Are You Ready To Be Sky Bound In A Re-Branded Kenya?

By Mwangi Wanjumbi – Newtimes B.S.  Chief Trainer/Consultant

Welcome to new Kenya. This is a state that is guided by a new constitution, which is still in its final stages of implementation; a state which has peacefully elected a brand new president whose modas operadi will be guided by the new constitution, right from day one; a state which will no longer be controlled from Nairobi, but largely from 47 centers of authority, constitutionally known as county governments.

This is a state where national resources will now be distributed equally amongst the counties; a state where amongst numerous other things, Kenyans are expected to have equal rights before the law, irrespective of their race, ethnic origin or even social status. We are this far in agreement. Aren’t we?

Nevertheless, there are a few challenges that we need to grapple with, if we all expect to benefit fully from the new developments. Perhaps, we very sincerely need to ask; are we still guided by the same mindsets that had continually led our nation towards imminent destruction before the ongoing transformation?  Secondly, what lessons have we learnt from the recent presidential campaigns, which need to guide us into the future?

That brings to mind the first question thrown to presidential aspirants during the televised debate of 25^th February 2013. Each of the aspirants was asked to suggest the minimum salary payable in a nation, which has great wage disparities between the different categories of workers. You and I know that they each went around the question, largely leaving it to the market forces (workers unions and employers), which have at the moment settled on a minimum of KES 8,500 or about US $ 100 per month.

Nonetheless, the seemingly philosophical views of then candidate Mohammed Abduba Dida may be implanted in the minds of some of us for many years to come. As the others concentrated in explaining their solutions, this candidate was of the view that there is a mindset problem where everybody is guided by money in this country. Given a chance, he would first scale down the incomes of those earning super salaries especially politicians

He went ahead to explain that even those vying for positions of county representatives are largely interested in the earnings expected once they win the seats (the salaries commission has since gazetted reduced salaries particularly for the political class). With these mindsets, how is this nation expected to unleash its full potential?  How will it fully benefit from devolved management system, which has largely dismantled the age old bureaucratic management structures?

One of the problems that could continue bedeviling this nation is the very mindsets some of which had contributed to the challenges that we have been continually experiencing. Even as constitutional transformation takes shape, all the changes will be useless if we as individuals do not undergo some inevitable mind shifts.

Had I been one of the participants in the last presidential debates, I could like all the others not have given any straight forward answer, on the minimum salary question. Instead, I could have explained the motivations behind our behavior and pledged to correct the situation once I get into office.

Generally, human beings are driven by two mentalities.  One of them is the scarcity mentality. This one makes people believe that there are not enough opportunities remaining for each one of us. There is fear of each of us never having enough land, jobs, money and numerous other resources for instance. With that in mind, we get affected by a decease called “grabiosis.” We engage into panic mode or craze which leads to grabbing anything that comes our way.

More still, we embrace shortcuts as we endeavor to achieve much desired success. Favoritism, bribery and many other unfair methods are employed. Our studies too are affected. We pursue only what we imagine will bring quick successes and particularly financial rewards. Do these approaches always lead to the desired success? For answers, you only need to check what happened in Siokimau, where heavy investment properties were bulldozed to zero; recently lost opportunities especially in state jobs; countless victims of fraudsters and tricksters; numerous employed people who are sadly experiencing job dissatisfaction and other related frustrations.

Alternatively, we fail to appreciate the existence of abundance mentality. Here, it is held that each one of us is endowed with personalized strengths. The same are supposed to drive us into great success however long it takes and whatever challenges are involved. That is why many developed nations have embraced what is known as talent economies. As local political manifestos advocated (during campaigns)  about dishing out interest free money for job creation, these developed nations are continually aligning talent not just for job creation, but better still, creating quality employment, whether in the formal or in the informal sector.

However, dishing out money is not new. That was the idea when the youth enterprise development fund was first introduced in 2006. As is well documented, this author conceptualized the implementation of this fund, leading to some strategic moves which have led to continued success of the fund. One of them was the creation of the fund management arm, the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, which had earlier not been envisaged.

The worry for some of us is that even in this age, we seem to be a certificate driven nation more than anything else. It is no wonder than that informal research has shown that many nationals in employment are driven by the requisite earnings and rarely the expected value creation or addition. They don’t unleash their own personal performance potential and can’t therefore help employers to do likewise.

These trends and mindsets need to be curtailed in the new national management system. We MUST embrace new paradigm shifts and new order of doing things. The county governments have no choice but to gear towards unleashing human resource (not just employees) performance potential, for them to be relevant in a newly re-branded nation.

Perhaps willing county governments would need to discuss more on county strategy even as they await performance contracting arrangements. The latter will no doubt be eventually imposed by the national government and the electorate too. Moreover, the county governments are essentially supposed to operate like business entities. Their successful take off will replicate that of the sky bound Kenyan Nation.

Further more, they could invaluably benefit from our change inspiring business leadership and performance management training solutions, or staff motivation and capacity building training(depending on employee categories), which easily inculcate the desirable take off skills and attitudes. Finally, you (the reader) are no doubt aware that “you are the change that you would want the world to be,” as epitomized by Mahatma Gandhi. Inevitably therefore, seek your role and implement your part in the ongoing transformation.

(Welcome for more STRUCTURED learning on this area, in our Business Leadership and Performance Management Training as well as Strategic Leadership & Management Workshops. Meanwhile, please note that personal and team assessment tips/guides on desirable re-alignment strategies, are now incorporated into all our training programs. This is in realization that people will inevitably unleash their potential only when work becomes fun.  (For guidance see Calendar and Training Plans attached)

The Writer Specializes in Business/Organizational Strategy & Change Management Solutions as well as Organizational Transformation (from GOODNESS to GREATNESS). The latter is guided by unique Business Leadership and Performance Management Training/Employee re-branding solutions. Through Newtimes Business Solutions, he also conducts high impact Strategy Workshops and Motivational Seminars. Further, he is a Veteran Company of the Year Award Consultant for KIM as well as a former Daily Newspaper and Business Magazine Columnist.

NOTE: We are National Industrial Training Authority-NITA (Formally DIT) compliant under file ref no DIT/TRN/651 of 2007. Your organization can conveniently claim training levy refunds if entitled to. See our current certificate @ http://newtimesconsultants.com/ke/images/nita%20approval%20renewal.pdf

Meanwhile, welcome to a free eye opening presentation that could elicit great excitement especially for those who enjoy seeking change and progress.  In any case, that is the way to go as demonstrated @ http://newtimesconsultants.com/ke/images/newtimes%20transformation%20demo.pdf

CALL TO ACTION

No doubt, you would want to immediately benefit from structured learning through highly researched transformational solutions on existing and emergent organizational challenges. Won’t you? You are most WELCOME!!!!!