I bumped into one of my uncles at Nairobi airport recently and he shared something which I had known but never quite stood still long enough to formulate like he did that day but, now that I think of it, that’s exactly what the Professional Approach Group is about; building the critical mass of patriotic, professional, ethical, entrepreneurial, quality-conscious and results-driven young leaders in the public, private and NGO space to tip Tanzania’s values, behaviours and in turn, culture to one that will foster and not hinder our pursuit of “high quality livelihood, peace, stability and unity, good governance, a well educated and learning society, and a competitive economy capable of producing sustainable growth and shared benefits.” as enshrined in Tanzania Development Vision 2025.
So what is the Critical Mass theory?
To simplify, summarise and apply to our situation, the Critical Mass theory states that when seeking to influence and change values and behavior for overall performance and cultural transformation by choosing to first focus on influencing individuals in a specific target group, as the number of individuals in that target group influenced by the new values and behaviours increases, there will come a time when an additional person influenced by the new values and behaviours will bring about not just their personal transformation and performance, as it had individually for each person before them, but that this one additional person thus influenced will be the tipping point to spur on widespread values, behavioural and overall performance transformation of many more people around them, going as far as influencing the value, behavioural and overall performance transformation of people who were not even in the initial target group.
The Critical Mass theory implies that at this tipping point, it is possible to completely override initial undesired values and behaviours such as to create the new and desired values and behaviours as the new norm, the new performance standard, entrenching a completely new culture.
Does the Critical Mass theory work?
It is Critical Mass theory that has tipped women’s inclusion into formerly male dominated business roles; as the increasing number of women in these new roles one day became significant, became, critical, society’s perception of women shifted; women could no longer be ignored as applicants and contenders for these roles (the challenge now is to get, on merit, the critical mass of capable women in the roles). I believe gender inclusion and empowerment is best facilitated when individuals in our families, especially children, see our mothers, sisters, aunts and grandmothers simply “be the message” by “doing” rather than “plead the message” by “saying”. When we see enough women “being”, the critical mass of women doers, in time, will form in our minds the acceptance that this is the norm, not the exception.
Critical Mass theory has worked to include minority groups in governance, education, employment, etcetera, and Critical Mass theory will oust the values, behaviours, performance output and culture we do not want to have in Tanzania and usher in what will prove both foundation and pillars for this Great Nation’s rise to economic lead.
Can Critical Mass theory really work to spur on Tanzania’s development?
Absolutely. Why not? I know that our concern is that the generation living in Tanzania today has been exposed to a long-standing and deeply rooted monoculture characterised by State dependency, apathy, complacency, ignorance, unmerited entitlement and corruption (let’s be real and “call a spade a spade”, instead of “a large spoon” or “garden implement”). I know that the pervading culture seems too strong and too entrenched for anything to faze it but you know what, it is exactly its rigidity and exclusivity that will be the end of it.
I am not daunted by what Tanzania looks like today because I know that it took time and deliberate action (and or inaction) to get it here and it will take time and deliberate action to uproot and plant the Tanzania we want to see and, I believe that building the critical mass of people who think, perform and present themselves with desired values and behaviours will be the tipping point to mass transformation to greater overall performance and ultimately, a new culture.
What needs to be done to start creating the Critical Mass Tanzania needs for development?
Start with yourself. No matter how much we pretend otherwise, we know the values, behaviours and performance standards that make for success at home, in society, in the work place, in leadership, in governance. If you don’t know details of requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes (competencies), seek someone who does (surf the net for tools and tips). Bottom line is that we know when we’re not giving our all because we’ve seen peers who do perform well, foreign competition often wakes us up to how much higher we must aim and even media, especially reality television has exposed us to people modeling desired values and behaviours, etcetera.
Be conscious of what you need to succeed and choose what you think, read, say, do and who you interact with such as to make sure that you surround yourself with what will propel and not impede you from developing and applying desired values, behaviours for overall performance.
Take the Professional Approach Group’s objectives as an example, they can be summed in this; to empower and position Tanzanians and their organisations into strategic leadership positions such as to, in time (5 years max), create the critical mass of tenacious, patriotic, entrepreneurial, professional, ethical and competitive individuals in the world of work (across all sectors) who will drive Tanzania’s economic development.
In turn, the prevailing wall of “business as usual” of substandard and late delivery, bribery, nepotism, inadequate research, monitoring and evaluation, low productivity, disengagement and taking of short cuts, will crumble from within and fall as individuals deliberately, consistently choose to live.
With enough people consciously choosing to think, perform and present themselves for success in their fields, and consistently doing so, there will come a person who will build that critical mass, bring about that turning point in our National value system, behaviours, performance and in turn, culture.
We will then see a development ‘domino effect’ as transformation spills over into the Nation’s socio-political and international relations spheres as well. It is true that “only developed people develop nations”, therefore, if we want to see meaningful transformation in Tanzania in the next 5years, it is on us to create the critical mass of Tanzania’s making daily, minute by minute choices that will secure our future as the largest and strongest economy in Africa.
As the Professional Approach Group, we aim to build the critical mass of a new breed of mindsets in Tanzanians who will develop the personal, technical, leadership and management capabilities to lead in strategic, decision-making positions over the Nation’s domestic and international business environment.
What is your playground and sphere of influence and who will you start with?
It isn’t easy, I know, but oh, it is so worth it.
Mbarikiwe.
Modesta Lilian Mahiga
Group Managing Director
Professional Approach Group
mmahiga@pa.co.tz
www.modestalilianmahiga.com
www.pa.co.tz
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