HR Software Show - slow but there is hope

I attended the CIPD HR Software show on London this week. The event set out to help HR professionals "discover how technology can transform your people management processes. Packed with innovative solutions and leading suppliers it’s the ideal place to get tailored advice and industry updates.".....not a bad objective. The show was well supported by suppliers many of whom had really gone out to impress with impressive stands and sales people.

Unfortunately, much of what was on offer looked like jazzed up spreadsheets and much of the technology just merged into a blur of boring screens. However there was hope. It was apparent that many of the suppliers (and even some of the attendees) were keen to talk Web 2.0 and how it could be used to help the profession - especially in the recruitment space. The CIPD even had their Web 2.0 paper proudly displayed. This all bodes well for HR 2.0. More on the event to come including the good, the bad and the ugly.

TUBE workers action - the end of trade unionism?

Working in London this week has been nothing short of a nightmare as a result of the industrial action taken by members of the Tube Workers Union (RMT). It is estimated that their failure to turn up for work cost the City more than £100M not to mention the resulting chaos and disappointment for 3 million people trying to get to work, events, hospital etc.

Transport for London (TfL) said instead of engaging in "meaningful talks" about pay the RMT had submitted "a wildly unrealistic claim". RMT general secretary Bob Crow responded by saying: "This is a magnificent result which underlines the anger that has been provoked by management in their confrontational approach on pay and job security. If TfL want to avoid confrontation they should withdraw their plans to slash jobs and guarantee there will be no forced redundancies, start talking seriously about pay and call off the bully managers."

TfL said the RMT had demanded an "unrealistic" 5% percent pay rise and was against cutting back office jobs that had been duplicated as a result of maintenance firm Metronet being taken over by London Underground.

This annual confrontation between the parties is really disappointing and it pains me to say that the comments made by the Trade Union and especially by Rob Crow and simply horrid and should no longer acceptable in a civilised nation. It is one thing to negotiate and consult on important matters but bringing misery to the public is simply out of order. So for me it is time for:

TfL - impose a no strike clause

RMT - I'm afraid you have forgotten your heritage and the efforts of your predecessors, get back under your stone where you belong.

Workers on the London underground - please reassert yourself as the decent people I know you are - allowing Crow to influence you like this is embarrassing and VERY bad for you, your families and your great city.

Is there anything new in Leadership?

I was working with the CIO and his leadership team from a major government agency this week where we were considering their strategy for the next few years. I have run many such events over the years and as seems often to be the case, getting people to agree what they are actually there to do is a challenge and one that often ends with pages of sentences full of jargon.

With some effort we did however manage to agree on some simple principles for the team which included Secure, Affordable, Standardised and Agile. All pretty noble principles. However, one of the chaps then asked "OK these make sense but could they not be used as part of any CIO's strategy? ". The debate really got going at this point and the group concluded that whilst the principles they had come up with could be seen as generic the process they went through to get to them and what they actually do with them would be the key to success. Makes sense to me.

Honour each other as geese do

Milton Olson suggests that next time you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along in a “V” formation, consider why they fly that way.

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird behind.

By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own! People who share a common direction can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are travelling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it feels the drag and resistance of flying alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the “lifting power” of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are (and willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others).

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs. With people, as with geese, we are interdependent on each other. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging, and not something else.

When a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshots and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly again or dies. Only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation, to catch up with their group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.