It must have been one of the most humiliating sporting events ever. It was the semi-finals of the 2014 Football World Cup and the host country Brazil were playing Germany for a place, obviously, in the final of the world’s most prestigious sporting competition. In case you can’t remember the result was not a defeat … Continue reading Unfolding plans 126 – play like amateurs
Unfolding plans 116 – A break through in bureaucracy
Having said that I’d made very little progress with reducing bureaucracy using digital technologies (see me mid-year scorecard Unfolding Plans 100) there has been a flurry of activity. Thanks to Mark, we’ve finally made some sort of breakthrough. I said that I’d been banging on about a couple of paper based processes that have really … Continue reading Unfolding plans 116 – A break through in bureaucracy
Unfolding plans 111 – work as a performance
I’ve been thinking a lot about work as a performance. It’s something that Mike and I have been talking about. The word covers such a wide range of meanings from entertainment, to carrying out an action and to how well something works. In this case I am talking about something presented before an audience, potentially, … Continue reading Unfolding plans 111 – work as a performance
Unfolding plans 109 – engaged
I have to thank my friends at OnBrand Partners, Peter and Kate, for this one. Apparently on average, for forty seven per cent of our waking hours our minds are not where our bodies are. You would have to ask Harvard University for more information about this nugget. Professor Julian Birkinshaw from London Business School … Continue reading Unfolding plans 109 – engaged
Unfolding plans 108 – those little idiosyncrasies
Yes, I know it was hot the other day when I was down in London to present at a conference on ‘Transforming The Way We Work: A Vision for Mobile Public Sector.’ It felt like how it does when you step out of the plane after you have landed in the Costas. The people of … Continue reading Unfolding plans 108 – those little idiosyncrasies
Unfolding plans 105 – a good story
We always try to start our management meetings with a good story or two. It gets everything off to a nice start before we get into the inevitable not so good things that crop up. Some of us can always find something to say. Sometimes it is relevant and sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it helps … Continue reading Unfolding plans 105 – a good story
Unfolding plans 102 – Why do you want to talk like Ted?
I've come to enjoy presentations. You and I know that I do enough of them. Lately it seems to have been the main topic of my conversations, which is apt. I’ve been trying hard to improve my technique and practiced much harder than I used to. I’m trying to hold conversations rather than stick to … Continue reading Unfolding plans 102 – Why do you want to talk like Ted?
Unfolding plans 101 – Take your opportunities when you can
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that the best place to buy a postcard is not the Post Office. You may find that odd. I know that I did. Where else would you go for all things postal? Well you would be wrong. The vast majority of post offices don’t sell postcards unless you want … Continue reading Unfolding plans 101 – Take your opportunities when you can
Unfolding plans 100 – a score card
We’re into July now and so should be about half way through the working year. Perhaps it’s time for an update on progress, a health check or a score card marked against the eight things that I was going to try and achieve this year. In case you have forgotten they were (are): Women in … Continue reading Unfolding plans 100 – a score card
Unfolding plans 99 – I was even trending
This is part two of the presentation I made at the conference on ‘Transforming The Way We Work: A Vision for Mobile Public Sector.’ It is an abridged version. OK, it is cheating a bit but I’m not the only blogger to have ever recycled his or her own material. After all I did spend … Continue reading Unfolding plans 99 – I was even trending
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 