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Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Eileen Gillard got it right when she said, 'Our future growth relies on competitiveness and innovation, skills and productivity [...] and these in turn rely on the education of our people.'

The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC), the local body tasked with ensuring that the optimum conditions exist to facilitate an environment of maximum productivity and competitiveness and continued economic growth, remains committed to partnering with organizations which not only understand the importance of but are also invested in the Council's mandate.

In elaborating the Work Programme for the 2017-2018 period, the Council identified capacity building as critical component to improving employee productivity and ultimately the quality of service and the output in both the public and private sectors. Similarly it was agreed that investing in the training and development of employees would be key in achieving the mindset change necessary to advance the productivity and competitiveness agenda locally and ultimately encourage sustainable economic growth.

Consequently, when the NCPC Technical Secretariat was approached by the team from Celestial Self Development Centre, the Eastern Caribbean Franchisee for Franklin Covey, to partner to offer the critically acclaimed 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity Workshop in Saint Lucia, the decision was simple.

The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity, one of the many solutions offered by Franklin Covey, is aimed at empowering individuals by allowing them to "be more selective, and make high-impact choices about how and wherethey choose to invest their time, attention and energy."

The one-day workshop which was held at the Bay Gardens Hotel in Rodney Bay on November 29, was attended by nine (9) participants from the public and private sector; of which three (3) were from the Department of Finance.

In opening the session, Programme Facilitator and Trainer Mrs. Thecla Deterville informed that the focus during the 5 Choices training would not be on getting things done but rather getting the right things done. She said, 'It is so easy to get inundated with activities which have little or no return. The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity is about finding the delicate balance between the important and unimportant activities. Today, we are going to learn how to make the right choices for maximum results in all aspects of our lives.'

Throughout the day, participants had an opportunity to define what extraordinary productivity meant to them from both a professional and personal standpoint, while engaging in lively discussions and exercises and sharing experiences and best practices.

The day ended with each participant sharing on what their key take-away was from the activity.

Donna Louis, Human Resource Officer in the Department of Finance, indicated that the workshop had left her with a renewed appreciation for the importance of living above the noise. She said, 'Choice 3: Schedule the Big Rocks, Don't Sort the Gravel is very important in my role as HRO. I am looking forward to applying the concepts learnt here today to identify the tasks which are not only important but yield the maximum output. Training like this 5 Choices Programme makes all the difference in helping to change mindsets and dispel the notion that being busy is equivalent to being productive. I look forward to immediately applying what I learnt here today and helping to change the way things are done in not only my department but within the service.'

Since 2016, Celestial Self Development Centre has hosted the 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity in Saint Lucia. This recent collaboration with the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council is testimony to the organization's commitment to addressing the state of productivity in Saint Lucia.

About the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC)

Established in October 2013, The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) is responsible for the identification of key issues related to competitiveness and productivity in Saint Lucia.

The NCPC and its Technical Secretariat is committed to providing the necessary advocacy and research to produce timely and effective recommendations to policymakers on issues that affect both competitiveness and productivity on island. For more information about productivity or on the NCPC, visit www.stluciancpc.org; www.facebook.com/stluciancpc, call 468-2592/2591/1587 or send an e-mail to stluciancpc@gmail.com