“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” – Psalm 23: 6
In the last four columns we have given examples of how the innovative concept of the shepherding squad has been introduced, in turn, to alleviate challenges in governance, investment finance, marketing and operations in the business environment.
Today we conclude this mini-series by looking at the role of the fifth and final business system (people development), which is to continually expand the quality and quantity of employees of and contractors to a company in the interest of the sustainability of the organization.
In the graphic, the Shepherding squad, represented by a single shepherd, nurtures entrepreneurs individually, reminding us that our people are our most important asset and we must develop them to the fullest.
Individuals who have come to a crossroads in life because they have voluntarily decided to become entrepreneurs, or they may have been laid off by private sector or public sector employers because of a downturn in the economy, or they may want to pursue another career path or simply improve themselves, can benefit from laying a new foundation as they transition from where they are today to where they want to be. Life coaches help with this transition.
In the business context the significant and diverse experience of the members of a shepherding squad should not be ignored. The squad will lay the foundation by introducing a positive affirmation of abundance system which engenders holistic spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, financial and business health.
The traditional way of improving yourself is to enroll in a formal training course and seek certification to be presented to a prospective employer. This path can consume time and money which may not be readily available, and the acquisition of knowledge is restricted to the curriculum of the training module which may or may not be a good fit to your needs.
An experienced shepherding squad can teach you what you need to learn today, its cost may be paid out of “future profits” and the timely exposure to relevant knowledge is virtually unrestricted. A conducive work environment in which the individual is encouraged to learn from their peers and guided by a squad is probably the optimal learning option which leads to happiness in the business environment.
The members of the shepherding squad would have collectively “seen it all” in their day. The synergy of the interaction within the squad and between the squad and the individual is rich in the context of their experiences. The can share how to (1) best utilize time to get efficient work-life balance, (2) establish productivity enhancement teams within the company to facilitate succession planning, and (3) acquire the right balance of contractors to meet the expanding needs of the company and hence contribute to the growth of the economy.
The people development business system must speak to the commitment by the individual to embrace: (1) a positive affirmation of abundance to engender holistic health in body, mind and spirit; (2) the unlocking of our innate human potential, through an exposure to training and experience, thus opening a gateway to job satisfaction and, ultimately, happiness; (3) the practice of time management to optimally utilize the daily quota of the 24 hours that God has provided to each and every one of us; (4) succession planning to provide continuity at all levels in the organization and ensure that goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives; and (5) a commitment to company sustainability, the amalgam of which over several companies will redound to the benefit of national economic development.