The Perspective of the LEKGOTLA Way Learning & Development Methodology

MONTHLY FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION & JOINT LEARNING: Professionals are constantly looking for the opportunities to reach out to each other, interact and network. It is a professional need to be in the community of fellow professionals and discuss issues of common interest. We want the participants to look forward to meet their peers in a trusted and harmonious setting. That is our value-add to the professionals' growth. Joint learning platforms are what we believe in and commit to provide to our regular attendees of our monthly LEKGOTLA.

PLATFORM FOR COLLECTIVELY CREATING NEW KNOWLEDGE: It is very difficult to create and develop knowledge as an isolated individual. Every time one engages in a group dialogue new thoughts emerge. That is the power of collective thinking. We are confident that our monthly LEKGOTLA would become the home for journalists, opinion makers, broadcasters, etc. We are in need of creative reporting and writing. Knowledge and information is the food for the brain, and we must make sure that quality information and knowledge is created.

THEMES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS: Over and above the Face to Face Networking opportunity created by the LEKGOTLA, the fastest growing platform for social and professional networking is the Social Media. We aim to publish the resolutions from the LEKGOTLA on social media platforms to spark continuous discussions and generate more insights and global knowledge exchange.

KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE: The continent of Africa has for a very long time been associated with negativity. The emergence of the internet and access to broadband is going to bring the countries in Africa much closer to each other and to the world. The African intellectuals have not yet taken their space in the global bodies of knowledge because of lack of connectivity. We see the opportunity to help the African intellectuals to take their rightful place in the global knowledge space through technology in this 4th Industrial Revolution era.

BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE: The monthly themes deliberated in the LEKGOTLA constitute a diverse grouping of bodies of knowledge. These themes will be repeated every year. We aim to grow the membership of each Network. The participants will stay connected and grow their knowledge base through writing, presenting at conferences, workshops and other public forums. They will become available to each other in their professional work. This will, in turn, contribute to the intellectual enterprise development sector.

A CAPTIVE SOURCE & HOME FOR RESEARCHERS: The researchers want to know that they are engaging with people who are constantly plugging their minds and generating new knowledge and information. They also want to know that they have access to people who could be pulled into their research teams to contribute to their research work. Our dialogues would become the place at which research organizations and potential researchers would meet. We will be encouraged to see research engagements initiated at our LEKGOTLA.

COLLABORATION IN LEARNING & CATCHING UP WITH TRENDS: South Africa is perceived to be a consumer country rather than a production country. This is in both goods and service sectors. The same applies in the knowledge sector. Yet we have many cutting edge innovations started in this country, only to be perfected in other countries. We want this country to be the origin, manufacturing and testing of new ideas, before these ideas are converted into products, solutions and service offerings that can be commercialised in other countries.

FUN & EXCHANGING IDEAS: The professionals, academics, students, and industrialists are very busy people. They cannot disengage from their professional work. Our monthly LEKGOTLA demonstrates to these professionals that they can have fun while fulfilling their duties. We are also bringing in other practitioners from other sectors. There is a belief that intellectuals have been sidelined in the new South Africa. We do not agree with this assertion. We are missing platforms where professionals and intellectuals are affirmed. They have a huge role to play in this country. As constitutional democracy is further developed in this country, the intellectuals will be sought after to inform policies, strategies and practices.

NETWORKING WITH THOUGHT LEADERS: Thought leaders are the most difficult people to bring under one roof. Our monthly LEKGOTLA treats each thought leader and professional as a unique individual, while supporting them to interact and network with fellow thought leaders in a trusted atmosphere. The venues of our monthly LEKGOTLA are carefully selected, as we understand the preferences of our participants and guests. The media officials also understand that this is not the place for a scoop, but rather a genuine learning and knowledge-sharing environment.

RECONNECTING WITH BUSY PROFESSIONALS: South Africa is not a big country. Yet it is possible for professionals to spend years without meeting and seeing each other. Professionals and colleagues must be able to meet each other with little or no effort. This is what our monthly LEKGOTLA offers the professionals. Those based in other regions of the country, are encouraged to visit the host regions on days of our Dialogues, or mobilize enough interests in their regions and invite our mobile LEKGOTLA to visit those regions.

MOTIVATION FOR AUTHORS: Writing books, articles, and reports would become easier. All people who are active on social media already have their own network that is following them as a result of the postings and writings they do. So, you already know before you start writing that you have a certain number of people that will read your material. And if you do not write you are under servicing your network. They will be disappointed, because they followed you thinking that you are their source of knowledge and information. So attend our monthly LEKGOTLA and be equipped to service your followers by becoming a seasoned author.

GROWING THE READERS MARKET: If we host writers, we are invariably also hosting readers. These two communities are interconnected and important to each other. If you enjoy writing, you automatically enjoy reading other people's writing, while also attracting a certain readership. We are delighted that through our dialogues we are able to bring these two communities together. Join our monthly LEKGOTLA and decide which of the two you would like to first belong to. Either way, you are on a journey to belong to both. For us, we will be delighted if our LEKGOTLA will become a home to both communities.

MOBILE LEKGOTLA ON DEMAND: South Africa is fast becoming equal in terms of regional importance. The fastest growing regions are Rustenburg (Northwest Province), Burgersfort (Limpopo Province), Mokopane (Limpopo Province), and many others. We cannot remain biased to the Gauteng Province and hope to make a difference in the country as a whole. While we started in Gauteng Province, we would like the participants in our LEKGOTLA to mobilize professionals in other regions to declare interest in hosting similar LEKGOTLA at their regions. We promise to bring our Mobile LEKGOTLA to those regions of the country. So, our visit to these regions is demand led, but we are more than willing to facilitate region-based sessions.

NETWORKING: Networking in general has become an acceptable way of reaching out to the potential and existing particpants. There is both face-to-face and online networking with distinct benefits. The online networking is mostly done on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Pinterest, etc. Irrespective of the method, the networker needs to understand the ins and outs of networking, and should do cost-value analysis of the Networking Programme to determine the extent of the investment in it. Our LEKGOTLA also aims at these networkers who want to grow their networking knowledge in an applied manner. The common practitioners are business development, marketing, sales, advertising, public relations officers, recruitment specialists, job seekers, students, academics, and researchers.

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD): We have developed this LEKGOTLA Learning Methodology from the perspective of a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) intervention. We would like our participants to attend the Networks on an annual basis to renew their knowledge, catch up with the trends and new standards.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCE & ACCEPTANCE: All the participants who attended a minimum of six LEKGOTLAs each year will receive the Certificate of Competence & Acceptance from COMETSA PMS Lekgotla Networks. This certificate qualifies the recipients as experts on The LEKGOTLA Way Learning & Development Methodology (COMETSA). This is a pre-condition to become the Host, Programme Director, Facilitator, and/or Co-Facilitator of The COMETSA PMS Lekgotla Networks.

VOLUNTEER NETWORK CHAMPION: Each Network appoints The COMETSA PMS Lekgotla Volunteer Network Champions. The Champions work closely with COMETSA Networks General Administrator in structuring, organising and hosting the LEKGOTLA for the specific Networks. They also coordinate the Annual Summit of COMETSA PMS Panel of Network Experts in partnership with the COMETSA Networks General Administrator.

VOLUNTEER PANEL OF NETWORK EXPERTS: Each Network appoints volunteers as members of COMETSA Volunteer Panel of Network Experts. The function of the Panel is to fulfil the role of Steering Committee for their specific Network under COMETSA PMS Lekgotla Networks.

ANNUAL SUMMIT OF COMETSA PMS PANEL OF NETWORK EXPERTS: All the members of COMETSA Volunteer Panel of Network Experts converge together once a year at the Annual Summit of COMETSA PMS Panel of Network Experts to address a particular topic recommended by the various Networks. The Networks contest for annual Theme to be addressed by all the Panels.

ANNUAL NATIONAL LEKGOTLA CONFERENCE FOR NETWORKS PARTICIPANTS: The COMETSA PMS Lekgotla Networks host an Annual National Lekgotla Conference for the Networks participants. This is more comprehensive than the monthly LEKGOTLA, and is attended by national and international speakers and guests.