Latest update September 21st, 2026 10:06 AM
The role of this industry in our country deserves immediate concerted action
Dear Editor,
A recent Kaieteur News editorial addressed this question in an interesting piece titled “the importance of life skills”. In this context itadverted to a number of factors that are contributing to the “crumbling” of businesses and organizations despite the increasing levels of academic qualifications required by employers and possessed by recruits, employees and managers. The editorial lists a series of ills and pointedly mentions the sugar estates as exemplifying the inadequacies and misbehaviours that bedevil us and concludes: “Perhaps there is need to review the policy of management training”.
I believe this editorial can be used as a springboard for a national discourse in “utter and brutal sincerity”, to quote from Swami AksharandaJi’s brilliant essay on Mahatma Gandhi. My own training and experience elicit many thoughts and ideas among which the following come readily to mind:
· We need to distinguish between paper ‘qualifications’ and performance-related ‘competences’.
· We need recruiters/managers who are not just clerical/administrative operatives but who are skilled in identifying relevant competencies for delivering on the responsibilities and accountabilities of the positions. Competency-based recruitment has been in vogue among progressive managements for a long time; we should therefore implement it where it is not in practice.
· We need to clearly distinguish between Rights and Responsibilities; Entitlements and Obligations;Responsibilities and Accountabilitiesand to ensure that they are equitably balanced between the role of the employee and the expectation of the employer.
· Cordial relationships based on open communications and empathy are key factors; people don’t respond well to angry tones and threats.
· Exemplary behavior by leaders and managers is the best training that can be given to the followers and subordinates. In this regard the immortal words of the Mahatma: “we must be the change we want to see in the world” are indeed most persuasive.
· In the context of the inference about the ‘crumbling’ sugar industry there has already been a plethora of postulations and proposals for action. I think the nodal role of this industry in our country deserves immediate concerted action.
Nowrang Persaud
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