Wigan North Western

Waiting for the train home, Wigan, Beyond.

I spent a day in a hotel conference suite with my colleagues on Day 3 of a Leadership Development programme talking about Authenticity. Day 1 was Adventure, Day 2 Awareness. The first two made some sense, today was just baffling.

And this at a time when we now know that a selection process will be necessary to decide who is surplus to requirements. It was no surprise that there were not enough takers for voluntary redundancy, so now we arrive at a redundancy cull. Strangely, senior managers have now been told they will be spared any compulsory cuts, and the cull will concentrate on the lower ranks where the work of the organisation is largely done.

I've never been a cynic. I have always believed that people generally act in good faith, and doubtless that is the situation here. But, referring back to Day 2 of the programme, the decision on where to concentrate the cuts does suggest something of a lack of Awareness. But I would plump for Cock-up rather than Conspiracy. Interestingly, Day 1 Adventure appeared designed to convince us that being made redundant could actually be the beginning of a great adventure. And maybe it will be, perhaps I'll find out soon.

Anyway, this isn't the usual pretty landscape. I need to diversify a bit. I do have a fondness for strong lines in photographs, and this is not short of them. This was taken as the sun had dropped below the cloud layer illuminating Wigan against a black back-drop of clouds.