"Money Down the Drain"

[Primus1]

We had no business managers in my day at school, there was too much drinking, drug taking , smoking ,s*x and swearing…..and the pupils were just as bad….

[Bper]

3 minutes ago, Primus1 said:

We had no business managers in my day at school, there was too much drinking, drug taking , smoking ,s*x and swearing…..and the pupils were just as bad….

We must have gone to the same school.😂

[Bper]

22 minutes ago, Corolly Poly said:

I think that was certainly the case with the Conservative Government. Particularly with regard to the NHS. It was a strategic decision to run down the service to make users disgruntled and ease the path to privatisation and the award of lucrative contracts to their mates.

No argument,but the NHS needs total reform and i wish someone would have the guts to do it.

[Corolly Poly]

Just now, Bper said:

No argument,but the NHS needs total reform and i wish someone would have the guts to do it.

And the balls to put a penny on income tax. I don't know anyone who is against that but it seems to be something neither party is prepared to grapple with. It would make very little difference to most people and if they raised thresholds at the same time it would not unfairly hit those who can least afford it.

[Corolly Poly]

12 minutes ago, Bper said:

We must have gone to the same school.😂

Countesthorpe College? 

[Bper]

4 minutes ago, Corolly Poly said:

Countesthorpe College? 

Wimbledon College?

[Primus1]

9 hours ago, Bper said:

Wimbledon College?

Lord helpus hall school for young delinquents..

[AndyN01]

Businesses are there to make money.... That is their primary purpose.

Services are there to support the population and infrastructure of the Country.

They are not good bedfellows and one should not be a cash cow for the other.

[Haliotis]

The NHS has become a giant organisation which no government can control.  Successive governments have thrown public money into the NHS in a bid to improve it.  This simply gets swallowed up in more employment of non-medical staff and the introduction of increasing political correction and gender-bending radicalisation.  Within the NHS there is probably a subsidiary department solely for the regulation and control of political correctness.  Identifying and disbanding this unit alone would probably release many millions of pounds annually for the improvement of medical care.  Senior consultants and doctors are most likely the best people to start such a ball rolling, but the politically correct leaders have effectively buttoned up the lips of these staff with fear of consequence.

[Bper]

15 minutes ago, Haliotis said:

The NHS has become a giant organisation which no government can control.  Successive governments have thrown public money into the NHS in a bid to improve it.  This simply gets swallowed up in more employment of non-medical staff and the introduction of increasing political correction and gender-bending radicalisation.  Within the NHS there is probably a subsidiary department solely for the regulation and control of political correctness.  Identifying and disbanding this unit alone would probably release many millions of pounds annually for the improvement of medical care.  Senior consultants and doctors are most likely the best people to start such a ball rolling, but the politically correct leaders have effectively buttoned up the lips of these staff with fear of consequence.

The NHS spends around £186 billion every year, but we need to make sure this money is used effectively. We’re facing a serious shortage of doctors and nurses, which is affecting patient care. One way to improve efficiency is by reducing unnecessary management roles.We should offer competitive wages to attract and keep the best doctors.

 Introducing 10 year contracts for newly qualified doctors and offering student debt relief could help with this. The NHS also needs to transition to a 24/7 service so that everyone has access to care whenever they need it. Using private hospitals more can help cut waiting lists and make more appointments available.By centralising procurement, the NHS can use its buying power to get better prices. Reducing wastage is also essential. Bringing back matrons can improve ward management and patient care. Reforming community care services will free up hospital beds and improve patient flow. These are just a few ideas that have been discussed for a while.

[Corolly Poly]

11 hours ago, Corolly Poly said:

Countesthorpe College? 

Pretty Controversial in its day. I would have featured but expect I was down the pub😂

[Bper]

1 hour ago, Corolly Poly said:

Pretty Controversial in its day. I would have featured but expect I was down the pub😂

The progressive education movement was controversial, but I believe it provided a richer and more engaging learning experience compared to the traditional models many of us went through. Back then, education often meant doing as you were told, memorising information, and accepting it without question. This approach stifled creativity and critical thinking.Progressive education, on the other hand, focused on the student's needs and interests. It encouraged hands on, experiential learning and critical thinking. Students were more engaged because they were exploring topics that interested them, and this created a love of learning. Moreover, it emphasised social and emotional development, preparing students not just academically but as well rounded individuals.While traditional education prioritised uniformity and standardisation, progressive education celebrated individuality and diverse learning styles.

[AndyN01]

IMHO the key to delivering a Service is to have people who's skills, knowledge, experience and mind set is to assess and resolve, not tick boxes or hit (numerical) targets. Do it right, do it once and it's done. Look at the number of threads about sub standard workmanship and dire customer service - and this is on a Toyota forum.

It needs people who can actually "do the job" because that's the only way to get the job done and the folks doing something generally know what works, what doesn't and how to "improve" it.

What makes a "manager" worth (paid) more than someone who actually does something?

As you may guess I've had many few managers who have not a clue about how simple or complex an individual "job" might be or how long that might take but they can (well maybe) look at a spreadsheet and point fingers.... Usually about doing more of it and faster - and, of course, to the same, or better (😱) standard. To those I ask how fast their local tyre place changes their car tyres verses how fast it's done in the pit lane in a F1 race taking into account how many of them are there to do the "job" in that time frame and how much do the respective "workers" get paid to deliver that level of service?

Effective leaders, on the other hand, are exceptionally thin on the ground but good ones can and do enable the best from those around them. Just what you need to deliver a quality service and IMHO they are worth more because they will affect the delivery and effectiveness of a significant number of people.

[Bper]

1 hour ago, AndyN01 said:

IMHO the key to delivering a Service is to have people who's skills, knowledge, experience and mind set is to assess and resolve, not tick boxes or hit (numerical) targets. Do it right, do it once and it's done. Look at the number of threads about sub standard workmanship and dire customer service - and this is on a Toyota forum.

It needs people who can actually "do the job" because that's the only way to get the job done and the folks doing something generally know what works, what doesn't and how to "improve" it.

What makes a "manager" worth (paid) more than someone who actually does something?

As you may guess I've had many few managers who have not a clue about how simple or complex an individual "job" might be or how long that might take but they can (well maybe) look at a spreadsheet and point fingers.... Usually about doing more of it and faster - and, of course, to the same, or better (😱) standard. To those I ask how fast their local tyre place changes their car tyres verses how fast it's done in the pit lane in a F1 race taking into account how many of them are there to do the "job" in that time frame and how much do the respective "workers" get paid to deliver that level of service?

Effective leaders, on the other hand, are exceptionally thin on the ground but good ones can and do enable the best from those around them. Just what you need to deliver a quality service and IMHO they are worth more because they will affect the delivery and effectiveness of a significant number of people.

Agree about the right skills, a team that can diagnose and fix problems, not just follow a script, is gold. Getting it right the first time saves everyone time and keeps customers happy. It's not good  to see bad service complaints, especially for a brand like Toyota who pride themselves on reliability, but who's training the mechanics.

Totally agree on having competent staff who can do the job. They're the ones who know what works and how to make things better. A good manager's job isn't just spreadsheets. They should understand the work and support their team, not micromanage or just demand faster turnaround.

The pit crew analogy is a good example. They're extremely fast, but they have a huge, specialised team. A regular tyre shop doesn't have those resources, and their staff probably does more than just fit tyres.

Great leaders are difficult to find, but they make a huge difference. They create a work environment where everyone feels valued and supported, which leads to better service. That's definitely worth their pay.Sadly its becoming all to rare these days.😄

[Corolly Poly]

4 hours ago, Bper said:

The progressive education movement was controversial, but I believe it provided a richer and more engaging learning experience compared to the traditional models many of us went through. Back then, education often meant doing as you were told, memorising information, and accepting it without question. This approach stifled creativity and critical thinking.Progressive education, on the other hand, focused on the student's needs and interests. It encouraged hands on, experiential learning and critical thinking. Students were more engaged because they were exploring topics that interested them, and this created a love of learning. Moreover, it emphasised social and emotional development, preparing students not just academically but as well rounded individuals.While traditional education prioritised uniformity and standardisation, progressive education celebrated individuality and diverse learning styles.

It was great. Best years of my life and although I didn't get amazing O and A level results I was prepared for life and have done pretty well. The same for most of my mates. A few didn't thrive who might have benefitted from a more conventional approach but they were a minority.

[Bper]

37 minutes ago, Corolly Poly said:

It was great. Best years of my life and although I didn't get amazing O and A level results I was prepared for life and have done pretty well. The same for most of my mates. A few didn't thrive who might have benefitted from a more conventional approach but they were a minority.

We often reflect on how beneficial a more practical education could have been. My wife and I frequently wish we'd had the chance to learn essential life skills, an example like managing a household and finances, instead of the impractical subjects we were taught without choice. We believe that a more practical grounding could have prepared us better for life and potentially offered us greater opportunities earlier on. But that was the era we grew up in and I wonder how many of us of this generation feel the same.😄

[Rhymes with Paris]

I have dealt today with two individuals who are the product of a recent education.

Working in 2 different national/international companies.

The first one could not calculate that a £1.36 overcharge by the "system"equated to more than the 50p refund offered .

Simply could not do the mathematics.

The next one was really quick to help in order to "speed" things along, it took ages, and was akin to drawing teeth,to put right a £9 overcharge.

Again no ability to work out very simple subtraction calculations.

Now, I haven't got a downer on "young people" and some I meet are obviously very bright, and good people too.

But without basic numeracy and literacy where can anyone go to learn anything further.

Even on major news sites, including the sacred cow of the BBC, have many speiling mistakes, and don't understand basic grammar.

So I do wonder what the point of all the sub standard edukashen is, but I do realise that I may be somewhat of a dinosaur in that respect, and that this could be the much improved new order.

 

 

 

[Bper]

1 hour ago, Rhymes with Paris said:

I have dealt today with two individuals who are the product of a recent education.

Working in 2 different national/international companies.

The first one could not calculate that a £1.36 overcharge by the "system"equated to more than the 50p refund offered .

Simply could not do the mathematics.

The next one was really quick to help in order to "speed" things along, it took ages, and was akin to drawing teeth,to put right a £9 overcharge.

Again no ability to work out very simple subtraction calculations.

Now, I haven't got a downer on "young people" and some I meet are obviously very bright, and good people too.

But without basic numeracy and literacy where can anyone go to learn anything further.

Even on major news sites, including the sacred cow of the BBC, have many speiling mistakes, and don't understand basic grammar.

So I do wonder what the point of all the sub standard edukashen is, but I do realise that I may be somewhat of a dinosaur in that respect, and that this could be the much improved new order.

 

 

 

Hi Paul,It's funny you mention spelling errors; it's not just the BBC, but many smaller stations are just as bad. People's names, places, and job titles seem to be a real challenge for those behind the scenes. I remember a time when it was almost unheard of to see a spelling mistake on a banner or caption.I can't understand how, with all the spell checkers available, they don't catch these mistakes before putting them on screen. Also, why don't the producers check what's displayed and correct it instead of leaving it as is?

[Mjolinor]

I have some real hates like "sat" instead of "sitting", stadiums instead of stadia, except and accept, plus several hundred others.

What you have to remember is that with English there is no academy dictating what is allowed and what is not allowed. Popular usage defines the changes which is at it should be. If you do not allow that then languages die or, as you can see with a few examples, they cost millions to keep alive for a minority to use and they do not even do that as there are not enough words in the language for it to be used effectively.

Best to just bite your tongue and accept the language is changing. Defined spelling is a relatively recent thing. As long as you know what it says then does it really matter?

 

 

[AndyN01]

Just part of the "any old tat shall do" current culture. And/or too many chiefs and not "doers" to actually have the space and time and skills to do things "properly" before the next stage - where, in turn, that person doesn't have the time/skills to "correct" it before they, in turn, send it on to the next stage.......

Where there's no standards and/or no quality from the top, you reap what you sow.

[Bper]

26 minutes ago, AndyN01 said:

Just part of the "any old tat shall do" current culture. And/or too many chiefs and not "doers" to actually have the space and time and skills to do things "properly" before the next stage - where, in turn, that person doesn't have the time/skills to "correct" it before they, in turn, send it on to the next stage.......

Where there's no standards and/or no quality from the top, you reap what you sow.

You highlight a trend where speed and convenience often overshadow quality and standards. In this fast paced culture, there’s a tendency to prioritise quick results over thorough work, leading to a “good enough” mentality.

 Technology and automation, while streamlining processes, can sometimes sacrifice craftsmanship and detail. The lack of rigorous standards in education and workplaces encourages environments where mediocrity is tolerated. Poor leadership often results in a culture of low standards and little accountability. Cultural changes often view traditional values and methods as outdated, leading to a lack of respect for established practices. Additionally, economic pressures and the drive for profit frequently result in cutting corners.☹️

[Haliotis]

In the written word it is amazing that, when breaking down a sentence by use of a comma, many authors simply don’t know where to correctly place that comma.  We both have Kindle books, and that error is very regular.

[Primus1]

People auta learn to speak proper like wot I do…

[Haliotis]

17 hours ago, Primus1 said:

People auta learn to speak proper like wot I do…

Many do, Alan, but you won’t find them in the indigenous population.  It is surprising how many people and/or their offspring who have migrated to the UK are showing levels of correctness in their speech that compares to what was once the bastion of BBC grammar.

[Mjolinor]

22 hours ago, Primus1 said:

People auta learn to speak proper like wot I do…

I speak England very best.