I began my ERAC career with ambitions of managing my own business and being the decision maker as Branch Manager. In fact, this was how it was! My first BM made the decisions in the branch and was given the autonomy to choose which direction their branch moved towards. Our AM was brilliant, and knew how to bring out everyone's best qualities as opposed to developing our weak points and forgetting about our strengths.
However, this all changed with the departure of our CM which was soon followed by our AM. My career at ERAC continued flourishing and I soon reached BM. However, Mark Winfield took over as CM and job satisfaction took a downfall. People started leaving. BM's beacame quite open with trainees regading their wishes to leave the company. Although figures starting improving, this was due to the price war ending between ERAC, National and SCOT Hire. As you all know, there is cycles in rental which is motivated by rate and fleet size. Mark Winfield knows this but still tried taking credit for the improvement.
Graveson was extremely hard working and everyone respected him. Winfield has a reputaton for being lazy, incompetent and spending U5's money on golf. He has also had an affair with Zoe Martin, and people are wondering whether her baby is going to have a big beer belly!! Retention is awful, and this is not all down to money. It is the inconsistencies of management. However, I believe people work for people, i.e, the management need to have the charisma to handle the staff. Winfield does not have the man management abilities that are needed. He is aware of his AM's abusing their positions, for example U53 AM sleeping with U505 BM!! Or how about U51 AM having an affair with U506 BM???
However, what I wanted to know is whether you think Winfield is just a Caltabiano puppet. Is he just the bad cop in the relationship?? Whatever the reason, he should rattle his small brain and ask minself whether he is happy affecting so many trainees lives. People are unhappy. Most staff have CV's circulating. This could be stopped if Winfield pulls his insecurities to one side and starts behaving like an experienced person who has something to give as opposed to someone over their head who just plays golf and avoids the most difficult of successful management roles: gaining respect from his staff!!