In its infinite wisdom, the Financial Conduct Authority this week paid for several hundred of its staff to enjoy an African drumming session.
This would help them understand “the power of group energy”.
The FCA press office dealt with this as best they could. They were perfectly professional and sensible.
The PR error happened long before it got to them though and it’s hard to understand why no one in that organisation said “Stop!”.
Team building events like this are mostly harmless. A bit of fun. So what?
They are also inherently mockable, and timing is important.
On the anniversary of 9/11. In the week of the 10th anniversary of Lehman Brothers going bust. With bankers and others warning of another crash.
Why didn’t someone senior at the FCA say, this is not the right time for this event, let’s at least postpone it?
HR departments are the problem I reckon. Walking, talking PR disasters, the whole weird lot of them.
