NMG rolls out new corporate values to meet market demands

What you need to know:

NMG Group Chief Executive Officer Joe Muganda said the media house was reshaping its model to the market where new staff values are expected to play a key role in delivering success.
Human Resource Director David Kiambi said the event was the culmination of a long-drawn strategy meant to meet staff aspirations.
NMG is currently driving its online-first agenda in response to the rapidly changing media market.

Nation Media Group (NMG) has officially unveiled its new corporate values in line with latest strategic reforms aimed at responding to the dynamic media market.

The regional media giant organised a team bonding session for staff on Saturday, which was aimed at incorporating the new corporate values that will be key in meeting the company’s strategic goals.

NMG Group Chief Executive Officer Joe Muganda said the media house was reshaping its model to the market where new staff values are expected to play a key role in delivering success.

“It is time to stabilise and focus on what we want to achieve. We might have to tweak a few changes so that we deliver our products in the way that the consumers want and culture change is at the core of this achievement. We decided to start with this interactive bonding to kill the idea of divisions in our internal structure because the consumer only knows our products,” Mr Muganda told staff at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.

Human Resource Director David Kiambi said the event was the culmination of a long-drawn strategy meant to meet staff aspirations on what they wanted the company to be.

Nation Media Group Editor- in- Chief Tom Mshindi joins a member of Sarakasi Dancers in a dance.

He said the media house had since 2015 carried out an intensive survey in its East African subsidiaries to understand what was working well and what needed to be dropped in the corporate culture.

“Our staff spoke and we listened. We then came up with a set of about 20 values we had identified as key in shaping the company culturally to be an employer of choice. We later narrowed down to the five we are unveiling today and each of the five has about six behaviours we need so as to uphold them’’, he said.

‘‘This gathering and activities were meant to introduce them and then many other activities will follow. If we live by these values, we will work together and we shall meet our targets and the bottom line,” Mr Kiambi added.

Several activities are set to take place over the next 18 months as NMG moves to nurture the five values of continuous improvement and innovation; consumer focus; being an employer of choice; integrity and trust; as well as keeping the drive for performance.

NMG is currently driving its online-first agenda in response to the rapidly changing media market, a move that saw the Editorial Department establish robust content generation and a consolidated production hub.

Saturday’s event, which was organised by The Depot, brought out difficult scenarios that could not be achieved single-handedly and all the 13 teams were allowed to consult to execute tasks within a given time frame.

Nation Media Group staff pose for a picture during the launch of corporate values.

“You get to see first hand the value of teamwork and what happens when one member of the team does not play their role. There is also the accommodation of different opinions and how leadership is key in driving a team activity. There are times when failure confronts and as you saw in the group tasks, the whole team is affected and have to start all over again. That is the essence of such an activity and it all depicts what happens in an organisation, “ said Mike Eldon, chairman and founder of The Depot.

The day’s activities wound up with an evening packed with entertainment.