Prakash Kumar Sah
Over the last two decades the Nepal has undergone several changes. Globalization has undoubtedly modified the international economic and political landscape. We live in a Nepal that has become increasingly integrated and interdependent. Globalization, technology, and the availability of information have converged and yielded a much more complex and dynamic environment where knowledge remains paramount to effective decision making. Managing and applying knowledge effectively have become even more critical in a hyper-competitive Nepal. In the midst of all these dynamic forces we find people and the environment.
Society is faced with countless challenges that surround sustainability. We are well aware of the economic growth literature that suggests that even a relatively small growth rate over a long period of time can have large impact on a country. Countries are thus incentivized to grow economically as an expanding economy provides job prospects, income opportunities, and wealth for citizens. Contrariwise, economic growth can also lead to an increase in income inequality along with inadvertently yielding negative spillovers that hurt the environment as industries and firms in some cases may be more preoccupied with ramping up production rather than examining and managing the effects of their production on the physical environment.
In the years since the Rio Declaration, numerous sustainability standards and certification systems have been established. Also, the Earth Charter 3 was formed. The Earth Charter is essentially “a global consensus statement on the meaning of sustainability and the principles by which sustainable development is to be achieved.” (Earth Charter, 2014). Moreover, several international organizations and agencies have been working closely together to enhance sustainable development practices and procedures aimed at building a desirable future for society.
In spite of increased international economic integration, amplified cooperative efforts amongst international agencies and governments, improved technological developments in transportation and communication, and greater access to more information, Nepal continues to endure poverty, inequality, political instability, and environmental degradation.
In the last 25 years, much progress has been made. Several organizations and individuals have contributed towards building a more sustainable Nepal while incorporating the environment, economics, politics, and People into a cohesive and integrated sustainable development approach. Although much has been accomplished, there are certainly opportunities to improve our leadership, planning, implementation, and monitoring of sustainable development projects. Notwithstanding having better technology and increased access to more data and information, we are still not able to optimize sustainable development decisions. Although we utilize advanced technical analysis tools to aid us in sustainable development projects, often times project results turn out different from what we intended and expected. This begs the question – what prevents us from achieving the results we envision? Perhaps some of the answers lie in our ability to manage people, processes, and projects. The remainder of this paper addresses a few critical aspects of strategic management and some resulting challenges faced by policy makers, managers, and implementers of sustainable development projects who come from the private sector, public sector and NGOs.
The effective management of people, processes, and decisions is vital to the success of any venture regardless of its goals, scope, industry, or location. Effective management is necessary for the project’s purpose to be realized and its goals to be met. In order to improve the prospect of achieving desired results, management must address strategic management challenges effectively.
Individuals are critical to the success of the enterprise. People are the organization’s most valuable assets and thus when led effectively can help to drive the organization’s mission forward. Conversely, if led poorly, people can inadvertently impede the organization from fulfilling its goals. Today more than ever before, we depend on teams to deliver work and results. Teams are also complex and challenging to manage. The ability to manage teams effectively has become paramount as organizations are comprised of experts, specialists, key stakeholders, et al, who must work together in order to deliver results.
We must give up the myth of authority. This implies that managers must not assume that exerting authority and using a top-down approach will lead to compliance and commitment within the team. Rather, what is essential is building relationships with people within the team and with others outside of the group. Following this suggested approach will allow the manager to better negotiate interdependencies and build effective relationships with key people the sustainable development project depends upon. This will in turn help foster buy-in and support for the team’s mission. We must also build commitment and trust by empowering individuals and teams to achieve individual and team goals. Instead of seeking to control individuals and teams, we must allow them to have ownership of the process and take calculated risks that lead to change and improvement. Hill suggested that it is important to use group-based forums for problem solving and diagnosis. It is essential that we find ways to harness the collective power of the team to improve performance and results. Furthermore, we should be cognizant of the importance of developing a strong culture that embodies the values and norms we aspire to and which conversely will help support us in our quest for building sustainable outcomes. A strong, cohesive culture can help to improve problem-solving and dramatically improve team performance.
The transforming leader is an inspiring figure who understands the needs of her people and allows them to meet those needs through tasks and responsibilities. Transformational leadership offers practical applications to sustainable development. Managers would be more effective if they allow their people to grow and expand their roles within the organization. Sustainable development needs people to be engaged, committed, and motivated. An example of this type of approach is exemplified by the Nepal Resources Institute. Also known as world resource institute, this organization works closely with leaders to turn ideas into action. World Resource Institute measures its success through real change on the ground. Moreover, world resource institute works closely with governments, companies, and the community to develop partnerships where people become engaged and committed to the project’s mission. Transformational leadership can help motivate our people to go beyond the expected and find greater meaning.
Some further recommendations related to building leadership capabilities include assembling a team with members who have different and complementary skill sets and leadership styles. An example of this approach is demonstrated by the Nepal Bank. The World Bank recognizes that growth must be holistic, inclusive and environmentally sound to reduce poverty and build shared prosperity. As a result, the World Bank assembles teams of professionals and experts who hold different and complementary skill sets to work on sustainable development projects. With time these diverse teams develop high levels of leadership due to their recurrent internal interaction and the team’s principal functions to solve problems and find solutions that address challenges.
It is also advisable to seek and try to understand your team’s emotional intelligence. Realize that emotional intelligence can be learned through practice and commitment and that effective leadership relies on the ability to switch across different styles. Finally, a leadership approach that embodies and combines the essence of situational leadership and transformational leadership is highly encouraged as it may help to enhance overall effectiveness.
Change is inevitable. Change is constant and we must learn to embrace change rather than fear it. Some organizations perceive change as something that you do once you realize the process does not work. However, waiting until the proverbial dam is cracked and the water is flowing through is not the way to approach change. Organizations simply cannot afford to wait to change at the last minute. Rather, organizations should embrace change and be open to changing processes, procedures, and approaches regardless of whether or not there is an evident crisis. In fact, waiting until there is a crisis to make changes is perhaps a sign of having waited too long. Organizations ought to become more proactive, rather than reactive. Planning is a necessity.
Managing change requires planning. And the effectiveness of sustainable projects is contingent upon our ability to manage change. Although we may not be able to predict the future with great exactitude, planning allows us to consider and anticipate possible outcomes and design alternative strategies for accomplishing our goals. Planning also helps to reduce some uncertainty as the planning process should reveal plausible scenarios and their corresponding likelihood.
Prakashkumarsah99@gmail.com
