Entries with tag local government .

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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
18 Apr 2016 - 10:03

null Winter is coming

  There is a constant threat of decline and sense of wrongness in the world. There are kings and king makers, trial by combat, scheming and betrayal and a delicious habit of bumping of the biggest stars. This is not some medieval fantasy or an episode of Game of Thrones this is the modern day public sector in a time of prolonged austerity. Temporary alliances form and reform, local... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
14 Apr 2016 - 11:25

null The poor need an accountant more than a social worker

  I remember a lecturer on the social work course who was fond of saying " The rich and powerful have their own accountant but its the poor and those on benefits who most need them ". Her point was the rich employed an accountant to reduce the tax they pay even though they could afford to pay it. The benefits system is as complicated as the tax system but the poor have to rely on free... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
05 Apr 2016 - 11:29

null Culture Change

The aim was to change the management culture and the way things are done has certainly changed. It was not however the cultural change programme with its emphasis on management development that has resulted in new thinking and new ways of working. Executive coaching, management mentoring and leaning sets didn't change relationships or shift priorities. Investing in corporate communications,... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
28 Mar 2016 - 11:40

null The Johan Cruyff method

Good team work requires everyone to play their part. Everyone knows their role, no one tries to do someone else's job, experience has taught how to respond to different situations , training has reinforced best practice, the team is well organised and as a result is effective and efficient when dealing with routine circumstances and predictable challenges. Even so it can become a sterile,... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
22 Mar 2016 - 19:03

null Is this Leadership or Bullying

  One participant, a young woman , immediately volunteered an account of how she had confronted a member of her team about the standard of their work.  " I challenged her and she left - walked out of the building the same day". The woman said. " I had really prepared using feedback from the role play we did . It was really effective. I think I was able to stand my ground better. I... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
22 Mar 2016 - 14:15

null When Harry met Sally

  Passion is an over used word in local government especially in job interviews. Candidates for management posts are always "passionate" about the service, passionate about empowering staff/ citizens, passionate about choice, passionate about quality, passionate about equality but mostly just passionate. But do you need to be so passionate, is it enough to be a competent... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
15 Mar 2016 - 16:35

null Career Myths

That after the big post the next move is the big LA.  That being forced out of one LA means you won't be welcome in another.  That playing the political card and echoing the views of the leader will increase your survival chances. The big Mets and the large county councils tend to dominate their regions but this just means you have more enemies than allies.  Some senior... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
11 Mar 2016 - 11:51

null Stress is out of fashion

Stress like the public sector is not fashionable but that doesn't mean it's no longer present. Whether you regard it as bad for business that over stressed managers make bad decisions or  you take your duty of welfare to your employees seriously, stress is an issue for organisations. You would anticipate that job insecurity, over ambitious efficiency targets and  the difficulty of... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
07 Mar 2016 - 12:47

null Is anyone going to say sorry?

  As local authorities bring back in house services that were outsourced, as yet another chief executive says we can get better value for money in house and another council leader says this gives us more control and will save us money, does anyone else think isn't that's what they said about outsourcing ? It may not be the same chief executive who told us that this was the only way we... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
03 Mar 2016 - 15:47

null Does the managers professional background matter?

  Would you rather be managed by someone who has done your job all be it years ago or someone who had no experience of your work but was keen to learn? Do you think senior managers need a professional background in a service to run it properly or do you think management skills are transferable as long as managers are prepared to learn about the service and listen to experience... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
22 Feb 2016 - 19:53

null A faint air of menace

  We need to talk about how we talk about diversity in the work place because the subject still has a faint air of menace about it. If people are reluctant to talk about diversity for fear of saying the wrong thing then organisations will have a tick box approach to diversity which looks impressive but doesn't  change the culture. This all to common superficial approach to diversity... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
20 Feb 2016 - 11:55

null Rentaminority.com

It was a spoof and like the best spoofs it was just ridiculous  enough to be believable. It was advertised as a new service for organisations who wanted to address the under representation of minorities.    http://www.theguardian.com/society/commentisfree/2016/feb/17/rent-a-minority-one-stop-solution-to-create-the-illusion-of-diversity-at-your-company See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Feb 2016 - 16:14

null Bad Customers

  I can see it now one of those videos on the Internet by some American business guru entitled , " How to get rid of your bad customers". Serious articles in the Harvert Business review about how   studies of top US companies have revealed that they are good at "disensentivising" bad customers.  Now if by bad customers we mean those who are persistently or deliberately... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
03 Feb 2016 - 12:04

null Trust them to figure it out

The more demanding the agenda for change, the more savage the budget cuts, the more emphases on performance the greater the management emphasis on conformity. When senior managers feel the pressure their tolerance for dissent diminishes, questioning the methods is not acceptable, their is no room for doubt therefore no place for debate. The management mantra is,"do what I say". People with the... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
19 Jan 2016 - 12:48

null How training as a social worker made me a better doctor

  My favourite opening sentence this week comes from the Guardian. " Sharon D Clarke studied to be a social worker before becoming a doctor..... on Holby City." At first I thought this was going to be an interesting angle on the integrating health and social care debate. How training as a social worker has made me a better doctor. But no. Sharon is an actor and Holby City is a tv hospital... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
11 Jan 2016 - 16:20

null Tribute to Dave Bowie - Changes

  The conference like the song claims we can all be heroes. The promotional material speaks of the battles that have taken place and the battles to come, battles that have left many managers feeling bruised, demoralised and overstretched. The rallying cry is heroic leadership is not an optional extra. Which like the Bowie single is a bit of a surprise because that idea has... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
04 Jan 2016 - 12:59

null 2016 The Force Awkens

  Is the Force still with us? Who is The Dark Lord ? Where is Luke Skywalker? Is the private sector the ultimate weapon of destruction, the Death Star.  The Force is sheer will power, determination and single mindedness. A Jedi uses the Force to do good by being on the side of the weak, vulnerable and disadvantaged. The preferred  weapon  of the Jedi social worker is... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
02 Dec 2015 - 10:33

null The dangers of getting things done

  Pragmatism can be a cover for so many wrongs. It starts out as just cutting through the red tape but ends up justifying prejudice, discrimination, and self interest.  Pragmatism in the public sector is recognising there is no choice but to, outsource services, reduce management posts, make redundancies, remove services we can no longer afford, lower expectations we can no longer... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
20 Nov 2015 - 15:49

null The Professionals

  The future for professionals who work in the public sector is bleak. The attempt by government to impose a new employment contract on junior doctors is just the latest example of a campaign against professionals. Whether it is the medical profession, the legal profession, the teaching profession, policing, nursing or social work, professionals are seen as resisting change, undermining... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
18 Aug 2015 - 09:26

null The last 30 years as seen through the eyes of a public professional

  This could be the story of an local government professional, a librarian, a housing officer, a policy officer ,a finance officer, a personnel officer or an admin officer.   Tim trained as a social worker in the 80s. He went on marches in support of the miners. You wouldn't catch Tim selling the Socialist Worker in town on a Saturday. He wasn't that type of radical social... See more
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