A Good New Year to you.
Yes...back early. Officially it's the 19th January where I concentrate on all things around value based HR or human capital management as we also call it.
So why today? Well - we're a few days into the New Year and already the evidence is rather short on talent but plenty on incompetence. It's a theme of several of my blog entries last year. I'd rather hoped it would go away but it doesn't.......
Those of you who frequented Euston station yesterday morning would have been on the receiving end of some exceptional incompetence by Network Rail. Bad luck they said. Yes maybe the awful plane crash but not the continuing collapse of cable lines every day....Rush job - you bet...rather like plumbing really.
Cracked water pipes in Wales because the water company was unprepared? You're joking right? (as an aside, a member of my family has just had an electricity cut and a colleague was subject to no water yesterday evening)
Then there's the Chancellor......suddenly he's realised that the upturn he forecast isn't going to happen. Gosh that's pretty good. You have to go to a special school to get it that badly wrong....ask John Grieve at the Bank of England who effectively admitted that they were asleep at the wheel - underestimating the effects of the 'crazy borrowing' taking place. That's special. To admit it - well it's just extra-special....
Just a question - what are these people being paid for?
But there's more.....
To the bank teller who entered my first name wrong (even though it's on the system) on a new bank card which has caused no end of problems.....
To the barista who continually doesn't listen to my coffee order....
To the mobile phone company who couldn't even, after 6 calls, upgrade my package (and lost it altogether) for wasting my time....(I'd been a loyal customer of 7 years)
And don't forget a special mention to the obnoxious TV licencing people who couldn't be bothered to update my records but could send out threatening letters to the new address....
To the various checkout staff who are far more interested in having a conversation with a colleague instead of serving the growing queue of customers (I won't mention this highly rated foodstore's name)...
Or to the overly(newly)-trained check-out staff who try and strike up a conversation you don't need (incompetent training/management).......
Or those that can't put something in a bag without taking half an hour.....
Basically whatever/wherever you transact whether its banking, phones, utilities, purchasing of any kind the incidence of not fulfilling on the value proposition or receiving bad service seems to be totally out of proportion.
There is a great piece in 'The Independent' today headlined 'Bad service and grumpy Britons put tourism jobs at risk' (slightly different to the headline on the frontpage!). Basically, poor service is forecast to mean job losses in the tourism sector.
Another piece in The Guardian on Tuesday about 'incompetent' teachers - 'Those who can't teach'. There's reckoned to be about 15,000 or so teachers who deserve the sack according to Chris Woodhead. The article starts by asking the question: Is it right for 'incompetent' teachers to be hounded out of the profession? To which my answer is astonishingly YES or it can't call itself a profession. The NUT may think differently. But let's not worry about our future human capital, eh? I've not even mentioned the SATS fiasco.
The there's another special kind of incompetence - one that you can't even make up - see for example 'Clean, on time and empty. The 'ghost bus' that runs solely to spare ministers' blushes'. You've got to read it to begin to believe it.........
Maybe recessionary times brings us back to doing the basics well. And we'll be better for it.
Those of you who have read my blog recently will have noted criticisms around the UK's economic strategy and economic management and its impact on the country's workforce as well as its wider impications. I'm not saying anymore but I would direct you to some recent articles that are well-written and provide thoughtful insight.
A selection includes:
To live in remarkable times (James Meek)
We're going back to work but will we be sitting comfortably? (Andrew Oswald)
With all these trillions, how can we keep hold of the meaning of money? (Max Hastings)
No green shoots in sight as recession bites (Gary Duncan)
Choices made in 2009 will shape the globe's destiny (Martin Wolf)
Clearly there is still some competence around....
Going into 2009 its clear that one thing for organisations and HR functions is to concentrate on competence and maybe just maybe you might find a sustainable proposition at the expense of somebody who isn't competent.....
As usual we're busy as the School gets ready for its 2009 HCMI class whilst at VaLUENTiS we're busy with employee engagement, productivity and HR function effectiveness.
But more on that on 19th...be seeing you.....
