A recent report by consultancy firm Deloitte provides guidance to organizations on how they can significantly improve bottom-line results by fostering and promoting connections in the workplace. According to the report, "Connecting People to What Matters," creating effective workforce connections to people, purpose, and resources may increase competitive advantage by helping to improve an organization’s productivity, innovation, and growth.

When it comes to retaining your talent, how people connect, and the quality of those connections, can mean the difference between a loyal and engaged workforce and a costly outflow of human resources.  The Deloitte Research/Deloitte Consulting report notes that people's jobs and technology have become more complex, while workforces are increasingly more diverse in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and generational differences. It is these changes, says the report, which make it very difficult for today's workforce to make quality, value-driven connections. Disconnected employers fail to understand what their employees need and want to perform effectively and to stay engaged. Employers need to become connected to their employees to deliver on what they need and want in the workplace; interesting work, career development, and flexibility in exchange for their highly sought after capabilities.

Connections for Retention

The report urges Employees and employers to foster three primary types of connections: connecting people to people to help promote personal and professional growth, connecting people to a sense of purpose to help build and sustain a sense of organizational and individual mission, and connecting people to the resources they need to work effectively, such as managing knowledge, technology, tools, capital, time and physical space.  Employers who cannot connect with their talent will sadly discover that clever recruitment tactics and rich pay packages will not, in the long term, retain their talent.

In this Issue

In this issue, we turn the spotlight onto Zambia and report on the recent Forum held in London to highlight investment opportunities in Zambia. The role of art in the healing of a nation is showcased in our report on the UK launch of the Ifa Lethu Foundation of South Africa. Cultural management expert Richard Cook explores the role of culture and competence in management success and Vincent Owen offers some tips on how to make PowerPoint an effective tool in delivering presentations. ReConnect Africa is all about the positive things that Africa and its Diaspora offers and we catch up with Greg Obong-Oshotse, the Editor of the new publication ‘Positive People’ to find out more about his magazine. Our resident Career Coach, Helen Dupigny, offers some useful advice for job hunters and we bring you the best of this month’s events in Dates for your Diary.

As ever, we bring you the latest round-up of business developments around the continent and other news from Africa and the rest of the world. The last word goes to our 5 Minute Interviewee, Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie, Executive Director and co-founder of AFFORD and a leader and champion of Africans in the Diaspora working to benefit Africa.

This issue of ReConnect Africa is dedicated to my brother, the late Thomas Mensah Jr., a source of inspiration, learning and wisdom for many people around the world.

We hope you enjoy this issue of ReConnect Africa - and don’t forget to write in and share your comments on these articles.

* Management Competencies for Preventing and Reducing Stress at Work