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Business Advisory Services
TACKAfrica MD Steve Shelley has worked in Africa for more than 25 years. A former PWC director, his extensive experience encompasses strategic planning, training, research and business management. He is the author of 'Doing Business in Africa' (New Holland, Cape Town, 2004).

Steve is available for consulting assignments wherever his experience and expertise can be effectively utilised. Recent assignments have included strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions negotiations, rebranding and repositioning, performance management, Assessment Centres, executive head hunting, organisational climate and attitude surveys, and executive coaching.

Steve is a prolific writer and frequently contributes to Twende, East Africa's travel magazine.

Contact Steve direct on 0733 596441(Kenya) or 0688 423030 (Tanzania).

Link Strategy with Performance
Strategic Planning has become routine and superficial, lacking in rigour and paying lip service to a process rather than acting as the primary driver of corporate success and competitive advantage. It's what you do that counts, not just a document highlighting so-called mission, vision and values. Strategy formulation and implementation is the responsibility of the senior management team and should not be delegated. Strategy is all about direction, capacity and action. Success comes from achieving a tight match between corporate goals and the leader's ability to mobilise the financial, physical and human resources of the organisation. The facilitation of a winning strategy demands an in depth understanding of process, sector and business environment coupled with perception, experience, and creative and analytical thinking. It's not to be taken lightly and it's only worth doing if it changes the way your organisation and its people perform, with clear linkages between the two.

How to Implement a Performance Management System that Works
The implementation of Performance Management is a major challenge. Managing people and their performance can be complicated and when it comes to performance appraisal many organisations carry the baggage of past disasters. Overturning this - and capturing the real value of performance management - means changing the approach to one based on positive relationships, tangible achievements and personal development. This demands a new way of thinking and a solid injection of training for managers responsible for applying it. When coupled with coaching, and sensitively applied, Performance Management can indeed act as a catalyst for a major shift in corporate culture, management style and business performance.

How to Assess Competencies
An understanding of a job holder's competencies - the mix of skills, knowledge and attitude required to effectively fulfil job demands - is helpful in determining training needs, in formulating succession plans and in matching person to role. Most methods for assessing competencies are subjective but an Assessment Centre is both comprehensive and objective. It comprises a series of structured activities which reflect real work demands and in which participants can display a range of specific competencies. Performance is observed by a team of assessors, scored and presented as a personal competency profile showing strengths and development needs. We can also carry out questionnaire and interview based Skills Gap and Training Needs analysis. We also offer a range of psychometric testing and personality profiling services.