John Linton .....that it can't be ignored.
I completed my parts of the revised operating plan late yesterday evening after dithering for more than a week. This leaves a little over two weeks to finish the rest of the work, which is mostly just translating the changes into documentation and then issuing the various personnel change letters. I managed to complete this work, which has been stalled for some time by a lack of decision making on two major aspects of what we might do next year, by simply ignoring both decisions and completing the planning on the basis that neither decision really affects the major thrust of the business and if they are made over the coming months then that will be time enough to consider the implications and take the required actions. So it allowed me to watch the cricket and the Arsenal game with a relaxed mind.
One of the things I have missed over the past year has been the involvement in people selection as we have gradually grown our business. This was deliberate on my part because it is well past the time when direct line managers should hire their own people without having 'interference' from 'senior' management. The other thing I have missed has been the close direction of the sales processes which, if I have ever had any commercial talent at all, that has been my only claim to fame. Based on the planning just completed I have basically 'written myself out' of playing any part at all in those activities in the new year which is only a few weeks away now. I need to find myself a more effective role in the ongoing development of Exetel or alternatively something outside the company that will engage my interests more than has occurred over 2011 - which I haven't enjoyed at all.
Perhaps its reaching the time that Exetel needs new leadership and much better direction. Alternatively, maybe it needs different people who can motivate themselves better than the motivation and direction they are currently getting which, it appears to me, to be totally inadequate....we have very definitely lost the zest that has always been a key aspect of the company with far too many of our very limited number of people not contributing anything at all and dealing with every situation with which they are confronted by 'blaming' the inadequacy of others. That very clearly indicates that too many 'managers', and others, are simply marking time which means there is no real direction being given from the very top and then on down.
Perhaps three years of unrelenting financial pressure have sucked the life out of the constant creativity we used to bring to bear on our daily thinking and therefore resultant actions. Perhaps we just need to have some time where every second of the day is not spent looking at negative scenarios or perhaps doing that year after year dulls the mind so much new ideas and new initiatives are ground into dust by the sheer dullness that surrounds every aspect of current marketplaces. Maybe it's just me - I am just not cut out to manage 'holding patterns' - especially year after year - it provides no satisfaction at all.
Maybe the new year will see some positive changes?
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