The story of Thames Water is a tale of mismanagement. Any antics of a staff member aside, the real concern is essentially over the performance of business-orientated people.
The way companies are run is very different. The times are ahead of many people. The decisions are made collaboratively. There isn’t a sole source of authority for anyone.
Hidden misgivings
“There’s no potential for veto”, one executive told me. This senior member of staff left long before its troubles really kicked in. He believed the company – headed “to the rocks” – would be suggested for nationalisation.
The worries were over more than just the decisions that were likely to be made. It was said troubles were starting in supply chains and some firms would suffer if they didn’t pay attention.
The worsening
He said Thames Water refused to mind warnings. The meetings were fractious. There were warnings of insults made. There were suggestions of rudeness. These were a precursor to many of his concerns.
He resigned to safeguard his own career. His last comment to me was out of the blue. He called it a “rape” of a company. I think he meant it felt like an attack on his senses. He couldn’t make ends meet.
The meetings didn’t take the turns he expected. He was expected to follow regardless. His business mindset suffered. The tidings of Thames Water show he was correct.
The firm has got into huge debt and has struggled to find its way out. The collapse of offers show its troubles run deeper than previously believed.
Sad times
I met another former staff member in a hospital. He’d been admitted after a fight at work. He used to be employed by Thames Water. It was beset by poor employees in some of its locations.
He operated a security system for the company. He fell victim to workplace abuse. He said other staff “volleyed” insults at him. They picked fault with his appearance. They made false accusations.
His role meant it became serious. Eventually they turned on him. He was injured. They were later discovered to be Russian infiltrators. They were sent to sabotage systems in Thames Water. He was caught up in state warfare.
Run of things
It’s not just about water if it’s a prize commodity. It’s worst if suggestions of takeover are made. It draws interest that many companies struggle to handle.
They can’t anticipate all the types of approach – or enquiry. A mystery is how Thames Water was beset so heavily by this sort of activity. It isn’t a normal situation.
The staff may be errant but they haven’t got a potential to incite so much trouble. There must be more to it than that. It needs a curious eye to work out the miserable trouble it’s now in.
