COVID laid bare the vulnerability of the supply chain industry, when the whole world virtually shut down. At the same time, a big disconnection was revealed among researchers, practitioners and policymakers with regard to supply chain issues.
The key to building a “future-ready” supply chain industry lies in the untapped potential that comes from creating synergy among these groups. That was the key takeaway from a Distinguished Lecture delivered in May by Nannette Atuahene, a leadership and organizational effectiveness consultant.
“When we are faced with many problems, many opportunities exist to solve them,” said Atuahene, founder of On Our Watch Global, LLC. “The question is, how do we set up effective and efficient communication systems between academia, industry and policymakers to bolster innovation, solutions and an upgraded supply chain industry?”
“Leadership is the key,” said Atuahene, who splits her time between Ghana and the U.S.
Atuahene advised supply chain professionals—whether researchers, entrepreneurs, practitioners or policymakers—to consider what growth plan they will create and implement to build their leadership skills. Actions could include talking to experts, engaging mentors, reading books, listening to audios, attending events and/or forming circles of advisors.
“What will I do this year to be the best leader I can be, in this industry?,” she urged listeners to ask themselves.
Apart from leadership, Atuahene outlined a four-step process for building a future-ready supply chain industry. These steps involve: 1) assessing the problem and brainstorming solutions with all stakeholders in the community; 2) building relationships; 3) developing the program or initiative that solves the problems; 4) Monitoring and evaluating the program/initiative results for continuous improvement.
Step 1: Assess the problem and brainstorm solutions
The first step involves assessing the pressing needs of the industry, said Atuahene. Doing so requires bringing together stakeholders from differing backgrounds who have diverse thoughts, including nongovernmental and trade organizations, policymakers, entrepreneurs, interest groups, practitioners and researchers.
“A lot of times what I’m seeing in industry, what I’m seeing in academia, what I’m seeing in policymaking is that there’s this disconnect,” said Atuahene. “Researchers may have all this information. But because they have not adequately brought all the stakeholders to the table, the research may be irrelevant and fall on deaf ears or not be utilized by practitioners.”
Once a coalition is built, the group should examine the pressing problems, review past attempts to solve them, and consider new factors, information or research needs.
“When we’re able to build these coalitions,” said Atuahene, “the groundwork is laid for us to be able to inform policy, inform practitioners, and have our research go farther than it’s going now.”
Step 2: Build relationships and get on the government’s agenda
Once the coalition is created and has agreed on the pressing issues, then relationship-building becomes important, Atuahene said. This includes relationships both among coalition members and with governing bodies.
“As you build those relationships within the coalition, you build a unified voice,” Atuahene. “Now you can step out and have conversations with agencies and officials, with information that is thought out and thorough.
“The government is looking to listen and answer to the biggest voice to make sure they’re getting a return on the work that they’re doing,” she explained. “As a coalition, you’re going to give this government official or agency the biggest bang for their buck, as they address your issues, your pressing needs.”
She stressed the importance of understanding the interests, priorities and decision-making processes of government bodies before approaching them. This step involves researching which ministries are responsible for addressing the needs of your group, what their main concerns are, as well as how and when they allocate resources.
Most government agencies are looking for solutions to two major issues: employment and housing needs, Atuahene said. When you can show that more jobs will be created and more people will be impacted, then you have the best chance to move your causes forward.
Step 3: Develop the program
The next step, once your coalition is working with a government agency, is to put together an action plan, Atuahene said. That includes creating and implementing the policy or program or initiative, creating a framework and measuring success.
“We have to figure out, what are we measuring?,” Atuahene advised. “Are we measuring the number of people that we’re impacting, the number of jobs we’re creating, the number of practitioners whose businesses have improved by a certain percentage?”
Another consideration is wraparound services, Atuahene said. She gave the example of a client organization focused on encouraging youth to explore careers in the trades. If someone outside the client’s youth target market expressed interest in the client’s programs, the client could refer that person to a coalition partner to provide services.
“You want to make sure that when you’re building these coalitions, you’re crystal clear about what target market each member of the coalition represents,” said Atuahene. “So when people come to you, if you’re not able to address their questions, you have other participants of the coalition that can.”
Step 4: Create formal evaluations
The final step is to formally evaluate the program. You should be assessing the program all along the way, Atuahene said. But you also need to create a formal evaluation process and use that feedback to decide where to change course, moving forward.
“Whether through surveys, interviews or sitting with each participant and asking questions, we need to evaluate to see where we did well or where we could do better,” she said. “Then have that feedback inform the next phase of the process. What should we pull back on? What can we scale up in the next stage of implementation?”
Atuahene concluded her talk by encouraging participants to ask questions. Think about where you are now and where you want to go, she advised. Then think about one question you have that will help you bridge the gap.
“I always encourage people to ask questions because that’s the only way you can bridge the gap between where you are and where you would love to be, in your personal and professional life.”
About the speaker:
Nannette Atuahene was born and raised in the United States to a mother and father who were from Kumasi, Ghana. As an adult, she splits the year between living in Ghana and California.
She is a real estate investor and broker and founder of On Our Watch Global, LLC, a leadership development and organizational effectiveness consultancy. She also contributes her time and expertise to the community, primarily by empowering youth on the streets of Ghana and working with several Ghanaian NGOs.