Re-aligning Our Work Ethics To Harness Innovation
Despite the weather fragilities which are related to the impact of global warming, the agricultural sector remains one of the key drivers of Kenya’s economy and contributes almost 23 percent of the gross domestic product. Based on government statistics of 2013, the sector fetches over Ksh11 billion from the export market.
Opportunities in the sector have continued evolving sometimes dramatically over the years. But, we may need to take heed of a warning from the World Bank on the likelihood of global temperatures rising by four degrees centigrade by the end of the century. As such there is an urgent need to equip the society with the right knowledge and need for innovation, if maximum benefits will constantly be reaped from the sector.
Looking back into those earlier years, it is still memorable how our growth process in rural areas was greatly influenced by the agricultural sector. Personally, I was consistently fascinated by the then vibrancy of the agricultural sector, which was the fulcrum of our economic development. While in lower primary school, I acquired the hobby of keeping some kienyenji (traditional) chicken and rabbits as well. Whereas, the chicken provided an opportunity for saving on cost of eggs and occasional feasts, the rabbits had no commercial value at that time.
Alongside, land in our rural areas was then used for cultivation of maize, beans and other subsistence crops. A few crossbred cows which yielded small quantities of milk for consumption in families, were also part of the farming equation. This means that dairy farming was only happening remotely.
On the other hand, growing coffee was booming business. Families endowed with numerous trees had their best moments, especially upon the advent of the famous 1970’s season of the ‘black gold,’ which resulted from coffee frost in Brazil. This Southern American Nation was and still is the World’s greatest producer of coffee.
Further, there were various interventions such as district agricultural shows and 4 k (Kuungana, Kufanya, Kusaidia Kenya) Club activities, all meant to sensitize the growth of the agricultural sector, especially amongst the youth. These interventions no doubt encouraged youngsters of our times, to appreciate the importance of agriculture. The same influences continued upon graduation to high school, given that we were spending holidays in the same rural areas. Did those influences during the growth process have a bearing on what we eventually became? To what extent have they led to continued innovation?
Personally, let me confess that I had a special attachment to agriculture, as an area of study. In fact, I successfully pursued this highly practical subject right through high school. Eventually, I was attracted to joining Egerton, then an agricultural college where, I imagined graduating with a Diploma in Agricultural studies. However, my dreams were shattered upon ‘failing’ to pass the requisite interviews. That was probably my turning point on matters to do with farming. The interests faded completely and have never re-emerged no matter the influences. Honestly, I have no idea how I could have faired, had I pursued a career in the sector.
In the recent years nevertheless, I have tried to revive my interest, based on readings from regularly serialized writings on seeds of gold, but, to no avail. Incidentally, commercial farming was largely associated with ranches which consisted of large tracts of land. The same has now extended to small pieces of land, sometimes as little as ¼ acres, which accommodate herds of zero grazed cattle and other concurrent activities. Luckily, continued research has now led to new realizations. With your indulgence, it is possible to discuss the disinterest in agriculture and more.
Nonetheless, many people have had similar experiences of attempting to or actually pursuing careers that were influenced by the world around them. Some become highly successful, whereas others have just groped through life, thus just managing to survive one way or the other.
Most often, people who have ventured into the wrong vocations or careers rarely develop passion or job satisfaction. Under such circumstances, it becomes difficult to unleash their full performance potential. This means that even the respective rewards may most likely be inadequate.
Apparently, that scenario impacts negatively on the qualities of the human capital expected to power organizations, national and even regional economies. Besides, their motivations maybe somehow skewed. According to estimates released recently by the Inter-university Council of Eastern Africa in 2014, 51 per cent, of university graduates in Kenya are either unemployed or unemployable. For Uganda, the estimate is 63 per cent, while those of Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania fall within this range of 51 per cent to 63 per cent.
Further, research indicates that 67 per cent of employees in Kenyan organizations were dissatisfied with their current employment situations, and are thus actively seeking better paying jobs. What is the impact of this scenario to effective execution of organizational strategy?
Meanwhile, this column had earlier mentioned about business disruptions that are likely to be experienced during the year. One of the forces of disruption was indicated as the internal customer. This force is certainly the one that drives business, through processes of manipulating the requisite resources. More still, the human capital is the sensory system of the respective organizations. The latter can’t move, think or perform any activity on it’s own.
Effectively, any challenges associated with the human capital are manifested in the respective organizations. This is so because disempowered individuals can only build disempowered teams, organizations and nations too. Did you ever know that the disempowerment originates from career misalignment, which eventually leads to lopsided motivations?
What can we say of Mumias Sugar Company, which was only recently a blue chip entity, at the Nairobi Stock exchange? Currently, it is enduing the process of being revived by the government, after a sudden decline, whose causes are subject of investigations. Moreover, it is in the public domain that KES 5 billion will be injected into the company, whereas at least 300 senior employees will have to be shed off for the restructuring process to take shape.
Naturally, decline of organizations may not be associated with isolated cases only. The hue and cry currently going on with regard to purge on widespread sleaze, in the country could be symptoms of a larger problem. The same needs to be addressed more strategically and holistically. This is so because there are two mentalities that drive all human activity. On one hand is the scarcity mentality, which propagates that opportunities are scarce and therefore insufficient for all of us. The eventual result is survival for the fittest, as in the case of the animal kingdom.
This is the genesis of all the challenges bedeviling organizations and the society at large. When our careers in life are influenced by the world around us, as earlier explained, scarcity mentality can’t be ruled out. The alternative is abundance mentality, which advocates that there are opportunities for all of us, if only we can be driven by the powers that are within us, else referred to as intrinsic motivation.
In a highly competitive world where business activities transcend geographical borders, we may have no choice, but to harness the intrinsic motivation that should drive our work ethics, as we pursue the deserving rewards in our careers and vocations. Career Dynamics in the 21st Century, a publication by this writer now reveals strategic and holistic approaches that will help readers to discover their personalized intrinsic motivation. This will no doubt help transform their “world view” and dramatically inspire positive change, in line with the dynamics of the 21st Century.
Most importantly, the book conducts the reader through a step-by-step process of understanding the most befitting careers for each. It also helps those enduring career crises, which yield challenged job satisfaction and therefore less than deserving rewards, to immediately disentangle themselves from those situations.
This eventually yields more employable human capital that is desired in our organizations and therefore national and regional economies. More specifically, Career Dynamics in the 21st Centuryhelps in discovering how easy it is to realize the full human performance potential, during this highly dynamic 21st Century.
Meanwhile,
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