The RBS integration team are down today. Alan, to whom the head of purchasing (HoP) reports, arrives. He is a 50-ish, grey haired accountant. He is very reserved and quiet, and doesn’t say much at all, but seems pleasant enough. We get my team together in the lecture theatre. I lead off with as much as I can tell them about the current position, likely progress on the HR issues and so on. The RBS HoP speaks about the process for gathering information and putting plans together over the next 30 days. Couple of questions but I think people are in wait and see mode. Alan doesn't want to say anything to the meeting, which is a little disappointing I think for the team.
Three purchasing staff from Scotland arrive halfway through the meeting, their plane being over an hour late. They all seem like good people, if understandably a little hesitant at first. I take them on a short walking tour of King's Cross, pointing out the streets and corners to avoid. I get the impression they think I'm joking until we have to sidle cautiously past a loud and colourful dispute between a strange lady with a very short skirt and a fag hanging out of her mouth and a muscular gentleman draped in gold chains.
I have a drink with Paul from Andersens after work. He is still cautious about upsetting NW (or RBS I suppose) but he is very keen for me to meet a couple of their key partners in the purcahsing and supply chain practice. There is a lot of activity going on at the moment that I might be interested in. It is good to have that sort of approach at a time when I have no line management at all and no knowledge of what might happen next!