Airservices: The CEO's New Organisation
What managers simply HATE is when technically competent people pick apart the details of the managers pet project, showing why it can't work the way it is and suggesting alternatives that make demonstrably more sense then the managers cockeyed proposal.
The reason they hate it is because it exposes them for what they are, a leader in name only, with zero real authority because they don't have the slightest idea what the technical people are talking about. We call these types "Formal" leaders but the real leaders are those with the technical authority that makes other professionals want to listen to them.
I've been on both sides of the desk, and I know how it feels. There is nothing like the feeling of helplessness you get from chairing a meeting to choose software development tools when you don't even know the meaning of the acronyms people are throwing at each other. There is also nothing like the rage and contempt you feel when you watch somebody with a PhD who is paid more than three times your salary fall for the time worn shonky sales pitch about listing your company in an "On Line Directory".
The normal response from a General Manager should be to resign and go somewhere else where he has an understanding of the business, but the very stupid, or the very vain, may decide that the solution is to intersperse a layer or four of managers between himself and the objects of his contempt. The intervening layers make it unnecessary for him to know anything about the business - and if technical reality intrudes, just add another layer of management and reality goes away for a while.
The trouble, of course, is that when reality finally intrudes, it batters down the door and sweeps the layers aside, exposing the General Manager as a know nothing totally incompetent failure. I hope that the Coroner's court isn't the place where AsA's inadequacies are displayed.
I think back to two of the finest managers I ever had the pleasure of working for KB and RJ at AN. Both started as Apprentices and RJ used to boast about the number of exhaust collector rings he had made by hand for the DC3. They had probably forgotten more then the rest of us ever knew.
The reason they hate it is because it exposes them for what they are, a leader in name only, with zero real authority because they don't have the slightest idea what the technical people are talking about. We call these types "Formal" leaders but the real leaders are those with the technical authority that makes other professionals want to listen to them.
I've been on both sides of the desk, and I know how it feels. There is nothing like the feeling of helplessness you get from chairing a meeting to choose software development tools when you don't even know the meaning of the acronyms people are throwing at each other. There is also nothing like the rage and contempt you feel when you watch somebody with a PhD who is paid more than three times your salary fall for the time worn shonky sales pitch about listing your company in an "On Line Directory".
The normal response from a General Manager should be to resign and go somewhere else where he has an understanding of the business, but the very stupid, or the very vain, may decide that the solution is to intersperse a layer or four of managers between himself and the objects of his contempt. The intervening layers make it unnecessary for him to know anything about the business - and if technical reality intrudes, just add another layer of management and reality goes away for a while.
The trouble, of course, is that when reality finally intrudes, it batters down the door and sweeps the layers aside, exposing the General Manager as a know nothing totally incompetent failure. I hope that the Coroner's court isn't the place where AsA's inadequacies are displayed.
I think back to two of the finest managers I ever had the pleasure of working for KB and RJ at AN. Both started as Apprentices and RJ used to boast about the number of exhaust collector rings he had made by hand for the DC3. They had probably forgotten more then the rest of us ever knew.
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: North of the Tweed, Australia
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Down side - if the rumors are true, it is not the cream that will float to the top this time. Only yes-men and syncophants need apply.
a) Cream
b) Scum
Unfortunately, ASA is not a bucket of milk.
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Australia
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Max1 - wouldn't JH have been part of the Executive who fell over themselves to implement SDE. To congratulate him after he sat in Safety and watched KiwiKin sink under the burden of restructuring while his staff bled away is cutting him a bit too much slack.
Does anyone else wonder why TFN is relishing an ATC strike/ban/fight/whatever? Why isn't he trying to solve this problem, why is there no middle ground?
1. Is he aware that the Government will step in a ban any industrial action? So he can't lose. Remember the Bush administration forced NATCA to accept the FAA offer - there is a model if anyone wants to copy it.
2. Is this because the Minister is an old mate from his Sydney Airport and NSW Regional Airline background? Forget TFN's National Party connections, the NSW Labor right wing is far more vicious.
3. On the other hand is it a device to deflect any government or industry inquiry into why ASA has gone into debt to pay the Government's "dividend"?
4. I wouldn't want to be crowing about writing off $24 million on GBAS and borrowing $400 million during the boomiest time the airlines have ever had. Neither would I want anyone casting a professional eye over the chaos the business has been in for the last four years.
Where has this oversight been? (Still if Madoff can get the SEC in the US to ignore him while he runs a multi-milion pyramid scheme, what can we expect.)
Over the years we have always faced this recalcitrant behaviour from an employer who knows that we can't work anywhere else, but never in my experience with such aggression and planning.
Just what is this bloke up to?
Does anyone else wonder why TFN is relishing an ATC strike/ban/fight/whatever? Why isn't he trying to solve this problem, why is there no middle ground?
1. Is he aware that the Government will step in a ban any industrial action? So he can't lose. Remember the Bush administration forced NATCA to accept the FAA offer - there is a model if anyone wants to copy it.
2. Is this because the Minister is an old mate from his Sydney Airport and NSW Regional Airline background? Forget TFN's National Party connections, the NSW Labor right wing is far more vicious.
3. On the other hand is it a device to deflect any government or industry inquiry into why ASA has gone into debt to pay the Government's "dividend"?
4. I wouldn't want to be crowing about writing off $24 million on GBAS and borrowing $400 million during the boomiest time the airlines have ever had. Neither would I want anyone casting a professional eye over the chaos the business has been in for the last four years.
Where has this oversight been? (Still if Madoff can get the SEC in the US to ignore him while he runs a multi-milion pyramid scheme, what can we expect.)
Over the years we have always faced this recalcitrant behaviour from an employer who knows that we can't work anywhere else, but never in my experience with such aggression and planning.
Just what is this bloke up to?
Ballot
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mr. Approach:
Over the years we have always faced this recalcitrant behaviour from an employer who knows that we can't work anywhere else, but never in my experience with such aggression and planning.
Just what is this bloke up to?
Over the years we have always faced this recalcitrant behaviour from an employer who knows that we can't work anywhere else, but never in my experience with such aggression and planning.
Just what is this bloke up to?
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: brisvegas
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It`s all just a numbers game to TFN! The amount of spin required to make the numbers add up correctly is becoming larger by the day.
Rumours in Vegas this week of 10 more resignations down south soon. Only 10! No problems we`ve got sooooo many trainees coming through these days.
The other rumour is the non-traffic endorsed ALMs in Melbourne are about to be asked to regain an endorsement or two. But there is no staffing crisis, is there?
Until someone takes a very big stick to the very top of this organisation no amount of restructuring will solve any real problems. It`s not rocket science.
Rumours in Vegas this week of 10 more resignations down south soon. Only 10! No problems we`ve got sooooo many trainees coming through these days.
The other rumour is the non-traffic endorsed ALMs in Melbourne are about to be asked to regain an endorsement or two. But there is no staffing crisis, is there?
Until someone takes a very big stick to the very top of this organisation no amount of restructuring will solve any real problems. It`s not rocket science.
Join Date: May 2002
Location: australia
Posts: 606
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The SDE was driven by TFN and his sidekick PC (Game Show Host).
TFN has a habit of making announcements that come as a surprise to those around him who should have been included in the decision making process.
When he announced that we were getting a 'new' TAAATS, many of those who should have been consulted had to lift their jaws of the floor. It had come completely out of the blue.
When you have someone who has no idea of the core business he is running you are apt to get uninformed and ill researched ideas. This is not to say the new system is bad, but there should have been a lot more people in the loop. The GSH has been out of his depth since he was involved in NAS, but knows how to survive.
Look at SDE, TFN has the blinkers on. He believes that his mission is to subdue and cow 'conservative' controllers. He has no idea of the constant change that has been going on for years, the lack of controllers, and the lack of leadership. Some of the change has been beneficial to industry, even though much of the time the research and implementation has been poor, and it is left to us to make the square peg fit in the round whole. It seems the more management we have the less the projects are fit for purpose. The proponent of generic ratings has admitted that we do not as yet have the technology, standardisation, staff, or arrangements with the users of restricted areas to get anywhere near generic ratings. PC (GSH) convinced TFN and the Board that it was ready to go, and look where we are. Stuffed.
JH and co. need to take their share of the blame in not having the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the more fanciful ideas of SDE. As do the Lvl3s and ALMs, who are supposed to have the best interest of the airlines and travelling public at heart. Some of the Lvl3s are now paying the price.
But don't forget they are also playing office politics, TFN has shown his willingness to send people to Business Development (The Departure Lounge) prior to them 'leaving to pursue other opportunities'. Dissent for the Messiah and his handpicked disciples is not tolerated. Not the way to run a safety based organisation that is spending the airline industrys' money.
This latest ATC restucture is rolling back to the Centre Manager structure, I would say it won't be too long till we have some form of Group Leader function again, as having 20 or so ALMs reporting to one Lvl3 will soon prove too unwieldy. JH is playing the slowly , slowly game to make sure TFN is not shown up too badly. Remember we never roll anything back in ASA it is always an 'enhancement'. If JH pushes too hard it will be a one way ticket to Business Development. This is not about what is best for ASA and its customers, but is what is least embarrassing to TFN.
TFN has a habit of making announcements that come as a surprise to those around him who should have been included in the decision making process.
When he announced that we were getting a 'new' TAAATS, many of those who should have been consulted had to lift their jaws of the floor. It had come completely out of the blue.
When you have someone who has no idea of the core business he is running you are apt to get uninformed and ill researched ideas. This is not to say the new system is bad, but there should have been a lot more people in the loop. The GSH has been out of his depth since he was involved in NAS, but knows how to survive.
Look at SDE, TFN has the blinkers on. He believes that his mission is to subdue and cow 'conservative' controllers. He has no idea of the constant change that has been going on for years, the lack of controllers, and the lack of leadership. Some of the change has been beneficial to industry, even though much of the time the research and implementation has been poor, and it is left to us to make the square peg fit in the round whole. It seems the more management we have the less the projects are fit for purpose. The proponent of generic ratings has admitted that we do not as yet have the technology, standardisation, staff, or arrangements with the users of restricted areas to get anywhere near generic ratings. PC (GSH) convinced TFN and the Board that it was ready to go, and look where we are. Stuffed.
JH and co. need to take their share of the blame in not having the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the more fanciful ideas of SDE. As do the Lvl3s and ALMs, who are supposed to have the best interest of the airlines and travelling public at heart. Some of the Lvl3s are now paying the price.
But don't forget they are also playing office politics, TFN has shown his willingness to send people to Business Development (The Departure Lounge) prior to them 'leaving to pursue other opportunities'. Dissent for the Messiah and his handpicked disciples is not tolerated. Not the way to run a safety based organisation that is spending the airline industrys' money.
This latest ATC restucture is rolling back to the Centre Manager structure, I would say it won't be too long till we have some form of Group Leader function again, as having 20 or so ALMs reporting to one Lvl3 will soon prove too unwieldy. JH is playing the slowly , slowly game to make sure TFN is not shown up too badly. Remember we never roll anything back in ASA it is always an 'enhancement'. If JH pushes too hard it will be a one way ticket to Business Development. This is not about what is best for ASA and its customers, but is what is least embarrassing to TFN.
Last edited by max1; 5th Feb 2009 at 21:43.
Another restructure! A restructure (of the restructure (of the restructure))... What a great idea! Let's concentrate on the impressive new titles given to all the usual suspects, and take the focus off the real problem (like- the inability of the organisation to provide its function)! What a farce!
Perhaps they should be re-badged, "Management Restructures Australia" and cut that pesky ATS function free.
Perhaps they should be re-badged, "Management Restructures Australia" and cut that pesky ATS function free.
