By Ernest Nutsugah
Accra, Sept. 6, GNA – Business consultant, Ms Charlotte Sarfowaa Akan-Duncan, has launched two books on personal development and customer service, urging a culture of continuous self-improvement and genuine care in both personal and professional relationships.
The books titled: “The Art of Becoming” and “Living the Experience”, seek to inspire individuals to pursue personal growth, help organisations improve service delivery, and encourage leaders to create environments where people can thrive.
Ms Akan-Duncan, Founder and Lead Consultant of DuncsConsult Limited, said strong brands were built by people who demonstrated empathy, integrity and a clear sense of purpose.
Speaking at the launch in Accra over the weekend, she said individuals needed to deliberately shape their mindset, character, emotional intelligence, leadership abilities and capacity to genuinely care for others before seeking to build successful organisations.
“Before we build great organisations, we must first build great people. Before we can create memorable experiences for our customers, we must first develop ourselves,” she said.
Personal development was closely linked to organisational and societal progress, she emphasised, noting that better people built better teams, which in turn built better organisations and communities.
Ms Akan-Duncan said the two books drew from her professional experience and personal reflections and were intended to help readers become more confident, resilient and purpose-driven.
The Art of Becoming explores the idea that success is not defined only by achievements but also by the person one becomes in the process.
Living the Experience, on the other hand, highlights the importance of every human interaction, whether in serving customers, leading teams, teaching students or supporting colleagues.
“People will forget what you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel,” she added.
Ms Akan-Duncan, also a marketing strategist and certified trainer, has experience in performance management, training advisory and customer experience, and has worked with several reputable organisations.
She attended the University of Ghana Business School and Garden City University College.
She was adjudged CEO of the Year in the Business Management Consulting category at the 2023 Ghana Industry CEO Awards.
Mr John Awuah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Bankers Association, said discipline and honest self-reflection were essential to personal growth.
Customer service was an expression of an organisation’s values and leadership, he pointed out.
He said individuals must first learn to lead themselves before leading others and demonstrate the empathy and integrity they expected from people around them.
“Before we build institutions that can be trusted, we must become people whose words and actions synchronise,” he said.
Mr Awuah commended Ms Akan-Duncan for the publications and encouraged young professionals to build both competence and character, while urging institutions to continuously strengthen trust with their customers and stakeholders.
Other speakers at the launch were Madam Annie Aborah, Credit Director, Absa Bank; Mr Fredrick Nyinaku, Chief Operating Officer, Absa Bank; Mrs Antionetter Kwofie, Chief Finance Officer, MTN Ghana; and Mr Michael Abbiw, Chief Executive Officer, MGA Consulting.
They challenged businesses to move beyond transactional relationships and create memorable and meaningful experiences for their clients, employees and other stakeholders.
The first copy of the book was bought at GHS20,000.
GNA
Edited by Beatrice Asamani Savage
