While all the murky stuff is going on, Liverpool City Council has launched what can only be described as a surreal Investors in People stunt. Banners and leaflets have appeared in council offices declaring: “leap”. This stands for: leadership, excellence, accountability, performance. But should the message really be spelt out in a tall banner in the central stairwell of a building? All around are staff contemplating gloomy prospects in the weeks ahead, with managers summoning people to give bad news on a regular basis… Leap: surely this is the wrong message to be giving to staff?
Looking at some of the detail, it is almost Orwellian. Most of the characteristics of the people the leaflets describe are comical. To keep this post short, I will highlight a few:
- “I treat others as I would like to be treated” – bullying?
- “I am friendly, professional and sensitive to the needs of my customers and colleague (sic) at all times” – note the singular ‘colleague’!
- “I learn from my mistakes” – need we mention the LDL audit?
Big Brother would have drawn the line at peddling such obvious nonsense.
And the cost of all this? Rumour puts it at about £14,000.
You cannot make this stuff up.