MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

Managing through people
We will communicate more effectively with our staff, in part by
making “150” a regular bi-monthly publication. (CWU Strategic
Plan 2002)
Managing through people
5.13. In line with other unions, the CWU has an objective of achieving the
Investors in People standard:-
Our objective is that the CWU will have a well trained and well
motivated staff who understand the union’s aims and their role in
contributing to them and that this will be externally validated by
the obtaining of IIP by January 2004. (CWU Strategic Plan 2002)
Managers have critical comments to make about the state of people
management in the CWU:-
People management -- nobody really owns that. It's all over the
place….I find it uncomfortable when I am dealing with staff that I
know that, if I have identified with the point they have made,
which is legitimate, my ability to pursue it for the staff I represent
is not going to be very much on its merits. I'm going to have to
deal with it as a political issue. (Interviewee G)
I hope that it (IIP) will lead to something of a culture change in
terms of them viewing themselves as managers and what their
managerial roles are -- that they will be much more conscious of
their staff and start to develop them. (Interviewee K)
But for themselves, some managers are thoughtful and creative:-
In terms of the telecoms Department I believe I have very direct
managerial responsibility for the cultural tone of that department.
I take that responsibility very seriously. You know, like no raised
voices, no swearing at staff, no aggression, all that. I expect
people to exchange with each other on a very proper
personalised basis. So I can have very direct influence over the
culture and I feel responsibility for that….I do like to be very
dispassionate when I am dealing with the staff that are on my
floor -- that it does not matter about personalities or what I
personally think about them. If there is an issue about child care,
or wanting sabbatical leave, there is a consistency of approach.
It does not depend on whether they smiled at me that morning.
Okay, I can be a bit of a buffer for them but that's because I
provide that on the telecoms floor. (Interviewee G)
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