BUSINESS executives have been urged to take up programmes offered by The Pacific Institute that emphasise team building in order to boost the operations of their companies. Unilever Zimbabwe managing director Mrs Nancy Guzha said this during a motivational breakfast meeting organised by The Pacific Institute yesterday.

The meeting was aimed at demonstrating how organisations can invest in excellence that could transform their potential into achievement.

In her address, Mrs Guzha, who is also reigning ZNCC Businesswoman of the Year, attributed her success on a personal and professional level to the institute's courses that helped her in changing the attitudes of Unilever employees resulting in a positive impact on the company's operations.

She added that she undertook the TPI programmes at an opportune time when Unilever had dropped from being a €100 million company to a €2 million company.

"We had to plot where we thought we were and where we thought we would want to be and in about five out of six areas we were unhappy and thought we could do better.

"What happened was that we all came out with a plan. It's one thing to be dissatisfied and know that I am not where I should be but it's another thing to come with a plan and to have goals that say in this particular area I am going to do one, two, three things and I am going to move in this way. So that's what my team had to deal with," she added.

The two greatest attributes she credits TPI include the ability to have affirmations that lead to a conviction and thinking between goals.

Mrs Guzha emphasised that affirming what one wants can actually encourage behaviour change towards achieving the vision that one has and this ensures the achievement of the goal.

"Say it to yourself, say it to your team, and you are encouraging a behaviour you want to see, it's a vision that you have but keep saying it because at the end of the day you want to get to that point," she said.

She also urged the delegates to always think beyond achieving a set goal.

"Most people fail after reaching a goal because they think they have arrived but you should say I want to do this and when I have achieved this I will do that and set goals that are a bit beyond that.

What that does is it keeps you in motion and keeps you looking to achieve more and more," Mrs Guzha said.