On 4th August 2023 the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) concluded its elections and duly appointed Surv. Eric Nyadimo as the new ISK president. Surv. Nyadimo is a charismatic leader, having provided his leadership skills on various previous and current appointments. Surv. Nyadimo is undoubtedly a visionary and he has committed to leading the ISK to great achievement. Africa Surveyors Magazine conducted an exclusive interview with the newly president elect of ISK, lets find out what he has in store for the ISK.
AS: Who is Eric Nyadimo?
I am the Managing Director of Oakar Services Limited – the premier geospatial consulting firm in Eastern Africa.
I have a BSc. Degree in Surveying from the University of Nairobi and a MSc degree in Land Management and Land Tenure from the Technische Universität München, Germany
I am a Full Member of the Institution of Surveyor of Kenya (MISK) and a Licensed Surveyor LS(K).
I currently serve as the President of the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) following the election that was held on 4th August 2023. I previously served as the Deputy President (2021 – 2023); Chair of GIS Chapter (2018 – 2021) and Secretary of the GIS Chapter (2014 – 2018)
I am also currently the Chair of the Lands & Physical Planning Sector Board under Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in addition I chair the Technical Committee on Geospatial Standards under the Kenya Bureau of Standards
I have offered leadership in the lands sector for a while and I have been privileged to chair 3 Taskforces at the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning that has led to the Formulation of Related Regulations to facilitate Electronic Land Transactions, Registration, Conveyancing and other related activities. In addition I chaired the Taskforce that reviewed the Survey Sector’s Policy, Legal and Institutional Framework in 2021.
AS: As the newly elected ISK President, what is your role in setting the institution’s culture?
EN: I am taking over the leadership of ISK at a time when the business environment is very difficult not only for our members but across the board. I will work with the Council to better our business environment by diversifying our product offerings into a number of areas such as motor vehicle valuation as well as ring fencing court valuations. I will also be looking at signing mutual recognition agreements with sister associations in neighboring countries so as to increase the possibility of our members working in other countries. In addition, I look forward to working with the Land Surveyors Board to increase the number of Licensed Surveyors.
AS: What do you think is the most important quality of an effective leader?
EN: An effective leader possess self-awareness, has credibility and focuses on relationship-building. An effective leader should be action oriented, exhibit humility and empower others. In addition an effective leader should not only be accountable but should maintain high level of integrity. Such a leader should also be present and consistent and act as a role model for others.
AS: How well do you handle stress and pressure?
EN: I try as much as possible to delegate work to my colleagues so as to maintain a supervisory role. In addition, I plan my work day by listing all that I need to achieve on a particular day. I never leave the office until I have written down what I expect to do the next day. I spend a lot of time communicating to my team via email and use the medium to monitor progress. I try as much as I can to sleep 7 to 8 hours, it helps with stress and pressure. Well, on those bad days, I walk around the office making small talk, go to the gym or play a round of golf or watch a movie.
AS: What steps would you take to ensure transparency and accountability throughout implementing the institution’s core values and objectives?
EN: One of the best ways to promote transparency and accountability is to communicate openly and frequently with your stakeholders. Share your vision, mission, values, and objectives, and explaining how these align with your actions, decisions, and results would help a great deal. In addition, I will:
– Update my team about changes/possible changes as soon as a change needs to be communicated;
– Give honest and constructive feedback;
– Communicate expectations frequently and on time;
– Document training, processes and procedures; and
– Share performance status with my team so as to identify areas for improvement etc.
AS: There is a disagreement in the board about a certain strategy. What would you do?
EN: I have noted that trying to argue about an issue unless it is extremely urgent may not resolve the issue as it turns out into an argument and different parties always have different things to say. Taking a break or moving onto another issue may help resolve a disagreement. Agreeing that each one of us sees things in a different way and that no one is necessarily right can help steer people to a solution. The best way to resolve a disagreement is to build consensus, it may be slow but it works out better. If an issue is extremely urgent a vote may work but more often voting doesn’t yield the best results.
AS: How would you motivate and inspire your team to achieve the institution’s goals?
EN: Team building and bonding is essential for a team. I aim to ensure that as much as possible we are able to meet physically as a council and discuss issues. Training and capacity building would help a great deal by improving the capacity of the team members. Holding regular meetings and being available when team members require help would also greatly assist.
AS: What do you see as the most challenging aspects in the surveying industry, and what steps would you consider to meet such challenges?
EN: The greatest challenge we have is ensuring that we have the relevant policies and legal framework that would sustain our profession. Most of our statutes from the Survey Act, Valuers Act and the Estate Agents Act need to be reviewed to conform to the changes that have taken place since they were enacted. While such reviews have been done in the past they have not seen the light of the day. We need these polices and legal framework so as to deal with the challenges facing our industry.
One of the other challenge facing us is the Land Information Management System. Whereas the Ministry of Lands has launched ArdhiSasa, it still has many challenges that need to be resolved so as to make it easier for us to provide services to our clients. We are ready and willing to work with the government to make Ardhisasa work for all. In addition we are working on a Land Administration Managers bill and also need to complete the Building Surveyors regulations.
AS: How would you handle criticism from stakeholders?
EN: Criticism is good – when one criticizes you especially positive criticism it gives you a chance to look at what you are doing and how you can improve. As a person or an organization you cannot improve unless you deal with criticism. ISK looks forward to work with various stakeholders to improve on what we are doing and how do our work. As ISK President, I shall be open-minded so as to provide a seamless and effective institution for our benefit as professionals and the country at large.
AS: What Strategies would you use to develop and maintain trust with internal and external stakeholders?
EN: Internal and external stakeholders are important people. They are your colleagues, customers, and suppliers, and you interact daily with many of them. The results of those interactions impact your business either for good or for bad, depending on your communication’s quality. I would use the following strategies: Identify and prioritize key stakeholder relationships; Clearly communicate to stakeholders; Gain stakeholder trust right from the beginning; Be consistent in communication and messaging; and meet with stakeholders who are resistant to change and win them over where possible.
 concluded its elections and duly appointed Surv. Eric Nyadimo as the new){kind=link}