I watched older managers (in their 60s) retiring the 50-somethings and hiring these young guns in their 20s. The seniors did not have MBAs, they had old fashioned degrees and decades of experience in learning the ropes of the company and the world. Why did they start retiring the middle group? Save on pensions? Think that, by having young boys and girls in posts of 'management' that they would bring 'new life' and 'new ideas' into the biz?
Speaking as one who spent several years cleaning up the project mess made by others in the 25+ years I was in Telecomms and IT, this disaster shows that BA has a corporate management problem. It has been talked about for years and many threads in here and the press have given clues. This project was too big for the children of BA management. Better bring back the grown ups.
Then add in the "Seagulls". They fly in with a big show, crap and quickly fly away leaving the next one to try to clean up the mess.
I have lost count how many times I heard skilled seniors say " been there, got the teashirt , it will not work. I will keep quiet and cover my back cos if I say anything it will be flagged as negative thinking"
The BA kiddy tails was the perfect example of no one prepared to say "NO! This is rubbish. STOP"
I got out early to save my sanity.
A message for WW.
"Management, at its risk, ignores the guy doing the job!"
Make a little sign with this message on both sides, then pop it on your desk perhaps with a similar " The buck stops here" sign