As if Undercover Boss on Channel 4 wasn’t enough, BBC Wales has brought us an amazing two-part programme which really addresses management issues – by, errr, removing them.
It’s called Ban the Boss and it follows Dr Paul Thomas from Glamorgan University. He believes that employees would be better off without management and would be better off taking more responsibility for their work themselves.
The first episode was on last night (in Wales only sadly, but fear not, that’s what iPlayer is for – you can see it here) and Paul visited some workplaces with really dire morale and atmospheres so tense you’d be forgiven for thinking the floor was made of eggshell.
Turns out these places are in Blaenau Gwent. Paul visited refuse collectors and mechanics working for the council. I feel sorry for the poor mechanics, working in silence due to a radio ban; meanwhile, the refuse collectors are surly and defensive. Paul faces challenges in getting his message across. However, he stands his ground: the second part, being shown tonight, will reveal how well he does.
Will the binmen ban their boss? Will the mechanics allow their management back? What will they learn about each other, and can we learn from it in turn?
I urge you to catch up on it on iPlayer – it’s well worth a watch. Not as formulated as Undercover or FairyJobMother, it makes for real, honest viewing.
