lonmin) 94%

Pictured left to Right;

Kevin Kotze, Otto Husemeyer, Buks Jv Rensburg en Herman Potgieter

NIC - AREAS OF CONCURRENT OPERATIONS

- NIC has completed various projects within South Africa and Africa -

Company Profile has a comprehensive detail of all projects completed and in which areas.

HIV-AIDS AWARENESS

BASIC FACTS ABOUT HIV/AIDS

Do you really know the facts about HIV/AIDS? It’s easy to get confused by conflicting messages and an overload of information.

Understanding the basics of this disease is critical for each and every one of us.

HIV is the virus that causes Aids. It has spread right around the world and it stands for Human Immuno-deficiency Virus. If someone is infected with HIV, he or she is said to be HIV positive.

When a person is HIV positive, the virus attacks their CD4 white blood cells and as it damages these cells and multiplies, the body gets weaker until eventually they get Aids. This is a slow process and can take up to ten years if left untreated, but much longer if they receive appropriate and timeous treatment. Aids stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is the end stage of the HIV infection. An HIV positive person is said to have Aids when they have a very low white blood cell count (CD4 count).

The amount of HIV in the blood is also usually very high.

They succumb to certain other infections as a result of their weakened immune system. These are called opportunistic infections, and can typically include TB, recurrent pneumonia and thrush. Certain cancers, e.g. Kaposi’s Sarcoma and dementia may also occur.

"It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance." ~Elizabeth Taylor

The information on this page is not the view of NIC but is meant to complement the advice of your healthcare provider(s), and not to replace it. Before making any changes to your health regime, we recommend that you talk to your doctor.

FUNNY

ATM SAFETY TIP FOR THE WEEK

QMS - TRAINING

NIC is wanting to train / refresh all staff with regard to the QMS (Standard Procedure and Quality Policy Manual) that has not received this training in 2011 or 2012.

If you / staff on your site have not received training on the above mentioned – Please reply with the following details;

Trainees Details:

Name and Surname

Position

Site / Venue for Training

Required Dates

*Please note that the SP and QPM Training takes 2 full days / 4 half days*

Training has been Scheduled at Head Office 05-06 JULY and 12-13 JULY – so notify Claudette@nicinst.co.za if any staff would like to attend on this date.

FULLIFE-COACH SAYS

Why Goals are Essential! 

 

What's the difference between the top 20% and the remaining 80% of earners in the world? I'll give you a clue, it's not status, beauty, education, where they were born, or even their IQ. Based on numerous studies, the top 20% of earners worldwide, set goals!

Setting goals is essential to success. Our brain is designed to set and achieve goals. In fact it’s a goal seeking organism. Not having a goal is like a ship without a rudder, drifting from place to place, and being tossed about by the storms.

When you set goals you are able to identify what you want and focus your efforts. The next step is to write down your goals. Writing it down, is as important as any other step in your goal achieving journey. By writing it down, a part of your brain, the Reticular Activating System, gets activated and starts to focus on what you want and filter out messages/ stimuli that you don't. 

Ever noticed how when you feel like an ice cream, you 'suddenly' notice a bill board on the highway advertising a delicious Cornetto, or the radio is playing an ad for the new 'death by choclate' Magnum... This is your Reticular Activating System at work, helping you to achieve your goals.

  

There are only 6 months left of 2012. You have a choice about how the next 6 will go. Challenge yourself and dare to dream. Set inspiring goals, that when it comes to the end of 2012, you are able to look back and say "that was a great year".

If you have never set inspiring goals before, or lost yours along the way, here are 7 simple steps to get you started;

1. Set SMART Goals - specific, measurable, attainable, resonant and thrilling.  

2. Visualize how it will feel when you achieve your goal. Imagine in great detail using all your senses, the experience of achieving your goal. 

3. Stretch yourself by setting big and audacious goals. Don't be afraid to dream. Whatever sends shivers down your spine, or keeps you awake with excitement - these are goals worth achieving. 

4. Get support. You cannot do it alone. Ask for help from friends, your partner or even a professional. 

5. Break it down into manageable steps. See the big picture, but focus on what is in front of you. Looking at the end result can be daunting. Take it day by day and you will get there. 

6. Have fun. Enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Don't be a misery to be around, have fun along the way.

7. Be kind to yourself. You will stumble and it's OK. Get up and try again, and again, and again. Achieving goals take persistence. 

Written by Jacqui O’Bree (Fullife Coach www.fullife-coach.com)

Jacqui O’Bree is the owner of Fullife Coaching and a qualified Life Coach. Her vision is to help people live with Purpose, Passion and Possibility in both their personal and professional lives. Jacqui runs group workshops and offers one-on-one coaching, with a special focus on career, parenting, work/ life balance, and financial freedom.  Jacqui is a regular contributor to magazines and a popular speaker at events. She resides in Fourways, Johannesburg. You can contact her on jacqui@fullife-coach.com or visit www.fullife-coach.com