Royal Mail asks most successful managers to help improve its worst performing delivery offices

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mar ... 0&ito=1490

Royal Mail has asked its most successful managers to help improve its worst performing delivery offices.

Chief executive Simon Thompson has told investors he hopes to narrow the vast gap between the best and worst performing of its 1,200 delivery offices.

The 500-year-old firm rates each office on measures including productivity and quality of service.

Thompson said he has asked employees in 'places where we have great, very trusted relationships' to spend time in 'less great' offices to make changes.

It is part of a wider plan by the former Apple executive to 'build trust' within the organisation, where he is trying to stamp out longstanding bullying problems.

Speaking at Royal Mail's AGM, he said: 'All of our operations need to make an equal contribution...I understand that none of our operations are exactly the same and as human beings, we can all do things better than each other.

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'But the difference in performance between our best and worst operations is just too wide.' The company has been trialling new working methods to cut admin for managers to free up time to spend with their teams. After a trial in Sale, Manchester, the system will be rolled out by the end of October.

The company is battling the impact of the 'pingdemic' and has warned customers in 14 areas to expect delays as a result.

Chairman Keith Williams also said the firm plans to appoint someone from an ethnic minority as a board director 'in the next month or so' to improve its diversity.

[claretandblue]

"Chairman Keith Williams also said the firm plans to appoint someone from an ethnic minority as a board director 'in the next month or so' to improve its diversity."

Best person for the job ? Good grief.

[NWpostie]

Ethnicity shouldn't be a criteria for performing a role, its a useless futile gesture politics if the person appointed is not up to the job.

Ability should be the sole criteria.

[ted_e_bear]

It's not going to cure the issue though is it ?
We had a decent manager, a well run office and they moved him to an office that had been through a succession of s**t managers, presumably to sort it out.

Back to our place then his replacement was....guess what, a s**t ineffective manager from elsewhere who has now succeeded in bringing our morale right down due to his inability to manage or even speak to people properly.

Now let's think, any suggestions to actually put an end to this problem ?

[Woody Guthrie]

Ethnicity shouldn't be a criteria for performing a role,

But it has been for hundreds of years, that along with sex and the school tie you were wearing.

The only difference is a change in colour and it's noticeable who's now doing the complaining but didn't while it was loaded in their favour.

[Dorset Plodder]

I love the way everyone says a 500 year Old Company ...... I take the view that we're only only an 8 year Old Company A.P. (After Privatisation)

Just reading back through some recent RM history and the total BS spouted by Vince Cable and Moya Greene about our Privatisation. I had to have a sit down and let my Blood Pressure recover!

[Dorset Plodder]

It's not going to cure the issue though is it ?
We had a decent manager, a well run office and they moved him to an office that had been through a succession of s**t managers, presumably to sort it out.

Back to our place then his replacement was....guess what, a s**t ineffective manager from elsewhere who has now succeeded in bringing our morale right down due to his inability to manage or even speak to people properly.

Now let's think, any suggestions to actually put an end to this problem ?

I feel your frustration Mate. The same thing happened in my DO. Apparently our Old DOM didn't want to move to this "Failing Office"
so RM offered him "An Attractive Finacial Package"

Meanwhile like a Crap Sports Team we're slipping down the League Tables. Good job there's no relagation in this Business.

[2yearpostie]

So bushiness as usual!

If a unit hasnt got a manager that bullys you into overtime and taking extra then the company will find one and send them over!

[tim1699]

I must admit that any dom we have had who has taken the time to listen and engage the workers has swiftly been moved to a "failing" office so we then become that office as once an office is on track RM just seem to put waste of space management in and then stand scratching their heads saying it must be the workers fault

[Phantom]

I wonder if there's a list???

[rubberbond]

I wonder if there's a list???

I hope so , in this current age of open engagement and communication at Royal Mail , let’s name names, go on I dare you.

[POSTMAN]

SIMON THOMPSON:
Keith, I think the only thing that I would add, which is the point that you've made, is that, look, our people are magnificent. I have a totally wonderful team and I'm grateful for them every day. But as I mentioned earlier on, equalising performance is really important. And what I've asked the team to do, is for those places where we have great relationships, very trusted relationships, can they please spend a bit of time with those places, where perhaps they're less great. And those places that are less great, perhaps they can spend some time with those places that are great, to figure out how it is that they can make some changes, which is going to be positive for everyone. But I have to say, that even since I've been here and we've done a few surveys, we're making progress. And I think we should be really optimistic about it. It's definitely a core area of focus, but we're making progress. There's a little bit more to be done.

Royal Mail's 2021 AGM Video and transcript

[POSTMAN]

JENNY HALL:

Thank you, Keith. The next pre-submitted question is from Rachel Doubleday. Rachel asks, "What
measures is Royal Mail taking to facilitate the development of a more inclusive and diverse board
membership?"

KEITH WILLIAMS:

So, on that one, if I cover board first and then I'll cover down the organisation, because I think in many
ways, the board sets the tone, but then it needs to filter through the rest of the organisation. In terms
of the board, I think a number of shareholders will be aware that there was a review by Parker, which
is that FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies, and obviously, we're now a FTSE 100 company, should
have ethnic diversity, BAME representation on the board by 2024. I'm pleased to report to shareholders
that actually we've already been looking into that. And obviously, what we've been looking for is
somebody who not only brings BAME representation, but at the same time can add to where the board
believes someone can add additional value. We're well progressed in that process and we hope to appoint
somebody in the next month or so. That appointment will then come to the board at the next AGM
obviously, for shareholders to approve that director at that point in time. So that's in terms of ethnicity.

In terms of gender, the board is made up of five male, four female. So, it's actually 55/45. So, it's quite
diverse. What however, I'd like to cover as well is what happens further down the organisation. In terms
of ethnicity, from memory, I think it's 11% of our employees are ethnically diverse. So, we have 11%
representation, and that's not spread equally over the company. There is less representation at higher
levels than lower levels. And that's something that the board is both recognising and recognises we need
to work on. In that respect however, it takes time, because if you look at the workforce overall, I think
it's about 32% of the workforce at Royal Mail are actually over 50. And that means that actually change
is probably slower than ideal. But if you look at the recruitment we've been putting in place over the last
12 months, and we've got an apprenticeship scheme coming, what you can see in 16 to 23 year-olds is
actually a lot of people joining the company are, if you like, more... We're responding to diversity in that
respect.
In terms of male/female split, again, is at senior management level, I think female representation is just
under 30%, 29%. That increases in middle management to, I think it's 39%. And is then 33% overall. So
again, there's room for change there, but it's spread at around 40% representation.
So, to summarise the question, it's something that we monitor all the time. And certainly, in terms of
board diversity, we're addressing it and we'll address it through the organisation as well.

Royal Mail's 2021 AGM Video and transcript

[POSTMAN]

Ethnicity shouldn't be a criteria for performing a role,

But it has been for hundreds of years, that along with sex and the school tie you were wearing.

The only difference is a change in colour and it's noticeable who's now doing the complaining but didn't while it was loaded in their favour.

It was what it was, it is what it is, I want the best plumber, not someone I feel sorry for to fix my bog.

But the real fact is, they are being TOLD to do it.
This report they like, the hooper report they ignored lol

[NWpostie]

Ethnicity shouldn't be a criteria for performing a role,

But it has been for hundreds of years, that along with sex and the school tie you were wearing.

The only difference is a change in colour and it's noticeable who's now doing the complaining but didn't while it was loaded in their favour.

Two wrongs doesn't make a right.