BEING RELEVANT IN A TRANSITIONING ECONOMY

As a thought leader in "leadership in the blank-Space"; my concern is to see organizations and people access success as simple as ABC. By understanding how to connect to their immediate change environment, close emerging gap and still be relevant.

WHAT IS "LEADERSHIP IN THE BLANK SPACE"?

It is a term use to depict the need to stay relevant and in demand, in changing time. It is about leading the emerging market by the identification and closure of existing gaps, created due to changes in the economic, social, political or any other environmental changes.

Change is constant, so therefore "leadership in the blank-space" remains the premise for constant innovation, strategic gap management and position definition.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LEAD IN THE BLANK SPACE"?

The "blank-space" is a technical word use to represent the word "gap".

When ever there is a shift in values, trend and increase in consumers demands, there is always a gap left to be filled by systems, people or companies affected by these changes.

Leading in the blank-space, in a nutshell means to fill in the gap as swift as possible. To achieve this, there are basic processes involve. Which I refer to as the easy-made-solution process.

THE EASY MADE SOLUTION PROCESS

This is an organized method of identifying, defining and determining what, where, when, why and how to strategically make a move towards filling a space and managing the effect of a change on a company, or any organization and group of persons.

The process involves:

- Gap or problem identification

- Defining responsive techniques to solving key problems and maintaining reputation,

- Determining connecting point between the existing and the emerging

- Defining excellence as the need to establish standard, through various improvement and development programs,

- Identifying strategies that are applicable, less risky and more effective in staying relevant.

- Determining which system will match the changes, without stepping on key corporate values and reputation.

Fill in the blank space is a terminology used mostly in exams, and what it truly means is, figure out what should be here, and why it must be there.

You need to define and determine your space in order to stay relevant in changing times.

HOW TO LEAD IN THE BLANK SPACE

Big brands across the globe understand this factor of leading in the blank space, because of their endless quest to lead the market and remain the unending choice of their customers.

Knowing how to "lead in the blank space" will give you a market edge.

How then can you achieve this:

1. Focus on your values

You should know by now, that your value is culture and your culture defines your brand. Leading in the blank-space, is having a market face; and to have a unique market-face, you need to establish key values that people believe and agree with.

2. Read the trend and lead it

The cause of major market or corporate gap is trend-shift. If you can define the moving trend, then you can manage any gap left opened.

Our competitors are always in the watch out for spaces they can fill, and when we keep celebrating the old and not ready to move with the new, then we are up for corporate or organizational value deflation.

3. Work your system up to standard

In identifying and defining emerging standards, we will be fully intimated on how we can shape our process, to compete healthily and lead the trend. Our goal should not be fitting into the trend, but actually leading it.

And how do we lead the trend?

By actually

- staying on top of the game
- having the foreknowledge of the industry
- increase on the level of quality and values delivered.

About

FOP MODEL TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM

We deliver up-to-date training and information programs which focuses on giving people and organization an edge in emerging times.

We make success and corporate achievement as simple as ABC. Through our easy made solution processes.

Helping our clients figure out how to lead the trend and stay relevant.

We run and drive corporate brand development and personnel productivity strength in Nigeria.

Contact: +234 818 727 8257, email:enjoysolution.ng@gmail.com

THRIVING IN A CHANGING NIGERIAN MARKET

One of the key factor that is mostly hard to manage is change. Nations, people and organizations faces this element called "change" at one point or the other, the difference is always in its management.

My question is, are you positively influence by change or negatively affected by the changes around you?

Presently in Nigeria, we are faced with changing times economically, socially and privately. Since the inception of a new administration or political era, Nigerians are lamenting on the current economic crisis.

Due to the impending crisis caused by the government strategy towards growing the nation's economy, more people are losing their jobs, companies are folding up, whilst some are considering moving out of the country to locations with favorable operational environments, and yet making the Nigerian market their core focus.

Does it mean that we are good consumers and poor producers? Don't we have what it takes to control our production capacity no matter what it takes? Can't we fix what is wrong at all cost?

What this means is that, companies will take their corporate operations outside Nigeria, the question is, what happens to those who were working in this corporate system? Your guess is just as correct as mine.

Are we heading towards recession? Which is always a product of high rate of unemployment, high inflation rate and less money circulation for economic activities. My answer is, I pray it doesn't get to that.

SO HOW DO WE HANDLE THIS?

should we depend on the government to create a friendly business environment for us, and create an unrealistic jobs for the masses as they previously promised? My answer is no.

Then how?

That question is the essence of this article. How do you thrive in a highly changing environment like Nigeria as a corporate brand, entrepreneur or professional without a job security.

We need to understand that we can build a system that will mitigate the negative effect of the changes around us and channel them towards a positive advantage, regarding or individual and corporate operations or existence.

Let's just say that you and I have no choice than to live and thrive under this social and economic condition. The question of "how"? keeps coming to our  mind.

These are my personal opinions established through a careful observation and research.

PROACTIVE AND DIVERSITY OF INDIVIDUAL SKILLS, TALENTS AND PROFESSIONALISM

As Nigerians we should at this point learn to adapt and make use of the available to create the required.

Diversifying individual or corporate strength means, looking at important, lesser and yet effective means of deploying our strength into meeting the needs of our market or creating what we want.

Our importance in the marketplace remains our ability to deliver solution. The reason why we exist is to be a contributive part of development and success of where ever we find ourselves.

The question is what can you do with what you have?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO THRIVE IN A CHANGING MARKET?

It simply means to stay relevant and in high demand, in a condition where value changes, demands increase, statues are challenged.

It means multiplying your worth in an unfamiliar and highly competitive environment.

For example

- If you had lost your job, it is time to use that change to your advantage. By looking within and answering these questions; What knowledge or experience have I gathered that is needed to fix an issue? Do I have what is needed corporately, socially and economically?

- Flexibility is one of the key word in managing and growing any system. When is flexibility required?

It is required when there is a sudden change that needs immediate responds.

Let me ask again, as a corporate brand or organization what is your flexibility strength like.

We need to learn how to adapt and bounce back from a retrogressive condition that we suddenly find ourselves, due to either a social, political or other environmental factors.

SHOULD WE LOWER OUR STANDARDS BECAUSE OF SUDDEN CHANGES?

We should always remember that standard is who we are, quality is what we should often be known for, our values must be on delivering the best even if it causes us our last.

We must do everything to manage and keep our reputation. Our repute is what we are known for, people will never understand that we became less than our values, simply because the had been a change. We must learn how to manage change in such a way that, it doesn't affect our values and reputation.

WHAT MUST BE OUR CORE FOCUS

We must dedicate our focus to managing our values.

To thrive in a changing market, we must identify how these changes would affect our values and reputation, and strategically position our operations to outsmart such attack on us.

What we must do to stay focus

1. Define our corporate interest

What is our core interest and how do we protect this interest from being thwarted by the emerging challenges.  Interest could be defined as the overall concern of a person or an organization. It defines our purpose and designs our functions.

2. Redefine our sense of quality

The question we must answer is, how do we maintain quality at this time and season? What do we need to improve on in order to fit into these new challenges?  What do we call standard or define as quality? what are the factors we need to minor and major on?

Answering these questions will position us, remarkably in the direction of winning and staying relevant.

About

FOP MODEL TRAINING, DEVELOPMENT AND SCHOOL OF PROTOCOL

In FOP Model Training and Development platform we provide expert information and coaching services, that leaves our audience and clients fit to engage in healthy business competition, operate highly productive corporate brand, and through

the SOP (School of Protocol) corporate, executive and private programs, we help in driving excellent workplace success, habits; enhance talent employability and ensure that brands deploy the right processes to staying fit and fix profitably in an emerging market.

We drive and run corporate brands success and personnel productivity fitness programs in Nigeria

RUNNING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS BIG TIME

How do I run my small company big time and what do you mean by this term?

If that is your question, then you are about to have an experience with me today.

How does small companies become big?

By buy running their companies big time in a small way. The fact that you are small, doesn't mean, you should earn less than one million naira or dollars as an annual revenue, nor become inferior to other brands in the market.

Now the question is:

HOW DO YOU PLAY BIG IN A SMALL WAY?

1. PACKAGE BIG TIME

Make your package classical and attractive. Running a small business doesn't mean, you should give it less professional package or touch.... Make your office space presentable, less clustered with unwanted properties, remove unwanted papers/documents off your desk, make your work environment void of distractions.

2. PLAN BIG TIME

Plan to be among the top brands in your industry, and work towards it daily. By setting specific goal of when, how and what you would need to practice, in order to make your dream-plan a reality. Plan on improving your products and services at all times.

3. NEVER APPEAR THE SAME

Improve on your product looks and service qualities. Never leave any customer with lesser experience, but double their sense of experience at all times and when they meet you.

4. DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT A FEEDBACK

This is very important to every small business. Gather an opinion poll of what people think about your business. Playing big time, connotes that you gather information that makes you aware of your area of strength and weakness, so as to multiply your effect.

5. PLAY ALONG SIDE TREND

If you don't understand the trend, you are certainly not in business. Having the foreknowledge of the needs of your market and the trend that leads their decision or influences their purchase choice is indeed the foundation to playing big time as in a small way.

CORPORATE POLICE

So many people or organizations especially in Nigeria do not understand what it means to be a corporate police. Most times, we can't effectively evaluate how effective our input have been, where we deploy our services or how effective those working with us are.

Corporate policing helps an organization define exactly how effective their manpower are and also establish corrective measures to deliver more effective services internally and externally.

What is then corporate policing?

It is the concept of factoring out effect and the ineffectiveness of manpower within a system, as well as the external factors which affects the overall performance or lifespan of such system.

It is the process of figuring out what are the core corporate acts and culture of an organization, then ensuring that those acts and culture becomes the rudimental factors regulating every decision and action of stakeholders.

Who is a corporate police?

One who is vested with the knowledge of the core acts and culture of a company and is given the obligation to ensure that those factors are uphold and respected by every arm of the company.

They ensure appropriate behaviors displayed and mandated to lead their organization in their own small corner. They could be referred to as the corporate watchdogs.

Who should be a corporate police?

Corporate policing is not the duty of a manager or superior staff to handle, it is equally the responsibility of staff from the gate to the corporate manager's office.

Like earlier mentioned, corporate watchdogs, are in the look out for loopholes and gaps within the operational system that they can fix, either through suggestions, feedback, reports and even practical participation in handling workplace crisis.

How to become an effective corporate watchdog?

- Be open to corrections.

You can't effectively correct others or a faulty system if you cannot summit to correction or criticism.

- Watchdogs have eyes for details

To be a corporate police, one must be detailed in his/her approach to work. Not doing things haphazardly, meticulous in dealing with tasks, and can spot mistakes immediately.

- Be discipline oriented

He that must lead, must first lead himself. Discipline is an act of being in control, and having control is being a leader.

- Constrictive Criticism

Be skilled at telling people what they don't want to hear, in a way that they would applaud you for your kind gesture. Don't be at the offensive , neither on the defensive. But be neutral in dealing with people, don't make them feel worst, and also let them know they could do better and align with the corporate acts and culture.

See you again on this topic corporate police, as an excellent watchdog of an organization.