Curiosity about PR cosmos and beyond

Amateur cosmologist Shoni Makhari is CEO of Ambani Reputation Management. He tells Margaret Harris that the three skills required for success in business a re critical thinking, the ability to solve problems and emotional intelligence

What does your typical work day involve?

Responding to clients' briefs, working on plans and strategies as required by clients, scanning as many news platforms as possible in order to understand events that might have an impact on our clients' business, as well as our own business, and formulating a proper response plan. My colleagues are a crucial part of that response plan, and we will work together as a team on different scenarios before we put together an effective plan.

What are the four most important things you do at work?

Team motivation, environmental scanning, strategy development and client engagement. Motivation is something every manager should do on a regular basis - an engaged team is a productive team. Each team member needs to understand and be reminded regularly why we do what we do and how we should strive to do it better each day.

A little paranoia is healthy for a business. You have to be constantly worried that your clients may at any time be approached by another service provider.

Environmental scanning allows you as the manager to keep abreast of potential developments in your own operating environment so you can anticipate the future and stay ahead of the innovation curve. If you do not do this, you will wake up one morning and realise that what you do, or how you do it, is either no longer relevant or ineffective.

We work on different strategies for different issues that clients may bring to our attention or proactively suggest things that clients should do.

We engage with our clients regularly because you have to keep a healthy relationship with your client. You need to know if your client is still happy with your service or beginning to lose faith in your abilities.

What drew you to a career in communications?

A total accident. I wanted to become a scientist. I realised along the way that I may not have the brains to push the current scientific body of knowledge to a new level, and I was not happy with being ordinary in what I did, so I switched to commerce.

I am not suggesting that commerce is easier; it just requires a slightly different set of natural abilities. Going through my MBA programme, for example, was an extremely demanding exercise that pushed me to my limits.

I went for a career that had the ability to satisfy my inquisitive mind: I became a financial journalist. It appealed to me because I was constantly learning new things and also interacting with very successful business people who had insights about their areas of business.

Later, I was approached by an agency looking for someone with my set of skills, including writing and an understanding of financial affairs.

How does your background as a financial journalist help you in the work you do today?

You cannot sell something you do not understand, so my clients, many of whom are corporates, very often require an understanding of the financial impact of whatever position the company is taking, and it is therefore very important to have that knowledge to be able to articulate their position accurately, succinctly and in a manner that is accessible to a diverse audience.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I wanted to become a cosmologist. I have always been fascinated by the way the universe works and our place in it. Cosmology became a hobby rather than a career.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

We have clients in very different sectors of the economy, from technology to manufacturing, higher education and community work. It appeals to my nature, as I am continuously looking to learn new things.

What part of your job would you prefer not to do?

Admin - it can be very routine, but every organisation has to have a governance structure and compliance.

What makes you good at your job?

I am never satisfied with what we did yesterday. I am also reasonably good with people - businesses do not deal with businesses, people in businesses deal with each other. I believe you need three skills to be successful: critical thinking, the ability to solve problems, and emotional intelligence.