The right to be forgotten, as part of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), is exercising my mind. It's not really called that, it is actually called ‘The right to erasure’. The broad principle underpinning this right is to enable an individual to request the deletion or removal of personal data whether there is no … Continue reading Forget about me
Another bad habit
Of the twenty bad habits that senior managers have, according to Marshal Goldsmith, twenty things that they do that hold them back, I have fessed up to three of them. I have re-evaluated that up to four. They are listed in his excellent book ‘What got you here won't get you there.’ I have already … Continue reading Another bad habit
A glowing ego
I am enjoying mentoring, or is it coaching? No matter how many times I have been told what the difference is it never seems to stick. Either way, I am doing it as part of the Executive Women in ICT course we have helped put on. It is going well. I enjoy being a mentor. … Continue reading A glowing ego
Cumulating
The cloud will be the saviour of all mankind if you believe the hype. It will feed the hungry, liberate the poor and satiate our warring bloodlust. The world will be a better place thanks to the cloud. But how can a simple hosting arrangement, the rewriting of software or a transfer of revenue make … Continue reading Cumulating
Stick to the rules
What do you do if someone breaks the rules? Discipline them? Perhaps, but you can't go down this route unless you expect to carry it through which means ultimately, the threat of dismissal. People who break the rules should expect the threat of the sack. That may be fine if it is something big, such … Continue reading Stick to the rules
Re-election season
I have been re-elected as the president of Socitm North East for another year, in absentia, which is nice. Last week was our annual general meeting but with one thing and another I wasn't able to attend for the first half. I gather I wasn't opposed. Richard has also been re-elected as vice chair. … Continue reading Re-election season
The Divided Self
What a fascinating book ‘The Divided Self’ by RD Laing is. It is perhaps not the kind of book I would normally pick up but it was lying around and it is quite thin. I would urge anyone who has any interest in the workings of humanity to give it a go. Why? Because the … Continue reading The Divided Self
Stressful work
Stress at work is a big problem, so I am led to believe. It is a difficult thing to manage however as the causes are manyfold and may not be related to the working environment. It is certainly a contributing factor. I know this, as I have recently completed my ‘Recognising and managing stress in … Continue reading Stressful work
Effect on performance
A trip down to Manchester seemed like a pleasant day out. I was asked to go down and speak at the North West regional meeting of Socitm. The invitation had come about when Paul and I had met at the Local CIO Council and he was one of the people who had seen my book. … Continue reading Effect on performance
Driving data to the average
Data is such a hot topic now. There are many good examples emerging of where it has been used to improve businesses as well as plenty of examples of when things have gone wrong. I was at a Digital Strategy and Business Intelligence Breakfast Meeting in Newcastle last week and one of the speakers, from … Continue reading Driving data to the average
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 