On March 19, 2019 half-a-dozenseasoned professionals from diverse fields gathered in Owerri, the Imo State capital, South-East Nigeria, for a unique3-day Strategic Business Workshop to address the limitless functionality ofthe CertifiedInstituteofCooperativesandSocialEnterpriseManagement (CICOSEMA). This event aptly titled: LAYING THE FOUNDATION, was interactive, stimulating, motivating and expository on the extensiveplanning about how theCICOSEMA would be operating and functioning, in the short, medium and long terms.
The workshop, summarized here, was able to put the States and FCT Coordinators of the institute in clear perspectives of the high level of discipline and professionalism expected from them.
The unequalled acumen of the widely travelled and vastly experienced facilitators, Prof. KehindeOlusegun and Dr. Peter Ibeh, was in no small measure pivotal to how the Coordinators were transformed and rebirthed as information-equipped and purpose driven individuals who, undoubtedly, will become big players in policy making and enforcement in the 3rd sector of Nigeria's economy.
Through the presentations and interactive break-outs, many ideas emerged as potential policies directions that would positively shape and touch millions of lives.These policy guides are intended for concrete, articulated and practically designed programmes of implementation, both now and in the near future, in CICOSEMA's determined efforts to reinvent and cause the change that the country needs at this auspicious time, in the desire to lend a helping hand in government's efforts to emancipate and better the lives of the generality of Nigerians.
Each Coordinator was guided to the recognition of career opportunities and possibilities that abound at CICOSEMA. They were made to realize that they now hold the enviable status of ’partners’ rather than contractors or employees. The inaugural address of the Chairman, Board of Trustees, recognised that "Laying the foundation, for a great work, usually will take a few who would initially believe in the vision, later, fewer see it as a dream, while the persevering much fewer see and experience its reality!"
Noteworthy however, to say that this report will deliberately leave out some highly classified resolutions arrived at during the strategic deliberations.
Consequently, below is a highlight of other general modules discussed during the meeting:
MODULE 1: BUILDING THE BRAND
Technically, brand is described as a perception, a feel, or an imagination about a person, a product or a service.
By the end of this module, it was agreed that â€Unless one takes ownership of his role, his job or his duties, he would not be able to contribute to the growth and buoying of that brand.
MODULE 2: THE INTEGRAL MAP
This module discussed the Matrix of Leadership Networks by Ken Wilber.
â€when the focus is on the result rather than the process, the players mind shifts from the present moment to the future. This creates unnecessary pressure that can impact their ability to perform.
A focus on the result usually results in more pressure on players. It forces them them to think into the future rather than focusing on the moment-- and its generally only the next few moment/ actions they can’t do something about.
We can bring together components of sub-systems into one system. An aggregation of sub-systems cooperating so that the system is able to deliver the overarching functionality. This is how CICOSEMA works. It is a matrix of different programs geared towards a common goal. “All for one, one for allâ€
MODULE 3: TACTICS FOR GROWING ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP
“Membership recruitment is a never ending projectâ€
This module emphasizes on the need to keep growing. There is no limit to how CICOSEMA should grow. In fact, the more the merrier. Since the purpose of CICOSEMA is to touch lives, Coordinators were made to understand the need to keep driving for membership.
Series of possible ways of going about this membership drive were generated, examined and endorsed.
The 3-day event ended with a social night outing that was attended by all participants, in company of members of the Board of Trustees of CICOSEMA in attendance.
ATTENDANCE
1. PROF. KEHINDE O. OLUSEGUN Chairman, Board of Trustees
2. DR. PETER O. IBEH Member, Board of Trustees
3. ELEWURO AKEEM A State Coordinator
4. DAYO AKEREDOLU State Coordinator
5. FOLORUNSHO SEGUN STEPHEN State Coordinator
6. SYLVESTER ESSIEN State Coordinator
7. LAWAL ISMAIL ADENIYI State Coordinator