Day 161 – 25 September 2014 I decided to come back to work a couple of days earlier than planned, not because I had a bad holiday, far from it but rather to save a couple of days for later. Without these I would have had no break until Christmas (a first world problem). Two … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 161
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 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
A year of work in progress – day 155
Day 155 –11 September 2014 I struggled to get started this morning. I don’t know if it was because I gave blood last night or the mist that hung in the air. Today is pregnant with history, is it really thirteen years since the attack on the twin towers? The world seems to be caught … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 155
A year of work in progress – day 154
Day 154 – 10 September 2014 BT had put on an event called ‘Powering Public Services’. Janet persuaded me to go but I was not that enthusiastic after yesterday’s disappointment. This was a much more intimate event with only a dozen of us, six from BT and six from the client side. The agenda was … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 154
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 150
Day 150 – 4 September 2014 It’s cycle to work day. Perhaps you are amongst the three quarters of a million people who regularly commute on their bikes. What they don’t tell you is that it is cycle back from work day as well. I managed to make it on two wheels but only because … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 150
A year of work in progress – day 146
Day 146 – 29 August 2014 It was the last day of heaven, the last day of the school holiday and the last day, at least for a while, when the drive to work will be relatively uneventful. Worryingly though the western bypass is covered with cones past the Metro Centre and through the Team … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 146
A year of work in progress – day 145
Day 145 – 28 August 2014 It seems like an age since I’ve set foot in County Hall, Northumberland. I think it was in the middle of July. Both Neil and I have been away on holiday and we felt it best to leave it until we were both back. It is an odd feeling. … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 145