Saudi Arabia recently issued its ambitious Vision 2030, which revolves around the three pillars of a vibrant society, thriving economy and ambitious nation. While economic diversification and streamlining efficiency are indeed critical for the country's future, Saudi nationals will ultimately be responsible for implementing these strategic changes and accomplishing the vision's goals. Therefore, developing human capabilities should be viewed as a required foundation for successful change rather than a desired outcome. In order to maximise the success of the Vision 2030, Oxford Strategic Consulting recommends that Saudi Arabia focus on building human capabilities around leadership, engagement and well-being.
There must be a strong pipeline of qualified national leaders. The comprehensive and ambitious transformation agenda set forth in the Vision 2030 will require qualified and confident leaders from the government, private sector and local communities. Oxford Strategic Consulting research has shown that leadership can be rapidly developed by providing technology assisted help (such as iLeader on smart phones), by providing leadership experiences early (even as young children) and by guiding leaders through real life situations so their skills can be accredited (such as Chartered Management Institute qualifications or similar). Using these tools to develop a highly effective cadre of leaders quickly will be a critical capability in achieving Saudi Vision 2030.
Leadership is also critical for entrepreneurs to build a thriving SME sector. Saudi Vision 2030 depends on a strong private sector, which includes SMEs and family firms. It is possible to assess and prepare individuals to build SMEs or to take the lead in their family enterprises. The skills needed by aspiring entrepreneurs, however, differ from those of professionals in larger government entities and private firms. Instead, entrepreneurs require training in healthy risk-taking and business attitudes to overcome the particular challenges faced by SMEs. Oxford Strategic Consulting research identified that only 6% of global SMEs employ more than 5 people, so it is critical that Saudi Arabia supports entrepreneurs who will actually contribute to employment growth.
Saudi citizens must be engaged in order to support the country's transformation. Saudi Arabia has done an excellent job communicating the need for change through the Vision 2030 and emphasizing the central role of citizens in this vision. The next step involves taking practical steps to increase the engagement of Saudi citizens. Increased employee engagement can help boost productivity and decrease waste in key government and private sector organizations. Moreover, more engaged national citizens can help accomplish other goals of the vision, like rallying 1 million volunteers per year from the current average of 11,000. Engagement at a national level (sometimes known as 'citizenship') is a key dependency for Saudi 2030 and a recent book (Redefining Well-being in Nations and Organisations) shows the process by which this can be achieved.
Governments should closely monitor the well-being and happiness of citizens as part of any strategic change initiative. Change is often a difficult process, so it is important to ensure that strategic country changes positively affect the well-being of Saudi citizens. Promoting well-being delivers physical and mental health benefits as well as enables citizens to overcome challenges in their professional and personal lives.
Leadership, engagement and well-being should be utilised to further develop national expertise in the key strategic sectors of investment banking, military manufacturing and tourism. Human capabilities in these sectors will need to be competitive in the global market, so programmes that identify critical differentiating capabilities in these sectors should be launched within the near future. The King Salman Program for Human Capital Development will help ensure that human capital is effectively deployed within the government sector. Yet, the role of human capital development in the wider business environment must be addressed at the outset of this project rather than assessed toward the project's end.
About
Oxford Strategic Consulting is an Oxford and GCC based consultancy that specialises in building human capital across the GCC and Europe. With teams in Oxford, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE, our experienced HR Directors, subject matter experts and researchers combine international best-practice with GCC-specific knowledge to conduct human capital research and implement practical and bespoke people solutions. www.oxfordstrategicconsulting.com
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