tygerland.net

And so the grand opening of Heathrow’s much-lauded Terminal 5 has been a disaster.

Is anyone surprised?

Irish-born Willie “the buck stops with me” Walsh, has long strutted the media as one of Britain’s Champions of Industry. And yet we saw yesterday that no matter how much we crow, our businesses are simply not terribly well run.

I know, I know; it was the opening day of a new terminal and airports are always a nightmare, but come on! 34 flights cancelled? 4-hours to reclaim baggage? What’s wrong with us?

Heathrow is the first point of entry for many visitors to the UK. And for some travellers, only using the airport as a launch-pad to the rest of Europe and beyond, this incompetence and chaos is all they’ll see. What perception will these people have of the United Kingdom?

Well, a pretty accurate one probably.

As someone who has worked in industry for over a decade, in many differing roles (including operations, sales, small-enterprises, and finance), I can say with some confidence that we’re, in the main, a disorganised and sloppy bunch. I’m amazed at the number of businessmen (of businesses large and small) who don’t keep an accurate diary, don’t understand how to maximise ROI, and are unable to follow through on simple commitments.

Oh, and did you see The Apprentice the other night? Our best and brightest bigging themselves up, only to prove themselves unable to count, identity fish from pictures, and about as organised as a heard of cats.

Like Willie Walsh, it’s all hot-air and bullshit.