PS: This is not another article written to degrade the present state of matter but rather a conscious effort to address pertinent issues and drive change in a society greatly cherished. No Name-calling would occur in any form.
Mediocrity keeps a nation drowned and way beneath her contemporaries. We see things daily being put to bed and executed to perfection in developed countries but still with a great sense of affirmation, we resent change. We resent that needed culture of excellence that can push us out of darkness and obscurity. This is not in any way to elate the Corporate class in these developed countries, obviously they do have their flaws and downsides but one thing is predominant, Excellence Culture. In my dealings and experience as a professional on the other side, I have found this trait often attributable to the society in general and companies I have had the privilege of interacting with. Standards are of the essence. Innovation is daily given a chance and every individual in most cases have a unique sense of value to bring to the table within any organization. These firms have a well sought out identity and dedication to the values upon which their brands have been created. It’s never easy but the overall atmosphere is always measured to do the best at all times.
Speaking with a couple of friends not too long ago, I expressed my joy at the emergence of new firms and entrepreneurial initiatives in the country. We are in fact a part of that movement with our own unique start-up business venture. While that comes as the upside, the overall essence of most of these new establishments in terms of culture, service delivery and driving force still leaves a lot to be desired. Before you take this as a rant from an outsider, I have mingled in the corporate sphere while on some other few occasions had to watch and be an observer. Even In diaspora, I take out time to monitor trends and developments. One other thing I observed from a previous role as a Trainee IT consultant is that some organizations seem to know the right thing to do and in fact set out to achieve them. While they have that drive and innovative approach going for them, they most of the time lack the doggedness and determination required to break the status quo and drive true excellence. They somehow seem to always be at the verge of getting it right. And that only goes for the Corporates who dare to make an attempt to keep up with International/industry standards, market changes and global evolution. Meaning the rest and lot remain in Mediocrity and satisfaction with rigid values.
Recently, I witnessed a twitter rant of a Business Partner with a fast growing online retail brand in the country. That incident instantly reminded me of the unpleasant state of our customer service delivery system. It rang the bell that we probably still don’t value the essence of prioritizing service delivery and net customer satisfaction. The customer service inefficiencies is definitely not the point I seek to address, I am more about the root cause of this situation which from strong indication lies in firm values and structure. The outlook and the culture of any company have an effect on business delivery, public perception, profitability, efficiency and growth. From research and findings, managers are likely to employ people similar to them behavior and thinking wise. This probably explains some of the reasons behind the unending lack luster output of our business and overall societal class.
The world is changing and the global competitive sphere is not taking a slack either. New strong economies are emerging. According to the proposed thesis of a fellow Business school alumnus, the emerging organizations in such economies play a crucial role in this new turn of events. Of course, government policies, chance and a host of other macro/micro economic factors also play a role in development and ultimately improve competitiveness on the global landscape.
What am I driving at? Every level of our corporate stratum demands excellence. As a matter of fact, this excellence will play a big role in our development and output as a country. Michael E. Porter in his Diamond model clearly indicated firm strategy, Structure and rivalry as one of the determinants of competitiveness for any country. If we are to ever stand a chance of leaving the third world cadre, we have to collectively strive for excellence and premium standards at every level of our society, the corporate class strongly inclusive.
BJA | TDM 