WombleGuard
Member
Anyone know what SWR MD was doing at Surbiton this AM?
At a wild guess, 'being seen' to meet and engage with his travelling public and/or staff.Anyone know what SWR MD was doing at Surbiton this AM?
His job.Anyone know what SWR MD was doing at Surbiton this AM?
Anyone know what SWR MD was doing at Surbiton this AM?
Correct. Meet the manager events tend to take place in the morning when people haven't got time to stop and chat, not in the evening when people are hanging around for their trains homeGuessing he'll not be there this evening when down services are offloading to P3+4. Ideal time to see it at its grimmest.
Does somewhere like Surbiton have much incoming commuter traffic? I would guess that most passengers 'hang around' for their trains in the morning and rush off to their homes in the evening.Correct. Meet the manager events tend to take place in the morning when people haven't got time to stop and chat, not in the evening when people are hanging around for their trains home
and rush off to their homes in the evening.
Correct. Meet the manager events tend to take place in the morning when people haven't got time to stop and chat, not in the evening when people are hanging around for their trains home
I presume you guys have never done a meet the manager (as a manager). Try to imagine doing it, including dealing with the great British public in all its glory. And then think whether you'd rather do it at the beginning of the day when you were full of energy, or at the end of a hard day's work, when you're knackered.
I presume you guys have never done a meet the manager (as a manager). Try to imagine doing it, including dealing with the great British public in all its glory. And then think whether you'd rather do it at the beginning of the day when you were full of energy, or at the end of a hard day's work, when you're knackered.
I presume you guys have never done a meet the manager (as a manager). Try to imagine doing it, including dealing with the great British public in all its glory. And then think whether you'd rather do it at the beginning of the day when you were full of energy, or at the end of a hard day's work, when you're knackered.
I think you will find Mark Hopwood popping up all over the patch and in the evenings too. That’s his style and he has a keen eye for what is going on, or not going on.
Don’t expect him to have an entourage either. He is a bit “Fiennes” on occasions and nobody, not even his PA, will know where is going.
Should have played him at his own (GWR) game and closed the doors "up to 40 seconds before departure"!He was certainly on his own when he was hurrying to his train at Waterloo this morning.
I think you will find Mark Hopwood popping up all over the patch and in the evenings too. That’s his style and he has a keen eye for what is going on, or not going on.
Don’t expect him to have an entourage either. He is a bit “Fiennes” on occasions and nobody, not even his PA, will know where is going.
I presume you guys have never done a meet the manager (as a manager). Try to imagine doing it, including dealing with the great British public in all its glory. And then think whether you'd rather do it at the beginning of the day when you were full of energy, or at the end of a hard day's work, when you're knackered.
Not with a ‘Glasgae Kiss’ I hope!Even some quite vociferous critics would subsequently greet you on the train in a friendly Glaswegian fashion.
Tee hee!Not with a ‘Glasgae Kiss’ I hope!
Done a few, and when you get a decent discussion very enjoyable. However it was surprising how few passengers actually take up the opportunity. In fact meet the manager was sometimes a chance to talk to fellow managers you wouldn’t normally see too often if no passengers stopped to chat.
Of course you get some passengers for whom nothing is going to placate them over their particular issue, but never had that many, and if they weren’t going to listen to a rational explanation then you may as well save your breath. But for every one of those there have been many more who really appreciate you taking the time to explain things.
A few years ago there were several series of a TV programme called "Undercover Boss" in which the MD / CEO of a company spent a week in disguise, working as a new employee in his own company. In every case*, the big cheese was fairly dismayed at conditions on the ground, and went back to HQ promising to improve conditions for the workforce, and in many cases improve the efficiency of the operation as well, by sorting out issues identified by the workers but ignored or even covered up by middle management. I think many organisations would benefit from that being done on a regular basis.I was going to suggest a bit like Herbert Ashcome Walker did after becoming general manager of LSWR in 1912. If ever you read books on him you will discover he roamed the LSWR system turning up at random stations and chatting to staff to find out what was really going on, and what problems were, and what they suggested. He would subsequently introduce himself, then take the reality back to the senior management or Board meetings, announcing what they were going to do to improve things.
A few years ago there were several series of a TV programme called "Undercover Boss" in which the MD / CEO of a company spent a week in disguise, working as a new employee in his own company. In every case*, the big cheese was fairly dismayed at conditions on the ground, and went back to HQ promising to improve conditions for the workforce, and in many cases improve the efficiency of the operation as well, by sorting out issues identified by the workers but ignored or even covered up by middle management. I think many organisations would benefit from that being done on a regular basis.
Fortunately in my career as a professional engineer, although latterly office based, I was always in close contact with the engineers out on site. In my first job on site as a new graduate, I'd been impressed that when our Contracts Director visited, he not only spoke to the site agent (as they were then called) but also walked around on his own and talked to machine drivers, gangers and labourers, so that he knew what was really happening. I always thought that was a lesson in proper management. In a subsequent more senior role, I worked quite closely with him, and had great respect for his leadership skills.
(* at least, in every case that made it onto the screen - there may have been some that were filmed but not shown)