Hung Parliament? Who’s going to be hung out to dry?
We can be certain that in UK politics the future is uncertain. The prognosis for a hung parliament is one of indecision, conflict and disagreement. If this scenario sounds familiar to you it could be a reflection on the management team.
Only this morning I heard of a highly skilled public sector project manager being forced to apply for a job he didn’t want. What a waste of time and money. Someone clearly has decided to push through an unpopular and ineffective agenda regardless of the opposition.
Everyone is crying out for change, but not everyone wants the same change. The desire for power and to be ‘in government’ can override the purpose of governing, and whilst deals may be struck to achieve personal and party desires for power, at some point the detail of what is and isn’t up for change will rise to the surface. Then the games will begin.
But these games are destructive. Whilst there is a power struggle the needs of the nation will come second. Compromise is not good for the UK; we need strong leadership and cooperative teams.
A head of department told me about a meeting he had with senior directors where they all agreed to move forward with an unpopular decision. An hour after the meeting one director called his department heads to tell them they should not make it easy for the others; to delay cooperation, because they ‘were talking out of their ar***’. Schoolyard behaviour par excellence.
Look at any organisation and you will find wherever there’s a ‘hung management’ there will be power struggles, conflict and behaviour more fitting to the schoolyard. This happens because of the personal values driving each prospective leader’s behaviour.
As a nation we deserve better from our politicians. Let’s hope there’s some light and that any antagonists from either party are ‘hung’ out to dry before they do any lasting damage.
David Molden – FCIPD
Quadrant 1 International
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