January 2018

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on January 30th, 2018 I believe that the knowledge and skills that students receive while in college may not be adequate to make them top performers when at the workplace. A wide range of skills, knowledge and attitudes need to be learnt while on the job. First, new staff need to be well assimilated into their roles and into the desired organizational culture early enough. Additionally, on an ongoing basis, the staff need to be reminded of their responsibilities, updated with new skills and empowered with fresh ideas in order to get their job done. There are many approaches to equipping our staff with the needed knowledge, skills, and attitudes. A main question remains - are we adequately equipping them? Adequately equipping staff is a process that starts during new staff onboarding and continues throughout the term of service. Some smart companies have a very comprehensive approach to learning…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on January 23rd, 2018 What is your business focusing on? Businesses can choose to focus on one major thing or on a number of areas. Most businesses focus on aspects such as revenues, profits, staff engagement, customer numbers, customer retention, customer satisfaction, expansion, digitization, social impact and the like. Other business focus on the wrong things such as power struggles and politics. When a business’s focus is clear, not only is there devoted attention but also most efforts are steered towards the right direction. Unfortunately, most businesses have no clear focus or have the wrong focus. Without a clear focus or with the wrong focus, business meander through life and whatever comes their way may determine their failure or success. Many businesses that I have interacted with have a clear focus on the financials. They know how their company performed in the previous year financially. In addition, they are…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on January 16th, 2018 We often talk about quality of products and quality of service. However, discussions about quality of staff are not common. This is despite the fact that quality products and quality services are dependent on the quality of staff. Our staff produce products and offer services. A main question is - Is the quality of our staff hurting us? If it is hurting us, what are we doing about it? During a recent conversation with a CEO of a leading Kenyan company, the subject of quality of people came up as we discussed innovation. The CEO indicated that innovation is heavily dependent on the quality of staff. If the staff are not creative and motivated to follow through on their ideas then innovation is unlikely to happen, he added. As we went on with this conversation, I wondered how many organizations are being held back by…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on January 9th, 2018 The business environment continues to evolve! Every year we witness innovative trends in business. This year is no different. A significant change in the businesses’ internal and external environment is expected globally and locally. While most of the changes go beyond boarders and affect all businesses, some are localized affecting only a few businesses. Businesses across different parts of the world may have different experiences in 2018. However, there are those trends that will affect just about every business. What business trends should Kenyan businesses watch out for in 2018? The business environment in Kenya is fascinating. On one hand, some businesses in Kenya are focusing on aspects characteristic of the third and fourth industrial revolution. Such businesses are keen on automation, artificial intelligence, data analytics and even the latest blockchain technology. On the other hand, it is evident that a few Kenyans are still…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on January 2nd, 2018 2018 is here! Every New Year is an opportunity to make the additional year count. To most, a New Year presents new beginnings while to others it is just another year. Many businesses across the globe prepare annual plans or set objectives that they hope to achieve in the New Year. At the individual level, some set goals while others make resolutions for the New Year. How can we make 2018 count in our businesses and even in everything else that we are doing? First, I believe it is important to reflect on lessons we have learnt in the past years. We learn new lessons from our own experiences and from the experiences of others. In the past years, we have witnessed some business excel, others have barely survived while others have shut down. What can we learn from these businesses? As I have reflected…