Make efficiency A WAY OF LIFE
WITH THE notion of making efficiency a way of life for Jamaicans, at the back of their minds, the principals of a local organisation is hoping to kick-start this in the schools.
They are adding a productivity club to the list of options that students can choose from as they engage in extra-curricular activities.
The Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC) in downtown Kingston conceptualised the club, which is expected to be launched at the Immaculate Conception High School in St Andrew at the end of this month.
Metry Seaga, chairman of the JPC and president of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Associatio (JMA) in an interview with The Gleaner noted that leaders and citizens on a whole have made simple mistakes that have stifled productivity over the years. As such, he said it is critical that a culture is cultivated to make efficiency a way of life.
“Productivity needs to be a part of the culture. We figured the best place to start was in the schools and that’s what productivity clubs are about — making it a part of the curriculum and making it a part of their lives so that they will not only be productive in schools, but they will be productive in their homes and in the workplace,” he said.
ATTITUDE
“There are some things that we have to get right, for example, this attitude where we believe that it’s Monday, so a lot of people not going to come to work; or it’s raining, so a lot people not going to come to work. Whereas those same persons when they go to New York (United States) and it’s 12 inches of snow, dem wrap up tight because dem know dem wi lose dem work. We make every excuse to take holidays, too. Those don’t bode well for productivity and young people have to understand that those things are not OK,” he said
Evon Benjamin, communications manager at the organisation also noted that discussions to kick start the club in schools have been fruitful.
“We are still in discussion and we are looking to launch by the end of February when we will have the first meeting. It will not be Kingston alone because it’s really a cultural change that is needed. We don’t want it to be a situation where it’s only the children coming up, but we have to get it in the politicians’ head, business people, making them aware that productivity is a mindset change in making use of the hours during the day,” he continued.
The JMA boss said that he is of the strong belief that Jamaican workers are the best anywhere in the world. He pointed out however that the Government of Jamaica has to make it their priority to properly compensate, motivate, and manage workers.
“Jamaicans go overseas and they become the finest workers of anybody.
They are standout and the reason for that is hope—hope in the economy that they are able to get a job, they are able to buy a car, a home. That hope comes when you have an economy that’s big enough, and we (Jamaica) are getting there.”
We make every excuse to take holidays, too. Those don’t bode well for productivity and young people have to understand that those things are not OK