All board members should come to the meeting well briefed. You have probably witnessed a board meeting where members are not adequately prepared to make a meaningful contribution. As members enter the boardroom, they find board paper files on the desk. As the chairman calls the meeting to order, the board member is busy reading through the board papers! One wonders what kind of contribution can such a board member make. At one of the boards, the board chair required members to book contribution space on any item on the agenda. This forced members to read the board packs. During the board session, only those members that had booked to contribute to the…

The Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda held a public lecture on 8th August 2019. I was the event MC. This being my third time, I was very excited. As usual, I first researched all over the Internet about what makes a fantastic master of ceremony (MC). It is not easy to find such practical information on the Internet. Great resources are restricted. You are either a member or must first pay to subscribe to access the resources. Below are the insights to help you shine at your next gig. You have been nominated or selected to MC at an event, meet the event organizer to introduce you to their boss. Obtain a…

A presentation by Mustapha B Mugisa, Mr. Strategy. BOOM! A loud bang went off. A huge fire suddenly started. That Thursday morning, March 2017, at 10 a.m. brought total misery. The Top Management Team, who were still in the morning meeting, looked out into the window and saw staff running past the main block, shouting: Fire. Fire. Fire. Factory on fire. Fire. Fire. The Chairman, also the owner of the business, a tall man with dark skin, could not believe his ears. He rushed out of the meeting. And ran towards the plant. And there it was in a huge flame of fire. He placed his hands on the knees like a goalkeeper…

Don’t get ready. Stay ready. That is the new normal. No one remembers a safe journey. For the so many years, Ethiopian Airlines has successfully completed so many trips — in fact in millions. But no one remembers that. However, on that Sunday morning, as the rest were going about their business, just 10 minutes of airborne, the flight fell from the skies. There were no survivors. “Investigations show that something small led to the problem. So many people lost their lives. So many families will never be the same. On that fateful day, risk materialized.” So, what is the risk? Which kind of risks are you exposed to? How do you anticipate…

Target audience: Board Members, Top Management Team, and general staff training. Ideal for everyone interested in transforming their lives with original ideas to beat the competition. Strategy facilitation talk delivered over five days period to top management team that wants to change their business with an organic strategy. By the end of the Talk, participants learn: 1. The traditional planning process which starts with Vision (where do we want to be); Mission (how do we get there); Goals and Objectives; Analysis SWOT (SW – Strength and Weaknesses analysis [using 6Ms of Money, Machinery, Markets, Materials, Makeup, and Manpower], OT (Opportunity and Threats) using Porters Five – Forces Model and PESTLED, etc ); making…

Topic 1: Don’t get ready, stay ready. This talk is ideal for the Board of Directors and Top Management Team. It is a three – hours duration. It is a very interactive talk, featuring lots of exercises and teamwork. Even if members are sleepy after a heavy lunch meal, once Mustapha starts the sleep will disappear through the window and get replaced by high-energy and laughter. By the end of the talk, participants learn: 1. The relationship between corporate strategy and risk management. [Mustapha provides clarity of the linkages for effective governance so that leaders avoid surprises while pursuing strategic opportunities] 2. How risk management is a source of innovation in businesses and…

Anyone can be a leader during times of plenty. All you have to do is to manage the logistics – who gets, what, when, why and how. For that matter, many of our youngsters look forward to a government job. In a typical Ministry, the annual budget will be allocated by the Treasury from the consolidated fund. Once the budget is approved, which will always be approved by the Parliament, the money will be available for spending. That is what is called the ‘taxpayer factor’ – public service shall always operate as long as there is a form of government where the people are taxed for every money they earn to support the…

You will not lose weight by watching aerobics on TV as you eat chips and chicken in your sitting room. If you want to lose weight, stand up and start working out. A simple walking around your home can do wonders than spending a whole day watching motivation talks. When it comes to career development, take proactive action. Don’t wait for a job advert. Identify the company of your interest, research about it and write a paper that demonstrates your skills to add value. Address the letter to the chief executive officer, and copy the Human Resources Manager. Read: Understanding the concept of wealth I know from experience every leader is on the…

When the going gets tough …. In the world of the business, the road to success is littered with so many business wreckages of ideas that never made it. They say that out of every 5,000 businesses started, only 4% will make it to beyond the 10th year. Out of the surviving 200, only 0.01% will grow into large corporate brands. With all the information about financial management, technology and markets out there, why do businesses fail at such a tremendous rate? In this second edition of our power series, we examine the power of perseverance or resilience. Many businesses fail to achieve their potential because their owners/founders have very good ideas but…

What does it take to succeed? There are many motivational books on success and they all contain great ideas on how to become a millionaire, how to beat the herd, and so forth. Stephen Covey’s ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ is one such book you are likely to find gracing the libraries of many wells to do peoples homes. The ideas in all these books are marvelous and if we can follow them, they sure will lead to success. But what most of these manuals do not explicitly say is that success is a process and the only way to ensure it is to be consistent. Imagine you are navigating a…

Once upon a time, there lived a man called Earl Dennison Woods (March 5, 1932 – May 3, 2006). Earl Woods joined the American army because there were very few opportunities for blacks. In the Army, he served in Vietnam where he did two tours of duty. Woods had met his second wife while stationed in Thailand in 1966, while serving in Thailand. She was Kultida Punswad, who is half Thai and half Chinese. They married in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York. Their son Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods was born in 1975. The nickname, “Tiger,” comes from Earl Woods’ wartime friendship with Colonel Vuong Dang “Tiger” Phong, a courageous pilot who flew the…

The story is told of how the executives of one big company’s executive committee convened a retreat to assess how their business was doing. During the retreat, it emerged that because of the sheer size of the firm, top management did not seem to have clarity about what business they were in.  Some of the top executives thought the company was in exploration, others thought it was in logistics and others thought it was in marketing! After a lot of soul searching, the executive retreat agreed that the company was in the business of energy. That company is Shell™. Once they had agreed on what business they were in, it became easier for…

When you give your word to yourself or to others, keep it.  Do not break it, period. That is the secret of success. Keep Your Word  From as far back as the mid 1980’s, Ugandan businessmen and women have been traversing the globe looking for the ‘deal’ of their lives. From Kenya to Dubai, to India to China, to London and onto Tokyo, many a hopeful Ugandan businessperson has traveled to fix that deal.  Many have cast their lot but very few have been chosen. The irony is that very few business people know why they have not been chosen. Perhaps let me tell this story in an anecdotal manner. John and Peter…

There is a proverb in some of the East African cultures to the effect that ‘show me your friends, and I will tell you your character’. Others say ‘birds of the same feathers flock together’. So the rich flock with the rich, corporate types flock with corporate types and well, laggards flock with laggards. People tend to identify with those with whom they share the same economic status or better. What is true for folklore is also true for business. The story of many business successes is filled with amazing coincidences and opportunities that entrepreneurs chanced upon and made good. Greet thy neighbor One successful entrepreneur always narrates the story of how he…

Businesses often fail because founders and investors neglect to look before they leap, surging forward with plans without taking the time to realize that the base assumptions of the business plan are wrong. Most successful businesses are the result of more business knowledge than anything else. In the Graham Hancock’s classic, Lords of Poverty: The Power, Prestige, and Corruption of the International Aid Business, Hancock vividly recounts how “experts” in charge of a World Bank project attempted in vain to set up a fish farming project in the remote rural areas of the Egyptian Sahara. Despite their best efforts and countless millions of US dollars in international grants, a year on, they were…

Getting a job is one thing and climbing the corporate ladder is another ballgame. It takes talent, strategy and hard work. It is common to find folks who have occupied the same position (at inflation revised pay) for over five to 10 years! That is called career stagnation. You risk being vulnerable to your current employer as your transfer price (extra pay to leave your current job) lowers due to real or perceived limited experience. I know you could have been a recipient of lousy advice that the longer you stay on your job the better for. Well, you were misled. You are not growing any younger. Career planning involves documenting a clear…

“Resources are acquired to meet the available need. Else they become idle.” I have spent over 18 years interacting with entrepreneurs, new startups and seasoned chief executive officers in charge of government institutions. As an entrepreneur myself, I have realized that the right mindset drives growth. One thing that I have learned which I want you to learn by heart for your career success is that “Resources are acquired to meet the available need. Else they become idle.” And so, as the saying goes, it does not matter how much resources you have, if you do not know how to use them, they will still not be enough! Do not acquire resources and…

“Motivation is not about yelling or shouting at people or being annoyed and keeping quiet. Motivation is about providing a MOTIVE as to why you should do what you are doing.” As you go for lunch, think about what motivates you? The best motivation is from within. The motive to surprise oneself and break the ceiling. That is a result of a fine attitude. What is your attitude? Is it to find excuses why you cannot do it or why you can do it better?

On 15th January 2019, the Marketing and Sales Manager of the regulated financial institution based in Kampala entered the boardroom for a Tuesday morning sales meeting. She found all her colleagues seated. As she moved to take the Chairperson’s seat, the colleagues stood up, in acknowledgment of her arrival. She reached her seat. Stood up, slightly bent forward and placed her hands on the table. She said “You may take your seats. Good morning to you all.” The team replied in unison, “Good morning Madam.” After taking her seat, she said “Quarter two performance is 40% below budget. This is unacceptable. The weakest link in the team is him (pointing at the Sales…

Demonstrate, do not tell. That is one of the secrets of selling. Every organization is always open to fresh talent. Someone who is practical in solving the problems at hand. Forget a list of qualifications after your name. Those are mere papers. The issue is what can you do to improve my condition? It is common to find a company which boasts of a fully-fledged IT department but lacks the skills to connect computers to a printer on the network so that people don’t have to waste time and resources in copying files on thumb drives! And so it occurred that a company which has an ‘accountant’ does not have an annual budget…

Running a private business is about two things: business development which covers branding, marketing and sales; and cost management which focuses on increasing shareholder value. If you have five staff, ideally more than 60% should be focused on the revenue side of the business. It does not matter how much costs you try to cut, if revenue is not growing, you will soon be cash trapped. Before you think about cost-cutting, first generate some money to keep the business moving. Why organizations struggle? Any company that must look for money in order to deliver her mandate, must make a deliberate focus on revenue growth. ALL staff must have targets for sales, including sales…

Are you self-driven? The issue Every employer states that one of the qualities they need in a prospective employee is self-drive. Now all job seekers now indicate they are ‘self-driven’. As an employer, how do you assess whether a prospective employee is indeed self-driven? How to assess self-drive? The quality of the cover letter and CV of an applicant says a lot. Is the cover letter customized to the new job requirements? Does the cover letter demonstrate the applicants understanding of the organization, business model and gaps which the candidate feels they are the best people to close? Is the CV up-to-date and relevant for the position applied for? Does it highlight the…

How many of your staff know why you have implemented internal control systems? Why do you require people to come early at work and sign in the attendance register? Why do you require staff to sign a form that makes them acknowledge having ‘received, read and understood’ respective policies and procedures? Why are visitors required to register at the reception their laptops model, serial number and color, if they visit your office carrying private laptops? Why are staff required to provide accountability for money when they return from a trip? Any company that implements controls and fails to explain why the controls are necessary will experience a high risk of override of controls…

Always ask the following questions to assess your relevancy to any organization you join. Whether it is a political office or board appointment, are you the right person for the job: What value in terms of skills, experience, and networks do I bring on the table? After my term in office, what organization achievements will be identified with me? Considering the nature of the organization and its competitive environment, which kind of leadership is needed and how do I help fix it? I am the best person for this role or I am just being rewarded by the appointing authority? Do I have the time and energy to meet the expectations of the…

A good employee understands how the business owner thinks. Any staff who does work and takes decisions in the best interests of the business and not their personal or staff interests has the right mindset to lead. In today’s faced-paced business environment, business owners want to work with potential business partners other than employees. They need leaders instead of followers. Whereas the majority of employees think about salary and small benefits, outlier staff think about looking for a business to make more money so that they may share profits. They are natural hunters as than cooks. They focus more on the revenue side than on the cost side. They spend a lot of…

I have worked with many entrepreneurs and no single one of them likes an insensitive employee –someone who works in the company but lacks an understanding of the challenges at hand. No business owner wants staff who makes outrageous requests oblivious of the realities on the ground. One such example is what a restaurant owner confided in me about one of his top management staff, who is privy of the challenges the business was going through but went ahead to ask for a salary increment. Really! For emphasis: imagine an employee going to the business owner to ask for a salary increment when the business is struggling to pay bills like rent, utilities,…

Are you a bad or a good staff to work with? Employees can make or break a company. Read to find out (productivity killers) Overuse of one’s a mobile phone for private chats and errands while at work. Reporting late at the workplace. Unproductive groups. Being ignorant about how the company creates and delivers value. Some organizations like government entities may survive despite bad employees because they do not have revenue generation pressures. Even if the entire team came late at work, the money will be on the account as taxpayers will foot the bill. The only challenge such a government entity may experience is returning money back to Treasury because it could…

“Avoid starting meetings with ‘I am sorry for coming late.” There are many opportunities one gets when they keep time.   I love early morning appointments. It is an opportunity to understand the company and the behavior of staff.   I arrive earlier at about 6:20 am. I am usually outside when the first person arrives to open the office. This gives me an opportunity to access the reception and observe who comes in at what time and what they do immediately they arrive at the office. Some staff comes with energy and a sense of urgency, with clarity of priorities for the day. Others come looking too tired, and apparent lack of activities for the…

If you work with someone, respect them. Respect is about keeping promises and commitments. A discipline of consistent behavior. If you promise to attend a meeting at 10 am, keep the time. Keep your phone on all the time. Stop the wrong mindset of being unavailable on Saturdays and Sundays. Someone has considered your opinion on a weekend. That is a good thing. You need to mature and think about the bigger picture. The closer you are with the high-table, any high table, the better. Focus on being closer to power or folks close to power. In a large company, try as much as possible to engage with members of the top management…

Mustapha B Mugisa had a one on one interview on his life’s lessons and below are the excerpts of the insights you need to excel from this maverick executive who was a high achiever at a global level. 1. Briefly, who is Sam F. Owori? How did you start and where? Am generally transparent. Born in Tororo 75 years ago at Kisoko, a famous place in terms of education. My father was a Head master of Kisoko Primary school. At that time, it was the main school for the Eastern region including Western Kenya. I used to see old boys from Kenya join the school. My father was a part preacher. He had…

The best freedom is an open mind. That is why outstanding leaders create an environment of frank and free communication. In today’s business environment characterized by ever-changing technology, there is nothing like ‘what I have done is the best.’ Anyone in a leadership position must focus on supporting staff to surprise themselves in terms of the quality of work done to deliver exceptionally outstanding stuff. RELATED: HABITS OF STAR PERFORMERS You must create an environment of openness to feedback. Are you open to questions and feedback from your peers, seniors, and juniors? A good manager should be. No person wants someone who is a closed mind. That ‘his or her work is the…

Who of your staff is a striker and who is a defender? As a business leader, focus on improving the department in your team that shows weakness. If your strikers are losing the balls in front of the goals, are unable to get the ball past the keeper, consider training them more or substituting them.  If your keeper is making simple mistakes even not under pressure, consider putting them under intensive training if they show talent or getting them off the team altogether. What is the essence of great leadership? Identifying the best people with talent and skills and nurturing them to thrive while at the same time recognizing the people who are…

No donor has too much money to just give away. The key words are value for money, accountability, transparency, and innovation. How do you position your organization at the forefront of good governance? You need to demonstrate a strong stance against fraud and corruption in action and words. Nothing eats stakeholder value like fraud and corruption. Unfortunately, many organizations like yours are exposed to “small” frauds, for example, using WhatsApp or Facebook on the company Internet during working hours which affects daily staff productivity. With time, this costs the entity lots of losses. Some staff understands that such acts constitute fraud in the workplace. To this end, Summit Consulting Ltd seeks an appointment…

Most people make an annual plan instead of a strategy at start of every New Year. Is that effective? Why are some people living a decent life while others are wondering about what to eat in the evening? The answer is not something you may think. When I was growing up, I had fixed all my focus on joining a local technical school in our village and graduating as a car mechanic. I failed. One day, my late grandfather looked into my eyes and said “I know only of Makerere University where the people who run this district study. If you want to make it, study hard and go through the doors of…