Letter Published in April Edition of Management Today

MOCCASIN TEST

I'm with the 'female business grandee', commenting on the venom being directed at Sir Fred Goodwin ( Editor's blog 06-March-09)

It reminds me of my father's reaction to, recently turned 60 pop idol, Lulu - "She can't sing for toffee!" That was about forty years ago and the fact that she was presenting her, prime time, Saturday night TV show to millions of viewers, seemed to have passed him by.

Sir Fred Goodwin, Gordon Brown, George W Bush, Margaret Thatcher; it appears that almost everyone will tell you how useless they all are or were. We, the public and the media all seem to find great pleasure in negatively criticising almost everyone else, be they Chief Exec, Politician or Pop Star. 

I haven't a clue whether it's entirely Sir Fred's fault that RBS are in their current position or that Gordon Brown is wholly responsible for the economic state of the nation. I don't have all the information to make that decision; just as, I can't support the negative criticism of a friend who has recently left his wife. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors, be it No 10 or RBS Headquarters.

What I do know is, that put all those critics in the job, be they Joe Public or Opposition politicians, then things won't necessarily be better. Of course, people have to pay for their mistakes and we have to learn and move forward.

However, we'd all do a great deal better if we concentrate on the factors we can influence rather than criticise what other people do or don't do.

 Let's not vilify everyone and anyone without, to use an old Indian saying, "walking a mile in their moccasins."