Do we have a victim culture? Do we get a good feeling by feeling sorry for ourselves, a sort of reverse schadenfreude? I’m sure that at times we do. I have felt for a while that it is not always healthy to dwell upon the misfortunes of the past. Our region used to be different … Continue reading Unfolding plans 33 – a victim culture
Unfolding plans 32 – I am a type seven personality, the quintessential Renaissance man
I may be the quintessential Renaissance man, a polymath, a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. That’s because I am a type seven personality. According to the Wisdom of the Enneagram I am ‘The Enthusiast’, the busy, fun-loving type who is spontaneous, versatile, acquisitive and scattered. I’m enthusiastic about almost … Continue reading Unfolding plans 32 – I am a type seven personality, the quintessential Renaissance man
Unfolding plans 31 – the concept of separable verbs
Learning a language can be hard especially if you are fluent in your mother tongue. Foreigners speak in different ways. They construct their sentences in ways that seem alien to the English speaking world, with strange word order and an ill-defined use of the definite article. What’s the matter with them? I’ve been struggling with … Continue reading Unfolding plans 31 – the concept of separable verbs
Unfolding plans 29 – customers are our core business
Account management can be difficult to justify, especially in these straightened times. It is an overhead that we can ill afford. When we are being asked to watch every penny and cut out all waste, having a team of people who work with the customer, both internal and external, can be seen as a luxury. … Continue reading Unfolding plans 29 – customers are our core business
Unfolding plans 26 – There are those that tell and those that ask
There are those that tell and those that ask, apparently. No human system is so binary yet most of us fall towards one end of the ask or tell continuum. We may prefer to ask but from time to time find the need to tell. We may feel that we ask when indeed we are … Continue reading Unfolding plans 26 – There are those that tell and those that ask
Unfolding plans 25 – Something has to give and the technology is going to help
I’ve noticed a subtle change. Services are coming to us asking for help. The drive to use technology is growing at pace. I don’t know if austerity has helped but it has certainly sharpened our focus. As the cuts have gone deeper and deeper there is an increasing realisation that we can’t do the same … Continue reading Unfolding plans 25 – Something has to give and the technology is going to help
Unfolding plans 21 – I’m not one for using sporting analogies
So Andy Murray was the runner up at the Australian open. It was a shame. He’d been playing as well as he had ever been but he was up against a formidable opponent. Number six in the world was playing number one. It was sublime tennis. The match ebbed and flowed with each player gaining … Continue reading Unfolding plans 21 – I’m not one for using sporting analogies
Unfolding plans 20 – coming back to apprentices
I said I would come back to apprentices. I’ll keep coming back to them throughout the year as they are important in so many ways. They are also the seventh thing I want to achieve this year. According to the North-East Chamber of Commerce the region faces a "ticking time bomb" due to a lack … Continue reading Unfolding plans 20 – coming back to apprentices
Unfolding plans 18 – All purchases needed to be approved by Neil
My Christmas gift was a very generous book token. It came with a caveat however. All purchases needed to be approved by Neil, one of my team. The note said that to avoid disappointment it is unlikely that he would approve any non-fictional text in the area of management. The message was clear. I needed … Continue reading Unfolding plans 18 – All purchases needed to be approved by Neil
Unfolding plans 15 – Don’t worry. Zombies don’t knock.
Next time you are walking past a book shop, pop in and buy a copy of World War Z - An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. It is an historical account of the period during and after the great zombie war. It is a chilling and terrifying collection of interviews from … Continue reading Unfolding plans 15 – Don’t worry. Zombies don’t knock.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 