DO IT RIGHT – MAKE IT HAPPEN
DO IT RIGHT – MAKE IT HAPPEN – BASIL SPRINGER COLUMN TO APPEAR IN THE BARBADOS ADVOCATE’S BUSINESS MONDAY ON JULY 5, 2010
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“I will mention the loving kindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses” – Isaiah 63:7
Last week was an action packed but gratifying week. Even though I had a heavy schedule in Barbados I journeyed to St. Kitts to attend a management consulting business symposium sponsored by the Caribbean Institute of Certified Management Consultants (CICMC) and the Caribbean Export Development Agency, supported by funding from the European Commission.
Having served as a board member in the fledgling years of the development of CICMC, I thought it was important for me to attend on the occasion of the second Annual General Meeting: (1) to network with members of the profession throughout the region, a profession with which I have been associated for the last 33 years, in earnest, but more like 42 years in practice; and (2) to share thoughts by participating in a panel discussion on how to stimulate the development and implementation of a strategy for the financial sustainability of CICMC through the CBET Shepherding Modelâ„¢ and the Reverse Donor Country Model, both of which I have been espousing at least over the last 10 years.
Both these models are geared to stimulate economic growth and are dependent for their success on access to a proficient management consulting fraternity. The Mission of CICMC is to be “To be a professional organization that aggressively mobilizes its members and enhances their ability to serve clients according to global standards of excellence and ethics”. Hence, it is appropriate that there be a symbiotic relationship between the Models and the sustainability of CICMC.
At the meeting it was announced by Dr. Brian Ing, Immediate Past (2007-2009) Chairman of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI), that CICMC had minutes ago beenawarded Full Member status of ICMCI. CICMC has now joined the ranks of the other 46 National Institutes which administer, in accordance with world class standards, the International Certified Management Consultant (CMC) certification. Dennis Strong, outgoing CICMC President, must be congratulated on the selfless effort, with the help of Caribbean Export, to lead the fledgling CICMC to this exalted ICMCI status in record time. The new President Brenda Pope has a sound foundation on which to build CICMC. Prospective members of CICMC are invited to visit our website www.caribbeancmc.com and read our “Insights” newsletter. I am sure that the stimulation that is garnered from this exercise will result in you wanting to join a quickly growing CICMC.
The networking experience was good and augured well for synergistic development for management consultants throughout the Caribbean.
Even though a private jet would have significantly reduced the two extra days of travel to attend a two-day meeting, the efficient internet connectivity allowed me to keep abreast virtually with the work I left behind and indeed conduct a couple of scheduled meetings via Skype. A group of us has already agreed to follow up on the St. Kitts meeting to stimulate the development and implementation of a strategy for the financial sustainability of CICMC through the CBET Shepherding Modelâ„¢ and the Reverse Donor Country Model.
On returning to Barbados I was immediately thrust into two awesome interventions. The first was a meeting with Dr. Tim Thorogood, born in Barbados, but who is now Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands Government. His immediate recognition of the power of the CBET Shepherding Modelâ„¢ was extremely satisfying for me.
The second was a presentation and discussion to regional participants at a Trade, Innovation Policy and Small States Professional Training Programme organised by Dr. Keith Nurse of theShridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. I was asked to present the CBET Shepherding Modelâ„¢ and was blessed with much more time than I was scheduled and was therefore able to share comprehensively the details of the design and results to date. The feedback was phenomenal and I would not be surprised if there is significant follow up in an effort to spread the model into other nodes in the Caribbean and possibly beyond.
The Information Society of Barbados (ISB) honoured Dr. DeLisle Worrell, Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, at a dinner at the Hilton last Friday night which was well attended by a wide cross section of the business community. Dr. Worrell, Trevor Clarke, Mickey Armstrong and I were founder members of the ISB in 1992. He went on to become its Second President. I remember those early days when we were trying to create a Society to greet the advent of the ICT revolution, the Information Age. James Corbin is the ISB’s current President and he presented an attractive programme of events towards the vision of Barbados becoming a global ITC Centre of Excellence.
The week ended with the historic installation ceremony of Mrs. Katrina Sam-Prescod as the 25th President of the Rotary Club of Barbados South and the first female president of a Rotary Club in Barbados.
Indeed a week of God’s gracious dealings and generous bounties which need to be praised. Compassion lavished, love extravagant!
(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is Change-Engine Consultant, Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust Inc. – CBET – Columns are archived at www.cbetmodel.org)