It is common for organisations to take people for an off-site retreat to consider issues of strategic importance. Common reasons for an offsite retreat include strategic planning retreat, strategy review retreat, budgeting retreat, new policy analysis retreat, board induction and teaming retreat, team-building retreat, among the many reasons. Regardless of the type of retreat, having a great agenda and the right people in the room is critical. But it is not enough. You need specific ground rules to allow for frank discussions and contribution from all members. The common ground rules people state includes put your phones in silent, silent…
Best of WhatsApp – just for laughs: unrealistic corporate expectations
Every leader wants to drive the corporate value up. To achieve this, leaders set targets and objectives to achieve which are assigned to different folks in the organisation. Despite lots of efforts, sometimes progress is minimal, which tends to frustrate many folks up the corporate ladder. The number one cause of slow progress despite massive push is attributed to unrealistic expectations by different managers and leaders as described below. A project Manager is a Person who thinks nine women can deliver a baby in just one month. A procurement manager is a person who thinks it will take 18 months…
Acknowledge weaknesses to fix it
Many leaders spend a lot of time convincing themselves that they do not need help. Most technical people are fond of giving rosy reports about how great things are going. Yet, at the end of the year, when independent reports are in, statistics show that an average company loses about 5% of their annual revenue to fraud, of which cybercrime contributes over 4%! Statements like “No one broke in.” “Our systems are very secure.” “We cannot be hacked.” “We lose 0% of our annual revenue to fraud and cybersecurity annually.” Are some of the common lies many leaders hear. However,…
Bunyoro – Kitara Kingdom’s unfocused talks
The Bunyoro Hard Talk WhatsApp forum started with a great promise: a public square of intellectual discourse about Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom’s development agenda. The anchor model was simple: a platform to provide an opportunity to deliberate the best course of action to fast-track development in the Kingdom. It was named “Hard Talk” because no subject was out of reach, in line with the BBC’s Stephen Sucker’s tough interviews. Any member on the platform was expected to add to the discourse and or be held accountable for any omissions or commissions in the interests of the great people of Bunyoro-Kitara. The most…
The right mental focus
Whatever happens, take responsibility! No one likes people who run from responsibility. Average leaders place blame. Exceptional leaders take it. And here is the thing. They take it because they are in charge of the environment. It is easier to give excuses or find a scapegoat. It takes a strong mind to acknowledge the shortcomings and promise to make it right next time. Few leaders have that backbone. Be one of them and you will win. That is what I call the right mental focus. Mustapha B Mugisa, Mr. Strategy.
How to Win
“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” Frank communication is the single most tool to make you win. Tell others what you expect of them, and ask them to tell you what they expect of you. Relationships are built on trust but sustained on communication. It only hurts you to be annoyed but not letting the other person know about it, and why. You cannot fail to build great relationships and live happily with people and win. Mustapha B Mugisa, Mr. Strategy
