5 ms·

Full article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56130187 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56130187

wombatmobile 6y ago
> But it is a single, personal incident, which haunts him to this day, that really underpins his management philosophy. "When I was 27, I was managing a manufacturing business in north London and there was a woman who ran the reception and also did customer service, who was in her 40s," he remembers. "One day I heard her speaking to a customer on the phone and I thought I could help, so I leaned in and gave her some wise words. "She finished the call, like a consummate professional, and she turned to me and said: 'Greg, I bring up two boys and a husband on the poxy wage this company pays. If I can do that, you can be pretty sure I can do anything this company wants from me. And by the way Greg, I was here before you were here and I'll be here after you have gone. I love the company more than you do, so you never need to tell me what to do.'" Jackson was stunned into silence because she had just given him - her boss - an incredible dressing down. "I realised she was right, and I remember I gave her a hug. It was one of the greatest learning experiences of my life and it forms the basis of my management theory today." The episode taught him to favour a hands-off approach that lets individuals and teams sort their own affairs as much as possible without interference from above.
- wombatmobile 6y ago
  Something doesn't seem on the level with this article. The photos are copyright Greg Jackson and Octopus Energy. The office shot is too idealised. The last statement should be a direct quote, but it is written as a statement of fact: > The episode taught him to favour a hands-off approach that lets individuals and teams sort their own affairs as much as possible without interference from above. This seems like his PR team has fed the article to the journalist, who has complied by publishing what they wanted, without researching the veracity by interviewing staff independently.
- ALittleLight 6y ago
  What are you supposed to do if the 40 year old woman really was doing something wrong though? I realize in this instance she wasn't, but what if she wasn't a consummate professional capable of anything the company needed but just thought she was?
  - wombatmobile 6y ago
    Yeah, we don't get to find out because they don't supply any examples of problems anywhere in the article.

> But it is a single, personal incident, which haunts him to this day, that really underpins his management philosophy. "When I was 27, I was managing a manufacturing business in north London and there was a woman who ran the reception and also did customer service, who was in her 40s," he remembers. "One day I heard her speaking to a customer on the phone and I thought I could help, so I leaned in and gave her some wise words. "She finished the call, like a consummate professional, and she turned to me and said: 'Greg, I bring up two boys and a husband on the poxy wage this company pays. If I can do that, you can be pretty sure I can do anything this company wants from me. And by the way Greg, I was here before you were here and I'll be here after you have gone. I love the company more than you do, so you never need to tell me what to do.'" Jackson was stunned into silence because she had just given him - her boss - an incredible dressing down. "I realised she was right, and I remember I gave her a hug. It was one of the greatest learning experiences of my life and it forms the basis of my management theory today." The episode taught him to favour a hands-off approach that lets individuals and teams sort their own affairs as much as possible without interference from above.

wombatmobile 6y ago
Something doesn't seem on the level with this article. The photos are copyright Greg Jackson and Octopus Energy. The office shot is too idealised. The last statement should be a direct quote, but it is written as a statement of fact: > The episode taught him to favour a hands-off approach that lets individuals and teams sort their own affairs as much as possible without interference from above. This seems like his PR team has fed the article to the journalist, who has complied by publishing what they wanted, without researching the veracity by interviewing staff independently.
ALittleLight 6y ago
What are you supposed to do if the 40 year old woman really was doing something wrong though? I realize in this instance she wasn't, but what if she wasn't a consummate professional capable of anything the company needed but just thought she was?
- wombatmobile 6y ago
  Yeah, we don't get to find out because they don't supply any examples of problems anywhere in the article.