Day 169 – 7 October 2014 Thankfully the mist had lifted as I made my way down from the station, across Milburngate Bridge and up towards the Gala Theatre. It’s an odd thing but the Gala has been the topic of so many conversations in my time at Durham yet I have never been there. … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 169
A year of work in progress – day 168
Day 168 – 6 October 2014 Happy Customer Service Week! It doesn’t seem five minutes since the last one. Each year the Institute of Customer Service holds a week of events to try and raise the focus on customer service. I think that similar weeks are held in other parts of the world as well. … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 168
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 163
Day 163 – 29 September 2014 The autumn equinox has been and gone. There is more dark than light in the world in so many ways. We’re slipping into winter and that can only mean one thing, it is time to change into my winter wardrobe. Out go the short sleeves, light fabrics and enlivening … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 163
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
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 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
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 