The culture of the 1980s has actually damaged the idea of the dignity of labour'
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4 I am tired of meeting executives in the European and UK motor and
transport industries who waste their precious time complaining about market conditions, competition, bad debts and Government interference, when they should be concentrating on fighting this recession with grit, imagination, forward thinking and a great deal of commitment.
In simple terms, this means working much harder instead of just talking about it I never cease to be shocked when I discover that in some companies it is difficult to find somebody working after 18:00hrs during the week, or at all on Saturdays!
The culture of the 1980s has actually damaged the idea of the dignity of labour. The importance of the white collars has been exaggerated at the expense of the blue collars, the folk who actually do the work. Management is essentially leadership by example, and in my opinion the best way to beat the recession, one's competitors and all the problems affecting industry is to be at the forefront of the battle.
In the road transport industry, the chief executive should put himself in the midst of his traffic managers. This means that not only is he able to make an accurate appraisal of the difficulties facing managers but he is also in a good position to direct the firm without interference from intermediate layers of unnecessary "management".
This philosophy, of course, depends on the front line staff — and the chief executive — being of top calibre. In fact the recruitment policy of road hauliers is largely led by the need to fill structural gaps rather than by the search for individuals with high human qualities.
It is an arduous and challenging task to find the kind of people who have the potential to grow in productivity and responsibility within a work environment where collective team performance comes first. It takes a great deal of foresight and risk-taking. In our central traffic office in Bournemouth, several senior traffic supervisors are arts graduates. The notion that human qualities are more important than experience may be controversial, but I can safely report that it has been an enormous success. Commerce is transacted between people and in order for it to work well those people have to show high commitment.
I realise that my criticisms of the motor and transport industries may not be received too kindly in some quarters, but I own up to feeling a certain pleasure. My company is currently beating the recession. In contrast, the doom-mongers just keep talking about possible remedies while desperately searching for scapegoats for their own inabilities to get on with the fight.,
El If you want to sound off about a road transport issue write to features editor Patric Cunnane.