Two very powerful articles by former head of communications Matt Wright taking the lid off some of the strange things going on behind the scenes at Charlton. Plus Chicago Addick on the Karel Fraeye saga and Clive Harris with the fascinating full story of the search for Nobby Nightingale, the mystery third Charlton casualty of the First World War. Some really good stuff from 12 different contributors, many of them new to the Voice - and there might be one or two insights from Airman Brown too . . .
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Comments
Kerching
It's a good book IMO.
http://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/comment/1712083/#Comment_1712083
Equally excellent, in its grim way, is Airman's editorial.
It was probably at least 18 months ago that he started to tell me and anyone else around who would listen that Katrien Meire is incompetent. At the time, I thought it was a bit harsh, a bit early, and had the whiff of "bitter ex-employee" about it. (but that is not a perjorative remark - few of us will get through a career without at one point sounding like a BEE). My wife says I tend to try to see the best in people, and certainly I try not to judge people's professional performance without having a personal insight into their actual work, and being able to see how they conduct themselves.
Unfortunately, 18 months on, the weight of evidence assembled in that editorial is utterly compelling.
But at the same time the responsibility for all this lies firmly with Roland Duchatelet. At the time of KM's appointment I assumed that he has seen something special in her, because it seemed otherwise unlikely that a 29 year old junior commercial lawyer would have the experience necessary to suddenly become CEO of a £20m plus business, of any kind.
It turns out that the only special thing she has is an easy confident charm which can beguile people early on. Otherwise, she is performing exactly as you would expect a 29 year old commercial lawyer to do, when given a position for which she is patently unqualified. In the same way as a football coach performed when taken from the Belgian 3rd division to manage an English Championship club.
And this is what I would wish to ask Roland Duchatelet: Would you really have installed Katrien Meire as CEO or even a Board minus one role in your main company, Melexis? It would appear not, because the current CEO of Melexis has a perfectly normal career path. She has been in this role for 13 years, and before that she prepared for it with 6 years as its COO. It looks like semi-conductors are her life.
You do not make such reckless personnel gambles with your main businesses, Mr Duchatelet. Why do you think it is OK to do so with Charlton Athletic?
Murray should be repeating the mantra, 'work with them not against them'.
Katrien has none of that but that is typical of new managers.
There is even a name for it "Imposter syndrome" and it most often happens with well educated, hard working and female managers.
Just a shame she doesn't have a business coach to help her.
careful old chap .. you'll have accusations of misogyny and non PC behaviour flying around your ears, that is if anyone should dare criticise such an upright,stalwart self appointed monitor of good behaviour and language as yourself ((:>).. (Imposter Syndrome fortunately was originally postulated by two females)
BUT .. of course you are 100% accurate in what you write .. I would say that the worst managers I have worked for or with have generally been female .. but to cover my a**se, I have also worked with some very good ones.
Meire has not a clue about running a successful football club. Pitch side sofas, and bullshit ersatz clever PR do not a success make .. appointing her has been Duchatelet's major error .. any funds or resources given to her to 'improve' the club will be mostly wasted .. what a great big shame .. I can't however see things changing and Meire along with all on board are in serious danger of sinking fast and deep
and what i did with Tony "magic feet" Watt ?
Get a copyright
Power to your Elbow, Carly Burn, for being the 1st person to use it.
Out very first happy customer!!
- aaahhhhh!