The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/182280
INSTITUTE MATTERS ADMISSI Students Katherine Burns Jennifer Callaghan Christian Dubro Nicola Hughes Catherine Salisbury Heike Schwarz Associates Eleanor BridgwoodHill Jeremy Dawson Irena Denton Euvanilda Foster Magali Guillaume Sally Hughes Manar Ibrahim Bakht Jamal All the right moves CHANGING PLACES OFFICE MANAGER ADAM LADBURY EXPLAINS HIS INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN THE MOVE TO DUNSTAN HOUSE – AND WHY HE'S BEEN SPENDING SO MUCH TIME IN THE BASEMENT Adam during the move to new offices at Dunstan House in Farringdon (left) When the Editor asked me to write a piece about what I was doing at the CIOL, I wasn't sure if anyone would be that interested. Office Manager and Company Administrator is not a job title that rolls off the tongue, but nonetheless I have found it a fascinating and enjoyable 17 months since I joined in April 2012. My main project has been to do with the sale of Saxon House, finding new premises for the Institute, and taking care of everything that needs to be done so that we are ready to make the move smoothly and effectively. It is not something with which I am unfamiliar. Having spent most of my working life with the British Council, largely overseas, I have managed office moves on a number of occasions, whether in Cape Town, Rabat or Italy. And one lesson that I am always reminded of is that, however wellplanned things may be, there will always be something that goes awry. There has been much debate about the pros and cons of moving out of a familiar home, which was how many colleagues and perhaps some members viewed Saxon House. I admit that I did not have an emotional attachment to the building itself. It had served the Institute well and was a critical asset that we could not afford to squander, but nor could we afford to refurbish it to the extent required. Council endorsed the recommendation that the sale go ahead and we should look to rent appropriate accommodation while investing and protecting the value of the asset. Just when we thought the move date was agreed, we heard that the phone and IT lines would be delayed, throwing a proverbial spanner in the best laid plans. But we finally completed the move to new premises near Farringdon on 16 September. Saxon House has 32 The Linguist OCTOBER/NOVEMBER been sold for a figure higher than the valuation price, which is an excellent result. The new office layout means that, perhaps for the first time ever, we are all working on the same floor, with CIOL and IoLET staff side by side. It is newly furnished, and we have new IT systems in place. It is exciting, if slightly daunting. Being instrumental in this move has been challenging as well as fun, although I am happy that the visits to look at offices to rent and furniture showrooms are behind me, at least for a while. The other parts of my job have been largely within the office – assisting the smooth-running of meetings of Council and of other CIOL and Educational Trust meetings, looking at ways to support colleagues by improving the quality of back office services, dealing with suppliers and reviewing whether we are getting best value for money – and changing suppliers when we are not. These are the bread and butter tasks for any Office Manager, but one thing I didn't expect was that I would spend quite as much time in the basement of Saxon House: clearing the office of an accumulation of years of papers and materials, which have filled every nook and cranny, has been a task that, at times, I feared might be never ending! But the office is now transformed. It makes me all the more convinced that we must keep looking at how we do things, and finding ways to do them more efficiently and effectively. What is encouraging is that everyone seems to agree. It is a pleasure to work at the Institute. Everyone I have had contact with – from colleagues to Council, Board and Committee members, and from members to those involved in the work of the Educational Trust – have been uniformly welcoming and helpful. My job would have been much harder and less enjoyable but for all the support I have had. Thank you to everyone! www.iol.org.uk