Windhoek
Nedbank Namibia says continuously investing in its staff is one of the ways it shows its commitment to building Namibia. The bank is now focused specifically on improving management skills, which are recognised as scarce in Namibia and Africa.
To address this, Nedbank recently launched two training programmes, an in-house management development programme, as well as a senior management programme that will benefit 22 staff members at middle management level this year.
The staff training is facilitated in conjunction with the University of Stellenbosch and makes provision for candidates from Nedbank Namibia to join other Nedbank staff from across southern Africa. Nedbank has operations in African countries, such as Swaziland, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Malawi, to mention a few. The training started this week and will continue for the next 10 months.
The bank says it recognises that in today’s international economy, with its rapidly changing environment, any business that is not investing in professional development will fall behind. As a business, investment in training is a way to look after staff. It allows the bank to identify potential and to develop it as part of its ethos of making Nedbank a “Great Place to Work, Bank and Invest”.
The comprehensive management development programme will equip staff with the necessary competencies to implement the organisations’ strategic objectives. It also provides a broader understanding of management and leadership and in this way brings real business benefits.
Fundamentally, Nedbank’s organisational development strategy is geared to developing a pipeline of influential leaders who can positively impact both organisational culture and the bottom line; leaders who, through enhanced ability are able to respond to rapid shifts in the environment and understand how to manage change and respond to resistance. Ultimately this expands the pool of skilled leadership in Namibia.
“In order for us to achieve our objectives as a business, it is important that we have the right leadership for our teams. It is also important for everyone to note that leadership is incumbent upon all of us, and it does not start and end in the office of the CEO or MD,” said Lionel Matthews, managing director for Nedbank Namibia.