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Blog
Catch 22
This week’s featured publication is The Grocer, you know why. Milo Minderbinder buys eggs for seven cents and sells them for five cents. Clearly this is good for the customer and good for the...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  17 Apr 2013
0
Blog
Mr Angry has got me all wrong
Morrissey and other members of the band the Smiths told journalists they were very unhappy that the Prime Minister had chosen one of their songs for his desert island disks. You can see their...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  12 Apr 2013
0
Blog
They want me to apply for my own job
The Civil Service are doing it, Local Authorities have done it and the NHS will be doing it. Public sector organisations are cutting the size of the workforce by reducing the head count at each...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  08 Apr 2013
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Blog
You can call me Blair
Are first names just for friends? It used to be that someone would ask you if they could call you by your first name. Now everyone seems to automatically assume they can be on first name terms....
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  04 Apr 2013
0
Blog
Measles, the Media and the Dunning-Kruger Effect
In the last few weeks we have seen serious outbreaks of a potentially fatal, vaccine preventable disease in South Wales the North West and the North East and it looks like 2012’s record number of...
By: 
Sean Derrig
Last updated:  05 Apr 2013
1
Blog
The Great KHub Bake-off
As a keen baker, I found myself enthralled by the most recent series of the Great British Bake-off. In case you’ve never seen it, it’s an amateur baking competition judged by the great Mary Berry...
By: 
Liz Copeland
Last updated:  02 Apr 2013
3
Blog
Eyes wide shut
The restaurants are full. There are no spaces in the car park. The cinema is packed out and they’re queuing out the door at Nanado’s. I don’t see any evidence of people being hard up. The...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  02 Apr 2013
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Blog
Railways in the 60's, Libraries today,Hospitals tomorrow
  50 years ago Dr Beeching reshaped our railways which meant shrinking them. Making cuts to save money, in the belief that they had had their day, were no longer needed and that people...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  27 Mar 2013
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Blog
Counci's bin survey; Asks "Are you gay?"
Managers have only themselves to blame for being ridiculed in the national press after putting sexual orientation in a questionnaire asking people how they dispose of their rubbish. A council...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  25 Mar 2013
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Blog
Managerialism
The academics may consider it a neutral expression but doctors, nurses, social workers and teachers use it as a term of abuse. It stands for people the professionals consider detached from...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  22 Mar 2013
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Blog
Changes afoot!
Just a quick note to let you know that we will be changing the styling of notifications from Khub this evening so you may notice a change tomorrow. It applies to all system notifications. We hope...
By: 
Michael MacAuley
Last updated:  21 Mar 2013
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Blog
The Gravy Train
“You don’t know what you’re doing” they chant from the terraces and it would appear many of those in Government and on the boards of NHS trusts agree. Why else would they make such expensive use...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  19 Mar 2013
0
Blog
Translating the local to the national: Forums for Regulatory Services
Sector-led improvement is gathering momentum. A lot has happened since the LGA published 'Taking the lead' in February 2011. Councils are embracing sector led improvement with real commitment –...
By: 
Ian Leete
Last updated:  18 Mar 2013
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Blog
Death is easy. Local Government is hard
  This morning Brian Jarman told BBC’s Today programme that the data indicates 20,000 hospital deaths could have been avoided over the past ten years if we’d acted on what the data is...
By: 
Mike Thacker
Last updated:  16 Mar 2013
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Blog
Is it because we're not funny? ... a blog for international women's day
  I 'm a woman who started out on the front foot. I went to an all girls' school and was one of the few women on my maths degree course - because as the theory goes, there were no boys in...
By: 
Sarah Jennings
Last updated:  08 Mar 2013
2
Blog
How to be successful at interview
We were in a hotel bar the night before the interview, me, the three other shortlisted candidates and the recruitment consultant. This very experience former director who was advising the...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  08 Mar 2013
2
Blog
LACEF Conferences
Or how we began networking best practices for local authority debt collection... In the beginning LACEF (or rather the inhouse bailiff network as it was originally called) was an idea to...
By: 
Barrie Minney
Last updated:  11 Mar 2013
1
Blog
WWW… That’s Wonderful Women Worldwide
In honour of International Women’s Day tomorrow, I wanted to dedicate a blog to all the wonderful women I know. And I know quite a lot… I have to start with people who have nurtured, influenced...
By: 
Liz Copeland
Last updated:  07 Mar 2013
0
Blog
WWW… That’s Wonderful Women Worldwide
In honour of International Women’s Day tomorrow, I wanted to dedicate a blog to all the wonderful women I know. And I know quite a lot… I have to start with people who have nurtured, influenced...
By: 
Liz Copeland
Last updated:  07 Mar 2013
0
Blog
Interim managers have they had their day?
The imperitive for restructuring, downsizing or merging be it local councils or NHS Trusts looked like a boost for the careers of interim managers. After all if you are thinking of doing away...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  07 Mar 2013
0
Blog
LARIA Research Impact Awards Launched - Enter now
How will you make a difference in 2013? That is a question we are asking all our members and the broader research, intelligence and policy community. This will be a key theme running through...
By: 
Neil Wholey
Last updated:  06 Mar 2013
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Blog
Taking one for the Team
High performing teams are characterized by the sharing of responsibility, actively supporting and occasionally taking it in turns to lead. Team members are not only good at their job they...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  06 Mar 2013
0
Blog
Slaying the scary monsters of community engagement
Once upon a time, a long time ago, when the kingdom was plagued with giants and monsters and wicked issues, a wise prince went out and talked to the townsfolk to work out what to do.  And...
By: 
Adrian Barker
Last updated:  27 Feb 2013
1
Blog
What the Banks could learn from the Public Sector
If they're not too arrogant to think that the public sector could ever teach them anything about business; if the new chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland means what he says about...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  27 Feb 2013
0
Blog
Leaner and greener health and social care
This is my guest blog for LGiU (posted 25th February 2013) in which I set out the contribution of local authorities in general and social care in particular to sustainable health and wellbeing....
By: 
Catherine Max
Last updated:  26 Feb 2013
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Blog
Return of Self-Evaluation Forms (SEFs) and a date for your diary.
Many thanks everyone for returning your SEFs last month.  Over the past month the SEFs have been read, discussed, moderated and collated to develop a sound understanding of...
By: 
James Hempsall OBE
Last updated:  25 Feb 2013
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Blog
Football managers and leadership lessons
The Guardian ran an article this week on Arsene Wenger’s press conference prior to an important game in the champion’s league. The press conference was news worthy because the Arsenal manager...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  22 Feb 2013
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Blog
More management less leadership
The message from the business schools, from management gurus and from Government has been consistent. The public sector must change and this requires leadership. Not just leadership from the top...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  20 Feb 2013
0
Blog
MBA= Must Be Avioded
You won’t read this article in the professional journals. You won’t find this article in the quality news papers not whilst they run full page adverts and pull out supplements for MBAs. If you...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  14 Feb 2013
0
Blog
From Twitter gritter to tweets about streets...
The recent inclement weather has again given councils the opportunity to test how effective Twitter hashtags can be in communicating with residents; providing timely, easy-to-keep-track-of...
By: 
Knowledge Hub Team
Last updated:  13 Feb 2013
0
Blog
Meat pies and tax aviodance it's just business
Some people say if the private sector paid their full tax liability the public sector wouldn’t have to make spending cuts. Some people say what did you think was in those pies at that price? Some...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  12 Feb 2013
0
Blog
Take it in turns leadership
The latest idea on leadership from the management gurus is 'take it in turns' leadership. Recognising that the heroic style of leadership – where an individual by sheer force of personality...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  11 Feb 2013
0
Blog
Equality and the public sector
Can we still afford equality? The government doesn't think so. It certainly thinks we can't afford the Equality and Human Rights Commission – that's why they cut its budget from £70m to £17m and...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  08 Feb 2013
0
Blog
Customer care B*****d style
The best selling management books, the management gurus who write them and the management consultants who quote from them all agree. Successful businesses treat their customers right. It makes...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  07 Feb 2013
0
Blog
Customer care Gangnam style
It’s everywhere and every ones doing it, it’s an internet sensation, it’s simply to do easy to copy and everyone is talking about it. It’s customer care gangnam style Any organisation can do...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  06 Feb 2013
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Blog
Customer care New York style
Customer care New York style They say New York taxi drivers are the rudest in the world but customer care New York style is best illustrated by their breakfast dinners/experience. I've been...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  05 Feb 2013
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Blog
The trials of Heracles
The sixth trial of Heracles was to clean the Augean stables in one day which had years of built up filth which would take the average man ages to clean. However Heracles was not an average man....
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  01 Feb 2013
2
Blog
Bigging yourself up
The job interview is not the occasion for false modesty, nor is your annual appraisal. These days it not enough to be good at your job you need to tell people just how good you are. Bigging...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  31 Jan 2013
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Blog
A brief history of time management
In the beginning there was time then time grow short so time management was invented. Prioritise- be clear about the difference between urgent and important and only do important ...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  29 Jan 2013
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Blog
Smarter and Harder is for Dummies
If someone tells you to work smarter not harder what are they saying about you? The work has increased by 20% but the staffing has been cut. We are not allowed to authorise over time. We...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  28 Jan 2013
0
Blog
Thank you, for making me feel part of the community
  Monday is Community Manager Appreciation Day Don’t forget to say thank you to your group facilitator? Would you like a nice simple card you could send them then we have a few for you...
By: 
Michael Norton
Last updated:  25 Jan 2013
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Blog
Lessons in leadership from a master of disaster
You don’t always have to learn from the best. You can learn a lot from your own mistakes but it’s less painful to learn from someone else’s. So I am recommending lessons in leadership from a...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  24 Jan 2013
0
Blog
You helped me find the right people to talk to
  Only a few more days to go until Community Manager Appreciation Day Have you had a chance to say thank you to your group facilitator? If not we have a new thank you card which you...
By: 
Michael Norton
Last updated:  24 Jan 2013
0
Blog
Without you I wouldn't have found……
  Community Manager Appreciation Day is just around the corner. So how will you say thank you to your group facilitator? We have a new thank you card, which maybe more appropriate ...
By: 
Michael Norton
Last updated:  23 Jan 2013
0
Blog
Without you I wouldn't have found……
  Community Manager Appreciation Day is just around the corner. So how will you say thank you to your group facilitator? We have a new thank you card, which maybe more appropriate ...
By: 
Michael Norton
Last updated:  23 Jan 2013
0
Blog
The job's becoming undoable
Who said “the job’s becoming undoable”? Was it a nurse anticipating the criticism about to be levelled at their profession following the damming report that serious neglect exists across the...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  21 Jan 2013
0
Blog
2-4-6-8 who do you appreciate?
  In 2010, Jeremiah Owyang declared every 4th Monday in January as “Community Manager Appreciation Day.”  This day is meant to recognise and celebrate efforts of group...
By: 
Michael Norton
Last updated:  25 Jan 2013
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Blog
Cheating
After years of denial the seven times winner of the Tour de France admits to wining by using performance enhancing drugs. Television catches out a premiership footballer” diving” to try and con...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  18 Jan 2013
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Blog
A new year and a fresh start to 2013!
  Online Facilitators Community Newsletter December/ January Edition A new year and a fresh start to 2013!   Let’s start with introducing our newest members.  So a...
By: 
Michael Norton
Last updated:  18 Jan 2013
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Blog
Want to be a good manage? Then drop the metaphors
Beware the metaphor. Leaders open conferences, give keynote speeches and write blogs to explain and inspire. They like to use metaphors to freshen up what they say.But an over extended metaphor...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  17 Jan 2013
0
Blog
Councillor Camp - if you weren't there, why not? If you were ... what next?
I've read some great blogs about the success of Councillor Camp. Indeed, good on Futuregov for forcing the agenda and bringing together in one room possibly the most councillors EVER to talk...
By: 
Sarah Jennings
Last updated:  15 Jan 2013
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Blog
Two men overheard
Two men overheard leaving a restaurant. One says to the other “that was one of the worst meals I have ever eaten”. His companion replies “Yes, and such small portions”! Would it have been...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  15 Jan 2013
0
Blog
Heroes
The music industry and the wider world gets over excited about a new David Bowie single. The main reason seems to be no one saw it coming after all he hasn’t produced anything in the last ten...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  14 Jan 2013
0
Blog
Adoption map, a missed opportunity?
  The Department of Education published a map showing the number of children waiting to be adopted last week; the map is useful however I couldn't help thinking that this was a...
By: 
Richard Overy
Last updated:  14 Jan 2013
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Blog
Should Everyone Use Open311?
Last week I posted about how at the moment digital is the preferred channel for reporting broken streetlights, flooding, potholes, fly tipping and so on to us.   Then I read what...
By: 
Phil Rumens
Last updated:  13 Jan 2013
5
Blog
Leadership development
This may be considered heresy but I have found the most effective leadership programmes to be within a departmen/ directoratet. My experience of corporate programmes across the whole organisation...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  10 Jan 2013
0
Blog
Future uncertain prospects unclear
The future for Local Government, the NHS and the Civil Service is uncertain as a consequence your career prospects as a manger are unclear. When the restructuring, outsourcing and downsizing is...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  10 Jan 2013
0
Blog
Which leadership syle is best for the public sector?
A recent report recommended that the public sector needs military style leadership if it is to get through these turbulent times. I'm not so sure... You wouldn't be surprised to hear that...
By: 
Blair McPherson
Last updated:  07 Jan 2013
0
Blog
28th of January is a date for your diary (Community Manager Appreciation Day)
  In 2010, Jeremiah Owyang declared every 4th Monday in January as “Community Manager Appreciation Day.”  This day is meant to recognise and celebrate efforts of community...
By: 
Michael Norton
Last updated:  07 Jan 2013
0
Blog
New Year’s resolution competition – Becoming a better sharer in 2013…
  A new year means new beginnings. January is the month when people make commitments to change something for the better. It may be a chance to start a new diet, give up smoking or pick up...
By: 
Knowledge Hub Team
Last updated:  02 Jan 2013
0