Dr Mumbo

Why passing the change baton to journalists is not a good idea

Dr Mumbo loves it when bureaucrats escape into the outside world, so it’s been a delight to see an internal AMP Capital Investors memo, replete with jargonese, make it into the wild, particularly into the hands of journalists.

The fun began an hour or so ago, with an internal note from head of organisational investment Madeline MacMahon, in which she accidentally copied the organisation’s press list. (To avoid spamtards, Dr Mumbo has deleted the email addresses).  

From: Madeleine.MacMahon

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:07 PM

To: Adam.Tindall; Mark.Beardow; Analisa.Kirby; Jacqui.Sullivan; Paul.Foster; Karma.Wilson; Shane_Oliver_Media_List;

Subject: UIH – a change to the change lead

Hi all

As you know I’ve recently taken on the role of Head of HR in addition to my role of Head of OD i.e. Sharon has combined these roles into one. The result of this change is that I need to reduce my involvement in some areas and increase it in others. Hence, over the next few weeks I’m going to pass the UIH Change Lead baton over to Kate Donnelly.

Kate is currently the HR Manager for MAG, Listed Assets and International Business. She is a very effective operator and I have every confidence that she will add a great deal to the team over the next phase. This role will allow her to develop her strategic HR skills and get to understand other areas of the business. We will be making some changes to Kate’s workload in other areas to ensure she can deliver in this role.

It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that building an outstanding unified investment house is still a central focus for me but I just need to lift myself out of some of the detail and put some fresh eyes on some of the people related changes.

We will transition this change over the next month so I’ll start bringing Kate along to our meetings from next week onwards. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks

Mads

Head of Organisational Development

AMP Capital Investors

Five minute’s later, The Herald Sun’s Craig Binnie spotted the potential for fun:

From: Binnie, Craig

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:12 PM

Good luck transitioning this change. Good luck at the HR and OD and UIH. Seems a shame Sharon combined the roles because the world will not be the same now.

Then Fairfax’s online small business editor Helen Westerman joined the debate:

From: Helen Westerman

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:16 PM

Fair go Craig, acronyms have died and they should be remembered respectfully.

Helen Westerman

www.mysmallbusiness.com.au

And SMH’s Jacob Saulwick had these kind words to say:

From: Jacob Saulwick

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 9:18 AM

Good luck with managing the change process.

But The West Australian’s business reporter Louise Burke had her own theory:

From: Louise Burke

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 11:20 AM

Or is it changing the managing process?

Louise Burke| Business Reporter | The West Australian

By which point Mads had realised that she was rapidly going viral and tried to put a stop to it:

From: Madeleine.MacMahon

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:16 PM

To: Shane_Oliver_Media_List

Subject: Email sent in error re: UIH change to change lead

Dear all

Please ignore and accept my apologies for the email that you just received. It was sent to you in error.

Regards

Madeleine

Head of Organisational Development

AMP Capital Investors

As Binnie kindly put it:

From: Binnie, Craig

Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 12:22 PM

No need to apologise. You made everyone’s day

But Fairfax’s Scott Rochford didn’t want the conversation to end quite yet:

From: Scott Rochfort

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:20 PM

By combining the HR and OR roles do you get an upsurge in the salary space?

Meanwhile, Nine’s Joanna Townsend was too busy producing 60 Minutes to join in the fun:

From: Townsend, Joanna

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 11:49 AM

Quiet news day guys?

Joanna Townsend Producer 60 Minutes

Which of course left her open to this from the Herald Sun’s Binnie:

From: Binnie, Craig [mailto:BinnieC@heraldsun.com.au]

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:54 PM

Nope. We are just able to do more than produce one show a week

The SMH’s Saulwick probably put it best:

From: Jacob Saulwick

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 11:55 AM

Zing.

And somewhat harshly, Rochfort adds:

From: Scott Rochfort

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:39 PM

This might be too complicated for Sixty Minutes to investigate.

Dr Mumbo sincerely hopes there’s more to come.

Update: Indeed there is. Much, much more.  Sadly there are a few grumps out there, including Sara Webb of Thomson Reuters and Sky News’ Carson Scott:

From: sara.webb

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:48 PM

Grateful if you could drop me from this message group thanks

From: Carson Scott Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:51 PM

Ditto.

Cheers

From: KAROLINA MIZIOLEK, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM

Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 11:03 AM

Please remove me from this message group.

Thank you

But those with a sense of humour too, including The Age’s Eric Johnston and Fairfax’s Daniel Hurst:

From: Eric Johnston

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:54 PM

Keep me on it.

From: Daniel Hurst

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:55 PM

Keep me on it too!

From: Scott Rochfort

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:56 PM

Thought Sky News and Reuters were onto this. Does anyone know if AMP are providing any updates or media briefings on this?

From: Binnie, Craig

Sent: Thu Mar 04 13:58:47 2010

Subject: RE: UIH – a change to the change lead

I’ve got other journalists asking to be put on the list

From: Chris Reason, Seven

At: 3/04 11:01:41

If the loop continues on like this, they can take my spot.

From: Scott Rochfort

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:06 PM

Can you remove me from the people who do not want to be included on this list…

From: Klan, Anthony The Australian

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:09 PM

I’m with Scott.

From: Scott Rochfort

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:10 PM

Bugger. Didn’t now Klan was onto this yarn. Thought I had to myself.

From: Klan, Anthony

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:16 PM

We can probably still get away with the exclusive tag. Surely?

From: Louise Burke

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:15 PM

*know*

Louise Burke| Business Reporter | The West Australian

From: Scott Rochfort

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:17 PM

OK OK. Know. Suppose I’ll never get a subbing job.

And the AFR’s Bernice Han was another member of the fun police:

From: Bernice HAN

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:05 PM

thanks, please remove me from this message group too.

To which the ABC’s Neal Woolrich had a question about the AFR’s daily column:

From: Neal Woolrich

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:09 PM

If I add something really funny, will it get me into “Rear Window”?

From: Jacob Saulwick

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:13 PM

No, that will get you out of “Rear Window”

From: Peter Kerr wanews

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:18 PM

Wouldn’t be hard given how lame everything else has been

OMG! LOL!

this is probably an exercise in futility, but please remove me from the list as well.

From: Jacob Saulwick

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:00 PM

I’m bringing some friends in.

And a finance-focused zinger:

Stephen Long ABC

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:10 PM

I hear that AMP is bundling and tranching all these exotic HR-type acronyms and trading them as Collateralised Acronym Securities, or CACs for short.

And this comedy message:

From: Tee Ming San [mailto: @sph.com.sg]

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:16 PM

Hi all ,u send the wrong person , don’t send me anymore .

And:

From: Newman, Geoffrey

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:20 PM

me same. you email me long time

Wealth Editor

The Australian

From: Fiona Carruthers

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:23 PM

Same goes for me. You are going to cause Sydney’s media outlets to melt down.

From: Rupert Murdoch [mailto:rupert.murdoch@hotmail.com]

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:19 PM

Enough.

R

From: Eric Johnston

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:23 PM

For a second a chill wind went through southbank.

From: Mark Story

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:34 PM

I’m on deadline with four publications today and this is really steaming my buns – please DESIST these emails unless you owe me money

From: Michael Evans

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:35 PM

mmmmmmmm, steamed buns ….

From: Scott Rochford

Sent: 2:39

Still waiting for something funny from Neal Woolrich.

From: Tee Ming San

Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:40 PM

pls don’t me anymore !


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