The Tribune

By Ian Ferguson

As a nation we have recently celebrated 40 years of independence. As a sovereign country for four decades, there is a certain degree of maturity that is expected in political, social and economic life.

Our recent celebrations reminded us of the great accomplishments of our past, allowed us to take an introspective look at where we are currently and, more importantly, focus some attention on the direction we must begin to steer in the future.

The future of a country is dependent to some extent on how solid the foundation laid by the founding fathers of the nation is. Today, we take a look at their intent for our Commonwealth and the road we must continue on if we are to evidence great and continuous success. Our National Symbols, in particular our Motto, Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, give us some common themes.

They express what I will term, the CORE Values of the Bahamas: LOVE, UNITY, SERVICE, PROGRESSION and EXCELLENCE. Each of these CORE Values are repeated to give emphasis on what should guide our political, social and economic actions.

I challenge industry today to measure your organisational actions and environment against these CORE Values. Here are a few questions that might help with this evaluation:

Love - Does a spirit of love prevail in your place of work? Are we genuinely concerned about people and their well-being? Do we love enough to correct people when we see them going down the wrong path? We hear often that love is an action word that requires one to demonstrate deliberate behaviours to evidence its presence.

Unity - Are we just talking teamwork or do we really have a strong desire to work with our fellow workers for a better organisation? Can we put our ego aside and work along with our leaders and team members for a better company? Can we celebrate when others succeed, or are we still quick to pull down the good intentions and hard work of others?

Service - What is the level of service in our company compared to others around the region? Do we serve with excellence consistently? Are the smiles that we give genuine? Are we merely motivated by money and tip, or do we still value the joys of serving others?

Progression - Are we moving forward or have we gone into decline? Are we experiencing growth in our organisations year after year, or are we stuck in survival mode? Have we created a plan of action to begin or continue the forward march?

Excellence - Have we set high standards for our employees, for our processes and products? Are we settling for mediocrity and are satisfied with lacklustre and sub-standard performance? Are we pledging to excel?

Perhaps these questions have allowed you to ponder your current state of affairs. Your response to these questions will determine whether you will be in the same condition 40 years from now, whether you would have expanded and experienced unprecedented growth, or whether or not you will be existing 40 years from now.

NB: Ian R. Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having worked in both the public and private sector locally and regionally, providing interventions and solutions for promoting business and service excellence. He was educated at the College of the Bahamas, the University of the West Indies, St. Johns University and holds a Masters of Science Degree from the University of Miami.