‘Why business leaders need to decentralise decision-making’
Country Manager for Microsoft Nigeria, Ola Williams
Country Manager for Microsoft Nigeria, Ola Williams, has said business leaders need to decentralise decision-making and empower managers to make changes on behalf of their employees’ individual needs.
Williams, who spoke in Lagos recently, said the number of Nigerian executives prioritising culture as part of their business strategy has increased since COVID-19.
He said the overall number of business leaders, who say culture is a top business consideration, is still less than half. He said leaders have spent the past two years under crushing pressure, shepherding their people and organisations through uncertainty amid unprecedented economic challenges.
According to Williams, it did not take long after lockdown began easing for businesses across the country to return to the office. But this means many Nigerian professionals are missing out on the benefits of a more flexible work environment.
Williams said many of their global counterparts, who have had the opportunity to experience work from home over the past couple of years, are showing a clear preference for hybrid work.
He said there is an added danger of a potential disconnect between business leaders and employees. This was a key trend highlighted in the 2022 Work Trend Index.
Each year, Microsoft’s Work Trend Index provides a data-driven analysis of key changes within the working world. Combining insights from studies of thousands of people, trillions of productivity signals in Microsoft 365 and labour trends on LinkedIn, the Index has become a benchmark for organisations looking to better understand their employees in this era of uncertainty.
And it would seem greater insight into what workers are thinking is exactly what is needed. Findings from the Index show Nigerian companies may be missing an opportunity where their employees are concerned.
He said developing clear guidelines and agreements, like the ones in this template put together by Microsoft, can provide managers with the framework needed for hybrid work.
