Jamaicans Urged to Embrace Obama’s ‘Yes We Can’ Mantra

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Senator Don Wehby, is calling on Jamaicans to embrace United States President-elect Barrak Obama’s campaign mantra, “Yes we can!” as together Jamaicans seek solutions to the challenges facing the country at this time.
“Our challenges are great; we need economic growth, we need to protect our citizens from rampant violent crime, and we need to invest in the human capital. That is the future of Jamaica. Regardless of party affiliation, we all want those same goals. The challenge ahead of us is enormous and the only way we are going to get through it is together. We should embrace Obama’s campaign mantra and say ‘yes we can’.
Senator Wehby was keynote speaker at the launch of the Jamaica Employers’ Federation’s ‘2008 Salaries and Benefits Survey’, earlier this week.
Drawing from his past experience as a private sector executive, the Minister called on employers to focus on six measures, which can enable their organisations to adjust to the new and emerging challenges of globalisation and the unfolding international financial crisis.
“Reduce costs and involve everybody. I have found that the best ideas often come from non-managerial and junior staff. Secondly, stay close to your customers and be sure to listen to them carefully. Remember always that cash is king, monitor attentively, your operating cash flow, communicate with your staff about your strategies and ensure that they understand why certain actions are being taken. Increase the productivity of everyone in the company setting clear targets, from the bearer to the CEO, lastly and most importantly, remember that wherever there are challenges, there are also opportunities. Markets do rebound and you should be in a position to take advantage of that when it happens,” he stated.