Announcing Initiatives

I have just come to realise that announcing initiatives on the waterway. Is somewhat similar to those people I shared a working life with. People bereft of ideas who achieved nothing. We all knew who they were, walking around doing little to nothing but always carrying a bit of paper, like a staff of office. There was a phrase that I coined at the time. These were not 'yes' people, neither were they 'no' people. These people did not have the confidence to make a decisive decision one way or the other. These were the 'maybe' people. Ask them a question or seek guidance or authority and the answer was always going to be 'maybe'  i'll have to get back to you.

I was so frustrated with these people that I worked around. The known maybe's and I tried to aligned myself with those who would and could evaluate a viewpoint or position and give a decision. Sometimes things paid off and progress was made. Sometimes I was stymied at some point by the return of a maybe clan member.  The people I was dealing with were from a background in local and national government. They were chipped and programmed at an early point in their career to never question, never answer a question and to accept what they were told. I think its the same problem with CaRT with so many ex civil servant types. 

Its a year on - the honeymoon period for CaRT is over. We look on as lock chamber walls collapse, waterways are closed to through navigation during the holiday season. For CaRT its priority to measure lock ladders. 

The manifestations are there if you seek them out. Policy is made on the hoof and when its made, its not cascaded down the chain of command. Those lower down the chain are quite pleased with that concept as it allows them to make sensible decisions and to remain effective. But still there is the overriding level of jobsworth management. Walking the corridors of power, each with a piece of paper. Organising erasers, staples, pencils and dreaming up foolish projects.  Planting trees in boats and carving poetry on lock gates as the infrastructure deteriorates.

Later...