The role of Internal audit can’t be under looked. The Internal audit function acts as the safety mechanism of the modern enterprise. Everyone turns to the Internal Audit function should the organization be headed for tough times like bankruptcy and declining performance. The case of Crane Bank is still fresh in our memories. Every stakeholder was asking; where were the auditors? So the internal audit function is critical in helping to close gaps, anticipate issues, and mitigate risks so that the organization can perform better and faster. At the same time, the function is under threat due to process automation…
Are you a stranger to your children?
Did I tell you about my last trip along Northern Bypass? It was chaotic. In a bid to get closer to my children, I asked my wife to let me drive them to and fro School starting this term. For long, my wife has done the role very well without any complaints. Waking up daily at 5:30 am to drop, and picking them from school at 4 pm sharp. I did a social life audit and realized that much as I gave ‘strangers’ a lot of my face time, I was scarce to my children. It should not be like…
Career potholes and how to avoid them
A road with potholes will force you to reduce your driving speed. In Uganda, you buy a car of 180 kilometres per hour, but you hardly find a road where you can drive even at 130 km/hour. Even the Entebbe expressway, you need a very stable car to cruise at this speed! Anyway, career potholes are limiting. You can make more money or buy more cows, but you cannot manufacture even a second. Time, once you lose it, it is gone for good. For this reason, my career strategy has always been read as much as you can while you…
Blockchain and financial inclusion: winning CEO think ahead, part 2
Great executives always think about the long-term game. Where will growth come from in 3- 10 years’ time? Whereas telecom companies are investing in video-on-demand streaming, they are forgetting that winning companies like Amazon, Netflix, Apple, etc are investing a fortune in original content creation. Such companies are looking into the future 20 years ahead – in case of creators reject carrying their content, Netflix can continue to service her membership with her original content – that is the game-changer. Do you think waiting for customers to take loans shall make the bank win in the near future where blockchain…
Blockchain and financial inclusion: winning CEO think ahead, part 1
If you are a financial institution CEO, your unwritten job description is to keep the eyes on the ball — the long-term game to play and win. What are you investing in today to position your bank as a market leader in 5 to 10 years’ time? Great CEOs operate like Club managers of competitive sports like football -always on the lookout on the right team formation to win matches. Whereas the players keep their eyes on the ball throughout the match, a club manager keeps their eyes on the players who optimize their chances for the success of the…
How to nurture good culture, part 2
What is your culture? This question is asked often. Few have the answers. The reason for this is simple: you live culture. There is no such document as “our culture document.” If you have such a document, chances are that no one follows it. In 2014, I won a project to provide strategy execution support for a not for profit organization. At our first inception meeting, I asked a group of nine members of the top management team, “what is our culture here?” The room went silent. It is difficult to explain “a specific company’s culture.” For culture, comes out…
