“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.” Matthew 17:13-21
“Barinaba, don’t cook food you will not finish”, mzee Atanansi Komunjara, my late grandfather always told me. He taught me great life lessons that are more relevant today.
We are living in the VUCA – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. The economic climate, political and general social climate is volatile. Things are changing so fast and suddenly. For example, on 4th July 2018, the Human Resources Manager at one of my contacts, called to book for an appointment to speak to a group of about 20 staff in their early and mid-thirties about dealing with sudden job loss and change management. This is the third time I am being called to give such a talk. This client is conducting the second round of staff reductions in response to stagnating business growth. New laws can suddenly make a business close shop, just like that. You recall the impact of the new mobile money taxes had on some businesses. In this era of volatility, you must be frugal and stay ready. Do not plan to be ready. Stay ready and nimble.
This year I had made some resolutions to guide my decision making when it comes to personal financial management. Instead of making annual plans like most people, I decided with my wife to make a 10-year family growth plan code named, “The Mugisa’s 2027 Happiness Agenda.” It defines the four pillars of our family focus to attain financial independence, with good health and social respect. We are focusing on (i) social investment and happy family; (ii) scalable investments with sustainable growth and (iii) community impact through on-going education for strong intellectual firepower. Under happy family, we have defined family monthly priorities to guide our menu and spending. Of the total monthly income, we make as a family, we have dedicated a maximum of 5% to support friends and relatives’ social functions like weddings. This helps us manage our costs. As my grandfather always told me, “don’t cook or buy food you will not finish.” So many people out there need food, don’t waste it. Our reading for today is a reminder that it is possible to achieve a lot from small. How are you using your skills, talents and little capital to transform your life?
Bernabas M. Mugisa, Mr. Strategy, helps plant the seed of transformation. Visit www.summitcl.com/boardtools to become a better Board member TODAY.
