02.05.07 Good Today, Bad Tomorrow Is Unacceptable – You Must Be Consistent (Orig Ng 12)

12. The Chief Executive and a Manager’s Self-Inflicted Disappointments

The doors of the lift closed as I checked my watch to ascertain if I was on time for our appointment with Kizito, one of the managers in a prominent firm.   

As I stepped out of the lift, I noticed the new marble flooring, signaling that the premises had just been renovated.  “What an impressive change!”, I thought to myself; comparing their new deco with what I had seen some months back, when I visited their CEO Mr. Mukasa to advise him on some managerial issues.

Kizito’s office was not difficult to find since it was almost opposite the lift.  “Hi”, I greeted, as he ushered me to a seat.  But from the look on the manager’s face, it was obvious that something was bothering him immensely.   

No longer had I sat down than he opened up.  Apparently, one of his junior colleagues Kaama, had been selected to manage a donor-funded project.  The news had come as a shock since everyone in the office had expected that he (Kizito) would be chosen for the prestigious position.  But much to many people’s disbelief, the CEO had opted for Kizito’s supervisee.  “I have been working very hard, you know…; I established this department from scratch five years ago…”, Kizito complained with unmistakable bitterness. 

But having listened to Mr. Mukasa’s managerial challenges during my advisory visits in the past, I could quickly guess why Kizito could have missed the post.  For instance, there had been times when the chief executive had complained that the manager was terribly unreliable. 

On one occasion, the CEO had narrated how they had relied on Kizito to finalize a board paper.  Mr. Mukasa was alarmed when he learnt, just one day before the board meeting, that Kizito had not yet completed the task.  To rescue the situation, the boss had requested Kaama to stay behind till late, in order to assist Kizito to complete the paper.  “In fact, Kizito hardly ever submits reports on time”, the executive had added.

Mr. Mukasa had further complained that the manager had a punctuality problem - no one ever seemed to know what time he would be reporting to work.  Some days he would be early while others he would be so late. 

And as I listened to Kizito trying to justify his disappointment, there was no doubt that the manager had no inkling of the extent to which Mr. Mukasa had grown weary of his (Kizito’s) poor delivery. 

“Kizito”, I said; “Would you really want me to tell you why you could have missed the position?”, I asked.  It was then that I narrated the following story.

Teffi was one of the best hair dressers in the city.  She owed her skills to her Congolese friend, Mobilla who had taught her a lot about the trade.  In fact, Teffi’s business had expanded so much that the name of her salon had become synonymous with smart hair. 

One morning however, Teffi had to depart to the village as her mother was unwell.  It was during her absence that one of the girls used a wrong chemical on a client, resulting in severe hair loss a few days thereafter.  To make matters worse, such inconsistencies continued unchecked, to the point that a sizeable number of clients started complaining of severe hair breakages.  By the time Teffi returned from the village, some prominent clients had stopped coming to the salon.  Moreover, even those ladies that had been satisfied with their hair had shifted.  Before long, Teffi’s business went down the drain.

At this juncture I asked Kizito what could have been the reason for the failure of Teffi’s business.  He was quick to explain that the ladies must have been uncertain of what the outcome of their hair would be.  “Joy, simply because their hair had been well treated last weekend did not mean that a mistake wouldn’t happen this weekend.  ‘Word must have gone round’ that it would be a risk to go to Teffi’s salon as one would not be so sure what would happen to her hair thereafter”, he said with much conviction.

We agreed together, that the ladies were not just interested in healthy hair once in a while, but all the time; and that any uncertainty about the desired quality of services would have propelled them to shift.

“Kizito”, I interjected, “not only does your boss require excellent services from you, but you must be consistent.  Therefore, it is very possible that Mr. Mukasa was not so sure that you would be able to always deliver to the required standard, hence his decision to opt for Kaama!”.

Before I departed, we agreed that the manager sends me a list of areas where he should improve.  And as I read his email that evening, I had a deep conviction that Kizito had learnt a lesson albeit the hard way – inconsistent service delivery can make you miss an opportunity of a life time!  Nonetheless, I was glad that at least, he was ready to change.