A few quiet words

We used to be a nation that would willingly give up our place in any queue for anyone we felt to be in greater need. Now we seldom do so when the need is visibly greater. What happened?

With news of our beloved NHS in crisis along with concerns on how one can safely report abuse or any crime; it is little wonder that we in the United Kingdom are confused and still panicking.

We should remember that our sufferings are as nothing to many other nations around the globe. There are nations that have longer histories of turmoil as both governments and people alike wrestle, like us, for a compromise solution that is workable and acceptable for the majority. In the West we remain baffled that Communist nations can and do largely coexist in some state of harmony because it is a necessity in order to function at all. Democracy, just like Communism, is but tyranny when it is forced on anyone. If we are to retain our respect from other nations we have to demonstrate patience, tolerance and above all fortitude.

"Discretion is the better part of valour"

Legalities

For our own judiciary systems to review laws and make changes for the better requires discreet reports through the proper channels and not via the media. EVERY media report risks prejudicing the jury prior and during a trial. However it is extremely difficult for genuine victims of abuse to have the confidence to come forward unless such things are reported. Why though can we not go back to reporting retrospectively once a jury has made it's decision? 

The difficulty is made more complex when investigators of the suspected crime (whatever it is - it need not be abuse) has to appeal to the public for witness statements. Again, while appeals can be done via the media, sadly it constantly also acts as a trigger for some who see it as an opportunity to harm innocent people by falsely accusing them of crimes they did not commit. Personally I always work on the premise that if the investigation team and the judiciary want more evidence, they will not slow in asking for it. There will no doubt be more debates on whether both or neither party are named prior to trial. Personally I would think it would be better to name neither unless more witness statements are needed. Then in most cases both parties should be named as a general rule.

There must always be caveats (exceptions) for the most extreme cases where victims are so traumatised that they would rather be dead than ever be forced to name and shame anyone. I have felt that way myself thanks to interference from many and not just the media throughout my life, but I have never stopped reporting serious life threatening crime or serious levels of bullying of any kind. Reporting of any crime or indeed any fault in health, police or the judicial system itself has to be started in a private way without reference to anyone else and always needs to continue that way regardless of barriers. Just because one person does not believe you it does not follow that no one will, so long as you are not lying. 

Medicinally

To date no one has ever perfected lying totally. All that has happened is that people have been too afraid to stand up to major liars, cheats and bullies. As but another species on the planet, when we hear our own instincts we know a liar instantly. With all this noise though our natural senses and sense of reason often gets sidetracked and all but forgotten as something to draw upon to guide us.

Throughout the Christmas period I regrettably had to call upon a medical crisis team on several occasions. I myself cannot be objective enough to determine with that much accuracy how critical my own condition is due to the news in the media which disturbs me constantly. If I avoid the media then I am swamped with the same when out shopping more often than not. 

As a former health care worker I at least was able to ease matters a little by being the first responder at a RTA (car crash) but the effect on my own health has been profound. I witnessed first hand the toll it was taking on the paramedic and police officer that attended. The elderly casualty had been in the medical profession too, ironically in mental health. They had not been drinking and was not in anyway under the influence of anything that would normally deem them unfit to drive. They were extremely lucky this time - only their car died. 

The brutal truth is that the more we listen and watch scenes that disturb us, the more we will become disturbed and put added pressure on all our lifesaving services and on the judiciary system too. We have a duty of care to everyone. It comes with adulthood and it starts with ensuring we take full responsibility for our own conduct at all times. Pretending we cannot do so 99% of the time is a lie. We can all do so to a much higher level when we have to. We have to now. All of us, including me. 

It takes practise but I know my fellow Brits well enough - I know we can and will succeed. We just have to constantly remind ourselves to be calm to be able to function better not least in making more of an effort in not doing anything at all to excess when it is avoidable. The exceptions are to rest and laugh often to retain mental well being. Regular exercise and the right diet for our own metabolisms will aid in the stamina we all need to see our way clear of these crazy and highly dangerous times. We might well need that extreme energy for something far worse that what we are witnessing now. Better to pace ourselves I think. Wiser to do so. 

The victors of both World Wars did so because they were able to be discreet when required. It would seem we have need to deploy that method once more. Other nations take note... if they wish to. 

Operations File: A priority planning trick

Apologies for this being so late... the fact is that things are rather busy for me at the moment and my priorities have meant that I have had to put making plans and projects work before blogging. Both should always be possible when you are not a solo worker though!

So, here's my simply aid to helping plan according to priorities. I say mine but it was taught to me by an exceptionally talented former boss of mine, and the beauty of it is, it's simple. Just draw one of these...

Because this is a visual aid it makes it easier to spot what things need doing as a priority - from this you can go into all manner of detail for each task if it’s really warranted.

The first row are ‘musts’ i.e. they have to happen no matter what but non-urgent might be delaying paying a creditor that morning and postponing it to the following day. Don't do it with you staff though, as you run the risk of them downing tools!

As the 'NON-URGENT' column and 'DESIRABLE' row should not be forgotten it is vital to include them. It can be urgent but only desirable to include graphics for a presentation pitch - nice to have if you can manage it but not essential so long as you have facts in place and can present them another way e.g. with a flip chart where you can draw a graph anyway for meetings with only a couple of people at least. Much depends on your salesmanship skills.

The only box which can be put on almost indefinite hold is NON-URGENT and DESIRABLE (bottom right). It's handy to have a catch-all box for things that don't fit elsewhere when one is under pressure. It is a useful box of goodies though, as it can act as a wish list or as a target and for future development plans e.g. next time we'll make sure we have the time to draw the graphs properly for the next sales pitch.

You will find that items in each box will move around as, in any busy working environment, new things nearly always come along to scupper original plans, but of paramount importance are your customers and their needs... if they end up listed in the bottom right hand box I suggest you give up now. Without them, you would be in business so it's only fair for them to be firmly in the IMPORTANT row at all times.
The hope is that everything listed will eventually be transferring toward the top left IMPORTANT and URGENT box in turn. Those bills will need to be a top priority at some point.

It is well worth taking 5-10 minutes out to list all tasks properly because when we don’t we tend to keep reminding ourselves of the most urgent tasks repeatedly, making it seem as if we have more work than we actually do. Keep this check list up to date albeit daily or weekly depending upon your workload. It is recommended to use it more often the busier you become rather than less. 

What to test drive it, then read my previous blog post and sort out what you would put where from the exercise there. Handy too for when one is moving office or home I might add - it worked for me! 

One final tip, don't use a computer to use this tool - some things are still more quickly achieved with pen and pencil - yes use a pencil, it's easier to rub out!

Operations File: Resolving calamities

Ever had one of those days, weeks or years when everything that could go wrong seems to be seizing the opportunity to do so? The test of whether or not a manager is worth their lofty title lies partly in ensuring that disasters don't strike and partly in how they cope if, despite the best of plans all hell breaks loose. To test someone's ability to prioritise you might want to try the exercise below. I was given a scenario similar to to this in an interview and was successful in securing the job, but as I believe in empowering others and not spoon feeding them as if they are incapable of rational thought, I'll leave you to decide how you would answer and what the 'correct' priority is. 

A priorities test

It is 8.30 am and you are in charge of a business venue which has several rooms hired out to a multitude of companies for all manner of activities including meetings, a conference and today you have a regular booking for a group of people with learning difficulties who are there to attend noisy interactive music and drama sessions. They are vital to the organisation's future as their presence helps win you grant funding but there have been complaints about the noise they make. You also have VIPs from a blue chip company visiting who you wish to secure regular bookings from. The contract could be very lucrative. 

On arrival you see that there is abusive graffiti sprayed on the main entrance by some local oiks the night before that needs specialist treatment to remove, staff are already trying their best but are fighting a losing battle. You go inside and you are told the following: The cafe (used by all) has not received the food order which is necessary to provide the VIPs with their buffet lunch and the ovens are not working. Your deputy who you have put in charge of other hires for the day is in hospital as they had a serious accident at home. You are also missing two catering staff and the maintenance manager. There is a burst water pipe and the resulting flood has damaged the cookers and the room set aside for the VIP's buffet lunch. 

An irate customer is demanding that you phone them as soon as you get in and you have to sign off time sheets for your staff and finalise a report for a funding bid and send it off today. You must also remember to collect additional cash from the bank before lunch time service begins in the cafe.

One of the group with learning difficulties is screaming and has locked themselves in the toilets and won't come out and your VIPs are due to arrive in 10 minutes.

In what order and how do you address each of these issues so that there is the minimum of disruption or deviation from the day as you'd planned it? And no, you don't have others to pass the buck to - you have to call the shots! With a sparkle in my eyes, my initial reaction in that interview was "First, I would take a deep breath and count to ten..."

Note I haven't stipulated how many staff you have at your command nor how big the venue is, nor how many hires or customers you have in that day. To make it simple, let's suppose you have 30 staff for the day covering all of your departments and the footfall of booked people is 150 during the course of the day. You have 2 large conference rooms, one of which is booked for the VIPs (60 people) the other for the Learning Difficulties group (15 people) and these rooms are next to each other. You also have another eight smaller rooms set up for other business meeting hires for today, only six of which are in use this morning. 

Finding the solutions

While some will find this catalogue of disasters all too familiar in reality, others will find this exercise daunting if they've never had such a challenge thrown at them before... although in all honesty that is not quite true. Nearly all of us have some experience of bad days when everything comes crashing down on us out of the blue in our personal lives. How we respond is often in a reactive way, jumping from one emergency to another as they arise, often ditching something we started to resolve in order to react to the newest calamity.

In the work environment such days need to be handled in a proactive manner, not a reactive one. It is vital to regain control if it's lost asap to avoid a meltdown. It is important as a starting point to note what is still in place as you may need to draw upon it. Note what you should already be in place - e.g. an agreement about what noise levels should be kept to as well as overall contingency plans!To paraphrase a line in the film 'Apollo 13', "Let's look at this from a point of view of status. What have we got that's good?"

As that real life incident demonstrates, we can and are resourceful when we have to be, often finding solutions from what little is still operational. Another favourite line from that film for me is "Let's work the problem. Let's not make things worse by guessing." It's why I think of Gene Kranz as the hero of the Apollo 13 incident as without his leadership things might have turned into the disaster that most expected. So what did he do to resolve things - what do we all need to do when confronted with calamities? Stay calm and focused and...

Hints: First list the problems to overcome, then list what is still working. Next identify which key questions you need to ask. Also identify who is best suited to which task to help resolve things, but always, always keep your original goals in focus. To me, in this fictitious scenario it means ensuring that the customers' requirements need come first. Here you have several groups of them as well as a team of staff who are a tad anxious. 

While I haven't quite experienced all of the challenges listed above, I have encountered quite a few of them during my working life. You will find you don't have all the information you need to properly know how to manage those incidents when they arise out of the blue. In this respect they are useful to have for so much can and should be learnt from such experiences.

I found in my interview I had to ask for more details. As this is only an exercise, imagine the other facts you need to come up with your solution. I would recommend drafting your own version related to your own working environment or swapping one calamity for another to see how that would alter your decisions. 

The best solutions are always tailor made and take into account the resources, time factors and budget available. However, if you are not able to prioritise efficiently you could end up escalating the problems faced. Top of the list should always be Health and Safety - is anyone in danger of death, injury or any form or harm? It helps too to think about what your clients and customers expect from you. They are not expecting to wade through water at a conference, but if a flood is not in an area they need have access to (including fire exit routes), then do they need to know about it?

Who needs to know what is also vital for efficiency as you often do not have time to go into lengthy explanations and discussions when disaster strikes. Imagine your are evacuating an aircraft. Tests have proved that asking people individually, leaving them to decide how and when to exit takes time so an authoritative, decisive tone of voice is required with the minimum of information given to avoid panic or delays.

Priorities though, is the subject for my next article where I will share some tricks I have learnt to keep on top of the pressure to avert it becoming stress. Due to new commitments with a new job, I have to review my own priorities with regard to WildeHeads - not wishing to ditch it though, I'll find a way to continue because I want to.

Taking a breath and counting to ten might seem a waste of time, but it is far from it as it provides us with the thinking time we need to stay calm, remain focused and remain in control of all that it is possible to be in control of. If you choose to try this test... good luck! 

Operations File: Budgetary basics

Back in the early 1980s I indulged in a course on budget planning for business, and the single most important message I took from that course was never to spend unless you have to. The principle may seem obvious but I've found it's seldom adhered to as much as it used to be. 

What is essential to remember is how to prioritise. Depending on the type of business you are involved in priorities will vary and handling a budget is not the exclusive domain of company directors, CEOs or finance managers as departmental heads and project managers also have such responsibilities.

Thirty years ago the advice was (as an ideal) never to buy new equipment unless and until your current equipment is being used 24/7. The maxim was not so much "if it works, don't fix it", more "if it works, why replace it?" It is not necessary to have the newest gadget in order to deliver a good if not impressive service that will secure business. I personally think it particularly unwise to be swayed into such purchases just because a competitor may have invested in such a way. What competitors have by way of equipment, facilities or staff is no proof at all of a better service. 

However with modern technologies it can be difficult to keep pace with demand if machinery and devices are ten years out of date. Perhaps the most prudent way of approaching purchasing of any kind is to think about how you could continue without that purchase i.e. can you still function/operate? If so the next question to ask is why is this purchase being considered at all? Not that I'm mean, but it is all too tempting to be seduced into thinking you can have everything you want that's on your wish list. A wish list is should always be of lower priority to a needs list. Wish list items should only be considered if you have managed to come in under budget with your needs list. Even then wish list items should be prioritised according to business development needs, not according to what you personally happen to fancy playing with!

Important questions to ask include:

• Is it really going to be useful?
• Is it going to increase efficiency?
• Is it going to help increase profits?
• Is it going to save time? 
• If it's a replacement item, what's it's projected useful life span? (e.g. Spreadsheets are often more enduring for their ease of use and common understanding than many a more sophisticated programme which are constantly evolving). 

Operational finances

Licenses, insurances, building costs, utilities, communications and staffing (to name but a few) have to be covered, but so too are the basics of any business e.g. stationery, refuse collection and something in the kitty for marketing one would hope. Start-up companies are keenly aware of these expenses, sadly once a business is established it is not uncommon for some things to get taken for granted and forgotten such as an increase in utility bills, or rent when it comes to projecting financial figures. Do not assume anything will reduce in price, instead always assume it will increase by between 10-20% every year as that way you should be covered for most contingencies. All this is before you begin to look at the figures for staff and training (usually the first casualty of lean times), materials for production and departmental budgets (if applicable).

It can get confusing if you are not careful about who is responsible for which bit of finance and can lead to both things being duplicated and/or vital costs being missed completely. This is why ensuring you have a contingency pot on the side is a wise precaution. Such an allocation of funds should not just be seen as for emergencies and lean times, but also for such errors as like it or not, they happen from time to time.

Finance departments have a responsibility to ensure that all figures are clear and accurate at all times. In their communications it is essential that those they are communicating with comprehensively understand what information is being imparted. I say this because I have come across finance departments that haven't been heeded by managing directors when they have been trying to warn them that finances are extremely precarious. The moral of the tale being that both parties need to agree on how finances are presented so that those who need to know can understand them. Sounds obvious, and that's precisely the point - it needs to be. 

Even when 'sub' budgets to departments heads or project managers are concerned this applys. Budget holders at this level may not be privy to the whole of the company's finances but, they will need to know their limits and ideally not go over them. All too often the assumption is that if they push hard enough, funds will miraculously be found only to find themselves with a rude awakening, if not a dismissal!

The money that's in the kitty should always be changing, hopefully in your favour because of new and profitable business, but awareness of when funds are running low or are likely to (e.g. the pay day), all helps to manage the finances as a whole. 

We assume we all know how to budget effectively and efficiently, until we hit the unforeseen. Perhaps the best people to manage finances (and negotiate with creditors) are those who have been unemployed and on benefits simply because with limited funds they somehow have to be able to juggle everything that many workers take for granted. On average they have £65 per week to pay bills, feed and clothe themselves and that's before you consider communication necessities such as postage, phone and internet connection, if not travel to interviews to secure work. It only takes a repair to their home to throw all their budgets out. Such an example I hope illustrates and drives home the importance of contingency funds where at all possible and those contingencies also apply when it comes to project management.

Another examples is a capital funded project that I was involved in. I was given a set figure to work to, did my research for best value and not only managed to fulfil the remit but saw the whole thing through under that budget and on time. Unfortunately though the contingency fund was required because another department had to also sign off the work and thereby had to charge our department for their involvement in the project. News to my boss at the time! Something obviously went awry in the communication chain for this not have been apparent at the outset. Check and re-check with everyone if you are working in a large organisation!

Project costs

Many people first learn about budgeting in the workplace through managing a project and then move onto managing a department etc. The principles are the same, all that happens is the items on the list that need to be accounted for really. Do it well and you will earn praise, respect and admiration from those around you. Get it wrong and it hurts - or so I've heard! 

I have always started with the brief and constantly remind myself of that brief so that I don't veer off track. The brief should immediately point you in the direction of your top priorities, from there all other elements slot into that. So here's three simple examples exercises of how that works - note pricing comes after research in all cases.

Exercise 1: 
The brief is you have £100 to provide food for 50 VIPs for a launch event. 

You might be lucky and already have bar or coffee facilities already provided at the venue, or you might not, so the first thing is to check. Never assume another essential requirement is already met, so also check back that you are definitely not expected to cover the costs of drinks too.

• Check who is on the VIP list, they might not be people you've heard of and you need to get a feel for the type of people that are invited.
• Check they are all attending and adjust accordingly nearer to the time - if only half will be attending it means more food possibilities!
• Check their dietary requirements, are there any allergies, vegetarians of religious requirements that need to be included or avoided. Remember that under Equality Law 2010 it is illegal to discriminate against anyone on grounds of health, religion etc
• Compare and research the possibilities of self catering or hiring a catering firm. Remember if you are thinking about catering 'in-house' you have to be already be geared up and have met the Food Safety Act and all associated legislation by law, e.g. Food Hygiene Regulations
• Consider what these VIPs might have been subjected to before and what time of day the launch is to be held
• Compare best value for price

Exercise 2:

The brief is to supply some literature for 50 VIPs at a launch event for £100.

Check what else is already being sent out and that will be there at the event. You need more detail if this is all you get as a brief. Literature to accompany a video presentation, to highlight key points from the launch about the product or service... what? Let's assume it is the latter.

• Get the list of VIPs and get information about how they like to be communicated with
• Consider options for making the take-away literature memorable and desirable to avoid the high change of it just being thrown away
• Make sure it does not say anything that isn't true, accurate and that relates to the product or service
• Ensure it includes the right contact details for orders!
• Ensure it is thoroughly proof-read before delivery!
• Research professional services for ideas as well as price
• Compare options for producing something in-house against getting it done by a professional service, there may be avenues to tag this onto another print job, but as we're talking VIPs scope of personalisation seems to be pretty important here. Check that though.

Exercise 3:
Your organisation wants to economise on postage costs so is looking to invest in in-house postal systems. The brief is to find the best value for your small operation as an alternative to buying stamps in the post office. 

You don't always get a set figure budget to budget to sometimes finances are about exploring possibilities first prior to deciding on the amount of money to be allocated. The savings here are more to do with staff time and when and where mail sent in the post is essential. 

• Enquire if there is going to be a change in marketing strategy to develop on-line resources as that could easily help reduce postage costs
• Check how much time staff use for all mail-out related activities including physically going to the post office.
• Check what is usually spent on postage every week, month and year. Are there times of the year when postage costs go up - if so, why and can they be reduced?
• Options could include one drop deliveries for promotional literature at suitable sites so long as you are convinced they won't just be dropped in the bin as soon as you leave the premises
• Check what the priorities for postage are
• Research on-line what other people do and whether or not it has helped reduce costs by talking to the service users direct NOT the companies offering products. Discussion groups in LinkedIn can help with this sort of thing or just talk to your suppliers and business clients if appropriate
• Compare options against actual known usage e.g. franking machines v Smart stamp - including printer and a set of extremely accurate scales

These exercises may seem too simple, but more complicated project and financial planning is merely a case of doing many such simple exercises for all the individual elements that are required to make up the whole plan and to keep to budget. Figures should be constantly adjusted in the light of new information throughout.

The most important point of all to remember is to never deviate from the priority aims and objectives originally set for your budgetary requirements. If they change, then abandon what you've done and forget it to start afresh with what should after all be a new brief and set of objectives.