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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
23 Apr 2024 - 11:04

null No experience require but excitement guaranteed

When you’re young, just about to leave school or university isn’t  this exactly what you’re looking for in a first job? This particular recruitment advert was accompanied by a picture of an individual standing at the back of a large military transport aircraft in mid flight with its huge rear doors open exposing the vast expanse of sky. On closer examination a safety line was fastened... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
15 Apr 2024 - 09:33

null Internal  relations make the difference

What makes a difference to an organisations success and what makes a difference to a managers effectiveness are the same - internal relations. Strong , positive, supportive internal relationships increases an organisations performance. The opposite is also true but you knew that didn’t you. It doesn’t take a management guru to see the damage done by a dysfunctional team. So why don’t... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
14 Apr 2024 - 15:47

null I am the Question not the Answer 

Organisations look to leaders for the answers but effective leaders ask questions. Good questions. Good question prompt others to focus on the right things and come up with solutions.  Blair McPherson former director author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk 
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
07 Apr 2024 - 15:18

null You’re getting sacked in the morning 

It’s a chant beloved by opposition supporters to taunt rival managers during a bad run of results. It’s even worse if your own supporters join in. Real Madrid supports traditionally wave a white hanky meaning good bye to a manager they wish to see the back off. It’s a powerful message from a full house of 80,000 whistling disgruntled fans.   On the hour, every hour one of the main news... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
06 Apr 2024 - 14:57

null Resenteeism

Not  every one is lucky enough to love their job but it can’t be good for an organisation to have significant numbers who hate it! Lack of job satisfaction, low morale, a stalled careers, frustrated ambition and jaded, disillusioned professionals. These are concerns for HR as much as individual line managers.  Resenteeism that’s how the Guardian news paper recently referred to the... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
04 Apr 2024 - 13:30

null What she did was wrong but was the punishment too harsh ?

Mavis had been a care worker in this large 60 bedded traditional residential care home for older people for years. She lived just round the corner. She was a middle aged woman with a family who had the air and look of someone worn down by the daily grind of her life. She was however reliable, never had time off sick and was never late for her shift. She had never indicated any ambitions or even... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
02 Apr 2024 - 20:14

null “ Do you know how to land this ?” 

Every air craft needs a pilot for take off and landing  These are the difficult bits of flying. It’s the same with organisations the difficult bits are getting lift off, it requires a lot of energy,  skill and knowledge. The pilot has a clear destination in mind but still needs to plot the route. There are a lot of things to get right before take off. There is a lot of information to... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
20 Mar 2024 - 17:38

null When management only pretend to care

There is delegation and then there is abdication. Some organisation refer all complaints made to the Chief Executive (CE) back down the line to the responsible manager. So the complainant can find that their complaint is being dealt with by the person they are complaining about. In one resent example when the manager was informed of the intension to make a formal complaint they responded... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
17 Mar 2024 - 21:18

null Odd , unusual and often bizarre behaviour by managers 

  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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Mar 2024 - 16:02

null Naked person on the bus

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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
07 Mar 2024 - 17:01

null The difference between courteous and helpful 

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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
07 Mar 2024 - 16:42

null Depends how you look at it 

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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
06 Mar 2024 - 14:01

null The problem isn’t AI it’s people

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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
05 Mar 2024 - 14:18

null No excuses

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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
24 Feb 2024 - 11:02

null I thought my job was safe because no one else would want it.

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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
13 Feb 2024 - 13:31

null Running on empty 

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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
13 Feb 2024 - 13:25

null But he gets results 

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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
08 Feb 2024 - 14:41

null More than one way to lose an argument 

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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
08 Feb 2024 - 14:28

null The opposite of a dysfunctional team is not a nice team

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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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
04 Feb 2024 - 14:41

null 4 days a week

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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