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Quote: The idea is supposed to be that we Brits know about the upside down flag thing, but Johnny Foreigner doesn't
Bally unfair on Johnny Foreigner in my view. In my day we gave the enemy all the information we had. No point or honour in beating them unfairly. Yes, you lose a few more men but fair play is fair play and a man's good name is what counts, by jove!
Quote: We vote the leaders in and we get wat we deserve
What the hell has that got to do with it?
If you think you can set up a company in this country making flags cheaper than they can in China, go ahead. Gareth had it right first time, and it's the same reason we import so much stuff - we simply can't make it here because we have to pay people a minimum wage, and even that is not enough to convince a lot of lazy sods to get off their arses and work. You can't compete with an economy that pays their workers pennies.
True but on the other hand that doesnt make it right to abuse your people and their children by forcing them to work for next to nothing does it, lets not start holding up the Chinese economy as some sort of shining example as its far from it - more like a world polluting, slave driven dictatorship which will be the author of its own demise.
Quote: If we brought back 'teaboy to director' ethos there would be a reason to work hard and well - there is something to be gained for company and employee.
Totally agree. There's a great deal to be said for directors who work their way up. Too often, upper management is pulled in from a totally different industry where they have been seen to do a good job and then they flounder because they are in an unfamiliar environment. Whilst management skills are transferable, specific industry knowledge isn't. And that can only be gained the hard way.
If the emphasis switched to promoting from within, directors' salaries could be kept under control, too. There would be none of this nonsense of 'we need to pay director X £5M p.a. because our competitors would nab him if we didn't.' And the managers would have more of a long-term view, rather than looking forward to little else than getting out after a few years with a handsome pay-off, leaving a trail of blunders and poor decision-making in their wake.
Ah yes the problem of the Loreal Directors. They are paid a lot because in their own words;
"we are worth it..."
As ever a mix is needed, you need growth from within and also a level of fresh blood at various levels. Companies that only ever grow from the bottom tend to become entrenched and un-reactive to changes in the market, and then wither and die. But loyalty is an important quality as is long term commitment and vision.
Quote: Too often, upper management is pulled in from a totally different industry where they have been seen to do a good job and then they flounder because they are in an unfamiliar environment. Whilst management skills are transferable, specific industry knowledge isn't. And that can only be gained the hard way.
Whilst in the main I agree Jools. There is a valid argument that someone from the outside views things with fresh eyes. I sell technical materials to the Coatings Industry, Ive lost count of the "we tried that 5 years ago and it didn't work so I won't look at it" then that Chemist leaves the company and someone new replaces them and voila they get the product to work. The same at managerial level someone from a different but related industry frequently revitalises a company by challenging the status quo. Maybe not a perfect example but when Steve Jobs returned to Apple he turned around the fortunes of the company.
Where I agree completely is when bean counters believe all companies are the same without an understanding of the products / market.
Edit: Strawman beat me to it and made the point far more eloquently!
Some high fliers realise that when they reach that level of incompetence in one company, they can just move to another firm and gain further promotion. The important thing is to move on before the full extent of the incompetence becomes generally known.
The firm can't sack a manager who's already moved on!
Sometimes I think that that Brussels should introduce a directive that no Brit may take a manager's job anywhere within the EU.
guess i confused a few there someone sent me a message saying they liked my comment i made sometime ago i felt a bit lost haaa
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