My branch offices have an inferiority complex. Help!

Dear Aunty B,

My business has been so successful during the Past few years that I have been able to open several branch offices in other states. But now an us-and-them culture has developed and staff at head office have begun to act in a superior way. Any ideas?

Rachael Schwatz

Sydney

Dear Rachael,

HEAD OFFICE is simply a place located conveniently near the founder’s home. (True Rachael?)

And the fancier the HEAD OFFICE, the bigger the inferiority complex of the founder – not that I mean to get personal.

Here is an immediate plan:

• Tell staff you are thinking of moving near your customers. (Now, wouldn’t that be novel.)
• When they protest, remind them that head office in modern times is simply a place to oversee management at the operational level and to control finances, etc, which can all be done online and therefore from THE STICKS.
• Start to dismantle the head office hierarchy. Get rid of all the unnecessary admin staff and make sure all the big salaries are not located at HEAD OFFICE.
• Compare operational activities against business performance. I bet branch offices are more productive.
• Finally, remind everyone that it is those close to the coalface who do the best in business.

Oh and just so you know, we are no longer in the Industrial Revolution so let’s drop “branch office” shall we? How about coming up with some useful terms to describe those hard working minorities carving out new frontiers in far flung places?

What are you waiting for? Email your questions, problems and issues to auntyb@smartcompany.com.au right now!

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