IKEDI OHAKIM: AN EFFECTIVE TEAM BUILDER IN IMO STATE

Organizational success and growth is a critical mass of team building as a major element engineered by an effective team leadership, such as you will find out in this article in the governance of Imo State since the present dispensation.

Team Building as a tested and proven managerial tool of success and excellence in organizational development, one may ask: What makes up an effective and successful team? Simply stated, it is when a group of people from diverse backgrounds, families, communities, zones, with-like minds come together for a well-defined purpose and are guided by well-defined and focused objectives, propelled by team spirit, under a well groomed team leadership and mindful leadership.

John Maxwell stated that “One of the laws of good team building is that each player has a place where he adds values and must operate at such place”. The team member must be encouraged to have a sense of belonging by initiating programmes within the organization that will make their people believe that they are part of the team. To accomplish this, they must articulate the mission, vision and strategic objectives of the organization and ensure the buy-in of all members of the organization`s team.

Features of Team Building

1. Mentoring-The team leader has a great deal of work to do, by mentoring the team members and helping them acquiring skills that
will add the needed values towards actualizing the set objectives.

2. Optimum Value-The team members must belong to the team where they can operate at the highest value.

3. Effective Meetings-There must be effective meetings to make regular appraisals and take necessary decisions.

4. Effective Selection-The right people must belong to the right team to be able to operate at optimal pedestal. Membership of a team must be excellently selected and managed, the smaller the better. Note that some people are bad team members and no matter what you do to please them; they must betray you and are adding no value to the group objective. They are said to have “nuisance value” only.

5. Effective Impartation-The team members must impart and impact on one another positively to promote strength balance and synergy.

6. Set Priorities Frequently-The team members must set their priorities frequently and reviewed regularly to create direction and navigation.

7. Continuous Improvement-The members must reflect eagerly at their processes and behaviors to streamline and improve them including refection on what they should be doing, stop doing, improvements desired.

As is the case with the “Ikedi Ohakim-led Imo State Government since 2007, his articulate mind, versatility and team spirit towards the development of a State almost paralyzed in 2007, which three years after is a bubbling, vibrant, cleanest, safe haven with the policies and programmes attracting investors and investments with the objective of turning the State into an industrialized and economically stable environment.

As is the case with the “Rt. Hon Opia-led Imo State House of Assembly since 2007, his cohesiveness, doggedness, principled and purposeful leadership towards stability of a crisis-ridden State, churning out legislative works with objective of creating a successful and stable State, where Investors confidence is rated high is commendable.

As is also the recently concluded Local Government Primaries, Ikedi Ohakim-led administration have scored another high point in political engineering, left for political scientist and researchers to decode. This is good team leadership never written in any political science book before now.

In conclusion, with a good driver and a loyal and committed bus attendant, a rickety vehicle, at the end of the day arrive its destination in the same manner the brand new vehicles did. It is not how long, but how well did it happen. That is the Handiwork of Almighty God; truly Imo State is in the Hands of God.

Thank you my brother, Ikedi Ohakim with your team members. May our Good Lord continue to be with and abide with you all to see the State through to the Promised Land! Amen.