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What is "Shape Up"

Post Office® discussion forum for our Post Office® colleagues from Crown, Franchise to Sub Post Offices.
PostalOfficer
POST OFFICE
Posts: 118
Joined: 08 Dec 2009, 17:53
Gender: Male

What is "Shape Up"

Post by PostalOfficer »

A couple of months ago we all got a leaflet headed Shape Up. They asked for people who were passionate about the PO and have an opinion about the way we do things. The chorus went up "You'd be good at that", so I sent my name off.

Later I got an invitation to a two day "do" at Birmingham about being an ambassador for the new way of doing things. About 5 of us noted the change of emphasis from 'having an opinion' to 'being an ambassador for what we've already decided'.
So I rang them up and said "What's this about?". Got the reply that I'd have to go to the meeting to find out. Sounded evasive to me; I'm sure my boss on Horizon last year wouldn't have given me cr*p like that if i'd called him beforehand. So I asked what time commitment there would be. "Some will be in work time, some in your own time". :no no

I decided that I wasn't commiting to something they couldn't explain and doing it in my own time.

Have since spoken to someone from another office who said a colleague had been to the event. "What was it about", I asked. "err, he didn't really seem to know", they said.

Has ANYBODY got ANY idea what this is all about? I'm getting cynical and it just seems to be the latest Big Thing i.e. waste of precious cash. I know, I should have gone to find out, but I'm not leaving my mates to cover my duty for 2 days on something with such ill-defined benefits to us.
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onlyanother30years
POST OFFICE
Posts: 62
Joined: 04 Oct 2007, 18:19
Location: mostly in the loo

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by onlyanother30years »

It's a load of bollacks!!!
Oct 2012
Live the Dream
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Blue8
POST OFFICE
Posts: 58
Joined: 31 Mar 2011, 22:22
Gender: Female

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by Blue8 »

Someone from our office went but the BM won't give him anytime to feed back to us.
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billyhayes
POST OFFICE
Posts: 455
Joined: 05 Aug 2007, 00:50
Gender: Male

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by billyhayes »

Ah yes, the 'Ambassador'. :roll:

Indeed this did get bastardized from "Tell us what YOU think" to "We'll TELL you what to think". :no no

Didn't go myself but have reports from a few who did that, in a nutshell, if a clerk is sent back to the office with their head filled with the latest diktat, then the rest of the 'team' will swallow it; hook, line and sinker because it's coming from "one of their own". :arrrghhh :arrrghhh :arrrghhh

There are colleague forums coming soon, on a smaller scale, (by area), that allow us all to share problems/ideas/solutions etc etc from office to office.

I am going to the first one. If again, these turn into 'POL brain washing sessions', I have already told those involved I will walk out... :nana
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
Joseph Goebbels
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Blue8
POST OFFICE
Posts: 58
Joined: 31 Mar 2011, 22:22
Gender: Female

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by Blue8 »

They never listened to Have your say so can't think this will be any different
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billyhayes
POST OFFICE
Posts: 455
Joined: 05 Aug 2007, 00:50
Gender: Male

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by billyhayes »

Blue8 wrote:They never listened to Have your say so can't think this will be any different
My thoughts exactly. I think this is being put in place to 'dilute' any negative comments etc away from HYS.

Don't managers have a vested interest in HYS results? ie, PDR or bonus related? If not that, then used for 'shifting to another office' punishment.

Air your thoughts early so you may not feel the need to put it in black and white later on... :no no

WE shall see...
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
Joseph Goebbels
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kathleen1
POST OFFICE
Posts: 115
Joined: 14 Sep 2010, 21:39
Gender: Female

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by kathleen1 »

onlyanother30years wrote:It's a load of bollacks!!!
Don't you want to think about your answer first and put it into a positive perspective?, only kidding!!!!! :wink:
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DGP1
Posts: 15551
Joined: 07 Jun 2007, 20:39
Gender: Male
Location: Terminus

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by DGP1 »

Aren't 'Shape Ups' those shoes that look like those ones from the 70/80's that were give to people with 1 short leg :hmmmm
I'm preparing myself for the zombie invasion, rule number 1 - Cardio
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BELIAL
Posts: 6758
Joined: 15 Jun 2007, 17:33
Gender: Female
Location: Nowhere

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by BELIAL »

Leaflet two in the series is entitled "Or ship out" ,It's a variation on the delivery mantra :angel
Bye
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The BFO
POST OFFICE
Posts: 419
Joined: 12 Oct 2009, 20:36
Gender: Female

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by The BFO »

I think there was an article on the thoroughly entertaining ‘Focus TV’ a few weeks ago about this, consisting of a report from the event. It caught my eye so I turned the sound up. Nothing of substance was said, just a few people making inane comments about how ‘brilliant’ the event was.

These people are clearly ‘sleepers’, sent back to their offices ready to be activated by a subliminal Memo View, to counteract we sceptical, miserable, negative souls…

‘Have Your Say’? Perhaps should be renamed, ‘Have Your Say (and we will ignore you)’.
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billyhayes
POST OFFICE
Posts: 455
Joined: 05 Aug 2007, 00:50
Gender: Male

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by billyhayes »

The BFO wrote:These people are clearly ‘sleepers’, sent back to their offices ready to be activated by a subliminal Memo View...
Ah, so that will explain the new job title of Manchurian Candidate Specialist. :shhhhh
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
Joseph Goebbels
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PostalOfficer
POST OFFICE
Posts: 118
Joined: 08 Dec 2009, 17:53
Gender: Male

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by PostalOfficer »

The BFO wrote:I think there was an article on the thoroughly entertaining ‘Focus TV’ a few weeks ago about this, consisting of a report from the event. It caught my eye so I turned the sound up. Nothing of substance was said, just a few people making inane comments about how ‘brilliant’ the event was.
I thought there was a brief mention during one of the WTL videos that they would report on the event, but I must have missed it that week. I suppose if you had two days out of the office in a posh hotel with a slap-up feed, most people would say it was 'brilliant'. :Very Happy

Thanks for the replies, I get the impression that the cynicism in our office was well-founded.
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Lounge Lizard
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 9458
Joined: 06 Aug 2007, 21:54

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by Lounge Lizard »

PostalOfficer wrote:A couple of months ago we all got a leaflet headed Shape Up. They asked for people who were passionate about the PO and have an opinion about the way we do things. The chorus went up "You'd be good at that", so I sent my name off.

Later I got an invitation to a two day "do" at Birmingham about being an ambassador for the new way of doing things. About 5 of us noted the change of emphasis from 'having an opinion' to 'being an ambassador for what we've already decided'.
So I rang them up and said "What's this about?". Got the reply that I'd have to go to the meeting to find out. Sounded evasive to me; I'm sure my boss on Horizon last year wouldn't have given me cr*p like that if i'd called him beforehand. So I asked what time commitment there would be. "Some will be in work time, some in your own time". :no no

I decided that I wasn't commiting to something they couldn't explain and doing it in my own time.

Have since spoken to someone from another office who said a colleague had been to the event. "What was it about", I asked. "err, he didn't really seem to know", they said.

Has ANYBODY got ANY idea what this is all about? I'm getting cynical and it just seems to be the latest Big Thing i.e. waste of precious cash. I know, I should have gone to find out, but I'm not leaving my mates to cover my duty for 2 days on something with such ill-defined benefits to us.
"Later I got an invitation to a two day "do" at Birmingham" - if you're away for two days it should at least be at the seaside, like the party conferences and union conferences, not in Birmingham. :crazy: :crazy:
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onlyanother30years
POST OFFICE
Posts: 62
Joined: 04 Oct 2007, 18:19
Location: mostly in the loo

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by onlyanother30years »

It took 8 weeks to get onboard 100 ambassadors but only 30 seconds to find 100 PO's to take VR.

But I'm not negative, honest guvnor!
Oct 2012
Live the Dream
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billyhayes
POST OFFICE
Posts: 455
Joined: 05 Aug 2007, 00:50
Gender: Male

Re: What is "Shape Up"

Post by billyhayes »

onlyanother30years wrote:It took 8 weeks to get onboard 100 ambassadors but only 30 seconds to find 100 PO's to take VR.

But I'm not negative, honest guvnor!
No, not negative.. Just another accurate report from the front line. :Applause
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
Joseph Goebbels
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