Jaluch Limited

Over the years many of us have watched the iconic British Airways face employee battle after employee battle. But at what point do the employees of a company force their own business into meltdown? And if they do achieve this, when they walk away from the mess, what will they be saying to friends and family? I would be interested to know who they blame. 

I know almost nothing about BA, its set up, its finances, its staffing arrangements, but what I do know is that as a potential passenger, it is a high risk strategy to book to fly with BA. With endless cabin crew threats, baggage handler disputes and now pilots arguing about something or other, can they really not see the harm they do to their own employer when passengers who would love to fly with them, are so hesitant to do so? 

It defies belief that during a recession a group of professional adults can consider themselves so powerful that whatever they do, it will not affect their employment prospects. No individual, no company and no union is too big to be affected by a recession this hard.  

But taking lessons from BA’s traumas, what training or development can other employers do to ensure that their staff:

1. do understand commercial reality
2. have a vague notion of the concept of passengers (or clients) = sales = business continuity
3. understand that pursuing their employment rights and interests has to be balanced with the rights and interests of the company, if all are to succeed.  

And if you are one of the unfortunate employers being held to ransom by staff at the present time, in focussing on developing employees’ commercial awareness, this could well turnout to be the most important training programme you have ever put together in your life.