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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
10 Oct 2016 - 06:35

null Conversations with young children

  First contact   I met Rosie An' Dani ,three names two bodies , on a hot sunny afternoon by the pool, in a walled garden, down a rough track, in a wooded valley know locally for the abandoned ghost village whose roofless stone houses littered one of the steep sides of the valley. This was in the pine forests of rural Turkey. They said , "We are from planet Earth" . Which... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
09 Oct 2016 - 06:20

null The nature of the game

The relationship between a local authority director and their chief executive is like that between a premiership goal keeper and his manager. We all know how much a manager values a safe pair of hands and a new manager likes to bring in some of his own players who will play the game the way he likes to play it. The new chief executive comes with a reputation. Already one of the directors who... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
05 Oct 2016 - 10:06

null How to catch a monkey

The monkeys live in the trees to catch them the locals place a large heavy pottery vase at the bottom of the tree and place fruit, sweets and other things the monkeys like to eat inside. The bulbous vase has wide base and a narrow opening just wide enough for the monkeys small hand. At night the monkey climbers down from the tree reaches in to the vase and grabs a treat making a fist out of... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
01 Oct 2016 - 16:48

null Living with Dementia

Living with dementia is not about some one with dementia, it's not about caring for someone with dementia it about living in a residential  care home where everyone else has dementia. It's about having the room across the corridor from posh Rachael, who walks up and down all day in her underwear complaining she is,"starrrrving", in a very upper crust voice. It's about waking up in the... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
26 Sep 2016 - 12:04

null What was once successful now is not

  Charismatic and autocratic have had their day - well almost. Driven by austerity and made fashionable by the success of a high profile few this type of leadership was in demand. This was the age of the swaggering young gunslinger radiating vigour and upsetting the established order . But few have success at the highest level  for more than a decade. It is a difficult and tiring job... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
22 Sep 2016 - 14:43

null It's Criminal

  I am a big fan of crime fiction and one of my favourite authors is Peter Robinson and his detective DCI Banks. Many of the books have been successfully televised and no doubt his latest "When the music is over " will also be turned into a two part thriller, if so I hope the tv producers rewrite the social workers cameo role from the inaccurate, poorly researched, stereotype, into... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
21 Sep 2016 - 12:49

null The tail of a lion or the head of a mouse

  Do you want to be the tail of a lion or the head of a mouse? Strange question and the answer is probably neither. This may be an unusual way of phrasing a very real dilemma for staff and managers. In the context that this expression was used the question is, would you rather be part of a struggling organisation in the top division or a leading organisation in a lower division. If... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Sep 2016 - 09:17

null Earth Quakes and Hurricanes

  Earth quakes and hurricanes. Well tremors and storms. High winds, lashing rain and rough sea smashing loudly on the rocks all day and all night. Thunder and lightening very very frightening. I understand why the ancient Greeks believed in vengeful gods. It certainly sounds, looks and feels like a violent temper tantrum from a very powerful being as they stamp their foot, smash their... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
06 Sep 2016 - 15:42

null My special powers

  Have you seen that romcom in which the young man inherits his fathers ability to travel back in time, not a long way back only back to a previous incident in their lives. He can go back and change things, not big things like stoping wars , assignations or  plan crashes but small things, those embarrassing moment can be erased from history, words you wish you had never spoken could... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
04 Sep 2016 - 06:22

null Disrespecting the Professionals

  If the world was to explode the last thing to be heard would be an expert explaining why it wouldn't happen. The type of thing Michael Grove might say although it was in fact said by the late Peter Ustinov.   When did we become so anti professionals? This government doesn't listen to teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers. The last government didn't listen to professionals... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
30 Aug 2016 - 09:54

null Bridge on the River Kwai

  The role of the senior manager in local government involves leadership in a political environment. You don't decide policy you don't so much shape strategy as influence and advise. You must convince staff you own the policy and strategy. You don't say the cabinet have decided  because that may give the impression you are not totally behind the policy and strategy which could... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
23 Aug 2016 - 16:32

null When should a leader go?

  Should I stay or should I go? It's the leadership question of the moment. The leader of the opposition is for staying despite an over whelming vote of no confidence, the Prime Minister was for going," let those who got us into this mess get us out of it”,  the England football manager resigns on the spot after a humiliating defeat.  When faced with a damming inspection report... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
15 Aug 2016 - 13:14

null People leave managers not companies

If your organisation has a turnover problem look no further than your managers and supervisors.  A report by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman of the Gallup Organisation claims that the single most likely reason for good staff leaving an organisation is their immediate line manager or supervisor. Strategies to retain good staff have involved golden handcuffs, loyalty bonuses, additional... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Aug 2016 - 10:07

null A grown up conversation

Have you noticed the frequency with which commentators are urging us to have a " Grown Up " conversation ? We are informed that we need to have a  grown up conversation about immigration, that we should have a grown up conversation about , pensions, the NHS , nuclear power, Trident submarines, fracking, climate change, in fact anything big and controversial. By grown up it is intended... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
07 Aug 2016 - 15:40

null Follow the leader

  A leader is some one who tells you what to do. I had a boss who was fond of saying,  "this is not a democracy" , in other words I am not asking you what you think we should do I'm telling you. This is the difference between the elected political leader of the council and the appointed leader of staff the chief executive. The relationship between the leader of the council and the... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
04 Aug 2016 - 22:04

null The sword in hand

  "Ministers should abandon the sword in hand model of performance management.  At a time when resources are so constrained and demand is rising, why does the state rely on crude forms of performance management, take a gladiatorial stance toward anyone dealing in evidence, and preside over systems exhausted by policy churn and structural change?"   "In their hearts, ministers... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
03 Aug 2016 - 10:55

null The lesser hairy white Ape

  During the hot summer months the lesser hairy white ape heads for the coast. Shedding their outer clothes apes can be found in large groups on sandy beaches. In recent years observers have noted apes have appeared in very large numbers along the Spanish coast. There is a significant population migration from the cooler Northern European areas to the warmer southern European coastal... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
26 Jul 2016 - 19:03

null Betrayal and back stabbing in modern times

  Professional footballers are labelled disloyal because they no longer stay with one club but move around chasing money and winners medals. Politicians call each other backstabbers as they oust their leader and jockey for power. The chief executive complains of senior managers undermining them behind their back. The board refers to a high profile whistleblower as disloyal for going... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
06 Sep 2016 - 13:47

null Grandchildren,dogs and chocolate biscuits

  In her dreams she is always lost. Awake she walks into the wardrobe looking for the way out in the dark. The flat is hot, she sleeps a lot. Sometimes when the three of us are talking her head lowers and her eyes close and for a few moments you think she has fallen asleep mid conversation, then she's back. People think she sleeps too much, they suspect she sleeps in the day when on her... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
25 Jul 2016 - 18:45

null Business like pisses people off

Being business like  has come to mean winning contracts. Hence the chief executive of a small voluntary organisation that has grown into a dominant player in the market claims " rivals" don't like the fact that we are more business like. (Or maybe they don 't like the way you win contracts!) Just as Local Authorities in outsourcing services, ruthlessly pursuing value for money and... See more
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