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April/May/June 2009Issue 31
 
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FirstCuts
Framework Consulting Inc.2009: Issue 31
Inside
Editorial2Article3 Tips, Ads andLinks8
Editorial
A delay not causedby the change inFirstCuts' format.
Article
A thought-provokinglook at the way expatsview Caribbean workers.
Tips, Ads and Links
Editorial
For a variety of reasons,FirstCuts took a brief hiatus.I could blame that on avariety of factors. As youcan see, I have developed anew layout, and I have doneaway with the text versionthat was giving me all sortsof issues and problems.I could also point to the factthat I have been a busyconsultant, and simplydelayed producing an issuebecause of othercommitments.However, I think the truth isthat this particular issue hasbeen a difficult one to write,because of the subjectmatter.I hope that this lives up tomy stated commitment to"mash come corns,"threaten some sacred cows,and put a cat squarelyamong the pigeons.If anything, I am just notwilling to write anything thatisn't likely to tick off a fewpeople!Francis
3389 Sheridan Street #434Hollywood FL 33021, USAPO Box 3109Kingston 8, Jamaicaphone: 954-323-2552phone: 876-880-8653fax: 509-272-7966francis@fwconsulting.comwww.fwconsulting.com
The audio podcast ofthis ezine takes about23 minutes and can befound atfwconsulting.podomatic.com.
 
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Accepting the Plantation
One of the gifts that expatsbring to a job in our regionis a view of what it would belike to work in anenvironment that’s free of the tragic history thatplagues the Caribbeanworkplace.Expats remind those of uswho work in the region thatour workplace is a uniqueone that’s been unable toescape its past. It'suniqueness comes from thefact that it’s the onlyworkplace in the world thatremains staffed by amajority of citizens whoseancestors were brought tothe region as slaves orindentured servants. The result is that today'scompanies remaininextricably linked to the“plantation managementmodel” invented byEuropeans after theydiscovered the New World.As businesspeople in the16th - 19th centuries, theyneeded a way to makeprofits, but they had noindigenous workforce to use. The culture of slavery, atthe heart of the model,remains part and parcel of the Caribbean workplace,and no one is unaffected byits legacy. The fact is thattoday’s workers are theoffspring of yesterday’sslaves and indenturedworkers. We, their offspring,learned how to effect theCaribbean work ethic fromour parents, who learned itfrom their parents, whosegrandparents were alive towitness “slavery days.”Every company in theregion struggles with thislegacy. For most companies,there are simply no otherrole models to apply. Thenature of the relationshipsformed during the days of slavery predominates to thisday, as does a work culturethat seems to becontradictory, crazy, andcostly.Expats who come to theCaribbean region to workgain firsthand experience of a corporate culture thatoften confuses them andleaves them baffled. Theyarrive with the mistakenbelief that models of management perfected inLondon, Toronto and New York can be brought to theregion and implantedwholesale. At first glance,they see lots of problemsthat appear to have easysolutions.Perhaps there are solutionsthat can be derived — butnot before expats,managers, companyowners, and workers are onthe same page with regardto the fact of this historymentioned above, and itslingering effects on today’sworkplaces.For expats and West Indiansalike, this meansunderstanding howslavery’s institutions andmindsets permeate all workthat’s done by everyone inthe region, all the time. Italso means gaining someunderstanding of the factthat an expat who works inthe region will always relatewithin a context of neitherperson’s choosing. Like anever-ending stream of background music, it keepson playing, even when it’snot noticed.Given the fact that expatswill always play a role inCaribbean companies, it’sprobably a good idea for allof us to deal with theobstacles that stand in theway of truly productivework.In this issue of FirstCuts, I’mgoing to take a look at theCaribbean workplace fromthe point of view of anoutsider, based on my workwith foreigners to theregion. (Cont'd)
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