Three business lessons from Harambee Stars CHAN exploits

Before the first whistle of the opening match of the ongoing African Championship (CHAN) tournament, skeptics had already written off Harambee Stars from progressing beyond the group stage given they were pitted against stronger opponents like Morocco and Democratic Republic of Congo where their squads were drawn from teams with spectacular performances in the African continent and had bagged several continental prizes.

 Then came the shocker of a team, even home fans had dismissed, progressing to the quarterfinals, and with a possibility of making it to the finals if consistency is maintained. Stars unlikely luck can teach us valuable business lessons.

Teamwork spirit is key

Usually, before crucial international matches, it's not unusual for coaches to call many players to residential training camps to gauge their performance and select the best players.

During this time, the chemistry at training camp or even during the lined-up friendlies is there to be seen. Players are communicating on the same wavelength or body language.

You see a well-oiled or drilled team. Then, a day or two before the crucial match, the foreign legion of players who ply their profession abroad lands, edging out those who spent days at the residential training camp.

They make it in the first team roster, while those who were showing flashes of brilliance are on the substitute list, and hardly getting quality play time other than few minutes of dying time as substitutes.

The chemistry that was observed is absent in the new team formation, and you see the tactician at the touchline looking frustrated, barking orders to his charges. Likewise, in workplaces, the same can be observed where chemistry between workers is not gelling well.

Teamwork is kind of disjointed and hardly delivers on expectations, with occasional trading of blame, just like in football, where a player is the bogeyman of the team.

It makes no sense to apportion the blame of a bad team on an individual when teamwork spirit is lacking. Prioritizing employee team building and knowing what demoralises others to make them less productive matters.

Incentivise your workers

We saw the Stars promised staggering amounts with every win registered or progressing to the next level, and this served as an incentive to boost the morale in the team.

However, ethical questions could arise if the players were patriotic playing for the country or money on offer and the prestige of a crowning moment.

Sportsmen and women in other sporting disciplines wearing our country's uniform are likely to ask aloud why they too aren't incentivised likewise, and will demand similar treatment.

Organizations too can incentivise workers with cash bonuses or part of the company's shares if they reach certain targets or milestones.

If the organization has reward schemes like the employee of the month, where an outstanding employee is recognized and awarded, it makes no sense where a single individual is credited for the teamwork, unless said employee did something so unique others wouldn't do.

Let there be fair criteria

Gor Mahia FC bragged that eleven of its players are currently in the Harambee Stars squad for the CHAN tournament.

Such bragging would invite serious questions as to what criteria were used to simply adorn a whole football club with national team colours and pass it as a national one.

Such a move locks out deserving players from the other eighteen clubs in the Premier League from shining on the national stage, and see their value appreciating when scouts court them to sign with international clubs.

Likewise, in organizations, employees can be promoted not based on merit but on their closeness to their bosses.

This is unfair, as deserving ones are forever stagnating in the same job position, with hardly any prospects of career progression, unless they resign for another more challenging career elsewhere.

It may not come as a surprise that some organizations prioritise hires from communities whose top management hails from, no wonder ethnic balancing even in public offices is skewed.

Characteristic of Kenyans, whenever Harambee Stars loses an easy match even to lowly ranked minnows, they'll parade the starting XI names and question if the team was a representation of the country or a certain community, similar to how athletes are profiled following any dismissal performance in high stakes races.