So here we are again. The snow falls and parts of the infrastructure of this country fall apart. As an L&D professional I have found the events of the last week really interesting, especially the inevitable finger pointing and blame shifting that has followed from the government and various government agencies.
I also read that the government want another review ointo why this happened again (at tax payers expense no doubt) but whats the point if nothing changes.
So……….
I would love to know the views of other TZers on this? Has there been a failure of collective learning from the government and its associated agencies? Do they spend 80% of time reviewing stuff and only 20% trying to make a difference and what could L&D (especially leadership development) do to stop history repeating itself?
One Response
True grit
Don’t think you’re far wrong Jaimie! I do think learning happens, but it seems to be at a painfully slow pace. It looks like we’re not going to run out of grit this year, as we seem to have stockpiled a mountain compared to last year http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Britain-Snow-Government-Claims-Its-Doing-All-It-Can-To-Keep-Country-Moving-Amid-Freezing-Weather/Article/201012115844990?lpos=UK_News_Second_Home_Page_Article_Teaser_Region_2&lid=ARTICLE_15844990_Britain_Snow%3A_Government_Claims_Its_Doing_All_It_Can_To_Keep_Country_Moving_Amid_Freezing_Weather. However, the blame seems now to be with people who have thoughtlessly broken down and had to abandon their cars. But I suppose we ought to look to ourselves re. learning as well – a few years ago it took me 11 hours to drive what should have been a 20 minute car journey in the snow (think it was in 2003), so now if I see even a hint of a traffic jam I give up and don’t take the car out. How many people think ‘Oh, it’ll be OK on the main roads, I’ll be fine’ only to be scuppered when the car overheats in heavy traffic or slides into a lamppost when they hit ice, having to abandon their car, stopping the gritters getting through, meaning more chaos etc etc…? Whilst the weather forecasters can get it wrong, we generally have at least a couple of days’ notice, so what do WE do to prepare ourselves? If you’re anything like me, you end up trudging to the corner shop and panic-buying tins of soup, bread, milk and cat food (for the cats, not us!) at inflated prices after the snow has fallen.
On a more amusing but frustrating note, I was due to get my lounge/dining room carpet fitted today. Despite the snow, the fitter struggled in to work, collected the carpet and made it down our icy road in his van, but can’t fit it because the carpet is frozen!!! We now have a roll of solid carpet defrosting in our hallway. So not only have we been without a lounge/dining room for that last 4 weeks whilst it was decorated, we now can’t move in our hallway either!!!