Our newly appointed Manager of Student Enrolments, Haymo Minnaar, is a leader, husband, father of two and student – an inspiring example of commitment to success in life and work. From humble beginnings as a telesales agent Haymo worked hard to reach his goals and today, 15 years later, is part of the senior management team at iQ Academy as our Manager of Student Enrolments.
We recently spoke to Haymo about his journey and what he might be able to share that could inspire us all to reach for greatness. Read on as Haymo talks to us about leadership, motivation and success.
Tell us a bit about how your career started at iQ Academy?
I started in an inbound call centre and progressively moved up the career ladder as opportunities presented themselves. My manager back then believed in me and gave me the confidence and exposure I needed to become a team leader within the student enrolment department. Yet, I had no leadership experience, and the initial 12 student advisors who reported to me gradually grew to 22 student advisors, so I had to learn fast how to motivate and inspire others. A highlight to me was when all 22 of my agents reached their goals in 1 month.
After recently being appointed to senior management, how do you stay focused and on top of your game?
iQ Academy has taught me to be goal-focused and driven which has enabled me to move forward progressively as a leader and in my personal life. I have learned that you have to trust yourself, know what you are capable of, and work actively towards what you want to achieve in life.
Success requires desire, self-belief, and action!
I also believe in taking responsibility for your growth and would encourage future leaders to invest in life-long learning to hone your skills and stay relevant. At iQ, we facilitate continuous learning for others, and I remind my team regularly to keep perspective about what we do and why we do it. We play a vital part in the journey of a person deciding whether they would study a business course and each call should be supported and advised as best we can. The inspirational stories from successful students keep us passionate and motivated to work harder.
I have also learned that making decisions is not easy especially when people are involved. But to evolve, you need to trust your decisions and take responsibility for the outcome.
A wise schoolteacher once said, success is the ability to overcome failure, and I live by that!
Based on your experience, what is the secret to motivating others?
I realised early in my career that people are the most important part of any business. If you treat them well and believe in your team, and they feel that support, they will perform better. It is motivating from a place of empowerment, not fear.
I also make it very clear what I expect from my team: I give clear goals that are realistic and within reach to challenge them to keep reaching forward as individuals and as a team.
Looking back over the years, what personal growth stands out for you?
It can be easy to doubt yourself. But when self-doubt creeps in, I push past this and make a conscious decision to prove to myself that I can do it. Looking back, I realise that leadership is the area I initially doubted myself in the most, and today it is the area in which I have the most impact. I could not have done this without the support and leadership of the iQ Academy and my previous departmental manager who developed me for the role I am in today. My goal as Manager of Student Enrolments is to make the department the best that iQ has ever had: a place where people can grow, be valued, and achieve what they set out to do.
Looking back, I realise that leadership is the area I initially doubted myself in the most, and today it is the area in which I have the most impact.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
2020 taught me to remain focused amidst the distractions, and I want to encourage those who started studying, to not stop or delay your studies because of a tough year. Get back up, keep your eyes on the end goal and keep going strong so you can graduate.
It is also never too late to achieve your goals. Just start where you are.
Do you have any tips you can share on how to balance work, study, and life?
Yes, studying requires discipline, time-management, and commitment. Here are a few tips:
1. Prioritise planning and map out your day to ensure you make time for everything you need to do, whether work, studies, or family.
2. Remove the clutter and have a clean workspace, so you can focus and be clear-minded. If things are messy, you can get disoriented and unfocused.
3. Focus on one thing at a time and pay full attention to what you are doing. Do not allow your mind to wander and do a million things at once.
4. Cell phones are distracting, so put it off, on silent, or flip it.
5. The hardest thing is to start studying. Once you start it’s much easier to continue to study, so stop procrastinating and just do it!
