The smooth transition of Edward Bawa into the leadership of GOIL has been driven by more than just staff support.
The Group CEO and Managing Director says the company’s strong human capital, established structures, and internal policies have made his first year in office easier than he expected.
Mr Bawa, who had no previous experience leading an oil marketing company, said he arrived at GOIL with an open mind and some uncertainty about what to expect.
But the support he received from management and staff quickly changed that.
“I think surprisingly, it has been a bit smoother than I expected. And I think it’s because of the people I came to meet,” he said.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, Mr Bawa said the onboarding process led by his heads of departments played an important role in helping him understand the company.
“The period of onboarding that was done for me by my heads of departments was very useful. The staff themselves were ready to support me,” he said.
According to him, the experience made the transition feel less unfamiliar, despite his lack of previous experience in the industry.
“And so, it appeared as if it was an industry I had already operated in for a long time. So, to just answer your question very simply, I think it has been good. The transition has been seamless, and the environment has been very supportive,” he said.
Mr Bawa, however, cautioned against attributing GOIL’s strength solely to its people.
He said the company’s structures and the policies guiding its operations are equally important.
“So, I think there’s a combination of all. You see, you need people supporting you; that’s the human capital. That’s the most important part of it. But you also need the structures,” he said.
He added that clear policies help employees understand what is expected of them and the systems available to achieve those objectives.
“And then you need to know what the necessary policies are underpinning even activities that are being done,” he said.
Mr Bawa said consistency among the people, structures and guiding principles is critical to the effective running of the company.
“It is only when there’s a bit of consistency in those things that, for example, an individual comes to work and he knows that this is what GOIL is expecting, and these are structures I need to use to get to that,” he said.
He therefore rejected the idea that GOIL’s success can be attributed to people alone.
“And so for me, I wouldn’t zero in on just people, people, people. I think there’s a combination of just, one, the people, the structures, and what are the principles underpinning your activities,” he said.
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