Building Mauritius 2.0

2. USE OUR LOCAL YOUNG TALENT

Now that we own this seed, it’s crucial that we nurture it, especially in the most important segment of our population – the next generation. Mauritius has a dynamic and talented pool of young sons and daughters, be they at home or overseas. Our Mauritius 2.0 will be run and managed by our current young professionals, hence the need to build them up first to ensure they can steer the economic engines properly as they re-imagine capitalism.

Germany boasts a highly successful Mittelstand – group of globally successful SMEs. Much of this success is driven by German’s apprenticeship system. It’s possible for business leaders in Mauritius to build our own sophisticated apprenticeship training schemes. Students would be able to choose from hundreds of trades for an apprenticeship lasting two to four years, during which they split time between classroom instruction and on-the-job training.

They would get paid for their time, both on the job and in the class. The Mauritian government could collaborate with the business leaders, forward thinking educators and trade unions to shape and standardise profiles and curricula. This would allow trainees (aka future employees) to move among firms with an accepted standardised qualification, both online and offline.

As such, this allows for purpose- driven firms in Mauritius to become catalysts for uncovering new ways of working in new normal scenarios.

3. REVISIT THE IDENTITY OF YOUR COMPANY

Keeping in mind this need to adapt to changing circumstances, I always ask my clients in initial conversations what business they are in. I often get puzzled looks, followed by sheepish smiles.

Because the company identity is the collection of attributes that defines what is central, distinctive, and enduring about itself, it explicitly articulates who the company is and what
it represents in the eyes of its members and its external stakeholders. What’s your company identity like, pre- and post-covid?

A new normal shakes the concept of “who we are” to the core. Announced this March, Volvo Cars is only going to sell electric vehicles by 2030. It will phase out all car models with internal combustion engines by then, including hybrids. Volvo revisited its highest-level compass, and now will guide its employees’ thinking to identify issues, make decisions, and take actions in defining new mobility landscapes.

As such, innovative companies in Mauritius are bound to metamorphose with the seasons just as they shape their surroundings.

My own bricklaying effort

While the thinking of building Mauritius 2.0 is national, the action is local, individual even. In my own work, I talk with Mauritian counterparts on how they think about sustainability, how they plan for it, and how they act on it, towards transforming, in small personal ways, their homeland. I check out and share strategic insights on the projects of our young generation who are harnessing the power of the social and digital revolution.

With charm, hospitality and fervour, many of our brilliant young talents have already started laying the bricks for a resilient Mauritius 2.0, unbeknownst to many.

As a business leader, when you notice them, calmly and humbly nudge and say: “Vas-y! Fonce!” One small encouraging remark may be all that matters, letting a thousand flowers bloom.