The message from Covid19 delivered in simple language to the people across the world, offering three options; acquire enlightenment, grab a body bag or go for both, the same harshness now threatening economies of the world, simple words; digitize, mobilize or just go bust. Majority of 200 nations already lined up on that danger list, many dozens will not survive. The realities, once again, prove that the best time to “digitize” economies…was decade ago, the best time to “re-design” productivity and performance…was decade ago and best times to “upskilling” working citizenry…was also a decade ago. The pandemic recovery erased that lost decade demanding action today, or else.
There is no time to waste;therefore, how long will it take national economic leaderships to bring all trade groups like Chambers of Commerce, National Trade Associations under and Export bodies under large umbrellas of digital platforms? This will result in immediate mobilizationof upskillingvia integration of major vertical sectors via associations, intertwined by major Chambers of Commerce, cross-linked with national export promotional bodies with global connectivity to all foreign trade commissioners and foreign trade agencies. Furthermore, such digital platforms from fintech to upskilling and national mobilization of small medium enterprise will also activate women entrepreneurs so combined efforts will shine on as greatest national hidden talents and save the economic crisis.
This is a great opportunity to boldly lead with specific turnkey answers and go for real ‘value-creation-models’ for local grass roots prosperity and walk away from ‘value-manipulations models’ where last globalization fiasco is choking the world
Most importantly and to start immediately, what is stopping to create fast-track intense upskilling of “trade groups” itself and their senior management on operational and digitization aspects? The same applies for upskilling the frontline management of the top 10 trading and economic growth Public Sectors Agencies itself where global age upskilling and lack of digitization is suffocating the entire national economy. Especially when such national mobilizations are not new, funding dependent but rather deployment hungry and execution starved. Identification of such blockades are the first major steps.
Economic Sunsets Await Digital Sunrises: There are no secrets;almost free technologies have existed since last decade,the national economic survival depends on uplifting via upskilling, the global race on quality production of goods and services to bring in foreign exchange and value added exportability to boost local grassroots prosperity.
The Silence: The formula is not the secret, but the execution is a threat, why? Despite availability of almost free technologies, any open discussion in any major Public or Private Sectors department anywhere in the world immediately exposes some 50% redundancy of surrounding staff and equally 50% incompetency to deal with the required challenges. Therefore, staying quiet or appearing overly busy is normally the case, and strangulation of local economic progress accepted normalcy. Follow the trail of deep silence. Creation of regional and nation debates with authoritative contents replacing lip service and half-baked rhetoric is under pandemic watch.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce is already taking a lead and having a high-level discussion on digitization of national entrepreneurialism and mobilization of Small Medium Business economy of the nation on upskilling for improved exportability and innovative excellence on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 in Lahore. Explore Pentiana Project how it may apply in your national or global regions.
Winners and losers are increasingly visible and equally divided;there are digitized nations versus paper-pushing nations, upskilled nations versus ‘no idea, what you are talking about’ nations, plus many dusty dry-spin nations versus bubbly wet-spin nations with monsoon rains of freshly printed currency. However, there are also very many emerging nations, hardworking young and old men and women ready for the task and anxious to optimize their full potentials. Some billion displaced are looking for new thinking and options. This is a great opportunity to boldly lead with specific turnkey answers and go for real ‘value-creation-models’ for local grass roots prosperity and walk away from ‘value-manipulations models’ where last globalization fiasco is choking the world.
The Summary: ask top leadership to declare national mobilization of small and medium business economy and active national upskilling programs by simultaneously retraining all key ‘public sectors’ and ‘trade group’ frontline management to become global age savvy and digitization friendly. This is what pandemic recovery demands in simple words.
Get ready for the next 1000 days, there no time to waste.
The writer is Chairman, Expothon Worldwide, Canadian Thin-tank, www.expothon.com