MANAGEMENT AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
MANAGEMENT AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT – BASIL SPRINGER COLUMN WHICH APPEARED IN THE BARBADOS ADVOCATE’S BUSINESS MONDAY ON FEBRUARY 15, 2016
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” – John 15:4
Last week I shared with readers some facts and some of my experiences with the service organization, Rotary International. I concluded “Let us open our awareness as to how we can volunteer to serve our communities, whether it is to formally align with a service club or not. Let us remember that Service above Self permits us to redress the holistic wealth divide which is predicated on unlocking the dormant human potential”.
The verbally volunteered responses I received as I, along with many others, “celebrated Trinidad carnival in Barbados” were extremely gratifying.
On the occasion of a visit to my old club, a relatively new Rotarian appreciated the bird’s eye view about what Rotary was all about. A senior Rotarian from a sister club commented that he was happy to be reminded of the comprehensive nature of Rotary’s tool kit.
Then there was an email response from one of the Assistant Governors (AG) for Trinidad and Tobago, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Central Port of Spain, the club of which I have the honour to be a member: “Usually our senses immediately gravitate to activities we ‘like’ or appreciate in our past and present state of mind and future dreams…that’s why I read this article in depth. I’ve decided to share this very enlightening information with the current AGs in Trinidad and north club presidents and secretaries. Keep them coming!”
Also, a non-Rotarian, Caribbean-born businessman of East Indian descent, resident in Canada, graciously responded by email: “A lovely article – wonderful messages as always. I don’t know if you been to Guyana and seen the Dharm Shala, a home for the poor (95 years’ old – it is the longest existing humanitarian charity in Guyana). My grandfather built it and always said that ‘the hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray’.”
My interpretation of this message is that there is no better way to serve God than to serve others less fortunate than ourselves and that this is true across religions.
The Daily Word, published by Unity, offers insight and inspiration to help people of all faiths live healthy, prosperous and meaningful lives. Unity School of Christianity has long taught that affirming statements of Truth allows one to grow into his or her divine potential. The Daily Word developed from this concept. Daily Word officially launched in 1924 and included daily messages of hope, spiritual poetry and feature articles – primarily written by its editor, Frank B. Whitney. Daily Word began with a subscription list of 16,000 people, but within a year, the list had grown to 43,000. Today, Daily Word is read in 150 countries and translated into six languages. In its nearly 90 years of continual publication, it has been read by tens of millions of people throughout the world. I first saw the Daily Word on my mother’s bedside table when I was a boy. Today it is an inspirational guide.
The Daily word’s message for Saturday, February 13, 2016 is Inner Peace – The breath of spirit flows through me. I breathe in peace. It goes on to say: “Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote ‘closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet.’ I take a deep breath now remembering Spirit is as close as the very breath that is breathing in me.
“As I go about my day, I feel peace in knowing God is with me every step of the way. Every act of service, every task I complete is a co-creation with Spirit. As I realize these truths, I cease all striving and feel a deep inner peace. I am humbled by the sacredness of my existence as a vehicle for God to be known in the world. I am at peace in the presence of Spirit, with each breath and every move”.
Now that we are spiritually uplifted, back to the world of “Serious Business”.
We have economies to be turned around and the best way in my opinion is to focus on the national economic gearing system.
The private sector must recognize that there are macro-, mini- and micro-elements to enterprise and we must put that together as in a mechanical gearing system, where the macro deals with the global market and the micro with micro-enterprise development. One turn of that big wheel results in several revolutions of the small wheels if they are linked together and properly lubricated.
A given business, even though it might start small, may have the potential to be a high performer and lead the pack (it may possess the DNA of an elephant). This may grow into a macro-business which in turn will provide a market for smaller businesses destined to play a role as a small cog in an economic gearing system. It is through this concept of macro-, mini- and micro-businesses, this economic gearing system, that we may argue that SMEs contribute significantly to the GDP of an economy. The macro-businesses drive the system in high gear, the micro-business follow but cannot drive the system on their own.
My findings are that many businesses are in need of help to get their business systems in order. The focus must be on the individual businesses first, one at a time.
In the near future, I shall embark systematically on “the management and enterprise development” series of columns to address the specific needs of start-up and evolving businesses.
Have a blessed week, and remember to breathe and move in peace.
(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is Change-Engine Consultant, Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust Inc. – CBET. His email address is basilgf57@gmail.com and his columns may be found at www.cbetmodel.org and www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com.)