At it’s core the challenge of establishing an organization’s HSSE excellence agenda as a path-way to sustainability is walking a tight-rope which balances short term and long term requirements. This challenge is made even more intense because the culture which surrounds the organization is characterized by lawlessness, short termism and perfecting the art of the “work around”.
Caribbean societies and those defined as developing countries were organized to focus on the immediate exploitation of natural resources. Our societies were never organized with a longer term vision in mind. Unfortunately in the 50 odd years that we have taken charge of our development, little action has been taken to change this method of operation so we continue to operate in a manner that is not sustainable.
Global organizations have historically acted in their own interest and taken the minimalist approach to issues of sustainability. In the past 10-15 years, the compass has been shifting towards a more meaningful approach to sustainability and the global alignment of operating practices. There is now heightened demand for balancing economic outcomes with sustainable practices. In the Harvard Business School working paper “The Impact of a Corporate
Culture of Sustainability on Corporate Behaviour and Performance”
by Robert G. Eccles, Ioannis Ioannou, and George Serafeim, the authors provide evidence that: “High Sustainability companies significantly outperform their counterparts over the long-term, both in terms of stock market and accounting performance. The outperformance is stronger in sectors where the customers are individual consumers, companies compete on the basis of brands and reputation, and in sectors where companies’ products significantly depend upon extracting large amounts of natural resources”.
If we escalate this notion and look at national indicators, there is an exciting growing movement promoting the need to change the big national indicator from (Gross Domestic Product) GDP to (Gross National Happiness) GDH. This movement was given a significant boost when the former French President in 2008 established a Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress. The headline from that report quotes President Sarkozy, as saying that GDP ignored other factors vital to the well-being. He urged business leaders “to shift emphasis from measuring economic production to measuring people’s well-being”.
A similar movement has been exploding in the small land locked country of Bhutan located between India and China, where they King has challenged the notion that the more we produce the happier we will be and is using GDH to determine the success of his country.
Household incomes in Bhutan remain among the world’s lowest however life expectancy increased by 19 years from 1984 to 1998, jumping to 66 years. The country which requires that at least 60 percent of its lands remain forested, welcomes a limited stream of wealthy tourists and exports hydropower to India.
“We have to think of human well-being in broader terms,” said Lyonpo Jigmi Thinley, Bhutan’s home minister and ex-prime minister. “Material well-being is only one component. That doesn’t ensure that you’re at peace with your environment and in harmony with each other.”
Herein lies a whole different notion of how to define sustainability and what are the key indicators. When workers connect the dots between their daily contribution, the firms profitability and their family’s long term happiness, their productivity is guaranteed to rise to unprecedented heights.
The current mode of mass consumption is simply driving consumers to want more and more. Why should one country use enough resources to power a ski slope in a dessert while another country struggles with greater than 60% unemployment figures?
A recent sound bite on television showed a former executive from the motor car industry questioning the evidence about global warming. A visit to another executive’s home showed a fully air conditioned house. With the launch of every new mobile device, you need a different charger, shell, etc. Business leaders have to re-design the consumption model and cater for cradle to cradle design and innovation. The world cannot continue to feed the consumption habit. At some point citizens will rail against the fact of 25% of global resources is being consumed by 5% of the population.
The major challenge is how to balance economic development with the emotional and spiritual well-being of people. That’s the real challenge of HSSE excellence as a path-way to sustainability.

Previously published in Newsday – May 2014

“The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” Chimamanda Adichie.

The Sagicor Phoenix Savannah Lap attracted more than 2,500 runners and walkers on Saturday 16th April at the Queen’s Park Savannah starting at 6:30 pm opposite Victoria Avenue. 

It is the largest event organised by Demming Communications.  Big thanks to Sagicor and the tight team of Dev & Shena Singh and Anthony Stroude.  This tight foursome expanded to 15 during the week leading up to the race and then to 45 on race day.  Thanks to my team.

Congratulations to the winners and here’s their blistering times:

Male: 
1^st Mathew Hagley  11:26
2^nd Lionel D’Andrade 11:29
3^rd Kelvin Johnson 11:33

Female:
1^st  Tonya Nero: 12:23
2^nd Dawnel Collymore: 13:24
3^rd April Francis: 14:10

TRINIDAD Guardian interviews Chairman of Tourism Development Company.  http://digital.guardian.co.tt/?iid=140055#folio=104

Our chefs and bartenders are preparing for a medal sweep at the annual Taste of the Caribbean Competition carded for June 26-30 in Miami.  The competition is presented by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).   Chefs and bartenders from the region will take centre stage to compete for the Caribbean’s top culinary honours.

Meet the team who will be representing Trinidad and Tobago – Making the CUTT.

When 3Canal opened the Big Black Box (BBB) on Murray Street, I saw it as a risky experiment and give them all my blessings. I have used the space, limed in the space, ducked in at random times and it is all good. I have seen young people who are fishing to connect with the positive vibe and I have felt inspired.

My eyebrows raised again recently when 3Canal abandoned Queen’s Hall and staged their Carnival performances at their own space. This experiment is successful from my user perspective and I do hope that the dollars also make sense.

Here is an example of how access to physical space can create a movement. If we are committed to social change we have to provide an enabling environment. At the root of such enabling environments is access to physical spaces.

We have an abundance of inward looking NGO/Social Sector organizations who in many instances underperform. A critical contributing factor to their under performance is lack of access to physical spaces for meetings, rehearsals and social exchange. In the not too distant past, people congregated at places like Casuals Club, Jaycees Headquarters, Soroptimist International of Port of Spain, RAFA Club etc. What happened in these spaces was creative expression, mentoring and opportunities for reflection. The current stillness of these spaces is waiting to be transformed into places of fire, inflamed by the creativity of our young people.

The organic growth of BBB has deep roots in the 22 year history of activism by 3Canal. Their activism is of a different kind, it speaks to the tradition of Carnival and protest. It speaks to the freedom and catharsis which the Jouvert brings.

3Canal is an excellent example of making lemonade from lemons. Best wishes to you as you continue to toil in the interest of the arts. I appreciate you and the energy you bring.

What is the underlying motive behind this advertisement by the JCC? Has the JCC been sued, threatened or otherwise? And isn’t it a fact that he did not appear before the Commission of Enquiry?   Why do this 14 weeks later?
There is more in this mortar than the pestle.
Given the noise being made by Mr. Sturge, I anticipate that the bits and pieces will continue to unravel.

PS: Before you publish observe these rules: Rule 1 –  Proof Read!  Rule 2 – Proof Read!  Rule 3 – Proof Read!

Whether you think it is a blessing or a curse, the current world oil crisis presents us with an opportunity to change the service paradigm in Trinidad and Tobago. Street vendors, car park attendants, taxi drivers, police officers, all .. we have an opportunity to secure our future by embracing tourism as our way out of this crisis but the road out will be long and arduous.  A recent New York Daily News article encouraged it’s readers to “Choose Trinidad for an eclectic alternative to the typical, laid-back Caribbean vacation”.

That article and several others continue to invite the world to visit us.  But what’s next when people actually select Trinidad and Tobago as their  destination.  Will they be met with empty cubicles at Immigration because some random officer decided that his/her recovery from last night’s fete was more important than turning up for his/her assigned shift.  Will the visitor be met by taxi drivers who walk a thin line between inducement and harassment?  Will the visitor who chooses to drive be totally confused by our disregard for the traffic laws?

The atmosphere which greets the visitor will be determined by the decisions we make as individuals.  As a collective, the time has come for us to take a stand for T&T and that means doing the right thing every time.  We can’t change the past but we can create the future by making our individual contribution to improving our country.