You see it all of the time, people busting a gut to try and get ahead of the work that they have, trying to beat the system. No doubt you are one of them. You will have bought a lap top or a tablet or a smart phone to give you that extra bit of … Continue reading You can’t get ahead
Writing a strategy
It’s that time again, it comes around every so often when I need to write a strategy for the service, the highest level of document that will describe what it is we are trying to achieve over the coming years. It should be quite easy to write but then you have to take into account … Continue reading Writing a strategy
Why I love Deltics part 2
It was the kind of summer’s day when you are glad to be in England. The grass swayed in the warm breeze and the blue sky was gently dappled with clouds making their way lazily towards the east. We hadn’t planed this day, it just seemed like a good idea at the time to get … Continue reading Why I love Deltics part 2
Outsourced
I’ve been outsourced. I’ve contracted out all of my eating arrangements to Marks and Spencer. Everything, the whole nine yards, lock stock and two smoked haddocks. I did consider other providers, I carried out some soft market testing but Marks and Spencer were closest to meeting my defined requirements, my specification. There was no detailed … Continue reading Outsourced
Blue green egg
A little blue green egg lies cracked open, lying on the rough tarmac of the car park. It is in two halves with its contents gone. A blackbird’s blue green egg, mottled brown that has fallen from a nest in a bush nearby or brought there as a trophy by a small mammal who’s luck … Continue reading Blue green egg
Armour on
This morning as I slipped my jacket on and adjusted my tie in the mirror, my wife said to me ‘Ah, you’ve got your armour on’ and I guess she was right. By putting on my suit I had changed from my home life to my work life and the clothes that I had chosen … Continue reading Armour on
Jargon busters
All industries have their own jargon and liberally splatter their communications with acronyms and initials. My own industry, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has a reputation for being amongst the worst but having spoken to some of my colleagues in finance I’m not convinced that this is fair. Acronyms do trip off the tongue very … Continue reading Jargon busters
Olive tree
An olive tree and a free terracotta pot for less than fifteen pounds had to be good deal and when I saw it advertised on the television my eyebrows were raised and my interest piqued. I even had to check it on line just to make sure. The picture on the web page showed a … Continue reading Olive tree
North Shields
The stiff breeze is pushing the clouds across the sky and a patchwork of light and shade appears on the water in the harbour. In the Low Lights, cars are parked facing the high tide that kisses the tiny yellow beach and the grey boulders that hold it back. The water is swollen and small … Continue reading North Shields
Fifty things to do
The National Trust has put together a list of things that every child should have done before they have reached the age of eleven and three quarters. Their aim is to encourage children to have a better relationship with the outdoors than most have nowadays. Of course I couldn’t help looking to see how many … Continue reading Fifty things to do
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 