Where buck stops, communication starts
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TOM KING, the Employment Secretary, professes to believe that senior managers display above their desks a notice, "The buck stops here." But, he says, even this is not enough. It should be accompanied by another: "Communication starts here."
This is in stark contrast with the text traditionally favoured by ministers and government departments: Lord grant this day that we reach no decision. Communication is, however, the latest "in" thing in government circles. Mind you, those who engage in it may find themselves in prison, gazing at a notice: "The leak stops here."
The Employment Secretary recently outlined a "simple management check list" for personnel managers, which he was tempted to enter for the Plain English Award. The ideas are strongly reminiscent of the National Freight Consortium's philosophy and practice, and in their crisp expression might well have originated in the NFC's splendid public relations department.