Category: Management
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Oil of Ole
If the continued presence of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the Manchester United dugout is mystifying, you probably haven’t ever been too absorbed in the hell of UK office politics swirling around you. It’s a common phenomenon in business that people hire their buddies and would rather see poor results than allow somebody who’s not part…
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Shut Your Cakehole
It’s a funny old world. Droning, bleeding hearts are seeing their piss boiled by current issues with supply chains and highlighting these as a direct consequence of Brexit while also bemoaning the challenges faced by EU citizens currently domiciled in the UK. Two sets of inevitable consequences of Brexit – one for I-told-you-so gloating and…
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Motion Lotion
A year on, and commentators are seeking to assess Keir Starmer’s progress as the Labour Leader. Now, that’s a real toughie because he hasn’t really done anything. Try to imagine an Israeli opposition leader never managing to surpass level-pegging with Hitler, and you’ll probably be in the right ballpark. In its wildest dreams (which judging…
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Whale Being
Unless you are self-employed, you are likely part of a 21st century workforce and will almost certainly been struck by the wave of organisational well-being initiatives. Bosses are frantically setting up helplines, arranging gym discounts, and handing out snack-sized, sample nutty bars among the seemingly more level-headed of interventions. I’ve also witnessed aromatherapists, magicians, and…
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Virgin on the Ridiculous
While a plethora of UK businesses have merrily slashed customer service and unapologetically tossed the blame onto COVID, the irony of their switch-hitting is not lost on the casual observer. Resource and volume distribution challenges are nothing new. Back in the day, contact centre providers would largely differentiate themselves through their innovative use of technology…
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We Aren’t Family
I am no longer forcibly immersed in the excruciating workplace rituals of the modern office, so the occasional petal of pretentious word confetti is generally no truly onerous psychological burden. But the notion of the ‘work family‘ manifestly grinds my gears. It reeks of perverse potential. Matt Hancock just slipped in a reference to ‘our…
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Leaving Party 🎉
The golden rule for the cognoscenti when you leave a job is to walk out and don’t look back. Any glance in the rea-view mirror offers you only a glimpse of second-raters picking bits off your professional reputation for their own ends. It’s a harsh blow to be basking in your own irrelevance, which is…
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Bitter Ex
I made a trip to the opticians recently, which considering the now mandatory COVID re-engineering of processes went essentially smoothly. Professional and organised staff, hassle-free, and frames that nestled peacefully on my asymmetric features. To top it off, I saved a hefty chunk on my last similar purchase. A fat, juicy tick in the customer…
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No-BAME Culture
‘Diversity and inclusion have never been more important’. They’re at it again, all those boorish recruitment consultants, so-called brand specialists, and advertising gurus churning out whatever toss they think might snag them a hatful of clicks. And it’s always been important. Not more so now. It’s the concept of diversity that has never been more…
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Cringe Hell
I remember when the TV series Grange Hill hit UK TV screens in 1978. The series caused controversy for its true-to-life, gritty portrayal of UK comprehensive school life, which differed from the idealised depictions of earlier such programmes. It got a right caning, and people wanted it banned and canned, but it stayed the course…
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