THE IMPACT OF CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT: GUYSUCO

Apr 09, 2018 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The truth be told, Management of a diverse entity like GuySuCo is by no means a cut and dried process. The complex network of Management and the bureaucracy such a system breeds, lend for cogs in the wheels of progress.
It is not necessarily the fault of those that have to manage such an entity that set goals and objectives are more often than not, never achieved. The fact that the Industry has always been mired in the throes of a political landscape, has never helped the situation and even the best intentions, rarely bear fruit. It is with this in mind that the ethos of Management must be viewed.
The evolution of GuySuCo saw a shift from Management by an Executive Chairman from its inception and with the advent of Booker Tate in 1991, the subsequent dismantling of the then GuySuCo Directorate, (headed by the then Chairman, Harold Davis Snr.) to Management of the Company by a CEO and run by a non-Executive Board.
Prior to this, even when the economy was in turmoil, GuySuCo still managed to remain a viable entity and contributed G$4.0 B per annum to the National Coffers. Even as the production slid to an all-time low in 1990 when the final declaration was 129k tonnes of sugar, the Company’s financial position was healthy.
The evolution of Management within GuySuCo saw the influx of a new structure which comprised a non-Executive Chairman and Board of Directors to whom the Chief Executive Officer of the Company reported. This allowed for a broader involvement for decision making and none could be made without a consensus.
The CEOs of the Company in the latter stages of its decline, could never be truly comfortable in that seat, especially in dealing with Board Members that demanded answers and who did not fully appreciate the complexity of the business. When faced with such situations amid financial havoc, leadership qualities are certainly tested and it is of paramount importance that Leadership adopts logical, diverse and strategic thinking to grow.
The Executive Management of GuySuCo should not be harnessed by academic interpretation but instead, be allowed to go beyond the farm gate and think strategically and independently. Such an approach is reminiscent of the days when Guysuco was managed by an Executive Chairman and Board of Directors.
Even back then, the thinking of Divestment, Diversification and adding value to the business, was not only mooted, but executed. However, the evolution of that process was halted as perspectives changed for one reason or the other and the Company slowly deteriorated, more-so with the loss of the EU Preferential Market from 2006-2009.
With the SSMP (Skeldon Project) built to validate growth of the Industry and which has never really delivered as expected, the woes of the Company escalated.
The uncertainties of Management did little to stem the flow of decline and while there where glimpses of recovery, these were too few and far apart. The overburdened Management structure of GuySuCo did not help the situation since everyone became an expert of sorts on ‘The Way Forward’ for the Company and confusion as to the goals and objectives became rampant. Uncertainty and distrust was infused into the system, leading to the birth of factions.
These factions bred misguided loyalty and power struggles were not uncommon in the hierarchy of the Management Structure from a more Centralized perspective and which eventually filtered into estates’ management. The result of such is what GuySuCo has become.
The recent takeover of Management by the Special Purpose Unit (NICIL) has had its challenges from the beginning since while there are those who are genuinely happy that there is change, some feel slighted. That is only natural since there is nostalgia from many that the just concluded configuration of GuySuCo should remain for posterity and at the same time, become economically viable.
Deep down inside, they must know that such a position is more sentimental than practical. Sometimes for us to live, something must first die and so as we evolve, it is only fitting to conclude that it is now time for permanent and productive change.
The Head of the SPU, Mr. Heath-London, has an approach that is visionary in thinking and with his disposition, has managed to stem the flow of uncertainty within the Company. The rearrangement of functions and management systems has had a positive effect on the morale of employees at all levels. There is much support from the Administration/Finance and Technical Support Staff (Agriculture and Factories) offered by GuySuCo proper to the resuscitation of Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates. Their support continues to be invaluable and exhibits a camaraderie that has blossomed nicely and the SPU reciprocates in kind.
The spill-off effect is that throughout the Industry, there is a feeling of excitement amongst all levels of employees (and ex-employees) that the cogs have finally been removed from the wheels of progress and that the Industry is changing for the better.
The GuySuCo Estates, Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion, have adopted a more definitive approach in management and their performance, given the hardships faced, are commendable with Uitvlugt in sight of achieving its First Crop Target. The restructuring of the Company into a Diverse Entity, is certainly indicative that Leadership is at work and that thinking for the Head of the SPU, is not a new experience.
Mike Singh Snr

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