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 ...!!
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