It is difficult to measure innovativeness, just as it is difficult to measure worker productivity, but certainly Minister Mary King is on the right track when she emphasises innovativeness in management as the correct approach to rebuilding the economy. There are no miracle solutions to this problem. It can only be achieved by the small individual contributions by each one of us. But if the business sector stands by its position that the solution is improvements in productivity, meaning by workers, then the necessary growth will never materialise.
As Minister King says, innovativeness is not necessarily new inventions or high technology, it is actually the courage to examine what you have been doing over the years and the strength to change whatever is retarding progress and development. Such a process starts with the ownership and management of an enterprise, not the workers. In fact, the workers can only be brought into the exercise when the process has started from the top. Only when they see meaningful change being effected impartially and consistently will it be possible to convince them that they, and the organisation, will benefit.
Karan Mahabirsingh
Freeport