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Firing  is almost as important as Hiring
When we say firing we are not taking sacking people for gross misconduct or incompetence. We are talking about the process of moving people on who no longer have a future in the organisation. This...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  30 Oct 2025
0
How do we determine "priority" skills needs?
One of the questions I often get asked is "what is the biggest skills need"? Its always a difficult question, because there is no single answer, and also its going to be subjective depending...
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By: 
Phil Pollard
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Last updated:  29 Oct 2025
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Historic Environment Skills Forum Logo Historic Environment Skills Forum
Commissioning Networks 
Hi! My name's Ruth and I'm a Senior Commissoning Manager in Peterborough City Council. Since 2020 I have run informal commissioning networks, started with Homecare, then evolved an...
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By: 
Ruth Miller
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Last updated:  23 Oct 2025
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Better or Worse 
You have worn glasses for years and over time your eyesight changes. The biannual visit to the optician measures how much change. As you study the eye chart the optician replaces one lens with...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  23 Oct 2025
1
 Between the banality and the alchemy 
  A Chief Executive sets the tone for an organisation. This can have an unintended  negative effect on the organisations culture if the way they go about the mundane aspects of the...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  23 Oct 2025
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HESCAPE One Year On
By Phil Pollard, Heritage Career Pathways Manager, Historic England  Chair, Historic Environment Skills Forum   It’s been just over a year since we launched HESCAPE—the Historic...
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By: 
Phil Pollard
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Last updated:  12 Nov 2025
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Historic Environment Skills Forum Logo Historic Environment Skills Forum
The space ship was called The Dark Star 
The ships computer notices during an electrical storm the bomb  bay doors have opend and the nuclear bomb   count down program activated by its on board AI. We then hear...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  20 Oct 2025
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A Cheerleader Leader 
Perhaps it’s because referring to a  cheerleader brings to mind a picture of attractive young women chanting slogans and performing acrobatic dance routines at an American football match that...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  18 Oct 2025
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It wasn’t Alex Ferguson’s hair dryer but…. his commitment to continuous improvement and reinvention that made United champions. 
 The trouble with being an innovator is  eventually the rest of the world catches up with you.Ideas and ways of doing things once so radical, so unconventional as to be...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  16 Oct 2025
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Air Pollution in the UK 2024
'Air Pollution in the UK 2024' was published on 30 September 2025.  The latest in a series of annual reports first published in 2003, this year's report summarises the results of the UK’s...
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By: 
Andrew Taylor
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Last updated:  15 Oct 2025
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Scotland’s Air Quality Engagement Network Logo Scotland’s Air Quality Engagement Network
 Pizza and samosas
   It started in inner city Birmingham a long time ago. Unlike where I grew up Birmingham is and was a very multicultural , multi faith city. However you could live and work in the city...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  13 Oct 2025
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Is Jason Lamb a good manager
Does it matter how you look and dress for work? Does an untidy office and desk indicate a disorganised and chaotic mind ? Do dirty cups and overflowing wast bins say lazy and slapdash? Does a...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  09 Oct 2025
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Motivations for KA Commercialisation
The KAN Autumn Forum 2025 brought together Knowledge Assets Network members in London. The focus in the morning was on motivations for commercialising KAs. The event included a keynote...
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By: 
Namit Bi
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Last updated:  09 Oct 2025
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The Knowledge Assets Community Logo The Knowledge Assets Community
Most dangerous jobs -not always the ones you think 
When you think of the most dangerous jobs you probably think of fire fighters, deep sea divers, miners and lumberjacks but probably not the people who deliver your weekly groceries.    ...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  07 Oct 2025
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Contract Management Lunchables: Every day at midday October 13 - 24
13th October - 24th October Every day at midday Monday - Friday  Please follow  Contract management Lunchables - bite size knowledge sessions - Local Partnerships 
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By: 
Poppy Gibson
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Last updated:  30 Sept 2025
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Well done
Perks are nice , a good salary is taken as read , concern for health and well-being is on trend but people who work for managers who say “well done”are the most content and motivated.  You...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  30 Sept 2025
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Who  in your team will go into management? 
Goalkeepers should make good managers, goal scores are too selfish and one dimensional , midfield generals already think they are the manager ,defenders often end up as managers.    The...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  30 Sept 2025
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Systems Thinking and Missions
You may remember an earlier discussion of how systems thinking and missions were inherently aligned. The Systems Thinking Working Group (a group of academics, practitioners and STIG members) has...
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By: 
Mary McKee
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Last updated:  29 Sept 2025
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Systems Thinking Interest Group (STIG) Logo Systems Thinking Interest Group (STIG)
Procuring systems thinking training
If you have been looking for short specific systems thinking training, then you may have found that you can't access this through our existing Learning Frameworks. We have worked with Government...
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By: 
Mary McKee
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Last updated:  29 Sept 2025
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Systems Thinking Interest Group (STIG) Logo Systems Thinking Interest Group (STIG)
How does the political make up of the council make a difference to the relationship between officers and members?
The balance of power can be very different from one LA to another and can of course change suddenly or almost never. The most common situations are, the party in power has a large majority, there...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  29 Sept 2025
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Ben and Jerry
“Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget and I’ll tell you what you value.” Joe Biden Former US President   Everyone likes ice cream. So what better product for a couple of hippies...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  23 Sept 2025
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Why statistic and performance awards may be misleading 
In my youth I played Sunday league football. In our league there was one team everyone beat. After each game the players identified the man of the match from the opposition. In the team that got...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  22 Sept 2025
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50 years of Faulty Towers 
  It’s 50 years since the first episode of Faulty Towers was aired on the BBC . Since then we have developed Artificial intelligence (AI) but our love hate relationship with machines hasn’t...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  20 Sept 2025
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Trust,Loyalty and Respect
You’re not at your computer where are you? The use of Bosswear technology to check up on employees is just the latest example of trust or lack of it between managers and employees. So...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  17 Sept 2025
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Regional Heritage Skills Networks
The Situation The heritage sector needs a coordinated, sustainable approach to heritage skills development, with regional networks playing a central role. Collaboration, evidence-based planning,...
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By: 
Phil Pollard
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Last updated:  17 Sept 2025
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Historic Environment Skills Forum Logo Historic Environment Skills Forum
Cocktails on the company credit card 
I know of an organisation that when it wished to get rid of a manager always looked at their past  expenses claims.    When the boss took the team out for after work drinks it was...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  10 Sept 2025
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AQ Seminar Series
Over the last two weeks we have hosted a series of three lunchtime seminars on the development of the next air quality framework. The first seminar, presented by Tanith Allinson from the...
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By: 
Louise Alexander
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Last updated:  10 Sept 2025
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Scotland’s Air Quality Engagement Network Logo Scotland’s Air Quality Engagement Network
Standing in the way of progress
Reminds me of the parents who sort careers advice for their son concerned about his ambition to be a racing driver. The response, “Don’t stand in his way”. Silly joke but isn’t this what we are all...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  10 Sept 2025
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The Big HR rule book
The big HR rule book-it turns out it doesn’t exist.  I know but it’s easier if you think it does exist and we hold a copy other wise you would do a lot more crazy things   Policies...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  06 Sept 2025
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The second most sexy profession
I misread the head line it was in fact HR the second most sexist profession. Which explains why the article referred to the high percentage of women interviewed who reported being spoken over by...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  02 Sept 2025
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Enter the Negotiator
A bank robbery goes wrong. The bank robbers hold customers and employees hostage their demands are unclear but the lives of hostages are threatened. The SWAT team want to storm the building in a...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  02 Sept 2025
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Happiness at work isn’t about perks 
Are you happy working here? Would you be happier if you had a pay rise? Or could we give you a more important sounding job title ? What about a reserved parking space, free gym membership, an...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  14 Oct 2025
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Supporting Local Business Through Education: The Role of Trading Standards
Having just come out of a week-long trial in the Crown Court, I have been wondering how the public perceive Trading Standards.  As I sat in Court, listening intently to the Barristers...
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By: 
Emma Honey
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Last updated:  10 Sept 2025
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Trading Standards Trainee/Apprentice Network Logo Trading Standards Trainee/Apprentice Network
Summer of SuDS
  Dear ASA members, Hopefully you've all enjoyed the summer sun and have managed to squeeze in at least a little leave. We at the ASA exec have had a busy time of it and so we just...
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By: 
Glen Westmore
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Last updated:  28 Aug 2025
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Association of SuDS Authorities Logo Association of SuDS Authorities
Carrying a grudge 
I am constantly surprised at the number of successful leaders who carry  a grudge against a former colleague or associate that they clearly intend to carry to their grave. Some slight or...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  26 Aug 2025
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It a bit like the story of the tortoise and the hare.
The speed at which someone adapts, acquires skills, and integrates feedback is important to organisations required to adapt quickly in today’s fast paced business environment. So organisation...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  22 Aug 2025
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  Money is a tool .People are a resource. 
  Organisations are neither machines nor organisms, but considering them as sometimes machine-like or sometimes organism-like can be useful in managing the change agenda.    ...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  22 Aug 2025
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Company and Industry News Alert Service
Hi All, I wanted to reach out and ask if any departments have a News Alert Service in place to monitor Suppliers/Markets to send real-time push notifications out via text/e-mail or if you use...
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By: 
Ryan Martin
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Last updated:  21 Aug 2025
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Leadership failures and business education 
Is it that business education is failing to equip leaders with the right skills or is it that so many  leaders neglect their own professional development once they become a Chief Executive...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  20 Aug 2025
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A goodbye from your KAN Chair
I’ve been heading up the Communities team in GOTT for over two years now – and what a time it’s been! However, a new challenge awaits me as I move on to a new role at the MHRA. It’s been an...
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By: 
Terry Louise Jones
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Last updated:  20 Aug 2025
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The Knowledge Assets Community Logo The Knowledge Assets Community
New Public Procurement Jobs
Procurement Jobs - Sharing a range of permanent, hybrid working procurement job opportunities at Buckinghamshire Council available as part of its new transformative journey. Come and join us at...
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By: 
Gus de Silva
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Last updated:  15 Aug 2025
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Beware the buffet approach to business 
I have just come back from an all inclusive family holiday. The weather was hot and sunny, the accommodation comfortable and spacious, the food was excellent despite being served buffet style. The...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  14 Aug 2025
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From hero to zero 
The local football manager achieved hero status by rescuing the team from almost certain relegation. The following season he secured a safe mid table finish. However a shadow was cast over the...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  13 Aug 2025
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The Influencer
Previous generations would have called them radicals, today they would probably be called influencers.Maybe it’s the combination of experience  and passion,  maybe it’s their different...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  12 Aug 2025
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Labubu Dolls – Cute, Collectible… and Counterfeit?
Emma’s Hot Topic: Issue 1 Labubu Dolls – Cute, Collectible… and Counterfeit? Picture – North Tyneside Council via BBC News Labubu dolls, the quirky, elf-like collectibles from Chinese brand Pop...
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By: 
Emma Honey
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Last updated:  10 Sept 2025
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Trading Standards Trainee/Apprentice Network Logo Trading Standards Trainee/Apprentice Network
You’re on Fire 
When you hear that music you can’t help but see that scene where Rocky runs up a long flight of steps in front of City hall throwing punches and jabbing fists in double quick time.  At the top...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  07 Aug 2025
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How do you become an assassin?
  Clearly the post is not advertised. However it is reasonable to assume that a recruiter would be looking for someone who has experience in killing people so a military background as a...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  10 Aug 2025
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How to eat a bacon sandwich and lead an organisation
This is not about the best way to avoid having greasy fingers ,  tomato sauce smeared over your face or simply looking very unattractive as you masticate with your mouth open. This is about...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  31 Jul 2025
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Pistols at dawn 
An HR shoot out sounds like something from the Wild West. Perhaps a more British version would be a dual. The way gentlemen settle disputes. Each party brings a second along, they stand back to...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  25 Jul 2025
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The role of education in FFP reforms
Setting the scene  We have a Strategic Education Consultant in our multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. This role is key in leading the work we have undertaken in our Local...
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By: 
Alisha Rao
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Last updated:  24 Jul 2025
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Families First Partnership Logo Families First Partnership
No such thing as a free lunch 
A former colleague and friend of many years recently took up a post in the prestigious management school of the local university. Like her colleagues they teach on the course but also offer a...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  23 Jul 2025
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Be a bit more Ted Lasso -please 
You would be forgiven if you thought Ted Lasso was the CEO of some highly successful startup company causing a major shakeup in how to go  about running an organisation. But you won’t find...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  22 Jul 2025
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In the absence of a Slough House 
You may have come across a manager who is desperate to get rid of a member of their team but there is no legitimate reason for doing so. You can’t move them to another team because their reputation...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  21 Jul 2025
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The big step up
At certain points in your career you take a big step up. No matter how experienced and confident, no matter how prepared you thought you were , life in those first few months is hectic, chaotic and...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  21 Jul 2025
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How would AI with personality respond to a complaint
In your email to the Director  today you requested they look into the matter you raised on behalf of the Jameson house hold. In their same day response the Director informed you he would...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  14 Jul 2025
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Let's do separating better...
Following the publication of the government’s final learning report from all eight projects involved in the Department for Work and Pensions Reducing Parental Conflict Challenge Fund, OnePlusOne is...
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By: 
Tabitha Frangoullides
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Last updated:  23 Jul 2025
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Is a leader so important or will a figurehead do?
I have just read a review of a book, Fight by Jonathon Allen and Amie Parnes,  on the Presidency and failed reelection campaign of Joe Biden the 46th President of the USA. It is clear...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  11 Jul 2025
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Diversity backlash is nothing new 
When Birmingham City Council was taking Equality and Diversity very earnestly an adjacent Local Authority would have non of it. A colleague of mine working in HR took the post of head of HR in this...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  01 Aug 2025
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Building Control Business Support: The Backbone Behind Safe Construction
Behind every compliant and structurally sound building is a dedicated team ensuring the process runs seamlessly — Building Control Business Support.   From coordinating inspections to...
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By: 
Naren Badu
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Last updated:  03 Jul 2025
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Slaying imaginary dragons
"Slaying imaginary dragons" means to overcoming personal challenges, fears, or negative thoughts, often these only exist in the mind.It's a metaphor for confronting and conquering internal...
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By: 
Blair McPherson
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Last updated:  02 Jul 2025
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