EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCE ?

This subject seems to attract a lot of endless debates but it depends on the Human Resourses and their Managers to decide which way to go. A few friends and colleagues I asked told me they believe in Education and build the experience on.We do not hire like desperate company with no strategic direction and staff growth and systems to support and fill up gaps created by the  outgoing staff. It is only those that have either no any Degree let alone Certificate in this industry that sounded and felt insecure that responded YES! To experience only ………to hell with education.You do not need a Degree to carry bags, cook in the kitchen or sell beer in the bar?............

One experienced Manager in my circles and connection of Linkedin has this to write in our topics of the day:”Obviously, there are specific cases where the question is moot. If you need a registered professional engineer to approve plans, the degree requirement is a given. If you're a hospital looking for a surgeon, you're probably seeking someone with a PhD in medicine. However, the scope of positions that may or may not require a degree gets gray pretty fast, and the span is pretty wide. And, no industry is immune to this issue.

I don’t not think there is a better argument than that to me ,more specific and clear enough to be understood.Why do we have drivers who drive  a vehicle have licence to have that kinda funny gear shifting job.

I should be in this paragraph state that I may and indeed like both.Education should be the first thing to consider.In that way we are sure to have someone with credible qualification of a job.Its a matter of fitting someone to ajob and not viceversa.Someone with a Degree is by all means:able to solve complex problems,time factor considered,They are able to do/conduct aresearch etc.

Brand-new graduates are not considered without experience.This is where government should come in and have a clear policy on graduates and internship programmes that will convert these energetic young men and women into productive employees.

Lastly it is illogical and stupid to encourage experience only way to the top-prommotion channel(more years than 1-2 )if it’s a senior position yet we know these guys with a paper can learn fast.This tendency is discouraging young people to look and shape their career via furthering their education.It is thus important to encourage education through incentives of those that want or are furthering their education.

IN THE NAME OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS :CUSTOMER CARE OR CUSTOMER SCARE ?

On friday ,January 17,President Joyce Banda launched kapichira II worth 55 million US dollar.She verilly appealed to Escom to stop the business as usual approach to issues of energy supply.One does not mind whether its 'towards power all day everyday' but she emphasised that there should be light every home and every village.Escom is just one of the many institutions that is still bankrolled by the taxpayers money.Howerver Escom is not different from other institution in its league.We have all once or twice ,if your are unlucky ,recieved electricity ,Water or City Council bills that literary do not belong to you let alone disconnection notices that are  bloated or wrongly addressed to you or your neighbours.The manner in which  personels from these reputable institutions  behave one wonders if you are a customer or a  mere  begger.Sometimes they disconnect ones electricity in your absence and only to realise its not yours,All am saying is public institutions staff  have to be desciplined to channel their attitude  towards their clients within fair scope of latitude.It should be clear,from the directors to the rank and file of these institution that their focus should be never in a lifetime solely on  the product they offer. Service culture should be of paramount neccessity.This must be the reason behind the government wish to offer these services itself so that every citizen should be reached in every corner of our small country with affordability  of such services as its watchword.

A  relationship that deliberately functions to link product and service will inturn change the image of organisations and plough in alot of revenue because the value of a human (not arobot) customer is comfortably put in the centre of their mission and vission.
Our institutions should know that human beings ought to be treated in a way they will feel like humans when purchasing any kind of service in the public institutions.It is a bunch of many little bits in service that our institutions ought to improve in this 21 century namely;queing time on either bill payment or just an enquiry and giving workable solutions to customer complaints.Public institutions staff should know that there are broad range of dynamics that a customer expects regardless of their being quasi-gavernmental institution or private institution.To be treated with respect regardless of age ,gender and or religion,expectation of superior service interms of solutions to problems,cycle of time it takes to satify that need and if its worth ones kwacha.Sometimes one tends to overlook the situation here;it is not the expectation of customer to be mistreated hence lack of fair treatment becomes an issue because they are not doing you a favour to go in the comfort of their offices asking for a service thats boldly displayed in their mission statements on the walls of the lounges and offices.

One friend of mine booked a District assembly conference room  town  and paid a 50% deposit upfront to secure space on the dates fixed on his private trainning sessions.When the dates nearedby he went to the authorities to finish the balance and do final spotcheck in the room.The booker did not know where she put the details of the booking that even the recipt book was nowhere to be found.She fumbled through the dilapidated shelf behind her with no trace of effort at all.The gentleman seemingly senior walked in and knew that their was a booking .It was no good news at all.He said the wives of staff were organising a get together and my friend should reschedule the trainning dates.This is one of the numerous stories of how unsuccessful public institutions are run.The consultant friend had already registered almost 30 participants all paid up and ready for the day,the next day.This was adisaster to his business and only God knows what sort of miracle was needed to fall and sweep away this mess.The logistics to go through were a headache.
Firstly revenue was lost into government coffers.A more creative solution should have been looking for another room for either the consultant friend or the staff spouses or better still maintaing the dates of an already realised revenue that could pay for their utility of somekind.Secondly customer loyalty was one risk factor that could have been handled in a more professional manner to avoid losing this client forever. This is how public institutions scare their customers because their mindset is bent on believing that being funded is the most sure way to have activities run. What if Public institutions were run like business in their service delivery? What if 'time is money' expression existed in our important public sector?.The what ifs can fill up this page but there is one befitting answer to it ;more revenue enough to pay staff would be realised.

We realize and appreciate how these institutions paternership with mobile service providers have yielded indescribable results in customer service. Paying bills on your mobile is the way to go.These innovations fill the gap and partly lifts the horrendous burden off  the shoulders of public institutions customers.The queing time no longer an issue,distance has been dearly covered and attitude problems may no longer exist. One may say its a step ahead of which i entirely agree.However,bill payment is just the last thing in the service process.Statistics forcasted in 2013 by Budden.com on Mobile and internet users in Malawi reveal that only 33% use mobile phones and 5.7% use internet .This shows that a number of customers still walk to these institutions for services. It should be accepted with a great sense of objectivity that there are  more complex issues to be delt with between customer and service provider to reach the level of satisfaction that is needed and no superior service can be substuted with  the human element.The moment of reality still exist when we have lost internet connectivity ,explain our situation or need these institution staff on site. Publi institution must stop this customer scare campaign because or is it because we have no where to turn to for power and water ?