Function Meets Fiction- CIPM International Conference Day 2

C. M. Okonkwo
Oct 29
2 min read

Dear readers,

#Because Day 2 was even better!

#CIPM #ICE2025 #DAY2

Today delivered even more value! The sessions were broad yet highly relevant, from the application of standards (with insights from ITF, NSITF, ILO, etc.) to the reimagined role of HR and Business Leaders, promoting people management standards, effective performance management, and more.

My key takeaways from all the “brain food” we were served:

•ILO policies can’t be applied in Nigeria until ratified by the Nigerian Government — but it’s up to us to act responsibly regardless and keep pushing the government as best as we can.

•Companies must have Learning & Development (L&D) departments with an annual training plan for their people. Because if you don’t train them, don’t blame them.

•HR now has a seat at the table — it’s time to make impact, not just administer policies.

•Think flexibility and agility in policies and ways of working to attract and retain the right people, especially creatives.

•People don’t burn out from work; they burn out from the lack of C.A.R.E. — Clarity (of what/how to do things), Autonomy (ownership and accountability), Recognition (praise boosts dopamine and motivation), and Enablement (the right environment and tools). — Shared by the amazing ‘Toun Akinsunmi, Chief of Staff at SeamlessHR, and it stuck like glue!

•Three things every leader must show in employee wellbeing: Empathy, Transparency, and Swift Action — beautifully shared by the delectable Shamim Walusimbi.

•Finally, performance appraisal shouldn’t be a routine activity but a tool for continuous improvement. Three things matter here: People. System. Data. Not KPIs — those should be a thing of the past.

This reminded me of the goals I once set for my HR team: Zero complaints (from employees), Zero delays (in response and execution), and Zero errors (in output and results).

At the time, I didn’t realise how useful this was as an HR team dashboard — getting direct feedback from people to gauge performance and identify areas for improvement. As we head into appraisal season, it’s definitely something I’ll be revisiting.

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