… Previously at Trying To Be Safe Ltd
Edsel Murphy, safety manager at Trying To Be Safe Ltd, has a budget of sorts and has realised that they don’t have the capability to deliver a culture based safety programme in-house.
Now they must search for a provider.
Episode 4 – if you pay peanuts you get monkeys
Edsel has drafted a set of criteria that a provider must meet and what’s more he’s convened a beauty parade for potential candidates. Today is the day of reckoning when he sits and considers the relative merits of the consultancies which made the shortlist.
He was initially surprised by the costs but soon realised that this was a once-only opportunity to change the company culture and had to be delivered effectively. On the other hand of course he also felt that he was dealing with the world of consultancy and he might not always get what he was paying for, after all who remembers Arthur Andersen now?
The first candidate was a major provider – Weknowwhatsbestforyou Plc. Edsel gave these people a lot of consideration based on their phenomenal track record. In the end they didn’t make the cut as the programme seemed to be inflexible (one size fits all) and the costs were quite high.
Next up was the more cost effective end of the market in the shape of a very small operation called Soletrader & Associates. This individual came across very well, was low-cost and even had a successful track record. Edsel knew that culture change is a long process that needs sustaining and nurturing over several years. So Edsel was concerned that Soletrader would not have the depth to sustain the process.
The University of South Hertfordshire (formerly Borehamwood Polytechnic) were also in the running. Edsel considered their representative to be too academic and the process to be centred around measuring behaviours rather than changing culture through engaging people. What’s more the supporting database for sustaining the process didn’t seem that comprehensive.
Finally there was CMOJ. This outfit was of a moderate size with a healthy track record and the costs were moderate by consultancy standards. The approach was flexible and their project depended on a detailed assessment of the existing culture at the start. The supporting software was strong and suggested sustainability, as did the case studies that their charming, urbane representative had detailed at the sales visit.
“CMOJ it is then” mutters Edsel “they’d better deliver or I’m toast”.
Next month
Edsel limits his exposure by going for a taster session with his senior managers before embarking on a full programme.
How will Mercedes Lexus (commercial) and Bill Counter (finance) try to disrupt the session? How will the site manager Alex Fergieplus react?
And Dino Sawer (safety rep’) continues to complain about the pallet lying outside the tool room stores.
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