Blog

There on the Stairs!

I had a meeting today with someone sitting on the stairs! And it was a perfectly helpful, civilised meeting. Except it was on the stairs! I felt like I should ask if he was ok. But he was clearly ok and neither banished from his living room nor relegated from the study…

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A Sense of Time

I’m a J. A planner, an organiser and an arrive early at a meetinger. COVID, working from home and virtual meetings have changed the parameters of all of that. It used to be that you needed 20 minutes to get between meeting, to walk down the corridor or up two flights...

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Bite-sized Learning

Bite-sized Learning

Working from home and the new normal has given me more time to do some bite-sized learning. I’m an avid fan of learning new things and am always looking for ‘input’. I’ve been really impressed by TED Talks, Big Think, LinkedIn Learning, Future Learn and some of the professional webinars I’ve watched. You’ll have seen my posts about….

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The Devil in the Deadline

Yesterday I posted about webinar preparation. Today my experiences are directing me to think about preparation in general, and timeliness. Getting something done by a deadline is really important. A lack of preparation, planning and delivery on one persons part might...

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Leading in a Complex World

One of the three main topics of my research has been leadership at all levels, and consequently complex leadership theory and complex adaptive systems. Having watched how organisations are having to flex and adapt to deliver a COVID response, I’m more convinced that...

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Five Functions Job Level Franework

Five Functions Job Level Franework

One of the original contributions of my thesis is the development of an universal job level framework for Welsh public service organisations, stratified by function rather than salary or job titles. You’re welcome to use my model. Please credit it to me. It’s my pride...

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Hear your work. And listen

I’ve followed the advice of the amazing Tara Brabazon and read my whole thesis out loud. It has certainly brought it to life and pointed out a few bloopers! We often don’t review papers and documents by reading them aloud, but I think it’s a practice I might start...

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The Three Layers of Self-Awareness

Today I found myself talking about my research and I thought maybe I’d share a few things I’ve discovered and developed over the last 4 years with you …. My area of interest is self awareness, leader effectiveness and leadership at all levels I’ve developed a three...

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Think Colleagues

Going in to the office is a peculiar experience these days. Familiar is now strange and order is now reordered. Here are some things to think about…. Be welcoming - some people are using offices they are unfamiliar with, so show them the ropes and make sure they can...

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Intelligent Kindness

Intelligent Kindness

Today I came across this article and a term I’d never heard before: Intelligent Kindness. In one simple phrase it encapsulated to me, precisely what we mean when we talk about kindness in the world of work. This article specifically refers to kindness in healthcare...

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Submission!

My thesis is complete. It is done. It is submitted! After 4 years of reading, learning, writing, revising, critiquing and wanting to throw in the towel, it’s written. It may need refinement and editing but all of the sections are now on a page and the whole thing has...

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Nearly there?

I was aiming for December but it may be more like May!!! Yesterday I wrote the conclusion of the conclusion. The very last page. It did feel very strange yet incredibly positive. My supervisor said he thought I could submit in May rather than December, and who am I to...

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