salut!
Bienvenue to this blog, which I have created after working for nearly 29 years for The Daily Telegraph, the last 26 months as Paris Bureau Chief. A week ago, on Sept 26 2006, I was made redundant.
On this blog, I hope to share with readers my thoughts about France, the French, matters Anglo-French and many other things besides. Please be patient. Details of my departure are unresolved and I am not sure when I will start posting in earnest.
* The Anglo-French answer to Sonny and Cher? M et Mme Randall - Colin and Joëlle - when, er, young(er). Plus the genius of Matt on M Randall's unhappy end
By Colin Randall @ Tuesday, October 03, 2006 ¦
24 Comments:
Good luck with your new pursuits and great job on handling petite, clearly you're a journalist with his heart and pen in the right place.
aw. found u via petite anglaise. sorry botu the job. good luck mate!
Welcome to the world of bloggers ... it's a lovely world where something like democracy appears to actually work and you can follow your heart in terms of publishing.
All the best.
Di
I too found you via Petite. I'm pleased to have found you (have been reading the archives on the telegraph site, but sorry that it has taken so long). Hope you will start posting soon.
I look forward to reading your views, as ever.
TT.
Nice blog model, Colin...
Good to see you back in blogland and I look forward to your Telegraph-shackle-free blogging!
Good Luck with your new blog. I'll be reading with interest.
Good luck!
Just want to say Bonjour and Courage!
Blogger is built in with an RSS feed (Feedburner is an easy way as well) - so adding your blog to my Google Reader :) Found you through Petite Anglaise as well.
I greatly enjoyed your telegraph blog and I shall return to this one now that I know about its existence.
Bonne Chance!
Found your former gig not long ago. Sorry about the job. I'll bookmark this new blog. Et bonne chance.
Hi! I don't know you at all (just came over through Petite's blog) and wanted to wish you all the best.
Just out of curiosity, what made you chose blogger over, say, wordpress.com for your new blog?
The very best of luck.
Strangely I am also having problems with this software. I suspect there is some American involvement somewhere and maybe a poodle carying the luggage.
Dear Colin (If I may),
I too have been through the "redundancy ritual".
It is a rollercoaster ride.
However, the "ups" more than compensated for the "downs" and (in my case) led onto things I would never have imagined possible.
Good luck.
"Insider"
Sorry to hear that. We look forward to some good topical stuff which no doubt will embarrass us all and put us all to shame! :-)
..I spent ten years in France as an ex pat with my little boy, I will be linking to you. Vive the Petite team. I can't think why they've lost you, but things are baffling sometimes.....
ad hominem attacks are sometimes justified. Depends on the individual involved. Even some old handicapped guys have such a bad attitude that they deserve a rocket from time to time. It seems to me that the Bill of Rights allows the community to punish permanent offenders against the common good, indeed some nations.
Colin, having fired a bunch of people over the years and been good at it might I draw your attention to some of the rules that I picked up from my Anglo Saxon colleagues. 1)Be excessively friendly, create the impression that you are trying to help to solve the firee’s problems whereas in reality you are just trying to short change him 2) let him stew in his juice. He is in a difficult position, wants to move on and will eventually lose patience. 3) play the game of 'the good relationship with the firm is paramount'. In reality it’s worth little but the firee likes to think he is still wanted.4) Convoke rapid meetings and then cancel them 5) Don’t talk figures and if you say anything low ball 6) Comment that you have no authority over the amount, the Board won’t pay, doesn’t have time to consider the question and they will put top lawyers on it. 7) Qualify everything you say and announce that finally you’ve had to change your mind 8) don’t take calls and don’t call back. As far as the firee’s concerned, he should 1) stay cool and play the long game. In reality there is more pressure on the firm to settle than the firee. Be extremely polite, friendly and helpful. Never respond to the provocations. Never show concern for a fast solution 2)take a good lawyer and let it be known that you do nothing without consulting him 3)know 101% your rights and jurisprudence 4)fix a high monetary objective and stick to it, don’t let ‘em have a penny. Consulting agreements etc. are pretty worthless. 5) Keep close friendly relations with your former colleagues; go to the main watering hole etc., puts pressure on the Company as being a rat, isolates the negotiator. But never discuss your deal, or give away any information.
Oh yes stay friends, share a bottle of champagne when it's all over. It is really a fascinationg game of poker.
Has Louise signed in as present yet?
Bill of course it's incredibly hard. There you are with 20 odd years of experience in a company, you have given the best of what you have.You feel pretty emotional about things.Opposite you there is an HR or lawyer creep who is paid to be nasty and has loads of experience at it. But if you want to negotiate the best deal, you have to dominate your emotions and treat it like business as usual. It is your first step to being an entrepreneur, which is the real grown up experience in life. Dealing with your own money.And if you do a good job, yes invite them for a bottle of champagne and tell them to pay the bill.That's class. Of course friends are friends, that's different, this is just getting a kick out of life.
Glad you found a new home for your blog. I liked to take a look at the old one during my morning news intake.
One more thing, I loved the farewell photo!
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