Sir John Timpson kicked off the sessions at OffGrid Sessions with his take on a type of leadership that has amassed huge success at Timpson stores (now 2100 around the UK and a stalwart on the UK high street).

His take on Upside Down Management may seem radical, but it’s not new - just very few do it and do it well.

Essentially it means putting people first (the customers), training up the well-selected team members who serve your customers, and equipping and supporting them so they can do their job in their own way. i.e.

• give them everything they need and get out of their way

• remove the obstacles and don’t impose loads of rules bureaucracy or hoops to jump through

• no orders, just let me serve in whatever way they wish.

More than that, the idea of an HQ was removed in favour of training centres and many area support managers.

Also, the business operates without marketing, without huge shareholder numbers vying for huge profit shares (it’s a privately owned, family business), they run incentives, offer free holidays, a lottery and only ask for feedback on the team once a year.
It’s kept simple.

People who don’t work out are let go swiftly to “find their happy elsewhere”, fully supported. No silly rules, less meetings.
It also sounds opposite to how many organisations operate and yet, this was a theme that came up throughout the two days - across other speakers in the arts, creativity and innovation: Let great people do what they’re good at, support them in doing just that.

It’s something that I KNOW many creatives specifically come up against a lot - the micromanaging, the limited and purely executional role in delivery, the overly prescriptive briefs that end up with extremely bland work that doesn’t benefit anyone.

It’s also something that I think the non-profits sphere could benefit a lot from: trust-based philanthropy is rising and I hope it continues. By resourcing those deep in the work, on the frontline of causes, in the communities they serve and then letting them get on with it.

Less bureaucracy, less meetings, less hoops to jump through, less reporting - more impact.
What are your thoughts on his way of leading the organisation? How much could it change how you operate as a non-profit, for the better?

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