Leadership Tip of the week

Do we really know why some organizations succeed and why others do not?

Irrespective of the kind of organization we run, success is determined largely by how much information or data will gather before making informed decision and what we do with the information. Guess work and mere permutations are some of the reasons why leaders fail to move their organisations to next levels or attain their organisational goals.

Imagine a surgeon who cuts off the limb of his patient only to discover afterwards that there was a better treatment and all he needed was to administer stronger antibiotics. No leader irrespective of the nature of organization (formal or informal) can succeed without adequate, timely and updated information. With modern technology and globalization, accessibility to information is simpler and easier.

This information may be informal by asking friends, colleagues or formal through intense research. Either way, a leader must gather information to make educated or more importantly the right decisions and as well connect theory to practice or reality. Leading people comes with great responsibility and an uninformed decision is bound to not only affect the organization adversely, but the employees as well.

Thus the more the information at the disposal of the headship, the more competitive that organisation will be.

This tip is inspired by the book “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” By Simon Sinek

Leadership Tip of the week

As the CEO, do you ever wonder what will happen  if you are to be away from your position for longer than you anticipated without notice? How well will your staff cope without your intervention in any form? A leader’s position should be more of  influence and not just affluence. One of the clues to identifying a leader is that “his people consistently demonstrate superior performances” A leader is great, not because of his or her power but because of his ability to empower others and make them deliver quality performance with minimum supervision. A great leader’s responsibility is to develop and motivate  others to do the work. Loyalty to leadership is earned when the follower has personally grown through the mentorship of a leader.

This tip is adapted from  “Developing The Leader Within you” John C.Maxwell

A few years ago I led a team of recruiters in a recruitment exercise that led to the engagement of a highly intelligent first class graduate of business administration. He performed extremely well at all the selection processes and was recommended for a very sensitive role in the organization.

What was not known to me and other members of the panel in spite of the careful selection process was that this candidate was mentally unwell. So shortly after he resumed work at the organization he displayed the traces.

Now don’t get me wrong; he wasn’t ill. In fact, he was very articulate, understood the job description, delivered set targets, was very punctual at work and quite respectful but was mentally unwell. He bowed down to stress easily and was extremely quiet. Not too long, his manager realized that what was considered as a calm mien was actually a mental illness. We must note that not all extremely quiet staff are mentally well, some may be having issues under the façade and if you as a manager ignore the signs you may soon have a mental case in your hands.

On a certain evening shortly before the end of the day’s job this great employee, walked into the office of his manager to announce that he was quitting. He was not ready to follow due process he just wanted to leave. He had no reason other than he was too stressed, couldn’t cope with being away from his family and a few other flimsy excuses. He wasn’t quitting for another job he was just going home to sit. The more his manager probed, the more agitation he displayed. He eventually packed his stuff slammed the door on his supervisor and walked away.

Mental health is not just the absence of mental disorders. The World Health Organisation defines it as a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.

There is no gainsaying that this generation is a stressed one; having to battle with simple things like climate change, to the complex ones bothering on health, politics, gender imbalances, economic instability, recessions and a whole lot more. It is worse in the developing countries and in Nigeria (most stressed country in the world) in particular where the life expectancy is placed at 53.

With this at the background therefore, CEOs must prioritize mental wellness and factor it into their recruitment processes, organizational structure and policies. CEOs that do not pay attention to the mental wellness of their employee will continue to record high level staff turnover.

Most often, staff who are mentally unwell puts the organization at risk and so CEOs who want relative stability and growth must not only pay attention to staff mental wellness, but must create a strategy to manage and develop strong mental wellness program for their employees. Job seekers should also look out for this provision in selecting the organization to work in.

What can CEO do to promote mental wellness among employees?

• Mental awareness training: this must be included in the organization training programme
• Establish a culture of openness and acceptability. Employees must be allowed to express themselves and every issue of concern must be addressed as they occur.
• Avoid creating dichotomy or discrimination that foster unhealthy groups in the office by openly thrashing issues and dispelling rumors.
• CEOs should lead by example by sharing their own experiences, model healthy behaviors and create conversations about mental wellness.
• Create policies and processes that accommodates the mental wellbeing of staff. Staff must know what they are entitled to and how to access it.
• Stress Management through the creation of counselling services that are accessible by all staff.
• CEOs must be sensitive to prevailing circumstances in the immediate environment and mitigate those that are likely to stress out their staff.
• Regular team bonding activities. Introduce sporting activities and other team bonding activities that may help reduce stress and manage anxiety
• Recreational centers; CEOs can invest in recreation centers within the work space. A table tennis corner, scrabble, and other simple activities will help reduce tension at work and place employees at ease.
• Retreat away from office environment can also help deal with anxiety and stress

On the whole, CEOs that prioritise employee mental wellness are more likely to enjoy a positive and productive work environment that will benefit the employees and the organisation as a whole. They will also be able attract great talents and help retain performing staff.

Being a leader comes with great responsibilities and demands great skills in people management. A great man was once asked which of the organization’s resources contributed to the success of his multimillion dollar empire. He answered “people”. Also when asked what was his most challenging concern in building the empire he also answered “people”.

For everything you see working in life, it takes people to work it. And behind every failed enterprise or project are people.

People! people! people! No man is an island and indeed no one succeeds alone. From birth a child needs help to be born and nurtured into adulthood. To be a successful leader, you must have a clear understanding of three key things; People, Process and Performance. All of these key elements require the input of people for maximization.

For instance a performance driven leader who values results at all costs and above any other variables requires the efficiency of the people (employees) to achieve the targeted results. Similarly, a Process driven leader who emphasis sound process requires people to implement the process.

People-driven leaders always create immense value for the organization. They are constantly and proactively improving their teams and gearing them towards optimization These is done by deploring people management skills. They create a psychologically safe environment where employees feel supported and valued.

Every organisation is made up of people of different ages, gender, from diverse backgrounds (culture religion), and with different ideas of how to work. This diversity affects their performance and it also means that different groups within your organisation will be motivated by different things and will work best in particular ways. A successful leader knows how to navigate around this diversity to achieve excellence by deploying his people management skills.

No organisation can succeed without the right value for the people that drive the process.

What are People Management Skills?
They are soft skills needed to lead your people as a manager or leader for maximum results. They include such skills as workplace communication, trust, attitude, positivity, self-confidence, empathy, team building, conflict resolution, ability to motivate, negotiation skills, problem solving skills, accountability etc. The list is endless. However, a successful leader must be intentional about using these skills. He must be able to develop and harness the skills among employees so as to give them the support and motivation they need to perform, develop and confront the day to day challenges of the organization.

Adenike Babajamu

Only what gets measured gets done.

Administrative Accountability is the systematic process of managing a business in a way that the organizational resources are fully maximized and made accountable for the realization of the organization’s objectives. This means every resources including human and material are efficiently directed at achieving the vision of the organisation.
It relates to measurement and answerability on the state of affairs of an individual or organization. It is concerned on the one hand with whether the actions of the employees are within or outside the bounds of their authority and their willingness to take responsibility for their decisions, actions, behavior or otherwise. And on the other hand, it involves the optimisation of every other resources; physical, financial, time energy etc.

In understanding administrative accountability, it is important to note that: only what gets measured gets done.

For effective accountability in an organisation, the answer to the following questions must be known to all employees:

1. Who is accountable?
2. To whom is he/she accountable to?
3. When and where is he accountable?
4. What standards or policies is he/she accountable to?
5. By what means is he accountable?

Where there is ambiguity in the answers to the above questions, the whole essence of accountability becomes shrouded in mystery.
Why Administrative accountability?

1. Accountability strengthens organization’s culture and create a positive work environment.
2. Helps to build strong relationships between employees
3. Improves employees’ individual performance by promoting engagement and ownership
4. Helps employees to value and take pride in their work by showing them how their work fits into the bigger picture.
5. It saves time because employees know what to do
6. Allows employees to be more engaged, motivated, and productive
7. Helps improve your bottom line
8. For control purposes through the establishments of standards, performance control systems, etc.
9. Makes response to change possible (AGILE). Proper accountability will help management take decisions for training, upskilling, reskilling and redeployment.
10. Helps to maintain existing system and retain the stability in workforce and productivity
11. Promotes business continuity; right people in the right place and at the right time.
12. Accountability results in stronger adherence to compliance
13. Promotes optimal use of organization’s resources.
    
    • Guides to measure accountability
      • Set SMART goals
      • Communicate clearly defined Job description while boarding of new staff or re-deployment to other units
      • Establish employee performance metrics; Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
      • Establish relevant administrative policies: To hold employees accountable, there must be established policies and guidelines
      • Establish and communicate officially the approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to all concerned
      • Efficient performance management. Regular appraisal of staff performance against set targets

The worst disservice you can do to yourself is to undermine your own capabilities in the name of modesty. The best product any man has to sell is himself and if you cannot sell You, then I doubt if you can ever sell any other thing. Branding, packaging must start with the product called “YOU”. You are a brand. Sell it.

I worry when at the recruitment table I come across young graduates who when asked about their experience respond with a “no experience” kind of comments. Guys, you cannot be a graduate without experience. Well, maybe not on the current role but you certainly have had some form of experiences leading teams, birthing ideas, innovating changes, organizing meetings etc. You just must be able to think.

Let me wrap this up with two real life examples. At a table leading a recruiting team I came across a young lady who from her introduction seemed smart but claimed to be lacking any form of experience. After series of probing, ( I kind of liked her and wanted to be able to justify her recruitment). She confessed to running a small business of selling yam pottage in her estate. She explained how she would wake up early, cook the stuff, take it round the estate before they leave for work. This to me was a bunch of selling skills, innovative and creative ideas helped her to know when and where to sell.

Conclusion: She is an experienced sales person, a marketer and is leading a team of food supply enterprise. How does this look on the CV?

Another example is Hassan, a graduate of Economics. Hassan has been home for two years post-graduation yet he claimed to have no experience. After a lot of prodding, he explained that he ran evening Arabic classes organized in the neighborhood for children. He also taught them other subjects like English and mathematics. However, because he was doing pro bono, he didn’t consider it as an experience. This, to a recruiter is a teaching experience and a bunch of soft skills that recruiters are looking for embedded in that simple volunteering activity. You need skills to get children organized, come regularly for lessons, get their parents to trust you with their kid etc.

In summary, as a job applicant, you must learn to identify your experience mostly from several positions you must have held at different times in your academic career. Those experiences will certainly help you to be properly positioned at interviews. When it come to experience, never ever go blank again. Do you know being a school prefect, Class captain, head of football or basketball teams are relevant experiences?

We can all do better selling this unique product

By Adenike Babajamu

That digital and AI technologies are transforming the world of work is no longer news. It is also not news that today’s workforce will need to learn and master new skills, and continuously adapt as new opportunities emerge. Several researches including ongoing ones have identified the kind of jobs that may be lost and those that will be created as automation, AI and robotics take over. The dynamics in the developing countries like Nigeria and other African countries may be slightly different and transition a bit slower from that of the developed world, nevertheless even for the developing countries, it can no longer be business as usual.

The need for manual, physical and basic cognitive skills are bound to be on the decline as we climb through the year 2023 into the future. It will be matched by a steady increase in the demand for technological, social, emotional and high cognitive skills. While it is true that machine cannot do everything, to be productive in this age of automation, one would require a range of human skills from technological expertise to essential social and emotional capabilities. Gone are the days when you acquire two or three educational degrees and expect to use it to work for another 30 years. We will all have to continue to adapt, get new skills or possibly go for other types of training different from our degrees. Let me paint a scenario of the changes that has begun to take place.

During the Covid 19, I visited the local private hospital that I had been using for more than two decades and the transformation I saw was quite dramatic. Their process had changed and was fully automated, paperwork was almost completely eliminated. I noticed that some of the staff were new and was amazed to see one of the previously engaged hospital attendant sitting smartly behind a system and capturing data. She had up her skills. The Customer Service also improved tremendously and I could easily identify people skills among the staff who had none in the past. Of course those who couldn’t cope were the ones I didn’t see. They had been laid off.

Since Covid 19, several changes had taken place in the world of work. By the way, contrary to the expectations of many, the future of work is not a destination. It is continuously evolving and very dynamic. For any organization to remain in business therefore, they must adapt to the new development of technology. Similarly for anyone to remain employable, he/she must upskill and reskill. It is important to note that you don’t get drown in a pool simply because you fell in the water, you drowned because you do not know how to swim.

I tell people that you do not fail exams because you did not know anything, but you failed because you didn’t know enough to pass. A few weeks from now and the year will roll over. Year 2023, or rather the future will answer only to those who aspire to do better and do things differently. As we know, you do not do things the same way and expect a different result. The summary is to hone our skills if we must excel in the new year and the future of work which is continuously evolving. This is the time to identify those skills and take concrete steps to actualize them.
Whatever skills we choose to hone must be:

1. Adding value beyond what automated systems and intelligent machines can do
2. Must be operated and useful in a digital environment
3. Must be adaptable to new ways of working
4. Must be adaptable to new roles or occupation.

There is no hard and fast rule as to the number of skills that may be required to survive in this new world of work. The secret is flexibility and openness to learn. Below are some of the skill that may be relevant.

1. High level Cognitive skills: This include ability to think critically and logically in such a way that will result in proffering structured solutions to work related problems. It also includes cognitive flexibility; ability to adapt to change and conceptualize complex multiple ideas all at once. (ideation)
2. Strong Communication skills: Knowing how to ask the right questions, ability to listen actively, learn new things, process information fast and efficiently to maximize output.
3. Critical thinking and analytic skills that will result in timely problem solving and ideation
4. High level interpersonal skills that will mobilize systems, develop strong work relationships; promote teamwork effectiveness, foster inclusiveness, collaboration, enhance mentor-mentee activities etc.
5. Digital literacy is not optional. These include software uses, understanding of data analysis, cybersecurity
6. Leadership skills. This must include self-awareness and self-management; ability to manage own emotions, self-control, take ownership and be decisive.
7. Entrepreneur skills : Be able to break barriers of tradition, not just thinking outside the box but breaking the box of limitations to take quality risks. Must be energetic bold and passionate about convictions. Develop an achievement mentality.
8. Creativity, originality and ability to take initiatives.
9. Emotional and Social intelligence; These are unique human capabilities that cannot be replaced by machines. It includes qualities like empathy resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility.
10. Judgement and decision making skills. This is the subjective side of data analytics. Machines will not be able to do this.
    The list is endless and the expectations of employers are also evolving. There is no one cap fits all hence the need for continuous training and re-training.
    Let me conclude by saying, the future of work is not a destination or an end in itself it is evolving, dynamic and the demands will continue to vary. Only the dynamic employee will be able to take advantage and maximize top notch earnings from the opportunities that the future of work offers. If you don’t want to drown in the pool then learn to swim. Time to hone our skills to next levels.

By Peter Babajamu
August 30, 2022

In the construction world, where there is a massive influx of personnel (skilled and unskilled), professionals from the Engineering world, and across construction technology, there lies a responsibility for proper coordination. A General Contractor (GC) is responsible for managing financial resources, human resources (sub-contractors, trades, vendors), and time constraints to complete a project. As simple as this sounds, it is a complex chain of events broken down to the slightest activity possible to capture and account for all areas.

The first step required before construction could take place is the conceptualization of an idea. The client or owner has typically referred to, conceives an intention to improve their structure or/and infrastructure that will positively impact their business or way of life directly or indirectly. These ideas may include and are not limited to developing a new structure, expanding an existing structure, renovating a structure, procuring new facilities for infrastructure, etc. It takes a while to conceive and implement such ideas.

For an integrated project delivery (IPB), the owner generally seeks the services of a group or company of licensed consultants consisting of an Architect, a Structural Engineer, a Mechanical Engineer, and an Electrical Engineer. Depending on the gravity and nature of the job that is to take place, other consultants may be required. The consultants help prepare and translate the owner’s expectations into detailed documents. These documents include project specifications, design drawings, contracts, and standard codes related to each deliverable.

The first set of documents is not issued immediately for construction. Still, it is used as part of a tender process to allow the owner to employ the services of the victorious General Contractor (through a bid selection process). In addition, the first set of documents is required to obtain the necessary permits needed before the actual construction can be allowed to proceed.

From the General Contractor’s perspective, the first step after receiving an invitation to bid (Request for Proposal) is the preliminary phase, usually referred to as the Preconstruction phase. The Preconstruction phase is the design phase where the General Contractor studies and understand the initial set of construction documents, prepare a budget, and provide a detail on the building methodology, schedule, risk, safety techniques, logistics, human resources, etc. required to execute the project. There are meetings from time to time between the owner, consultants, and General Contractor in other to foster communication about the project. The meetings usually result in issuing addendums adding new information or removing previous information from the construction documents. The GC usually requires assessing the existing condition of the proposed job site to aid budgeting.

The preconstruction phase allows the owner to assess whether the project is constructible and helps to identify value engineering alternatives, green building options, and cost-saving options.

It also helps in the overall selection of the General Contractor showing the highest level of capability and not necessarily the cheapest.

The preconstruction phase can take as long as three months, depending on the size and scope of the job. Hence, the GC has a team that handles the requirements for this phase. The team typically consists of an estimator(s), procurement agent, site superintendent, a logistic coordinator and is headed by a preconstruction manager. The estimators are responsible for preparing the bill of engineering, management, and evaluation (BEME) or bill of quantity (BOQ) which provides a breakdown of the cost of materials, labor/services, and equipment for the project. The procurement agent handles negotiating and preparing the contracts that would be required in case the services of a vendor or subcontractor are required for additional budgetary information.

The site superintendent, in this case, represents the operations team. They provide information on the general requirements, general conditions considered, and the logistics that need to be put in place to achieve the overall goal. In addition, they prepare the schedule and identify lead times which can slow down the project.

The logistic coordinator is responsible for identifying and pricing priority equipment that dramatically impacts the project’s cost and time. Although they play a significant role in the construction phase, they are sometimes part of the preliminary phase.

The preconstruction manager organizes the team, represents the GC in meetings, and organizes the final bid document (bid submission form, bid information form, prequalification documents, assumptions, and clarification).

As soon as the bid document is submitted to the owner, the owner selects the General Contractor to execute the job based on several factors. Although it is typical and even a government requirement for public projects to select the lowest bid to remove bias, there is little freedom to consider additional factors.

Emotional intelligence remains one of the most prized hallmark of great leaders. How many times have you had to react in anger and frustration at your team members or direct support on their failure, poor performance and inadequacy in meeting the demands of their tasks? I bet severally; but how did you do it? Did you shout at them, banged on the table or even assaulted them emotionally? Most often, we do some of these in a bid to express our frustration. Unfortunately the outcome of our outbursts are negative impacts on all parties.

Without a balanced emotional intelligence, an executive with excellent strategies, best training in the world, great innovations, an incisive analytical mind, smart and highly intelligent ideas will fail to make a great leader. It has been proven over time that people with extreme display of negative emotions have never emerged as  drivers of good leadership. We have several examples of highly intelligent and highly skilled managers who earned their promotions into  leadership positions only to fail at the job because of unbalanced emotions. It is also not uncommon to have not-too intelligent executives soaring at their new positions simply by their abilities to manage emotions intelligently.

Very often many leaders realize at the end of the day that their outburst were way overboard. However, the damage would have been done and a damage control thereafter would not completely erase the effect. What then is the solution? Are people born with certain levels of emotional intelligence or do they acquire a balanced emotional intelligence as a result of training or life’s experiences? In other words, can emotional intelligence be learnt?

Like leadership traits, emotional intelligence can be innate and also learnt. However it has also been proven that emotional intelligence increases with age in an old fashioned phenomenon called maturity. It is believed that as one grows with age and experience, there is a tendency to empathize more as well as deal with issues more realistically.

 It is nevertheless important to emphasize that building one’s emotional intelligence cannot happen without a sincere desire and determined effort. CEOs are to lead in the direction of emotional intelligence training of their staff. This is because emotional intelligence does not only distinguishes outstanding leaders but can also be linked to strong organizational performance. There is a direct link between an organization’s success and the emotional intelligence of its leaders and their team

Daniel Goleman Identified five components of emotional intelligence at work that may also be applied to our private lives;

1. Self-Awareness- The ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions, and drives, as well as their effect on others
2. Self-regulation- The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods. The propensity to suspend judgment and to think before acting
3. Motivation- A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status. A propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence
4. Empathy- The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. Skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions
5. Social skill- Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks. An ability to find common ground and build rapport

All of these five components are recommended to be incorporated not just in the training programs of an organization but must also be considered in the recruitment and onboarding of new hires. Now this does not in any way replace the competency requirements of technical skills and relevant qualifications. Rather, it should be seen as a compliment or the icing on the cake for the making of an efficient workforce required to meet the demands of this age.

It would therefore be unwise to think that strong  intellectual capacity, expertise and technical ability are not important ingredients in strong leadership. But they would not be complete without a balanced emotional intelligence. The fact that emotional intelligence can be learned is an advantage that leaders should explore. The process may not be easy initially, but like all learning processes, it will take time, dedication and commitment to the process. It will also take lots of practice so that even when we fail, we do not give up on the process. Ultimately, the benefits that come from having a well-developed emotional intelligence, both for the individual and for the organization, make it worth the effort.

By Adenike Babajamu

That the year 2020 was the year when businesses became truly flexible is no longer news. The year witnessed dramatic change in many businesses such that previously restrictive work concepts as working from home, digital transformation and work-life balance became acceptable and in many cases accounted for business continuity.

Solutions such as online services, home delivery options, video conferencing and cloud computing kept businesses afloat. Business leaders had to make quick decisions; one of which was Pfizer’s ability to produce one of the first COVID-19 vaccines to receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in less than one year.

The trick of businesses and many CEOs in 2020 was mostly adapting in response to the challenges created by the outbreak of Covid 19 and dealing with the consequences.

With the year 2021, came a more aggressive trick of adapting proactively to the reality of the aftermath and continuous consequences of Covid 19 on businesses and the economies in general. The emphasis on digital transformation has become more intentional and not as a temporary solution as it was in 2020. Most CEOs have stepped back to review the spontaneous practices during the pandemic to see what works and can be adopted with many of such converted into policies and procedures that align with their corporate strategies.

In this last quarter of 2021, it is time for CEOs to shift focus on the future by not just adapting to change but anticipate change and assess what changes need to be made so that their businesses will thrive in the coming year.

Without any doubt year 2022 shall be a year of new opportunities  to be explored only by those who are ready. This last quarter is the most apt time to brace up so as to have an early start in the coming year.

One of the areas that may draw attention of CEOs is the need for organization design; not reorganization or change of job tittles or job description but a redesign of systems, skills and strategy. Focus on the business strategy for the purpose of alignment may be required. In addition, systems must be designed to have clear policies and procedures which may be an offshoot of the post pandemic experience. To ensure performance the use of score cards, dash boards and effective KPIs are crucial.

One other thing that the pandemic has taught business owners is that many of the answers to uncertainty cannot be found in management theories. The business that will thrive in 2022 must therefore be ready to introduce Agile working conditions, redefine work as an activity we do and not just a place we go and must be willing to create a work space whether  virtual or physical with matching appropriate practices, processes and technology.

For businesses that did not transform in the year 2021, next year will not be too late to catch up on the realities of the time. While transformation is a major shift in the organization’s capabilities and identity, it should be a welcome disruption that is expected to deliver valuable and competitive results that will help the business to build organizational agility.