Paul uses statistics

Some time after his ultimately unsuccessful dalliance with a move to a different company, Paul did receive a reward of sorts when he was asked to leave his regional senior management post to be seconded to the National Hire Service's central strategy office for a period of three months. He was very pleased. Here at last was an opportunity for him to unfurl his managerial wings to their full extent and put into practice some of the more audacious ideas that he had been cultivating for a long time.

His new office was, if anything, even larger than his old one and he had a pleasant new secretary and his mid-morning snacks were brought to him in a bone china cup and saucer on a silver tray rather than his accustomed mug and a plate. There also seemed to be a complete absence of drivers in the building - something that cheered him greatly for they were his main source of irritation and a constant block to progress.

After he had settled in he went to some meetings. There seemed to be plenty to choose from. He was very impressed as this must mean that the Department of Hire was a very productive place. His immediate boss scheduled a meeting with him on the Wednesday and spent an enigmatic half-hour outlining his own recent work before closing with the equally challenging statement:

"The current drive is on performance management, Paul. Most of the low-hanging fruit has been plucked but we want you to do some blue-skies thinking to innovate further changes. Best of luck!"

How Paul had striven to increase the performance of his own drivers, washers and fuellers back in his regional office but they had always countered with some argument or other that supposedly showed them already working overtime. Here at last was a chance to level the scores. Blue-skies thinking! Let's think 'Big', he thought.

Two weeks, countless meetings, three brain-storming sessions and four concept papers later and he had a solution. He was very pleased. What an exceptional piece of work this was! As blue-skies thinking went, this was about as all-encompassing and radical as it was possible to be. He sat at his desk and carefully composed the memo to the chairman of the Board outlining his plan.

PROPOSAL FOR EFFICIENCY SAVINGS BASED ON PERFORMANCE MANGEMENT

Over the last few years the ability to collect information from the regional centres has increased exponentially so that we can now reliably assess multiple aspects of their work from locally and nationally gathered minimum data-sets. Using these it is possible to assess performance based on indices such as profit, turnover and safety. This last area has been of especial focus recently due to a few well-documented cases in the media indicating short-comings in the processes followed by the staff.

An analysis of accident rates across all 10 UK regions show that safety is consistently high at over 95% but there is a variation from 95 to 99% - the average being 97%. Further details as to specifics of accidents in the under-performing regions is beyond the scope of this document but also considered unnecessary.

In line with modern statisitical thinking the proposal is to close the under-performing five centres so that only an above average service remains. The resulting cost savings need hardly be elaborated upon here.

The programme has been reviewed at senior management level and been assigned the title of: Consideration of Assessed Regional Departments: Insufficiently Average = Closed .

At the time of going to press it appears that Paul's proposal is going ahead as no one on the Board could find any flaw with the logic.

Paul applies for a new job

For a long time Paul had been thinking of moving. His ungrateful charges clearly did not know quality leadership when they saw it and he was feeling very under-appreciated. Last week's incident over the 'Fit To Be Driven' form still rankled. He had been scanning the trade press for some months now looking for a suitable post but it seemed that people with his special set of qualities were not often recruited. Then, one day, he saw an advertisement for a senior management position with one of their great rival companies, the British Ultimate Passenger Association.

Until recently he had always denegrated their ways of working but now he was beginning to feel that here at last was an organisation that would value and cherish him. He downloaded the application form and began to fill it in. He had no trouble at all with the section on 'Name', 'Address', 'Education and Qualifications' and 'Current Salary' but then came upon the final part.

'In no more than 300 words outline no more than five positive contributions you have made in your current post within the last year.'

He chewed his pen and thought awhile. There were so many! How could 300 words suffice to sum up his year? The birds chirped outside his window and a cooling breeze wafted into his spacious office as he sat wrapped in reverie, composing his ticket out. Finally he wrote:


As a senior manger with the National Hire Service I have been integral in introducing many new working practices to increase responsive organisational flexibility whilst maintaining integrated management options and enabling value-added skill development.
Internal Accounting
Internal financial cash-flow scenario programming has revolutionized the company's ethos on cost-saving resulting in systematized third-generation programming of profits.
Vehicle storage
Streamlining post-event storage using a functional logistical projection model was one of the major recent projects that has resulted in a futuristic monitored environment with consequent raised morale and a strengthening of corporate identity.
Out of hours working
A parallel policy contingency enabling maximum utility of the traditional non-working week was introduced with no overall capacity loss whilst increasing compatible incremental time-phased deliverables.
Training
Non-optional career-enhancement tool-kit programmes with spin-off benefits for overall functionality yielding quantifiable data-charts have been seamlessly integrated into the work-force's routine.
Safety
The introduction of pre-task functionality checks using the latest portable digital technology has allowed the reduction of intra-journey mobility limitation with the inevitable growth of a safety culture amongst all staff.

In summary, my tenure here has been hallmarked by the introduction of a series of synchronized improvements in institutional enablement bench-marking. In the round, going forward, I envisage further such upswing with the inevitable collateral effect of augmented operations. I feel I would bring mission-critical, world-class turnkey solutions in an environment where blue-skies thinking is crucial to achieve real-time traction in the market. My interpersonal skill management portfolio would also ensure multi-level buy-in to future developments from all levels of the available human resources.


He sealed the envelope, gummed a postage stamp on it and left it in the 'External Mail' tray for his secretary to post later, confident in the knowledge that the British Ultimate Passenger Association would not receive any other applications quite like it. Then, satisfied, he leant back and waited for the arrival of his mid-afternoon tea and biscuits.

Several weeks passed but in the end Paul received a letter explaining that, on reflection, the company had decided to limit the vacancy to a six-month post and fill it with a work-experience student instead.

Paul displays safety consciousness

The telephone rang in Paul's office shattering his mid-afternoon reverie. The voice at the other end of the line sounded distant, as indeed it proved to be. One of his drivers had unexpectedly run out of fuel in a faraway corner of the country and needed Paul's authorization to fill up at the local petrol station. Grudgingly this was given but, his afternoon routine broken, Paul started thinking.

How irresponsible of the driver to run out of fuel! Surely there must be some sort of checks performed prior to a journey to prevent this sort of thing - and to stop him having all this extra work. He pulled a piece of paper towards him and started doodling.

The next day he called the drivers together and explained his new safety policy to them.

"There has been a serious incident with regards to vehicle preparation leading to emergency refueling plans. These are costly and should not be necessary with the proper pre-task checks. From today therefore, I am introducing the 'Fit To Be Driven' form that each of you will need to fill in prior to each journey. It ensures that you have checked the fuel gauge and are prepared to certify that there is sufficient fuel for the forthcoming journey."

"But Paul!" cried the drivers, who had all heard of the previous day's incident and also knew that it had occurred because of an unexpected and particularly long tailback, "This is just extra paperwork duplicating what we already do. Of course we ensure that our vehicles are fit to go before we start out. It's a part of being professionals."

"It didn't stop yesterday's fiasco," countered Paul, pleased that he seemed to have the upper hand in a discussion for once.

"That was an anomaly. An unusual, unpredictable occurrence. No form on earth will legislate against that. If you made cars instead of hiring them out, you wouldn't start making them without windscreen wipers just because it hadn't rained for a day; or start fitting snow chains on them all after a single night's snowfall, would you?"

"And another thing," they continued. "We're busy enough as it is. This form will just slow us down even more. I suppose you're even going to employ someone to monitor these forms as well?"

"Er, well - yes," said Paul, somewhat taken aback by the responses and this insight. "But we need something to stop these problems occurring again," he insisted, half-pleading. "The form is crucial."

"No it isn't," they replied. "Don't you remember that a while ago we introduced a system whereby only certified drivers could check and release a vehicle for a tasking - no longer the car-washers and others who used to help out? It was precisely to ensure better safety that we did this. This new form adds nothing to that system. It's simply duplication."

"As well as increasing safety, it also lends greater clarity and accountability to vehicle movements on a case by case basis," retorted Paul.

“That’s what this is all really about, isn’t it?” the drivers shot back. “The ability to apportion blame and the lack of confidence in us as professionals based on an isolated, unpredictable case. The buck stops – where precisely? Oh yes: anywhere but with you.”

Paul was nonplussed. Didn't they see that this was for their own benefit as much as his?

But the drivers stalked off, mourning their fate of being managed by people like Paul.

Paul sorts out vehicle storage

Paul gazed out over the car lot watching his drivers come and go on their various tasks. In the distance the jet sprays were throwing up a fine mist as a queue of vehicles waited in line to be cleaned. And over the whole scene fluttered the company flag sporting the well-known colours of the brand: red and yellow. Everything about the company was based on this red and yellow theme. The regulation shirts and overalls, the ties, the motif on the headed paper, even the vehicles themselves. Luxury and family cars were red whereas utility vehicles such as vans and lorries were yellow. The Board had decreed that this gave a highly visible, instantly identifiable on-the-street presence to the company and certainly the colour scheme was in the public's mind by now synonymous with the National Hire Service.

Something however irked Paul this morning. His sense of symmetry was upset for as he scanned the rows of vehicles red and yellow ones were mixed together like dots from an Impressionist's painting. No nice neat rows of one colour or the other but a random convocation leading to a riotous attack on the eye.

This would never do, he thought. How could one run a business with such a mess in what was in effect the storeroom? There was no way of keeping an easy tally of which vehicles were in or out on a job. He decided to meet with his managers and come up with a plan. They had several conferences and then met up with people from the IT department. Finally he sent a memo to the workers:

Single Colour Parking.
With immediate effect all vehicles are to be parked in their designated colour zones with no exceptions. The Red and Yellow areas will be clearly marked and drivers returning from a job should park their vehicles in the appropriate zone prior to cleaning and refuelling. Parking attendants have been employed to facilitate this process. In order to monitor this new policy employees are encouraged to notify any breaches immediately using the new 'SCP Breach' software that has been installed on all computers in the company. Monthly reports of the figures collated via this method will be widely distributed and disciplinary action, including fines, will result from failures to adhere to this policy.

The workers were by now becoming relatively inured against the more eccentric pronouncements of their masters but still thought that this was illogical. They went to see Paul.

"This new edict: how does it help us become more efficient?" they asked.

Paul had been half-expecting a degree of mutiny from his ungrateful charges and so had a little speech prepared.

"We are fortunate," he began, "that the colours in the logo of the company allows us this easy differentiation of vehicles so that without any extra expense we can streamline the process of vehicle storage. I am sure that efficiencies will result in this more user friendly system."

"But Paul," they argued, "we know our vehicles inside out. We are hardly going to mistake a Ferrari for a removals van just because they are parked next to each other, are we?"

"We need to present an image of uniformity to the outside world too, you know," Paul retorted. "It gives a good impression to anyone coming to visit."

"OK, we understand that point but it definitely doesn't make sense on an efficiency level. You won't always have the same number of red and yellow vehicles here. Are you constantly going to be changing the sizes of the two parking zones?"

Paul said nothing. He hadn't thought of that.

"And sometimes a driver has to to come back from a job and go straight out on an urgent second one. Do you really want him to waste time looking for a suitable parking spot in the appropriate colour zone just to satisfy this policy when this could waste precious minutes?"

Paul thought on his feet. "Of course there might need to be exceptions," he said lamely.

"Presumably this will all cost quite a lot to put in place - what with building new car parks and all that? There are many other areas of the business that could do with a bit more urgent investment rather than this."

"This has been designated a priority at the highest level," retorted Paul shortly.

"Yes, but spending time, money and effort on software to report breaches and then spend more time collating these reports and circulating them to everyone really is a bit much," they countered. "For a start it is punitive and secondly it won't achieve anything as the attendants that you have employed to direct vehicles to their appropriate zones won't let anyone pass unless it is to the 'correct' colour area anyway."

"I'm surprised that you can question the value of decisions taken at high management level in this way," Paul shot back using vehemence as his usual substitute for reasoned debate. "The service we will be providing will undoubtedly be better for this."

He turned and left thinking: And the view from my window will be ever so much neater.

Paul sets up a new service

Despite the rumblings of discontent that the new methods of administration had brought, work continued apace. The Ferraris were driven out to executives for the weekend; the removals vans could barely keep up with demand; the estate cars towed caravans until their drivers nearly broke down with exhaustion; the bulldozer cleared the way for everyone to go to work each day.

Despite all this the drivers continued to think up new ways of improving the business. It was quite clear that demand for the caravan-towing arm of the operation was mushrooming and the current quota of drivers and vehicles could not really cope. They knew of a colleague who was just finishing a short-term contract with a rival company nearby and they wondered whether he could be persuaded to join them and help increase their capacity. They took the proposal to Paul.

Much to their surprise Paul was in favour of the idea and approved it without much hesitation. He authorized the new post. As to the work that he was to do, he merely had said: "Just get it up and running through the usual channels."

That was two months ago. Setting up this additional activity had not been as easy as they had initially hoped. Paul's 'usual channels' - ones he had created alongside all the other new initiatives - were not entirely straightforward. After the visit to his office the drivers had gone to see the Vehicle Bookings Clerk to arrange for bookings for the new driver to start. She was keen to help but explained that she needed to run the idea past her supervisor, who was away that week.

When this lady returned, she seemed quite amenable to the scheme but felt that it still needed approval form the Vehicle Bookings Manager. This person only worked on Thursdays and Fridays and no one could deputize for her but the Bookings Supervisor thought that time would not be wasted as she could "run the idea past the Section Service Transformation Lead".

This young man, Norbert, in turn thought long and hard about the plan and asked whether executive agreement had been sought for the post of the new driver. The other drivers were by now becoming a touch exasperated and replied that they would hardly be trying to set up more bookings if they hadn't secured this rather obvious first step to start with. Norbert thought he had better check with his Section Operations Manager, who in turn asked Paul. Paul remembered that he had acquiesced and sent a message to the head of the 'General Performance - Car Concern' group to chivvy things along as he was noticing the increase in delays from booking to delivery of the cars and this had led to some heated discussions with the head of the Sedan and Hatchback Agency.

When the Vehicle Bookings Manager returned she saw this correspondence and acted quickly. First she enquired whether this was an new service they were offering or the extension of an old one.

"For heavens sake, Mabel!" chorused the drivers. "You know it is the extension of the caravan-towing service. You come and pester us to take more of these bookings on almost every week because there are so many! Now can you please just set up the booking facility?"

"You need a code," objected Mabel tartly.

"And how do we get one of those?"

"You need to fill out this form," she replied triumphantly, handing over a thick wad of papers.

And so the drivers sat down to fill out the form, answering questions that had been sorted out at the very start of this process but trying nonetheless to keep their patience. Proudly they gave the completed result to Mabel later that day.

"Can you get a code now and start booking?" they asked hopefully.

"Codes are issued by the Information Technology Applications Support Co-ordinating Manager," she replied. "She's on a Communications Course but will be back next week."

And Paul looked on from his office on the top floor, and smiled, and felt a deep wave of satisfaction wash over him as he regarded his kingdom, where everything was proceeding like clockwork.