Friday, 19 June 2009

Looking Glass World


The National Trust is a large, distributed organisation with a clear mission: to look after special places for everyone, for ever. Its head office is Heelis -- named for Beatrix Potter's married name (she was one of the early benefactors). But Heelis is in Swindon, not known as one of the most beautiful parts of Britain.

This represents a clear contradiction in the organization -- having strong ideals that are inevitably compromised by the real world. Norfolk is a long way from Swindon, and maybe that is why it feels somewhat unreal here -- Looking Glass World. Almost as things are meant to be, but not quite.

In a recent meeting, I asked my management team to start to use the Outlook calendar, as I can no longer set up meetings any other way. This has caused quite a stir, with people dropping the issue into conversation at every opportunity. Yesterday, a charming lady who works in visitor reception said "if I wanted to be a secretary I would have gone to secretarial school". I think it was a joke, but she wanted me to hear. It won't stop me dragging them into the 21st century.

Earlier this week, I went to see how catering was getting on at lunchtime. It was busy in the main restaurant, and the courtyard cafe had a queue out the door. Then I saw the 'closed' sign was still up on the cafe door. I helpfully took down the sign and took it in to the girl at the counter. "I'm supposed to be closed now!" she said. There were no sandwiches, and dozens of hungry visitors were being turned away -- and we aren't exactly overrun with competition in the area. And yet the catering team will repeatedly tell me how well they are doing. Definitely could do better.

On the other hand, we have a great gift shop. The retail manager is leading the field to introduce more local goods into NT shops. He is very successful at selecting good quality items, and persuading the central retail team to allow us to stock them. We've also got a wonderful plant centre that is increasing revenue every week and a fantastic second hand bookshop staffed by volunteers. Definitely the best-run second hand bookshop I've ever been to -- and all the profits can be spent on projects at Blickling.

In 2010, we will be moving from 5-day to 7-day opening at Blickling. This move was made 10 years ago in the South West Region, but East of England has resisted as long as possible. I have six months to make sure all the implications are understood and addressed. I can hear the banshee of change screaming around the turrets.

Maybe some of this is NFN -- Normal for Norfolk. Cautious, calm, set in its ways. Like the shopkeeper who said, when I phoned to chase my overdue order, "Do you need it then?" And the farm shop with a huge sign declaring itself to be 'the best in Norfolk', but no cars in the car park and no customers inside. Stop fussing, woman, just go back to the garden and watch the birds.

2 comments:

  1. Glad to hear it's not boring up there. With this wind of change perhaps you should have a sign on your desk saying 'Aeolus (God, so do as you're told)'.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It certainly isn't boring! But I do get fed up with hearing 'can't' and 'won't' all the time. I thought a certain publishing company was risk averse, but they are mere amateurs when compared to my new employers!

    ReplyDelete