Three weeks ago a friend of mine from school days and I were reflecting on recent changes in our personal lives. He wrote: “If you remember many years ago you introduced me to The Power of Positive Thinking …It does work”. I agreed and told him that to this day, I follow and attempt to practise positive thinking philosophies.
What is the difference between loan investment and benevolent venture capital equity investment? The jargon is different. No loans, just equity. No hard collateral, just Shepherding. No interest, just dividends. No monthly payments, just an exit strategy in the form of a buy-back clause in the equity agreement to give a fair return to the institution and allow the enterprise to own 100% of its shares when the cash flows are strong enough. Venture capital addresses all the needs of the enterprise. What is needed is the belief by financial institutions that “Shepherding as collateral mitigates the risk of business failure”.
I have attempted to make a contribution by being a conduit through which the gospel of “Shepherding” is being spread. It has been a roller coaster ride with detractors who impede the path of progress for whatever reason. However as disappointing as it was I have realized that God intended it for good and we are now witnessing a growing number of supporters for the Model and the attractive Shepherding tool the ManOBiz Matrixâ„¢.
Albert Einstein once said: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.” I interpret this to mean that we have to be creative and innovative; we have to think outside of the box we have to be open to Divine ideas. The major “spiritual” inhibiting factor to sustainable development in the Caribbean is the paying of lip service to spiritual awareness.
There have been many moments of distress regarding the acceptance and implementation of the model but I continue to be superb. There have been many defining moments in the last two weeks which have actually given me the feeling of profound and enduring comfort, namely: (1) introducing, on a number of occasions with tremendously flattering results, the ManOBiz Matrixâ„¢ as a Shepherding (action planning, gap analysis and monitoring) tool for enterprises; (2) the prospect of an engagement to train potential shepherds in Trinidad and Tobago in the rudiments of the shepherding process which mitigates the risk of business failure; (3) achieving recognition of the model in a Caribbean audience as having potential for solving problems not only in the Caribbean but beyond; (4) the opportunity to present the model to a Commonwealth audience later in the year; (5) getting the ear of a cabinet minister to convince him that the model can be a catalyst for diversified economic development in Barbados.
As an example of partnerships between social partners, in the early 1990s, a tripartite Barbados Social Partnership (government, trade unions and the private sector) was formally established to deal with the consequences of the economic crisis and to implement the Structural Adjustment Programme with the IMF without need for currency devaluation. The first Protocol agreed upon and focused on wage and price policy as well as fiscal adjustment but also established the National Productivity Board. On May 2, 2011, the Social Partnership signed its sixth protocol for a period of two years.
The Caribbean Centre for Organizational Excellence (CCOE) presented their inaugural conference in Barbados on March 12, 2013. This year’s conference, hosted under the theme “Achieving Excellence in Caribbean Organizations”, examined how organisational excellence contributes to organisational performance, the economy, trade and brand development. The rounds of discussions in the four working sessions of the conference were designed to go beyond examination to specific recommendations and actions.
Lalu concluded by reporting on the implementation of the Revitalisation of Bridgetown Initiative, the long term goal of which is to transform Bridgetown, our capital city, into a green city of diversity, operating 24/7, blending commerce with culture, entertainment, hospitality, accommodation and heritage tourism.
Our egos get in the way and we forget to take daily doses of spiritual nutrients or therapy, in terms of communication with God, to sustain our spiritual health. On reflection, the ritual transcends and confounds the spiritual power that has been promised and indeed exists. We continually sell ourselves short by not renewing our spiritual wealth and wonder why our progress is less than expected.
The CCOE is a non-profit organization that aims to develop and nurture Caribbean organizations to optimise resources, and to develop capacity, through the adoption of principles of excellence, while supporting a globally competitive and impactful business environment within the Caribbean.