There's been a lot made of the amount of entertaining that senior civil servants have received during 2007 in today's papers.
The Daily Mail: High for Sir Humphrey
FT.com: Civil Servants Publish hospitality treats
I don't really know what all the fuss is about, particularly coming from journalists, who less face it receive their fair share of corporate jollies.
It's a pretty staple part of business. If you want to strike up a personal relationship with a client, because you think that will help your business, then taking them out for a nice lunch, or to spend a day at a sporting event, or a night at the opera, may be the best way of breaking that ice.
For example, for a sales team giving the hospitality, this may mean that you keep a client, or that at least you stay in the mix when the deals are being pitched out.
For a journalist you accept the hospitality as chance to network. It may also mean that you have a better understanding of a company's position, or its culture, by spending sometime with its senior execs. It should never cloud your editorial judgement, but it may help you write a more balanced piece on occasions. I freely admit I've had some lovely days watching Six Nations rugby courtesy of a French catering firm Elior (previous job) and been to some magnificent restaurants and hotels (same job, why did I move!?)
It seems the outrage is because its senior civil servants, who are public servants and they should not be indulged in such treats.
What a load of bunkum and double standards on the behalf of journalists, who readily accept corporate entertainment as a perk of the job.
If you want to see the full list its published on the Cabinet Office's website.... there are a lot of IT companies that entertain senior civil servants, not least because of the massive IT projects that government runs.... there's nothing to be cynical about that is there?
The Daily Mail: High for Sir Humphrey
FT.com: Civil Servants Publish hospitality treats
I don't really know what all the fuss is about, particularly coming from journalists, who less face it receive their fair share of corporate jollies.
It's a pretty staple part of business. If you want to strike up a personal relationship with a client, because you think that will help your business, then taking them out for a nice lunch, or to spend a day at a sporting event, or a night at the opera, may be the best way of breaking that ice.
For example, for a sales team giving the hospitality, this may mean that you keep a client, or that at least you stay in the mix when the deals are being pitched out.
For a journalist you accept the hospitality as chance to network. It may also mean that you have a better understanding of a company's position, or its culture, by spending sometime with its senior execs. It should never cloud your editorial judgement, but it may help you write a more balanced piece on occasions. I freely admit I've had some lovely days watching Six Nations rugby courtesy of a French catering firm Elior (previous job) and been to some magnificent restaurants and hotels (same job, why did I move!?)
It seems the outrage is because its senior civil servants, who are public servants and they should not be indulged in such treats.
What a load of bunkum and double standards on the behalf of journalists, who readily accept corporate entertainment as a perk of the job.
If you want to see the full list its published on the Cabinet Office's website.... there are a lot of IT companies that entertain senior civil servants, not least because of the massive IT projects that government runs.... there's nothing to be cynical about that is there?
