My Favourite Quote Peter Drucker once said that “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Those words chime so loudly for me that it is like sitting in the belfry next to Big Ben. Just because I agree with a statement doesn’t make it right. Beliefs are dangerous things, so I decided I had better check. Is […]
Hold Their Feet to the Fire
Accountability We spend a lot of time talking about accountability and responsibility. If you google “Accountability versus Responsibility” you will get at least 51 million hits. Most of them tell you that you can’t manage people if you aren’t clear about accountabilities and responsibilities. (Please don’t ask if I have looked at all 51 million, […]
Coercion, Fear and Ebola
A frightening disease There is an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Healthcare workers are desperately trying to contain the infection. The first signs of the disease appear within a couple of weeks of infection. They include fever, headaches and sore throats. Vomiting and diarrhoea follow, then internal and external bleeding […]
Scapegoating and the Black Magic of Work Creation
An imaginary tale… Picture a high pressure environment. Resources are stretched and the work keeps on coming. Jobs are routinely prioritised so that staff can focus on what is important. That isn’t an uncommon scenario, maybe it is ringing bells, so let me make it a little more dramatic by upping the stakes. Imagine it was […]
A Culture of Fear, Intimidation and Retaliation
The scandal In 2011, a state report to the Governor’s office in Georgia claimed that there was “organised and systemic misconduct” in 44 of Atlanta’s 56 schools. 2 years later 35 teachers, head teachers and administrative staff were brought to trial and charged with racketeering and other offences. The smoking gun The accusations revolved around […]