Transforming organisations

Vacuum

It is possible to work in a Board Room doing just the sort of things that we discuss in this blog and suddenly you hit a very raw nerve.

It’s usually something that not one director really wants to talk about because it could cause all sorts of ructions, yet nonetheless it has to be discussed in the interests of the organisation.

This can cause pain. It’s the stuff that hurts.

One reaction to an event like this can initially be silence; sometimes anger. Afterwards you may hear nothing for some time, and enquiring calls go unanswered. This may happen for months or even years, but then suddenly you get a call right out of the blue; it can even sound a bit like a summons.

I remember a family brewery once. The father wanted a brewery and half a dozen pubs whereas the son wanted simply an Award Winning brewery but they could not afford both. In any case you cannot have two different bull’s eyes for one organisation, even if one does belong the father and the other belongs to the son. That bull’s eye meeting was the end of my involvement with the company. Eventually, a couple of years later it became clear that the decision the Board had actually made was to go for the Award Winning brewery. On one occasion Dad had the magnanimity to put his arm round my shoulder and say, “You were right”

Recently he said, “It’s time you came in and had another session with the top team again.”

It’s OK, that’s how it should be. We can talk about anything and everything under the sun, providing it is in the interest of the business.

posted by Tim @ 8:29 AM