February 2012 - Rick

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Immigration checks – border control vs crowd control

LSE’s Simon Bastow comments on the investigation into the UK Border Agency and its handling of immigration checks. (You may remember, there was a row last year when it emerged that some security checks had not been carried out during … Continue...

Published 28 Feb 2012 8:46 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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Employment protection – Are Liam Fox’s claims intellectually sustainable?

There’s a hint of desperation in this piece from Jeremy Warner. We have to make it easier for firms to fire people, he says, “everything else we’ve tried has failed to stimulate economic growth.” That’s the sort of thing people...

Published 27 Feb 2012 9:51 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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The Odd Job Society

The witch-hunt against freelancers goes on. (See here, here and here.) If the Daily Mail is to be believed, (I know, I know) George Osborne is about to ban the use of interim managers in the public sector. But, while even … Continue reading →...

Published 24 Feb 2012 8:01 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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Witch-hunt of the week: Freelancers

The open season on interim managers is gathering pace. It’s moved beyond people covering senior public sector roles to include anyone who is doing contract work for public bodies. The Sunday Telegraph published this non-story at the weekend. Apparently...

Published 22 Feb 2012 8:12 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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Managers and the laager mentality

A thought-provoking piece from Blair McPherson in the Guardian Public Leaders section about what happens to senior managers who shut themselves off from those lower down in the hierarchy. There are many ways to get rid of a director and the … Continue...

Published 21 Feb 2012 11:14 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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What happens when you start Norming before you’ve finished Storming?

Radio 4 did an excellent three-part programme a couple of weeks ago on the history of the Euro and the roots of the current crisis. If you are interested in the subject it’s well worth listening to the whole thing but … Continue reading →...

Published 20 Feb 2012 11:03 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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Open season on public sector interims

The row about senior government staff being paid through service companies has spread to local authorities. The ever-helpful Eric Pickles has minted a new term – “town hall tax dodgers” – and ordered councils to publicly declare...

Published 18 Feb 2012 3:12 PM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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Is football facing a financial crash?

Is football facing a financial collapse? This week, Rangers and Portsmouth have gone into administration, leading some commentators to draw comparisons with the banking collapse. Consultants AT Kearney warned that this could be the start of a financial...

Published 17 Feb 2012 9:54 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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Why are senior government staff paid through limited companies?

The Guardian has discovered that 25 senior Department of Health staff are paid through limited companies, rather than as direct employees. Surprised? I’m not. These people are called interims and you will find them in most large organisations. As...

Published 16 Feb 2012 11:12 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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What are companies for?

Or perhaps a better question would be, ‘Who are companies for?’ This question was going through my mind when I read Neil Morrison’s stirring call to arms last week, urging companies to create jobs. We all know the state of … Continue...

Published 15 Feb 2012 5:03 PM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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Nigel Doughty

Perhaps it’s a sign of how busy I’ve been but it was a week before I heard that former Nottingham Forest chairman Nigel Doughty had died, suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 54. Like many Forest fans, I didn’t … Continue reading...

Published 14 Feb 2012 8:10 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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Does management work?

Returning, then, to Chris Dillow’s question (see previous post). Does management make any difference to organisations or is it simply a series of rituals used to justify the rewards and positional power of executives? Are managers just witch-doctors...

Published 13 Feb 2012 11:02 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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You don’t need to be a lefty to think the NHS reforms are mad

Tim Montgomerie has, this morning, proved what I’ve been saying for months; you don’t need to be a lefty to think that the NHS reforms are unnecessary and counterproductive. He’s changed his tune since this time last year but he’s...

Published 10 Feb 2012 11:14 AM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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Curbing high pay – Regulation or taxation?

Here’s a brain-teaser for you. Without looking, guess which OECD country has the highest level of income inequality. Now guess again. It’s Italy, followed by Chile, Portugal and Germany. The US, which would have been my guess, is down at …...

Published 8 Feb 2012 12:42 PM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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Why would RBS staff give Zoe Williams a soundbite?

Zoe Williams has been going into branches of RBS and asking staff to comment on the directors’ bonuses. She can’t understand why they are so reluctant to respond: All I wanted was the view from the ground in RBS: did … Continue reading...

Published 5 Feb 2012 5:07 PM by Flip Chart Fairy Tales

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February 2012 - Rick

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Archives

Immigration checks – border control vs crowd control

Employment protection – Are Liam Fox’s claims intellectually sustainable?

The Odd Job Society

Witch-hunt of the week: Freelancers

Managers and the laager mentality

What happens when you start Norming before you’ve finished Storming?

Open season on public sector interims

Is football facing a financial crash?

Why are senior government staff paid through limited companies?

What are companies for?

Nigel Doughty

Does management work?

You don’t need to be a lefty to think the NHS reforms are mad

Curbing high pay – Regulation or taxation?

Why would RBS staff give Zoe Williams a soundbite?