Tio Erastus Nakasole
The unanticipated global economic tailwind and headwind wreaked turbulence in the so-called even year of 2022. For the past eleven months global economic activity has experienced a broad–based and skewed-than-expected slowdown with inflation higher than seen in several decades. The cost of living crisis, tightening financial conditions in most regions. The catastrophe of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the lingering Covid-19 pandemic all weigh down the outlook. The sixth consecutive hike of the Namibian Repo rate to 6.75%. Based on the International Monetary Fund forecast, Global growth is extrapolated by the slow of 3.2% in 2022 and 2.7% in 2023.
Similarly, anticipated multilateral cooperation is crucial in kick-starting the green energy transition and preventing fragmentation in perpetuity. Fifa world cup, which is being held in Qatar, there are more lessons to be drawn from one of these Gulf regions from innovation to development. Year in and year out the struggle for Economic development is not only hampering Namibia but developing nations at large.
Statistically, Namibia has a population that stands at 2.5 million, compared to Qatar at 2.6 million, but in terms of economic activities, dissimilarities speak volumes. Given the complexity, magnitude and proximity of the turbulent economies in the developing economy, management and innovation must be an integral part of the process.
A matter of management
Structural reforms in 2023 have a certain possibility of turning around and if further fortified can accelerate growth contributed in the current year through proper management. Contemporary, certain words such as “management’’ are being used interchangeably and hence get misinterpreted upon execution and eventually breed bad results. According to Peter Drucker, management is a responsibility that requires planning, execution and monitoring.
Often-time states, organisations and companies failed due to reckless decisions in the early stages. How a company move from good to great companies, is a matter of management, leadership and innovation. Why some countries are so developed than others, is not an “Animal farm” debate, but the reality is how they were run from the very beginning.
The problem of African companies, corporations and SMEs has been off the continent for time immemorial. One who is so ambitious to become an entrepreneur, the dream of Steve Jobs’ innovativeness is already in jeopardy. You cannot conquer in an arena full of maladministration, mismanagement, corruption and nepotism. All these have to be nipped in the bud in the first place.
Revamp the Status Quo
Good management is the prerequisite for good service delivery. Over the years, there has been a paradigm shift and evolution of service delivery in many countries. Some of the changes have taken place in the arena of financial services, Infrastructure services, business services, government services and personal services. In the current era, you cannot solve twenty-first-century problems with the twentieth solution.
You do not just tell, you test, you do not just imagine, you clear expectations for the team, using positive reinforcement for the team, training them to bring you solutions and not problems, and have a proactive team and not a reactive team. Undeniably, day in and day out more among us than not, are encountering and suffering from silent disillusionment either with the service we encounter, how we get treated and the pace and direction at which things are flowing. Of course, from a faith perspective, the human spirit hates failures and disappointments. Regardless of what form of business you find yourself in, but vital to set cultures and standards.
Set Your Priority Straight
There is an urgent need to revamp the culture of how we run our entities, corporation and enterprises. It does not require you to study a management course for you to understand that some of the things are important but not urgent, in tandem to be aware that some of the things are urgent but not important.
On the other side of the coin is not solely what priority you set, but how you respond to the things that sustain the company, and country at large in the long run. Once you are in the private office, once you start interacting internally and externally on the matter relating to business, once you start understanding things that customers have the right to the complaint once receive bad service, then that should change your management approach into the one that commensurates with the society.
Value Addition
The evolution of Apple Inc and Tesla is a good indication that for any Small and Medium Enterprise, there is a need for manpower and a productive workforce with good skills and abilities, that should not just be cloned but emulated. The ability to restructure a well-planned and coordinated continuing professional development of both internal and external customer service. The lesson is, it is not only about what you sell but how you sell it and the value you add. It is not about the amount of workforce you have, it is not about the country’s population, it is not about the resources at your disposal but is about how you manage.
Finally, there is no doubt, bad management breeds bad service delivery. Those at the helm of economic machinery need to bear one thing that Robin Sharma alluded to that “This world was built by people who felt some discontent with the way things were and knew could do better”.
In the same vein, instead of backtracking and reacting in the past, in the year 2023 there is an urgent need of setting standards, to be upfront, hardworking, industrious, detached, responsible, caring, and knowledgeable than before and above – reproach juggler. Our takeaway from the 2022 lesson is not only about managing what we have, but knowing what to overlook.
* Tio Erastus Nakasole is an MBA student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology and a holder of an Honors degree in Economics. Currently serving as the Sales and Service Manager at HiFi Corporation Namibia. The views expressed do not represent those of his employer. - theoerastus@gmail.com