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Competitiveness

PRODUCTIVITY FROM A TEENAGE PERSPECTIVE

By Competitiveness, Productivity, Self Improvement, Tips, Youth

Homework To Do Lists Can Help Teenagers Become More Productive StudentsDuring the month of April 2015, the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) had the opportunity to be one of the host agencies participating in a job placement exercise facilitated through two local Secondary Schools. For two consecutive weeks, the Technical Secretariat attached to the NCPC played host to 15 year old students Showanna St. Louis of the Entrepot Secondary School and subsequently Tamara Plante of the St Joseph’ Covent. During their placement, the young ladies learnt about the operations of the Council, its mandate and goals. The students both exhibited a great eagerness to learn and were able to grasp the concepts taught to them fairly quickly. They were both able to enlighten the technical team with thought provoking synopsises of the challenges and critical issues affecting their peers and persons within their age demographic as well as providing viable options to address these issues.  The students were each challenged to write a feature from a teenager’s perspective to target other teenagers advising on the steps to be taken to becoming a productive young person within society. They both did incredibly well!
Here are excerpts from their responses. (Please advise all teenagers that you know to read the piece too.)
Showanna St. Louis, 15. Entrepot Secondary School.
‘Teenagers have a lot of free time and they spend mostly all of it on social media whilst they could spend it more productively by getting some work done. Here are a few tips on how teenagers can become more productive students and achieve better academically.

  • Select a comfortable working space

 No one should study where the television volume is up too high or where loud music is being played. These are both big distractions.  Having a comfortable working space with no distractions can create a favorable working zone for teenagers.

  • Study Timetables

 Create study timetables to help manage your time. Being able to follow a study timetable is very important. Many people have study timetables but tend to ignore them. Pin up the study timetable in your room or on the door of your room where you can see it and won’t forget about it.

  • Time Management

 Time management is another important thing when it comes to studying. Being able to manage your time is very important. If you are going to study two or three subjects a day, spend at least half an hour on each subject with a five minute break after each one which can be used to get some water, grab a quick snack or go to the washroom.
 

  • No Social Media

Instead of spending hours on social media, talking to your friends, use that time to go on the internet and do some research on things you didn’t understand in class. Who knows that very same thing might come up in the end of term exam.

  • Get Enough Sleep

 Sleep is one of the most important things when it comes to studying. The body should get up to eight hours of sleep every day. Sleeping also helps relax the brain and the brain needs rest.’

Tamara Plante, 15. St Joseph’s Covent, added:

  • Create a study list every day and a study schedule. A study list will help you approach your studies in an orderly way and help get things done faster and easier and keep you focused.

 

  • Keep a book on-hand or any writing material .This way you are able to write down any ideas that come to mind; this will prevent you from wasting time trying to remember things later

 

  • Most importantly PUT THE PHONE AWAY .This is the main issue that prevents us teens from studying. Technology can have good and bad effects let’s use it to our advantage.

 

  • Create a dedicated study time. Make it a routine; routines can help us form lasting habits. This will help you get into a rhythm and be more productive in your studies.

 

  • Leave multitasking behind. I know it’s tempting to watch the latest ‘Empire’ episode while you’re doing your homework, trust me I know, but in order to do your best it is better to concentrate on one task .Your brain can only concentrate on one thing at a time so while you think you need music to study you are only listening to the music or you are only studying and the music doesn’t matter.

 

  • Do your biggest and hardest assignment first. It’s better to do your biggest tasks first whilst your brain is fresh and you are full of energy. When you complete your first task you feel that burst of accomplishment which will boost your motivation and you will breeze through the smaller tasks.

 
Productivity, I believe starts in the root of the home. There are many little things that we can do to help our parents or siblings when we have time at home.  When you arrive home from school or lessons, give your parents a helping hand. You may find chores difficult or tedious, but our parents work just as hard as we do, just for us to eat and get a proper education, so we need to help them out as much as we can.  Simple things can make a big difference.’

April 30, 2015
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SAINT LUCIA POSTAL SERVICE ATTAINS GOLD AWARD FOR EXPRESS MAIL DELIVERY

By Competitiveness, Productivity, Trade

express mail serviceSaint Lucia Postal Service was recently announced as one of eight countries out of 192 member countries of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) – an intergovernmental organization and the main forum for the cooperation between governments, posts and other stakeholders of the worldwide sector – to receive an award for Express Mail Service (EMS) delivery for 2014.
Each year, countries are recognized by UPU for excellent performance, with 3 levels of performance awards: Gold, Silver and Bronze. To receive such an award member countries must meet the performance standards and prerequisites set by UPU, all aimed at providing customers worldwide with a high quality and competitive express mail service. The performance standards are independently monitored and compiled by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
On 9 April 2015, Saint Lucia Postal Service was the proud recipient of the much sought after Gold award and is ranked number one out of 192 countries for its performance in the handling and delivery of EMS items for 2014.
Saint Lucia has been awarded in the past, the latest being a silver award for 2013 – the sole award for a Caribbean country that year. However this award is particularly meritorious and gratifying as it is the first ever Gold award received by Saint Lucia Postal Service. Even more remarkable is the fact that Saint Lucia is again the only Caribbean territory to receive an award in 2014 and is also ranked number one in the world for the aforementioned period.
Five other Gold awards were given to the following countries Hungary, Hong Kong China, Azerbaijan and Singapore, Silver to Moldova and Norway, and Bronze to Israel.
Achieving this milestone is commendable as the management and staff work assiduously to sustain the future of the postal service amidst rapid falling letter mail volumes. Efforts are geared at innovation, which include the recently launched online shopping service and the soon to be launched postcode development to assist in a more efficient mail delivery.
Management thanks the staff for their exceptional diligence and illustrious performance, and in addition, congratulates the team on the attainment of this august award.

April 20, 2015
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Competitive Entrepreneurs

By Competitiveness, Self Improvement, Tips

In a world of increasing global competition, many businesses are progressively working towards increasing their levels of competitiveness. Competitive business enterprises are those firms that manage all of its resources and competencies to increase profits. It is therefore important to learn important lessons from other businesses that have successfully increased their level of competitiveness in both the regional and international markets. These lessons can be tweaked to suit the conditions of other up and coming entrepreneurs or businesses in the local economy.
Entrepreneurs usually start out with a brilliant idea, product or culture that they hope to be different and stand out among the many. While it is important to take small steps at a time and to focus on the job at hand, they can envision their venture becoming one of the greatest ones that has the potential to become highly successful.
Unfortunately, it does not always turn out this way. Even a brilliant idea may not materialise the way intended. Even viral successful businesses or entrepreneurs have fizzled out in time. For example Henry Ford, ruined his reputation with a couple of failed automobile businesses. However, he was able to find a partner who had faith in him. Ford learnt from his mistakes and went on to establish the Ford Motor Company that went on to change the automobile industry.
The truth is markets can be brutally competitive. Therefore, entrepreneurs need to ask the question: What distinguishes the few entrepreneurs that make it over the long haul from the thousands that don’t? There are some actions that entrepreneurs can take early to set the stage for successful competitive businesses in the future. The following are some fundamental principles for competitive businesses:
Be passionate and make sure you enjoy what you are doing. The most successful entrepreneurs love working on their ventures; they cannot imagine themselves doing anything else. These are the type of people who respond to emails from their clients at all hours of the night and cannot help pitch their company to every single guest at a party. Inspiration creates a drive to take the business seriously and to keep focused when there are moments of doubt, especially when they come from you or others.
A closed mind is a death sentence for your business. When entrepreneurs have poured their energy, life savings and untold hours in the business- it is hard to stay open-minded about where it needs to go to be better.  Entrepreneurs usually start with an idea and thematically it is correct and makes sense, but there may be flaws in some way. Therefore, adjustments must be made to the business model. Entrepreneurship is a discovery process, not one of failure so mistakes are to be expected.
Focus on the customer. The business should be all about your customers or clients. The customers are the people that will ultimately decide whether the business will be successful or not. All aspects of the business must be customer focused, including policies, warranties, payment options, operating hours, presentations, advertising, promotional campaign and website. In addition, the customer must be known inside out. Consider Zappos one of the world’s largest online clothing and shoe stores founded by entrepreneur- Nick Swinmurn. The company uses call centre technology to track average call time per agent. However, the goal is not to reduce this average, but more importantly to create an emotional connection with the customer, rather than quickly getting off the phone.
Hire people who are smarter than you.  There will always be people who are smarter than you. If you are lucky enough to find these people, hire them. Focus on the things that you are best at, and give them the freedom to do the same.
Entrepreneurship is considered an important activity in increasing a country’s competitiveness and growth. New and unique business ventures have become important to many countries because they contribute significantly to job creation. More importantly, entrepreneurs play a key role in creating value in a unique way through creative business ideas and innovation in the market. Entrepreneurship contributes to competitiveness by introducing innovation, bringing about market changes, enhancing rivalry and creating competition.
The National Competitiveness & Productivity Council (NCPC) was established to recommend and coordinate reforms that would boost Saint Lucia’s level of competitiveness. The NCPC has provided recommendations to the Government on ways to increase entrepreneurial activity. Additionally, the Council is looking forward to coordinating a few reforms and projects to boost or support entrepreneurial activity in the local economy in the near future.Be A Competitive Entrepreneur

March 24, 2015
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Do Mobile ‘Apps’ Hinder your Productivity?

By Competitiveness, Productivity, Tips

Are you an app junkie? Does your tablet or smartphone harbour an endless stream of apps that you hardly use? Or do you use them so often that you hardly have time for anything else? In recent times, many individuals have been using apps to help in the completion of tasks and activities on their mobile phones.
Question: Are those apps that you have placed on your mobile slowing you down or improving your productivity? 
In this fast pace and evolving business environment people are striving to be more productive. As a result, many tech developers have designed an abundance of apps to aid users in getting more tasks done on their mobile devices.  However, many of these applications are not self-sufficient. In other words, the user may only get a task completed when one app is used in unison with one or many others.
Did Productivity Apps Aid in Raising Your Productivity Levels In 2014
In his article, ‘The biggest productivity killer is that there’s an app for that … and that … and that, too’ on Quartz.com, Ryan Kalember, an enterprise mobility expert states,
‘There are thousands of solutions on the market today, but a glance at the “productivity” category of your favourite app store reveals a sea of options with limited functionality, requiring users to cobble together various apps to get the simplest things accomplished.’
He goes on, ‘Think about a task as simple as marking up a spreadsheet with your feedback on your iPad. You first need to get the file onto your device, either via a file sync and share app or by emailing it to yourself. Then you need to find an app with annotation capability in the app store and buy or download it. From there, you need to open the file in your new app, which may provide an unpleasant surprise: most apps will not allow you to annotate a spreadsheet, unless you convert it to a PDF file, which of course, you can only do on your PC or Mac. Once you sort that part out, you create a new, annotated version of that file and finally figure out how to get it back into your file sync and share app (since your device’s email client doesn’t support attaching a file) in order to share your notes with your colleagues. That seemingly simple task required three different apps, created three versions of the file and involved an eight-step process. While they may work for some people, these machinations can kill the productivity benefits of mobile devices, and the new mobile workforce will need to avoid this type of app overkill in order to thrive.’
Unlike apps, applications on the other hand come with a wide range of features that help workers do their job as accurately and efficiently as they would on a normal PC.  Kalember suggests that it is time for the mobile workforce to demand from software designers, fully functioning applications for their devices.
‘When an employee creates, calculates and writes an earnings report, for example, she uses a suite of applications. That suite generally includes text, spreadsheet, and graphics functionality, as well as the capability to render, annotate and edit different document types. Until recently, all of these actions more or less had to take place at the desktop; mobile devices could only mimic this functionality by combining scores of apps to handle each individual task—one to create, one to annotate and so on. Savvy mobile workers see this as a productivity killer, and they’re right.”
He recommends that the mobile enterprise should demand comprehensive applications that can focus workflows in more consolidated streams.
There is evidence that some vendors are demanding similar integrations and services to be available on one common platform. An example of this being Skype’s recent integration with Outlook. However, today’s device driven workforce wants and needs more. The number of tools needed to complete a task on a device can hamper productivity. Therefore, improvement is needed if smartphones and tablets are to be as productive to the average office worker as a personal computer.

February 10, 2015
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Performance Based Incentive Plans- A Means of Boosting Productivity within Your Organisation

By Competitiveness, Productivity, Self Improvement, Tips, Trade

Could Incentive Plans Be The Way Forward For A More Productive St. LuciaToday’s competitive business environment has led to a greater emphasis on organisation and worker productivity. Attaining a higher level of productivity is considered to be key in achieving a thriving business, as resources are used more efficiently in the business work process to create more value for the firm. It is commonly viewed that organisational productivity is fairly low due to the ‘production process’ but it is also important to note the role of employees in boosting productivity. Organisations are increasingly investing in the development and implementation of performance based actions which contribute to the achievement of organisational goals.
Performance based incentives link individual and corporate achievement of predetermined outcomes with remuneration. In other words, pay is allocated on the basis of the individual performance and business results rather than paying for the job or length of service.
Many businesses which have implemented performance-based incentive programmes have realised the benefits. They have found that an incentive program that rewards improved business results translates into increased productivity, higher profitability and a more motivated staff or employees.
An article in the Harvard Business Review of March-April 2000, called ‘Leadership That Gets Results,’ reports that ‘of six leadership styles studied, the use of rewards was the single highest predictor of ‘organizational climate’ and in turn had a direct correlation with financial results’.
In his article, ‘The Reward That Makes Employees Work Harder’ on The Business News Daily website, Chad Brooks adds, ‘A study by workforce solutions firm Kelly Services found that 40 percent of employees feel they would be more productive if they had their earnings linked to certain performance or productivity goal. Currently, nearly a third of the companies surveyed use a performance-based pay system with their employees. Performance-based pay involves any arrangement where an element of the total salary is tied to meeting performance targets, including profit-sharing, performance bonuses and sales commissions’.
However, before an organisation can develop a successful performance-based incentive program, there must be a clear vision. Without such direction, it is difficult to identify the types of performance that should be rewarded. Therefore, organisations must create a clear vision and identify the steps required to achieve it. This is important as, a clear corporate vision is the foundation on which all effective performance based incentive systems are based.
The corporate vision has to represent a high-level understanding within the organisation of where it would like to be in the short, medium and long term. After defining the vision, subsequently the elements of an effective performance-based plan can be identified. Without a clearly stated vision, even the best designed programme will drift aimlessly. It is also important to bear in mind that although incentive programs can encourage employees to perform at high levels of productivity, employers should always analyze the merits of the program prior to implementation. They must determine the optimal incentive plan that is in the best interest of the business and that will help improve performance and promote ethical behaviour.

February 10, 2015
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Commercial Court’s Impact on Saint Lucia’s Competitiveness

By Competitiveness, Trade

The establishment of an efficient and effective Commercial Court will mark an important step in enhancing the business climate and thus competitiveness of Saint Lucia. In the 2013/2014 Budget Address, the Honourable Prime Minister endorsed the establishment of a Commercial Division of the Court with the subsequent hiring of a resident judge to hear commercial disputes.  As such, the Government of Saint Lucia has partnered with the Compete Caribbean Program in the design and establishment of a Commercial Division of the Court.
The World Economic Forum Define Competitiveness as 'the set of institutions, policies and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country'.This is an ongoing project spearheaded by the National Competitiveness & Productivity Council Technical Secretariat and the Ministry of Legal Affairs. The overall objective of this project is to reduce the burden on the court system and to enhance the business environment as it relates to the enforcement of commercial contracts. Therefore, the Commercial Court will be established to provide an efficient and cost effective mechanism to rule on commercial matters in Saint Lucia.
During her address at the opening of law year in 2013, Chief Justice, Dame Janice Pereira stated “….The reality is that economic and social development depends on an effective legal system, which is just as pivotal to a country’s growth and development as any financial institution.”  The Chief Justice has understood the advantages that a Commercial Court has provided for the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The BVI has been cited for having an internationally well known Commercial Court. The Chief justice further indicated that there is a link between economic well being and the justice system.
The Government of Saint Lucia has therefore identified the establishment of a Commercial Division of the Court as a high priority reform as it is likely to impact on Saint Lucia’s overall development.  The driving force behind the creation of the Court is to facilitate the resolution of business disputes in a quick and effective manner that ensures economic growth. The Commercial Court is expected to deliver an expeditious and cost effective mode of resolving disputes that directly affect the commercial and financial sector in Saint Lucia.
The establishment of this mechanism will increase Saint Lucia’s competitiveness in the regional and international market. The World Economic Forum defines competitiveness as “the set of institutions, policies and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country.” Therefore, the establishment of a set of institutions in a country to support businesses and help increase their productivity levels can increase the competitiveness of businesses and the country as a whole. Thus, the operations of a Commercial Court can impact the competitiveness of a country through the promotion of business and investment prospects. For example, officials at the Uganda Investment Authority state that the Commercial Court has assisted in marketing Uganda as an investment destination. Therefore, a commercial court contributes to a healthy investment climate which encourages investment into the country thus leading to economic growth.
A healthy investment climate is essential in increasing investor confidence as well as business opportunities into a country. While it may seem that the business and legal sectors are two different entities, a weak commercial justice system cripples investors’ willingness to bestow funds into a country. Furthermore, when there are difficulties in obtaining commercial justice, this dissuades business opportunities from coming into a country. Moreover, this ongoing economic slowdown accompanied by high financial uncertainty has reinforced the need to establish efficient processes for commercial dispute resolution and the recovery of losses.
Additionally, banks are less willing to lend to the private sector in the absence of an efficient legal system to settle commercial matters. This is the case as, there is no assurance of the ability to collect on debts or obtain property which was pledged as collateral to secure loans. This has the potential to limit the funding available for business expansion. This means that fewer businesses are able to expand and reach overseas markets and thus slows down trade and the competitiveness of businesses. This prevents increased private sector participation in the local economy as fewer businesses will be established as a result of the inability to access credit. This can hamper the economic development and competitiveness of a country.
The establishment of an efficient and cost effective Commercial Court and the associated commercial laws is expected to improve Saint Lucia’s performance on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Ranking. The Enforcement of Contracts indicator has been the worst performing indicator in the last five years. The establishment of a Court without bureaucratic procedures that resolves commercial matters in a fast and cost effective way will impact on this indicator. In Rwanda for example, the implementation of a Commercial Court in 2008 resulted in a decrease in case backlog and contributed to a reduction in time to solve commercial cases by nearly three months.
To conclude, in the absence of a Commercial Court small businesses struggle to survive, disputes are settled through unofficial means and in the worse scenario investors take their business elsewhere. The establishment of a Commercial Court will make it easier, faster and less expensive to conduct business in Saint Lucia. The Court and the associated commercial laws should improve the enforcement of commercial contracts making it more efficient. This will impact the competitiveness of businesses in Saint Lucia as there will be greater access to credit. This means that businesses are more likely to engage in new business ventures, new customers and borrowers which ultimately impacts on their level of competitiveness.

February 10, 2015
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Youth & Productivity – A marriage for Future Success

By Competitiveness, Productivity, Youth

We Must Inculcate A Mind-set Change Pertaining To Productivity Within Our YouthDuring the observance of Productivity Awareness Week October 13-18 2014, the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC), seeks to engage various sectors in discussions and interactive sessions towards ‘inculcating a mind-set change as it pertains to productivity growth in Saint Lucia.
However, it is questionable as to whether we can begin the conversation of engendering a shift in attitude towards productivity growth without addressing the role of the youth on this journey. In the quest to achieve the above stated objective, the NCPC embraces and recognizes the significance of Saint Lucia’s youth as being critical in these efforts. After all – they are the future!
Therefore, the question must be asked – How do we begin to change a culture whereby ensuring that future generations present a populace that is self-driven, motivated, success oriented and who are working and striving towards an economically viable and independent Saint Lucia? In relation, it must also be asked – Who has the responsibility to equip our young people in the effort to effect this much needed mind-set change?
The most reliable manual ever written – the Holy Bible pens it well: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will never depart from it”   Proverbs 22:6
Parents and guardians play an important role in the education and socialisation of the nation’s young.  Their involvement and example can help a child excel and instils in them the drive and desire for habitual success.
A well balanced and success driven child embraces challenges in school and learns how to employ proper time management techniques. Also, this child is results oriented and exercises the basic elements of success like prudence, diligence, commitment and perseverance to name a few.  Their commitment secures optimal results throughout their academic life and well into the world of work. Thus providing a competent and effective pool of future leaders and labour force.  With these attributes imbedded in the very core, the response to the call for a concerted effort at increasing or maintaining high productivity levels at the school and ultimately professional levels becomes almost obsolete.
As members of this nation, we must recognize our roles and responsibilities. We must ensure change by first recognizing the individual responsibility and the insurmountable contribution we can each make in changing the course of a future generation by making productivity an everyday conversation within our homes and schools; among our children and our young adults; by the examples we exhibit in our attitudes to our jobs, our environment and our everyday lives.
We must help create an environment which dispels the acceptance of mediocrity and enhances the eagerness to break boundaries in achieving optimum successes.
The NCPC challenges you to begin the conversation at home, at school and at play. Endorse the message of productivity; embracing the concept of using all your resources, your surroundings and applying the right attitude to achieve great success!   Remember, one person can make a difference. Will you be that person?

February 9, 2015
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