Kenyan leaders face tough task in implementing Constitution

Kenya is undergoing a period of significant change following adoption a new constitution.

Implementing the new order will be hard work.

Departments in government in charge of justice will be responsible for drafting over one hundred laws.

The bureaucrats in this department have to prepare themselves for long-working hours and lots of coffee to meet deadlines.

As the two top leaders of the nation come together to drive this national agenda forward, it may be in their interest to consider that the private corporate sector has some good lessons and principles regarding how to manage change.

This is primarily because private companies are always undergoing some kind of change which more often than not underpins there very survival.

Whether it is the appointment of a new CEO, the entry of a new competitor, changing key suppliers or a radical change in technology, to business leaders in the private sector, the concept of change is in all intense and purposes, a constant.

Strategy without proper execution leads to poor results and mediocre outcomes.

Our national leaders are very aware that the constitution is only a piece of paper and the real work will focus on operationalising this new dispensation.

In this regard, the leaders driving this agenda may want to borrow a leaf from the private sector on best in class thinking on what critical steps to follow to avoid problems that typically occur in any change process.

As we go through this historical transition, our leaders need to establish a sense of urgency.

To borrow a leaf from the private sector, it is well known that companies frequently allow high levels of complacency to develop during times of transition.

Without motivation, people won’t help and the effort goes nowhere.

Executives underestimate how hard it can be to drive people out of their comfort zones.

To accept change, our leaders need to embrace a “burning platform” to remove complacency and inertia.