Monday 8 January 2007

For Goodness Sake! Just Make A Decision!!!

How on earth they get there I have no idea, but wherever you go there just seem to be scores of people who just can't make a decision.

These are the people that clogg up the aisles in the supermarket at weekend because they can't decide whether to buy Kingsmill or Warbies bread. The indecision isn't based on anything - they just can't make the decision. Who gives a monkey's? It will all be mouldy in a week anyway!

How do these people get jobs, let alone get promoted? I'll tell you how. They all go and work in public service. You never see "Ability to make a decision is essential" on a local authority job advert, trust me. It doesn't say "Ability to pontificate essential" either, but you would swear it was in there somewhere.

My theory is that most people go into public services fully capable of making decisions, but after a while they get into the swing of public service and hop on the 'Delegation Roundabout'.

You've all experienced the roundabout. You ring the Council to get x,y or z done and Steve tells you that he can't do that without speaking to Jeff. Jeff tells you that he can't authorise it without speaking to Frank. Frank says it's OK with him, but he'll need to 'liase' with Steve, who is by this time off on the sick. By the time Steve comes back from sick so much time has passed that everyone has forgotten you asked in the first place and when you ring to remind them Steve says he needs to go back and check with Jeff that it's still OK... the cycle starts all over again.

It's like their scared of making the decision or scared of the ramifications. Top Tip here, if you're scared, you're either:

1. a big jessie, or
2. your conscience is telling you that the decision you're about to make is wrong.

That's where all the Council Tax goes folks! It goes on the wages of the pontificators. Another Top Tip... think "what would the people think?". If you think they would agree with you, the decision is probably right. If you think that people would flood the local paper with letters of complaint, don't do it.

Don't forget Council staff... a decision a day keeps the Council Tax rise at bay!