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17 Mar 2024 - 21:18
  You have heard the story about the famous Rock band who’s manager placed a rider in the band’s contract that they be provided with a a bowl of M & N’s in their dressing room but with no brown ones. This strange request was seen as an example of rock star Diva behaviour.  How ever there was a serious reason behind this bizarre request. A big rock  band has a large lighting... See more
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wrote a new blog post
12 Mar 2024 - 16:02
It’s apparently a surprisingly common occurrence for London Transport. The unusual may not be a surprise even so there is a big difference between identifying the fridge thief and catching the employee who is defecating on the rear stair well. Personality conflicts are run of the mill but should not be mistaken for systematic bullying, racism or homophobia. Intimate   relationships at... See more
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wrote a new blog post
07 Mar 2024 - 17:01
My recent experience of trying to resolve a problem as a customer has made me realise that the people at the other end of the phone don’t understand the difference between courteous and helpful. Following a frustrating experience I complained. Yes the staff were courteous, no they were not helpful they did not in any way progress my problem to a solution. The entire conversation was scripted.... See more
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wrote a new blog post
07 Mar 2024 - 16:42
Our financial problems are because we are not competitive and we are not competitive because we are inefficient due to a reluctance to embrace new technology and change working practices. Or our failure to take employees with us, invest in up skilling them and rewarding them accordingly has resulted in us being less competitive. Blair Mcpherson former director author and blogger... See more
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wrote a new blog post
06 Mar 2024 - 14:01
People are teaching AI bad habits. It’s like when your Dad teaches you to drive. People put too much faith in untested technology. People can’t be trusted not to abuse the power and opportunities AI offers.
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wrote a new blog post
05 Mar 2024 - 14:18
The football manager who after a disastrous run of results points out that with a relatively small squad, an exceptionally  long list of injuries, including the top score, they have been forced to play inexperienced players from the youth team. Which is true but better to let a friendly journalist point it out in their column than repeatedly trot it out in the weekly press... See more
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wrote a new blog post
24 Feb 2024 - 11:02
It was a senior manager the restructuring was presented as more of a reshuffle. The boss said he wanted to move people around. He had done this before in responcse to a criss in one area of the business. When the reshuffle was muted my colleagues made it clear they viewed my post as a poison chalice. I was sure my job was safe because no one else wanted it. I was right but wrong. Non of my... See more
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wrote a new blog post
13 Feb 2024 - 13:31
Juergen Klopp shocked  the world of professional football recently by announcing he would be  leaving his post of manager of Liverpool at the end of the season. What surprised commentators was his reason. Klopp said ,” I’m running out of energy”. But should we have been surprised that someone in such a high profile, results driven post should call time whilst still delivering... See more
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wrote a new blog post
13 Feb 2024 - 13:25
That was always the excuse but was the past about to catch up with him? You know the type their motto better to ask forgiveness than permission. Innovative and creative when it came to finding ways round the recruitment policies and financial procedures. Commanding great loyalty from their team, suspicion from their colleagues and grudging tolerance from senior management.    Even... See more
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wrote a new blog post
08 Feb 2024 - 14:41
Managers particularly senior managers spend a lot of time in meetings. It’s the way most organisations do business so it is rather surprising that so many managers report finding the experience frequently frustrating and unproductive. Some meeting are about conveying information and issuing instructions but they always involve questions, comments, discussion, debate and in my experience... See more
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wrote a new blog post
08 Feb 2024 - 14:28
He was a very nice man but an ineffective leader. She was abrasive, opinionated and intolerant of those less experienced.  Together they frustrated and annoyed the rest of the team.   In a dysfunctional team people just don’t get on, they don’t respect the leaders authority and they don’t rate each others abilities. They don’t agree on much, the leader can’t establish a consensus on... See more
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wrote a new blog post
04 Feb 2024 - 14:41
My school maths text book set the following problem. If a boat being rowed by four men can cover a mile in 10 minutes how long would it take a 10 men to row the same distance? The assumption being that the more men rowing the faster the boat would travel. Yet clearly a boat that could accommodate 40 rowers would not go ten times faster than a boat with 4 rowers and cover the distance in a tenth... See more
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wrote a new blog post
01 Feb 2024 - 15:50

null Be curious

Tattooed on the arm of every Cnief Executive and Council Leader, Portfolio holder and senior manager.   Be curious, ask the right questions, if the rumours persist investigate them.     Blair Mcpherson former director author and blogger www.blaimcpherson.co.uk 
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wrote a new blog post
01 Feb 2024 - 15:12
  First line managers who don’t look after their people or who don’t know how to look after their people undermine an organisation. First line managers who look after their people enhance an organisation. It’s often the difference between happy employees and unhappy employees. Low turnover and high turnover. Good customer service and poor customer service. A well executed strategy and a... See more
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wrote a new blog post
31 Jan 2024 - 13:42
I’m not talking about team building trust creating rope climbs or raft making. I’m talking about taking the team away from the office to sit all day in a stuffy over heated hotel conference room whilst a dysfunctional group of people find lots to disagree about. The aim is to draw up a business plan, agree priorities, finalise the budget cut proposals, review the EDI strategy, develop effective... See more
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wrote a new blog post
30 Jan 2024 - 15:26
According to a Guardian article self drive cars will be on UK roads by 2026. According to many business analysts organisations are increasingly reliant on AI to make the big business decisions. Some how the idea of driver less cars on our roads seems more scary than the same AI running organisations. Perhaps it is because it is easier to visualise these cars on the road and easier to imagine... See more
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25 Jan 2024 - 13:05
 “ They are really annoying especially in the workplace” Joked Jodie Foster famous actor and mentor to a number of young people. “They’re like: ‘  Nah , I’m not feeling it today. I’m gonna come in at 10.30am.’  Are generations Z more annoying than previous generations of young people?  Annoying is maybe the wrong word. It’s just I  can’t help making fun of the... See more
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wrote a new blog post
10 Feb 2024 - 08:07
Scientists have discovered that dung beetles are the only creatures that cooperate like  humans in moving an object to over come obsticals. (Guardian 17 January). Which presumably reinforces the view that we humans top the evolutionary development scale when it comes to intelligence. Unfortunately this fact only served to bring to mind that comedy song ,” Right Said Fred” by Bernard... See more
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wrote a new blog post
16 Jan 2024 - 16:19
 “ I’m not afraid of an army of lions lead by sheep. I am afraid of an army of sheep lead by lions.”  Alexander the Great. But maybe he should have been a little afraid.  Poor leadership can make organisations less effective, wast talent, miss opportunities, and fritter away resources but can good leadership compensate for inadequate resources, lack of a talent pool, incomplete... See more
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wrote a new blog post
12 Jan 2024 - 12:02
Her expectation of work experience whilst still at school were high and unrealistic almost comical to my baby boomer generation but typical of generation G . After the first day she came home complaining that she had been expected to make tea / coffee for everyone and do photocopying! “I know how to make a cup of coffee and work a photocopier” she said indignantly. The rest of the week didn’t... See more
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