Day 176 – 16 October 2014 Wow! We won something. Perhaps my suit wasn’t unlucky after all. Digital Durham won Collaborator of the Year at last night’s inaugural Dynamites Awards Event held at Newcastle Civic Centre. So we won the first ever award at the first ever event. I was truly surprised (in a genuine … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 176
A year of work in progress – day 174
Day 174 – 14 October 2014 Today was supposed to be another strike day. It got called off, or rather postponed, at the last minute. Apparently there is a proposal on the table that is to be considered. Because of this I’d a few things in my diary that didn’t really make sense, things that … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 174
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 171
Day 171 – 9 October 2014 Yesterday’s ICT Awareness Day wasn’t the rip-roaring success that I’d hoped for but it was far from a disaster. We had a fair number of people come through and some nice compliments. Bob said to me that if we can influence even a small number of people then it … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 171
A year of work in progress – day 170
Day 170 – 8 October 2014 Are you enjoying Customer Service Week? Today was another big day for us as we held an ICT Awareness Day in the Durham Room in County Hall. We kept the Senior Leadership Team meeting to a couple of hours to make ourselves available for the event but having a … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 170
A year of work in progress – day 167
Day 167 – 3 October 2014 Have you seen the movie Parenthood? There’s a scene where Gil and Karen Buckman, played by Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen, are talking about the way their lives are and Gil says how he hates messy. Just then Grandma comes in and says: “You know, when I was young, … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 167
A year of work in progress – day 160
Day 160 – 19 September 2014 Dawn breaks on another day in history. It looks like Scotland has decided to stay after all though a significant number of the populace said yes to separation. Was it a genuine desire to see a split or just brinkmanship? Is the nation state an outmoded concept in an … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 160
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 158
Day 158 – 17 September 2014 Time wounds all heals, according to Groucho Marx and it is true that troubles ease as time goes by. It is certainly true for me of our ServCheck results. At first they seemed dire but now I’m much more positive and see them as an opportunity to improve. So … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 158
A year of work in progress – day 157
Day 157 – 16 September 2014 I’ve been in management for over thirty years. You would think that I would be quite good at it by now. It’s a cliché I know but learning to manage people is a journey, a one without end and that is what makes it so fascinating. You have to … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 157