Scottish Words illustrated

Unfierdy

“Thon’s an unfierdy teuchter thon!”

Translated:

unfierdy: clumsy, awkward.

“That is a clumsy bumpkin that is!”

clumsy.

Quality employees are worth a lot.

People I know have been made redundant and it seems to me that often the choice made is to keep those that ‘control’ or are ‘controllable’ as against keeping those that are ‘awkward’.

It seems self evident to me that it’s the quality of your employees that make the greatest difference and ensure you consistently have a sustainable quality product.

Quality employees will not stand for shoddy raw materials, poor end product, or doing anything but the best for the customer. That is the perfect definition of awkward to too many line managers. To me that is a quality to be harnessed.

What’s the difference between a real business manager and a pseudo business manager? I think the real manager sees the balance sheet as one indicator amongst many of success or failure.

The pseudo manager thinks maximum profit is the reason for existing.

And the worst sort of pseudo manager is the one that thinks that anything that cuts into that profit margin such as training, quality control, research and development and well being are enemies — particularly in a failing business.

Amazingly these same people will spend more money on bonuses to increase the cost cutting squeeze believing that if only they had total control of everyone in the world everything would work perfectly.

Where did this cult of pseudo management come from and how come they think industry would grind to a halt if their control disappeared?

Could you do your job without someone constantly telling you exactly what to do? If you can’t perhaps you’ve been set up that way to justify some certain person’s existence.

The way Pixar is run is an example of harnessing quality employees which in turn revitalised the Hollywood animation industry. They try to employ people better than themselves. It’s a rare thing.

Be Sociable, Share!

•