• You will hear a discussion between two managers, Jane and Oliver, about recent changes within the company where they work. • F

Man: So Jane, the changes are certainly quite wide-ranging, aren’t they?
Woman: Yes, Oliver, the skills audit, targets, suggestion scheme, training arrangements... the list seems endless...
Man: I suppose different people will react differently - they won’t all see the benefits of the changes...
Woman: Sure - and for some people, they’ll feel their areas of responsibility are being taken over, become resentful, and the company must tread very carefully here.., because it’s the tide of high turnover that the company is trying to stem with these measures. These days, it’s often service that’s the key to maintaining an edge... so what the company needs to avoid happening in the future is sales decreasing if clients stop feeling they’re getting that treatment from happy, motivated staff here...
Man: Mm... I guess it was Human Resources that pushed for the changes, then?
Woman: Well, they were consulted. Actually, they’re the kinds of ideas that you might have expected the team system might have generated - because they’re quite wide-ranging, not just focused on one aspect. So, I guess it’s quite surprising, in a way, that it was the leadership group which authored them.., what’s good, I think, is the way they’ve spent quite an amount of time consulting with management at all levels, so they have a kind of hands-on feel.
Man: So what will affect us first?
Woman: Well, the skills audit, though its real effects won’t be apparent for some time. I don’t know, I think that was a wasted opportunity, really... It was so thorough, too thorough in fact... I mean, they asked absolutely everyone about absolutely everything because they were so obsessed with wanting to be accurate, but the result is they’re just swamped with information.., they didn’t need to be that in-depth...
Man: Uh-huh... So is it really these divisional targets that will have the first impact?
Woman: Er, yeah, I suppose.., but then again, there’s some poor design involved there... Oh sure, they’ve carefully calculated how sales move throughout the year, but the point is that it’s not only shifting actual products that counts - the targets should really be looking at data on customer satisfaction too, which is certainly a major concern in my section, where we’re always looking for ways to keep that high enough to retain customers.
Man: So, are you unconvinced about the suggestions scheme too?
Woman: Er... I just think they should have gone further with it. After all the publicity it’s been given, you’d think they’d want to involve everyone.., what you don’t want is just the same ideas from the same people all the time... we’ve got all these short-term workers, they’re in and out of organisations all the time.., we should be trying to capture their insights and observations, especially since they won’t personally stand to benefit from making suggestions.
Man: And do you think the performance reviews are similarly flawed in their approach?
Woman: Oh, I don’t want to seem too negative! The only unfortunate thing there is not incorporating what competitors are doing. We don’t want to be saying one of our reps is underperforming at the moment, only to find out that so is everyone in the business at the moment. That could be very unfair, especially on the reps abroad, who are at the mercy of the supply situation too.
Man: And do you think that people have been missed out of the training programmes as well?
Woman: No, there I’m quite positive! They’re going to be a real winner, I’m sure. A long time’s been spent on trying to get our training right, and I think the final results are great. We’ve been far too focused on IT training, and’ it’s much better now that it’s broadening out to include more aspects for staff to select from, according to their needs.
Man: So would you see all the changes having a lasting impact?
Woman: Well, they must have some kind of future . . . after all, they’re the kind of thing our competitors have been doing for some time. But, well, by the end of the year, I’m fairly sure they’ll get scrutinised, thoroughly checked and probably revised before they become fixed as company policy in the long term.
Man: So it’s a case of wait and see?
Woman: Definitely. Now...