Day 175 – 15 October 2014 Today was always going to be a long one. Several months ago we agreed to a Dynamo awards dinner and today it has arrived. It seemed so far away at the time. It is called Dynamites 14 and is to be held at the Newcastle Civic Centre in the … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 175
A year of work in progress – day 173
Day 173 – 13 October 2014 When you are reading a book there are three important parts, the first one hundred pages, the middle and the last one hundred pages. In the beginning you’re excited. You’re getting to know the characters and the plot is starting to reveal itself. The middle however is like rowing … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 173
A year of work in progress – day 166
Day 166 – 2 October 2014 Bob is someone I have mentioned a few times. He is the Managing Director of Accenture here in the North East and is passionate about skills and development. He’s worth taking to if you can get a moment with him but he is a busy man. I met Bob … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 166
A year of work in progress – day 165
Day 165 – 1 October 2014 Half the financial year has gone and three quarters of the calendar year. What happened to September? It is time to check on progress with the service plan. It turned out that once again I am on call this week in case we have any major incidents. I forgot … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 165
A year of work in progress – day 164
Day 164 – 30 September 2014 The day of the restructure announcement was never going to be a good one. Getting to this point has taken an enormous amount of effort, not by me I hasten to add but by my team. There were some last minute things to sort as always, but it was … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 164
A year of work in progress – day 159
Day 159 – 18 September 2014 I over-scored yesterday. Last night’s visit to the Teesdale Action Partnership put the seal on an already difficult day. I lost my composure and responded badly to some of the questions. I find it very hard to separate some of the things I do from who I am. I … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 159
A year of work in progress – day 156
Day 156 – 12 September 2014 Today we had an untitled training session (or should I say learning) with the Senior Leadership Team and the Senior Project Leads. It was untitled because we blended a couple of topics – building rapport and building potential. Steve started us off with a passionate introduction about why he … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 156
A year of work in progress – day 153
Day 153 – 9 September 2014 The news is filled with talk of Scottish independence. The referendum is only a week away. The whole thing reminds me of the book ‘Nudge’ which told the reader that the answer you get can be influenced by the way that the question is asked. People can be nudged … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 153
A year of work in progress – day 149
Day 149 – 3 September 2014 Another day, another dollar and another chance to get back on the horse. I was still smarting after yesterday’s ServCheck and the traffic on the way in was a nightmare (collapsed gas main in Chester le Street) but today I tried to dust myself down and pick myself up … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 149
A year of work in progress – day 148
Day 148 – 2 September 2014 It is often said that the greatest assets of an organisation is its people. It’s an awful cliché but it is true. The best thing about the council is the great people who work there and the best thing about what I have been doing with the tier four … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 148
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 