Evolve Insights

What do you Value?

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on April 24th, 2018 What do you value? What does your organization value? We value what we believe is important to us. At the individual level, some of us value our families others value their friends and others their jobs. Organizations on the other hand value different things. At a broad level, some value their shareholders more, others their staff and their customers, while some value all the three in equal measure. In determining what to value, individuals and organizations must choose between alternatives and determine priority levels. What we value as individuals or as organizations is crucial in determining our identity. With time, what we value becomes a key component of who we are. Our values guide our decision-making, our attitudes and our behaviours. In our organizations, the values of the founders and the leadership team whether defined or unspoken play a major role in shaping our culture.…
robert
April 26, 2018
Evolve Insights

The Mobile Phone: A Friend or a Foe?

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on April 17th, 2018 Last week, I had one easy afternoon.  After visiting college, I decided to spend time at the Thika Road mall observing the quality of retail experience. In total, I visited 12 retail outlets. The outlets visited stocked mainly clothes, toys, groceries, vegetables, textbooks and stationary, electronics, furniture, pharmaceutical products as well as a variety of merchandise.  As I stepped into every outlet, I keenly watched how the staff acted and reacted. Were they welcoming? Did they offer to help? Did they really care? The experiences across the shops differed. However, one thing stood out – most of the staff both at the shop floor and at the checkout counters were busy. While some were busy assisting customers, many others were busy scrolling down their mobile phone. At several retail outlets, I had to enquire from the staff – do you work here? At a toys…
Dr. Lucy Kiruthu
April 17, 2018
Evolve Insights

My Maiden SGR Ride Was Not Like Yours

My maiden SGR trip came sooner than expected. A client requested that I ride with the team on the SGR last week. In show of solidarity, I obliged. I did so reluctantly because I had always wanted my maiden SGR trip to be part of a well thought out holiday experience. When I tweeted about my upcoming maiden trip, a tweep advised that I carry snacks and water and that I did. I packed some water, juice a bowl of fruits, some nuts and alpen bars but unfortunately forgot to pick up the apples from the fridge (I have since decided to be preparing a travel checklist). I received the tickets in advance from my client and therefore I have no idea how SGR ticketing happens. I assumed that my ID card would be required and therefore placed the tickets in my purse right next to the ID. The Uber ride to the train station was…
robert
April 16, 2018
Evolve Insights

Do businesses really want customers back

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on April 10th, 2018 As customers, we have thousands of interactions in our lifetime. On a daily basis, we interact with businesses of all kinds. These interactions either relate to our work or are personal. We request proposals, make orders, engage service providers, visit restaurants, go to the supermarket, fuel at a petrol station etc. Some of these interactions are exceptional, however, most are ordinary while others are horrible. We go back to some of these businesses, others remain a once off purchase, we walk away never to return. On the other hand, as businesses, we provide products and serve our customers on a daily basis. We do so in a marketplace that is becoming very competitive. Next door, a business provides products or services similar to ours. As a result, our customers have a choice; they can come to us or go next door. When the customer chooses…
robert
April 10, 2018