Management's plan backfires after they reshuffle employees' duties and they follow instructions to the letter: 'For the rest of the day we ran management crazy. Everything in the procedures was adhered to'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Aug 16, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

Those in charge typically think that they should be making all the decisions, even when they don't have all the answers—no, especially when they don't have all the answers. Something about their egos and insecurity in these situations makes them double down on any decision they make without listening to anything their subordinates tell them in warning.

When the upper management of this tourist attraction in London decided to flip the script on their employees, it led to absolute chaos. For some reason, they decided that it would be a good idea for the supervisors to work on the floor and have floor staff work from the "control room" that the supervisors normally holed up in. The workers quite happily took up their new duties and adhered strictly to management's demands that they not leave the control room under any circumstances. Normally, we'd preach the importance of "leading from the front" as a leadership strategy, but leading from the front usually consists of leading by example and not just simply changing jobs with your subordinates. 

Anyways, this understandably poor decision led to massive blowback when things were turned on their head, eventually resulting in the changes being reverted but with better circumstances for everyone.

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  • 01
    "Short-staffed? No problem."
    via Claudio Testa
  • 02
    Short staffed? No problem. LOC I work for a visitor attraction in London. Generally we are out on the floor answering questions etc. We had a dedicated team that worked in the control room, usually supervisors or those that wanted to become supervisors. Normally one or two people in the control room. They were never ever on the floor if they could help it.
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 03
    They watched the cctv and controlled the breaks, lunches, etc. For instance if a visitor sets off an alarm they would call us and we would investigate the alarm. Management decided to pull the supervisors out onto the floor and train floor personnel to be In the control room. Good idea on paper but in practice? Supervisors didn't want to go on the floor and those on the floor didn't want to go into the control room.
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 04
    Some of us already worked in the control room as we relieved them for breaks, lunches etc. Basically if you were in the control room you stayed in there. First training week went something like this. Someone that knew the control room training 3 or 4 of the floor people. Needless to say that put us short staffed on the floor and management had to go on the floor to cover. As "how hard could it be", it will only be a week then I can go back to my cushy desk job.
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 05
    First day I was training 3 or 4 floor staff and management/supervisors were on the floor. Management told me treat them like normal floor staff. Ok no problem. I asked everyone that I was training "normal floor staff" we all got big smiles on our faces. Not even 10 minutes goes by and radio call. "Can one of you bring the keys for the front door so we can let the public in?" It's a 5 min walk from control to the front door. I radio one of the management on the floor. "Come to control and pick up
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 06
    Management take 5 min to get to control and then take the keys over to front door. So we are late opening. Next radio call. "Which key is it?" It's number xx. They open the doors. Alarm goes off. "Control why did alarm go off" You need to call control to let us know exactly when to take alarm off. Procedure All of this is written down. Procedures must be followed. Now that the public is in, alarms start going off for various reasons. The public loves going through doors that say 'Door is Alarmed
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 07
    Normal stuff. I start radio calls to management on the floor. "Charlie 3 go to door x", "Charlie 3 go to door x" etc etc. "Delta 4 relieve Charlie 3 for thier lunch" Lunchtime, I get phone calls from people who haven't been relieved for thier lunch on time. Management hasn't figured out that travel time between your post and the break area is NOT included in your lunch/break. If you have an hour lunch and it takes you 10 min walking time to get there then basically your lunch is 40 min. 10 min t
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 08
    Normal control room staff knew this and would start lunches early to give everyone as much as possible a full lunch. More radio calls "Charlie 3 can you check the tiolet, report of water on the floor" "Charlie 3 can you go to x Visitor wants to use a voucher", "actually Charlie 3 go to door x" but "I'm with a visitor ", " Doors take priority Charlie 3"
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 09
    For the rest of the day we ran management crazy. Everything in the procedures was adhered to. Count the empty spaces in the car park. Check locks on the emergency gates. Check toilets, mens and womens to see if they need to be refilled with tiolet paper. Look for lights out, Fill in your task book. etc Next day needless to say i wasn't in the control room. Didn't matter. The tone was set. Didn't matter who was in there. The rest of the week went by the same. Everyone that followed me ran managem
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 10
    Management to thier credit changed some things after that. Black sneakers can now be worn. More break rooms closer to posts have been opened. Procedures have been loosened up. Control people are back in control and floor people are on the floor. Everyone is now trained in the control room but they only have to work it if they want. Still was a glorious week!
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 11
    pukui7 It's a sad fact that the idea to "walk a mile in someone else's shoes" is such a literal necessity for so many. Management wouldn't and couldn't see the glaring issues with the work day for you all. Not until they had to experience it themselves. I mean the lunch time issue itself, with some having such a long travel time, was ridiculous.
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 12
    ShadowDragon8685 Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you're a mile away, and you have their shoes, thus delaying their ability to retaliate. Then put them on full blast!
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 13
    StoicJim Someone got trained. Not who Management expected.
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 14
    DangNearRekdit You can offer solutions until you're blue in the face, but sometimes a problem doesn't get solved until you make it their problem. Sounds like you folks were dealing with some of the problems so long you forgot they were problems
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 15
    mikemojc When I worked in a call center, it was determined that some of the second level staff needed to be cross trained to help down in the call center "to help cover phones occasionally ". This in due time was expanded to cover managers, and eventually division directors. I don't care how educated a person you are, if you do not know procedures, or if you do not know how to use the resources, you will not succeed in a call center.
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 16
    We had a legitimate Doctorate of Education person, who had been one of the training directors, come over and cross train for about 4 hours. When they got done their shift what they told us was "I don't know how you folks do this job!". Capable doesn't always equate to successful.
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 17
    whattheduce86 This is what all companies should do. The ones I've worked at do. If they expect you to do the job, they should also be able to do the job.
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 18
    Nickel5 It sounds like someone further up had their head on straight and knew exactly what would happen. I'm glad it worked out.
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 19
    Geminii27 And of course all the staff keep talking about when management are going to "do it again" in six months, because it was so successful, every time management is in the room? :)
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 20
    megablocks516 Love this, a bit like undercover boss but without them giving you 1 million pounders afterwards for you retirement.. I really wish management did this more.
    via u/xlovechrisx
  • 21
    Electric_Sundown Honestly, I think this is an exercise that could be really helpful in some places. Seeing how the other half lives can be eye-opening. But I'm one of those crazy people who likes doing training.
    via u/xlovechrisx

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