MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

Managing by information
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• The merger and the assimilation of staff into the new union
has exceeded expectations. This has in large part been due
to the democratic and open approach adopted from the start.
Even before the merger staff from the three partners were
brought together to share experience and to discuss the
vision and mission of the new union.
• The identification and cementing of a sense of common
purpose has been greatly helped by further staff gatherings
and the adoption of project management as a clearly defined
mode of operation within UNiFI. This has maximised staff
involvement in tackling and finding solutions to the major
operational problems.
• The Union's mission, to give members an improved service
and a better deal, provides a clarity of purpose for all its staff.
(UNiFI IIP Assessment, July 2000)
Managerial Tasks
Managing by Information
7.12. The assessment cited above gives the impression that high levels of
communication pertained within UNiFI. Indeed, the annual Daventry
gatherings of staff, which will be referred to below in the context of
project management, were very positive contributions to
communications. The researcher attended a staff meeting in
Bournemouth in March 2001 at which the Joint General Secretary used
the occasion to communicate with staff on strategic matters such as the
outcomes from Daventry, falling membership and merger strategy. He
also said, at a fringe meeting at the TUC in 2000:-
It has been said that, "most leaders die with their mouths open!”
If we look at ourselves I think we can all see an element of truth
in this. We, as leaders, must be able to communicate the
direction of our organisation's development, and the reasons
why change is necessary and why change is occurring the way it
is, effectively both inside and outside the organisation. This
communication also necessitates leaders listening to both
employees and members. Preferably this should be 'dynamic
listening': Asking questions all the time and not attempting to
provide all of the answers. (Brief for UNiFI fringe meeting, TUC,
Glasgow September 2000)
The union’s Business Plan, incorporating mission, strategic objectives
and key targets are circulated to all staff annually. And, of course, the
personal development planning system is intended to involve
communications on an individual level.
Some managerial practice is consistent with this approach:_
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