Over the years there have been calls from Ministers of Government, professional observers and business leaders for increased productivity in both the business community and the public sector. Once again we are being exhorted by the former governor of the Barbados Central Bank, Sir Courtney Blackman, to reorganize the business of government starting with the way the Cabinet conducts its business. This echoes the observation by Ms. Mia Mottley in the last budget debate that we have a government structure and a way of doing business that we can no longer afford. I agree with both of them.
I remember the Right Excellent Sir Frank Walcott, one of our national heroes, saying that productivity was a function of management and in large measure he was right on this. All too often when we see public examples of poor productivity we tend to blame those who are on the work site or at the service counter. We should look further.
A good cook knows that the easiest and quickest way to prepare a meal is to organize the utensils, work space and ingredients before turning on the stove. A clean organized kitchen allows one to produce meals quickly, efficiently and with a minimum of waste. I call this the choreography of work. We could use more of it outside of the kitchen.
The best worker in the world can only produce what the system or structure of work allows him or her to produce. It is here that we have to address our minds and develop systems of organization, material flow and supervisory inputs to ensure that work is done efficiently and right the first time. It is all about working smarter instead of working harder. In fact working smarter usually means reducing the workload while getting more done.
We spend far too little time in planning and follow up while leaving work crews in remote places to perform work without adequate tools, materials or supervision. At the same time we are burdened with a multiplicity of tasks without adequate prioritization. A constant review of the functions of government should focus on those things that are of vital importance to us and relegate the frivolous to the back burner or the dust bin.
All of this has been articulated before by many noteworthy individuals in our society. There is a urgent need for leaders in both the business community and government to grasp the nettle and develop new standards and structures of work to significantly improve our levels of productivity across the board. Many of us know what has to be done and much of that knowledge resides at the bottom of many organizations. However it is a time for leadership to articulate fresh and vigorous objectives and to put in place systems and structures that will achieve new goals.
This is not a one shot deal but rather an ongoing process that constantly seeks to question what we are doing and ask if we can we do it better. Such a process needs to be institutionalized. Effectively done, it will improve worker morale, enhance individual self worth and benefit the whole society. A national program to improve productivity is the true poverty alleviation program.
This calls for energetic and vigorous leadership with new thinking to create a dynamic environment that overcomes our seemingly perpetual implementation deficit disorder.
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