One organisation I’m working with is planning a major shake up to ‘improve efficiency’. Nothing new, in fact they have been slow to embrace the digital world so a ‘catch up’ is long overdue. Inevitably there are cost considerations and they are currently looking for the best way to structure their business units.

Listening to endless debates it suddenly struck me – there is a natural divide between those who manage ‘numbers’ and those who manage ‘people’. Their middle management was restructured to “functional alignment” some years ago. There are managers responsible for business performance, training and development and recruitment. What these managers all have in common is that they count numbers not people. With near to 5000 people in the South East Region how can they do anything else? The issue that hinders them is that the systems they rely on to provide accurate relevant data are simply not in place.

As the debate rolls on I will be reminding anyone who will listen that people relate to people and for them to give of their best they need to be surrounded by colleagues who ‘have their back’ and who they know are there to support them – no matter what. Once that is in place just watch them shine!