THE SUBPOSTMASTER - JUNE ISSUE

(postmasters). That’s the reason you
are here because you care about the
post office network going forward.
“This is the first day, the start of
your future. We have to start thinking
differently, about the network we
want. It’s our investment in this
network which will shape what it
looks like in two, five, 10 years’ time.
We are all in this together, only unity
and collaboration will bring about
the necessary change this network
requires.”
Chief Executive Officer Calum
Greenhow reviewed the past year
but also looked ahead to the future
of the post office network when he
addressed delegates at Conference.
Calum was delighted to see more
than 200 postmasters in attendance
this year, with 70 postmasters
attending for the first time. He said:
“A united collective of postmasters
working in and through the NFSP
can ensure that whatever
Government is in power listens and
understands the needs of over 7,000
Darren Burns
small independent businesspeople
who own and operate the network of
11,500 post offices across the country.
“This united collective of
postmasters can influence PO for the
good of the network.”
Calum also spoke about the
culture of PO, toxicity in the network,
the vision of the NFSP, the Horizon
Inquiry, an Oversight Committee,
and much more, before a Q&A
session with delegates.
You can read more on the NFSP
website or watch Calum’s speech on
YouTube by
clicking on the
QR code here:
Keynote
speaker Darren
Burns gave an
inspiring and
engaging
speech and
highlighted how Upside Down
Management is key to the Timpson
Group’s whole business.
Darren, the Director of Diversity
and Inclusion at the Timpson Group,
spoke about the culture at Timpson
and said the ‘kings and queens’ of
their business are the people who
serve customers.
He said: “The biggest change in
our culture came in the late 1990s
when Sir John Timpson, who is our
current Chairman, coined the term
Upside Down Management.
“The basic premise was that most
conventional businesses are shaped
like a pyramid with the most
important people sitting at the top
– the decision-makers, the board of
directors and at the bottom you’ve
got the low skilled, low paid
colleagues.
"What we decided to do was turn
that on its head and the most
important people in our business
were the people at the top.
“You can imagine it’s like an
inverted pyramid, so the kings and
queens of our business are the
people serving customers, cutting
keys, repairing shoes, repairing
watches.
“Everything senior managers do in
the business is to make the lives of
our colleagues who are working in
our branches easier.”
Darren also spoke about Timpson’s
recruitment policy, how the
company invests in colleague
development, a Happy Index to
ensure colleague support, how
unhappy colleagues are helped to
find new jobs, and much more.
Three long-serving NFSP
members were presented with
honorary life memberships by NFSP
CEO Calum Greenhow at the
Banquet Dinner on the Sunday
evening.
Bharat Visani was Midland region
NED for nine years before stepping
down earlier this year. He was also
Branch Secretary for Leicester before
becoming a NED.
Jon Follenfant was Regional
Secretary/Treasurer for the South
West region and also Members’
Editor of The SubPostmaster
magazine for the past nine years.
Jayshree Punatar has been a
stalwart of the NFSP for a number of
years and is Regional Treasurer of the
South East region. She has also been
a huge support to NED Saj Hussain.
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June 2024 The SubPostmaster 21