Church and State

At Church today, the lesson was about the man who called together three of his servants and gave one man 5 talents, the second 2 talents and the third 1 talent. When he returned, the one with the 5 talents had used the money wisely and returned 10 talents, the one with 2 talents also used the money wisely and returned 4 talents; however the one with one talent was fearful and buried his talent in the ground and had nothing to return to his master. The first two were suitably rewarded, but the third was cast into outer darkness.

The minister, in his sermon pulled no punches. He said the lesson was about financial management, and related this to household management and the financial management in this country by the banks, the financial institutions and the government.

The rise in house prices was a bubble that was inevitably going to burst. How did the banks and building societies not realise that sub-prime mortgages was a strategy doomed to failure? He was also highly critical of the Prime Minister and his actions as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

This all also relates to what is happening in the management of the National Health Service, the Education of our young and the Police – all the victims of top-down mis-management.

In the end the government is bound to be rewarded in the same manner as the servant with 1 talent – they will be cast into outer darkness.

Management

I stole this post from The Dinosaur, and have made a couple of changes to suit the NHS. With a couple of changes again, I am sure you could make this fit almost every organisation.

In the Beginning was the Plan.

And then came the Assumptions.

And the Assumptions were without form.

And the Plan was without substance.

And darkness was upon the face of the Workers.

And they spoke among themselves, saying:"It is a crock of shit and it stinks."

And the Workers went unto their Supervisors and said:"It is a pail of dung, and none may abide the odour thereof."

And the Supervisors went unto their Managers, saying:"It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it."

And the Managers went unto their Directors, saying:"It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength."

And the Directors spoke amongst themselves, saying to one another:"It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."

And the Directors then went unto the Minister of Health, saying unto him:"It promotes growth, and it is very powerful."

And the Minister of Health went unto the Prime Minister, saying unto him:"This new plan will actively promote the growth and vigor of the NHS, with powerful effects."

And the Prime Minister looked upon the Plan, and saw that it was good.And the Plan became Policy.

This is how Shit Happens.