JAMAICA | Leaders in the Civil Service Urged to Coach and mentor New Talent

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 - Civil servants in leadership roles across central government are being urged to effectively engage in coaching and mentoring employees within the public service so they too can be effective leaders. The call came during the Civil Service Week Public Forum held at the AC Hotel by Marriott on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

The forum which is held annually as part of activities for Civil Service Week, is geared at highlighting to participants the value and work of the public sector, promoting and strengthening the current public and private sector partnerships while re-energising and mobilising public servants toward a brighter Jamaica. Itwas hosted under the theme, “Raising the Bar: Strengthening the Bond”.

Dr Taneisha Ingleton, Managing Director, HEART/NSTA Trust during her presentation urged public sector leaders to prioritise meaningful supervision in the workplace.

“Oftentimes, in the workplace, we speak about supervision and in raising the bar that is something we need to focus on because if we’re going to raise the bar we have to do some mentorship and some coaching of the individuals that are coming up behind us,” she explained.

She further encouraged civil servants to find a balance in their professional and personal lives while also executing their duties not just as individuals but as architects of a brighter future for Jamaica.

PUBLIC FORUM URGES LEADERS IN CIVIL SERVICE TO COACH AND MENTOR NEW TALENT: (L-R) Debbie Bissoon, Master of Ceremonies of the Civil Service Week Public Forum 2023, Prudence James-Townsend, Director, Business Development and Communication, MIND, Roxann Linton, CEO, First Heritage Co-operative Credit Union and Techa Clarke-Griffiths, President of the Jamaica Civil Service Association are all smiles after the Civil Service Week Public Forum at AC Hotels by Marriott on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

“Service excellence is an experience and it’s a culture… it’s a mindset shift. This sort of transition and raising the bar is big people's business. It is motivation but it is also discipline- to get there. It speaks about our need to enhance our competencies that include our performance competencies and our people engagement,” she noted.

Ms. Roxann Linton, CEO of the First Heritage Corporate Credit Union encouraged civil servants to continue raising the bar while dwelling on the possibilities. 

“When you think about what the quality of your mind needs to be if you are really going to be raising the bar it has to be one about possibility… because when you think about possibilities it allows us to embrace change, uncertainty and it allows us to look for the beauty in the ordinary,” the history-making CEO highlighted.

Civil Service Week 2023 is being observed from Sunday, November 19, 2023, and will conclude on Saturday, November 25, 2023, with all-island church services. The week of activities is geared at recognising the work and worth of civil servants who deliver excellent service across the central government and to the country as a whole.

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