Workplace and Spirituality is a topic that is dear to my heart. It is a very wide area for discussion, but I intend to focus on a very narrow aspect of this very important topic through one of the practical experiences I had on my job.
Spirituality in the workplace calls for understanding and empathy for and by all stakeholders. The workplace is where I call ‘The People’ business’ place. The people in the workplace encompass all stakeholders: investors, employees, customers, suppliers, communities, governments (regulators in regulated businesses), and service providers.
The focus of this post is ‘treating others like you would like to be treated.
‘Casting all of your care upon Him, for He careth for you. We empathize with our neighbors and treat them as we would like to be treated’-1 Peter 5:7 KJV.
Empathy
The investor invests to make a return on the investment made. Therefore, as an employee or manager of the business, one must ensure he or she plays a role in such a manner that allows the company to generate returns for the investor.
I recall taking up new responsibility as the Managing Director in a subsidiary of a company in a country in West Africa. The subsidiary had been in operation for about 5 years before I took over the responsibility as the Managing Director. The former managers of the subsidiary informed the parent company that it is a herculean task for the subsidiary to make profits because of the very difficult market conditions.
The parent company management sent in a new team of four including myself as the Managing Director to turn around the business. In the first week, we had a series of meetings with the existing departmental heads to brainstorm on the best approach to turn around the business.
During the discussion, we gathered amongst other issues raised, that the staff salaries were very low. The former managers could not justify salary increases when the business was yet to make profits.
Salary Increase
So, I told my colleagues to do an across-board salary increase scenario of 50% and 100%. I felt if I was in the shoes of the staff, I would not feel good with such a low salary. I told my colleagues (the new team) that we are all happy with our salaries paid by the parent company. Therefore, amongst the other challenges the subsidiary was facing, addressing the salary issue was a priority for me.
My next challenge was how to convince the parent company that it was necessary to increase staff salaries in the subsidiary when the subsidiary was still unprofitable after 5 years of operations.
My colleagues and I agreed that though tough, it was a call we had to make. We did the numbers, and we agreed to send a request for approval for a 100% salary increase across the board. Then we went on to propose a salary increase for some roles that were not adequately remunerated against the responsibilities of the roles.
After the compilation of the numbers and then reviewing the impact on the staff cost line, we agreed that I took this matter up with the parent company.
I called the Boss at the parent company to discuss our proposal which I had sent ahead of the call. To my surprise, the call was over in 10 minutes. The boss said to me, you and the new team must do what it takes to turn that business around. And he goes, I have looked at the proposal and you have my approval to go ahead.
The team and I were excited. We made the crucial announcement of the salary increase to the staff. The heavens came down on this very special day. The entire staff went home elated.
By the end of the month, we implemented the new salary structure.
Breakfast Sessions
In addition to the many changes we made, we introduced what I called ‘Breakfast’ sessions with all staff. This was a forum to share with the staff. The discussions were open to any topic a staff desired to bring up knowing that indeed the socio-political environment of the country was really tough.
At the sessions, I also seized the opportunity to talk about value systems. These sessions were held three times a week for 45minutes, and I told the staff that attending the meeting was voluntary. You did not have to attend if you did not want to because the sessions started at 7.30 am outside official working hours of between 8.15 am and 5 pm.
At these sessions, after the open discussions, I would spend some time talking about the values of the organization. Values of integrity, honesty, collaboration, fairness, empathy, and hard work.
It was interesting how after one of the breakfast sessions, a staff walked up to me and said, MD,(means Managing Director- there, bosses go by titles culturally). I wish someone spoke to us this way before like you are doing now. You sound like a pastor. I know you are making a good number of us change our mindset. My response to him was a smile.
Training Sessions
With the HR Head, we organized a weekly training program for the entire team. Both formal and informal training programs. The HR Head was good at putting together the training program. I was a key training resource in the program. I was happy to share my knowledge with the team. In this process, I also learned a lot from my other colleagues who were also key resources in the training. For as long as I was in the country, I was the first to arrive at the training sessions. I love to learn!
Celebrations
We also had dances twice a month to just celebrate the team and have fun. I was the first to take the dancing floor too and the rest of the staff would join me, and we would all just enjoy ourselves. These were fun times. I reminisce about those fun times.
The outcome of my ‘pastoring’ and the team taking an empathetic management approach made a huge difference in the turnaround story of the subsidiary. This puts a smile on my face now as I write because the team had a tough time understanding my personality. They could not believe that I could be so focused, a disciplinarian when required, a pastor’ who had kind words and could be so much fun! Once I received an anonymous mail to me saying I was erratic.
I am still a work in progress. I am still working on all my rough edges and imperfections. Over the years, I learned to calm down a bit (smile) but still a lot of work in progress. I am getting better each year, thanks to the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God.
Praying
I prayed every night for God to touch the hearts of the staff to change and be more committed to the business. I also prayed for God to help the business turn around. I would read Psalm 127:1 that says ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in pain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain’.
So, following the salary increases and addressing other issues the team had identified, the subsidiary turned profitable 6months after. This was another amazing grace of God in my life’s journey.
‘Treating the employees with empathy made a huge difference in the turn-around of the business.
I recall this experience with Joy and express gratitude to God that he helped the new team and I succeed in this assignment. I left the subsidiary after one year and two months. The other colleagues left a year after I left. The young team we met there was now trained and ready to take charge of the business. They did an excellent job and the business continues to be profitable up to date.
I express sincere gratitude to the team of three that came with me to turn around the business. The HR Head (Excellent HR expertise. A Ph.D. holder in his field of HR) and had been part of the HR team that ran another very successful subsidiary of the parent company. The Country Risk Manager was also an experienced Risk Management expert who came to manage the Risk challenges confronting the subsidiary. He was also part of the Risk team of another subsidiary that ran a reputable and profitable shop. The Head of Operations had excellent Operations experience coming from another successful and highly profitable subsidiary of the parent company.
Team
At the Leadership level, it was a value-driven, cohesive team, with the requisite skills to bring sunshine to the subsidiary (writing this puts a smile on my face). Also, the team was dedicated, with a strong sense of collaboration and they were fully aligned to the vision and goals of the parent company. These young men worked hard and made me succeed in that assignment. I salute them All and I will be forever grateful to them. We succeeded as a team!
I also salute the other members of staff because a significant number of them made the mindset shift, became happier and so more productive which in turn made the business profitable.
The success of this assignment being my first Managing Director role, allowed me to advance in the company because the parent company now had evidence and more confidence in my leadership skills. Subsequently, the parent company posted me to other assignments over the years in executive roles.
I am therefore extremely grateful to the parent company leadership for giving me this rare opportunity to lead teams in many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
I call these many country experiences my expedition in Africa. This is just God’s doing in my life, using willing tools in form of men and women to fulfill His plans for my life. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to God, and I will always be.
So, let me end this post with these words from the bible, and I quote ‘ So, in everything do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the prophets’. Matthew 7:12. And the 10th commandment given by God to the Prophet Moses sums it up this way, ‘Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself ‘.
Praise God! Praise Our Lord Jesus! Praise The Holy Spirit of God!
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