'I’m so busy’; Business and shareholder value; NEPAD

About being BUSY. If you meet ten people during a working day, chances are good that eight of them, within the first minute, will tell you how busy they are. I am quite fascinated by this – not necessarily by the reason why people nearly always feel they are so busy (no doubt the number of things that the average worker needs to complete before a certain time, have increased since 20 or 50 years ago), but by the reason why we seldom can find anything else to say, or feel the need that the other person must know that we are very busy. One view is that it communicates importance. In other words, the fact that I am so busy obviously means that my work, people in general, the world, demands my time, my attention and my input. It gives a sense of value and importance. If I try to analyse that value, I think a person is trying to say I am competent, I have authority, I have influence, I have important resources under my control and so on. I don’t think it has to do with how much love, care, empathy or meaning we give to others. A person who symbolized these things was mother Thereza and I can’t imagine her telling everyone how busy she was. But even if people are feeling important when saying how busy they are, I don’t get the impression that they enjoy it. At least, they appear to say: ‘Feel sorry for me. Life is tough. Life is unfair.’ When we tell people how busy we are, are we saying something positive or something negative? Do feel victim or do we feel victor?

On the internet I came across this piece of advice, by one Penelope Trunk, for those addicted to being busy and/or telling others how busy they are:

Let's abolish the word "busy." We all have the same 24 hours to fill. Everyone's are filled with something. The difference is that the "busy" people feel frenetic during those hours. Those of you who walk around telling everyone how busy you are, get a grip. Make some choices and calm down.
There's a big difference between a busy day and a full day. The former is so frantic that you aren't effective.
1. Recognize that a frenetic life is a life half lived. You should aim for "Flow," a concept from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a professor of psychology and education at the University of Chicago and author of the book "Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning." Flow is a unique state of mind where productivity and creativity are at their highest. Csikszentmihalyi says that Flow generates the grand ideas, phenomenal work, and intense, rewarding experiences that people identify with happiness.
Flow occurs when you are fully present and engaged in what you are doing; the concept of time melts away in a commitment to the goal-oriented activity. This feeling requires being occupied and engaged for uninterrupted chunks of your day without ever thinking that you're rushed for time. People who are busy do not get this feeling.
2. Recognize that you are addicted to being busy. You like what being busy does for you. Being busy gives you an excuse for poor performance. It gives you a way to ignore parts of your life that are falling apart and need attention. Many people mistakenly feel that being busy means you're doing things that are important. But it really means you're not in control. A full day, rather than a busy one, means planning and prioritizing.
3. Prioritize. This does not mean making a to-do list. Nor does it mean making a list of career goals. You need to list what you want in life. This is because being an adult means making choices. It means admitting that we cannot do everything and choosing to devote the time we have to what's most important. By scheduling your days with more things than you can accomplish, you are not taking control of your life. You're letting chance take control. Chance will dictate what gets done because you refuse to prioritize.
4. Learn to say no. Whenever someone asks you to do something, be ready to say no. Your priorities at work, home, and during your personal and networking time should be clear. Do not worry that you'll hurt someone's feelings by saying no. To do something well, you must be focused. That takes self-discipline. But when you say yes to please someone, it shows you lack the ability to be focused. Saying no is a gift to the people and projects that are the priorities in your life. You do not automatically have to say yes to everything you're asked to do at work, either. Your boss establishes your priorities. If she then gives you work that would compromise those priorities, you can refuse (with an explanation). Sticking to the plan will make you look smart and committed.
5. Change how you talk. Stop saying that you're busy. Say you can't bear to give up your dreams, or say overscheduling yourself veils your fear of underperformance. You need to say something more honest than you're busy if you want to connect with people, including yourself. When you have done the first four steps, you will no longer be busy. You will have room to be focused and absorbed in your work and goals. Then, when someone says, "How have you been?" you will have something more interesting and engaging to say than "busy."

Leadership and development

What is the driver behind doing business? Some say it is obviously to make money and nothing else. I would like to challenge that idea, but the first question would be: money for who? More often than not, the answer here is the shareholders. According to Gayle Avery (Understanding leadership) this focus is surprising. Analyses show that shareholders of large organisations in reality are unimportant and powerless. On average, only 4 per cent of an established company’s funds come from equities. By focusing on shareholder value, one overlooks the interests of many parties affected by the organisation’s activities, known as stakeholders. This includes subordinating the interests of stakeholders such as employees, suppliers, the environment, society at large and local communities.

I believe there is growing awareness that the view of business as an exercise in making money for shareholders is shortsighted and limiting to meaningful work. A definition of business that says a lot more and is worthwhile thinking about is the following: An independent community of people (management and workers) who in reciprocal co-operation and with the aid of available means at reasonable remuneration provide meaningful labour as well as rendering goods and services to the community (consumers) at reasonable prices.

African Renaissance

Key to the African Renaissance dream is the success of Nepad. Below is a short history and overview of Nepad (by Lindiwe Sisulu).

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) will be five years old in July this year. Its Vision and Policy Framework Document was approved by the Organisation of African Union (OAU) Summit in Lusaka in July 2001. NEPAD is a pledge by African leaders, based on a common vision and a firm and shared conviction, that they have a pressing duty to eradicate poverty and to place their countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development and to participate actively as Africans in the world economy and body politic. The programme is anchored on the determination that we collectively can extricate ourselves and the continent from the malaise of underdevelopment and exclusion in a globalising world.

Never before has the African continent produced such a comprehensive home-grown development programme, which has forced itself onto the forefront of the development agendas of the United Nations (UN), the G8 and regional groupings
from Asia, Europe and the Americas. The UN Secretary-General created the Office of Special Adviser on Africa and mandated it to coordinate global advocacy in support of the implementation of NEPAD and to act as focal point for NEPAD within the UN system. As a consequence, the UN structures in Africa were encouraged to reflect and advance NEPAD in their engagement with the continent. This was shortly after the General Assembly of the United Nations had recognised NEPAD as the framework for Africa's development in September 2002.

Interest in NEPAD at continental and international level is unprecedented. In the words of the UN Secretary-General, 'the central challenge is to grasp the opportunity and maintain the momentum'. For us to work together to realise the
objectives of NEPAD, we all need to buy in and have a clear understanding of what NEPAD is and what role we can collectively and severally play in our various organisations.

According to the current timetable of South Africa's National APRM Secretariat, the Country Self Assessment Report and Draft National Programme of Action will be submitted to the APR Secretariat and the Review Panel before the end of June
this year. South Africa's citizens, will be asked to comment on the Draft Country Self Assessment and the Programme of Action before the end of September this year, after which it will be presented to the APR Forum of Heads of State
and Government participating in the APRM.

The APRM is an innovation by African leaders to submit themselves for review by peers. Twenty-six countries have already acceded to the APRM Memorandum of Understanding. This is about half of all African countries. The pace of peer
reviews is accelerating. In the coming few years, the peers will have assisted one another to adopt policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration through sharing of experiences and reinforcement of successful and best practice, including identifying deficiencies and assessing the needs for capacity building.

NEPAD is not a theoretical approach to development. It is a pragmatic programme with tangible deliverables. African leadership is being utilised in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. The conditions conducive for
development are being implemented…

Detractors will always be lurking, but within five years of NEPAD, the record speaks for itself. We need to give effect to the ideals of NEPAD in our various roles. We owe it to our constituencies, future generations and our leadership. Let us work hard to bequeath an enduring legacy in their honour.

Turning the Africa ship will not happen overnight. It is however inspiring to know that the right steps have been taken and sustained with initiatives such as Nepad. It is also inspiring to know that buying into the vision will mean that in our own way we will seize the opportunities to contribute to the vision and thereby build a better future for all inhabitants of this continent – including of course our children.

Best wishes for the month of May