Memo to Lesley Grant
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The problem QAN shareholder (are you sure you don't work for QAN?) is that none of the employees believe much of what Executive level management have to tell us.
You can only cry wolf so many times or use the phrase 'we do not intend' or 'we currently have no plans for...'
If you are indeed a QAN shareholder with no affiliation with the company, you may well find better returns elsewhere.
You can only cry wolf so many times or use the phrase 'we do not intend' or 'we currently have no plans for...'
If you are indeed a QAN shareholder with no affiliation with the company, you may well find better returns elsewhere.
Conflict of Interest or is the result known before the enquiry?
You would think that the management of any company that was serious enough to commence an investigation into why their product is failing in the market would employ an independent group to pursue answers, not a person that was responsible for applying the policies that lead to the failure in the first place.
Imagine if, following a serious incident involving injury to passengers or sever damage to an aircraft, the investigation was lead by the Captain and crew responsible. Conflict of interest? Never.
Within Qantas it seems that outside help is only sought to cull not to develop.
You would think that the management of any company that was serious enough to commence an investigation into why their product is failing in the market would employ an independent group to pursue answers, not a person that was responsible for applying the policies that lead to the failure in the first place.
Imagine if, following a serious incident involving injury to passengers or sever damage to an aircraft, the investigation was lead by the Captain and crew responsible. Conflict of interest? Never.
Within Qantas it seems that outside help is only sought to cull not to develop.
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If jetstar are not performing domestically and they have been running for so long pidy backing off Qantas, then how the hell are they going to be a "star" performer as an international airline? Rising oil etc, I'd say there will have to be some quite sustantial creative accounting to make this arm of the business look profitable. If Qantas international is "not performing" you're going to be in a world of pain with your new international arm!!
Guys, Qantas is running on a "script". I've only seen this done once before and it doesn't work.
The script is about a heroic Board of Directors and senior managers saving the Qantas brand from the dead hands of a highly unionised, backwards looking, brain dead, old and wrinkly workforce by nurturing the love child of Marg. Jackson and Geoff Dixon - Jetstar.
Well that is the script, more or less. I once was part of an IT company that tried to pretend to its financial backers and it's staff that it was unprofitable and "under threat", when the reality was that it was doing very well thank you. The strategy is sometimes called "keeping Two sets of books".
The trouble with "scripts" is that fact is stranger than fiction and reality eventually intrudes, and then the play acting has to stop, and fast. For example, if Qantas was ever placed under pressure by its lenders and had to engage in "lifeboat drill" then the truth about profitability and the contributions made by the various fictional entities would have to come out - followed by a string of resignations I suspect.
Another interesting issue is the problem of oil just now. What happens to you LCC model if flights become more expensive and air travel thus confined to the carriage trade?
The script is about a heroic Board of Directors and senior managers saving the Qantas brand from the dead hands of a highly unionised, backwards looking, brain dead, old and wrinkly workforce by nurturing the love child of Marg. Jackson and Geoff Dixon - Jetstar.
Little baby Jetstar was born young, fit, profitable and competitive. The nasty, evil, old, ugly, wrinkled employees at mainline and International hate their baby brother and want to do away with him if they could. The Board and Senior managers have protected baby Jetstar from the icky wicky "Legacy" employees and old has beens.
Baby Jetstar is now a grown man and is going to kick the nasty mainline and international in the backside and boot them out of the family home, never to return. Then the Board and Senior managers will join with baby Jetstar, have a big party, and they all lived happily ever after.
Baby Jetstar is now a grown man and is going to kick the nasty mainline and international in the backside and boot them out of the family home, never to return. Then the Board and Senior managers will join with baby Jetstar, have a big party, and they all lived happily ever after.
The trouble with "scripts" is that fact is stranger than fiction and reality eventually intrudes, and then the play acting has to stop, and fast. For example, if Qantas was ever placed under pressure by its lenders and had to engage in "lifeboat drill" then the truth about profitability and the contributions made by the various fictional entities would have to come out - followed by a string of resignations I suspect.
Another interesting issue is the problem of oil just now. What happens to you LCC model if flights become more expensive and air travel thus confined to the carriage trade?
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Sunfish, keep the "inside" thinking coming, this is our biggest blind spot, thanks for your posts.
On the subject of oil, anyone involved with LCC carriers should view this video:Jeff Rubin, the former Chief Economist of CIBC World Markets and the author of Why Your World Is About To Get A Whole Lot Smaller built his reputation as one of Canada's top economists based on a number of successful predictions including the housing bust of the early 90s and the rise of oil prices. In his recent book, Mr. Rubin predicts $225 per barrel oil by 2012 and with it the end of globalization, a movement towards local sourcing and a need for massive scaling up of energy efficiency. www.thebusinessofclimatechange.com
He made these predictions in 2009.
On the subject of oil, anyone involved with LCC carriers should view this video:Jeff Rubin, the former Chief Economist of CIBC World Markets and the author of Why Your World Is About To Get A Whole Lot Smaller built his reputation as one of Canada's top economists based on a number of successful predictions including the housing bust of the early 90s and the rise of oil prices. In his recent book, Mr. Rubin predicts $225 per barrel oil by 2012 and with it the end of globalization, a movement towards local sourcing and a need for massive scaling up of energy efficiency. www.thebusinessofclimatechange.com
He made these predictions in 2009.
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C441 Precisely
C441 wrote "Conflict of Interest or is the result known before the enquiry?
You would think that the management of any company that was serious enough to commence an investigation into why their product is failing in the market would employ an independent group to pursue answers, not a person that was responsible for applying the policies that lead to the failure in the first place.
"
THE BEST COMMENT OF THE THREAD!
You would think that the management of any company that was serious enough to commence an investigation into why their product is failing in the market would employ an independent group to pursue answers, not a person that was responsible for applying the policies that lead to the failure in the first place.
"
THE BEST COMMENT OF THE THREAD!
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Terminating Grants Contract
Establishing a task force is usually the responsibility of a senior executive.
Heading one up is unusual.Looks like Grant may not have a position to go back to when the task force is disbanded.
May be a clever way of terminating her contract.No position.No contract
What say you Sunfish.The beginning of a Cabin Services cleanout?
Heading one up is unusual.Looks like Grant may not have a position to go back to when the task force is disbanded.
May be a clever way of terminating her contract.No position.No contract
What say you Sunfish.The beginning of a Cabin Services cleanout?
The first thing to understand in turning a business around is that the people who got you into the mess most probably can't get you out of it. That is because lateral thinking is required, and senior managers are usually heavily invested in the status quo. This is one reason for giving senior managers golden parachutes, it makes it slightly easier for them to come to the conclusion that maybe they are part of the problem, not the solution, and that they had better go.
The second thing I think you can assume is that the review will not provide any tangible results beyond the useless "work smarter not harder" mantra. My guess is that the Board and senior managers are still following "the script", so the review has to follow it too.
What is required is a new Board and CEO chosen carefully to ensure that narcissist are excluded, followed by a careful weeding out of narcissists from all levels of management. I have yet to see this attempted, let alone succeed, in any business in the world - yet, although HR people are just beginning to wake up to this problem that I have been writing about for at least Five years.
JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie
http://www.dattnerconsulting.com/pre...narcissism.pdf
Youth increasingly narcissistic says psychologist Jean Twenge
You need a chairman who understands that his job is to make it possible for all managers and employees to succeed in the tasks they are given. You then have to drive that idea and thinking right through the organisation. It is the exact reverse thinking of the current Board and management of the company as far as I can tell. That type of thinking was implicit in that comment from Jackson, Dixon or some such that: "The Board has done more for the success of this company than any employee" - that type of thinking is poisonous.
I don't think any of this is going to happen. I think QF is going to be a basket case from which a few remnants might be saved. Oil prices are going to kill the LCC model.
The second thing I think you can assume is that the review will not provide any tangible results beyond the useless "work smarter not harder" mantra. My guess is that the Board and senior managers are still following "the script", so the review has to follow it too.
What is required is a new Board and CEO chosen carefully to ensure that narcissist are excluded, followed by a careful weeding out of narcissists from all levels of management. I have yet to see this attempted, let alone succeed, in any business in the world - yet, although HR people are just beginning to wake up to this problem that I have been writing about for at least Five years.
JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie
http://www.dattnerconsulting.com/pre...narcissism.pdf
Youth increasingly narcissistic says psychologist Jean Twenge
You need a chairman who understands that his job is to make it possible for all managers and employees to succeed in the tasks they are given. You then have to drive that idea and thinking right through the organisation. It is the exact reverse thinking of the current Board and management of the company as far as I can tell. That type of thinking was implicit in that comment from Jackson, Dixon or some such that: "The Board has done more for the success of this company than any employee" - that type of thinking is poisonous.
I don't think any of this is going to happen. I think QF is going to be a basket case from which a few remnants might be saved. Oil prices are going to kill the LCC model.
Last edited by Sunfish; 6th Mar 2011 at 18:10.
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The future is.....
Bleak for Qantas mainline and not much better for JestStar.
Only in Australia would this corporate mismanagment be tolerated for so long.
When the company falls over there will golden handshakes all round and not one prosecution.
Ms Grant....how do you sleep at night?
Only in Australia would this corporate mismanagment be tolerated for so long.
When the company falls over there will golden handshakes all round and not one prosecution.
Ms Grant....how do you sleep at night?
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No the last survey was NOT published and the safety survey was 'paraphrased' - none of the surveys disclosed actual numbers of respondents so the % attributes are meaningless. Trend is therefore also irrelevant
The Group Safety survey did have some damning anecdotal responses but of course this ream of paper was neither tabulated or considered. (Shame it can't be given to Senator Xeno
This current survey has a number of flaws (bias) in the question methodology and in itself in that it relies on reducing the impact by utilising 7 sub categories from which only responses in multiples of 10 will be reported.
The last 4 questions also are set up as a buffer for the Senior Management and are typically irrelavnt to the majority of the operational respondents.
I think answer it honestly even though the proponents of the survey are being anything but.....
The Group Safety survey did have some damning anecdotal responses but of course this ream of paper was neither tabulated or considered. (Shame it can't be given to Senator Xeno
This current survey has a number of flaws (bias) in the question methodology and in itself in that it relies on reducing the impact by utilising 7 sub categories from which only responses in multiples of 10 will be reported.
The last 4 questions also are set up as a buffer for the Senior Management and are typically irrelavnt to the majority of the operational respondents.
I think answer it honestly even though the proponents of the survey are being anything but.....
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Survey
There are two areas where you can enter text and express a point of view.
It provides an opportunity to name names and make it quite clear that you are disengaged because of poor management from middle and senior executives.The survey is touted as being confidential so it is hoped they have no recourse regarding disparaging comments.
Apart from these two areas the questions are loaded to allow managment an out
How much does this cost? Whatever it is its a waste.
What is required is behavioural change from management not the window dressing we have seen in the past.
It provides an opportunity to name names and make it quite clear that you are disengaged because of poor management from middle and senior executives.The survey is touted as being confidential so it is hoped they have no recourse regarding disparaging comments.
Apart from these two areas the questions are loaded to allow managment an out
How much does this cost? Whatever it is its a waste.
What is required is behavioural change from management not the window dressing we have seen in the past.
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Surely the Honourable Senator can be fed a blank form with the right prompting to ask the results.
There is a great deal of precedent for culture being an underlying cause of corporate performance so is a legitimate line of enquiry should they wish to go there.
Would be good to see the CEO's squirm on this one.
There is a great deal of precedent for culture being an underlying cause of corporate performance so is a legitimate line of enquiry should they wish to go there.
Would be good to see the CEO's squirm on this one.
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Good Result
They were published because they were good figures by comparison.They exceeded 22% engagement which was the companywide norm.No other area of the company had the survey results published from my understanding.No doubt I will be corrected if in error.
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Don’t know why everyone is getting excited about survey results. The results are not important, what is far more important, (in a process and bonus driven working environment), is the fact that a survey was indeed conducted.
So long as management conduct a survey, they have achieved their KPK’s, their KPT’s, their KMG’s oh crap!, they’re on their way to collecting the next bonus. The result is unimportant and they don’t give a flying freck if we are joyously engaged, somewhat engaged, engaged, somewhat disengaged or spitting venom.
So long as management conduct a survey, they have achieved their KPK’s, their KPT’s, their KMG’s oh crap!, they’re on their way to collecting the next bonus. The result is unimportant and they don’t give a flying freck if we are joyously engaged, somewhat engaged, engaged, somewhat disengaged or spitting venom.
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lesley m grant
lesley is VERY good at conquer and divide .... she came from air nz, just ask the crew members at air nz !!!! she literally divided the cabin crew into 2 groups (ISD and normal cabin crew); she promised the ISD better conditions for a new individual contract and when it was signed, promises were not delivered. hence, the collection agreement both groups had were nulled and void, and became INDIVIDUAL contracts for everybody.
there was no union anymore, it is called collective bargaining (FARSA) .. what a joke; those greeding ISDs signed the individual contracts and screwed their colleagues (cabin crews), not to mentioned being screwed themselves by lesley m grant !!!
good luck to all of you at QF mainline groups on ur future contract negotiations ... all of you different groups of unions MUST be UNITED to negatiate, other she will conquer and divide, and set up MORE overseas based jobs.
there was no union anymore, it is called collective bargaining (FARSA) .. what a joke; those greeding ISDs signed the individual contracts and screwed their colleagues (cabin crews), not to mentioned being screwed themselves by lesley m grant !!!
good luck to all of you at QF mainline groups on ur future contract negotiations ... all of you different groups of unions MUST be UNITED to negatiate, other she will conquer and divide, and set up MORE overseas based jobs.
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koala1
lesley is VERY good at conquer and divide .... she came from air nz, just ask the crew members at air nz !!!! she literally divided the cabin crew into 2 groups (ISD and normal cabin crew); she promised the ISD better conditions for a new individual contract and when it was signed, promises were not delivered. hence, the collection agreement both groups had were nulled and void, and became INDIVIDUAL contracts for everybody.
there was no union anymore, it is called collective bargaining (FARSA) .. what a joke; those greeding ISDs signed the individual contracts and screwed their colleagues (cabin crews), not to mentioned being screwed themselves by lesley m grant !!!
good luck to all of you at QF mainline groups on ur future contract negotiations ... all of you different groups of unions MUST be UNITED to negatiate, other she will conquer and divide, and set up MORE overseas based jobs.
While what you say is based on fact the majority of your quote is utterly wrong. I know. I was there ...
lesley is VERY good at conquer and divide .... she came from air nz, just ask the crew members at air nz !!!! she literally divided the cabin crew into 2 groups (ISD and normal cabin crew); she promised the ISD better conditions for a new individual contract and when it was signed, promises were not delivered. hence, the collection agreement both groups had were nulled and void, and became INDIVIDUAL contracts for everybody.
there was no union anymore, it is called collective bargaining (FARSA) .. what a joke; those greeding ISDs signed the individual contracts and screwed their colleagues (cabin crews), not to mentioned being screwed themselves by lesley m grant !!!
good luck to all of you at QF mainline groups on ur future contract negotiations ... all of you different groups of unions MUST be UNITED to negatiate, other she will conquer and divide, and set up MORE overseas based jobs.
While what you say is based on fact the majority of your quote is utterly wrong. I know. I was there ...