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 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
A year of work in progress – day 114
Day 114 – 1 July 2014 The year is officially half over yet I will end up working fewer days in the second half than in the first. It’s all to do with having more holidays, better weather and something around harvest time. The tide has turned and is coming back in (or is it … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 114
A year of work in progress – day 52
Day 52 – 20 March 2014 Today is International Happiness Day, so happy happy day. I set out to enjoy every day at work this year but is that the same thing? Can you enjoy yourself without being happy? Are happiness and enjoyment variable measures of the same thing? I don’t know and what’s more … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 52
A year of work in progress – day 34
Day 34 – 19 February 2014 Last night I decided that I’m going to try and go paperless. I’ve been agile for some time and am obsessed with being more personally efficient yet I still hang onto the vestiges of the old way of doing things. I carry a day-book around with me in which … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 34
A year of work in progress – day 28
Day 28 – 11 February 2014 Ah well. I didn’t win. Newcastle and Bucks did so at least something came to the region. I got down to the last six out of fifty seven bids and I made a couple of useful contacts, one from the Department for Communities and Local Government and one form … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 28
Don’t take more tissues than you need
In the canteen at work there is a sign near the tills where the cutlery and condiments can be found. It says ‘Don’t take more tissues than you need.’ It is slightly menacing. There is a veiled threat that if you are caught with more tissues than is appropriate for your personal consumption something sinister … Continue reading Don’t take more tissues than you need
Doing Lean
I’ve been fascinated by the concept of Lean ever since I read the book ‘The Machine that Changed the World’. Its description of the Toyota Production System and the dramatic effect that this had had upon automotive production was, and still is incredible. This must be at least fifteen years now and ever since I … Continue reading Doing Lean
Lean your kitchen
I saw an article the other day on whether you can apply lean principles to your kitchen. It was called Determining the Overall Productivity in Your (Wife's) Kitchen and came with an amusing video, sepia-tinted to make it look old. Now I know that lean is more of a way of thinking than a set … Continue reading Lean your kitchen
Am I entitled to treatment?
I received a letter this week inviting me to attend an appointment at my local hospital. It is for some treatment for an on-going condition that I have put off for too long and am glad that the letter has now arrived. I can start to plan around it and soon I’ll be like new. … Continue reading Am I entitled to treatment?
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 