The Experience

How Valuable was the Experience Overall?

I have been lucky to be one of the privileged bosses to be given this experience of a lifetime. I’ve learned in two weeks what some bosses will never discover. I genuinely know what our workforce really thinks and how they feel at present. Everything has been at breakneck speed. Some bosses will say they often engage with the workforce but it is in reality on the boss’s terms rather than the workers, no matter how much they try.

Getting people to open up, unfiltered I’ve heard a lot of things that I didn’t expect to hear and some I hoped I wouldn’t hear.

I undertook this experience because I wanted to find out the truth and reality. I hope now that the workforce sees that we are serious about this.

The final day summed up the whole experience for me working on the Pride of Scunthorpe – the four Queen’s Blast Furnaces, with the pride of Clugston – our incredible workforce!

Very few bosses get the experience of working beside a blast furnace and even fewer get the opportunity to really work alongside the workforce.

What the Experience was like Good and Bad

It has been a revelation. I have found both positives and negatives. I feel that quite often as a boss you only scratch the surface. Here I have been able really to get inside it. It’s like peeling the layers back from an onion and seeing how far you can go without stopping.

I can genuinely say that each and every person I have met whilst undercover has been a real credit to Clugston. In fact they are Clugston! I feel very humbled and privileged to have this honour of being chief executive of Clugston.

I was constantly thinking would I be recognised? My photo is on our website and publications such as The Bulletin. I realised that I have been highly visible to our managers and others but invisible to our operatives.

It’s very demanding both physically and emotionally. Much tougher being undercover than I imagined – having to respond to my surname, learn new tasks, ask important questions whilst working and trying to make sense of everything.

Positive Headlines

I’ve seen things that have made me incredibly proud. A dedicated, passionate workforce who despite people being laid off around them are still absolutely committed to the job. I’ve met people who have literally worked their fingers to the bone.

Construction often has a poor image but I have seen that it is a reputation that is not entirely deserved. Yes, you will have to work hard in a tough environment but you will be rewarded with more than just money. Especially the sense of achievement.

Many of the workforce expressed the view that it’s a two way relationship – they work hard and Clugston looks after them eg providing ear plugs specifically moulded to the individual’s ear at a cost of £80 a pair.

Met people who inspire, motivate and encourage their fellow workers. One great guy has been with Clugston for 36 years and never had a day off sick in all that time. People clearly love Clugston – it’s in their blood!

And the proof is there we are getting lots of things right – health and safety, teamwork, sense of pride, the right men for the job ......people may leave but they often come back.

The way we do things at Clugston works here because I’ve seen first hand people operating together safely as teams at exceptionally high levels of competence. I have witnessed directly an open atmosphere based on trust, respect and confidence. People are achieving together. I have taken enough samples to feel my experience reflects reality.

People were told they are required to work the weekend on Friday afternoon and I witnessed them readily agree for the sake of the project.

Clugston really is a family business. I now recognise that everyone who joins becomes a member of the family. Everyone needs a sense of belonging and a place to thrive where we are accepted for what we are.

I fully understand now why people love construction so much – it energises you! Give someone the opportunity to experience it and they will either be hooked or put off for life. Everyone is different – the workforce I met would never want to work in an office – but then office workers do not want to work outside in all weathers.

Downsides

We can definitely do more. I don’t think that we always give our workforce as much attention as they need. Sometimes rather than leaving them feeling positive we end up leaving them fed up, put down and disgruntled. We need to have more checks and balances in place.

Some of the workforce is completely demoralised. They don’t feel they’re being heard and they don’t feel they’ve been treated fairly.

I’ve seen things that we have to change in the business, things can’t go on the way they are.

We’re failing to get a lot of things right and there are things that must be tackled.

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