Differing management attitudes

YOUR contributors appear to have difficulty understanding the—apparently—contradictory messages issued by Canal & River Trust, writes Jimmy Lockwood.

Unfortunately the reason is simple—CaRT has a management structure which is designed to ensure that good internal communication is almost non-existent.

Waterway heritage

With this as a background it becomes possible to paint a picture containing some managers in roles where they value the waterway heritage, the environment, the customers and the volunteers. Regretfully, there are other management roles which do not support this approach.

The incoming Chief Executive, Richard Parry, will have a major task in uniting these two management attitudes. Unless this happens CaRT will never be acknowledged as a true Third Sector body and will never achieve the level of public support it desires. There are many good managers within CaRT, but their attitudes differ widely when it comes to dealing with users of the waterways—I mean all users not just boaters.

Convinced of importance

Supporters, be they active volunteers, walkers, cyclists, boaters or anglers, must be convinced that they are important to CaRT's future and that they are not simply a source of funds to balance management budgets or meet statistical targets.

Richard, you have some managers whose manner implies that: they don't communicate across role boundaries; they don't wish there to be any change from the old established British Waterways policies; they insist any decision-making is at slow-speed; they always know everything; they don't accept input from external individuals or bodies and they spend their time ensuring their backs are well covered.

They do not wish, or understand how, to function within the frame-work of a charity.

More positive

There are of course many managers in the other side of the fence who have a much more positive approach. They extend their reach beyond the banks of the waterways and are working to build relationships that will strengthen the organisation. These relationships are not financially driven although, in the longer term, will probably do more to confirm that CaRT is a charitable body and not simply holding out a begging bowl.

Those managers who are still sitting on the fence need to demonstrate on which side they really want to be seen.

CaRT is nearing its first birthday, yet there has been little visible demonstration to the users that management is now pulling together on the same rope in the same direction.

Major task

Richard, you have a major task before you; with help and support from the users of your waterways it is to be hoped you can achieve the essential cultural change quickly.

We all live and move in a rapidly changing environment and if CaRT is to commence establishing itself as a major heritage/environmental charity it must move quickly otherwise the impact opportunity will have evaporated.

Good Luck!