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
A year of work in progress – day 2
Day 2 – 3 January 2014 Boy was I tired. For the first time in ages it was the alarm that woke me. I’m not used to real work but I was back at Meadowfield this morning to help out in the stores once more. The schools come back on Monday and so we need … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 2
A year of work in progress – day 1
I’ve been inspired by Rachel Orr, A Head Teacher I have met and a blogger. On 1 January 2013 she set out to write a blog post every day for a year. You can find it here and it is some achievement: 365 days in my shoes. This year I’m going to try something similar, … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 1
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
Change your password
There are some things in life that are such a hassle: filling the car up with petrol; taking a cheque to cash into the bank; and changing your passwords. These are not big things and thankfully you don’t have to do them that often but they get on your nerves. The yellow light that flashes … Continue reading Change your password
A leaky bucket
Imagine a bucket with a hole in the bottom. That’s how we manage the jobs that we get within the service, or calls as we refer to them, using a leaky bucket. It could be a shiny read bucket with a strong wire handle and comfortable wooden grip or an old galvanised bucket with a … Continue reading A leaky bucket
Is work the worst place to work?
Here I am sitting at home working. I’m parked at the kitchen table looking out into the garden with my laptop open in front of me. I’m connected securely to the work’s network and I’m happily and productively beavering away. The sun is just starting to rise. I’ve halved my inbox, done most of the … Continue reading Is work the worst place to work?
Incentive to come together
It has long been believed that larger organisations are more efficient than smaller ones, or at least have greater capacity for efficiency. This can certainly be proven in areas such as use of assets, retention of skills, reduction on overhead etc. but whether such efficiencies lead to greater effectiveness is another story, one for another … Continue reading Incentive to come together
All problems can be solved from an armchair
How annoying is it? You’re breaking your back working away on some intractable problem when along comes some armchair critic to tell you where you’ve been going wrong. Very is the answer. They have absolutely no concept of the issues that you’re facing, the hassle that you are under and the multiple directions in which … Continue reading All problems can be solved from an armchair
Brand aware
Today we have been running a pilot session for our upcoming ICT workshops. These are building upon the successful customer focus sessions we ran last year. The basic thrust of the event is around our ICT strategy, how this fits in with what the business wants and what our individual roles are in delivering it. … Continue reading Brand aware
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 