Radiators

“We want radiators not drains”

What a phrase. It could come straight out of the David Brent School of Management. 

On the surface it seems clever and thoughtful but scratch that thin veneer and what lies beneath? What is it trying to say?
 
We want optimists, not pessimists.
 
There’s many a self development book which counsels you to remove from your life all those who are dragging you down and draining your spirits. Not altogether bad advice for an individual but only if they are level headed enough not to misidentify cautionary warnings as pessimistic doom peddling.
 
But for a manager to wish to be surrounded only by optimists is courting catastrophe. A good manager wants people who are willing to speak truth to power, who are willing to think for themselves and who are vested enough in the future of their organisation to argue when poor decisions are put forward.
 
A good manager takes a collegiate approach and actively wants contra opinions. Any good idea will stand up to stress testing and will emerge a better idea for it.
 
It is well understood in business that any course of action can only be fully and successfully implemented if it has the buy-in of the workforce and the best way to do that is to involve them in the decision process. If you’ve fed and trained the dog then you’re going to be cheering for it in the fight.
 
However, if you are just told that this thin whippet will be the best in the ring and its failure will be down to you for being so negative then one might understand anybody for having misgivings as to the competency of the head trainer.
 
Sadly some managers see their role as the sole innovator of good ideas and their mission being to impose their vision on the workforce who must obey without question. They actively surround themselves with like minded people who bolster their viewpoint which can end up creating a bunker like mentality where it becomes them against the world.
 
Once this point is reached, the game is over and failure is just a matter of time. The ancient saying that a fish rots from the head down has stood the test of time for a reason.
 
In defence of the Radiator phrase one might point to an equally old saying that one bad apple can spoil the barrel. Yes, misery is contagious and it does love company. Someone who is continually downbeat and actively pessimistic no matter the circumstances would be a drain on any team. Such a person needs to be sensitively counselled to take a look at themselves, their attitude and their effect on their co-workers. To be so downbeat suggests a wider problem than mere attitude and at best a deep unhappiness with their current job.
 
However, when as a manager the majority of your team honestly disagree with your idea and can offer a reasoned argument against it, then perhaps it is you who needs a rethink not only about your idea but also about your whole approach to management.
 
Of course I do not know the circumstances in which this phrase has been trotted out, seeming several times, but from reports it doesn’t seem to have been well received either by the recipients or by the wider audience.
 
If there is to be a positive way forward then fences need to be mended and attitudes changed both at the school level and much higher where a similar situation seems to have developed of a boss surrounding themselves with like minded people.
 
Will such changes be forthcoming?
 
Recent history suggests not but perhaps this is just me being a Drain. 

We will see.

Responsibility

A while ago, so the story goes, a financial dealer who regularly made his firm lots of money was caught, during a party, on the boardroom table with a secretary.
 
Naturally the Board was furious when they found out but couldn’t sack him because he was their star earner. They tried to sack the poor young secretary but the dealer kicked up too much of a fuss. 

Indeed, he refused any sort of reprimand for either of them.
 
So the Board made a decision and got rid of the table instead.
 
Nobody comes out shining from this tale but at least the dealer did something right in protecting his quest of the evening.
 
Too often people fail to do the right thing swayed by money, loss of reputation, or even fear of the publicity. Sadly sometimes the inaction might be down to sheer incompetence as a manager.
 
What is the right thing?
 
I guess it depends on your point of view.

A proper education

In an earlier blog I posed the question “What do we want from our schools?”
 
This is an attempt to answer that question.
 
Let’s start by looking at the end product. What do we want our 16 year old school leaver to look like? Once we know the goal, then we can figure out how to get there.
 
This individual should be healthy and fit and have a respect for their bodies. They should know how to maintain themselves in terms of basic modern survival skills. By this I mean the ability to groom, feed and clothe themselves. Maybe even live by themselves if the need arose.
 
Yes I know that’s traditionally part of the role of parents but so much of what is now lacking is, and it still won’t happen unless someone else does it.
 
Be able to budget and manage their finances which in turn means having a good understanding of numbers and basic arithmetic. 

Mathematics based on real world problems.
 
The ability to hold a conversation with anyone of any age. This brings in a whole range of personal skills including thinking, listening, and presenting your own ideas in a coherent fashion.
 
Our school leaver should have an understanding of themselves, their surroundings and the wider world. This means having the ability to both read, comprehend and think about what you have read.
 
This leads on to thinking in general.
 
The ability to seek out information and consider its veracity. So much of the modern e-world seems to involve people peddling dubious opinions and shallow thinking. They get away with this because most people do not know how to spot illogical or poor thinking.
 
Note that I haven’t even begun to consider any subject specific knowledge. Most of what we need from individuals are skill sets rather than knowledge.
 
Creativity is another area where we might like to see our school leaver shine both mentally and physically. The skills to attempt to create physical things of beauty and not just ideas.
 
The ability to think and work collectively. Ploughing your own furrow was an enviable trait in previous centuries but now we all work as teams. Collaboration is the key to boosting creativity these days.
 
As a team player, our school leaver will have a sense of community and a willingness to help others. The ability to see the wider picture rather than just the parochial.
 
This widens out into a respect for both themselves and for everyone they have contact with. Respect doesn’t mean obedience or blind acceptance. Just a willingness to consider the other persons position rather than just your own thoughts and needs.
 
A willingness to make mistakes. The best way to learn and stretch yourself is by trying; and trying will always bring mistakes if you are entering new areas. Anyone know a baby who stood and walked at their first attempt? No. We try, we fall over, and we try again until we get it right.
 
The other part of the equation is admitting mistakes, which in my book also includes admitting that you don’t yet know the answer to whatever you are being asked. Admitting temporary ignorance until you are able to rectify that situation rather than trying to blag your way through life.
 
I’ve still not drilled down to information acquisition and everything so far isn’t even age specific. Most of it can be applied equally at the primary or secondary level, tweaked of course to the age appropriate circumstance.
 
How about having a positive attitude? A can do approach, or at least a willingness to try approach?
 
A love of learning. Much to every school leavers disgust, exams do not stop at sixteen; they just take different forms. Lifelong learning is with us for our foreseeable future so get used to it. Mind you, if you have a love for new information, then learning is something that you will do for fun anyway.
 
Adaptability is already a major asset to anyone’s arsenal these days. 

The world is changing so fast that we can’t even imagine the skills that will be useful in twenty years time. Fletcher, cooper, blacksmith, printer. All good and essential trades until the world moved on. Learn from history; death and taxes are not the only certainties these days. Change is up there too.
 
Self motivation has got to be on the list somewhere. For most of us the world does not come on a plate and we will only realise our dreams by our own efforts.
 
The ability to dream. A willingness to aim high. Not being satisfied with following the family business, be it mining or doctoring. This also means having had the chance to know what’s out there or at least being given the skills so that you can go and look for yourselves.
 
I guess that by now I should be looking at subjects which actually exist in the school curriculum.
 
Geography. A knowledge of the world which is not US-centric. 

Sadly, most people can name more US states than European capitals. I’d rather our school leaver knew where most countries in the world were and have some idea of their current situation if even at the most basic level. An understanding of climate and the effects of mankind on the environment would be useful and hopefully might promote a better awareness of modern needs and more especially Island needs regarding conservation and environmental controls.
 
History. An understanding of Island history, then European history and then world history. Again, it is better to have a broad brush understanding rather than a detailed knowledge of only one small aspect of the world.
 
Language. An appreciation of language and an ability to use it in both the written and spoken form. Start close to home and then work outwards. Let them experience the best of British, European and then world literature, in translation of course.
 
This can broaden out into the performing arts where the individuals get the chance to express themselves creatively.
 
Art appreciation. An understanding of the major visual art movements in history. 
 
Religion. An understanding of all of the world religions and of their critics. Comparative religion rather than indoctrination.
 
The idea in everything is to get a world framework. With that created, the individual can then decide which areas to pursue into greater depth.
 
One of the big problems with these ideas is that a lot of it can’t be tested. How do you examine if a person is becoming a team player or more positive and self confident? Without testing, how do you know if a teacher or a school is performing well? How do you reward? How do you maintain standards?
 
The answer is of course to spend time in the schools and to talk to the pupils. Two or three weeks in a school, observing lessons and playtimes should give an insight into the schools success and talking to pupils will soon establish what sort of individuals they are turning into.
 
Of course we would need teachers proficient in this new curriculum. People with real world skills rather than individuals who went from school to uni and back to school again. But to do that we would need to pay teachers a real world salary otherwise why would a success want to move into teaching?
 
But back to our school leaver. If you saw someone with even half of the skills we’ve discussed walking out of the school gates, wouldn’t you want to employ them?
 
Isn’t that enough of an endorsement to move towards this end?

Attracting the floating pound

Does Guernsey PLC make money from the visiting cruise liners which are becoming a regular feature off St Peter Port?
 
It’s a simple question but not one that anybody seems to have answered with any confidence.
 
The question sounds easy. Thousands of people flooding into Town and then over the Island; people with time to spare and money to spend. Of course it must be profitable.
 
But when we have a Sunday visit, how many shops open specifically for the boats? Hardly any because the shopkeepers say it’s not profitable.
 
So, maybe not such a simple question after all.
 
If the profit margin is so low that might explain why business in general doesn’t seem to want to invest in this potential industry. 

Perhaps they see it as the short term bubble that it might turn into.
 
If Jersey develop better facilities then the boats will go there. Or would they? In a straight fight, which Island would you prefer to visit? One that has a town just like the one you’ve live near, or St Peter Port? Outside of town, the islands are geographically similar but, with more space perhaps the other island might win out. Each Island has it’s attractions so Guernsey wouldn’t be a clear winner, despite what we may like to think.
 
Can we develop a viable industry from these liner passengers? If so, how much do we need to invest and what sort of return can we expect?
 
We’ve done reasonably well so far with minimal investment, but as recent events have shown, problems will arise if we can’t provide what these big ships need.
 
Do we want to make substantial capital investments to encourage this industry?
 
I suspect the answer might be no as spending millions could leave us with a deep water berth and no ships to fill it when the cruising industry declines or goes elsewhere.
 
So unless someone can come up with figures showing the worth of this industry it might be better to make hay while the sun shines and look around for something more sustainable to develop for the long term future of Guernsey.

Slavery makes a comback

It’s been a while since we have seen any slaves in Guernsey but I wonder if it is due for a comeback.
 
Although supposedly stamped out in the developed world, slavery does still exist. Indeed a form of slavery is making a big comeback in the US and UK so it is only a matter of time before it reaches our shores.
 
I’m talking about “Internships”; the practise of working for someone without pay or conditions in order to gain experience.
 
In the tough labour market of the UK, employers want people with experience which you can only get by doing the job. A sort of “Catch22”.
 
Our ever inventive businessmen though have cracked this seemingly unsolvable problem by expanding on the previous idea known as “Work Experience”.
 
That was where you went and worked for a firm for a short period in order to find out whether that line of work was for you or not.
 
Schools still regularly arrange such placements and they are a valuable contribution by our businesses to our youngsters development.
 
However, the extension of this scheme into “Internships” is another matter entirely.
 
Now we have youngsters working for nothing for an extended period of time and with no security of tenure or any of the other basic rights which were fought for so bitterly many decades ago.
 
Want a good job?
 
Sorry, you haven’t got experience.
 
Want to get experience?
 
Then work for us for nothing.
 
Have you seen the problem yet?
 
You can only afford to work for nothing if you have some money behind you which effectively cuts out the exact swathe of jobseekers who could really do with such jobs.
 
Daddy’s influence has always been a factor in obtaining a good job but at least potential talent and aptitude used to count for something. Now it all comes down to whether you can afford to work for nothing in order to build up experience.
 
In the UK it’s bad enough that university education now comes down to how much you can afford (or afford to go into debt). Now you can’t even begin to recoup that cost by getting a good job after your studies without putting in a few weeks or months of slave labour.
 
From the employers point of view this is a fabulous scheme. The pick of the best candidates, a risk free period to assess them, and enough bodies to fulfil whatever project you wish to take on. Zero effect on your bottom line and as little training as you wish to provide. What’s not to like?
 
It’s only a problem for the great unwashed and who wants them anyway?
 
So next time you hear someone talking about Internships, just make sure to call it by it’s right name.
 
In the meantime you can place a bet on how long it takes for slavery to reappear in Guernsey.

Do we really need consultants?

Consultants do not know what they are doing.

They are given a remit from the organisation they are to work for and they have to go in and find out what is happening.
 

How do they do this?
 

They talk to people. Lots of people, at every level in the organisation.
 

They ask questions, and make you question your own processes.
 

They want to learn what your problems are and they want to know what ideas you have to solve these problems.
 

Because they don’t know the trees, they are able to see the wood. 

They bring an independent mind and a viewpoint formed by what they learn.
 

What comes out of this process is a report and usually a number of recommendations. 

What also comes along is a large bill.
 

Now most of the information and advice in this report has come from within your own organisation. You could have had it for free. But you wouldn’t have valued it.
 

Instead, you have an expensive report from professional consultants who obviously know their stuff because they’ve come up with some really good recommendations. This, you value and hopefully will put into practise.
 

What consultants seldom tell you is the systems to put in place so that you never need call on them again.
 

Systems which allow all of your staff to bring their ideas to the table without wading through seventeen layers of bureaucracy.
 

Systems which will really listen to new ideas.
 

Systems which teach your managers how to manage efficiently, which isn’t always dictated by the bottom line.
 

Systems which reward innovation regardless of pay grade.

The best organisations do this already. They do not need consultants. Every single member of their organisation is already a valued consultant. 

Now that’s a system worth building!