Comments on: Clegg’s COG: now that I have your attention… http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/ "crass, boorish and more a bruiser than blogger" - Alex Wilcock Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:54:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Quaequam Blog! » Blog Archive » Just whose side is Bones on? http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-198249 Quaequam Blog! » Blog Archive » Just whose side is Bones on? Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:14:28 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-198249 [...] I and others have already gone on endlessly about the plans for a Chief Officers Group and how it is so parliamentarian-heavy. Suffice to say that the one thing that most confuses me about this is why it is intended to be in addition to the existing Campaigns and Communications Committee (which was established to solve the same alleged problem if I recall) rather an in replacement of it. To do so would not require a constitutional change and would meet the spirit of the Commission’s goal of simplifying how we make decisions. Yet only problem with this of course would be that it would force the FE to scrap a committee to which it sends representatives (politically tricky) and would bring into question the role of the Campaigns and Communications Committee Chair and whether it is really needed. [...] [...] I and others have already gone on endlessly about the plans for a Chief Officers Group and how it is so parliamentarian-heavy. Suffice to say that the one thing that most confuses me about this is why it is intended to be in addition to the existing Campaigns and Communications Committee (which was established to solve the same alleged problem if I recall) rather an in replacement of it. To do so would not require a constitutional change and would meet the spirit of the Commission’s goal of simplifying how we make decisions. Yet only problem with this of course would be that it would force the FE to scrap a committee to which it sends representatives (politically tricky) and would bring into question the role of the Campaigns and Communications Committee Chair and whether it is really needed. [...]

]]> By: Sam http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-196019 Sam Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:53:20 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-196019 I think it would have been different with Huhne. He has far more sense of what the party is about and how it works. He is a more experienced leader. He would not have expected to easily grant himself more power and he would not have appointed someone like Chris Bones to rush through change. However all of this somewhat misses the point that what matters far more in a political party like ours is clear political leadership. get that right and most else follows. I think it would have been different with Huhne. He has far more sense of what the party is about and how it works. He is a more experienced leader. He would not have expected to easily grant himself more power and he would not have appointed someone like Chris Bones to rush through change.

However all of this somewhat misses the point that what matters far more in a political party like ours is clear political leadership. get that right and most else follows.

]]> By: Jo Christie-Smith http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-195967 Jo Christie-Smith Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:07:26 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-195967 I agree with Paul there...in my experience of business and especially of implementing transformational change in large, successful blue chip companies is that it's pretty all top down. That's not to say you can ignore the grass roots but unless it's led pretty centrally it doesn't happen. I agree with Paul there…in my experience of business and especially of implementing transformational change in large, successful blue chip companies is that it’s pretty all top down.

That’s not to say you can ignore the grass roots but unless it’s led pretty centrally it doesn’t happen.

]]> By: Paul Walter http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-195655 Paul Walter Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:33:57 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-195655 "I don’t believe this centralising tendency is how business works in the modern world, where the value of autonomous cells is increasingly valued." The whole article is very thoughtful and intelligent, and also very well informed. However, that line is very misleading. Having worked in the business world since 1981, I have detailed knowledge of several blue chip corporations, plus reasonable knowledge of another 20ish. Yes, there are some initiatives (mainly at project level) and some souped-up companies like Google. But basically in UK businesses, and in US ones in the main, the key day-to-day overall top decisions of a company (which are more or less at the level of decision making which the new COG is aimed at) are taken in the CEO's office. “I don’t believe this centralising tendency is how business works in the modern world, where the value of autonomous cells is increasingly valued.”

The whole article is very thoughtful and intelligent, and also very well informed. However, that line is very misleading. Having worked in the business world since 1981, I have detailed knowledge of several blue chip corporations, plus reasonable knowledge of another 20ish. Yes, there are some initiatives (mainly at project level) and some souped-up companies like Google. But basically in UK businesses, and in US ones in the main, the key day-to-day overall top decisions of a company (which are more or less at the level of decision making which the new COG is aimed at) are taken in the CEO’s office.

]]> By: Oranjepan http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-195574 Oranjepan Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:55:01 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-195574 Definitely intelligent stuff, but I'd be more sympathetic if you replaced 'blame their' with 'blame our', or it sounds like you're getting high and might be disassociating yourself with making the change rather than getting on with getting down and dirty. Definitely intelligent stuff, but I’d be more sympathetic if you replaced ‘blame their’ with ‘blame our’, or it sounds like you’re getting high and might be disassociating yourself with making the change rather than getting on with getting down and dirty.

]]> By: Linda Jack http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-195342 Linda Jack Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:05:03 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-195342 I was going to shout at you last night, but this piece has given me more to think about...........(!) L I was going to shout at you last night, but this piece has given me more to think about………..(!)

L

]]> By: Hywel http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-195237 Hywel Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:37:03 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2008/08/05/cleggs-cog-now-that-i-have-your-attention/#comment-195237 I think your bang on about the activist base. The two traditional voice of the activists/trouble causing organisations - LDYS and ALDC seem to have effectively chosen to neuter themselves which is a bit demonstrative of that problem. That has wider problems for the party - would Liberal Youth play such a fundamental role in pushing for a strong position on the Iraq war now? Would ALDC have such a hardline view on voting pilots when several leading Lib Dem councils were taking part in them? In both cases the party needed a strong nudge in the right direction. I think your bang on about the activist base. The two traditional voice of the activists/trouble causing organisations - LDYS and ALDC seem to have effectively chosen to neuter themselves which is a bit demonstrative of that problem.

That has wider problems for the party - would Liberal Youth play such a fundamental role in pushing for a strong position on the Iraq war now? Would ALDC have such a hardline view on voting pilots when several leading Lib Dem councils were taking part in them?

In both cases the party needed a strong nudge in the right direction.

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