Greenfield

The world of political constraint and large organisation’s rigid guidelines and rules is going absolutely bonkers.
We were working at a windswept rural location today and had arranged to meet an engineer on site representing the client. Despite his long drive he arrived earlier than expected which was of benefit to us. At this point the rain was driving across in horizontal sheets and I was surprised that we had already started our walk around without M donning his waterproof trousers.
“Don’t you want to put on your leggings before we start?” He explained he didn’t have any with him.
“I think I have a spare set in the car, would you like a shot?” He gratefully accepted.
Our briefing continued over the next 10 minutes or so and then M, who had his own measurement work to do around the site got on with his tasks.
About 3.00pm he came over and handed me the waterproof trousers back. He had, like us, a long day in the rain. I was curious, “Did you forget your leggings today then?”
He explained that while others within his organisation were entitled to both a waterproof jacket and trousers a management assessment of his role suggested that he only needed access to the jacket and the trousers were not necessary.
When I hear nonsense like this I am so glad to be self employed. Do you need to have a common sense by-pass to work in management within big frameworks. Sometimes it takes very little to keep your workers happy and staff moral high. Nothing gets you more demoralised and cheesed off than being soaked to the skin ten minutes in to your day. If your people are miserable in their work environment they are less likely to have focus on their job and you will get less effort from them. A pair of leggings, a tax deductible £50, would go such a long way.
To be clear M explained that he had asked his boss about leggings but rules were rules. If he was cheesed off it wasn’t evident. He was very cheery upbeat and professional in his approach to briefing us and every time we saw him he seemed very busy taking copious notes and dimensions.
It is very difficult to recruit good people. If I was his boss I would be very worried in case he takes his skills and hard work ethic to another employer.