We looked up at an image of Marcus Garvey on a sign telling us that we were in a place formerly known as Edelweiss Park, where the national hero had his reasonings about dignity and the importance of building businesses to ensure the prosperity of the people. The building on which the sign is mounted is the Slipe Road site of the Rainforest plant and the National Baking distribution centre.

“Our two companies have complementary products,” said Rainforest Founder and CEO Brian Jardim, “plus I have a lot of respect for my friend Butch Hendrickson, chairman of National Baking.”

Marcus Garvey would have been very proud to see the level of activity in that state-of-the-art facility, and the Rainforest innovations that have created employment for over 500 Jamaicans. After we were gowned, capped, booted and ran the comprehensive sanitising gauntlet, Plant Manager Christopher Roxburgh led our group on a tour, a maze of surprises.

We saw dedicated Jamaican technicians and packers processing hundreds of pounds of our lobster and conch. The stacks of boxes of lobster tails are headed to the Red Lobster chain in the US, while others will go to the burgeoning hospitality industry in the Caribbean and to the Far East. These lobsters are caught in the deep waters west of Jamaica, requiring a sizeable investment in larger fishing vessels.

Jamaica’s flavourful conch is headed for other markets included the French Caribbean islands, France and Spain. The Rainforest Plant is European Union-certified, as they ensure that their harvesting of conch is compliant with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Some fish and shrimp we observed being packaged and mackerel being brined; this value-added requires well-trained workers and sophisticated equipment.

What surprised us was the large operation for the production of hamburger patties, created to the specifications of various fast food companies and hotels — Rainforest produces 70 per cent of the hamburger patties consumed in Jamaica.

The enthusiasm of Max Jardim, Ernest Grant, Roger Lyn, Bethany Young, and Joseph Cooper kept us amazed as they promised us even more big news on new products in the coming weeks.

The company has been a quiet supporter of many great causes, including Food for the Poor, Missionaries of the Poor, Mustard Seed Communities, and the Iris Gelly Primary School. They provide employment for residents, which has lifted the surrounding community. In fact, during the recent drought, they supplied water from their well to folks in the area every evening after factory hours.

Mariame

The brilliant Mariame Robinson condensed a strong seminar into a half-hour presentation at a GraceKennedy conference last week. We all sat up straighter when we heard her creds: Jamaican Rhodes Scholar, graduating from Oxord, MIT, and Harvard. The management guru observed that our country and region were rich with ideas for great projects and strategies, but we have been falling short on the execution of these ideas.

In the coming year, we would do well to adopt her implementation guidelines:

1. Define the metrics: What does success look like? Use process metrics to execute on time and on budget.

2. Manage people effectively: Coaching and development should involve getting feedback from team members, so they have ownership of the project. Ensure that the discussion is balanced and around observed behaviour, not just feelings.

3. Suggest solutions to arrive at your ultimate goal of flawless execution.

4. Develop a communication plan to build trust. Celebrate early wins

5. Issue resolution: Think about who you need to bring into the room to get advice and counsel. Constantly ask, why? This will help to clarify issues.

She stressed the importance of integrity, to avoid the derailment of implementation. “You don’t want to be cutting corners and you should always demand the full truth. It is important to ensure that everything is front and centre,” she advised. She noted that since we spend so many of our waking hours working, we should organise towards the goal of flawless implementation.

May I add that there are now so many nifty apps on our smartphones that we have many tools to manage our time, budgets, communication. Please do not be shy to ask for advice on how to use these apps. I have had many ‘aha’ moments, thanks to my young team members who are so adept with the technology. Once you familiarise yourself, you will be surprised at how much time you can save.

Values for survival

The young women in our office complain that they cannot take two steps on our roads without some uncouth male making vulgar comments. This disrespect for women has descended into the frightening fact that all cases involved in human trafficking now before our courts are linked to sexual exploitation. The Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Lisa Palmer Hamilton revealed this in a recent interview on

RJR News.

WMW Jamaica (formerly Women’s Media Watch) has been warning the country for over 20 years that the objectifying of women in music videos and the lewd lyrics were dangerous to our girls and women, and damaging the values of our boys and men. With a global focus on sexual harassment, we are harming the psyche of our boys and men and putting their careers in jeopardy. I remember the first shock I had when, in the 80s, one of the most articulate Caribbean men I knew, who had a high position at an international organisation, lost his job and was sent packing after a sexual harassment episode.

Cricket hero Chris Gayle paid a high fine and has attracted negative press because of his comment to an Australian sports reporter. Surprisingly, many Jamaicans — male and female — did not find anything wrong with his behaviour. Let us hope that the response of University of the West Indies lecturer Fae Ellington and other responsible Jamaicans, explaining that he did indeed cross the line, will make this a teachable incident for our young males. Parents have a serious responsibility in monitoring the social media activities of their children and ensuring that they develop a healthy respect for the opposite sex. In the public space, our leaders and key influencers in media and entertainment should set the tone for our youngsters. When we speak about the welfare of our children, let us never forget that without discipline and good character, they will not be able to realise their potential.

Marvellous Marva Bernard

Last November, Marva Bernard retired as president of the Jamaica Netball Association, having served the maximum duration — 10 dynamic years, preceded by two years as treasurer. Her passion, not only for the sport, but for the personal development of our Sunshine Girls helped to garner more support than ever before for netball. She secured a well-furnished base for her players, promoted respect for the game, and has mentored scores of young players who are now fine role models on and off the court.

Marva Bernard’s contribution is immeasurable, and we thank her for keeping our flag flying high in the global arena. Best wishes to her successor Paula Daley-Morris.