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Canal & River Trust appoints head of boating


Ray T

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What clarity are you missing? He handed his notice in in January and left in July giving CRT 6 month to find a replacement but at this stage it would seem 6 months was not long enough for Richard Parry as he has not replaced him yet.

He actually went at the end of June.

 

I have written in the past about Richard Parry replacing 'board directors' with 'heads of departments'.

 

With Simon Salem, it is rather complex!

 

I rough chronological order -

  • Head of Boating, Sally Ash 'retired'.
  • Simon Salem's responsibilities for customer services were taken away and given to Dean Davis (ex West Midlands Manager) on a temporary basis. The office was called 'Head of Customer Services'.
  • Simon Salem's retirement was announced just before Christmas.
  • Ian Lane moved elsewhere within CaRT at Christmas.
  • Ian Rodgers was appointed as Customer Services Manager after a short gap.
  • Much more recently, CaRT advertised for a Head of Marketing and Fundraising (£100k) to replace Simon Salems residual responsibilities.
  • CaRT subsequently advertised for a Director of Marketing and Fundraising (£125k) to replace him.
  • CaRT announced an internal appointment to replace Sally Ash.

     

    No announcement has been been made that CaRT have appointed a director to replace Simon Salem's residual responsibilities..

Edited by Allan(nb Albert)
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He actually went at the end of June.

 

I have written in the past about Richard Parry replacing 'board directors' with 'heads of departments'.

With Simon Salem, it is rather complex!

I rough chronological order -

 

  • Head of Boating, Sally Ash 'retired'.
  • Simon Salem's responsibilities for customer services were taken away and given to Ian Lane (ex West Midlands Manager) on a temporary basis. The office was called 'Head of Customer Services'.
  • Simon Salem's retirement was announced just before Christmas.
  • Ian Lane moved elsewhere within CaRT at Christmas.
  • Ian Rodgers was appointed as Customer Services Manager after a short gap.
  • Much more recently, CaRT advertised for a Head of Marketing and Fundraising (£100k) to replace Simon Salems residual responsibilities.
  • CaRT subsequently advertised for a Director of Marketing and Fundraising (£125k) to replace him.
  • CaRT announced an internal appointment to replace Sally Ash.

    No announcement has been been made that CaRT have appointed a director to replace Simon Salem's residual responsibilities..

Dean Davies was the interim head of customer services - think he would have made a good job of it from a boaters perspective as he had excellent knowledge of the canals , I'm guessing this was his downfall and why he didn't get the job full time.

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He actually went at the end of June.

 

I have written in the past about Richard Parry replacing 'board directors' with 'heads of departments'.

 

With Simon Salem, it is rather complex!

 

I rough chronological order -

  • Head of Boating, Sally Ash 'retired'.
  • Simon Salem's responsibilities for customer services were taken away and given to Ian Lane (ex West Midlands Manager) on a temporary basis. The office was called 'Head of Customer Services'.
  • Simon Salem's retirement was announced just before Christmas.
  • Ian Lane moved elsewhere within CaRT at Christmas.
  • Ian Rodgers was appointed as Customer Services Manager after a short gap.
  • Much more recently, CaRT advertised for a Head of Marketing and Fundraising (£100k) to replace Simon Salems residual responsibilities.
  • CaRT subsequently advertised for a Director of Marketing and Fundraising (£125k) to replace him.
  • CaRT announced an internal appointment to replace Sally Ash.

     

    No announcement has been been made that CaRT have appointed a director to replace Simon Salem's residual responsibilities..

 

Not sure where you got Ian lane from, it was Dean Davies.

 

Ian lane was made west Midlands waterway manager in April this year.

Edited by jenlyn
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Not sure where you got Ian lane from, it was Dean Davies.

Quite right. I have changed it.

 

Dean Davis was Waterways Manager for West Midands but was seconded to the ivory tower to undertake a project regarding 'high priority defects'. Ian lane was appointed as West Midlands Waterways Manager on a temporary basis with the position later being made permanent following Ian's six month secondment as Customer Service Manager and permanent appointment elsewhere within CaRT .

 

It is perhaps worth pointing out that he was the only one of three interim waterways managers with positions subsequently confirmed.

 

Dean Davies was the interim head of customer services - think he would have made a good job of it from a boaters perspective as he had excellent knowledge of the canals , I'm guessing this was his downfall and why he didn't get the job full time.

Absolutely agree and find Ian Lane in the same mould.

Edited by Allan(nb Albert)
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Quite right. I have changed it.

 

Dean Davis was Waterways Manager for West Midands but was seconded to the ivory tower to undertake a project regarding 'high priority defects'. Ian lane was appointed as West Midlands Waterways Manager on a temporary basis with the position later being made permanent following Ian's six month secondment as Customer Service Manager and permanent appointment elsewhere within CaRT .

 

It is perhaps worth pointing out that he was the only one of three

 

Absolutely agree and find Ian Lane in the same mould.

You might get some of it right eventually, but it's not happening at the moment.

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Retire? Maybe another £500,000 pay off

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/exclusive-all-aboard-the-gravy-train--tfl-pays-100000-to-365-staff-7836062.html

He was paid £503,271, including £367,534 compensation for loss of office after being forced to make way for current Tube boss Mike Brown. Mr Parry, now a director with First Group, refused to comment.

I read this and thought of Tony Hales 'compensation' from Allied Domecq -

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2838538/Allied-Domecq-to-face-fury-at-payoff.html

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Dean Davies was the interim head of customer services - think he would have made a good job of it from a boaters perspective as he had excellent knowledge of the canals , I'm guessing this was his downfall and why he didn't get the job full time.

Richard Parry missed a trick with Dean Davies, (or perhaps he didn't).

Dean Davies was well suited to the role, and more importantly was human, as well as approachable.

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From his LinkedIn profile:

 

An action orientated and dynamic people leader whose drive, commitment and innovation has led to an exceptional career within the customer and operations sectors. A proven track record as a cross-functional team player, with the ability to influence and engage at all levels. Results driven, with a robust experience of delivering on complex business transformation program's to drive efficiencies, profit, colleague engagement and an exceptional customer experience. Leading in house teams and building strong business partnerships as a dynamic, motivated self-starter, who thrives on delivering outstanding results under pressure, in challenging competitive and customer environments.

 

We're clearly in safe hands.

 

 

This was too good to pass up. I just had to register!

 

So, without wishing to comment on the man himself, and only on the culture of managementese bull, I present a simple (and slightly buggy, but it is gone 3am) translator to plain English:

 

#! /usr/bin/env perl

use strict;
use warnings;

my %dictionary = ('action orientated' => 'person who dives straight in without understanding the situation first',
		  'dynamic' => 'stressed',
		  'people leader' => 'unqualified, unskilled middle management drone',
		  'innovation' => 'tendency to reinvent wheels',
		  'cross-functional' => 'directionless and unskilled',
		  'team player' => 'buck-passer',
		  'influence and engage' => 'bribe and corrupt',
		  'results driven' => "I don't care who gets hurt as long as I look good",
		  'robust experience of delivering' => 'ability to get other people to do my work for me',
		  'complex business transformation program.s' => "things I don't really understand",
		  'drive efficiencies' => 'outsource',
		  'colleague engagement' => 'support local pubs through my expense account',
		  'exceptional customer experience' => 'tendency to arselick my way out of problems',
		  'in house teams' => 'projects to decide on the colour of a new logo',
		  'building strong business partnerships' => 'outsourcing the actual design',
		  'motivated' => 'expensive',
		  'self.starter' => 'but otherwise average employee',
		  'thrives.on' => 'sometimes',
		  'outstanding' => 'mediocre',
    );

while (my $line = <>) {
    chomp($line);

    for my $bull (keys(%dictionary)) {
	$line =~ s/$bull/$dictionary{$bull}/gi;
	$line =~ s/\ba\b([aeiou])/an $1/gi;
	$line =~ s/\ban\b([^aeiou])/a $1/gi;
    }
    print "$line\n";
}
Running that with the given managementese yields:

 

a person who dives straight in without understanding the situation first and stressed unqualified, unskilled middle management drone whose drive, commitment and tendency to reinvent wheels has led to a exceptional career within the customer and operations sectors. A proven track record as a directionless and unskilled buck-passer, with the ability to bribe and corrupt at all levels. I don't care who gets hurt as long as I look good, with a ability to get other people to do my work for me on things I don't really understand to outsource, profit, support local pubs through my expense account and a tendency to arselick my way out of problems. Leading projects to decide on the colour of a new logo and outsourcing the actual design as a stressed, expensive but otherwise average employee, who sometimes delivering mediocre results under pressure, in challenging competitive and customer environments.

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I think we need to give the poor chap a chance. And I think if we want him to have a positive attitude to boaters, this thread is perhaps not the best way to go about it.

I would have thought a person with this type of qualification

 

Leading in house teams and building strong business partnerships as a dynamic, motivated self-starter, who thrives on delivering outstanding results under pressure, in challenging competitive and customer environments.

 

Would have no problem with people expressing opinions

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  • 1 month later...

Bit difficult perhaps to have empathy or some understanding of your boating customers needs when you have no boating experience.

I understand that Mike went (coal) boating with Julia and Richard on Towcester and Bideford earlier this week to do his best to learn more about boating and their take on it - full marks to all three of them I think - perhaps an offer from some people on here to let him see boating from 'your' perspective might help him understand more and the boater understand his perspective on boating. Communication and understanding others' perspectives was never a bad thing.

Edited by Leo No2
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To echo what Kathryn has said above. I was speaking to Mike Grimes recently and he is very enthusiastic about the Boating Buddies scheme, for all levels of CRT staff. Perhaps some of the doubters could offer to take Mike out on their boats?

Edited by Ray T
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To echo what Kathryn has said above. I was speaking to Mike Grimes recently and he is very enthusiastic about the Boating Buddies scheme, for all levels of CRT staff. Perhaps some of the doubters could offer to take Mike out on their boats?

 

Or perhaps if CRT are interested in giving priority to this again, they could actually be proactive in asking boaters if they would like to do it.

 

My inboxes get fairly full with quite spurious stuff from CRT, so to receive something that directly related to getting CRT staff to understand boats and boating is hardly a bad thing, would it?

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Or perhaps if CRT are interested in giving priority to this again, they could actually be proactive in asking boaters if they would like to do it.

 

My inboxes get fairly full with quite spurious stuff from CRT, so to receive something that directly related to getting CRT staff to understand boats and boating is hardly a bad thing, would it?

Did they stop giving priority to it? I only ask because I have a trip in a weeks time.

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Did they stop giving priority to it? I only ask because I have a trip in a weeks time.

 

I haven't actively seen it being promoted, but have to admit I am now so fed up with things like "Boaters Update" that generally I can't even be bothered to open it.

 

So it could well be it is actively being promoted, but I've not seen it, I admit.

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To echo what Kathryn has said above. I was speaking to Mike Grimes recently and he is very enthusiastic about the Boating Buddies scheme, for all levels of CRT staff. Perhaps some of the doubters could offer to take Mike out on their boats?

Nice to see he is so enthusiastic about the scheme. If he was on my boat I would happily stop and let him meet some boaters who at present feel less than enthusiastic about CART

 

I haven't actively seen it being promoted, but have to admit I am now so fed up with things like "Boaters Update" that generally I can't even be bothered to open it.

 

So it could well be it is actively being promoted, but I've not seen it, I admit.

I have not seen it promoted either but like you do not read boaters update I get my updates from talking to other boaters

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I haven't actively seen it being promoted, but have to admit I am now so fed up with things like "Boaters Update" that generally I can't even be bothered to open it.

 

So it could well be it is actively being promoted, but I've not seen it, I admit.

Thinking about it, I can't remember any mention for over a year. It might just be that West Midlands Regional Manager, Ian Lane is very keen on it for his staff having undertaken a trip himself.

 

 

 

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Do , or could the CRT actually own some boats for thier office types to use or hire in order to achieve a degree of understanding ? In order to " get it " and realise why people love the canals , the history , the heritage , peace & quiet etc ?

just thinking out loud , as it were ... do they own any for thier staff to use ?

 

If the organisation did begin to grasp why folk love the canals & the lifestyle then they might eventually be more able to understand why boaters are becoming pessamistic about thier intentions & abilities . Do any of them actually go boating .... on thier own time , not paid ??

Edited by chubby
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Nice to see he is so enthusiastic about the scheme. If he was on my boat I would happily stop and let him meet some boaters who at present feel less than enthusiastic about CART

 

John - surely the idea is that the CRT person spends his time with you and not that they are taken round a group of people who seem to have an axe to grind. I am quite sure the CRT are quite capable of boating with a buddie who is not awfully enthusiastic about CRT. I just cannot imagine they would wish to boat with you if your aim was to do as you suggest.

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John - surely the idea is that the CRT person spends his time with you and not that they are taken round a group of people who seem to have an axe to grind. I am quite sure the CRT are quite capable of boating with a buddie who is not awfully enthusiastic about CRT. I just cannot imagine they would wish to boat with you if your aim was to do as you suggest.

Aha. Silence the masses. Good good.

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Do , or could the CRT actually own some boats for thier office types to use or hire in order to achieve a degree of understanding ? In order to " get it " and realise why people love the canals , the history , the heritage , peace & quiet etc ?

just thinking out loud , as it were ... do they own any for thier staff to use ?

If the organisation did begin to grasp why folk love the canals & the lifestyle then they might eventually be more able to understand why boaters are becoming pessamistic about thier intentions & abilities . Do any of them actually go boating .... on thier own time , not paid ??

Yes CRT do own some boats - Sculptor is one example but as an historic former working boat and an accessioned museum exhibit is not at all suitable - there are also similar boats at Ellesmere Port but again none are suitable in my opinion. However they do obtain discounts, I believe, through Drifters (http://www.drifters.co.uk) and I understand the new SE waterway manager has recently spent some time boating to see things for herself . Edited by Leo No2
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John - surely the idea is that the CRT person spends his time with you and not that they are taken round a group of people who seem to have an axe to grind. I am quite sure the CRT are quite capable of boating with a buddie who is not awfully enthusiastic about CRT. I just cannot imagine they would wish to boat with you if your aim was to do as you suggest.

I am perfectly aware of what the scheme is about as I was the one who came up with the idea and found the first 30 odd boating buddies. The idea was to spend a day on a boat boating and meet and speak to other boaters. Exactly as I did when I had Richard Parry and others as boating buddies. It was not set up as a glorified day out hence why it was agreed that employees who went at weekends would get a day off work to compensate. I still have all the original emails

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