If you’re in charge of a portfolio, I’ll be blunt—managing it is not enough. I know, I know. That’s probably what your job description says. “Relationship Manager,” “Network Manager,” “Portfolio Supervisor.” The verbs they use—manage, oversee, coordinate—sound safe. Passive. Respectable. But the real work? The real expectation? It’s not to babysit. It’s to grow what you’ve been given. Think clearly what manage your portfolio means.
Let me illustrate with some examples.
Case 1: The danger of passive portfolio management
Say you’re a Relationship Manager in a bank. You’ve been assigned 100 existing accounts. Some of them are sleepy accounts—salary processing here, fixed deposit there. You call them twice a year, maybe host a lunch for the top 20 clients, and prepare the usual quarterly report. That’s “managing” the portfolio.
Now let’s flip the script with, you, the Relationship Manager who refuses to coast.
You start looking at dormant accounts. You pick up the phone and call those clients directly. “Hi Juma, I noticed we haven’t seen any activity on your account in a while. Have your business needs changed?” That one call may lead to a loan inquiry. Or a new business account. Or a referral. You identify clients who only use basic services and cross-sell insurance, money market funds, treasury products, investment options. You start looking at share of wallet —how much of their financial life do we actually hold?
That’s growth.
Manage your portfolio. Objectives of portfolio management
And if you think this only applies to investment portfolios, think again. There are different types of portfolio management—and the kind we’re talking about here is business portfolio management: overseeing and growing a set of customer accounts, outlets, branches, or product lines. Regardless of the type, the objectives of portfolio management remain the same:
- Maximize returns from the resources entrusted to you
- Identify and reduce risk before it escalates
- Align performance with organizational goals
- Improve long-term value for all stakeholders
Case 2: The Network Manager who saw 17 opportunities
Now, let’s talk about the role of the Network Manager.
“I oversee 17 petrol stations. My job is to manage operations which includes how they are managing any debt we have extended to them and stock taking. It is very involving and I see why my employer needs this “managing” role.” Good luck with that.
You’ve got 17 stations under you. That’s 17 opportunities. 17 territories. 17 channels through which value either flows—or leaks. You might be tempted to think your role is to make sure none of the pumps break down, ensure the branding is up to date, and maybe that there’s enough fuel in the underground tanks. That’s part of it, sure—but it’s the bare minimum. It’s housekeeping. And housekeeping doesn’t win wars.
You see, your KPI on paper is probably “ensure smooth operations.” So, you attend your monthly check-ins, compile fuel sales data, log service complaints, and respond to dealer issues.
That’s managing.
That word—manage—is a trap. It lulls you into thinking your role is to babysit. Keep things running. Don’t rock the boat. But let me tell you this: stagnation is the first step to decline.
Grow, don’t just manage, your portfolio
Whether or not your job description explicitly says grow it, that is exactly what’s expected of you. And if you don’t, your chicken will very quickly come home to roost. So, “manage” your portfolio
A Network Manager who gets it knows that every service station is a business in its own right. They look at volume growth per station. They ask: “Why is Station 3 consistently underperforming? Is it a location issue—or is the dealer asleep at the wheel?” They challenge assumptions. They roll up their sleeves and work with the station team to understand footfall, nearby competition, and customer experience. Further, they see opportunities to upsell lubricants, to cross-promote with tyre centres, to introduce loyalty programs, to increase shop uptake. They don’t just manage the network—they grow it.
Manage your portfolio. The power of strategic thinking
“To increase footfall, I negotiated with a large and busy matatu sacco to be using our station as a rest stop for their long-distance passengers. The station was strategically placed for this. I knew the Sacco wouldn’t fuel at our station – they have their depot- but I knew they did not have facilities their passengers needed. Like clean and equipped washroom, safety and security, ample parking, a well-stocked shop and an eatery with snacks and ready to eat meals. The result? Sales skyrocketed.”
Look at data differently: Don’t just report it. Interpret it.
Be like the hen—don’t just sit. Nurture.
See, a hen doesn’t just sit on her eggs. She warms them. She protects them from the elements. And she turns them, nudges them, keeps them safe until they hatch.
That’s the kind of care that leads to new life. That’s growth.
You, on the other hand, if you’re just sitting there waiting for instructions, or for magic to happen while you “manage” what you’ve been given—yours won’t hatch. They’ll rot. And the smell? You’ll smell it first. So will your boss. Then your customers. You don’t want that. Trust me.
You’ll be the Biblical parable equivalent of the servant that buried his one talent and blamed his employer for not multiplying it, yet his colleagues did. It didn’t end well for him, and it won’t you.
Your job is not to manage—it’s to multiply
If you’re in charge of a portfolio, and especially if no one has told you to grow it—that’s exactly why you should. Because eventually, someone will ask, “What have you done with what we gave you?” And you want to have a better answer than “I managed it.”
Happy Easter.
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