Specialist Trainers of SME Operators Debut in Lagos
By Theophilus Oyekanmi
An organization that handles small and medium scale enterprise development and entrepreneurial advisory service has been established in Lagos.
The organization, Dev-Centric International which has its office in Lagos organizes seminars, conference, symposium and workshop in order to sensitise people to move away from being employee to self employer and to also become employers of labour. According to Chales Agbeze, the Chief Executive Officer of the organization, "we are out to train people to change their orientiation, vision and aspiration of depending on salary job but, to become employers of labour.
Recently at solitude Hotel in Jibowu-Yaba, a seminar was held for people who are about starting up their business termed "start your businessSYB" The seminar however taught participants on how to go about starting a business after serving in paid employment for some time.
Participants were takeen through practical steps and approach to establishing small and medium scale enterprise businesses, sustaining and nurturing it to become a very big organization. Chales Agbeze, the Chief Executive Officer of Dev-Centric International explained to THISDAY that "the idea behind the concept is imbibe in the Nigerian masses thinking of coming out of paid employment to also become employers of labour. The seminar taught participants on how to start their businesses, raising capital, getting out of paid employment e.t.c.", he stated.
However, the organization organized another round of seminar few weeks back also at solitude Hotel on Oweh street, Jibowu Yaba,Lagos.
The seminar, of which THISDAY was invited to monitor was organized for Chief Executive Officers and was tagged "CEO's forum" where by speakers were invited from other places to take participants on how to run their various organizations effectively.
A lady called Ade-Biola took participants on how to relate with employees, dealing with them, remunerating them and making them work so well; as well as rewarding and punishing them whenever they erred. Chales Agbeze thereafter spoke on "Getting the right people for your organisation where he dwells on managerial which is the "optimal use of the resources for effective planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Agbeze thereafter defined recruitment as "attracting potential candidates; the wider the announcement, the higher the chances for good candidates"to be recruited into the employee's pay roll. The Dev-Centric Chief Executive however taught participants the recruitment systems, according to Agbese,these are : Advert through the Media; posters, referrals,billboard and non-paid announcement.
Participants were also allowed to share their experiences with one another and exchange views on running of their enterprise. After a one hour lunch break, Chales Agbeze again took participants on"performance based composition systems" where he gave the rationale to include transactional relationship between employers and their employees; Agbese also mentioned performance as basis for employment and, most organizations have 80/20 percentage.
Agbeze therefore gave the benefits as higher productivity, personal development, healthy rivalry, and loyalty and, industrial harmony at work place while he also spoke on reward structure to either be on the spot or later on.
The SME trainer gave the reward structure, to be based on commission, performance award, profit sharing and on the spot award.
He concluded with managing performance and listed "motivate,and monitor as the key word.
For motivate, he stated that employers needs to equip their employees with all that is required for effective performance at work place; including tools.
To empower their employees, Agbeze uttered that employers should allowed their workers to exercise their own initiatives for progress of their individual organization while they should be allowed to make mistakes and be corrected.
Lastly on motivate, Agbeze mentioned rewarding staff for excellence and good performance either immediately on spot, periodically, quarterly or annually.
He spoke of the monitoring aspect, which should be constant, by monitoring employee's performance and evaluating same. Agbeze said "contineuos monitoring is informal while periodical monitoring formal form" of monitoring.
The tools highlighted are training through course, seminar and on the job tutelage; development, which is making some one to stand-in for you when you are away.
For shared vision, he said these are the goals, objectives, aims, aspirations and targets by the organization.
He also listed goal setting and targets, job rotation/promotion, job enlargement and job enrichment. Others are coaching which is capacity building and, encouragement, correction communication and, good leadership. Some of the participants however spoke with THISDAY at the CEO's forum. Mrs. Olayinka Alaka, the chief executive officer of Deere -Y travels limited at Ogba, Ikeja said "the training is so rich and has actually enrich me further in dealing with staff and in repositioning my travel agencybusiness. I look forward to more of such seminars".
Mr. Pat Azurunwa, general manager of UTIB insurance Brokers Limited on Toyin street, Ikeja said "for less than N10,000.00 we have gained a lot of intellects today on running our businesses successfully and have a good relationship with our employees. I wish Mr. Agbeze more ~on his elbow. We look forward to having more of such forum, seminar and training.
In Mrs. VIC. Obembe's world, she said at vickii garment manufacturers of which she is the Chief Executive "all I have learnt today would be put into use because if there if anything I have learnt today, it is the way one could deal with the staff working under you. And, so, today one has been able to gain a lot from this seminar. I would like to suggest to the organizer to please organize this type of forum from time to time and try to give this program at a low price".
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