By Jessica Oman
Two books that might serve as pivotal guides on how to focus on personal growth and development, as well as develop a great customer service attitude, were launched to help transform service culture and build leadership.
Author of the two books Charlotte Sarfowaa Duncan urges individuals and organisations to prioritise personal development and service excellence in “The Art of Becoming” which is based on years of learning, professional experience, observation and personal reflection. The book encourages readers to become more confident, resilient, intentional and purpose-driven, while the other book “Living the Experience; How Customers Shape Our World” focuses on customer experience and the importance of providing quality service.
The books focus on personal growth, purposeful leadership, customer experience and service culture, with the author linking the two subjects through the need to develop people who can create positive experiences for others.
According to the author, success should not only be measured in what people achieve but also by who they become in the process. “Before we can build great organisations, we must first build great people,” she said.
Sarfowaa Duncan said every chapter of a person’s life contributes to the person they become and expressed the hope that the books would inspire individuals to grow, organisations to serve better and leaders to create environments where people could thrive.
Antoinette Kwofie, the Chief Financial Officer of MTN Ghana, who chaired the launch event, described herself as “the epitome of becoming”, and stressed the need for continuous personal development. Drawing on her professional experience, she said leaders must remember that behind every organizational figure is a customer, employee, investor or citizen. She therefore urged leaders to consider the human impact of their decisions rather than focusing only on figures, systems and infrastructure.
She shared an experience from her career when she was rated among the top performers but was downgraded during a performance appraisal because her boss believed she was “fighting too much.” According to her, that experience became a turning point that taught her how to stand up for what she believed in while also learning to convince and bring others along. For her, applying the lessons in the two books can lead to a person becoming the example of the change that we all so wish to see,”.
The Chief Operating Officer of Absa Ghana Limited, Mr. Frederick Nyinaku, who wrote the foreword to Living the Experience, said service was “a human commitment” and not merely a corporate responsibility. He said although organisations invest in technology, products and infrastructure to distinguish themselves, these investments should ultimately improve the experience of customers otherwise they are pointless.
Mr. Nyinaku said good service involved recognising the person behind every transaction, showing empathy and respect, and creating experiences that customers would remember.
