The Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC) has completed the first phase of training public servants on behavioural change to ensure improved efficiency and productivity in the workplace.
Speaking at the BNPC values launch, executive director Baeti Molake said they have completed training all government departments and intend to complete the 100 private sector companies by the end of this month.
“We have completed training all the government departments and currently training some workers from private sector that have been selected,” he said. “We hope by end of this month, we will be done.”
Molake stressed the importance of transforming their values, adding that strong values formed the foundation and basis of successful organisations.
“Values are a set of standards and principles regarded by an individual or group as important and desirable,” he added. “They provide a sense of direction for employees and guidelines for everyday decisions.” He also said values give an organisation its unique character while distinguishing it from others, thus giving employees a sense of identity and belonging. Values that have been invented include: collaboration, results oriented, innovation and compassionate, as well as integrity. A company’s brand rests on its values.
“Each employee in an organisation is a custodian of its values,” he said. “They direct actions while people determine what is important by assessing situations in terms of values and make consistent decisions by the same method.”
He urged BNPC employees to reinvent themselves and embark on personal journeys of transformation because if they do not change, their organisation would not change.“It is important that these behaviours, linked to the values, are aimed at building a strong culture based on teamwork that will help us achieve our business goals,” he said.
According to Molake, by doing this, they will be able to educate their clients on the importance of organisational values and their contribution to driving people and ultimately improved productivity in their organisations.
“In order to do that, we need to get it right ourselves and walk the talk,” Molake added. “Your assistance, in ensuring we commit to our strategy and live our values, is greatly appreciated.”
He encouraged employees to resist from working in isolation, but rather work in teams and step in whenever necessary. He said he expected the human resource management to lead, operationalise and institunalise the BNPC values; and line managers to introduce and promote the values in their departments.
