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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
13 Jan 2020 - 07:34

null How to start a difficult conversation 

The person you are going to talk to isn’t going to like what you have to say. They are going to take it personally. You are going to challenge them and their reaction may be defensive, antagonistic or accusatory.  As a senior manager concerned with the quality of people management within the organisation I was surprised at how many managers felt ill equipped to have a... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
17 Dec 2019 - 15:57

null Christmas Crackers

A table of middle aged, single, American women were preparing to eat a Christmas meal in the splendid dinning room of the cruse ship as it sailed down the Danube. The table was festively decorated with a Christmas cracker at every place setting. One of the women picked up her cracker and said,” I believe you pull these and they burst open with gifts, hats and jokey messages.” Taking... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
08 Dec 2019 - 15:05

null Christmas and New Year Challenge 

There is an old Mexican saying that if you drink the water then you will stay. Meaning if you stop for even a short period you will be captivated by the place. But in view of the state of the water supply it might be more appropriate to say that you need a strong stomachache to live here. When I think of how local government use to be and how it is now I think of old Mexico and the... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
04 Dec 2019 - 13:48

null The Perfect Crime

In HR they call Passive Aggression (PA) the perfect crime as it involves a variety of behaviors designed to “get back” at another person without the other recognising the underlying anger. I thought they were just “difficult” staff. Now I realise they though of themselves either as victims or some sort of resistance fighters. That is victims of bullying or resistance fighters against... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
29 Nov 2019 - 11:41

null The voice of reason

I had a good friend who played in the same football team as me. In the changing room and later during the post -mortum in the pub when we would all agree that their third game changing goal was miles off side and that we should have had at least six dead cert penalties  he would point out the weaknesses in our argument and offer the view that the referee was not only eagle eyed but... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
23 Nov 2019 - 19:33

null Manager says upsetting people is part of role

What if England had lost? How would the managers disciplinary action against one of his best players be viewed?  So some members of the England team thought the manager over-reacted to an incident in the canteen. However the manager was adamant he made the right call and does not fear any long term repercussions. He believes his tough stance will eradicate the possibility of having to ... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
26 Apr 2020 - 09:12

null Simply the Best 

Last year Liverpool were the best in Europe. Judged another way Manchester were the best in England. But if you take into account the amount they spent to achieve this performance then it looks like Sheffield is going to be the best this year. I’m talking football teams but I could be talking Local Authorities.  League tables are a fact of life in local government but that doesn’t... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
18 Nov 2019 - 15:22

null How do you improve performance and make winners?

Everyone has heard about the revolution in British cycling which led to the biggest ever haul of Olympic medals. Every one in sport and any one interested in improving performance wanted to know how they had done it and could it be repeated in other areas, including local government. When asked the secret to their success team GB said a thousand minute improvements non of which on... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
29 Nov 2019 - 10:18

null A managers arrogance is one of the things that make them successful

“ I am the greatest” Mohammad Ali said it and it was arguable true since at the time he was the undisputed world champion. It was certainly boastful and probably deliberately intended to get publicity and sell more tickets for his next fight. He was great box office and he knew it.     Arrogance is usually associated with over confidence and a distain for those less able or less... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
06 Nov 2019 - 20:27

null ‘To be a manager you must forget the player you were” Valerity Lobanovskyi - Dynamo Kyiv 

Management is different to being a practitioner. A gifted teacher doesn’t necessarily make a good manager, nor does a social worker, solicited, accountant, or housing officer. And yet most LA chief executives come from one of these professional back grounds. To continue the footballing analogy, to be an effective manager you need to know the game but the skills required are different... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
06 Nov 2019 - 19:46

null The Computer doesn’t like the look of you 

It’s a video interview for a job you really want. But the interviewer is not like any you have experienced before.    The interviewer you are trying to impress is immune to your charms and it might be better to avoid “humours comments” and or irony. They are an expert in analysing facial expressions and body language. They will closely monitor your word choice but you can be absolutely... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
05 Nov 2019 - 13:34

null The Director and the Local Authority bottle it

The judgement relates to a man with learning difficulties who is described as “having a high sex drive”. A man who has in the past used sex workers and now lives in sheltered accommodation. His disability makes him vulnerable to exploitation and restricts his understanding of the risks but his wishes are clear and he would need help to fulfil them. Social work is about enabling,... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
07 Nov 2019 - 15:30

null The Gig Economy

The gig economy sounds very rock and roll. Rock bands do one night shows referred to as gigs. Strolling minstrels, turn up, play , get paid , move on. Free to come and go as they please, work or not work as they feel like it. Not tied down to a 9 to 5 office jobs instead doing what they want when they want, a combination of liberating freedom and fuck the system rebelliousness . Of... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
07 Dec 2019 - 13:07

null Succession

He has been the leader of the council for 15 years. During that time the council’s has acquired a national profile and come to dominate the region. The first to embrace out sourcing. The first to agree a major contract to outsource all back office services. The leader has a reputation as a canny negotiator and a ruthless political manipulator. Which has not always... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
28 Oct 2019 - 11:50

null Super Heroes or just Masked Vigilantes

Difficult times produced heroes, ordinary people who did exceptional things often at great personal sacrifice. But in the USA heroes were bigger and better they were stronger, faster, with special powers they were Super Heroes. These were not ordinary people but extraordinary  individuals obsessed with justice. People who felt that a corrupt and faulty system denied people justice. So... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
24 Oct 2019 - 22:17

null Why chief executives and directors are never off sick

The average number of days lost to absenteeism in the public sector is ten days. But this figure is closer to five days for office based staff and higher for staff who have direct contact with the public. Much energy and research has gone into how LAs could reduce costly absenteeism. How do you tackle frequent short term absences, which are often very disruptive to the service and... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
21 Oct 2019 - 16:06

null Play the Wild Card

His fancy dress costume was a white sheet with trigs and leaves attached! No one can remember what he was meant to be but everyone remembers his costume. He had been an operational manager and before that a training officer, he was experienced, restless, frustrated, at risk of becoming cynical and applying unsuccessfully for middle management jobs in the latest round of restructuring.... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
21 Oct 2019 - 16:02

null The Boat Trip

It was a private hire. The four of us to visit the more secluded inlets around the coast for a day of sun, sea and relaxation. The two of us had made the same voyage last year ,on the same boat with the same captain and had enjoyed it so much we wanted our daughter and son in law to have the same experience. It wasn’t to be. When we clambered aboard the captain showed no signs of... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
15 Oct 2019 - 13:01

null Is it always the managers fault?

Disappointing performances, poor results, critical audits, damming inspection reports is it always the managers fault? Budget cuts remove much of the room for manoeuvre. Management restructuring results in loss of experience in critical areas. Redeployment places some square pegs in round holes. Service reorganisation, redundancies and changes in working practises impact on moral.... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
11 Oct 2019 - 15:18

null Social workers don’t fear the inspector

A Labour Government would scrap Ofsted. In response to persistent  and loud complaints by teachers and head teachers that Ofsted creates an environment of fear, anxiety and worry the Labour Party has stated it would scrap the current inspection  body. Head teachers and teaching unions have called the current inspection process punitive, requiring schools to spend a disproportionate... See more
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