Troubling trend in work places

Can anyone take the blame for a hazard/social upheaval/a pandemic? 

Increasingly, there is a cry that seems to be permeating the workspaces around the region. It sounds like this: 

• No one is returning my calls!

This is the lament of product/service providers who serve other businesses and on occasion government entities, both core and quasi. Here are some of the comments being experienced by those who offer products/services. 

• Send me a proposal that I can review and get back to you.
• Why don't you WhatsApp me what the requirements are, I'm in a meeting. 
• I thought that I had paid for that already. 
• You were supposed to send me this information weeks ago. [When the proof is provided that the info has been sent, they vanish]. 
• Is there anything you can do about the costs of the assignment? 
• I'm travelling soon.

The thing is budgets are usually in place and available, just not getting the clearance to execute the projects. There seems to be a fear since the pandemic and the uncertainty created a crippling environment. 

There are many who wish to contribute, only to be met with comments like this: 

• Your rates are like that of an overseas consultant. [Wow!!!] Consultants work all over. It shouldn't matter that you may have worked with them before, in another life, and they continued to develop themselves whereas you may not have done so at the same rate. 
• There's also a developing trend where people try to read and spell for you. Here's what I mean; since they see you representing your organization, they think that the invoice represents what you make and that you're going to keep all the funds. Your team has been hired to work in the background, and you have to access information [which is expensive for current reports/ documents]. They think that you're making more than they are and create obstacles. 

There seems to be an atmosphere of busyness. Where workdays are extended due to online meetings. Most seem to be unprepared for meetings and there is a lack of agendas to keep on target. Life has become ad-hoc for many and it's creeping into the workplaces. 

Some are hiding behind the guise of working remotely and productivity is quite low. 

We are surrounded by more information, but it seems to be more of a distraction than actually useful. Our social skills and graces are becoming lost within the world of technology. Basic manners are basically becoming extinct. 

Organizations are going to need to clearly redefine what they expect of their cultures internally and engage in training to realize these objectives. All entities are going to need to examine the value they offer both internally and externally and implement programs that ensure their entire teams reflect these ideals. 

1. So can the problems we are experiencing be solved? Yes! 
2. Will those who are responsible be willing to solve them? If they want to succeed there's no other option. 
3. When will they need to address these anomalies? The sooner the better for all involved.
4. What can be done to address this on the part of the various organizations? There are a number of entities offering technical assistance. 

The environment within which we do business has gone global and therefore we are not subject only to the impact of our immediate environment. We, therefore, need to be prepared and roll out enhanced versions of ourselves at personal and organizational levels. When we do this, we will be well on the way to eliminating the troubling trend in the workplace. 

The private/professional connection

 

In life, we see people living and working daily almost with the expectation that they can comfortably compartmentalize their lives. It seems like almost an expectation of the employer and fellow employees. Yet, on close examination, is it really realistic?

Do we take the opportunity to learn/understand what may be happening with the lives of people? They have fears, concerns, uncertainties, and challenges beyond measure that come in various forms. Many of these situations may be high with emotional content, yet the individuals are expected to conceal/downplay their personalities in order to be considered amenable by those around them. 

How can we create/is there a way to create an environment that caters to both the workers and the customers being served; where they are allowed to be human and yet cope within a professional environment?

So where does private stop and where does professional begin? There have been talks about drawing imaginary halfway lines between home and work. It doesn't work all the time. What can we do realistically that won't trivialize the entire process? 

Do you realize that privacy pertains to your profession life as much as it pertains to your personal life? Are you confidential? 

When I was growing up, there was an older person who used to call me "Secret Order", reason being they realized that I was the type of individual that I would not repeat everything I saw nor heard, especially if I wasn't told to relay a message. If I learned aspects of someone's business, it remained just that, their business. 

To this day, people seem to feel inclined to share elements of their lives they are never shared elsewhere. They never seem to think I would tell another, because I don't share experiences of others with them. Sure you would edify someone, but seldom if ever discuss anything negative. It does no one any good. 

Nowadays, it seems that with a mobile phone that has cameras and recording software has generated a movement of un-certified news hounds. People who seem willing to share for no reason other than to gossip. The information conveyed is seldom to help everyone improve, and often can seem damaging; adding stressors to already volatile situations. 

In certain work roles, you would have to manage information that people entrust to your care. It may be your role to handle that kind of information. Be careful and be CONFIDENTIAL. Do not share your work information at home and do not share your home information at work. You are an individual with many components, treat yourselves as such. As I would say while growing up, "Be a Samsonite not a cheap valise that scatters ones contents out in public". 

This is not to say I've been perfect, none of us are. We all make mistakes. As we grow from school to the world of work, we learn the differences about privacy along the way, and hopefully how to apply it in a professional setting. 

We generally tend to think of the best responses to what we should have done, after we have already taken action. Let's use the power of the pause, since it can save a lot of misunderstanding and mishaps. 

When we have moments to reflect on elements of our lives in its completeness, what would we remember? How do we think we will be remembered? Would we be able to say we are satisfied or would we have regrets? Let's look at our private/professional connections and see if we are making a positive difference in the lives of those around us. 

Take stock and revamp

When you're doing business for any length of time, it's easy for some things to fall through cracks. What do I mean?

• You deviate from your planned/established procedures
• Damaging behaviours creep in, especially when taken for granted that it's a one off experience 
• Your systems are not really systems, only an ad hoc set of behaviours clumped together 

What do you do?

• You will feel overwhelmed
• You will experience the frustration of not truly making progress 
• Stress levels will increase in all facets of your life - you get the picture 

STOP AND TAKE STOCK

• Examine what you're doing and the results you're getting 
• Identify where changes need to be made; get help if you need to
• Make the changes, and then evaluate to see if they're working 

Here's what you'll find

• You may become more organized achieving more in less time
• Your stress levels will decline
• You will feel more in control of what you're doing and what you wish to achieve 
• Ever so slight, you'll start to experience some successes 
• Stopping and taking stock often enough will even result in your becoming a bigger success than you've ever been

Don't take my word for it. Try it for yourselves. You owe it to yourselves, your family, and your business; whatever it may be. Begin to take steps today to improve the quality of your living. 

Organizations with notable contributions to Small Business

In my years of business development, I have come across a number of entities that have given assistance to the development of SMEs over the years. However, I have found that they are some that stand out more than others not only for their assistance, but for their consistency of effort.

In this instance, I will focus on those that are located within the island of Barbados. I would hope that they will take note of this post and endeavor to continue to great work that they have done over the years. To explain the services of each one would result in a post that would probably bore the reader. Therefore, if you have any knowledge of their services or industries that they operate within you will know that they are exemplary in their offerings:

Telecommunications

• LIME - for all their services and packages

 Banking and Finance

• Scotiabank
• First Citizens Bank
• City of Bridgetown Cooperative Credit Union

Technical Assistance and Mentoring

•  The Barbados Investment and Development Corporation [BIDC]
• Caribbean Export
• The Barbados Youth Business Trust 
• The Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme
• Science and Technology

There was a time that a lot of support came from

• The Barbados Coalition of Service Industries [BCSI] 
• Republic Bank 
• CIBC First Caribbean International Bank

Conference and meeting facilities

• The Hilton Barbados
• The Barbados Yacht Club
• The Courtyard by Marriott
• The Accra Beach Hotel 
• The Coffee Bean [more for meetings] 

 Power

• The Barbados Light and Power 

Water

• The Barbados Water Authority 

Permissions

• The Town and Country Planning Office 

Ongoing Education

• The Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic [SJPP]
• The Barbados Community College [BCC] 
• Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity [BIMAP] 
• The University of the West Indies [UWI] 

Incentive creation and positive functional taxation policies that facilitate economic growth

• The Government of Barbados with their Bright, Lucrative, Policies 

We want to take this opportunity to say thank you for your various contributions to SME development within Barbados.You will note that mentioning SMEs does not mean entrepreneurs, but small businesses that drive the tangible sustainability of the economy. Thank you for your outstanding efforts.

Overrating the Entrepreneur

There's a trend - Governments in order to boost their employment figures are turning to the entrepreneur and implementing programs that overlap that lead to an often dead end road where the entrepreneur can't get what they truly need to get their business off the ground at the end of their education - MONEY.

The programs being touted in the media about entrepreneurialism seem to suggest that everyone has what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Yes there are some great ideas out there in the minds of those that would be great if they can ever get off the ground. These individuals have neither the experience, the connections, nor the financial backing to realize their "dreams".

It is therefore against, this backdrop that this post is being put so here are some things that you need as a prospective entrepreneur to consider:

1. You need to research your business well. Having just an idea without knowing at least how phase one will work isn't enough. Business is not an arena that you can "fly by the seat of your pants". You need to know your business inside out. You have to provide the information necessary to enable your team to make sound decisions. If you need to get aspects researched, then pay to do it. You'll save yourselves lots of time by finding out what you need to know.
2. Your professional team is necessary as they have more experience than you do. You won't go to the doctor and ask for the syringe to administer your medication that you should have no access to, don't expect that your professional team is going to hand over the tools of their trade for you to botch it up - and then blame them. Also while helping you to understand the guidelines of their expertise, they will not train you in their area of professionalism. 
3. FUNDS - Have funds to start your business or GO HOME. Trying to start a business on the back of others using their assets is just not going to cut it. You need to understand that others are not going to have the need in place more investment in your business than you are. Pay your professionals and other service providers well and STOP LOOKING FOR HANDOUTS! We have to pay to access the information that we then provide you with to make important decisions. 
4. Too many "entrepreneurs" want to behave as if they are the bosses of their professional team members. Respect the personal time of your professional team members. Calling them incessantly after hours and on weekends even when paying fees can create a challenge. All professionals need down time to adequately prepare for the next work wave so they can be on top of their game. This is necessary when we ask nicely. 
5. Follow the advice that you're given - sitting in meetings taking up time and then not following through on the outcomes from that meeting, only to turn up again with incomplete tasks is tantamount to Bovine Faeces - wasting time and energy of all involved. 

Following these five (5) suggestions will go a long way in helping you build a strong and profitable business and in this instance is given freely. If you are lacking in these areas and are thinking about entrepreneurship there are agencies to help you get prepared in the areas you are lacking the resources. Go there first! 

Many professionals discuss these areas among themselves, it's time that you also know so that you can adjust your "business practices". Don't become another statistic just because they're overrating the entrepreneur as an employment solution.