Today, please allow me to surprise you, will you? If you have been in any of my speaking engagements, you must have noticed my interest in determining the level of passion in your career, isn’t it? Personally, I have never publicly revealed EXACTLY how I ventured into training. But, did you know that I never chose to venture into management and leadership training? Rather, I was CALLED into the same.
On Tuesday, 5th Feb 2005, a huge advert appeared in the Daily Nation. The advertiser needed to engage an OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL who understood both the theory and practice of business management for a part-time business Councelling/Consulting job, in the Small and Medium Enterprise – SME Sector. I did not see the advert, though, I had bought the paper as usual.
On Thursday 8th Feb 2005, a close friend called, alerted me on the advert and indicated that I met the requirements. Eventually, I applied for the job and after rigorous interviews, I emerged the best out of 100 applicants. I got engaged as a business counsellor/consultant for 8 months upto Dec 2005. My job involved interviewing SME clients encountering challenges in their business or wishing to understand how to engage a business growth trajectory.
After careful analysis, I was able to Instantly provide them with a written report on the needed causes of action. Amongst others, I still recall one Asian owned firm that eventually ventured into exporting their locally manufactured product, after having started from scratch. Upon expiry of my contract, in December 2005, I was given a highly commendable letter of appreciation and released, since I had started acquiring my own clients.
In April 2006, I experienced yet another CALLING. The World Bank, through International Finance Corporation – IFC was sponsoring the restructuring of Telkom Kenya Ltd, then a giant government body. About 14,000 employees were to be retrenched, within a short span. Luckily, they were each to undergo a pre-retirement training program which was to last 2 days.
Out of the blue, I was summoned by a former schoolmate in high school, who was aware of my recent consultancy engagements. He wanted me to be engaged as one of the Telkom Program Training Consultants. “But, I have only been involved in coaching and not lecturing situations,” I said to him.
Schoolmate: Don’t worry about that. You will be 3 of you in the test-run program, based in Embu. One is a University Lecturer, and the other a lady, who I have been working with on other programs.
Me: Where do I start?
Schoolmate: Here is the training content (in a DVD). Go and view/read the same tonight. Tomorrow, watch the other consultants in action. When your session commences, just do as the others have done.
For 6 days, we were busy in Embu preparing the young and old, on how to face their new life after retrenchment. That included how to manage their finances, secure new jobs or start own businesses. Alongside, we were being supervised by Senior Staff from IFC. The program resumed again in November 2006 and I was lucky to have passed the mandatory Kiswahili test for every consultant ( the reason for Kiswahili is another interesting story for another day). This time, the training lasted for a long while and I was engaged for a further 48 days.
But, after the Embu program, I experienced something unusual. Barclays Bank needed a consultant to train members of their business club on entrepreneurship and business development. The manager concerned approached IFC staff for the exercise. Instead, the same staff referred Barclays to me, as good enough for what they wanted. The unbelieving manager from Barclays Bank had to come to my office for discussions on the training engagements.
Upon being satisfied, I was severally engaged by Barclays Bank on the exercise. Now, I had been CALLED FULLY into training and consulting and there was no turning back. I only needed to polish my skills through attending a Trainer of Trainers Seminar and then acquiring accreditation, eventually as a Chief Trainer/consultant by the National Industrial Training Authority – NITA, in 2008. Remember that my consultancy and research background enabled me to provide a strategy for disbursement of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, for the Government of Kenya, in 2006.
Alongside, the challenges identified during training engagements over the years, including unemployability of graduates were traced to flaws in the education system. That is how I wrote Career Dynamics in the 21st Century, as a tool for understanding performance dynamics. I had never imagined that the concept was to divert my attention to the school system and also be used for the architecture of the new Competency Based Curriculum-CBC.
Apparently, when we follow the right attitudes and empowerment pathways, our purpose in life and opportunities flow naturally (check 1st Peter 4:10). Now, I assume you know that my empowerment strategy in the school system has all through followed my CALLING into training and consultancy, don’t you? Let us ALL prepare our future leaders in our hands into understanding their likely CALLINGS or PURPOSES IN LIFE, shall we?
Rgds
Mwangi Wanjumbi (MKIM)
Personal Empowerment Coach
Seasoned Speaker/Consultant/Trainer on Strategy, Performance, Change Management and Leadership.
Officially UNSUNG Architect of CBC
Author of 1. KICD approved Career Dynamics in the 21st Century, 2. Living Beyond Survival:No More Tiptoeing in Life
- The 21st Century Student:Are You Creating The Future Today? Also, Retired 5 Year Monthly Strategy Columnist (2013 – 2018) for The SME Today Magazine Phone 254772516210
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