PERSONAL ORGANIZATION
Basically looking back , there are so many things that happened but which are words of lessons if passable because not everything is passable, I think that the first was the clarity of vision born out of my sense of personal mission because I came there I took it as my personal mission.
The second was commitment and I think I was committed to GIMPA and not interested in money it was just GIMPA, everything else was second total commitment.
The third was a combination three characteristics integrity, candor, which is been honest with people gives you trouble sometimes though and then discipline. So I say integrity, candor and discipline.
The fourth was a clear strategy. In other words I had clear strategy. So not just a mission but one that could be transferred into a clear strategy. The fourth was modeled virtually, I never asked anybody to do anything which I saw not proper to do.
The fifth was accountability. I accountability to my group often times I have my way but never do I do anything without telling them what we are going to do and how we are going to achieve it. I met with them, my executive management team weekly and the first six months I met with the supervisors every day. So there was an indoor accountability, there was one standard for the chief executive and one standard for the laborer though we all eat the same food and we all did everything together.
The sixth is courage. There was certain decision which had to be taken which I knew had a very high risk and so at times I knew that I had only 25% chance of success but since it was needed I would take it. Because it is the right thing to do, it was good for the country, and it was good for the company I we will do it.
The seventh is understanding culture. I understand the Ghanaian culture by God’s grace very well that I can almost anticipate 90% of what a Ghanaian would do at any time and I used it. For example I knew that a Ghanaian would say “when you come everything you want to do once it is right continue” they will agree with it but they have no intention of obeying it. So by knowing that culture, I therefore would ask my council and my staff to agree with it. So I took advantage of the culture because they would agree. That is why Ghanaians talk theory so very well.
The next one is innovation and creativity. We were very innovative and also designed finances in the use of verses. We were always innovative, I encouraged innovation and awarded innovation so innovation was not always for me but it was for all. Your success depends and comes from the people you hire and I think that much of the achievement depended on some strategic recruitment. In that regard almost all the pains that I suffered also depended upon misjudging how to recruit people. Apart from one or two people all those people who became the greatest contributors were people who were motivated to rise up.
Then I would say that the last one had to do with a doubled edged relationship with the government. In our country especially in the public sector that is very, very important and walking on the tight rope of not leading into political interference on the one hand and not offending them so much as to stop you, that was difficult because they will accuse you for all that but in all things, there were three things which I think helped me most.
First I knew I was not alone. I had God, his wisdom and there are certain times you can get help from nobody but then you can go to God and there would be an answer.
The second was the partnership with my wife. We pray together, we reason together and it was wonderful. It was almost like having two CEOs. And I think that the third when looking back I had fellowship especially with some friends at Accra Ridge Church.
Personal organization, I think that the difference between average and the good for those below and between the good and excellent offer lies in personal organization. In fact in my leadership I always say that there are two things that combine to make excellent people, Godly people and productive people. It has to do with character which has boarded the faith, the competent and care or good relationships both with mentors and peers. I called it in my book CCC; character, competent and care.
Under the competent there is always what I call the domain expertise saying in an accountant, economist, engineer or a carpenter I fine that when people have an expertise in any area it doesn’t matter whether it’s archeology or zoology that discipline of going through a vigorous and profession apprenticeship itself makes you a good person that is why eventually a leader can come from almost every field.
Under the competent there is always what I call the domain expertise saying in an accountant, economist, engineer or a carpenter I fine that when people have an expertise in any area it doesn’t matter whether it’s archeology or zoology that discipline of going through a vigorous and profession apprenticeship itself makes you a good person that is why eventually a leader can come from almost every field. It has nothing to do so much with subject of study as to the process of acquiring the skill and here am not talking using the study generically. As you go up higher in addition to your technical expertise, you need to acquire and complement it with a managerial skills but those ones everybody will agree but then there is a third one which I call cartelistic skills like your ability to read, basically skills which will cartelize in other words power to make everything.
I will write a book every week because the ideas are there but how to even generate it you have to get somebody to do the type correctly and among those cartelistic skills are a set of factors I call them personal organization. How to organize yourself to do whatever you are doing and I found it both in my life and ability to teach other people one of the most useful legacies I want to pass on. Basically, effective organization of oneself boils down into three elements which are crucial.
So, self leadership is the ability to lead yourself. It is amazing how people learn that they want to lead other people, manage organizations but most of them have not learned how to manage and to lead themselves. The second is self management and I will tell you the distinction between the self management and self leadership. With self management you are doing which everybody has to do but then doing them well.
What do I mean by self leadership? Basically am talking about being purpose driven. By purpose driven is by having a clear vision of what you are here on earth for and a vision of how that is going to be achieved a clear picture of how it is going to be achieved. For example my mission here is to serve God and I have being brought here to earth to serve God but am not supposed to serve God generic. My vision should be crystal clear what God wants me to do of cause if you take my whole life it is almost equivalent to the mission but for every ten years also what does God want me to do with my life within his purpose and the periodic vision changes because with time. For me this is a beginning of a good self organization.
There is a spiritual dimension of life which must be managed the spiritual life to have your relationship with God. Then there is a physical dimension of your body. You also have intellectual life. The mind is the controlling factor that is why the Bible says as soon as you are born again you must be transformed by the renewal of your mind. The mind is the instrument of flesh of the Satan and of God. You renew and make it capable and submit it to God then you are on your way to a blessed life.
Then we have social life made up of love and marriage life, it’s amazing how almost 50% of one’s sense of well being and joy all depends upon how we manage our marriage. Family life basically made up of the nuclear family and extended family. I believe that these two areas of the family life must be managed with of cause the nuclear taking precedent over the extended family but I conceded the extended family as an avenue ministry of transformation and of blessing and God doesn’t put us in the extended family for nothing.
Then the relationship with people generally mentors, peers and friends. Good friendship is what I call the pair of life. Another aspect is managing your finances adequately. The last aspect of this personal organization has to do with time management and here am talking about understanding the importance of time making sure that your time is not wasted. The Bible calls it redeeming the time, budgeting your time and discipline yourself to keep by it.
Time management is link to achieving a purpose cause. At the end of the day, one needs a compass. Compass give a direction and I believe that everybody must have his life aligned to some measure and the measure must be solid, permanent and not shifting.
Like Stephen Corbbey’s true nut principle God has given us all physical directions on earth. I believe that he has also given us that type of magnetic nut as reference point and that reference point is Jesus Christ by his life, word and revelation you can say at any point that what Jesus will have me do or what will Jesus do under such circumstances or what is the will of God?. For me the first eighteen years I wasn’t a Christian but for the most part it has being an invariable reliable road looking onto Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith and with him all the vision becomes clearer, the mission, the management principle as well as the use of my time and for me personal organization is so important. For example by God’s grace I have achieved the few things by Ghanaian standards at least education wise in terms of position, in terms of even wealth.