Dr. Michael Omolayole

INTEGRITY matters, Yes O; Verily, Verily; IT matters!!!

Today November 19th, is the World Management Day, it is also the Birthday of Peter Ferdinand Drucker, the Management Guru, Writer, Researcher, Essayist and Teacher of Management Science, whose 115 posthumous birthday anniversary is today. He deserves to be celebrated not with pomp and pageantry but as usual with deep appreciation of the contributions of the Science Management to the social and economic development of the world. Therefore, I join millions of teachers, scholars, writers, thinkers and students of Management Science all over the world to celebrate the Titan, Peter Drucker.

By way of digression, for us in Nigeria, it so happens that another great man whose impact on the country was colossal and monumental, was also born in 1909. He was the Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo who also would have been 115 posthumously and was celebrated in March by the Awoists both in Nigeria and Diaspora.

Out of personal conviction as a past President of the Nigeria Institute of Management Chartered (NIM); a past President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM); a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Directors; a Fellow of the Institute of Training and Development; a former Visiting Professor of the University of Lagos, in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations; an avid reader of Management Books; a Management Consultant and occasional Writer/ Essayist on Management themes; I consider it fit and proper to join the movement of those who firmly believe that there should be a World Management Science Day!

The Nigeria Institute of Management Chartered (NIM) Body of Past Presidents took up the challenge and encouraged the Nigeria Institute of Management Chartered (NIM) to celebrate the World Management Science Day on the birthday of Peter F. Drucker, on November 19th every year in the fervent hope that the rest of the world will catch up with us. The rest of the world includes the United Nations (U.N), National Assembly and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). It is hoped that these bodies will soon join the movement that believes in the Manager and in Management Science.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this year that some countries such as the United State of America, Australia and United Kingdom are already celebrating “National Managers Day” in September every year, as a public holiday. I supposed “what is good for the worker is also good for the manager”!! \

It is not an exaggeration to say that millions of people have gone through formal training in the Science of Management, considering Harvard Business School was established in 1908. (116 years ago) as the first known and recognised University School of Management Science; and considering thousands of Management Schools offering the discipline of Management Science at Master’s level, now exist in the world, there is no doubt that Management Science is part of the cherished body of knowledge (Opus Magnum) that has kept the world progressive.

This essay therefore, appeals to the millions who had passed through Institutions offering Management Science as a discipline, to give a moment’s thought to the enormous contributions of Peter Ferdinand Drucker. I personally believe Peter Drucker, was “to Management Science” what Albert Einstein, was “to Physics”.

MBO

If I remember rightly, Peter Drucker, in one of his world famous books popularized the theme Management by Objectives (MBO). He referred to it as a “key element in performance improvement” in his book titled, The Practice of Management. It was universally popular and helped to prevent a number of businesses and administrative organisations from sinking into obscurity and therefore, resuscitated them into most enviable performers. Thinking about Management by Objectives (MBO) and it’s revolutionary impacts on the practice of Management in the 2nd half of the 20th century; it occurred to me to apply the same method of thinking to the importance of Integrity as a philosophy of Management.

MBI

A philosophy of Management by “Integrity” is one that focuses heavily on the “Integrity Deficiency” in any organisations and businesses in developing countries. Many organisations fail to deliver on stated objectives principally because they are permeated by lack of “Integrity”. I believe that our country Nigeria should benefit from focusing on the “Integrity and Selflessness” of leaders within an organisation but in particular, the Managers, the top Executives and the Leadership group. A culture of leadership by example, will certainly help “Integrity” to flourish throughout the organisation. It is therefore my opinion that only people with the highest level of “Integrity” should aspire to lead organisations. The theme “Integrity” focuses on the issue of Code of Ethics and Code of Practices as integral parts of the architecture of Corporate Culture.

How do we measure Integrity? It is in my opinion, by focusing on “Character and Core Values” of an individual in relation to ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, HONESTY, PUNCTUALITY, FRUGALITY, OPENNESS and SELFLESSNESS. One of the criteria for selection to the topmost positions in any organisation should be “Integrity” as defined above. It should rate well above Intelligence, Energy and Capability.

In conclusion, I hereby suggest that this country should focus on INTEGRITY for the next 3 years. We should borrow a leaf from ICAN whose motto is “Accuracy and Integrity”.

I can also recommend a mantra “Say it loud – INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY!!!