LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Kaizene, a Cote d’Ivoire and UK based human capital development business shaping tomorrow’s leaders.
Lynda Aphing-Kouassi is a passionate believer in the development of human capital to create the leaders that Africa and the rest of the world need, both today and tomorrow. Her business, the international Kaizene Firm based in Abidjan and London, defines itself as a catalyst, allowing public and private companies, micro-businesses and SMEs to optimize their human capital, improve their services and their quality approach. The services on offer from Kaizene include capacity building, coaching, organization of institutional conferences, and VSE/SME support and shared services.
Lionesses of Africa had the pleasure of meeting with Lynda Aphing-Kouassi in Abidjan and learning more about this highly focused and growing business that is making a real impact in the human capital development space in Africa and beyond.
What inspired you to start your business?
As a rigorous and daring woman, a member of the board of directors of the African Diaspora Network (ADNE) in Brussels, the Organization Talents Within (non-governmental organization in Atlanta), the Institute of Directors of London (IOD), and the certified Learning Performance Institute of the World Bank, I decided to return to the fold and create my company in 2015. My aim was to share my experience and thus contribute to the development of the continent, and to the empowerment of women and young people through mentoring, coaching, training which are for me formulas of excellence, development. Also through the annual conference on infrastructure and construction that we have been organizing since 2015 and the creation of the central house for SME’s acceleration.
Why should someone use your service or product?
Our passion for the development of human capital is tangible and gives credibility to our activities and services. The optimization of your human capital requires on the one hand the convergence between the personal objectives of your employees (freedom of expression-image-measured recognition search), and on the other hand the development of the culture and the vision of the company business. The solution lies in the capacity building that we offer through, and qualifying training in partnership with, the American University of Cairo. Kaizene international firm also gives you the means through it centralized shared services / accelerator to focus on your sector of activity, your competitiveness and your level of productivity, your strategy, your human resources and talent management in order to optimize your returns.
Speaking of shared services (Kaizene Shared Services), Kaizene offers a solution mainly dedicated to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Organizations and NGOs faced with the difficulties of recruiting qualified and experienced personnel whose recruitment and retention costs are difficult to bear, but also presents the opportunity to accelerate these entities. Kaizene Shared Service is a solution that offers the possibility of joining a community, of doing Co-Development, benefiting from a research, translation and business center. Members have access to a pool of experienced shared collaborators responding to the challenges of human resources and of having access to co-working space fitted with last generation equipment. This centralized and structured solution, which is a powerful and pragmatic approach to professional development, will allow entities to increase their productivity and their efficiency by improving their services and reducing costs.
It is important to note that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the awareness of the need to collaborate among Africans and then internationally. Based on this observation, we are proud to offer for more than six years institutional conferences of an economic growth character allowing us to have constructive exchanges aimed at finding solutions favoring the achievement of our self-sufficiency, while emphasizing the inclusion of women and young pillars of African development. Our tailor-made service proposals take into account the business environment, the market in which companies operate their vision and goals, in order to meet specific needs. It is therefore fair to say that all services are complementary and an asset for any firms wishing to work with us.
Tell us a little about your team
I am surrounded by a young, dynamic, rigorous and fantastic team who have been with me for several years. This team understands the company and its culture, it is idealistic and creative but it is also dynamic to fight, develop the company and for us to create the leaders of today and tomorrow. They are the backbone of the company and work with complete autonomy and independence, ensuring that the work is carried out on time and beyond expectations. We uphold the values of Excellence, Ambition, Innovation, Efficiency, Identity and Commitment. I am really proud of them.
What are your future projects and aspirations for your company?
To help companies and organizations to unlock their potential and simplify their activities through the agility and quality of our services for optimizing returns and inclusive and sustainable growth. We also planning on accelerating a large number of SME’s and open offices in other countries with a larger competent team.
What gives you the most satisfaction as an entrepreneur?
I am proud to have played a role in the evolution of the continent and I aim further by continuously making decisions that have the capacity to positively change people's lives. To inspire our youth which is for Africa a key element of its evolution and other women to do more. Finally my contribution to a change of mentality and job creation.
What is the biggest advice you can give to other women who want to get started?
Work hard and with dedication, believe in yourself, stay true to yourself, be happy for other successful women, support them and be humble, don't try to impress anyone or society, have a clear vision and don't let society or situations obscure that vision. Despite the obstacles, stay strong, you will get there because you have no other choice.
To find out more about Kaizene and its work, send an email to Lynda and her team at contact@kaizene.org or visit the company website: www.kaizene.org
