Festivities and flu jabs

We're nearly in December, when I will cease harrumphing every time I see Christmas decorations in shop windows or hear another cheesy festive tune emanating from the radio. It's just as well that I will have dropped the bah humbug attitude by then, as in keeping with tradition my firm has opted to have our office Christmas party at the start of the month.

One seasonal pastime in which I don't mind participating early on, however, is visiting Manchester's Christmas markets. I challenge anyone not to feel cheerful when confronted with a giant illuminated Santa, a singing moose and of course a fair few mugs of mulled wine (which give the aforementioned items an altogether more pleasant hue). Some of my team members wandered over for a browse and a hot chocolate during a bitterly cold Monday lunchtime recently, and it could well become a regular fixture to ease me into the working week. Great for team bonding too!

As for the jab reference, my nurturing employer kindly paid for the excitingly named 'flu fighters' to visit our office and inoculate those who expressed their interest last week. Disappointingly, there was no garishly dressed superhero waiting to greet us in reception as we rocked up to form a queue and reminisce about the school nurse. Cynics among you may view this as a blatant attempt to bolster the workforce before we face the usual winter onslaught of various germs, but I willingly believe they truly care '“ and really I could do without being taken out of action by illness for several days both at work and at home, so it was in everyone's best interests and I had a plaster to prove it.

MBA mind spin

I mentioned in last month's column that I was due to attend a 'delicious' one-day MBA course. The course materials explain that it was originally created 'to help time-poor senior managers develop their business skills and knowledge'. It was both interesting and thought-provoking, but as it covered an ambitious six modules it was also fairly relentless and mind-spinning.

Overall, however, with an impressive nine of the 11 CPD hours which I need to accumulate this year already under my belt and some useful new knowledge, I am glad I sacrificed a precious day of chargeable time to attend it.

There were moments of controversy, such as the exercise which saw us having to sort our internal business lines and individual offices into Boston Box categories, which required identification of those which effectively fund the rest of the firm as opposed to any lame ducks which require carrying. I recall one partner at my first firm years ago likening this to his team 'keeping the lights on' while the other teams' cash flow was more intermittent. It's an interesting debate to introduce when two separate offices and a multitude of teams are represented!

On the softer skills side, we were encouraged to take a frank look at ourselves by honestly answering a type of psychometric test and by placing issues including flexible working, job satisfaction and pay and benefits in order of importance as a group. My team turned anarchic at this point as we decided that it was an impossible exercise given the differing personal circumstances of every individual, as the importance which one places on such matters varies throughout one's lifetime. We were all pretty much in agreement that pay and benefits would come high up anyone's priority list though, and were surprised when the poll results revealed that it only made it to number 6 or 7 in the top ten. I'm not sure who was polled but perhaps the results pre-dated the recession'¦

Nineteen people attended the MBA course that day, and is it running twice more at other offices before Christmas. The end game is a team presentation to our managing partner and other board members on a topic which was to be confirmed. Enticing stuff.

Taking to the stage

I have now learned that my group of six is to speak about 'rewarding performance'. That's it. Two words. We have no further information thus far, although there are various rumours about how long we will be speaking for and when it's likely to happen.

We are currently trying to arrange a preliminary meeting via video-conference which is proving a challenge in itself, and that is before the various personalities involved really start throwing ideas around and flexing their muscles. It will be interesting to see who is keen to present to the board and whether anyone volunteers for a backstage role, as we have been assured that everyone's effort will be noted even if they do not deliver a star turn, so to speak. Hmm. I predict some jostling ahead.

I'm guessing the idea is not to present us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have the board as our captive audience in order to collectively whinge about feeling undervalued/underpaid/under-remunerated, or however one chooses to label it, but rather to focus on the positives and perhaps even feed in some sensible and upbeat suggestions as to how the future could look. I will happily plagiarise anyone's ideas should they volunteer them, so please do shout up.

I'll end by wishing you all a necessarily early fun and 'flu free festive season. I'll be back in 2011.