Jonah Otieno: A Remode Journey
Wow! Welcome to Jonah Otieno's, CEO of 5ive Africa, journey with Remode.
What is the biggest surprise from your Remode journey so far?
”I think it's how quickly singularity of purpose dissipates anticipated challenges. I'll be honest, coming in, you expect that you are here largely to learn from the more established partner and initially imposter syndrome can set in. "Will our suggestions be relevant? Will they identify with our experiences? Do we have the right skillset to achieve what we intend to? Are we blinded by ambition? Will we achieve a culture mesh and if so is this really a good thing?" So when you find out that not only does everyone initially have the same questions regardless of perceived hierarchy, but once you get down to it, this process towards the realization of a unified goal completely diminishes these trivialities in exchange for striving towards the achievement of something ballsy created by equal partners.”
”Then you realize the scale of what you are potentially on the verge of. Kenya, Finland and Nigeria with a learning exchange at a blistering pace, with real problems to solve in what should be impactful ways, with individual perspectives that fit together without ego, for the good of future Afro-Nordic partnerships and business. Suddenly the ideas have tangibility, launch dates are being set, ways of working are being evaluated, flights are being booked and so on. For a team that only got together a short while ago, the focus is incredibly keen and I have no doubt that when we are eventually done creating what we've gotten together for, it might take some people aback by how obviously it was needed, but more so how effortlessly it reflects our common goal.”
Why would you recommend Remode as a personal growth experience?
”I think when people go into a project similar to what Remode has set up for us, they go in with a subconsciously defensive stance. "This is what has worked for us so far" or "This is how things are done on this continent". This skews how you think you'll cooperate. This experience has taught me malleability so far... don't water down the reference that you come from but at the same time, objectively open yourself up to other world views and approaches.”
”We went through a strategy session that felt easy and yet was incredibly comprehensive once done. The debate is focused and there is clear progress at the end of each session. The learning is not monopolized, the inputs are distilled as much as possible and you are then given free reign to color it to suit your background if it makes the output more relevant. There hasn't been any session where I haven't learned something new and it all comes full circle when you realize that everyone else is absorbing the insights that you have as well because the spirit is truly one centered on collaboration, on challenge and eventually on change.”
”I would definitely recommend the Remode experience as a new way to look at working together for the good of something much bigger than ourselves or our enterprise!”
Learn more about Jonah and 5ive Africa: https://5iveafrica.co.ke/
Looking for personal growth and building stronger #NordicAfrica partnerships? Welcome to #Remode!