Create strong internal links for organisational success - 4

In This article I will provide more insights on building collaboration with teams and emphasize on engaging teams in the preparation of plans.

I had also learnt a good style of writing letters which communicate decisions from the Bank of Tanzania where there are normally two signatures. This emphasizes that decisions were participatory.

During my tenure as the MD in the two banks all letters had two signatures mine and the senior executive that is reporting to me and the decision fall in her/his department or directorate.

This style of communication although sometimes it encountered resistance, is a good way of reflecting that decisions are participatory and involves a head of concerned unit in an organisation.

Another aspect which is very important to engage all employees is when strategic plan followed by the annual plans are prepared. In an organisation it is important to create a mechanism that will gather comments from all employees through their heads of departments.

It has to be clear that ideas gathered have found their way in the plans created and reasons have to be given on the justification of rejecting some ideas.

Before the final approval weather a strategic plan or an annual plan the draft has to be presented to the whole organisation and discussed and agreed upon.

The presentation and gathering of contributions can be conveniently implemented through the use of ICT. After the plan is approved it has to be communicated to the entire organisation for its implementation.

This is a very important process because then the plans act as the guiding tools and teams are left to use their capabilities to implement them.

At the time of implementation, we don’t expect interference from the above. Teams know that they will be measured against the approved plan and any failure has to be scientifically justified or otherwise there will be repercussion.

Each department is given its targets and the teams are given freedom to implement. This kind of decision making supports the common phrase that if you want sailors to build ships give them the desire to sail.

At this juncture we don’t expect interference from above in a corporate set up the CEO to the departments and the board to the management.

Failure to empower the teams will create fear and will kill innovation in the implementation of the grand plan. When an organisation is run in an authoritarian style prosperity will be hampered.

In a corporate set up where boards interfere in daily decision making, there will be chaos. The Board is expected to approve plans and policies and then monitor their implementation periodically.

The situation become even worse when shareholders involve themselves in the daily decision making. When you have such a situation a company performance will deteriorate further.

When those who are higher in the hierarchy concentrate on minor details instead of looking at the bigger picture it normally slows down everyone below the ladder.

My other experience is worth mentioning, at the time I was a lecturer in a university I decided to tell my students that whoever is not satisfied by his final examination marks after the initial draft publication can come to me and I will take him/her through his answers instead of appealing.

Before coming up with this innovation there were several appeals but after I introduced this procedure there was no any appeal.

I was reported at the level of the school and it became an issue that, what I did was illegal because students are not supposed to be shown their final examination answer sheets. I believed that my action was not immoral.

My argument was why do we show students their course work answers and if there are problems we rectify them. Course work marks also contribute to the final marks.

The issue was sent to the main University administration and it was decided that I did the right thing and I was not against any law because the university advocates transparency and accountability from below.

If a lecturer is doing her/his work rightly and honestly then it is proper to empower and to trust a lecturer to show the answer sheets and discuss with a student and show a student where he/she went wrong.

In the next week’s fifth and final instalment I will share additional insights on building collaboration among teams and then provide concluding remarks and advice.

Dr Muhsin Salim Masoud is a seasoned banker and academic, who has also served as managing director of the People’s Bank of Zanzibar and Amana Bank. [email protected]