My small practice recently lost out because we didn鈥檛 鈥渇it the selection criteria鈥�. This was despite the fact that we had worked on about a third of the client鈥檚 properties and had performed to everyone鈥檚 satisfaction

Now we have been cast aside in favour of 鈥渘ational鈥� consultants that will take some time to get up to speed and that have to obtain our historic knowledge overnight.

The scheme will then flounder as (a) they realise they have bid at the bottom of the market, or (b) their host can鈥檛 sanction enough schemes or brief them properly, or (c) the client鈥檚 unit managers find ways around the framework.

A property presence at board level may help to prevent these debacles, and it鈥檚 about time big business in this country realised this. We need to get back to educated boards that can brief teams properly and arrangements that promote trust, loyalty and respect. Steven Morgan鈥檚 intervention may make everyone sit up and think.

Tony Rushton

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