MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Claiming that challenges are really opportunities, former president of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce Winston Lawson says that people must be more ‘productive’ and ‘innovative’ to survive in the current tough economic climate.

“These are times for the innovative and the productive; these are times for the solution oriented minds; these are times for the dedicated and the hard working; these are times for nation builders not nation breakers and these are times for excellence,” he said.

Lawson, one of Mandeville’s leading bankers, was addressing the annual Administrative Professionals Week Luncheon hosted by the Jamaica Association of Secretaries and Administrative Professionals (JASAP) held at the Mandeville New Testament Church of God banquet hall recently.

Lawson shared his views on the implications of the current labour crisis in Jamaica. He emphasised the importance of thinking creatively and working hard.

“It is almost unreal that within the same country, there are employees who are ecstatic just to be in a job and receiving a salary, some even prepared to take a cut in salary in order to remain on the job, yet you have others who, at this time, seem more than prepared to strike for additional pay,” Lawson said.

He encouraged those present, through the adoption of networking strategies, to capitalise on new pockets of opportunity currently emerging from non-traditional sources.

“In times of war, there are people busy making money; in times of recessions and changing demands, there are people busy remodelling their businesses; in times of layoffs, there are people busy retraining themselves, starting new businesses and developing ones that they were previously stifling because of inadequate dedication of time and effort to it,” Lawson said.