Not everything is always sweetness and light. Is it ever? We had our ICT Customer Board meeting last week and had an interesting conversation about culture. Words and phrases such as Camp Tanfield or Camp Meadowfield were raised with the clear implication that we reside within our functions and that visibility of managers and team … Continue reading Unfolding plans 58 – Not everything is always sweetness and light
Unfolding plans 57 – Big Data. It is bigger than you think.
My first meeting as chair of the Society of ICT Managers (North East) went well enough. There wasn’t a spare seat in the house, we got through the agenda, we finished on time and lunch was nice. We tried something new this time which made a big difference. It was Graham’s idea to theme the … Continue reading Unfolding plans 57 – Big Data. It is bigger than you think.
Unfolding plans 56 – leaders struggle the most with teams.
The most important piece of work that I am involved in at the moment is trying to organise the service so that it can survive. By this I don’t mean hang on by the skin of its teeth or slip into some catatonic state hoping for the better times to come. I have already described … Continue reading Unfolding plans 56 – leaders struggle the most with teams.
Unfolding plans 55 – change is a great agent for change
Change is a great agent for change. They say that necessity is the mother of all invention and it is much easier to introduce change during periods of turmoil. Austerity has helped in a strange way. The need to save money has allowed us to introduce many things that we could well have struggled with … Continue reading Unfolding plans 55 – change is a great agent for change
Unfolding plans 53 – ICT is not just Microsoft office or computer games
ICT is not just Microsoft office or computer games. It pervades all of our lives. There is nothing that we do that doesn’t have technology behind it somewhere. There is a shortage of young people coming into the industry. We need to get out there and show young people how exciting ICT is. We need … Continue reading Unfolding plans 53 – ICT is not just Microsoft office or computer games
Unfolding plans 52 – you must come and talk to us about
I was stopped in the lift by one of my colleagues. She said ‘you must come and talk to us about…’ At this point I braced myself ready for whatever problem was at the root of her statement. I guess it’s a hazard of my profession in that most people stop me when something goes … Continue reading Unfolding plans 52 – you must come and talk to us about
Unfolding plans 50 – Stories are the best way to get information to stick
A funny thing happened to me on the way into the office. I was listening to the radio and an advert came on for a well-known broadcasting, media and content company. The gist was that they said that they were offering an excellent service to their customers as ninety per cent of their service calls … Continue reading Unfolding plans 50 – Stories are the best way to get information to stick
Unfolding 49 – more women into ICT
Getting more women into ICT has been made a key objective of Dynamo. Charlie has produced an excellent infographic which lays out our plans and objectives in an easy to understand and very saleable chart. It is a wheel or a roundel, with the Executive team the Main Board and Work-stream Leaders in the middle … Continue reading Unfolding 49 – more women into ICT
Unfolding plans 47 – no one really comes into work to do a bad job
There are a couple of beliefs that I have which I hope to be true. The first is that no one really comes into work to do a bad job. The second is that if the place where you work no longer wants you around then why would you want to work there? I’ve worked … Continue reading Unfolding plans 47 – no one really comes into work to do a bad job
Unfolding plans 46 – What is digital?
Last week I attended my first Executive Leader’s Network in Reading. There is another one in September and while it’s a long way away it might be worth considering. I was asked to host or chair or lead a round-table discussion which turned out to be me standing up in front of twenty five or … Continue reading Unfolding plans 46 – What is digital?
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 