Kampala – 7th May 2020. Around this time of the year, schools break-off for holidays. Uganda, like the rest of the world, normally requires all primary, secondary, technical/schools, and polytechnics to observe the school holidays (Table 1). During holidays, students break off from school to be with family and friends and learn from their parents. The Ministry of Education and Sports of Uganda had planned the first term holidays to start on 2nd May 2020. So, we are now having holidays within the holidays since students were sent home earlier. Table 1 indicates the school holidays that had been planned.…
UBA Uganda changes strategy becomes profitable…
Transparency is the best business. And no one can talk about good governance without transparency. To this end, banks in Uganda are required to publish their audited financial statements within four months after the end of the financial year i.e. by 30th April of the following year. Detailed publication of the key information about the performance of the business over the past 12 months and the statement of the financial position as at the year-end helps stakeholders make informed decisions. During quarter one of 2020, many banks published their audited financial statements in compliance with the regulatory provisions. Some banks…
What makes a great team member?
Performance is the number one quality that separates the average staff from an exceptional one. It does not matter the economic times or conditions; all leaders will hold on to their exceptional staff. The role of any leader is to attract the best staff to join his or her team. And once they join, to keep them, as s/he lets the average or non-performers to go. The primary role of the leader is to set the vision and find the right team to deliver it. Anyone who does not fit is identified and removed. Like a tree, new leaves come,…
Towards team cohesion: effective communication PPT slide deck
If trust is the glue that keeps teams together, effective communication is the fuel that enables trust. You cannot talk about team cohesion without trust among team members. To help you during this #covid19 crisis, we have prepared for you a PPT slide deck you can readily use to train your staff to communicate better. Now is the time to create team ownership and focus on a common agenda. People will not listen to you if they do not trust you. If people do not listen, they cannot be influenced and or persuaded to act. Business-comunication-basics.pptx So, how do you…
Communicating effectively during a crisis
Effective communicators invest in understanding their audience. Who is who in the audience and what are their expectations? As the world navigates through a pandemic, the tone of the leaders is critical. People want to listen to clear directives and a message of hope, backed with facts and data. This is not the time to point fingers. It is a time to bring everyone on the table and focus on confronting a common enemy. People are always looking for cues and listening to the leader’s tone. Is it hazy or clear? Is it consistent or not? Is it strategic or…
Book 1, Week 1 of March 2020: Our iceberg is melting by John Kotter
Now is the time to embrace change. #covid19 calls for adaptability and responsiveness to change. As a leader, you need skills to implement change seamlessly and swiftly. In this VUCAP – volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, and pandemic — world, the only constant changes. To help you think faster and embrace these new times, I recommend you read, Our Iceberg is Melting, Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions, by John Kotter. You can buy a copy of the book from Amazon. Like the other change management classic, Who Moved My Cheese, book by Dr. Spencer Johnson, Our Iceberg is Melting is…
