When I was working in Ernst & Young (EY), I always got offers for jobs from clients, prospects, and other top companies through headhunting. Some brands are so good that once you have them on your curriculum vitae, opportunities keep coming. EY is one such brand. At EY, you work with some of the best professionals as peers, managers, and partners. You spend a lot of your time with folks that have been outliers in their respective schools especially academically. Many people who join a firm like EY have a track record of success, and the staying power to see…
The leadership choices: are you winning?
#mindspark It’s tough to drive a car whose wheels are not aligned. You have to keep your hands on the steering wheel even on a straight road patch! See our Exchange when I invited a bank executive to attend our special Uganda banking report 2020 launch today at 10:00 am sharp. Me: It’s today at 10 am, make the time, and attend our report launch. Bank executive: Oh, I may miss. I have a meeting from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. You will share the PPT slides. Me: Leadership is about choice. If the internal meetings, you do it regularly.…
Be careful with your local SACCO group
I joined a local community SACCO, with much excitement. But the monthly penalty charges of Ugx. 10,000 for not saving is becoming a problem. Saving culture is a good one. But saving is not enough. You must save and invest. Instead, SACCOs re-lend to other members at a favorable interest rate lower than commercial banks. It makes sense. At the start, many SACCOs by-laws and or constitution is poorly developed and there is lots of excitement. However, after a few months, things start changing. Folks who would save consistently, start skipping. And before you know it, the SACCO is running…
The Top 3 COVID-19 takeaways for tomorrow’s Dynamic Bank?
DOWNLOAD PDF: Tomorrow’s Dynamic Bank -Top 3 Covid-19 Takeaways to Win A dynamic bank is one that adapts to the ever-changing environment by making banking enjoyable as part of the customer’s day-to-day life. There are three takeaways from COVID-19 for banking: Invest in digital and put it at the core of your transformation strategy Integrate the bank into customer lifestyles to make banking a sub-conscious activity and very convenient Operate the bank as a start-up to achieve cost-cutting efficiencies to win. To win, banks must know the difference between a software banking app on one side and a banking platform that…
A new politician? “Hit the line hard…”
Politics is officially the best profession in Uganda, as it gives an instant return on investment when you go through, especially at MP level. We see many people leaving formal employment for political positions. As you throw in the towel and enter into this new career, remember the wise words by Theodore Roosevelt: “In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is – hit the line hard.” Politics is a very competitive game. It is about hitting the line hard. There are no short-cuts. Every contestant wants to win. The one who touches more hearts wins than…
Which bank has got the digital agenda right?
In June 2020, my visa debit card expired. I tried to renew it without leaving my home but was unsuccessful. I contacted the bank using the available customer helpline, after several attempts I got through to a lady who advised gave me that generic response, “visit your nearest branch for your card to be renewed.” When I asked, why, she replied “that is the requirements by the regulator.” Coronavirus is a new era pandemic that has disrupted our ways of life. And banking has not been spared. It worries me that most banks have not leveraged from the pandemic to…
