24 April 2009 - Training staff with Goalgetters

The Confederations and World Cup events provide a unique opportunity around which to focus these efforts. The events provide an exciting platform to focus effort and learning that will reap reward long after the final whistle has been blown.

A vehicle was needed to focus our employees on the important principles of good business while simultaneously imparting information that will be important over the competition periods. And of course learning happens best when people are having fun.

To accomplish some of our objectives we have employed the services or an organisation called Goalgetters. Goalgetters was co-founded by Gary Bailey (ex-Manchester United goalkeeper) and Greg Faasen, himself an ex-Wits professional footballer. Greg's passion is to teach the principles of business, service and quality using sport as the medium. Goalgetters has been successfully training South Africans for more than 15 years.

Learning happens around a soccer-themed board game business simulation. A professional football team is a business like any other and participants will explore the business of football and draw parallels to our business. They will be exposed to cultural facets of the countries participating in the tournaments. They will discuss ways of improving our business and make these suggestions. Most of all, fun will be had by all.

This process is a two year undertaking with the Confederations Cup as the test-drive. Seven of Legacy's South African hotels (Michelangelo, Michelangelo Towers, The Commodore, The PortsWood, Kruger Park Lodge, Bakubung Bush Lodge and Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge) will be participating this time around and we will roll out the process to all units before the World Cup in 2010.

Each participating unit will establish a mini-stadium or fan-fest somewhere in the unit. The venue will be suitably decorated in a soccer theme and games will be shown on television. We trust that the opportunity provided by these football extravaganzas will create excitement both about being South African in these times, and about our business and the possibilities available to us if we apply sound business principles and have fun while doing so.