Playing catch up
Ever since I have been here a fundamental change process has been uppermost in people’s minds as there are huge amounts of restructuring going on impacting almost every person who works here. Many of the changes are driven by strategic thinking and the need to align the organisation to our very clear strategic aims and objectives. Very exciting and radical. Other changes are being driven by a clear need to control core costs – not so exciting or radical …..unfortunately, the two overlap and the distinctions blur, making it a very challenging time for all…..(False assumption number 2 – moving to a Christian charity will mean less challenge, a more laid back and easy environment to operate in)
I think the organisation is playing a game of catch up, and am very excited at the vision of where we want to be in a few years time.....but playing catch up can be hard work!!
Playing catch up is risky and demanding of all concerned. I love rugby. When a team plays catch up they have to be less defensive minded, throw the ball around to try and score quickly. When it works it is exhilarating to watch and even more so to play. But it leaves people exhausted and in need of a rest, needs the whole team to work very closely together to cover each other’s positions, and it can be risky – the risk being dropping the ball or throwing an intercepted pass allowing the opposition to score an easy try. The absolute key is communication. I have the dvd of the England rugby team winning the world cup in 2003. The reason they got into drop goal range for that final Wilkinson kick was that, under pressure, they communicated clearly …you can see the captain Martin Johnson gesticulating to the guys in the ruck to give him the ball to take it into another ruck to gain a precious few yards rather than try to spin it out for the drop goal from where they were. They heard him,instinctively understood each other, and those few yards made all the difference. Lets hope we can be like that - rather than having passes intercepted and keep leaking tries.
The senior managers here are doing a tremendous job in coming up with a strategy which both addresses the strategic objectives and delivers the cost savings required in the area I work in. The vision is exciting, the outcome should be more money raised and then delivered in an even more effective way to the poorest of the poor. And although it means lots of papers and reviews and consultations to wade through – at least the communication is happening, better than it ever did at my last job. But again – it still doesn’t make it any easier.
Most of my time in the accounting profession was during periods of growth. More latterly things were a little flatter and there were reorganisations to address problems and allow for growth. The minimum amount of consultation was undertaken, and most communication with the staff was just telling them what was happening and why. The pressure was also on to push the boat out to bring the fees in. Within the tax practice, that meant designing – and flogging at times inappropriately – more and more exotic and aggressive tax avoidance schemes. (When is a bonus not a bonus? When paid in all sorts of exotic financial instruments immediately then converted to cash so they escape tax via esoteric loopholes). The pressure and competitive nature of the market place were constant, and the prime drivers of every day activity. Looking after clients took second place to winning new ones or selling new schemes to existing ones. Who cared whether the schemes were within the spirit of the law? So long as they were legal and at least had a chance of succeeding the game was on. A short term response leading to unfair pressures on staff, and long term damage to the reputation of the firm as well as problems with clients when the problems with the schemes came home to roost. We must be careful here too that pressures to grow don't result in damaging our reputation and looking to the short term at the expense of the long term.
At the same time, occasionally in such periods we would have to address the cost base. We were actually a pretty people focussed firm, IIP Accredited etc – but then our people were what we sold. When people had to go it was done behind closed doors, people’s roles changed by discussion and a certain level of agreement, and just occasionally if someone had to go as a last resort – it would be dealt with efficiently but in a brusque manner. Such people wouldn’t hang around, and tales abounded in the profession of waves of redundancies being advised by e mails and people accompanied off the premises as soon as they were told.
A far cry from the transparent, inclusive and honest processes I have seen here. At the moment there are so many consultations going around I could spend all my time commenting on them and discussing them. The business drivers are similar. Rising costs have to be covered either by increased income or by cost reductions. We are trying to address both together...time will prove whether or not that is possible.
Communication is one of those things in my opinion managers can never win with. It is human nature to assume there are hidden agendas, or things they are not being told – or to miss things in the plethora of information fired at us from so many sources nowadays and then ask why there isn’t enough communication. But the level of strategic focus and consultation with affected people here is in a different league. Not perfect, but a huge improvement on the profession.
A few posts in the area staff – my department – are going to be lost. The nature of other posts is changing so they have to reapply for their jobs, although there are clearly jobs there for many of them with a different focus. It has to be done – but that doesn’t make it any easier for everyone involved.
I feel a real sense of calling to this job. Yes its something I dreamed of doing, and I love every minute of it. But also I believe it’s the place where God wants me to be. As I play my role through the current reviews and consultations I keep asking myself so I remain aware of it – with that sense of calling in mind, how would I deal with the uncertainty of having to reapply for my job or even knowing my job may disappear?......
I think the organisation is playing a game of catch up, and am very excited at the vision of where we want to be in a few years time.....but playing catch up can be hard work!!
Playing catch up is risky and demanding of all concerned. I love rugby. When a team plays catch up they have to be less defensive minded, throw the ball around to try and score quickly. When it works it is exhilarating to watch and even more so to play. But it leaves people exhausted and in need of a rest, needs the whole team to work very closely together to cover each other’s positions, and it can be risky – the risk being dropping the ball or throwing an intercepted pass allowing the opposition to score an easy try. The absolute key is communication. I have the dvd of the England rugby team winning the world cup in 2003. The reason they got into drop goal range for that final Wilkinson kick was that, under pressure, they communicated clearly …you can see the captain Martin Johnson gesticulating to the guys in the ruck to give him the ball to take it into another ruck to gain a precious few yards rather than try to spin it out for the drop goal from where they were. They heard him,instinctively understood each other, and those few yards made all the difference. Lets hope we can be like that - rather than having passes intercepted and keep leaking tries.
The senior managers here are doing a tremendous job in coming up with a strategy which both addresses the strategic objectives and delivers the cost savings required in the area I work in. The vision is exciting, the outcome should be more money raised and then delivered in an even more effective way to the poorest of the poor. And although it means lots of papers and reviews and consultations to wade through – at least the communication is happening, better than it ever did at my last job. But again – it still doesn’t make it any easier.
Most of my time in the accounting profession was during periods of growth. More latterly things were a little flatter and there were reorganisations to address problems and allow for growth. The minimum amount of consultation was undertaken, and most communication with the staff was just telling them what was happening and why. The pressure was also on to push the boat out to bring the fees in. Within the tax practice, that meant designing – and flogging at times inappropriately – more and more exotic and aggressive tax avoidance schemes. (When is a bonus not a bonus? When paid in all sorts of exotic financial instruments immediately then converted to cash so they escape tax via esoteric loopholes). The pressure and competitive nature of the market place were constant, and the prime drivers of every day activity. Looking after clients took second place to winning new ones or selling new schemes to existing ones. Who cared whether the schemes were within the spirit of the law? So long as they were legal and at least had a chance of succeeding the game was on. A short term response leading to unfair pressures on staff, and long term damage to the reputation of the firm as well as problems with clients when the problems with the schemes came home to roost. We must be careful here too that pressures to grow don't result in damaging our reputation and looking to the short term at the expense of the long term.
At the same time, occasionally in such periods we would have to address the cost base. We were actually a pretty people focussed firm, IIP Accredited etc – but then our people were what we sold. When people had to go it was done behind closed doors, people’s roles changed by discussion and a certain level of agreement, and just occasionally if someone had to go as a last resort – it would be dealt with efficiently but in a brusque manner. Such people wouldn’t hang around, and tales abounded in the profession of waves of redundancies being advised by e mails and people accompanied off the premises as soon as they were told.
A far cry from the transparent, inclusive and honest processes I have seen here. At the moment there are so many consultations going around I could spend all my time commenting on them and discussing them. The business drivers are similar. Rising costs have to be covered either by increased income or by cost reductions. We are trying to address both together...time will prove whether or not that is possible.
Communication is one of those things in my opinion managers can never win with. It is human nature to assume there are hidden agendas, or things they are not being told – or to miss things in the plethora of information fired at us from so many sources nowadays and then ask why there isn’t enough communication. But the level of strategic focus and consultation with affected people here is in a different league. Not perfect, but a huge improvement on the profession.
A few posts in the area staff – my department – are going to be lost. The nature of other posts is changing so they have to reapply for their jobs, although there are clearly jobs there for many of them with a different focus. It has to be done – but that doesn’t make it any easier for everyone involved.
I feel a real sense of calling to this job. Yes its something I dreamed of doing, and I love every minute of it. But also I believe it’s the place where God wants me to be. As I play my role through the current reviews and consultations I keep asking myself so I remain aware of it – with that sense of calling in mind, how would I deal with the uncertainty of having to reapply for my job or even knowing my job may disappear?......
posted by Mark at 8:41 PM
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