The advantage of competitive games especially football is they keep score. At any time during the match, you can look at the scoreboard and know who is leading. In performance management terms, we call it the lag indicator. That indicator that happens after the fact and not before it.

To put it another way, a lag indicator is a performance measure that you see only after the fact. For example, when Liverpool did the unthinkable and made a comeback that overturned a 3 – 0 advantage to beat Barcelona FC at Anfield on 7th May 2019, many people were surprised. The 4 – 0 score that eliminated the mighty Barcelona, was phenomenal football.

Even the highly rated Messi could not believe it. Those who had not watched the match, thought Messi had not played!

Many people look at the results or lag indicators and not at the preparation efforts, or the lead indicators. What many people did not see were the lead indicators – the preparation effort the Liverpool team made. The work the Liverpool players and manager put into the return game right from the night prior when the team was scored 3 goals to nil at the home of Barcelona made all the difference. Instead of regretting and cursing and bemoaning their fate, Liverpool looked forward to the return match at their home ground. The prospects of the home advantage and the fact that they had what it took, was enough to make things happen. Instead of fearing the return league, the players said that they focused on training, resting and mind work – positive thinking about the many trophies the team has won, and the comebacks attained in the past.

On the night of the match, they achieved what many teams and sports analysts had though as impossible. The odds of Liverpool making a comeback and eliminating Barcelona had been put at 20%, meaning that is was remote in probability speak.

But it happened. Barcelona was eliminated.

That is the kind of odds a local firm like Summit Consulting Ltd goes through to win a tender in a government or private institution.

When we do get the job, we do it to a level that exceeds customer expectations. In Figure 1, carefully read the testimonial from a satisfied customer. To download the full testimonial, click here

Figure 1: Testimonial from a satisfied customer.

I used to play football, first as number 9, until I failed to get a number and changed to number 1, as the goalkeeper for our village school football team. Once a football player always one. Covid-19 or not, I have always enjoyed watching football on television. I know, to win, the team and players must do a lot.

The problem is the spectators only see the scoreboard. Are you a leader, do you want to see transformation of your business and win even amid the covid-19 pandemic? Visit www.summitcl.com.

On that 7th of May 2019, I switched got hooked on the match. I think because we were colonized by the British, I always have a heart for anything British. Even if I support Manchester United when it is not playing I go with the other red, Liverpool despite having a manager who does not know how to win and stays humble. There is a certain level of excitement and adrenaline rush when a team one is supporting starts winning against a tough opponent. You keep looking to make the win even better, and they do it even against all odds. Liverpool needed four (4) goals without conceding any away goal, and they did it.

It was not only the size of the win but the size of the opponent they beat that made it even more interesting. And for some reason, even when DStv put in the Catchup the great Champions League comebacks, they never put that match of 7th May 2019! That shows you how special that win was. Even Dstv would rather forget about it.

That is how at Summit Consulting Ltd, and as the Team Leader, of this great local firm, with global outlook smiles whenever we not only complete a client project but receive a testimonial for work well done. Whereas other experts or consultants will claim about the several projects they have done. Few can produce the kind of testimonials we have from our clients.

To us, each project is a partnership. Where we take time to ACT – Assess the client’s current condition or where they are now, and the desired future given their existing capabilities and opportunities. We then work together to Change the status quo. We interact with the team across all levels, and design a change agenda – where it is a COVID-19 recovery and response strategy, or a special project to undertake or just to make a clear choice of priorities to win given the conditions – we work with the client to develop an organic strategy that speaks to the current and future conditions of the organization.

The next phase is to Transform.

Of what use is the change if it does not lead to transformation in terms of better ways of doing things and crossing the form – from high costs operations to low-cost operations, from a bloated payroll to a lean and agile team, from a poor strategy that is difficult to execute to an organic strategy, that has a clear business model and is easy to implement.

To transform involves knowledge and skills transfer to the client to drive the execution agenda. When we finish doing a strategic plan at any client, we help align the structure to the strategy, as well as the digital strategy to the overall corporate strategy and the HR strategy under one task instead of doing it in silos of various disjointed tasks. That way, the HR strategy, IT strategy, business plan, or annual work plan for the first year and the budget get all aligned to the strategic plan.

At this time of the year, have you reviewed and updated your strategy yet? If not yet, contact us or speak to Mr. Strategy. You will be thanked by all concerned for having made that call.

It is not often that leaders get an aha moment.

Make your next strategic planning retreat worth your while.

Copyright Mustapha B Mugisa, 2020. All rights reserved.