I extend greetings for a happy and peaceful new year.
During the holiday period, I was privileged to be invited to be a part of celebrations organised to mark the service of two individuals whose tenure with the Anguilla Public Service had come to an end. During those celebrations it was clear to me that the Anguilla Public Service is not just a place where we work. It is also a place where we build and nurture positive relationships. It is where we share and solve problems; where we find success and share in joys, pains and successes of colleagues. The Anguilla Public Service while it will always be primarily the place where we seek to offer optimum service to our customers, is clearly also a place where we nurture (whether unwittingly or otherwise) positive relationships.
This year it is my hope that we will deliberately seek to build positive relationships in our environment. In this way we can contribute to reducing the negativity that often appears to be pervasive in our island community. We must always consider the various responses available to us as we engage with each other and members of the public and respond in the manner, which is likely to bring the greatest value to the Anguilla Public Service, Anguilla as an island nation and by extension the people of Anguilla. ‘Service with a smile’ must become second nature. Sometimes we do not reflect on the role we play in creating the environment we live in. During 2014 as we seek to build positive relationships we must always be cognisant that our actions, inactions, words and silence at those crucial moments all serve to shape our environment. We must seek to ensure that the environment we create is one future generations will be proud of.
The celebrations marking the service of the two ‘transitioning’ individuals highlighted the need to appreciate and treasure relationships while they subsist and not only as they draw to a close. These celebrations also recognised that new individuals will assume new roles and we must in turn form new relationships with them. In the Anguilla Public Service these new individuals are identified through the application of appropriate processes.
In 2014, in preparation for the ‘transitioning’ of individuals who occupy very key roles in the Anguilla Public Service, these processes must be employed in a deliberate and timely manner. The relevant officials are encouraged to objectively consider what is best for the Anguilla Public Service and Anguilla generally, in determining the most appropriate persons to occupy these very key positions and thereby foster appropriate relations within the public service and with the
public we serve. To assist in achieving this goal officials are requested to conscientiously participate in the annual performance appraisal exercise so as to ensure that objectives are met, appropriate behaviours are practiced, training needs are identified and desired career paths are communicated.
I continue to wish you all the best in your personal and professional endeavours throughout 2014 and beyond. You are encouraged to strive for improved relations and service delivery throughout the Anguilla Public Service.
Stanley E. Reid
Deputy Governor
6th January 2014
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
