Who killed JFK, did the Americans really land on the Moon, what is
the government covering up about Area 13, and what aren’t the board
telling us?
As with all conspiracy theories the idea that there is a secret plan
is actually comforting, it‘s more reassuring to think our leaders are
intelligent and competent , even if devious, than to accept we inhabit
a world of randomness and chaos that is under no one’s control.
Reorganisations, mergers and outsourcing happen more frequently
in a harsh financial climate. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence
that such major changes are distracting, time consuming and rarely
deliver the promised increased efficiency or competitiveness. No doubt
there are staff who remember the last big upheaval, it was not that
long ago. So if reorganisations, mergers and outsourcing over promise
and under deliver why do organisations insist on yet another one. The
conspiracy theorists will tell us it benefits certain powerful
individuals who have their own agenda. Individuals who are a member of
a secret organisation like the Freemasons. Sounds silly when you say
it like that but a very sensible if rather cynical senior manager told
men that the surprise appointment of a woman as the new chief
executive was because the board wanted to be sure they didn’t appoint
a Freemason.
In the age of social media, conspiracy theories flourish. As
someone who has been directly involved in the negotiations to deliver
reorganisations, mergers and outsourcing I repeatedly experienced
suspicion and mistrust from the staff about the reasons for these
major changes. The staff side were convinced management had a plan
that they refused to revel. This secret plan was different to the plan
that was being shared with staff. A copy of the real plan was
accidentally left on the photo copier/ emailed to an employee with the
same surname and initials as a board member/ seen by a temp who was
covering for the directors PA. Perhaps the origin of these suspicions
was the fear of job loses, pay cuts, and new less favourable terms and
conditions of employment.
The more the staff side learnt about the proposals the more they were
convinced that management couldn’t possibly believe that this would
led to a better service, they just refused to believe management
couldn’t see the problems they were creating, so there had to be
another reason, one that management don’t want share. The alternative
was that management’s get it done and dam the consequences was
simply incompetence and people would rather believe there was a
devious plan than no plan.
Blair Mcpherson former Director, author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk