Category: Engagement

I spent a very interesting half hour over at the Essex County Council website last night. Yes – I did say interesting. I was drawn to the site after reading an excellent blog post over at Flip Chart Fairy Tales. FCFT is a new discovery for me and I strongly recommend adding it to your reading list. It’s a great look at Business Bullshit, Corporate Crap and other stuff from the World of Work.

The story I read at FCFT is about budget cutting, and about how Essex County Council has published a diy budget cutter tool. DIY Slash n Burn. I spent 30 minutes trying to balance the books at Essex. Basically they (and for they we mean every local authority in the country) need to make swingeing cuts in next years budget. They have to do this against the backdrop of a freeze in council tax. Why central Government is imposing such a freeze at a time of such financial austerity is beyond me. It’s at times like this we should all pull together, get involved, make a contribution (and couldn’t that include a few extra quid on the council tax bill?). In one way I think that’s what Essex County Council are trying to do with this budget cutter tool, and isn’t that in part what Big Society is supposed to be about?

In the end, I managed to balance the books. It was interesting, and it wasn’t fun. Apart from some swingeing cuts in the Olympic legacy and Tourism budgets (sorry about that), I really only tinkered with the rest. Why don’t you pop over to Essex and have a go yourself. The tool is easy to use, and my only teeny criticism is that it doesn’t sit too well with the overly happy image sitting above it.

Wow – time flies, where did July go! I’ve had a blast as HRzone’s guest blogger of the month. I promised the good people at HRzone a song to sign off on. Here it is, hope you like it.

A Song for HRzone from Doug Shaw on Vimeo.

If your HR strategy has really hit the floor, And your employees are all voting with their feet

And in your heart, deep down you know there must be more, You need somewhere to help you feel upbeat

If all your people are whining, And you need a little inspiring

Then go to HRzone the site, that’s really neat….

Derek Irvine blogs about recognition, Alison’s paddle will get you through the creek

Straight talking’s what you get from Andrew Leigh, There’s even a space in their blogosphere for yours truly

Hot topics are covered in great detail, Engagement, leadership and wellbeing are just three

There are more white papers than you can shake a stick at, And you can download great research it’s all for free

If it’s great thinking you’re after, To avoid an HR disaster

Then go to HRzone, cos it’s the place to be

And before you’ve had enough, Read an editorial by Charlie Duff

Then catch the news on the latest HR Strategy

If all your perspiration’s, Not giving you inspiration

If you’re struggling to find that great idea

Then once more I suggest, Go to the place that does HR best

Go to HRzone cos it’s the place to be

This week has flow. You know? I know.

It started with a delightful weekend camping in the New Forest at Toms Field with family and great friends. We cycled to the Royal Oak in Fritham, enjoyed their beer. Moths were spotted and identified, including the beautiful White Ermine. And we enjoyed the British weather in all its glory.

My daughter Keira is seven, and she is blessed with what you might call a sunny disposition. I felt humbled watching her skip through puddles on a persistently drizzly final day at camp singing “It’s the best day ever”. And boy, right then she meant it. How motivating.

And on went the flow.

Yesterday and today.

Journeys into and out of London with multiple connections, all seamlessly made.

Purposeful, genuinely interesting meetings.

Reinforcing great connections, making great new ones.

Sharing ideas, loving listening.

A few days of jigsaw puzzle pieces, perfectly fitting.

Flow. Tomorrow? Hope so. You?