As developing nations, where do we invest our limited resources for the most significant impact?
While infrastructure is excellent, it comes second to capacity building. Africa has its work cut out for the next generation with a budding young population of 60% under 25 years and an undisputed title of the most youthful continent. Population explosion comes with enormous challenges and abundant opportunities when tackled appropriately.
African leaders need to lead with agility and invest in empowering youths to be market-ready for the global economy to ensure sustainable growth. Supply chain capacity building provides Africa with a huge opportunity to boost economic development and a secured prosperous continent for future generations.
Mentoring for change
Supply chain mentorship provides an opportunity to train young people to carry out performance measurement and management practices. It serves as a compass for organizations to navigate and build excellence. Professionals in the field with real-world experience can mentor graduate students and practitioners. Mentorship is crucial as it ensures the students are ready for the challenges that lie ahead. Resilience requires a flexible workforce with varied skills through cross-training. Peer to peer mentoring and networks are beneficial as it removes the barrier to learning and mentors are easily accessible.
Retain and develop talent
Retain your best hands and ensure continuous training and improvement. Empower the teams with autonomy to make decisions and make mistakes while learning. Tailor training needs to skills gaps to ensure fit. Provide access to trainees to hone their skills and empower them to seek opportunities. Professional certifications, seminars, and conferences are sure to keep abreast of new developments and advancements in supply chain management. Acknowledging people that have contributed to the success of the organization will motivate others to do more.
Build learning and growth organizations
Create safe learning and growing ecosystems for employees to thrive. Continuous learning and development are vital for sustainability. Scan and explore the environment for growth opportunities, and don’t hesitate to change what isn’t working. Creatively disrupt and push boundaries to spur innovation. Collaborative networks with other professionals will broaden the horizon and create more value for the customer.
The cultural shift for sustainability
Ensure continuous communication and openness in the organization. Move away from the culture of secrecy and hierarchy to a flat organizational structure with flexible boundaries and motivated teams. Use digital platforms to support communication and team-based activities. Develop a passion for change and progress and encourage employees to reimagine the future of supply chains.
Lastly, Build ‘capacity to order’ and not ‘to stock’, If you can’t dream it, you can’t be it!