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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
02 May 2019 - 10:28

null Am I talking to a real person?

In the film Blade Runner you could not tell who was human and who was AI by looking at them. Those who hunted down rouge androids had to devise a series of questions to expose one who was trying to pass them selves off as human. The interview aimed to test their emotional reaction. In one such interview after a series of questions the Android gives himself away by failing to have an... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
16 Apr 2019 - 12:26

null What do dragons eat?

  So John Snow is prepared to give up his position as King of the North in order to form an alliance which he believes is their best chance of survival. But those loyal followers who crowned him are not happy about having a foreign queen imposed over them as an absolute monarch. It was ever thus. To the smaller partner organisation the merger is a take over. And mergers often fail to... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
15 Apr 2019 - 14:41

null Line of Duty

In every organisation there are those who cross the line. Whether it is fiddling their expenses, accessing porn on their work computer, “ inflating ” their performance figures or influencing who  wins a contract. If misconduct is suspected who will investigate?    A new series of Line of duty has started. AC 12 are once again investigating corrupt police officers. They are the police ... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
08 Apr 2019 - 11:21

null Artificial Intelligence signals the arrival of Big Brother

The ability to harvest large quantities of date gives bosses the means to monitor in detail how staff are using their time and when they are wasting time. The ability to record stokes on a key board, when emails are received, read and responded to gives a minute by minute record of staff behaviour. It can also lead to the assumption that an individual who takes their hands of the... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
07 Apr 2019 - 15:10

null Being associated with success has a down side

  Liverpool’s striker has become an international super star due to his goal scorning exploits. It is well know that this Egyptian footballer comes from a small remote village. According to the news papers he has become a local hero. Everyone in the village follows his progress and that of his team, they claim he has put the village on the world map and a simile on the faces. But it... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
03 Apr 2019 - 14:18

null The Public Sector is supposed to be a model employer 

The public sector is expected to behave differently to the private sector. Where as the private sector often requires legislation to improve the condition of workers or act in a way that does not maximise profit the public sector has a wider remit to set a good example for the benefit of the wider community. Local Authorities are expected to be model employers, or they were!  ... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
30 Mar 2019 - 14:04

null Backwards to a Glorious Future

     Where change has failed, let there be continuity. This is how one national news paper described the significance of a new person in charge in Manchester. That is Manchester United Football club but it could have been a reference to new leadership in any one of a number of Local Authorities after years of churn and unconvincing change. Instead of retuning to the attaching football... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
25 Mar 2019 - 13:43

null Sometimes the Leader is to Blame

As a senior manager I always signed up to the view that when something goes wrong we should resist the temptation to find out who was to blame. It’s not just that a blame culture makes people afraid to make decisions,  inhibits innovation and risk taking it’s unfair because when something goes wrong there are usually a range of reasons why. But sometimes the leader is to blame.... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
24 Mar 2019 - 11:18

null Gardeners Question Time 

The residents committee has just named my neighbour  as having an outstanding garden and to my embarrassment has named and shamed us as having a poor garden with little prospect of improvement. My neighbour certainly has a well maintained garden that is not only colourful all year round but has carefully selected plants and flowers to encourage the bees and butterflies. They have... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Mar 2019 - 12:24

null Managing the Millennials 

Millennials are defined as the children of baby boomers. By 2020 they will make up 20% of the global workforce. Do they expect to be managed differently? Yes, more engaged, more involved and more valued. They may appear to welcome the demise of the traditional corporate culture with its emphases on hierarchy and time served in favour of a more sink or swim culture where its possible... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
05 Dec 2023 - 12:36

null Are social workers the champion whingers? 

I’m a former social worker and someone who believes strongly in the professions values. I think that there are things social workers, whether working with young people or vulnerable adults, do better than other professionals in particular their focus on the individual’s total situation not just one element of their lives. In promoting, independence , dignity, choice and respect social workers... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
23 Feb 2019 - 14:39

null Just saying 

You know all those articles which tell you the importance of learning to say “No”. How liberating it is, how you suddenly regain control of your life and establish a work life balance. Well what if you’re the person they suddenly start saying no to? As a manager I don’t want people to say no. My job after all is to get people to do what needs to be done Do you remember when... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
19 Feb 2019 - 13:59

null Back in time to the 60s

Recent research by the Centre for Social Investigation at Nuffield College, University of Oxford, has revealed that recruitment discrimination is as bad as it was in the late 60s   Despite all the legislation passed in the mean time bias in work place recruitment is showing leaves of discrimination not seen since the 1960s. Herculean efforts by HR to design and monitor recruitment... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
19 Feb 2019 - 13:54

null This charming man/woman

Ever wondered why candidates with less experience and knowledge get promoted so quickly? Could it be they charmed the interview panel? “He must have had quite a lot of charm ,as he was promoted by people very quickly”. Do you recognise this individual ? Are you all too familiar with the practice? Why is charm stressed above other qualities that might be assumed to be of greater significance... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
11 Sep 2019 - 06:02

null The Good Place 

Two people die and believe that a case of mistaken identity has resulted in them being admitted to the Good Place ( Heaven)in error. They attempt to ensure they are not found out and sent to the Bad Place. In this they are assisted by two people whose good past life appears to confirm that only good people get into the good place. The twist is that this is not the good place it’s just... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
04 Feb 2019 - 12:35

null The Plan

How long do you stick with a plan that isn’t working? At what point should you bend to the pressure to change the way you do things? How long is long enough to prove your way will deliver?  Great leaders have the happy knack of knowing when to stubbornly persist and when to listen to the critics, change direction and tactics.  Having a good plan is not enough. Do the team... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
01 Feb 2019 - 17:16

null Don’t pay the Ransom

  That’s what the police say. The statistics say something different. A small percentage of hostages escape and very few are rescued. Less than 1% are killed. If you, your family or your employees are at risk of being kidnapped you need two things, specialist security and ransom insurance (RI).  RI has two conditions . One, it’s important that no one knows you have RI other wise it... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
01 Feb 2019 - 10:04

null Shrink to Fit

Austerity set Local Authorities a very big challenge how to get smaller without too much pain?    You can shrink people as in the film Downsizing , this solution turned out to have its problems your money goes further but if your income is reduced then low pay, poor housing, inadequate health care and discrimination remain.  You can shrink resources as in the Monty Python... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
26 Jan 2019 - 14:54

null Are you a Warrior or a Worrier?

There are many exciting films and books about great warriors their stories inspire us. We admire the warrior, their bravery, their resourcefulness, their fighting spirit , their ability to overcome resistance and adversity. True they can be a bit aggressive, impetus, excitable and stubborn. Most of us would like to think we had a little bit of the Warrior in side of us. No one wants to be... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
25 Jan 2019 - 11:50

null Praise in public criticise in private 

That’s the received wisdom yet recently two very successful and high profile managers have publicly criticised their staff one going as far as to single out individuals. Was this a calculated man management strategy or a momentary lapse, a result of frustration, disappointment and the pressure to deliver? In one case it seemed like a conscious decision because it was repeated. In the second... See more
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