Annand house is a warren of corridors and small meeting rooms. My pass let me in but it took some time for me to find Debbie. I even ended up on the wrong floor.
Our paths have crossed a number of times over the last few weeks. Ever since the elephant eating party we seem to have come across each other in various meetings. The latest was the PWC’s architecture group and from there we thought it would be good to get together for a chat. We have a lot of interesting things to talk about, in particular the development of people. Debbie has been part of the mentoring program and was interested in using her expertise to help others.
We talked about many things such as ICT and apprentices yet the main thrust was about the future. We are planning a move to a new set of buildings and are just laying out our plans which will determine our future for many years to come. Yet those who are making the decisions are the ones that won’t have to live with them. It is the young people that will have to live with the consequences yet they are not involved in the decision making process as much as they should be.
We need to unpick this further. It turns out that it is nearly always the old that decide for the young. In most organisations by the time you have arrived in a position of authority, the years have slipped by. Youth doesn’t stand a chance yet they are expected to pay for the crimes of their seniors.
This can’t be right. We need to ensure that, as my former Chief Executive would say ‘those who feel the pain should take the responsibility’. Debbie suggested a youth forum. That would be a start.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 