To enourage its staff to think greener - to turn off unused computers, switch off unwanted lighting, all the familiar messages, a West Country council it appears hands out chocolates. And it fessed up to spending over the past three years as much as £17,626 on similar treats.
It's well above my pay-grade to suggest that the panjandrum in charge of the Incentives Department has a sweet tooth. But it must not have escaped the notice of the majority of my blog-followers that biscuits and sweets - and occasionally something a little more exotic - are on offer in civic meeting-rooms, along with the five-a-day piece of fruit.
I'll admit I'm not averse to pocketing the odd pen laid temptingly for the seminar alongside the marketing brochure. But when it comes to public authorities using public funds to offer each other gifts it does occur to me as it must to others that the dire warnings attached to the economic message have still not hit home.
The party's over. Time for leadership to impress on staff that savings on what might have been considered essential enhancements to the working environment like interesting pot-plants and regular floral tributes to the public sector have to go.
Leadership has been a repeated theme in the news recently - from government and the Church right down to our level in the community. Like never before industry and commerce, struggling out of the mire of recession, looks for strength in its decision-makers to lead the way.
An old boss of mine used to say that any fool can run a business in good times - it takes a leader to guide it through choppy waters to success.
Focus for Change www,focus4change.co.uk examine leadership issues at all levels in our tailor-made workshops, designed to bring out the best in management in situations where conflicting demands of the job has fragmented the team. Because all our interactive workshops are written to specific needs, they are successful in bringing out the special qualities of the leader and determine how best to repair relationships. Restoring confidence in the workplace makes a real difference not only in efficiency but to staff retention.
Economies of the nice-to are not so hard to swallow. Especially when the need-to gets results.
Anyway, as we all know, too many sweets aren't good for you ...!!
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Monday, 12 July 2010
Plan Now - Buy Later
My butcher, who faithful followers of this blog will have already met, is currently inviting customers to join his Christmas Club. Now!
With the barometer threatening to climb above the 30 mark and that area between the shoulder blades sticking irritatingly, it's hard to imagine temperature values dipping within a month or two among frost and snow. But the butcher is thinking strategically, if optimistically, ahead.
After all, in an era of savage but necessary spending cuts, with the promise of worse to follow, who knows how we'll be keeping the feast. Scenes of Dickensian squalor matched perhaps by Dickensian charity come to mind, with the seasonal rescue of needy families by reconstructed Scrooges.
So embracing much-maligned prudence and putting away a regular little sum with the butcher - confidently expected to withstand the advances of supermarket promises to shop lest we drop - is an assurance that preparation for an inevitable future event should be its own reward. And offers a relatively painless solution to what might otherwise be less than comfortable.
A bit like retirement, really.
Now that most of us face the prospect of working longer, at the same time being forced to consider how best to employ our enforced leisure when retirement comes around, needs careful preparation and planning.
Focus for Change www.focus4change.co.uk helps all kinds of workers within a few years of retirement to make plans designed to make those years of freedom - years of choice - everything they hope for.
Finance has never been more important when it comes to considering the next phase of life and one of our independent financial advisers - we use a number who explain the issues clearly making no attempt at the hard-sell - takes time to provide ongoing support for individuals attending our interactive pre-retirement workshops.
Whether delivered in-house among the universities, local authorities, the NHS, manufacturing companies, professional practices or our open senior executive courses in London or at an Essex mansion, the emphasis is on an holistic approach. Our experienced course leaders are keen to identify and address delegates' hopes and concerns raised by the prospect of this major life-change.
Delegate couples often admit they have learned things about each other they can exploit in the best possible way in their shared new life and the discussion which is an important part of the process opens the door to challenges and opportunities ensuring what could still be 20 or more years in retirement - we prefer the word 'freelancing' - fulfilling and exciting.
I think a couple of pounds each week should be sufficient to make sure of that Christmas chicken ...And with interest rates what they are, can you think of a better way of saving?
With the barometer threatening to climb above the 30 mark and that area between the shoulder blades sticking irritatingly, it's hard to imagine temperature values dipping within a month or two among frost and snow. But the butcher is thinking strategically, if optimistically, ahead.
After all, in an era of savage but necessary spending cuts, with the promise of worse to follow, who knows how we'll be keeping the feast. Scenes of Dickensian squalor matched perhaps by Dickensian charity come to mind, with the seasonal rescue of needy families by reconstructed Scrooges.
So embracing much-maligned prudence and putting away a regular little sum with the butcher - confidently expected to withstand the advances of supermarket promises to shop lest we drop - is an assurance that preparation for an inevitable future event should be its own reward. And offers a relatively painless solution to what might otherwise be less than comfortable.
A bit like retirement, really.
Now that most of us face the prospect of working longer, at the same time being forced to consider how best to employ our enforced leisure when retirement comes around, needs careful preparation and planning.
Focus for Change www.focus4change.co.uk helps all kinds of workers within a few years of retirement to make plans designed to make those years of freedom - years of choice - everything they hope for.
Finance has never been more important when it comes to considering the next phase of life and one of our independent financial advisers - we use a number who explain the issues clearly making no attempt at the hard-sell - takes time to provide ongoing support for individuals attending our interactive pre-retirement workshops.
Whether delivered in-house among the universities, local authorities, the NHS, manufacturing companies, professional practices or our open senior executive courses in London or at an Essex mansion, the emphasis is on an holistic approach. Our experienced course leaders are keen to identify and address delegates' hopes and concerns raised by the prospect of this major life-change.
Delegate couples often admit they have learned things about each other they can exploit in the best possible way in their shared new life and the discussion which is an important part of the process opens the door to challenges and opportunities ensuring what could still be 20 or more years in retirement - we prefer the word 'freelancing' - fulfilling and exciting.
I think a couple of pounds each week should be sufficient to make sure of that Christmas chicken ...And with interest rates what they are, can you think of a better way of saving?
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