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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
29 Jul 2014 - 11:31

null Why this obsession with leadership?

First we had leaders make the difference, success is based on strong leadership. Then it was no more heroes because the charismatic individual’s insistence on uncritical loyalty can lead you astray. This was followed by the need for leaders at every level in the organisation and for all managers to have leadership skills. Unfortunately all managers didn't want to be leaders and all managers... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
24 Jul 2014 - 12:17

null Whatever happened to Community Cohesion?

It was replaced by "radicalisation". The concern shifted from maintaining good relations with are neighbours to stopping some of them becoming terrorists. But this does not mean the responsibility shifted from local councils to MI5."Radicalisation" we are told starts in school, so it's an issue for local authorities even though they no longer run schools that power having been given to... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
24 Jul 2014 - 11:53

null What to do if offered a "Brush- by".

  You know if you have been given the brush off but should you welcome the opportunity for a "Brush-by" ? In the US they are no longer restricted to official meetings,informal meetings and secret meetings they now also have "Brush-bys". Your chair/boss doesn't want you to give this pressure group the status of a meeting fearing it will be misinterpreted as in some way showing support... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
24 Jul 2014 - 11:52

null The gap between the flash and the bang

  The bright idea is followed by, nothing. To misquote president Bill Clinton being a senior manager is like being in charge of a cemetery you have a lot of bodies underneath you but you can't be sure anyone is listening. He was probably having a bad day with Congress. Truman another US president described this gap between the flash and the bang as ," I sit here all day trying to... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
24 Jul 2014 - 11:50

null The dismantling and destruction of the public sector

. Recently I have been forced to change how I think about my time as a senior manager in local government. I was always positive at work, I believed that the teams I worked in could change things for the better, that we were improving services even at a time when we were required to make efficiency savings and budget cuts. I helped deliver a lot of reorganisations and each time I was able to... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 15:08

null Simple test for dementia what does this mean for HR

A simple new test to identify the early on set of dementia is being heralded as a major medical break through but what are the implications for employers?  How would your organisation respond to an employee who has had a positive test result? What would be a reasonable adjustment ? How would this diagnoses effect the employees annual appraisal ?... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 13:08

null The leader as boss

  The boss is another name for your manager. "The Boss" is also how the chief executive is referred to by other senior managers. In his new book "The myth of the strong leader" Archie Brown argues that political leaders are not always the boss. He quotes US president Truman " I sit here all day trying to persuade people to do things they ought to do without my persuading ....". Most... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 12:54

null This is one to Cher

  I hadn't appreciated the danger of using pop song titles in your articles. I submitted an article to a professional journal that has published my work before. The editor is always very positive and prompt in replying. However this time I got a very strange response from what I had thought a serious and sober publication. "  do you want an image of yourself on board an aircraft... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 15:18

null Seek neither heroes nor villains

  A friend drew my attention to a series of personal comments put on face book about a former colleague. The hostile comments had been provoked by an article the individual had written but the criticism wasn't about content, it was personal. The individual was an ex senior manager in the organisation those commenting had all worked for. Despite all concerned having left the... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 12:54

null Chopping off Heads

  If you end up in special measures you are expected to do the right thing- resign. If you don't chances are you will be forced out. The board want to appear strong, decisive and determined to act. What simpler way to demonstrate this than by sacking the person in charge. Your offer of resignation may be rejected if the board disagrees with the inspection report's findings or... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 15:08

null The sword in the stone

  As a method of recruiting to a politically sensitive post the sword in the stone proved effective. The belief at the time was that the top job could only be filled by a very special person. They were out there somewhere, it would be worth the wait for the right person. The jousting contest ,the winner of which earned the right to attempt to withdraw the sword from the stone was an... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 12:54

null The minister expects-Are inspections practise led or politically driven?

  How can a school be judged to be "outstanding" and 12 months latter the same school, with the same teachers,the same head and the same governors  be re assessed as "inadequate"? How can a local authority children's service be judge "serving most children well with good prospects for improvements" and then following a death in care be places in special measures? How come some... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 13:01

null When did it become ok to be a racist?

  I was not surprised that in a recent survey a third of those responding admitted to being  racially prejudice. I was surprised that they admitted it. When did it become ok to be racist?   If this is how it is in the wider society it must be how some staff feel in hospitals, housing offices,social services departments, schools, police forces, the benefits agency. ... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 12:54

null Can you be too good?

  Its tempting to think it doesn't happen in the public sector because we are nice people but do people recent success? Do colleagues feel threatened by someone who has just arrived and starts raising the bar, hits targets with apparent ease, races up the league table and does it whilst delivering efficiency savings and budget cuts? Do colleagues in other departments fear they are... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 15:39

null The Man in the White Suit

New test for dementia. PM urges more resach into antibiotics. Most of us probably assumed that the next wonder drug would be a cure for cancer, the prevention of dementia or may be a new generation of antibiotics effective against super bugs. But what if a multinational drugs company in striving to do just this has stumbled on something else. Not a cure or prevention more a very effective way... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 15:18

null Positive discrimination will it mean incompetent people are appointed

In a recent speech Sadiq Khan shadow justice secretary has indicated that a Labour Government would change the law so that the police, judiciary and other public sector organisation could positively discriminate in favor of recruiting people from Black and minority ethnic groups. What this means in practice is that organisations would be able to specifically advertise for black candidates,... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 15:08

null The changing officer member relationship

  "Unfortunately this is unlikely to be acceptable to the politicians". The interim  director was quoting from my report. "This is exactly what I am talking about". The tone was sever and accusatory  but not  address to me but to her senior management team. " Officers seem to think they know better than members, they are forgetting they were not the ones elected. This is... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 15:39

null Pushed off the glass cliff

  Women in senior management are more likely than men to be sacked or forced out. The frequency with which this happens has been recognised by a new corporate phrase "pushed off the glass cliff".  Researchers at the global management company Strategy& found that women are forced out of chief executive positions more than a third of the time , while only a quarter of men in a... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 15:32

null Halal Hysteria

  There was a "fowl" smell in the air last week. It was caused by the slaughter of chickens, only it wasn't. It was the rotten stink of hypocrisy and prejudice masquerading as the people's right to know. The halal hysteria wasn't anything to do with animal welfare or food labelling. It was a media created moral panic and as such it told us much about the state of diversity in modern... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jul 2014 - 15:08

null All Black short list

  Labour did it for female parliamentary candidates, senior police offers have asked to change the law to do it, the judiciary recently stated it was the type of radical way foreward that was necessary and now it is suggested that the Civil Service should adopt it. We are talking about positive discrimination. In the case of the Civil Service it is to address the under representation... See more
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