https://www.fergussmith.com/blog daily 0.75 2024-07-07 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/please-do-not-sit-here-a-cultural-styudy-of-ryanair monthly 0.5 2020-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e9eec3c9352106d269ce07b/1593547037327-1GOQO4DNUVNBY3QO4HCW/please-do-not-sit-here.jpg Blog - Please do not sit here - a cultural study of Ryanair - April. I am going to be working abroad for a couple of months. My client is a manufacturing company with a loss-making plant located half way across Europe. There are two options for getting there: the Jet2 flight from Leeds or the Ryanair flight from Manchester. I chose the latter because it departs earlier on Monday morning and tell myself that the horror-stories are exaggerated. In truth, I actually admire the CEO for daring to be different. He managed to turn a profit in a highly geared industry throughout the global recession. Though one might question his public persona, he could never be described as duplicitous. I get up at three in the morning, drive to Manchester, park in the multi-storey, and then weave past the stuttering queue of passengers pushing hold baggage to the check in desk. I have squeezed my laptop, diary, notebook and five day’s clothing into a small case that fits within two of the three dimensions Ryanair imposes. Over the weekend I was sent an automated email yelling at me to ensure I comply with the restrictions, but due to the wheels and the documents I have crammed into the front pocket, the depth of the bag is about five centimetres too large. I stride across the concourse thinking up things to say to anyone who challenges me: my bag is perfectly acceptable on any other airline; I used this very bag on a flight to Dublin last year and you didn’t challenge me then; it fits perfectly into the overhead locker – why does it need to be any smaller? https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/bandq-when-the-operating-model-fails monthly 0.5 2020-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e9eec3c9352106d269ce07b/1593544899281-VR0PBYWF7HJ16EJID0IG/b%26q.png Blog - B&Q: when the operating model fails - An Operating Model is a way of conceptualising how an organisation delivers a service to customers. It unites the seven basic elements of an organisation into a single cohesive whole. https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/the-power-of-the-union monthly 0.5 2020-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e9eec3c9352106d269ce07b/1593543890223-5WHTPVG6K2NQW6GDK0VT/union-jack.jpeg Blog - The Power of the Union https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/a-sour-taste-in-my-mouth monthly 0.5 2024-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e9eec3c9352106d269ce07b/1593546580824-GRNDKRHXKDJXX4WJDAO3/cubic-construction.jpg Blog - A sour taste in my mouth - This essay is a review of Cubic Construction and its principal proprietor, Qulzam (Cooly) Mahmood. I am surprised by the absence of other reviews on the internet, either positive or negative, since my experience was so extreme. My goal, therefore, is to provide a thorough and accurate assessment of how this company performed when I hired them to build a house extension in 2010. https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tthe-british-army-2020-a-chronic-failure-of-organisational-design monthly 0.5 2020-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e9eec3c9352106d269ce07b/1593547586781-IV67LR8CYHVD4UDID55T/Philip_Hammond_Secretary_of_State_for_Defence-1.jpg Blog - The British Army 2020: a chronic failure of organisational design https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/cuba-insights-for-a-post-brexit-britain monthly 0.5 2020-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e9eec3c9352106d269ce07b/1593549223335-23FMNM7BVB05YEHUW0EO/cuba.jpeg Blog - Cuba: insights for a post-Brexit Britain https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/category/Blog+articles monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/cubic+construction+limited monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/mod monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/qulzam+mahmood monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/micheal+o%27leary monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/organisational+design monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/culsture monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/army+2020 monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/review+of+cubic+construction monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/od monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/federation+of+master+builders monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/future+force+2020 monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/Brexit monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/airlines monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/army+structure monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/strategic+defence+and+security+review monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/operating+mode monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/defence+review monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/org+design monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/securing+britain+in+an+uncertain+future monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/business+performance monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/B%26Q+Online monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/B%26Q monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/army monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/Cuba monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/cooly+mahmood monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/diy+extensions monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/Ryanair monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/cultural+web+model monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/army+restructuring monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/johnson+and+scholes monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/experience+of+building+projects monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/cubic+construction+leeds+review monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/blog/tag/RUSI monthly 0.5 https://www.fergussmith.com/home daily 1.0 2020-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e9eec3c9352106d269ce07b/1597242745884-F37BCVCP6VM35AY3YXT1/operating-model.png Home The Operating Model https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e9eec3c9352106d269ce07b/1588847783480-GYBK4EGGUP9GN2SLTYBF/Fergus%2BSmith34.jpg Home - Fergus has eighteen years’ experience of delivering major transformation programmes. He is the Managing Director of the company. In addition to consulting he is a keen sailor, a charity trustee, and personal coach. 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