Dr Ransford Davidson, business relationship and sales manager at JN Bank, says more Jamaicans will need to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset to succeed in the post-pandemic world.
Dr Davidson noted that people who can motivate themselves in times of crisis and uncertainty are more likely to succeed as the world slowly emerges from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He stated that the world has changed and that members of the workforce must be ready to adapt to the changes.
The JN Bank manager was the keynote speaker at the HEART NSTA Trust’s National Career Conference, which was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel and streamed live across several social media platforms. The conference, held under the theme: ‘Building Resiliency and Skills for the Future of Work,’ was attended by students at both the secondary and tertiary levels, as well as recent graduates.
“The ability to adapt to the changing workforce and new technologies will be crucial in the future, as the post-pandemic environment has altered the expectations of the workforce and reshaped how, when and where work is done,” he said. “The commercial office space is no longer the main place of work, and we continue to see the creation of new and previously unheard-of roles and career paths.”
Dr Davidson further noted that even before the onset of the pandemic the work environment had undergone significant changes, with many jobs becoming obsolete and new professions coming on stream.
He pointed to social media personalities/influencers such as Rushane ‘Rushcam’ Campbell, Kalilah Enriques Reynolds and Rohan ‘Quite Perry’ Perry, who left traditional jobs to become content creators via YouTube, as examples of persons who not only possess an entrepreneurial mindset, but who are also taking advantage of the opportunities that are available.
“There are many new avenues for successful careers, which are not a part of the traditional marketplace. We must be innovative and brave enough to seek out these opportunities, although they may seem unconventional,” he pointed out.
Dr Davidson further informed that there are three core habits that persons must sharpen to develop an entrepreneurial mind-set.
“The first is self-leadership or self-motivation,” he said. You must be able to influence and control your own behaviour, actions, and thinking to achieve the self-direction and self-motivation necessary to build your business from the ground up or pivot and change course, if necessary,” he said.
He stated that persons also need to be creative and to be able to produce new ideas, insights, inventions, or products, which are unique, useful, and of value to others.
Additionally, Dr Davidson noted that persons with an entrepreneurial mind-set are also good improvisers. “This means they have the ability to rapidly sense and act, as well as change direction quickly,” he stated.
He added that the ability to function in an uncertain world requires a degree of improvisation, as entrepreneurs may begin with a certain idea or direction, but obstacles such as limited resources, environmental conditions, or a changing mind-set can prevent them from executing their initial plans.
“This means they need to find a way to quickly adapt to their circumstances, think on their feet, and create new plans to realise their vision,” he stated.
