General

Let’s have one of my conversation pieces, shall we? Let’s just have a chat. You can talk back in your feedback and we will pick it up from there. Quite frankly, I’ve always seen the role of leader of a company as more of a highly sensitive responsibility that comes with high risks and exposure rather than a certified jolly fun-filled appointment. Yes, systems should be and usually are put in place to aid most CEO’s in navigating a company’s business activities. But it all depends on how you see it and how sensitive you are to the inherent roles the company plays in the daily lives of other people. From how I see it, leading a company means taking the baton from the non-humanoid “company” and YOU being in charge of finishing the race. I say “company” because I always count a company as a separate entity in any roll call. For instance, there’ll be a CEO, COO, CFO… et cetera et cetera… and then there’s “the company”, as another entity. The Company as A “Person” This mental adjustment allows me to properly evaluate how robust or imperfect my very young and promising company is. For instance, at work, if I fail to get timely reports from the ever “busy” Japheth (yes Japheth, I’m bringing this up here), then two people need to answer for it: the first one is obviously Japheth, then the second “person” is the company. Why Japheth? Because he’s… Japheth. Who else would I ask first on why Mr I’m-Always-Looking-For-Trucks repeatedly sends me late reports. He is accountable for his actions, or inactions. Do you know who else is accountable: THE COMPANY. It is the company’s JOB to create systems and processes that allow for the easy flow of work while mitigating the risks of inefficiencies popping up every now and then. So I have to look at the company and its systems and evaluate if it needs adjustment. In the case of Japheth, he now uses a shared Google Doc to blast updates even when he’s in the field, because he spends a lot of his time in the field. But Japheth is not the point here. My talk with Japheth should fix any human-related part of the error. We see an increase in his will to rectify the inefficiency. But I had to have another talk but this time with the abstract entity that is the company and say “Hey! MIG! how could this happen on your watch?!” You see, when there’s a will, there should be a way, and that way should as fluid and easily replicable as possible so as to stop similar inefficiencies from coming up later. Interim possibly permanent solution: Google Docs! Leadership is solving problems Let’s go back to the mental adjustment I earlier mentioned. From how I see it, leading a company means taking the baton from the non-humanoid “company” and YOU being in charge of finishing the race. It implies that any inefficiencies of the company become your inefficiencies. It’s failures become yours. And yes the good days are yours also. Former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell once said “Leadership is solving problems”. Very aptly put. Why would one take on the challenge of solving problems for a living? The headache! Maybe to earn a living, a reward, as a passion, for leisure, a bonus. But whatever it is, it comes with a significant amount of responsibility to potentially everyone, as in EVERYONE. But like I said, it all depends on how sensitive you are to the inherent role the company plays in the daily lives of other people. The Ripple-Down Effect of Business Decisions A company’s business activities affect many more people than you can readily identify. When it affects one person, it indirectly affects anyone that the person directly affects. That creates a ripple effect from there which theoretically doesn’t end. Because, if every 1 person directly affects, let’s say, 10 people, then on the next level those 10 people will directly affect 100 people (10×10) and these 100 people directly affect 1000 (100×10). Go five levels up and that the company will INDIRECTLY affect the lives of 100,000 people PER PERSON THE COMPANY DIRECTLY AFFECTS. I tried to get fancy by calling Jessica Fleischer-Djoleto for some regression analysis equation or correlation model for this scenario. I always wanted a Bsc in Mathematics; she has one. But the above explanation of the ripple effect should let you understand that companies, their leaders and their business activities can have a significantly huge say in how we go about our daily lives. A company’s business activities influence not only its employees, customers, competitors and suppliers but also the community, even the government, and definitely the environment. Businesses are expected to conduct its operations responsibly and do no harm. A company’s leadership has to adjust its priorities and the team mindset to suit what is expected of a socially conscious business. But as the situation stands, new things come up every now and then. The Era of the #MeToo Movement A good example is the rise of the #MeToo Movement. The cause spread very quickly and it has taken down many powerful figures across the world. This has forced every leading company to re-evaluate what constitutes proper working environment for its employees. Because that is what leaders do, they solve problems, even the ones that haven’t happened yet. You should see why it’s not too much of a chore if a company’s leadership decides to execute a major overhaul of the company’s current practices and its social impact efforts just so they can avoid all the negative publicity that comes from being caught up in a #MeToo scandal. This actually sets you up for long-term success. Government and Lawmakers also have taken note of the change in tide and are taking appropriate measures. For example, in California USA, the rise of the #MeToo Movement saw the birth of new legislation that looks to increase

Digitisation is the process of transforming information and data from a physical format to a digital one. Example: When a government Clerk 1 scans all physical copies of court documents, converts them to a PDF file and saves them on a government computer, that is digitisation. Digitalisation is the process of using digitisation to improve processes. Example: When a government Clerk 2 uploads all the scanned PDF files to an online cloud so that any authorised official can access them anytime, anywhere, that is digitalisation. In the above examples, both Clerk 1 and Clerk 2 have digitised a part of the courts’ processes, but Clerk 2 has digitalised the courts the more. Clerk 2 used digitisation to improve how things get done – digitalisation. Clerk 1’s job is necessary but it’s real impact is only revealed when Clerk 2 comes in. Also note that Clerk 2’s job does not exist without a Clerk 1 scanning the documents first. Digitisation is what enables Digitalisation to happen. Key difference between Digitisation and Digitalisation If you compare the two, you can see that Digitalisation has far more value than Digitisation. Digitisation is merely just making a digital copy of physical things. In the grand scheme of things, digitisation is an important first step to progress, but it does not guarantee it. The Passport Office digitalised its application processes by making it available online. If the Passport Office only scanned available physical documents into a digital format and stopped there, significant progress wouldn’t be actualised. Digitalisation therefore expands on Digitisation to create positive impact. This is where we move on to the 3rd thingie: Digital Transformation. Digital Transformation is the impact caused by digitalisation. Digitisation and Digitalisation are part of Digital Transformation. Example: Clerk 1’s job of scanning physical copies of the court documents is digitisation. When Clerk 2 uploads the digitised data to a cloud, he improves the business processes of the courts and that is digitalisation. The IMPACT all of these will have on our courts system is digital transformation. Now I want you to hold on to that word “IMPACT” and ask yourself what IMPACT the government’s digitalisation of the Passport Office alone has had. The digital transformation of the Ghana Passport Office has been a breath of fresh air to many that no longer have to pay their monthly salaries to middlemen, and it has been a pain in the neck for middlemen that are finding fewer ways to exploit eager applicants. This is the kind of digital transformation through digitisation and its ensuing digitalisation that the Vice President has been talking about for a while now. I heard him explain things further in his address at the opening of the Ghana Office of the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) on Tuesday 6th of August. That’s when I got it: It’s actually a local digital transformation revolution! #JackWhereAreYou gave us the launch of the nationwide digital address system. The Ghana Card or National ID Card has also been rolled out. It was only last week that I heard that our Mobile Money Payments Interoperability, that allows you to transfer money from one network to another, is the first in Africa of its kind. Justice Delivery allows for E-case tracking in the Law Courts. The Ports going paperless stole headlines for quite a while. Registrar General’s Department allowing for E-registration of companies is now a thing. I just spoke of the Passport Office’s digital transformation, and that of the Ministry of Tourism. Did I mention that the Lands Commission is going paperless too? With a click of a button you will soon be able to see who is registered as owner of any piece of land. All those issues of someone selling land many times over to different people might be gone soon enough. There is going to be a National Emergency Number that will be linked with all the emergency services. Police, Fire Service and others will be able to find a caller’s exact location so as to reduce response time, just like with 911 in the States. Procurement also going electronic, making all parts of procurement processes trackable online. Politics aside, all this should make you nod in affirmative gratification. A local digital transformation revolution is what I choose to call it when I realise that the digitisation process is going to affect all government institutions just like it took over the Ports and Harbours, the Passport Office, and the Ministry of Tourism. So far, digitalisation processes has led to measurable impacts in certain areas. For instance, the Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on Tuesday shared how revenue at the Ministry of Tourism has increased in folds since its digitisation process took place. The ensuing digitalisation of the Ministry of Tourism, particularly it’s payment systems, made it almost impossible to lose track of monies intended for the Ministry’s coffers. This is kind of the digital transformation that has been going on since Ghana’s Digitisation Agenda. And the World Bank approves! The World Bank loves the idea of National Digitisation The World Bank continues to pledge support for Ghana’s Digitisation Agenda because it understands the important role that technology plays in the daily lives of citizens of a developing country. Just one example of Mobile Money shows how the introduction of modern technology can transform how rural areas interact with other parts of Ghana on a daily basis. The World Bank’s Vice President for Africa, Hafez Ghanem, said earlier this year that we can use technology to “improve governance, to reduce corruption, to improve transparency among others; it is really a strong instrument in improving governance”. And he is right. The Ministry of Tourism example is enough proof of this. Cashless Currency is natural an effect of National Digitisation When there is such aggressive digitalisation in a region, you start to see the emergence and dominance of pure digital currencies. When I say digital currencies, don’t go as far as to think BitCoin and the like. Simply

The Acting Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Ms. Kate Addo, announced last week Monday that plans to build a new 450-seat chamber for Parliament has been suspended. The 3-year construction was scheduled to commence by end of year. It is impossible to ignore the ensuing effects that the #DropThatChamber movement will have on all matters in the public AND private sector. My point revolves around the effects that recent happenings will have on others that look similar in the future. One word: Precedent (noun) Meaning (Cambridge): an action, situation, or decision that has already happened and can be used as a reason why a similar action or decision should be performed or made. Example: Some politicians fear that agreeing to the concession would set a dangerous precedent. That example sentence is actually ALSO from the Cambridge Dictionary. Check, I am not making that up. In this piece, I argue neither for the merit of the #DropThatChamber movement, nor do I dispute its validity. I try to be uncontroversial when it comes to matters like this because in politics, which is so not my forte, a debate for one side is usually span as an argument against the other, regardless of the line of reasoning. Let us stick to the facts. This remains an opinion piece. The Power of The People, in the Social Media Era Lawyer and civil rights activist, Pauli Murray, once said “One person plus one typewriter constitutes a movement”. That was the typewriter era. This this the era of Siri and Alexa. I bet she never imagined what 3 billion active social media users plugged into a World Wide Web can do in the 21st century. In this day and age, everyone has a voice. You can be the face of that voice or hide behind the avatar of some unnamed account to push an agenda. History has some lessons for us when it comes to social media backlash and how it is handled. It is arguably the most effective tool in the world. My other concern with the situation is how I did not clearly hear of how backroom dialogue and negotiating consensus with the opposition lead to the decision to drop the chamber. A lack of that might set the stage for how “action” of any kind is the way to get what you want from the government, as evidenced from the many videos on social media that threatened “action” on the government if they proceed with the chamber construction. The Camel’s nose The camel’s nose is a metaphor for any scenario where the permitting of a small, seemingly harmless act will open to door to other bigger, clearly undesirable actions. It is derived from a story where a camel sticks his nose into a man’s room, and the man thinks nothing of it for afterall it is only the nose. Later the camel pushes his head through. Before long the camel has its whole body in the man’s house and refuses to leave. The #DropThatChamber movement has a message that resonates well upon first listen. The movement is against the use of US$200M to build a bigger chamber for parliament when our developing nation has far more pressing matters on its agenda. The message is good. The activism is strong and on-going. Which is why I am not necessarily against the dropping of the chamber construction. I just do not want some proverbial camel to use this movement as its nose to come and worry Ghana. We like our peace. The government caving to #DropThatChamber might cause future opponents of any government’s action or policy, from any political party, NDC or NPP, to think “if the government caved once before in such and such a manner, they can cave again”. Also, when an ambitious government like our current one that has a lot of high-profile, capital intensive projects in its sights, including a very large National Cathedral that will surely be very costly as well as many daring development projects, where will it draw the line after another #DropThat movement? That brings me to The Principle of the Wedge. The Principle of the Wedge  In 1908, an English classical scholar named F. M. Cornford authored a short pamphlet called Microcosmographia Academica. In it, he briefly explained the Principle of the Wedge. “The Principle of the Wedge is that you should not act justly now for fear of raising expectations that you may act still more justly in the future — expectations which you are afraid you will not have the courage to satisfy. A little reflection will make it evident that the Wedge argument implies the admission that the persons who use it cannot prove that the action is not just. If they could, that would be the sole and sufficient reason for not doing it, and this argument would be superfluous.” Superfluous is the author’s too-known way of naming a present reaction or action as unnecessary when you know you cannot repeat things that same way in similar circumstances. He says raising the expectations of people by saying yes to them now, leading them to believe that you will say yes in future to a similar request, is not prudent in politics and it sets a bad precedent. The author is the one making that point, and yes, his writing is on politics, university politics. He called it “A Guide for The Young Academic Politician”. He also elaborates on The Principle of the Dangerous Precedent. The Principle of the Dangerous Precedent  The Principle of the Dangerous Precedent is that you should not now do an admittedly right action for fear you, or your successors, should not have the courage to do right in some future case, which, ex hypothesi, is essentially different, but superficially resembles the present one. Every public action which is not customary, either is wrong, or, if it is right, is a dangerous precedent. Every public action, which is not the usual that we have come to know, either is wrong or right. If it is wrong, then it should not have happened and should be condemned. If