In these troubled times, you’d think £60 grand might get snapped up quickly. As a company employee, customer, shareholder, you would think it won’t just lie around unloved for very long eh? Well you might be wrong. I’ve shared this little story with a few people who I thought could help make it come to life…nothing yet.
Here’s the story for you to read. Are we too big to care about £60,000?
I recently dumped my mobile phone and moved the number to my blackberry. It was very easy to do. I saved the company £30 per annum in line rental plus a few pennies in electricity plus there is now one less device to break, make redundant, be replaced. I wondered how many others in our division could do the same. I made some enquiries and it seems there are at least 2,000 people in the division with more than one mobile device.
2,000 x £30 = £60,000, back on the bottom line, every year. Or look at it another way. As we reshape our business, we’re insisting that everyone who enters the company redeployment centre completes 3 training sessions, at a cost of £52 per session. This money could pay the training cost for over 180 entrants to the centre. Or, we could use it to fund a small recognition scheme. There are lots of hard working, productive, engaged people out there who might appreciate a small gesture.
Or just stick it back on the bottom line. If 19 more people can find another lost £60,000 that’s over £1million. Think of the possibilities. Of course if no one else wants it…perhaps we could have it for my leaving do?
Aahhh ……….. the old debate. There have been times where I have been told “it’s only £1m” and there are times where you do find £50k behind the (work) sofa. The trouble is that as Big Business we are seduced by big numbers and ignore the small ones at our peril. My response is generally either “what if it was your money” or “can I have it then?”. Rarely do I get an acceptable response.
My personal “road to damascus” was when I was talking to a group of Dutch students whilst working over there and I said “it’s only 7m guilders a year” in answer to a question – the look on their faces has stayed with me ever since. And remember what Grannie says …. look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves!!
Hi crisp, nice thinking…”can I have it then?”. I now find that work is underway to implement the suggestion and everyone will have just the one device by end June. I’m glad about that but sad that I had to threaten to blow the £60k on a leaving do before action was taken (just kidding).