Is it just me or is the dearth of managerial talent apparent in this nation a real problem?
From top to bottom, from politics to the corner store, from the boardrooms to the dressing rooms, the subtle art of man management seems to have disappeared.
Now I for one don’t think the current Australian government have been nearly as bad as the heavily conservative Fairfax and Murdoch owned newspapers would have you believe but despite the few positive things they have achieved the art of subtle management seems to elude them and as I write a storm is brewing just up the road and it appears the Prime Minister may be on the way out to be replaced by the fellow who she took the job off. The fellow nobody in the party likes! Yes it may be brutal Labour Party politics but it hardly plays well to the masses who are constantly bombarded by media declarations of rashness and irresponsibility which are, rightly or wrongly attributed to this current government.
Now before anyone thinks I have drifted to the dark side and thrown my hat in the ring with those conservative propagandists posing as an opposition, fear not. They are even less inspiring than the government! If you had told me five years ago that man like Tony Abbott could be Prime Minister of this nation I would have laughed at you but here he is, on the cusp of making it happen. The thing which is really startling is the lack of talent, Malcolm Turnbull aside, which congregate on the opposition benches, waiting patiently for September 14 after which it is more than likely they will be able to increase their numbers and swap sides in the chamber and take control of the finances of this nation.
Joe Hockey, Christopher Pyne, Julie Bishop, Sophie Mirabella a line up of incompetents and worker hating barbarians if ever there was one. They are no longer Liberals. They are staunch, right wing conservatives. And that is a worry.
But enough of politics. The mere thought of where the future of the country lies is forcing cold beads of sweat to run down my back and causing me to shiver in every sinew and muscle.
The malaise in skilful management seems to be affecting sport as too with the well documented shenanigans of our national cricket team and swimming squad making the news today and of course the ongoing drug scandal in Australian sport only illustrates how badly administrators have been handling their charges and it seems barely a week goes by without some scandal or another reaching the newspapers in regards to footballers who can’t be controlled.
There seem to be a dripping effect when it comes to management and nowhere is that more apparent than my place of work.
Our illustrious manager, seemingly oblivious to the obvious shortcomings of our workplace, seems instead to be obsessed with ensuring we all leave on time.
No one seems to care that in many facets of our job we are leading the nation or close to it. No thanks for a job well done. Just brickbats it seems.
Our downtrodden supervisor runs about all day, from one end of the building to the other, like Superman on steroids, trying to keep his end of the bargain up, keeping his shift on an even keel yet he still can’t escape the gaze of the schoolmaster.
For many years, as the clock runs down, our shift, most have whom have worked together for the best part of twenty years, begins to unwind and we have taken to skivving out a minute or two before the end of the shift. A minute or two! Our night shift supervisor and several of his adherents on the later shift seem to have taken exception to this, fervently believing that productivity achieved in those vital two minutes is as important as anything else which happens through the day and have complained to the manager about our scurrilous conduct.
The manager, in all his self knowledgeable righteousness, chided us at our regular briefing last week, declaring that leaving early was fraud and that he would put a stop to it if it continued. Fast forward to this week and we have seem him returning to work in the evenings just as we are about to go, ensuring that we do in fact leave on time and not commit any great crime in robbing the corporation of that two minutes which is owed to them and no doubt gladdening the hearts of those night shifters who are happy to see us get our comeuppance.
Of course it is all a bit of a laugh. Another episode in the saga of poor management which has bedevilled the place in the last five years. Sure, we are in the wrong but it is hardly a hanging offence and when we have worked solidly all day, why would anyone begrudge us a minute or two of relief at the end of the night? All it does is annoy people and sinks morale lower than it already is. Poor management. It seems like a disease. Treating grown adults like school kids is hardly inspiring conduct. Clowns.
So, let us hope that the dearth of managerial skill in this nation is merely a cyclical occurrence, that the wheel will turn and in time the cream will yet again rise to the top and those with managerial ability will take their rightful place at the top of the tree. But I won’t be holding my breath.
Have a nice day.
From top to bottom, from politics to the corner store, from the boardrooms to the dressing rooms, the subtle art of man management seems to have disappeared.
Now I for one don’t think the current Australian government have been nearly as bad as the heavily conservative Fairfax and Murdoch owned newspapers would have you believe but despite the few positive things they have achieved the art of subtle management seems to elude them and as I write a storm is brewing just up the road and it appears the Prime Minister may be on the way out to be replaced by the fellow who she took the job off. The fellow nobody in the party likes! Yes it may be brutal Labour Party politics but it hardly plays well to the masses who are constantly bombarded by media declarations of rashness and irresponsibility which are, rightly or wrongly attributed to this current government.
Now before anyone thinks I have drifted to the dark side and thrown my hat in the ring with those conservative propagandists posing as an opposition, fear not. They are even less inspiring than the government! If you had told me five years ago that man like Tony Abbott could be Prime Minister of this nation I would have laughed at you but here he is, on the cusp of making it happen. The thing which is really startling is the lack of talent, Malcolm Turnbull aside, which congregate on the opposition benches, waiting patiently for September 14 after which it is more than likely they will be able to increase their numbers and swap sides in the chamber and take control of the finances of this nation.
Joe Hockey, Christopher Pyne, Julie Bishop, Sophie Mirabella a line up of incompetents and worker hating barbarians if ever there was one. They are no longer Liberals. They are staunch, right wing conservatives. And that is a worry.
But enough of politics. The mere thought of where the future of the country lies is forcing cold beads of sweat to run down my back and causing me to shiver in every sinew and muscle.
The malaise in skilful management seems to be affecting sport as too with the well documented shenanigans of our national cricket team and swimming squad making the news today and of course the ongoing drug scandal in Australian sport only illustrates how badly administrators have been handling their charges and it seems barely a week goes by without some scandal or another reaching the newspapers in regards to footballers who can’t be controlled.
There seem to be a dripping effect when it comes to management and nowhere is that more apparent than my place of work.
Our illustrious manager, seemingly oblivious to the obvious shortcomings of our workplace, seems instead to be obsessed with ensuring we all leave on time.
No one seems to care that in many facets of our job we are leading the nation or close to it. No thanks for a job well done. Just brickbats it seems.
Our downtrodden supervisor runs about all day, from one end of the building to the other, like Superman on steroids, trying to keep his end of the bargain up, keeping his shift on an even keel yet he still can’t escape the gaze of the schoolmaster.
For many years, as the clock runs down, our shift, most have whom have worked together for the best part of twenty years, begins to unwind and we have taken to skivving out a minute or two before the end of the shift. A minute or two! Our night shift supervisor and several of his adherents on the later shift seem to have taken exception to this, fervently believing that productivity achieved in those vital two minutes is as important as anything else which happens through the day and have complained to the manager about our scurrilous conduct.
The manager, in all his self knowledgeable righteousness, chided us at our regular briefing last week, declaring that leaving early was fraud and that he would put a stop to it if it continued. Fast forward to this week and we have seem him returning to work in the evenings just as we are about to go, ensuring that we do in fact leave on time and not commit any great crime in robbing the corporation of that two minutes which is owed to them and no doubt gladdening the hearts of those night shifters who are happy to see us get our comeuppance.
Of course it is all a bit of a laugh. Another episode in the saga of poor management which has bedevilled the place in the last five years. Sure, we are in the wrong but it is hardly a hanging offence and when we have worked solidly all day, why would anyone begrudge us a minute or two of relief at the end of the night? All it does is annoy people and sinks morale lower than it already is. Poor management. It seems like a disease. Treating grown adults like school kids is hardly inspiring conduct. Clowns.
So, let us hope that the dearth of managerial skill in this nation is merely a cyclical occurrence, that the wheel will turn and in time the cream will yet again rise to the top and those with managerial ability will take their rightful place at the top of the tree. But I won’t be holding my breath.
Have a nice day.
Strange Notations From a Laborious Life 