In Tribute: Jeye Okorodudu (1958 – 2010)

December 17th, 2010 saw the passing of my oldest client and dear brother-in-law, Jeye Okorodudu, Chairman of the Adata Group of companies. He died in a London hospital after a long battle with cancer.    

Jeye was one of those people who are often described as a ‘force of nature.’ A handsome bear of a man, he had an unusual combination of great warmth and charisma, and almost laser-like business insight. An eternal optimist, he had a boundless belief in the essential goodness of other human beings. It was a trait that both helped and hindered him as he sought to bring his entrepreneurial vision to life. He reposed a level of trust in people that was seldom reciprocated. Despite this sad fact of life, he never complained and indeed I never heard him utter a bad word or negative opinion about another person.

Jeye was a serial entrepreneur whose adventurous nature took him around the world in search of business opportunities. Beginning with Liberia and Sierra Leone in West Africa, he built a global network of business interests and contacts that eventually stretched all the way to China and the Far East. To make sure that he would have the human resources to support his initiatives, he invested heavily in the training and development of his employees and he consumed large numbers of business books, in both written and audio formats, every year. I still recall many late night conversations in which he eagerly explained some new concept which he had come across and wanted my advice about how he could apply it to his business activities as soon as possible.

Most of all, Jeye loved his family and his friends. On December 17, 2011 – a year after his passing, the newspapers were once again full of tributes from people whose lives he had touched and who still missed him dearly. I know I do and it’s taken over a year to finally be able to write these few words about him. He always seemed to be in a hurry, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky. Now, perhaps I know why.

I’m going to close this post with a tribute from his son-in-law, Wohabiko Owhondah. I think it sums up the kind of person Jeye was.

In Tribute

“Dad had an enduring zest for life, and he approached each day as a gift and lived it to its fullest. Every moment I spent with him, he reenforced my belief that life is an unending stream of opportunities waiting to be grasped. He loved unconditionally with his beautiful, open, and giving nature.

Anyone with the good fortune to have met Dad would attest to his genuineness, warmth, generosity and good humor. He brought so much laughter and happiness into the lives he touched. He always looked out for others and often put their needs before his own. He had a rare quality that drew people to him and allowed him to find the goodness in others. There was never any pretension or prejudice about his feelings toward anyone.

His love and friendship were very real to me. He continued to put everyone before himself in his struggle against cancer with the utmost gratitude, appreciation and trust. Even as he battled the disease, he never lost his outstanding sense of humor. His courage, spirit and iron will during this difficult time were indomitable.

We miss men this good terribly when they leave us, but we can all keep the memories we hold dearly alive in our hearts. I deeply admire his fine qualities and I’m so proud that this gem of a man was my father-in-law.”

Wohabiko Owhondah

So say we all. Rest in peace, brother.

Do You Have Any Questions For Us?

The interview panel had narrowed its selection down to two candidates, a man and a woman. In my opinion, both candidates had excellent credentials, impressive track records and strong, vibrant personalities. Clearly, the panel was going to have a tough time deciding who to give the nod.

As the debate raged on, I wondered what would be the deciding factor? What would give either of these two very good candidates the edge? Eventually, the CEO signaled that he thought the discussion had gone on long enough and that he was ready to make his choice. In that decisive way that all the best CEOs seem to share, he declared that while both candidates could probably handle the role, his preference was for the female candidate. When pressed for an explanation by his colleagues he simply stated that he felt the successful candidate had asked the better questions.

To be honest, I wasn’t too surprised at the CEO’s line of reasoning. Interview panels typically give candidates an opportunity to ask questions towards the end of an interview. Unfortunately, all too few see the invitation for what it really is – a great opportunity to make a lasting impression on the panelists.

Why Candidates Don’t Ask Questions

I think there are three main reasons why candidates don’t ask questions when invited to do so:

1. They haven’t prepared in advance and are afraid to sound ignorant or even silly.
2. They’ve been intimidated by the panel in some way. Even the best candidates can find themselves out of sorts when faced by a powerful, knowledgeable or occasionally hostile panel.
3. They are no longer interested in the job.

Asking Questions Can be Advantageous

There are a couple of reasons why asking questions will usually work to your advantage:

1. Progressive employers understand that for the best candidates, the decision to consider taking up a new job is usually couched in career terms. As a result, they literally expect candidates, particularly if they are managers or executives, to show the same thoughtfulness about their own career moves as they would when making decisions on the job. So, the more questions you ask, the better you look.
2. A good interview allows for the two-way exchange of information. During the interview you may have heard a few things you didn’t understand or would like to have clarified. Asking questions allows you to seek clarification on a whole host of issues. Remember, once you sign on the dotted line, its assumed that you know what you are doing. Once you’re on board, its difficult to claim ignorance of things that should have been cleared up during the interview process.
3. Candidate question time is probably one of the few times during an interview when you can actually direct the discussion to areas of interest to you. Use it wisely to explore subjects that can help you arrive at a reasoned decision about the opportunity before you.

Things to Watch Out For

While asking questions is generally good for a candidate, care must be taken not to make some basic, elementary mistakes that are surprisingly common:

1. Don’t ask questions that have already been answered during the course of the interview. If you do, you run the risk of creating the impression that you weren’t paying attention. Remember, rightly or wrongly, many employers use the interview as a way of estimating how a candidate is likely to behave on the job.
2. Avoid asking questions that could be easily answered by a visit to the organization’s website or a review of company literature.
3. Try not to ask too many questions. Most interviews are tightly scheduled and the interview panel is likely to be mindful of how long an interview is taking. Just like on television new shows, it pays to keep your questions (and answers, for that matter) as brief and to the point as possible.

Asking (the right) questions can play a big part in giving you the edge in a competitive situation. So, do your homework and make sure you take advantage of this simple success technique.

Related articles

• How to Deal With a Bad Interviewer (money.usnews.com)
• Top Three Reasons People Do not Get Hired After an Interview (workplacelit4adults.wordpress.com)
• 10 Clues to Watch for in an Interview (money.usnews.com)
• Etiquette to be kept in an interview (azzist.com)
• Questions to ask at interview (jobcontax.wordpress.com)

Advice for Returning Expatriates (Part Two)

In October of last year, I published a post in which I highlighted the concerns of a Nigerian professional who had lived abroad for some time and who was now agonizing over whether to move back to the country. He raised some concerns that he believed would form the basis for any decision that he might ultimately take, and asked me for my advice. Here’s what I told him:

1. Level of Re-entry

Q.  “How do I make sure my absence from the country doesn’t cause me to fall behind my peers?”

Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone can give you any assurances on this one. The decision to go abroad to find one’s fortune automatically launches you on a totally different career trajectory from what you might have experienced if you had stayed at home. Besides, peer comparisons are difficult at the best of times. While we probably all do a certain amount of ‘social benchmarking,’ for most people it’s largely unhelpful. There will always be those who we seem to have done better than and those who we continue to look up to. I suggest you set up some personal career goals and begin to use them to measure your career progression.

Q.  “What level of responsibility am I likely to be given?”

Most employers use a number of criteria to assess suitability for a job and you’ll probably be made an offer based on your education/experience profile. Unfortunately, quite a few returnees overstate the responsibilities they claim to have had whilst working abroad, and they often seem genuinely surprised when the experienced HR managers they meet soon figure out the truth. I suggest you simply state your career facts as truthfully as possible and see what happens.

Q. “Who will I be reporting to?”

In my experience, people may ask this question for two totally different reasons. The first is the natural wish to work for a boss who is competent, fair and willing to help you meet your career goals.  At the same time, some prospective returnees express the added concern that they hope they work with managers or supervisors who don’t feel ‘threatened’ by their presence. Both are fair points, but I think there’s always a bit of luck involved here.  Some bosses are great, some are pretty bad and the rest fall somewhere between these two extremes. Job hunting should always be a two-way affair and it’s up to you to ask the right questions about prospective managers and colleagues.

The second reason for this question is a little less innocent. I’ve met a few returnees who seem to think it’s their right to report only to the CEO or a very senior executive. The implication is that only officers at this level can supervise them. This type of attitude is counter-productive and as I’ve noted elsewhere in this blog before, successful interviewing usually requires a bit of humility.

2.  Convertibility of Experience and Qualifications

Q. “I appreciate that business structures and roles differ between countries, but I would like to be able to make an impact on the organization structure and improve efficiency.“

This is an interesting concern, one that perhaps reflects the sincere desire of many prospective returnees to make a meaningful contribution to the country in some way. However, please bear in mind that the degree of impact you will have is likely to depend more on your personal determination to make a difference than your positioning within the organization. Good employers are always on the lookout for those committed and engaged employees who act like the owners of the business and who seek to contribute to the organization’s overall effectiveness, irrespective of organizational level. On the other hand, the level of your appointment will often define the amount of impact you can have immediately and you may have to exercise patience while you work your way up to a level where you can really showcase what you can do.

Q. “Will my certifications be considered relevant?”

This is a pertinent question and one I hear often.  Once again, there are probably two issues here.  In general, most internationally recognized certifications are also recognized in Nigeria. However, I guess you are really asking what impact, if any, your certifications might have on the level of appointment and pay you are likely to be offered.

Qualifications and certifications are usually treated on a ‘must have’ or ‘nice to have’ basis. In the case of the former, certain qualifications might be regarded as the minimum requirements for a job to be effectively performed. For example, many jobs require you to have a minimum of a first degree or a recognized equivalent. Unless specifically indicated, possession of a higher qualification such as an MBA or Masters degree may not much enhance the offer you receive in its own right. It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that the eventual hiring decision will usually be based on criteria that will include factors such as qualifications/certifications, track record (earlier experience and results achieved), and personal chemistry/fit. To the extent that added certifications impacted positively on the work you may have undertaken in the past, I’d say they eventually do make a difference.

3. The Business Culture, Ethics and Practice (Corporate Governance)

Q. “Many of our ‘normal’ practices in Nigeria might be considered wrong (or even illegal) in other parts of the world. How close will my employer’s business practices be to its stated guiding principles?”

I’m not sure where you’re going with this one. As in most parts of the world, you can probably expect to find a wide spectrum of business practices in play at any time. Each job offer should always be researched as thoroughly as possible for possible conflicts with personal values and it will be up to you to decide whether you can abide with your findings.

4. Growth Potential of the Economy and Industry

Q. “The recent Fitch downgrade sends a red flag. How easy will it be for me to help deliver real growth to my stakeholders?  Will my responsibilities include attracting foreign investment?”

As far as I know, the October 21st, 2010 downgrade by the global ratings agency, Fitch Ratings, only lowered the country’s sovereign credit outlook, and not its real credit rating of BB-minus. More importantly, the past twelve months have seen the sovereign credit rating downgrades of several other countries, including the USA, Italy and Spain to name but a few, suggesting that a poor economic outlook is now a global phenomenon. Under the circumstances, every manager in the world’s job is getting that much harder and I really don’t see why this should play a major role in your decision whether or not to come home.

5. Remuneration and Benefits

Q. “I recently spoke to some potential employers who tried to do a direct dollar to Naira conversion as a salary guide. They didn’t want to factor in inefficiency costs (such as PHCN/private generator, etc.,) and the standard of living (safety, health) in creating a possible compensation package, resulting in huge undervaluation. On the personal side, the issues under consideration include security of life and property, the ability to remit funds abroad, accommodation and infrastructure (car, security, etc.,), network building and ease of getting fully entrenched back into the system.”

The issue of what is a proper level of pay to accept is complex and will almost certainly be determined by personal considerations. Very few of the prospective returnees I’ve spoken to over the years really expected to be remunerated here at home to the same level as they may have received in employment abroad. Most of them had personal goals such as the need to come home to look after aged parents, to reunite with spouses, or simply to reintegrate themselves back into Nigerian life that meant they were often ready to compromise on pay matters. Many simply wanted a level of pay that would allow them to take care of any family left abroad, meet educational obligations for their children, and enable them to get a reasonable foothold here at home.

Having acknowledged the above considerations, however, I don’t believe you should knowingly allow yourself to be shortchanged during pay negotiations. The issue of pay equity is paramount and your goal is to make sure that you receive a fair pay package in the context of what typically obtains for people performing similar jobs to the one you are considering taking up. Please bear in mind that different industries may have vastly differing pay levels, and the degree of financial help offered to returnees may also vary from company to company.

In the end, the decision whether or not to come home is a very personal one. My advice is to set up minimum limits for your potential move home – both in terms of  reward and risk-appetite. If you’ve done your homework and a prospective job offer seems to tick all the boxes, then go for it.

Related articles

• Expatriate Extraordinaire: 5 Signs Your Resumé is Passé – InsideTech.com (insidetech.monster.com)

A Matter of Discipline

Over the years, I’ve had my share of “aha” moments when the solution to some knotty problem has appeared almost magically, when it was most needed. One of the most interesting of such moments occurred while I was working with a client in the marketing communications industry.

Led by a visionary CEO, the company operated in an industry segment that required it to meet tight deadlines and run with a high degree of financial transparency. To meet these demands, company management had systematically acquired the business capabilities needed to position the company as the most innovative player in its industry niche. Considerable effort had also been put into recruiting some of the best young creative talent in the industry. The organization’s commitment to people development was evident in the generous budget set aside each year for staff welfare, training and development. Investment in technology and other infrastructure was equally intense. Within a few years, the company had established itself as the clear leader and was growing rapidly.

Strangely, despite having achieved so much success in such a short time, there was growing unrest within the workforce. Employees, including several senior management staff, appeared resistant to all efforts to streamline operating rules or to introduce more effective performance management practices. The company’s board became increasingly concerned by these developments and I was invited to help investigate what might be wrong.

Several weeks passed without any real progress. Everything seemed to support the conclusion that the company’s progressive staffing policy and disciplined recruitment practices had produced a talented group of creative young people ready to work hard to meet the company’s ambitious vision. Wherever the problem might lie, it didn’t seem to be with the caliber of staff employed. A review of the management team produced a similar outcome. Although the company was pioneering its path through relatively uncharted waters, every effort had been made to attract some of the brightest young managers from within the industry, the large majority of whom shared a common creative heritage with the generality of employees. With the composition of the workforce and the leadership team not considered to be the primary causes of the problem, my attention turned to the organization itself and the work being performed.

Around the same time that I was working on this problem, I began reading  ‘The Discipline of Market Leaders‘ by Micheal Treacy and Fred Wiersema. The book’s central message is that no company can succeed by attempting to be all things to all people. Rather, it should focus on trying to find the unique value that it alone can deliver to a carefully selected market.

The authors also suggested that there are three different types of ‘value discipline’ that successful companies can adopt when seeking to attain leadership in their markets. The choice of value discipline  is largely determined by the type of value the company’s customers predominantly receive, the sort of product or service it provides, and the organizational culture maintained.

The three ‘value disciplines’ are:

• Operational Excellence – low-cost, reliable and easy to use products
• Product Leadership – leading-edge products
• Customer Intimacy – highly customized solutions and services

The Discipline of Market Leaders turned out to be a fascinating read. The authors give an in-depth description of the philosophy and operation of the three value disciplines, along with a detailed case study illustrating the operations of each one. More importantly, it was clear that the choice of value discipline would play a large role in determining how companies make decisions about serving customers and treating employees.  The same choice would also help to identify the right cultural values, employee competencies and conditions of employment required to make a given value discipline work. I had found my smoking gun.

Armed with my new insights, I took a second look at the challenge I’d been working on. First, my client had made certain ‘unconscious’ assumptions about the type of value discipline that it was best suited to. Seen with fresh eyes, it soon became clear that the company had erroneously selected product leadership as its primary value discipline, when in fact its business model required it to adopt operational excellence as its core discipline. Second, by initially emphasizing the hiring of talented ‘creative’ types the company appeared to have committed a basic, but fundamental error. Operational excellence generally requires people who are more process-oriented, and who have a strong drive for results and attention to detail. Think of it in terms of the difference between people who ‘like ideas’ and those who ‘prefer things.’ Third, a whole host of talent management practices were completely misaligned with the company’s true value discipline. Little wonder then, that the problems identified earlier had manifested so quickly.

We eventually used our new understanding of value disciplines to get a handle on the situation. Hiring practices were refined to focus on a different type of talent. The company’s performance management and rewards system was also revamped to encourage team-work over personal effort. Efforts were also made to re-engineer the company’s culture away from the operational autonomy and employee independence that product leadership companies thrive on. In its place, a harder, more bottom-line focused culture was encouraged.

The changes described above took several years to effect and the change process was not without its painful moments. Fortunately, the company was able to surmount those growing pains. It is now an established market leader and serves as a role model for new entrants into the industry.

The concept of ‘value discipline’ or ‘strategic style’ provides a useful strategic tool for anyone seeking to develop an  effective talent management strategy. Just remember, business success is heavily dependent on an organization’s talent being managed according to its own prevailing value discipline or strategic style. Benchmarking oneself against others can be helpful, but care must be taken to make sure the companies selected share the same strategic style as yours.

Advice for Returning Expatriates

Over the past twenty years or so, I’ve witnessed a fascinating ebb and flow to the movement of talent in and out of the country. There seems to be a certain logic to the process. For example, periods of political unrest and economic hardship tend to increase the number of young and not-so-young Nigerians willing to seek their fortunes in foreign lands. On the other hand, global economic downturns such as the current economic recession sweeping across much of the world, tend to increase the number of people seeking to return home.

In between these two extremes, there is a more natural pattern of expatriation and repatriation that occurs as students travel abroad to further their education in foreign centers of academic excellence, people working for multinational companies are posted to overseas assignments, and older people nearing the end of their careers or perhaps simply tiring of life in foreign lands return home.

A few years ago, Human Edge participated in a global talent search on behalf of one of the oil majors operating in the country. Our brief was to seek out talented Nigerian professionals, ideally with engineering or financial backgrounds and working in  Europe or North America, who might be interested in returning home to take up jobs in a newly created division. Our client was generally regarded as an employer of choice wherever the company did business, so we assumed that if we could find the right people at all persuading them to take up the jobs on offer would not be too difficult.

As the engagement progressed, it soon became clear that we were actually dealing with three distinct groups of candidates:

• One group comprised fairly young people who had recently completed their undergraduate or post-graduate studies and who were anxious, or at least willing, to return home almost immediately.  Members of this group were mostly in their late 20s and early 30s, and were to be found in fairly large numbers within the search field we established. Their main concerns centred around the security of the job opportunity and comparability of the financial rewards and development opportunities to what they might reasonably expect to receive if they stayed abroad.

• A second group consisted of professionals, typically aged between 35 and 45 years, who had finished their studies and taken up employment in the international oil and gas industry. We were pleasantly surprised at the number of people in this group, many of whom were clearly doing quite well in their careers. With good career prospects in view, members of this group were far less receptive to our advances.

• Finally, we encountered a third, somewhat smaller group of older professionals whose career progression appeared to be slowing or who, for various personal reasons, were looking to return home under the right conditions. These were largely senior managers or senior technical personnel in their mid – 40s to early 50s.

That particular engagement was successfully concluded, but the categorisation described above has continued to be useful in understanding the motivations of the people who contact us from time to time.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the current economic downturn has sparked a new wave of inquiries. One such inquiry recently arrived from a gentleman who had relocated abroad a few years ago and who is now considering returning home. I asked him to kindly share his considerations and concerns with me. Here is his response, in his own words:

“I think people’s considerations will depend on their circumstances in leaving and returning. As a professional who has spent much of my working life in Nigeria, mine fall into two major groups – business and personal.

On the business side, I’m thinking about:

1. Level of Re-entry

• How do I ensure my absence from the country doesn’t cause me to fall behind my peers?
• What level of responsibility am I likely to be given?
• Who will I be reporting to?

2. Convertibility of Experience and Qualifications

• I appreciate that business structures and roles differ between countries, but I should be able to make an impact on the organization structure and improve efficiency
• Will my certifications be considered relevant?

3. The Business Culture, Ethics and Practice (Corporate Governance)

• Many of our ‘normal’ practices in Nigeria might be considered wrong (or even illegal) in other parts of the world. How close will my employer’s business practices be to its stated guiding principles?

4. Growth Potential of the Economy and Industry

The recent Fitch downgrade sends a red flag:

• How easy will it be for me to help deliver real growth to my stakeholders?
• Will my responsibilities include attracting foreign investors?

5. Remuneration and Benefits

• I recently spoke to some potential employers who tried to do a direct Dollar to Naira conversion as a salary guide. They didn’t want to factor inefficiency costs (e.g. PHCN/private generator, etc) and the standard of living (safety, health) into the calculation of a possible compensation package, resulting in huge undervaluation.

On the personal side, the issues under consideration include:

• Security of life and property
• Ability to remit funds abroad
• Accommodation and infrastructure (car, security, etc)
• Network building, ease of getting fully entrenched back into the system

I hope this helps, but please let me know if you’d like me to expatiate on any of the above issues.”

Quite a balanced set of considerations, if you ask me. I was particularly  impressed with the emphasis on being able to contribute to a prospective employer’s business performance and efficiency. At the same time, they speak to some of the very real personal concerns that might influence the decision to return home or not.

In an upcoming post, I’ll give my own take on some of the issues raised.

Should I Rejoin an Ex-Employer?

Image via Wikipedia

It is my great pleasure to introduce our very first “guest blogger” on Talent Matters, Deji Oseni. A frequent commentator on this blog, Deji has worked in various capacities while climbing the organizational ladder and most recently served as the chief operating officer for a downstream oil and gas company based in Lagos, Nigeria. He presently consults and offers his expertise in sales and marketing as a “back-end service” to a number of clients interested in effective customer relationship management. Today, however, he shares his personal insights into a subject that has become increasingly topical the longer the global recession has dragged on. Please pull up a seat and join in the discussion.

FGL

Should I Rejoin an Ex-Employer?

“Downsizing,” “right-sizing,”  “layoffs” – these are just a few of the terms that have become synonymous with the struggle by corporations and governments to reduce the size of their workforces in line with the present economic realities. In the midst of these inevitable fall-outs of the recession, there appears to be a silver lining in the form of a hitherto rather uncommon occurrence – the growing number of former employees being wooed into rejoining an ex-employer.

I believe the reason for this trend is not too difficult to fathom. Put simply, businesses are willing to do whatever it takes to survive the hard times, and seeking out talent wherever it may be, is a key strategy. Talented people – people with the capacity to move the organization forward despite all odds can make all the difference, and with HR’s urging, more and more businesses seem prepared to eat humble pie and to seek out the services of those who might have helped them achieve their past glories.

Now, the more skeptical amongst you may well point out that it’s more likely to be the continuing scarcity of talent that is the primary motive behind this “magnanimous” gesture by employers. Be that as it may, there is no gainsaying the fact that as more organizations find their economic footing, hiring is on the increase and former employees, sometimes even those who were asked to leave, are increasingly finding favor in the eyes of hiring managers.

So, what if you are one of the lucky ones who finds himself presented with the opportunity to rejoin an ex-employer, should you give it a shot? Well, before you make a decision, there are a few things you might want to reflect upon. Why did you leave the organization the first time around? Was the decision due to personal or professional reasons? Are you considering rejoining simply because life is a bit difficult at the moment – unemployed, dealing with pressing financial needs? It may also be helpful to ask yourself if rejoining an ex-employer is the only option open to you at this point in time. What sort of reaction can you expect from former managers and colleagues? Would a decision to return be consistent with your stated career goals or personal vision for your life?

It is possible of course that a return to a former employer could well be a very strategic career move. The new job might be very challenging and exciting, offering significant learning opportunities. It might also offer more responsibility with commensurate higher compensation, perhaps an indication that your old employer truly values your skills and experience. Bear in mind, however, that many people are being invited back on terms that are the same or slightly less favorable than those they might have enjoyed previously. In some cases this is simply a reflection of the company’s financial position, but it may also reflect a desire to send a signal internally that difficult times or not, progress within the organization will continue to be based on performance and merit. “Round-tripping” or job hopping as a way of enhancing one’s career prospects remains an anathema to most employers, and they will generally be anxious to reassure existing staff that they too remain valued and appreciated.

Speaking from personal experience, I know of three former colleagues who have recently rejoined ex-employers. In one case the move was self – initiated, the other two were approached and agreed to go back. In each case, there was a perception that the moves would be mutually beneficial for all the parties involved. How are things going, you might ask? Well, it’s probably too early to tell, but in each case there is a story of re-integration to be told.

Rejoining an old employer can often be a good idea. This is especially so when you had a good track record before you left and it’s certainly flattering to hear that a former manager is requesting your return. But, sometimes going back simply isn’t the right thing to do, for any of number of reasons. If you decide not to take up such an offer, it’s good to remember that the world is a big place and you can always find another, perhaps even better job.

Deji Oseni

(dejaye1ng@yahoo.com)

Anchoring Nigeria’s Talent Pipeline

Frequent travelers by road in Nigeria will be familiar with the humorous inscriptions that adorn the long-haul buses that crisscross the country. These short, witty sayings often contain some incontrovertible piece of wisdom that not only entertains, but also provides much food for thought.

One of my favorites is the inscrutable “The Young Shall Grow.” To be honest, I  have absolutely no idea about what the original meaning of the saying might be, but I have always associated the saying with images of youthful hope and aspiration, of innocent beginnings and the steady maturing into insight and wisdom.

I was reminded of this particular saying as I read through last Sunday’s edition of the popular NEXT newspaper. In a front page leader entitled ‘Fallen Education,’ the paper decried the appalling results of the most recent West African Senior Secondary Schools Examination. Apparently only 24 percent of the Nigerian students who sat for the exam passed.

I was shocked, but hardly surprised. The declining state of our education system and the ill-equipped young graduates being produced from the country’s tertiary institutions have long been sources of concern to everyone with an interest in talent development in Nigeria. Now, however, it seems there might be fresh cause for concern. If the NEXT report is correct, then the roots of the problem are to be found in a much earlier phase of the education process than hitherto envisaged. The problem strikes at the very foundations of the talent pipeline that corporations and other organizations rely upon.

So far, corporate Nigeria’s response to the growing crisis could best be described as myopic. Those organizations that are aware of the problem have generally focused on the search for their own, company-specific solutions in the form of remedial programs for perceived deficiencies in fresh hires. Not surprisingly, such disjointed and often competing initiatives have done little to discuss the underlying systemic problems in the development and placement of young people emerging from the education system at various points.  The knock-on effect in terms of input and output at various levels of the education system is obvious, and the possibility of an increasing number of young people with diminishing employment prospects assumes even greater significance in the light of the frequent bursts of violent social unrest now being seen around the country.

Given the scale of the problem, it seems the time is ripe for a concerted effort by the organized private sector and other stakeholders to bring their concerns before the relevant education authorities.  It may also be necessary to consider new models by which successful collaborative effort can be more effectively deployed. For example, writing in the December 2002 Issue Brief of the U.S. National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET), Marianne Mooney and Kelli Crane of TransCen, Inc. argued in favor of a tripartite partnership between education, business and third-party brokers or intermediaries whose job is to connect schools and other youth-preparation organizations with workplaces.

This idea would seem to have some merit. Education and business often seem to have parallel goals. For example, most businesses are looking for people who have the skills to take up employment opportunities and make an immediate impact on a job situation. Yet, the provision of such skills typically falls into the domain of training and not education, a position not always generally understood. Brokering a deal between education and business that allows the mutual expectations of both parties to be identified, understood  and ultimately met sounds like exactly the role NCSET envisages for intermediaries. In Nigeria, the role of third-party broker or intermediary can easily be played by diverse groups such as non-governmental and non-profit organizations, industry associations and chambers of commerce, and even parent-teacher associations.

However, in the absence of right policy directives to make sure that their varied activities align with national interests and regulation aimed at ensuring that the means by which these interests are pursued meet accepted standards of behavior, the joint efforts of all three ‘partners’ are unlikely to impact the current state of affairs much. By highlighting the growing problems at the secondary education level, NEXT may well have issued a timely wake-up call for everyone who has a stake in the successful outcome of Nigeria’s talent pipeline.

Related Articles

• Nigeria’s deteriorating educational system (vanguardngr.com)

Those Who Labor With Their Minds

I usually start my management development workshops with the following quote from Mencius, the famous third century B.C Chinese philosopher: “Some labor with their minds and some labor with their physical strength. Those who labor with their minds govern others; those who labor with their strength are governed by others.” What better way to remind newly-minted managers of the privileged position that they now occupy?

I mention this only because I spent the weekend working with 20 or so freshly appointed managers from one of the country’s leading Pension Fund Administrators. Together, we explored key concepts and principles, reviewed performance management in all its glory, and took a peek into the world of top management with our examination of the principles associated with strategic thinking. It was exciting stuff and I shared in the enthusiasm of the participants as they began to relate their own experiences to the concepts we were discussing.

Perhaps the greatest ‘aha’ moment of all occurred when I suggested that the class try to estimate the amount of time they typically spent managing (i.e. planning, organizing, leading or controlling the work to be performed) versus the time they spent operating (i.e. doing everything else). You could literally see the light bulbs switching on.

Now, to be fair, the amount of time spent managing or operating is usually inversely related to organizational level. So, it was hardly surprising that the participants mostly reported high levels of operating activity. Still, many new managers remain blissfully unaware of the difference between the two forms of activity and it was definitely an eye opener for all concerned.

It was also food for thought. Why do so many employers hire or appoint managers, only to burden them with duties and tasks that could essentially be performed by staff at lower levels? And why, for that matter, do so many managers allow themselves to be put into this position? After all, it isn’t only rookie managers who find themselves facing the problem. I’ve conducted the same exercise with senior management teams as well and their response is almost identical. I also wonder how much turnover in managerial ranks can be attributed to such misapplication of talent? More food for thought, I suspect.

If you’ve got an answer or a solution to this challenge, drop me a line. I think I know a few managers who will be very grateful for your help.

What Are Your Financial Expectations?

In an earlier post (Negotiating Win-Win Job Offers, March 2009), I outlined some of the factors that I

believe employers and their prospective new hires should consider when seeking to negotiate win-win job offers.

While there are many factors to take into account, one of the most important decisions a candidate must make is where to pitch his or her salary expectations. Sadly, far too many people seem to have no real idea about how to set up realistic financial or salary expectations for a given job situation. So, here are a few things you might want to take into account in arriving at your personal asking price.

First, if you have no real job experience and are new to the labor market, your educational qualifications will almost certainly play a large part in determining how much you can expect to be paid in your first job. Generally, the better educated you are, the higher your starting salary will be. For example, the type of degree earned (i.e. first, post-graduate, MBA and so forth) and the colleges attended are usually major determinants of how much fresh graduates are offered. However, qualifications can influence the pay levels of more experienced people as well. With growing concerns over rising training costs and the negative impact of high levels of staff turnover, more and more employers are willing to pay a premium for new hires who can show evidence of having received extensive training somewhere else, presumably at another employer’s cost.

Second, consider how much your experience might be worth to a prospective employer. In most cases, the more specialized and relevant your experience, the more an employer will be willing to pay for your services. Bear in mind, however, that what really interests employers is the extent to which your experience translates into performance on the job. If you can show evidence of a successful performance track record, then you can probably raise your asking price another notch.

Location can play a big part in determining how much you can realistically expect to earn. In Nigeria, jobs in Abuja, Lagos or Port Harcourt (the main urban and commercial centers) typically attract higher pay than elsewhere in the country. Internationally, assignments in New York or London will most likely be better remunerated than similar assignments in Madrid or Amsterdam. Finally, in many multinational companies postings to certain locations are considered ‘hardship assignments’ and a premium added to the standard pay for the job in question.

In a similar vein, the industry in which you are seeking work is often a key determinant of the level of pay available. At the moment, jobs in oil and gas, banking and finance, or telecommunications tend to be higher paying than similar jobs in other industries. Some jobs require relevant industry-specific experience, but for others no added value is attached to specialized expertise. Ask yourself if this is an important consideration in the job situation you are currently facing.

Fifth, recognize that the prevailing economic climate will inevitably impact the desire and willingness of a prospective employer to meet a given level of salary demand. Right now, even the best paying employers are taking a hard look at just how much they need to offer to attract, motivate and keep top talent. You may need to adjust your expectations accordingly.

Finally, do your homework. How much do other people get paid for doing the same or similar jobs in the organization in question? Most companies benchmark their pay against their industry peers or competitors. If you can’t get specific data from your prospective employer, perhaps you can find out what the going rate is for people doing similar jobs within the peer group.

All the factors listed above work together and it’s generally not a good idea to try to isolate any one of them. You should look at a potential job offer through the filter of the factors discussed and then fix your financial goal. However, please remember that what makes a satisfactory offer overall may well include other elements of reward such as the work environment or learning and growth opportunities available. Are you ready to make trade-offs where necessary to arrive at the best fit?

Your goal should be to arrive at a win-win outcome for both yourself and your prospective employer, one in which both parties feel comfortable with the pay level ultimately arrived at. You should also try to avoid creating unrealistic expectations on either side. Failure to do so may sow the seeds of future dissatisfaction.

Related Articles

• Why it pays to hold out for a better offer (theglobeandmail.com)
• When and How to Turn Down a Job – Even in a Down Economy (lifehack.org)

Keep An Eye On the Changing Needs of Your Workforce

One of my first clients was a fast-growing advertising agency led by a dynamic female CEO.  The agency had a well-deserved reputation for stunning creative work and the ability to meet the tightest of deadlines. The CEO would often hit the road early in the day and return towards evening with a brief in hand.  She would then call various co-workers to her office to announce the good news, and demand that everyone do whatever it took to get the client’s work completed on schedule.

Late nights and weekend work were the norm, but morale was high and employees, most of whom were in their early 20s, appeared to take much pride in their exploits. All in all, it was a heady time and the agency enjoyed much buzz within the industry as the ‘place to be.’

Over the next ten years, the agency consolidated its position as an industry leader, but trouble was brewing in the ranks. Although the workforce had grown considerably, the ability to meet punishing deadlines was still seen as a major selling point in winning new business. Unfortunately, the young men and women who had been so central to the success of this strategy were no longer quite so young anymore. Now in their early 30s, many were married with young children or had taken on various social commitments. They all had lives outside the workplace and were no longer quite so willing to subordinate their personal agendas to the agency’s needs, especially without notice.

As the tension between the agency and its employees increased, productivity dropped and employee morale slumped. Unfortunately, it took the CEO far too long to recognize that something was wrong with the way the agency was managed and that it had become imperative to accommodate the changing needs of a maturing workforce. By the time she did, it was too late. Today, the agency is no longer the place to be and the CEO and her management team are fighting a rear-guard action to stay in touch with the new industry leaders.

I come across a lot of companies where, to borrow a line from B.B. King, ” The thrill is gone.” In most cases the signs have been visible for some time, but management is strangely blind and even deaf to the evidence of diminishing employee engagement. Whatever the reasons, the consequences are usually catastrophic and can take a long time to reverse. A little sensitivity to the changing needs of the workforce typically yields big dividends.