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| The executive ambush | | Date Created: Oct 11, 2005, 10:18 PM |
Lucy Kellaway has a wonderful article in yesterday's FT about the "Executive Ambush that leaves one tongue-tied and timid". She describes a morning in the FT where she has a KitKat Chunky stuck in her mouth while furiously typing out her story when she hears a familiar French accent. Swinging round, she see the Chief Executive of the FT with a very large gentleman behind him, whom he introduces as the new Chairman of the FT.
Caught unawares, all Lucy could say while desperately trying to swallow her KitKat was "I hope you like the buzz around here." pointing to the sea of desks that were either empty or occupied by people silently typing. Too late, she realised that it was neither funny nor clever to suggest to one's new boss that no one did any work. He said something stiff yet appropriate about the paper doubtless being busier later in the day.
I showed the article to my staff, who obviously could relate to Lucy's suggestion that the executive walkabout be banned as the "sum of human happiness is most certainly lowered by it, and very little useful knowledge is collected."
I am of course a proponent of "managing by walking about", no matter how uncomfortable that makes my staff feel. But the greatest benefit to me is not checking if people are downloading porn, but it is really a great way for me to stretch my legs and get the circulation going in the afternoons. There really is nothing more ennervating than sitting at a desk in the afternoon. I can't understand how some of the policy directors in this Ministry can just sit for the entire day reading and writing emails, or sit through meetings. I personally prefer to go out and meet new people and get new ideas.
So until I can brew stronger coffee, or my chaps arrange for me to meet industry personalities every afternoon, I will continue my office walkabouts, much to my staff's unstated chagrin ..... |
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