Do you know that everyday you go to work; the company is spending money? As a good employee, conduct a daily reality check: what is the cost the business makes because it gave you a job? And how much revenue do you bring on the table? If you did not come to work today, how much loss or gain would the company? The objective of any business is to make money and save costs or both. When you get a job, you need to study your job description or scorecard carefully to understand where to you fall. Are you in…
The lie: staff motivation improves productivity
If you want a good life, go out and act. Start doing something about it. Stop waiting for some folk who is already frustrated with their lives to come and talk into you some motivation. One of the worst performance improvement concept is motivational speaking. The best person to motivate you is you. The staff has a choice: to be self-motivated or not. It does not matter how many motivational talks one attends, if one lacks a full tank of personal beliefs in own potential to thrive, nothing good will happen. For that reason, over 70% of the people who…
The pit hole rule: “Don’t get ready stay ready”
Technology is slowly killing traditional local knowledge. Gone are the days of using pit latrines for sanitation. Before flashing toilets, we would dig up 50 feet pits and call them to pit latrine. That is where one would go for the so-called “long call.” Note that today, the mobile phone has changed the meaning of this word. When one says, ‘long call’. It is understood by the Baby Boomer generation to mean speaking on the mobile phone for many minutes or being too long on the phone call. The pit hole rule states that “Don’t get ready. Stay ready.” This…
Know Your Mandate as a Board member, the strategic foundation of the organisation as well as its objects
To build a good house, start with a plan. Then focus on laying a good foundation. For better results, build your house on a wide, flat and deep rock. Strengthen your house by mixing your materials – water, sand, cement, etc in the right quantities. But how do you supervise a house construction without knowing the bills of quality? As a new board member, it is your responsibility to know the details first until you are comfortable with the state of the business or organisation. Also read: How Board members are killing NGO’s Consider the following: What is your mandate…
Improving the lives of victims of HIV/Aids
James Kakoma Junior a diploma holder in Accounting and Finance is the financial officer at Need Help, a local NGO that provides financial support to victims of HIV/AIDS and street children. In 2014 the NGO applied for a grant from partner donors to help reach areas of Eastern Uganda more specially Iganga, Mbale and Tororo and it was successful in receiving a grant of Ushs. 1.5 Billion. James has worked with the NGO for the last 5 years and he is an excellent performer. James recently completed his degree in Accounting and Finance and he expects a promotion due to…
Fighting corruption and fraud risk
Fraud and corruption posses a big threat to corporate success. As custodians of financial resources, the accountants’ role is more than writing cheques and books of accounts. The role has evolved to include implementing policies and procedures aimed at preventing fraudulent practices, and where a fraud occurs, implementing controls to prevent re-occurrence. To discharge their role effectively, accountants must acquire fraud prevention and management skills. One of the ways of managing corruption and fraud is through public awareness of the risk. In these anti-fraud and corruption series, we explain how fraud and corruption occur and ways of managing the risks.…
