Ambode charges workers to embrace culture of strategic management 

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday charged workers in the State to embrace the culture of strategic planning and management in order to scale up productivity.

The governor spoke at a two-day training for public servants in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

According to him, the importance and indispensability of strategy, strategic planning, and strategic management had been proven and validated over the years and over the centuries.

“Yet, organisations are not always readily open to embracing a culture of strategic management. This training is yet another effort aimed at ensuring that the Lagos State Public Service is not one of those organisations that, having realised the importance of the culture, still refuses or fails to embrace it,” he said.

Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr Benson Oke, posited that the map to that ‘better place’ for the Lagos State Public Service was a culture of strategic management.

He said strategic management would help civil servants anticipate future problems and opportunities, provide officers with clear objectives and directions for the future of the organisation as well as  result in more effective and better performance compared to non-strategic management organisations.

The governor added that strategic management would increase officers’ satisfaction and motivation; result in faster and better decision making and result on cost savings.

“An effective strategy should be deeply understood and shared by civil servants. It is always helpful to remember that an effective strategy provides a picture of the desired long-term future.

“In order to make sound day-to-day decisions, all members of the organization must be able to begin with the end in mind.  All steps must ultimately keep the company on course toward the long-term objective,” he stated.

Ambode also said an effective strategy resulted from the varied input of a diverse group of thinkers and participants in strategic decision-making must be un-afraid to state contrary opinions. 

“The take home lesson for us as managers of men and resources is that in order to ensure that your strategic team is ready to make effective decisions, look carefully in the mirror,” he said.