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Even the animal kingdom is adapting new strategies
12th Jan 2007
Change is indeed dynamic.  It is not long ago that we witnessed a lioness adopting an Oryx in Kenya, perhaps as way of addressing stress caused by loneliness.  We have also witnessed a hippo co-existing harmoniously with a tortoise.  The electronic media recently displayed a case where a dog has adopted a small monkey in India.  It was comical to see the dog happily carrying a monkey on its underbelly.  The most recent development though is the lion’s adapted habit of   hunting elephants as witnessed recently.  The two have been known to exist without hurting each other.  But it appears that the lions in Botswana have gotten frustrated with expending too much energy running after swifter herbivores which do not fully satisfy their appetite.  Surprisingly, the change has occurred gradually.

The kings of the jungle started adapting to change by mauling elephant calves, graduating to adolescents and eventually the adults themselves.  The lions’ hunting expeditions are now easier than ever before. They only need to target their prey at watering points. This occurs particularly at night when the prey’s vision is impaired.  And the elephant meal enables a whole pack of lions to be full for a long while, before going for another kill. Such was the experience witnessed recently by a British documentary filming crew for the benefit of humanity.

Adoption of renewed strategies is just not occurring in the nature front. Our lives and business are constantly expected to respond to changing environment.  In salaried employment one must keep improving his/her skills and knowledge too. This is the only way one can continue being employable for a long working lifetime. The writer is made to understand that some jobs are as good as running a business. This appears to hold true. How else could super-scale  employees like Michael Joseph of Safaricom and Titus Naikuni of Kenya Airways treat their engagements?

It is business though which is subjected to numerous changes in the environment.  Some of them pose threats to business continuity, whereas others bring with them opportunities for not only continuity but also business growth. Nobody can afford to be complacent in the business sector.  There must be constant watch and anticipation of ensuing change.
Technology for example poses serious threats to continuity of some businesses. It also provides numerous opportunities for others.  The mobile phone technology could easily be classified as a revolution. Whereas it posed serious threats to landline telephone, it came with many opportunities of doing business. Some include selling airtime and the equipment themselves. Other offshoots include the SMS craze. We not only have easy access to market information but also news, exam results and many more, just by sending an SMS. Meanwhile somebody makes money through those messages.

Government regulations also pose threat to businesses and opportunities at the same time.  A case in point is the introduction of the electronic tax register (ETR) which poses serious disruption to small businesses particularly.  The contrary is creation of business opportunities for the ETR dealers, through sales and maintenance of the equipment.

Social cultural factors cannot be ignored.  It is notable that some creative individuals have come up with NGOs dealing with alternative rites of passage from childhood to adulthood, particularly in the case of girls.  The same developments have seriously jeopardized the businesses of traditionalists. They had the sole right of administrating the rituals associated with the said rites of passage. The beneficiaries of the requisite cultural festivities must now be crying foul.
Economic factors are another major cause of change in business.  When the government for example fails to collect enough tax, it borrows our money held in banks and financial institutions. The banks do roaring business through investing in treasury bills. They meanwhile avoid lending to the business community creating what is known as credit squeeze. This situation is not palatable for business growth.

Geographical factors are another major contributor to opportunities and threats to business. Everything we have known about geography poses a threat or opportunity to do business.  The population forms the market for business.  The physical facilities provide resources to do business; climate on the other hand determines what business we can do including where and when.  When there is drought in the country, there is shortage of food. This threatens survival of some businesses that deal with supply of food items, whereas some entrepreneurs get an opportunity to make quick money through importation to bridge the gaps created by the shortages.

Globalization is the other major change agent which causes threats and opportunities to business. No country can today ignore economic activities occurring beyond it borders. Besides, everything is becoming internationalized. We have seen many foreign based multinationals setting themselves up locally without much ado. All they do is to buy equity in existing local companies or sometimes teaming up with local investors to start new ventures. The mobile telephone companies   are particularly prone to this kind of entry. The new investors meanwhile disrupt the business equation for many.
 
Competition is another major change agent. The players include the suppliers, customers, related products or substitutes and new entrants to the market as is advocated by Professor Michael Porter of Harvard University. Each of the factors contributes to competition in different ways. They each bring change to business which is sometimes beneficial or threatening depending on how we are placed. Stiff competition in the small business particularly is as a result of contracting formal employment sector. New entrants for example keep coming on board.
For successful continuity in employment and business world too, we need to identify and anticipate these changes. We need to adapt or take advantage of change as appropriate. One way is through training on change and change management. This change management will be possible through regular strategy formulation process. Even the, animal kingdom has seen this and is therefore adapting strategically. Do not allow yourself or your business to be left behind.  

Newtimes Editor

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