adminneed to counter the effects of the “lost decade” that had seen business accepting mediocrity as the ideal under the guise of a “wait-and-see” attitude and “survival” mode for the past decade.
“Organisations should consider hiring Zimbabwean professionals from the Diaspora who have experienced management in a stable environment and are able to transfer best practices and cascade positive values and behaviours in the business environment,” he said.
Mr Guvamatanga was discussing the effects of the “lost decade” on the human resources and its implications on organisational culture, staff performance and the economy in general.
He said the lost decade transformed how people act as individuals, perform as organisations and function as a nation.
“As Zimbabwe lost its footing, influence and its status, the region felt the impact. Migration of Zimbabweans to neighbouring South Africa, Botswana and Namibia skyrocketed, putting pressure on the job market, service delivery system,” he said.
He said as a result, Zimbabwe was experiencing a lack of shared vision, teamwork and accountability which was hindering the growth of the economy.
Mr Guvamatanga noted that women should play an important role in bridging the gap left by the “lost decade” as they were by nature planners, collaborative and multi-taskers.
“They have a significant role in imparting those qualities to the current crop of and the up and coming human resource,” he said.
He urged them to take advantage of the proportional representation in the new Constitution and get into all facets of the economy to make a direct impact.
Mr Guvamatanga also noted that the role of women in bringing the economy back on its feet lay in teaching the young people the value of patience and pushing for teamwork and a collaborative agenda in communities
“There are very few women sitting on boards of listed companies and this should change. If women were leading some of the companies, our highways wouldn’t be littered by so many base stations, our streets would not be littered by 27 ATMs when only three are needed. Women know how to share and cut costs in the process,” he said.
Mr Guvamatanga encouraged women to support each other through mentorship and sponsorship programmes. He said women had the capacity to teach the upcoming generations the value of saving.
“As women, many of you find yourselves a teaching role at one point or another. Women are oftentimes the first contact that teaches the young right from wrong and to instil the ideal value system. Teach the young the value of saving — waste not, want not,” he added.
He challenged women to take the first step to recognise that they are a leaders in their own right and that they have the power to influence future generations to be the best that they can be.
Online Reporter