JennyMorgan Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/jobs/current-vacancies/director-of-operations Since it is now out in the public arena I can report that Trudi Wakelin is leaving the Broads Authority. Trudi has long been a good friend to the Little People. Those of us who know or have worked with Trudi will miss her, a voice of reason at Yare House. We can only guess why Trudi is moving on. I always thought that she'd make a darn good CEO. Unlike some Trudi grew to understand the Broads. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshman Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Peter - you know as well as I do that there are many many reasons why people move on and she has lived through the "politics" for years without suffering!! I believe she is moving right away from the area - up north. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 Up North to a job in fisheries, so I understand. As to why she left, as I say, we can only guess and your's is as good as mine. Why did you mention politics? I didn't, till now! Bit of a coincidence about Toll-Gate though, don't you think! Yes, I'm playing devil's advocate, but then I would! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Yes indeed Peter..., You would! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 Wasn't going to though. I have absolutely no knowledge on the realities. Whatever, a great loss to the Broads and us boaters. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Bet you were! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 1 hour ago, MauriceMynah said: Bet you were! But you'd be wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 There's nothing wrong with Maurice Mynah...he showed Ray and I the certificate he was given to prove it! I've spoken to Trudi on just one occasion. Her loss to The Broads is momentous...being a woman with her head screwed on correctly and a thorough professional. I think in due course we will all rue her leaving, no matter what your stake in Broadland happens to be! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 Tim, I think that you are entirely right, at least in regard to Trudi. Bless her, Trudi was between the devil & the deep blue sea, a situation that she managed with great professionalism. To my mind the problem is that the job grew around Trudi and Trudi grew around the job. I can not envisage anyone from within being able to move up and fill her shoes and anyone coming in from outside will have a huge, huge amount to learn, not least how the Authority operates. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshman Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 But then Peter, as you probably know, and others will be able to confirm, there are very many managers around who begin with absolutely no knowledge of either the area or indeed the job. Frequently the worst thing to happen is that as with many many public sector jobs, promotion is from within and those promoted come with all the issues and problems of those they supercede! In the private sector where I worked, I have seen all sorts come and go, and to be honest, those that knew nothing ultimately were seen to have made some of the better decisions, as they were no hide bound or indeed influenced by preconceived ideas. As they say we shall see but no one is irreplaceable!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnks34 Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 So what your saying Marshman if I understand your last post correctly is we need less like Trudi and more like JP (as he does a great impression of someone who knows nothing). Well, Im certainly glad your not in charge. I dont know Trudi personally but what I read and hear I also fear she will be a massive loss to the Authority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polly Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 No I don't think Marshman meant that, he made a generalised comment which has some validity. Where the problems occur is if the 'new brooms' are slow to understand the brief, that can be damaging. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 2 hours ago, Polly said: No I don't think Marshman meant that, he made a generalised comment which has some validity. Where the problems occur is if the 'new brooms' are slow to understand the brief, that can be damaging. It can also be damaging if the new broom fails to understand how to respond to the 'system'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 4 hours ago, marshman said: As they say we shall see but no one is irreplaceable!! Quite so, but what will happen to the Broads in the meantime? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnks34 Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 It strikes me and excuse me if i am stating what to most might be the glaringly obvious but the brief of any new brooms at the Authority is clearly going to be driven by JP, his views will be thier views or like Trudi they will move on, either by choice or otherwise (most probably). But then thats dictatorships for you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 2 hours ago, dnks34 said: It strikes me and excuse me if i am stating what to most might be the glaringly obvious but the brief of any new brooms at the Authority is clearly going to be driven by JP, his views will be thier views or like Trudi they will move on, either by choice or otherwise (most probably). But then thats dictatorships for you! In fairness none of us know why Trudi is moving on. Also worth remembering that Trudi has been with & survived the Authority for a number of years. We can guess but we mustn't assume as to why Trudi is leaving. However it is a fact that a number of excellent people have left the Authority since Prof. Aitkin Clarke, the previous CEO, left the Authority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 7 hours ago, marshman said: But then Peter, as you probably know, and others will be able to confirm, there are very many managers around who begin with absolutely no knowledge of either the area or indeed the job. Frequently the worst thing to happen is that as with many many public sector jobs, promotion is from within and those promoted come with all the issues and problems of those they supercede! In the private sector where I worked, I have seen all sorts come and go, and to be honest, those that knew nothing ultimately were seen to have made some of the better decisions, as they were no hide bound or indeed influenced by preconceived ideas. As they say we shall see but no one is irreplaceable!! I agree with Marshman. The foot up the ladder I had in developing my career was based upon someone deciding to 'let the loud mouthed opinionated English archaeologist have a go'. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnks34 Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 I agree JM we dont really know (certainly not I anyway) the ins and outs of it all. I can only form my opinions on what i read or hear but like you I also think it appears very coincidental with recent events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshman Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 Perhaps Dnks34 your views are coloured by reading this Forum - perhaps others have a wider view from other sources too!! And yes Polly of course you are right and I did not mean as he suggested!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 Whether JP is the reason Trudi is leaving is pretty irrelevant, suffice to say she will be a tough act to follow. I doubt that it is beyond the realms of possibility that JP will try to shoehorn in someone of his own mind or someone he can control. Lets face it, in his position wouldn't you? I further suspect he already knows who this will be or soon will. We have no say in this matter, no control over the situation, so it's not really worth speculating or the wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth. Time would be better spent in working out what to do about the impending stormy weather if that's what it's going to be. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaughan Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 Is this why they say in the Navy that the rats always desert a sinking ship? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted December 6, 2016 Author Share Posted December 6, 2016 1 hour ago, Vaughan said: Is this why they say in the Navy that the rats always desert a sinking ship? Firstly Trudi is no rat and secondly the Authority is not sinking, just that the captain is a tad off course. No doubt that he has lost and is loosing some darn good crew members though. 1 hour ago, MauriceMynah said: I doubt that it is beyond the realms of possibility that JP will try to shoehorn in someone of his own mind or someone he can control. Lets face it, in his position wouldn't you? I further suspect he already knows who this will be or soon will. Wise words that highlight what has long been the problem. Alignment is not to everyone's taste but from Chairwoman to Char Lady that is so obviously the requirement. Perhaps not such a bad thing in a workforce but when it also applies to the committees and Authority membership then something is seriously awry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaughan Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said: Firstly Trudi is no rat Not for a moment would I call Trudi a rat, in that sense. Perhaps I should have explained this ancient sailors' superstition. They reckon that the rats on a ship are rather more "canny" than us and if the ship leaves port on what is going to turn out to be her last voyage, there will be no more rats on board. They will have seen it coming, and already sought a better future elsewhere. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyMorgan Posted December 6, 2016 Author Share Posted December 6, 2016 We must work to the same time table, Vaughan. Mines a ploughman's and a glass of red! I well know the saying and I suspect that the last sentence above is pretty close to the mark. My gut feeling is that the phrase 'enough is enough' has been on the minds of a number of those departing rats as they headed for the hawse pipe. Here's to the good rats that failed to be realigned, I hope that they did find better futures elsewhere 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshman Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 And of course, as always Peter ,the evidence is where? Just a feeling you have? But then thats the same feeling you have had for many many years and yet - the ship still floateth with seemingly little danger of foundering!!!! I don't think the ratio of staff leaving is especially high or untoward - or have you evidence to the contrary???. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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