Good leadership is crucial to stokvels and burial societies

Good leadership is a must for stokvels and burial societies to survive. Many have the best intentions and objectives, but often find themselves let down by poor leadership.

Good leadership helps the group establish goals and guides them through the process of achieving set objectives. It is important for the leadership to have the support of members. This support is often gained when members are consulted and included in decision-making.

The leadership is normally made up of a chair, a secretary, a treasurer and an executive committee, depending on the nature of the group.

The challenges stokvels and burial societies face often lead to them not achieving their goals. Some of the more common leadership problems relate to choices, criteria and reviews. Some members elect the leadership based on friendships and other factors that are not necessarily linked to the required management skills.

Stokvels also often do not interrogate the criteria for their specific leadership requirements. Members need to assess things such as skills sets, availability, experience and competence in a particular area. For example, when electing a stokvel secretary, members should evaluate their nominated candidate’s organisational, availability and administration skills.

Furthermore, objective reviews to assess the performance of leadership often do not happen because they are perceived as “attacks”. Often, founders of the stokvel appoint themselves as “permanent” leaders. This scenario is harmful because it does not allow for succession planning. 

What to consider in relation to stokvel leadership:

Influence: The ability to influence through articulation, facts, demonstration and guidance. It is important for leaders to be able to guide members towards a common goal and stay on the agreed course.

Inspiration: Leaders should inspire confidence. Clear communication of a shared vision and purpose are traits of good leaders who inspire members to achieve their goals. Leaders should not entrench divisions by inspiring just a section of the group and alienating others.

Accountability: Being open and transparent, and owning decisions and their outcomes, good or bad. It is not good leadership to accept praise for good outcomes and shift the blame for bad ones.

Visionary: Good leaders see beyond current circumstances and guide groups towards decisions that will be beneficial later. A good leader anticipates a future challenge and guides the group towards a solution.

Inclusive: Consulting and taking members into one’s confidence when arriving at a decision. A good leader ensures members understand and support decisions, and does not always refer to his or her authority as a basis for decision-making.

Stokvels and burial societies must ensure that, in choosing their leadership, they thoroughly engage with all the matters that must be considered before arriving at a decision. Electing leaders on the basis of friendship is not how groups should be administered.

Having a chair remain in the position for an extended period because he or she founded the stokvel or burial society is not always good practice. Groups should always ask the following questions: Do we support and have confidence in our leadership? Does our current leadership help us achieve our group goals? 

Tyvision Media administers stokvels and burial societies, and can help groups with scheduling meetings, drawing up agendas, taking minutes, and keeping records. They also provide relevant, credible and reliable information that assists groups to make the best possible decisions with their resources. 

Contact Tyvision Media for professional administration for your stokvel or burial society via e-mail at alucias@tyvisionmedia.co.za, or by phone/WhatsApp at 081-596-1065 or 067-742-0534.

This article was sponsored by Tyvision Media.