The Joy of John Parry-Jones

In my 20 years of working for Cardiff University, I have thought deeply about a myriad of different tactics, strategies, concepts, levers and mechanisms to bring about organisational success.   There’s an interesting (to me at least) pattern about how this knowledge evolves over time.

If you could visualise everything that you know and understand, let’s say about #lean, in a similar way to one of those climate scarves that people knit where they pick an appropriate colour of wool each day to indicate the temperature (blue for cool, red for hot… erm, yep, it’s definitely getting hotter…) then, at the start of your learning journey, knowledge nuggets are disparate and patchy, so the ‘knowledge scarf’, as opposed to the ‘climate change’ scarf, is one that is rather more full of holes.

I shall endeavour to paint a picture of this holey knowledge scarf, adding lines over time, thusly:

Starting out

x                         x                        x   x                                         x                           x

As you start to learn more about your craft

XX               X  X                             X                   X X  X                       X                     XX

When you start to feel like you know what you are talking about

XX  X        X             XX  X    X  XXXXX            X  X  X  X       XX X  X         XX X  X  X        X  X  X

When you have confidence in what you are talking about

XXX XXX     XX   X XXXXXXXXXXXX  X XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  XX X X

But then a funny thing starts to happen.

The more you know, the simpler things become.

X                  X                  X                  X                  X

It’s not like you couldn’t weave an intricate tapestry of complicated stitches and french knots if you wanted to (obvs.), rather, it’s just desperately hard to give anything other than those absolute fundamental truths your complete and full, respect and attention. The mizumumashis and SMEDs of the world just pale into insignificance in their mighty shadow.

The more I know about successful organisations, the more I understand that THE most important thing for an organisation to be able to do, is recognise brilliant people and look after them.  As long as those people know what their purpose is, as long as they care, are hardworking and good, thinking about others before themselves (and critically, they have the autonomy and power to innovate in their roles and deliver) I think that honestly, it’s the key to everything.

John Parry-Jones, our beloved Business Manager, is the epitome of all of these things.  He’s a completely brilliant employee and we are BEREFT at the prospect of losing him as part of our team.

He’s not dead fyi. Don’t panic. He’s just about to start living his best life. 😊

I first met John in a, relatively impromptu, Brook Street temp interview on the ground floor of the Postgraduate Teaching Centre. I was probably manically rushing about between meetings, and I arranged to meet him to chat about the job we needed emergency cover for because the wonderful Linda Hellard had left us for a better opportunity in Computer Science. Grr.  (She’s back now though, hooray!)

John was very smartly dressed (Instant bonus points. I am OLD SCHOOL on this.  A team that delivers for professionals has to look professional).   We started chatting and he was wonderfully attentive, immensely articulate, and I could just tell that he was innately kind. He genuinely cared about customer service and helpfulness (I used my favourite probing questions to detect such qualities) but best of all, he oozed calm.  I could see how he could be the perfect foil to my energy and intensity. 😁

Being able to recruit a temporary member of staff from an agency is the absolute best. You get the opportunity to experiment working with an actual real life human being (without the need for a complicated ethics form – hoorah!)   How will you get on with each other? What new skills will they bring? How will they change the dynamic of the team? Can they instantly start making a difference?  The best bit is, if it doesn’t work out, hey ho, away you go! Regards!

‘Getting a temp’ was so desperately simple to set up at the time as well! “Yeah great – can they start tomorrow? Cool!”  No forms (for me at least). No business cases. No panels. No hassles. Employing a temp is the Uber of solving workforce capacity issues. It’s a key lean organisation tactic as well.  Try them out, if good, just give them a contract.

(Yes, there are downsides. I know what they are. This blog doesn’t need to be balanced. 😁)

Did I have concerns? Yes I did.  I have battled to achieve what I have achieved in my career and as John had worked in industry for a decade (or so) more than I had, I suspected that when we were both in a meeting, there would be times where the automatic assumption would be that I was John’s junior report.  This has happened a few times, as John will concur, but not to the degree I thought it would and let’s face it, whilst my mind thinks I’m off to Reading Festival in a few months, I have the body and confidence of a middle-aged woman who has seen some things.

Very quickly, I was impressed. He became an absolute integral member of the team in record time and to say that he is our backbone is an understatement.

Things that John Parry-Jones brings to the table:

1. UN levels of diplomacy
2. The beautiful linguistic skills of a New York Times feature writer
3. Swiss train levels of reliability and punctuality
4. Voodoo like powers which have made me embrace the Welsh language wholeheartedly
5. The light, sensitive touch of a manager that genuinely cares
6. The quiet, steadfast diligence and productivity of a wise Sensei
7. The capability of expressing only mild irritation when I call him Jonathan to bring him into line (hehe)
8. Admirably coping, almost daily, with intense levels of feminist injustice (a continuation of 7)
9. Adding the ‘if we were a restaurant’ metaphor to my ‘tales of lean’ lexicon (note to self, future blog)
10. The indescribable ability to eat his own body weight in two-week old welsh cakes

It’s people like John that make organisations brilliant.  They are the ones that bring the sparkle and make them special.  I’m so sorry that I haven’t been able to deliver the recognition you truly deserve since you have worked with us John, but please know how much we value everything that you have done for us, for our Business Community, for Cardiff Business School and for Cardiff University.

You’ve taught us so much. You’ve given us so much.

You’ll be firmly featured in my ‘people who are brill’ list, forever.