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ZWELIBANZI NDLOVU

Business Reporter
TRANSFORMATION strategist and business consultant Zwelibanzi Ndlovu says companies in Bulawayo should discard the victim mentality and work towards transforming their operations to remain viable in a competitive economic environment.
Ndlovu, the founder of Stop to Start International, a Bulawayo based firm, says the missing link in turning around the city’s economy was a transformation strategy that required new production models and modern management approaches.

“Transformation is crucial in this economic environment. Opportunities are there and the most important thing we need is mindset change,” he told captains of industry at a KPMG business conference on Friday.

“A lot of us are sitting here with wrong thinking, with our mindset telling us that everything local isn’t good. We need mindset transformation at individual and corporate level.

“A lot of us are manufacturing and selling merchandise that we’re not consuming. This should raise questions about our fundamental models of production.”

Ndlovu said company executives should stop thinking that foreign direct investment (FDI) was the only hope for revival without reviewing their strategic operations.

“Strategic thinking should lead to decision making, which leads to problem solution. Most managers have abdicated thinking as a managerial task,” he said.

There is a link between company strategy and performance, said Ndlovu, who noted that some companies have not done strategic audits for years despite repeated losses.

“It’s surprising that you see company executives pushing for an increase in their allowances when a company isn’t performing. You then find a business sinking under its own weight,” he said.

“Companies need to evaluate the security of their businesses and come up with measurable benchmarks for their operations,” said Ndlovu, who underscored the need to embrace technology while accusing managers of crafting strategies they do not implement.

“Forget about money and focus on implementing your strategy. Prove before you get resources that you’ve a sound strategy and will improve.”

He bemoaned the dearth of corporate governance in the private sector, which he said was eroding investor confidence.

Ndlovu urged companies to invest in qualified human capital and retain those with skill, noting that some people resist change because they were ignorant.

“The fountain of ideas is in your staff. As employers you need to create situations that allow your workforce to release ideas and the flow of creativity,” he said.

Ndlovu challenged businesses to support the government in the implementation of Zim-Asset, saying there was value in the blue-print despite the fact that most people were dismissing it from an ignorant standpoint.