I said I would come back to apprentices. I’ll keep coming back to them throughout the year as they are important in so many ways. They are also the seventh thing I want to achieve this year. According to the North-East Chamber of Commerce the region faces a "ticking time bomb" due to a lack … Continue reading Unfolding plans 20 – coming back to apprentices
Unfolding plans 19 – the value tree
I was intrigued. The invite said that during the meeting we ‘will capture these (Mission Statement, objectives and priorities) in a “Value Tree” which is a graphical way of presenting the key objectives that requires them to be ranked in order of importance. The Value Tree can then be used at future “Gateways” to check … Continue reading Unfolding plans 19 – the value tree
Unfolding plans 18 – All purchases needed to be approved by Neil
My Christmas gift was a very generous book token. It came with a caveat however. All purchases needed to be approved by Neil, one of my team. The note said that to avoid disappointment it is unlikely that he would approve any non-fictional text in the area of management. The message was clear. I needed … Continue reading Unfolding plans 18 – All purchases needed to be approved by Neil
Unfolding plans 17 – Who remembers the future?
Who remembers the future? We were going to be living in the sky, with hover cars to get us about and robots to do our bidding. We were going to wear futuristic clothes, usually in silver and have pills instead of meals. Do you remember that happening? In the movie ‘Back to the future’ 2015 … Continue reading Unfolding plans 17 – Who remembers the future?
Unfolding plans 12 – are we a bureaucratic nation?
Sugata Mitra is a very interesting man. Get to see him if you can. I’ve mentioned him several times both around his school in the cloud work and also the development of self-learning environments. That reminds me that I must do something about my wish to create a self-learning work environment (number eight on my … Continue reading Unfolding plans 12 – are we a bureaucratic nation?
Unfolding plans 11 – In the future all business will rely upon technology.
It was an interesting meeting with Durham BID. Their offices are in the centre of Durham, just next to Greggs in case you are wondering. BID stands for business improvement district and they have the role of trying to improve the lot of the businesses, all four hundred and sixty of them, within what is … Continue reading Unfolding plans 11 – In the future all business will rely upon technology.
Unfolding plans 7 – Was it Wanamaker who once said that he knew that half of his advertising was wasted?
Build it and they will come. Perhaps they will but many won’t. Demand stimulation is an essential part of our Digital Durham programme. Without it we would have nothing. A modern and effective broadband infrastructure would be of no value without people who use it. We’re building it and we need to encourage them to … Continue reading Unfolding plans 7 – Was it Wanamaker who once said that he knew that half of his advertising was wasted?
A year of work in progress – day 223
Day 223 – 24 December 2014 So here it is, the last working day of my year and so the last day of this blog. I managed to get there without missing a post and without running out of things to say. Sometimes the words tripped off the ends of my fingers and there were … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 223
A year of work in progress – day 222
Day 222 – 23 December 2014 Writing a strategy is hard because I lack a basic skill. Concentration. I just can’t do it. I find it really hard to sit for hours focussed on the same thing. My mind starts to wander. There are three things I can cite in my defence. One: A strategy … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 222
A year of work in progress – day 221
Day 221 – 22 December 2014 This morning was not ideal for a ride on a horse. It was dark, wet and very windy. Not that I was on a horse. I haven’t been on one for a long time. It was way back in the last millennium, in the Lead Hills in South Scotland … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 221
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 