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Stephen Covey, a motivational speaker, has said that in order
for organisations to grow effectively they need to first discover their “road
map.”

Speaking at an event with business representatives in Nigeria on
Wednesday in Lagos, organised by Zain Nigeria and tagged ‘An Evening with Dr.
Stephen Covey’, Mr. Covey said only an accurate road map will lead to great
improvement in business.

Maps and principles

“In business, there is need to practice positive mental attitude
but attitude and action is insufficient, the key is to have an accurate map,”
he said. “Every great breakthrough is a great win. If you want to make minor
involvement, work on behaviour and attitude; if you want to make quantum
involvement work on paradigms. A paradigm is like a model for assumption of a
map.

“To have an accurate map is extremely important and that can be
embodied in your mission statement. Secondly, the power of principles is very
in important in organisations. A true principle is always the same. So, the
idea is that you build your life and organisation on the correct paradigm or
map and the principles that are universal and timeless.”

Mr. Covey explained that principles are important in any
organisation or cultural environment but should not be misunderstood as values.

“Principles are not values; the key is to value principles. The
different is that values are social norms, personal, emotion and subjective
while principles are natural laws, impersonal, objective and factual,” he said.
“These principles are applied in any country and in any culture. The more you
value principles and live by principles the higher the trust become. The higher
the trust is, the lower the cost is and speeds is exalted enormously. When you
have lower trust, speed really slows down and cost goes up. So that is why it
is important to have a correct map or paradigm and live by principles. The
essence of what I teach over 140 countries around the world is to teach people
about research, strategic planning and leadership.”

Growth and impact

However, Mr. Covey said that in order for organisations to grow,
they must seek customers who can also aid in promoting their products and such
a relationship must be built on principles.

“Relationship with organisations and customers/clients must be
built on principles so that on the net promotion scores you get 9-10 scores on
the scale; people will be committed, loyal and would stay with you,” he said.
“After decade of research only one question correlative to an organisation’s
profitable growth (is relevant): how likely is it that a customer could
recommend this product to others? If they give you 9-10s, they become
promoters; anything less than eight are detractors, they would find fault with
your products and service and would not recommend you to others.”

Speaking with NEXT at the event, business participants agreed
that motivational lectures can help change and develop organisation and
governance in Nigeria.

Tunde Ayeye, a business consultant, said “I think it goes beyond
organisation effectiveness; it helps you in your life as an individual and I
think it very useful.”

Mr. Ayeye added that despite the problems in Nigeria, especially
corruption, there is a basic need to adopt principles in order to transform
society. “The truth of the matter is corruption is global and its pervasive.
You are a product of your choices, and you make choice based on principles. So,
I think other business and governance need to adopt those principles if we want
to transform our businesses and our society,” he said.

However, Ayo Akintujoye, a marketing executive at 2G Consulting
firm, said that the virtues recommended by the speaker are good, but the
cultural reality of the country has not fully allowed for change to take place.
“I have been to events like this both international and local and you discover
that there is a vacuum from what you learn and the cultural reality of
Nigeria,” he said.