Strategy and Digital Transformation

You are not alone! Starting a business is challenging and risky, and it's common for entrepreneurs to face skepticism and a lack of understanding from people around them, especially from family and friends. People are naturally used to traditional career paths. Starting a business from scratch takes much work for them to comprehend. Picture: helloimnik So, don't be surprised when people ask why you aren't applying to jobs when things seem to be working out slowly or when they can't see how much effort it requires to get your business off the ground. There are times when you have to make tough decisions that require prioritizing business over your personal life. But despite these challenges, having confidence in yourself and your vision is essential. Starting a business is a personal journey, and it's okay if some do not understand or support such decisions. The good thing is that the rewards of entrepreneurship can be great if you are willing to take risks and put i...

Root cause analysis is a method used to identify the underlying causes of a problem or issue. Focusing on the specific causes of pain rather than just the symptoms make it possible to develop practical solutions that address the issue's root causes. Africa's problems should be tackled from its root cause rather than a top to bottom approach that is prevalent when leaders talk about Africa's problems.     Photo by James Wiseman on Unsplash One reason why Africans need to focus on country-specific problem-solving is that the continent of Africa is incredibly diverse, with many different countries, cultures, and challenges. For example, Nigeria's issues differ from those facing South Africa, and a solution that works for one country may need to be more effective for another. By focusing on each country's specific challenges, it is possible to develop holistic policies and solutions tailored to that country's unique needs. Focusing on country-specific problem-s...

I have been asked why organizations should take strategic mission alignment seriously. Here is my answer. Photo by Edz Norton Strategic mission alignment is a crucial aspect of organizational management. It involves aligning the organization's mission and goals with the actions and decisions of its employees. This alignment is vital because it ensures that everyone in the organization is working towards the same goals and objectives. This, in turn, can lead to several benefits for the organization, including increased productivity, improved efficiency, and tremendous success in achieving its strategic goals. Photo by Arjan de Jong One of the key benefits of strategic mission alignment is that it helps ensure that all employees work towards the same goals. It means increased collaboration and teamwork, directly or indirectly improving productivity and efficiency. Additionally, when employees work towards common goals, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged, leading to bett...

Strategic mission alignment is a crucial concept for organizations seeking to achieve their goals and objectives effectively. It involves aligning the organization's mission, vision, and values with its strategies and actions, ensuring that all efforts are directed toward achieving the organization's overarching goals.       One of the key benefits of strategic mission alignment is improved focus and direction. By aligning all aspects of the organization's operations with its mission, vision, and values, it becomes easier for employees to understand what the organization is trying to achieve and how their efforts contribute to this goal. This can help to create a sense of purpose and direction among employees, leading to increased motivation and productivity. Unsplash Picture by Paul Skorupskas Another key benefit of strategic mission alignment is improved decision-making. By having a clear understanding of the organization's goals and values, employees are better equi...

Yesterday, while dressing up my 3-year-old daughter Halona. I was slightly surprised when she asked me why the food was not working. To her, the food she eats ought to have given her everything to be as big and tall as her mum. I showed her the clothes she wore when she was a year old and asked her to try them on; they wouldn't fit (she was able to see the growth, a measure of success). I then assured her that she would be as big as Mama one day if she continued to eat good food and a balanced diet (strategy for growth). Come to think of it, most businesses are like Halona. Every business has a vision and mission. When organizations design strategies to implement their strategic goals, it's a no-brainer that they define a measure of success, usually for a quarter or a year (short to long-term strategic goals). Now imagine, what will happen to a business when they need to measure the effectiveness of its strategic plan without having efficient tools or processes to do it. It is...

When we started building Trackboardapp  by Kinetic (a strategy development platform) before the pandemic, we wanted to help bring efficiency, transparency, and speed to strategy development, mapping, and implementation . Now, I am most motivated by the fact that business leaders, institutions, and their employees are able to design and see their strategic goals implemented in real-time and the progress of their organization-wide mission from anywhere in the world on Trackboard. Fortunately, businesses have gone or/are going full remote or hybrid now, and naturally, adapting to a new change isn't always easy. Our foremost strategy consulting partner Ausso Leadership Academy led by Mr Austin Okere is doing fantastic work in easing customers on Trackboard by Kinetic digital transformation journey. It is surreal to see the leadership of publicly traded companies leading their organizational-wide digital transformation journey with the help of Trackboard. Like we always say, business le...

Opening Strategy!  In their work, Chesbrough & Appleyard (2007) discussed emerging anomalies that are challenging the traditional business strategy process. The conventional business strategy approach was based on Porter's forces whereby firms create barriers and closure against new entrants to maintain competitiveness. However, recent events concerning modern businesses show no sustainable competitive advantages in industries but a continuous need for proficient business innovation and strategy (McGrath, 2013). As technology, competitors, and customers’ needs changes, the competitive advantage erodes and disappears. However, to maintain or sustain competitiveness, organizations must innovate with agility and a dynamic approach to the strategy processes to meet varying market demands (Doz & Kosonen, 2008). To this end, firms are beginning to pattern their business strategy and innovation using the open strategy approach in value creation with some success (Teece, 2010; Lued...

When  Apple announced the upcoming buy now pay later(BNPL) product, in addition to apple pay, apple cash, and their financial product ecosystem, as expected, it immediately impacted companies operating BNPL. Several financial companies' shares lost a huge chunk of their value. But, is Apple by BNPL another hype? Reference Let's Look at the Data. While the Apple ecosystem is quite unique in North America with about 54% of the smart operating system market. The question is will apple BNPL disrupt the status quo?                                                                             Reference Apple is currently sitting on a huge pile of cash, which means they are able to run the BNPL and maximize the overall value. Apple mobile OS(=》Apple pay) is about 54% of the North American market but on...

Before COVID-19, the remote working discussion was on the increase. Exponential research inferences were that people could do much more by working from home or anywhere other than their workplace. In fact, in countries like France (1) and Australia (2,3) , there is legislation that has evaluated the pragmatic and general policies guiding a daily 8hrs work hours (38-40hours per week) as people continue to respond to work-related assignments at home outside their work hours and are not paid for it. Fast forward to the Covid-19 pandemic era, where businesses are forced to take the stand on a contactless or remote approach to work if they are to survive. People are beginning to report getting overworked (4). Many say their organizations are sticking to the same daily productivity measures as if they were meeting physically, even working from home (5) . For many business leaders, it is working as usual, but it should not be . Clocking In, more meetings, more emails, more chats, more pr...