National Daily

I make my business team work hard — B.A.T boss

The Managing Director, B. A. T. Investment Limited, Alhaji Sherif A. Aleshinloye, opens up on his management style, and suggests tips to successful management/staff working relationship in this interview with Patrick Aigbokhan. Excerpts:

The company
B. A. T. Investments Limited was established over a decade now and has been in operation since then. It is a company that has been diversified into different arms of investment, amongst which are foreign exchange sales transactions, car hire services, bakery, pure water manufacturing and mini marts ventures.

Our forex arm of the business is a bureau de change, which was licensed since 1997, and was founded by my late father. But, for quite sometime now, I have been managing the business since my father passed on.

Management challenges
The little challenges that I think are rampant with me here in this business is just the issue of managing members of staff and customers.

You know when you are dealing with a high number of staff like that of our company, you have to understand that they all have different characters, so what you have to do is just to coordinate them and relate with them based on their level of understanding.

Their different perceptions about life, about the job and about the company are areas where you determine how you deal with them individually.

Customers also, on the other hand must be consciously related with because they are the reason why you are rendering your services. You will have to know their taste and be able to meat their taste. And sometimes, they may not have an update of the business ethics, but it is your responsibility as a manager, to enlighten them, whether directly or through the concerned personnel. Some of them may understand you, some may find it so difficult to comprehend, but you just have to keep doing your bit.

Government policies
For quite sometime now, we have been operating based on the rules and regulations of the Central Bank of Nigeria, where every sales transaction of any currency to any buyer has to be documented. We have a limit to what we sell in forex to customers, just as instructed by the CBN.

Since the inception of the liberalization system in the forex business in Nigeria, the whole system has really changed positively. Before this era, we used to seek forex from colleagues in the business when we had no enough to sell to customers, but this government policy really made provision for adequate availability of forex such that we no longer have to meet our colleagues for some forex when customers are in need of it.
The reason why we actually experienced scarcity of forex then was because those who brought forex from abroad usually sold it to the banks, but the liberalization policy made a total change.

Coping with multiple responsibilities
I was brought up in this business, and over the years now, I have been able to program my activities such that my business does not affect my home responsibilities and others. I always make sure that I give my home front the time it requires of me, without any compromise. I also make sure that my home relationship with my wife and children does not, in any way, affect my business schedules. I assign responsibilities to my business team, and I make sure that, coupled with my role in the home, everything is intact.

Leisure
Though, I work on some Saturdays. It is mostly on Sundays that I have time to relax at home, which is mostly done with my family after NASFAT. Other things I do on Sundays is look out for my children's work performance in the school, see to their school home works, and also, attend to my own assignments that I have at hand.

Management style
I have learnt a lot from my father on how to relate with my staff. While abroad, I even learnt some definite ways on how to deal wisely with staff, and that is, I make my staff my friend, we are like one family member. I make sure that I try as much as possible, to attend to some personal challenges of my staff and help them out. I have a very cordial relationship with them, we play and chat together and we also work together as a team. When it comes to work issue, I make sure there is a high level of discipline among them; I make sure they put up the right attitude towards work.

In fact, I like my staff so much for that; when it is time to play they will play, but when it is time for work, they work hard.

The journey so far
I won't say that the road so far has been that difficult, but we thank God for the journey so far. The success of this company so far now, has been by the collective effort of my staff and me. It is also by the strong involvement of my siblings because this business is a family business.

We usually hold our meetings to trash out all the unpleasant issues in the business. We have not lost customers, instead, we welcome more customers on a constant basis and by the grace of God we are progressing.
CSR
On the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), we have impacted lives and communities individually. This is one good trait I inherited from my father, because he had always believed in reaching out to the less privileged, and he has always emphasized the need to stretch hands to those who are unable to cover their grounds.

It has been the culture of this company to take up the responsibility upon ourselves to train up individuals and communities that are less privileged, and this, we have been fully committed to since the inception of this company.
As a matter of fact, I have made it a rule that whosoever comes around for help even when I am not around, the data of such person must be collected from him or her then forwarded to me for further consideration to assist that fellow.
We have imbibed the culture of CSR and we have been committed to it, even till now.

Secret of success
There is no much secret behind the sustainability and retainership of our company's status order than the act of being discipline in our principles and consistency of purpose.

When you have a small venture at hand, it does not matter how it goes, whether smooth or rough, you must always bare in mind that there is a set goal you are heading for. And once you know that, just keep on with the vision and the drive attached to it, and then the sky will be your limit. That is just the secret of our success.

Our company has, over the years, been known as a truthful company, that is what we have been known with, and till now, we still keep up that standard.

Admonition for Nigerian youths
I believe that at my age I am still a youth, so my word of admonition for Nigerian youth is that they should learn to achieve their goals at a gradual process. Many youths in our country today feel that because their former school mates have become big shots in the society, then they too, must run in the same race, but it is not supposed to be so.
Our youths should understand that every long journey starts with a step. When you begin very little today, it doesn't mean that you will not attain your height of greatness, but it is all a matter of time. Who ever must be successful must be able to endure, no matter how tough it may be, the struggle must continue.