July 7, 2009
Guru's favourite newspaper, the Daily Mail, carries the heart-warming story of Phyllis Self, aged 101 and officially Britain's oldest boss.
She is also Britain's oldest HR person - still working up to six days a week managing the garden centre business she opened in 1969.
The great-grandmother puts in a 36-hour week, dealing with all correspondence, payroll, and the hiring and firing of nearly 200 staff at the firm in Wiltshire.
According to the paper, she became a personnel officer for a wool mill in Rochdale after finishing school in 1925 and worked there for several years. Now that's dedication for you - an 84 year career in HR. Guru reckons she could teach the whinging HR youngsters of today a thing or two.
And the secret to her success? 'Keeping busy', not smoking and taking a whisky and ginger nightcap. Sounds like Guru's kind of granny.
You wonder what she would make of today's HR jargon. Guru reckons the CIPD should get her along to speak at its annual conference in Manchester. Phyllis would certainly be as interesting as last year's dullards.
She is also Britain's oldest HR person - still working up to six days a week managing the garden centre business she opened in 1969.
The great-grandmother puts in a 36-hour week, dealing with all correspondence, payroll, and the hiring and firing of nearly 200 staff at the firm in Wiltshire.
According to the paper, she became a personnel officer for a wool mill in Rochdale after finishing school in 1925 and worked there for several years. Now that's dedication for you - an 84 year career in HR. Guru reckons she could teach the whinging HR youngsters of today a thing or two.
And the secret to her success? 'Keeping busy', not smoking and taking a whisky and ginger nightcap. Sounds like Guru's kind of granny.
You wonder what she would make of today's HR jargon. Guru reckons the CIPD should get her along to speak at its annual conference in Manchester. Phyllis would certainly be as interesting as last year's dullards.
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