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Why join and shine? Click ‘why join and shine?”.
Join and shine! Click the image above.
To find out more or to report your missing flag click “tell me more” below.
At the helm of Magate Wildhorse Ltd is Meegan Scott.
Expect “strategic thinking, big picture, execution know-how and organizational learning” for every engagement.
She comes with a 20-year success track record helping organizations with improving impact, brand recognition, funding and capability. She makes a difference in strategy formulation, corporate strategy planning through to strategy re-formulation.
A powerful outlier in provoking strategy re-think and pushing teams to shift a singular focus on risk management to risk intelligence.
Her distinguishing strengths— expertise in corporate strategy, marketing and performance management across industries, cultures and geographic spheres. A solid education plus experience in finance, accounting, project and program management, international relations, international trade, business analysis and ICT, research, quality improvement, and communications skills serve to power up the skills set and competences on your team. Significant studies in business, environmental and trade law powers her capacity help you do the compliance checks.
Strong facilitation, research and group process skills grounded in results-oriented and delivering changes practice allows her to help your team to buy in and commit to your vision and the execution of your strategy.
Get in touch today, we believe top-notch help is for big buck entities as well as for the little ones too.
Click the message button above to set a date for that conversation on how we could help your business.
Recent studies show that the Caribbean immigrant in Canada and other OECD countries are among the least likely to start and grow a business. Many Caribbean immigrant businesses fall in the micro business category with incomes well below US $500,000 per annum.
On the other hand, immigrants from Europe and Asia form and grow businesses at a rate that leaves a huge gap between them and their Caribbean counterparts. Ironically, the Caribbean immigrant is more likely be a lower income earner who is underemployed or serving in a precarious job, irrespective of qualifications. Besides paying the bills there is a serious risk to the financial freedom and economic wellbeing of current and future generations of Caribbean immigrants.
But does it have to be this way?
I doubt that I am alone in thinking— absolutely not!
The social, economic, and ideological factors that were relevant in causing the belief that entrepreneurship was undesirable or impractical for the Caribbean immigrant has been dead for at least two decades. But like the proverbial frog the community did not feel the water change temperature and now we are almost cooked. This situation is one of those rare cases when “urgent” is “important”.
Entrepreneurship experience, knowledge and big business success are needed in order to make entrepreneurship which is vital to our survival desirable, financially viable and feasible. A community of practice (CoP) provides the perfect opportunity for coming together to tackle and solve the problem of missing high-performance businesses by Caribbean immigrants in Canada and the wider Caribbean diaspora.
A CoP is made up of individuals with a vested interest in a subject who engage in joint activities, share information, stories, discussion, and approaches in order to help each other while developing and gather best practices. The level of trust and quality of relationships that exist among members is of great importance to them. It is one of the factors that distinguishes a CoP from other social networks.
Being able to learn from each other through frequent and rich interactions is key to the effectiveness of a CoP (Dialogue and engagement is essential, it does not work like one of those Facebook Group where many members merely join but do not share and engage with each other). Good old fashion social skills beliefs and behaviours are essential if a CoP is to deliver impact. By impact we mean the desired change and results for having come together for solving the problem in the first place.
When you join a CoP pretend you have entered someone’s home or a social gathering to share and exchange (There must be greetings, questions, conversation and a commitment to sharing and learning whether meetings occur in a Facebook Group, a hotel meeting room or web site.). Shared interest and a willingness to share for helping each other is at the heart of a CoP. It could not be any other way since the purpose of the CoP in not just about social networking, it is about problem solving.
Among the outcomes of a CoP are a collection of shared stories, experiences, tools, resources and knowledge collaterals for solving challenges that are common and likely to happen again.
CoPs have been used for facilitating innovative learning in various fields including health care, knowledge management and ICT as well as by professional groups. It is now being applied to entrepreneurship.
The High-Performance Caribbean Entrepreneur’s Ring has been established for facilitating the kind of sharing, gap assessment, networks, markets and problem solving for ensuring Caribbean immigrants can be among the groups with the highest rates of starting and growing successful businesses.
It provides the perfect opportunity for research, action learning and discussions for generating needed knowledge and experience.
The solutions shared and provided by a CoP of Caribbean entrepreneur in diaspora markets who are concerned and passionate about growing successful businesses will deliver significant value while increasing the viability and desirability of owing a business.
Entrepreneurs and their families are not the only ones who will benefit from such a CoP, cities will benefit from economic growth and more rapid assimilation of immigrants. The Caribbean community at home and aboard will benefit from improved levels of economic wellbeing, financial freedom and the acquisition of productive assets. The reputation of the community will be enhanced and like other immigrant groups the culture of Caribbean entrepreneurship abroad will be distinct, rich and a source of pride. What’s more it can ensure inclusiveness in the representation of Caribbean immigrants not only in terms of ethnicity but also by race.
The majority of Caribbean immigrants speak English, are highly educated or skilled and possess significant cultural assets that can be developed into profitable solutions. They come with the grit necessary for excelling on the journey of entrepreneurship, and most are entrepreneurial.
Given, those attributes and the imminent threat associated with depending on a job for making a livelihood the time for growing more high-performing businesses is now. The need for a CoP was urgent and important a decade ago and more so today.
While we must not trivialize the need for — cash from ready jobs for paying the bills and for assisting families at home, like other groups we should also view it as a source of investment into starting a business. One Caribbean-Canadian financial expert highlighted our emphasis on the acquisition of non-productive assets for communicating image related messages and needs as a major handicap.
He attributes that condition to the legacy of slavery, but it is time to unshackle ourselves. If the Caribbean immigrant is to be a part of an inclusive landscape for entrepreneurship in Canada or elsewhere we have to play a role in making that happen. We cannot expect Cities and other government departments to do it all for us. Like other immigrant groups we must take the bull by the horn to make it happen for us in a manner that is relevant to our situation and which draws on our different capabilities (As well as our wants, needs, aspirations, preferences and obstacles).
We shouldn’t blame anyone for the once valid buy-in to the idea of “a solid education is a ticket to a great job and wealth”. That idea was relevant and applicable to many groups and nations worldwide, today a solid education is still necessary but is does not bar against poverty. Many who got that solid education along with some who ventured into business lacked the social network and social capital for opening the right doors that would help them to benefit from their education, expertise or business activities.
Coming together as a diaspora increases the diversity of human and financial capital (monies earned through supporting our markets) that is key to growing an entrepreneurial community. Capital has been a big hindrance to the Caribbean immigrant who is often more than three times more likely to be denied a loan for financing a business.
A CoP such as the High-Performance Caribbean Entrepreneur’s Ring can provide the essential network, markets and accelerated learning for helping us to grow bigger and stronger businesses.
The Equalizing Community of Practice Has Arrived!
Let’s do it! Share, research, learn and grow high performing Caribbean businesses in Canada and the diaspora.
By Meegan Scott
Copyright © 2018 Meegan Scott
All Rights Reserved
Notice of misprint: “The statistics validates that the Caribbean immigrant is among the least likely to start and grow a business in the OCED,’ should read: OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
Kick off Meeting
Community of Practice and GTA Meetups for Caribbean Entrepreneurs in the Diaspora
Event sponsor Tickets
It is not difficult to recall organizations with solid corporate strategy plans, equally good operational plans and disappointing results.
In some instances, the strategy and plans were so compelling they helped each entity to secure millions of dollars in funding.
So, what went wrong?
There were skilled project and operations managers working in their operational areas, there were other functional leads that were committed and worked hard.
But there was no department or individual with the responsibility for managing the execution of the organization’s strategy. Project leads focused on their projects, things changed in the environment and some adjustments were made but pretty much on a putting out the fire basis or grab that opportunity without a proper assessment of resource cost or how it would or would not move the organization closer to its desired change.
Of course, there were performance reporting meetings but the connection to the desired change for the organization was forgotten. The strategy was forgotten, the change was forgotten, how the strategy would deliver change was forgotten.
How did this happen when the project managers did what they ought to do? They managed their individual projects and issues arising. The fact is, it is not possible to do all of that while managing the results at the organizational level.
Small, medium and large entities struggle with strategy execution—more than 60% of them fail to execute 80% of their strategy.
The results are hardly a surprise given, 75% of senior management are caught up with working on execution issues.
What the figures and results point to is the need for an individual or team that managers and leaders can count on to help them keep the focus on strategy. By keeping the focus, we mean monitoring progress on executing it, scanning the environment internally and externally and sounding the alarm when there is a need to adjust strategy on an ongoing basis. Last but not least the individual or team responsible for managing strategy execution must also guide and/ or facilitate the process of strategy re-evaluation and reformulation.
The aforementioned processes must be backed by information and responses that includes the need of the people executing the strategy, gather learning from them as well as track and capture patterns for informing strategy update. An important function of the role is providing messaging and communication for ensuring understanding of strategy. In addition, the lead must facilitate processes for ensuring each individual see their personal interest met along with that of the organization when strategy is executed effectively. He or she must deliver messaging and assessment of results for actions that are intended to promote the desired values and ethical stance of the organization.
The degree to which desired culture is the norm for internal and external customers will have a tremendous impact on whether or not execution shows up or delivers the strategy.
In recent times some organizations have come to believe a reliance on more monitoring and evaluation will do the trick. It is most certainly going to improve the results but if your M & E team or lead is not competent in strategy development and the management of strategy execution then you will find that good strategy stays in the plan document. You will also be wiser regarding what worked and what didn’t, you will get more planned outputs delivered but the next report card will be similar if for a different area of outcome.
Someone has to keep the organization reminded about its purpose, the competitive edge it seeks and facilitate the meeting of minds and assessment of actions for making the adjustments to strategy in order to achieve those results.
A good strategy could become a wonderful souvenir and missed opportunity. When execution fails to put strategy to work, you will feel as if someone ate your breakfast and lunch and it is 5:00 pm. Excellent execution of a bad strategy will lead to certain disaster. And poor execution of a great strategy could be just as bad.
We are equipped to help organizations and their teams to manage strategy execution for ensuring the desired results are achieved in the context of the organization. We know that individual and collective behaviours, desires and aspirations must be provided for if culture is to support effective strategy execution. Translating and communicating the strategy for winning commitment that drives action is key. We did not touch mobilizing resources for financing strategy among other factors that are crucial to success in strategy execution.
Many companies who claim they cannot afford help with the management of strategy execution have never sought to inquirer about the cost of such a solution. In fact, they are likely busy blaming human resource or other factors for their results. Moreover, they may have not assessed the cost, loss, risk and threat of not investing in such a solution. We need not remind you that strategy has to be updated, adjusted or changed at a rapid pace in today’s world.
Invest in strategy execution management support for ensuring strategy delivers the results you desire.
Whether you lead a large or small company we invite you to click the act now button to schedule a cost-free session on how we could help with corporate strategy (No, we are not referring to just strategic planning, before planning your team must engage in a solid strategic thinking exercise). Your strategy expert will even complete a process referred as LEAD if applying the ASP Approach as the very first step in the process.
If you have a solid corporate strategy plan we can help you with performance management—our focus is beyond outputs and behaviours for getting results at the individual level. Sure, we do consider and offer related guidance, but we are focused on achieving results at the organizational, community, national and regional levels.
If you do not have a plan or your plan or strategy is in need of a review or objective eye we can help. It could also be that you are on top of performance management but need help with an environmental scan or market research for updating your strategy.
I am confident that you will kick yourself really hard for not looking at the possibilities before. But don’t stay kicking too long, let us roll up sleeves and put hands and hearts to the task of improving your results.
Meegan Scott, lead strategy consultant at Magate Wildhorse Ltd.
Copyright © 2018 Meegan Scott
All Rights Reserved
Launch of Entrepreneurs MeetUP and Community of Practice (CoP)
The GTA hub of the High-Performance Caribbean Entrepreneur’s Ring will be officially launched on Saturday, March 31, 2018 by Meegan Scott and Magate Wildhorse Ltd. At the launch we will engage in B2B networking, getting to know each other as well as add some of your wishes to the objectives and working of the HIPCE Ring.
Because it is a Caribbean Entrepreneur’s group we are looking for others who would love to join us. Let’s have a meeting of minds and joint action for growing high performance Caribbean businesses and outstanding entrepreneurs in the Diaspora.
Meeting facilitator: Meegan Scott will lead the session.
The MeetUP and CoP is a group of Caribbean entrepreneurs in the Diaspora including members of the Caribbean-Canadian group who will meet monthly (Downtown, Toronto), as well as online to learn, share, collaborate and build knowledge in the area of Caribbean Entrepreneurship and success strategies for our immigrant entrepreneurs. Besides networking and information sharing the group serves as a resource for advice, tips, advertising, market and market research hub.
It will remain consistently so.
Join us at: https://goo.gl/AnhZuE (Online home of the MeetUP and CoP).
Be with us on March 31, 2018.
You are welcome to join us for our preliminary online session on March 13, 2018 (details available in the Ring).
We look forward to your active participation!
Please feel free to forward this announcement to others.