bad management and temper tantrums
I am grateful to CJBOy’s and his astute comments. He is quite correct, and that is what I did - I moved on after not liking what I saw.
Please permit me to try to end on a slightly more positive note. A lot of complaints have been voiced here about management. Before we can assess this, we have to define what management is. What do you manage? How do you manage?
I believe that management is the ability to plan activities in a logical and efficient manner, within the proper and defined parameters of the given process. A good manager will also be able to have a Plan B – still within these rules – if Plan A does not come to fruition. Furthermore, you have to manage people – who are all unique and who will be motivated by different means! That is what I believe management is throughout any sphere of industry.
If that definition is correct, then I saw very little evidence of management of any kind at Gama. I did see 2 privileged control freaks who owned the company – and who had their favourites – but I didn’t see management. An owner/director/business partner of a company is not necessarily a manager, let alone a good one.
Gama had a very good reputation for running one-off or a limited service executive business flights from Farnborough. Much of that reputation is deservedly so. For those who worked there and who did well – well done.
Up until now, Gama had no experience of running a scheduled service, from stations – one 400 miles away and the other 560 miles away. Out of sight is out of mind. It’s a different ball game – and Gama have no good management. It shows!
I’m not naïve. I know that the powers that be will be reading this. So will the Scottish Office! Stand well back and watch the control freaks hit the panic button! The issue of the Scottish Air Ambulance Service and it patients goes beyond bad management and disgruntled employees. The Scottish people deserve better and they ain’t getting it from Gama. The aviation industry is a wonderful livelihood and if Gama cannot deliver they should stand aside. Similarly, employees should move on because there are a lot of good aviation company's out there who do treat their employees and their customers well.
Please permit me one final point . . .
As you read back throughout this excellent and valuable internet forum, not many people have the distinction of having their whole piece cut and pasted in a tantrum – I’ve achieved that without trying, bad manners, name-calling or abuse! All I did was state irrefutable facts! I didn’t mean to upset anyone and if I have – I’m delighted! Nil illegitimi carborundi!