Stand up for signage
DURING A recent visit to a school in rural Jamaica, the Jamaica Productivity Centre team used technology to identify on the map the exact location of the school. However, the names of the minor roads were not listed, and so, we made a few wrong turns. But thankfully, we saw signage signalling which communities we were entering and leaving. As we headed deeper into the Cockpit Countr y, we noticed that the number of signs was lessening, and so, we got concerned, thinking we were lost.
The team pulled up at a roadside shop to query whether we were still on the right track, and indeed, we were, driving off with instructions from one resident who said, “Go straight, straight, straight!”. Needless to say, she was correct, except that when we got to the community in which the school is situated, we asked a bystander who instructed us to take a left turn in order to get to our destination.
It’s time that we stop ‘standing by’ and ‘stand up’ by helping our fellow citizens access proper navigation information and providing appropriate signage where necessary.
Therefore, we encourage business entities and other establishments to include their location information on navigation platforms such as Google Maps and Map Box. And, we encourage everyone else – students, teachers, professionals, executives, farmers, vendors, shoppers – to utilise these location services to better enable us to move around efficiently and effectively, thereby increasing our productivity.
The moral of this story is that simple things, such as signs, that we often take for granted, can make a big difference in saving time and improving personal and organisational productivity.
JAMAICANS ARE frequently accused of being undisciplined, but this is a very debatable proposition. However, what is less debatable is the idea that Jamaicans do not know time.
It almost seems to be an accepted part of our culture, and we joke often that If you want Jamaicans to be at an event at 9 a.m. you should tell them it starts at 8 a.m.
Another common claim is that if you ask one of our nationals to meet you somewhere at a specific time, the natural question is, “The right time or Jamaican time?” This suggests that the norm for a Jamaican is to be late.
Recently, a team from the Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC) visited the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), and upon arrival, was immediately impressed with the team of young cadets to whom we would speak about improving productivity. Some 150 students were smartly dressed in their uniforms, seated quietly in the classroom waiting to be addressed by their chief officer cadet.
During the presentation the cadets were asked, “If one of your friends from CMU asks you to meet them at 8 a.m., what time do they typically arrive?” There was a chorus when the students answered “6:45 a.m”. When asked the same question in reference to a friend who is not a cadet, they offered responses of “10:00 a.m.”, and even went as far as saying midday.
CULTURE OF RESPECT
Throughout the presentation, it became clear that the culture that the cadets were accustomed to was one of discipline, respect, superior quality and precision. They sat quietly and actively listened. At no point did students enter into ‘mini side conversations’ neither did they interrupt each other. When they challenged each others’ responses, it was respectful, and both parties were receptive to the opinion offered by the other. The JPC team congratulated them for having a positive attitude and asked them what characteristic they believed they possessed that made them different from the stereotyped/typical Jamaican. Responses included: a higher level of tolerance, high endurance for mental stress, and respect and value of time.
It was refreshing to see youth not only attuned to academics, but cultivating attitudes needed for the positive transformation of a society. Just observing these students made us wonder: What if their approach to work, the way they interacted, and their modus operandi were replicated throughout society? It was a hopeful thought.
‘Throughout the presentation, it became clear that the culture that the cadets were accustomed to was one of discipline, respect, superior quality, and precision. They sat quietly and actively listened. At no point did students enter into ‘mini side conversations’, and neither did they interrupt each other. When they challenged each others’ responses, it was respectful, and both parties were receptive to the opinion offered by the other.’