Unfolding plans 178 – Out of the toolbox

The topic for this round of presentations has been ‘Out of the Toolbox’.  The title is an obvious reference to thinking outside the box but also attempts to draw us back to the work that we do. It was Saul Kaplan who said that we need to take our ideas off the white board and … Continue reading Unfolding plans 178 – Out of the toolbox

Unfolding plans 171 – Document management

So, one of the best things about going down to the Local Government Forum in Manchester earlier this week was the drive there and back.  I know it was awful.  I said so in my blog.  We got stuck in bad traffic both on the way down as well as the drive home yet it … Continue reading Unfolding plans 171 – Document management

Unfolding plans 165 – the demand curve

You can do anything with ICT given enough time and money.  Well, nearly anything.  That’s great.  It means that we can all do thousands of things now that we couldn’t do in the past.  Things are certainly different from when I was a lad.  When I was at school we had no computers at all.  … Continue reading Unfolding plans 165 – the demand curve

Unfolding plans 164 – challenging assumptions

The Lean Start-up training is paying dividends already.  No, I haven’t invented some new product that is going to cure world poverty or even make me a small fortune yet I have been able to apply some of the principles that I have learnt, especially around the use of assumptions.  I have come to realise … Continue reading Unfolding plans 164 – challenging assumptions

Unfolding plans 155 – Change Management Institute

I did my pitch to the Change Management Institute last week.  The evening was held in the Northumbria University Business School where the Manor’s goods yard used to be.  It was the first time I had ever been in the building and I must say it was impressive. I think what I said went down … Continue reading Unfolding plans 155 – Change Management Institute

Unfolding plans 151 – Employee engagement and culture

This week is flying by.  It’s day four of National customer Service Week already.  I’m still wearing my Institute of Customer Service badge (with pride) even though I’ve changed jackets since yesterday.  Today’s theme is employee engagement and culture which is perfect as we’re having our second day of our Lean Start-Up training.  The group … Continue reading Unfolding plans 151 – Employee engagement and culture

Unfolding plans 147 – What have you planned for National Customer Service Week?

I covered this in Unfolding plans 106, some seventy five days ago, and here it is.  The first week in October has arrived already, the time we set aside to recognise and celebrate our customers.  Time is really flying.  National Customer Service Week has come around again.  It doesn’t seem like five minutes since the … Continue reading Unfolding plans 147 – What have you planned for National Customer Service Week?

Unfolding plans 144 – Scrum

Somebody has sent me a copy of ‘Scrum, The art of doing twice the work in half the time’ by Jeff Sutherland.  I don’t know who it was.  I had my suspects but one by one they are being crossed off my list.  It just turned up at work in a manila envelope (C5 in … Continue reading Unfolding plans 144 – Scrum

Unfolding plans 138 – we need more entrepreneurs

I’ve heard it said many times that entrepreneurs are a special breed.  They are vital to the health of the economy.  They create the wealth that this nation relies upon to pay for its hospitals, its roads and all the other good things we’ve come to expect in a modern economy. I agree.  Those people … Continue reading Unfolding plans 138 – we need more entrepreneurs

Unfolding plans 136 – change as a constant

At this round of presentations (I do go on about them a bit yet they take up a lot of my thinking time and so that is my excuse) we decided to split the Spectrum event into two.  Prior to this we had delivered the presentation in the main office, on the shop floor as … Continue reading Unfolding plans 136 – change as a constant