By Lekshmy Sankar | 04-Feb-2018
I was speaking with a previous colleague and friend of mine, reminiscing about a job assignment that we both had in Nigeria. We laughed about how challenging and extremely rewarding it was. It was one of those experiences we both struggled with due to change management. It was a much-needed reminder that sometimes making change in government is difficult. It can be frustrating and challenging but we should never forget that change reaps great benefits.
One of my favorite speeches has always been Tony Blair’s election victory speech. He delivered this speech on London’s South Bank with the backdrop of a sunrise a triumphantly proclaimed a “new dawn” for Britain after his election victory. The rhetoric paired with the visual symbolism has always stuck with me.
With my previous employer, IBM, I was humbled to be selected for their Corporate Service Corps program. The program’s goal is to enable high-achieving IBM employees to implement community driven economic programs in developing countries through knowledge-transfer initiatives. The program is highly selective and allows prospects to provide services to countries in need.
My assignment was centered in Nigeria and tasked me with assisting the client in addressing the country’s daunting deforestation problem. Nigeria, at the time, had the largest deforestation rate in the world with more than half of the primary forest already lost. Previous conservation efforts and educational campaigns focused on how to reduce deforestation rates and were viewed by many at the client’s office as a lost cause. I felt like the client’s prevailing view was that of defeat and a grudging acceptance that the country simply did not see the value of preserving their precious forests. Many of the employees spent tireless hours attempting to implement change but all efforts appeared to be for naught.
In an effort to address the issue, my client had introduced and implemented multiple programs even going so far as to develop alternative energy solutions such as hydroelectric power and wind turbines to reduce the use of wood fuel for cooking. Although these programs met with varying amounts of success, they ultimately proved to be unsustainable and the prevailing mindset remained unchanged.
Nigeria’s seemingly monolithic attitude toward the forest was difficult for me to reconcile because I had spent months preparing for this project and had this naive expectation of saving the Nigerian forest (imagine the striking image of me, a relatively short Indian version of Mrs. Captain Planet). When I arrived, I was not prepared for my client’s apathy towards the goal of forest preservation. In my first week, the pervasive apathy was illustrated further when a person in a high leadership role told me to “enjoy the country and treat the time there as a vacation.” This person genuinely believed that nothing could ever change in Nigeria.
In response, and especially because I am known to be incredibly stubborn at times, I proclaimed to myself Tony Blair’s famous declaration: “It is the dawn of a new era.” This became my mantra in the weeks to come. I realized that organizational change would be necessary to implement any program and increase morale within the team. In an effort to understand the root cause of the organization’s attitude of defeat, my teammate and I conducted stakeholder meetings and opened them up to all to encourage open dialogue and debate. This approach helped improve relationships and provided a place to make group decisions through forming a consensus. I found that once the team started an open dialogue addressing deforestation, each member became more passionate about the subject and the group became invigorated. It’s amazing how just a little of sharing can help get the ideas flowing and how many ideas people have waiting to be shared.
After these idea-sharing sessions, I was surprised by how people were more open to change and suggestions, especially the leadership. This helped leadership understand the need for cultural change endeavors to increase morale within the organization and empower the team to present their ideas in a safe manner.
Sadly, I don’t know if they kept up with the change or what happened after I left. I can only talk about my experience at the time. The most rewarding aspect of my time spent in Nigeria was when that same member of leadership approached me and told me that he was glad that I didn’t approach this project as a vacation.
Successfully changing the minds of many to see the value in their work and empowering them to make a change was and is hard work. I am not sure if it was sustainable but I learned that it is possible. My time on that project was a golden opportunity that allowed me to discover how to break through barriers that others perceive to be their limits.
Without a doubt, it was “the dawn of a new era” for me. I am glad that I was able to talk to my friend who was able to remind me that even when it seems like change is impossible, it just takes perseverance and a positive attitude.
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