Future Mindset – Why Things Have to End for Growth to Begin There’s a truth we don’t always like to admit – some things need to end for better things to begin. It might be a relationship. A job. A hobby you once loved. A city, a habit, a dream. Sometimes you’ve simply outgrown them

A personal reflection on my mum’s recent health scare, the quiet grief she still carries, and the resilience we all need – at every age – to choose better for ourselves. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late to change, to grow, or to take your future into your own hands.

“If you can dream it, you can do it” (but how do you actually do it?) Walt Disney’s famous ethos, “If you can dream it, you can do it,” though not his original quote, resonates with many. It recently appeared in my Google feed, sparking my interest. Despite my struggles with creativity, I excel at

Serial or Parallel: Unraveling the Productivity Dilemma In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, the question arises – how do you approach tasks: serially or in parallel? What does it mean to be ‘done’ with something? Essentially, it’s about whether you patiently wait for one activity to conclude before diving into the next,

It’s that time for enjoying and reflecting (not panicking and stressing) It’s that time of year again – a mix of panicking and stressing, chilling and reflecting. Where did the last 12 months go? The mad rush into Christmas has begun – presents, food, travel, and picking up relatives. But why does a time meant

It’s during these challenging times that leaders need to be focussed, self-assured and role-modelling the behaviours you need from your team and organisation. Now is not the time to expecting things just to work out because of natural growth or assuming everyone is on the same page – now more than ever is the time for planning and strategy, thoughtful but decisive leadership and clear communication.

A battle is not the war – know the difference and choose yours One bit of advice I was given by my boss in my twenties was to ‘choose my battles’. These were indeed wise words I have since heeded and shared. What did she mean by this? For me it was about not wasting

A resounding success was the headlines. Happier, less stressed staff, sickness down, and more productivity and profits up. Sign me up.

The unshakeable, unchangeable Civil Service is there – plodding along, doing the right thing. Maybe a little late, maybe a little overbudget, maybe a little bit sarcastically, but they – the civil service and those civil servants are like an unmoving mountain.

What would I tell my younger self? I’m sat in my living room, the doors to the garden open wide, early on a Saturday morning. I hear the distant noise of a young girl talking to her parents in a garden not so far away. I’ve been thinking for the last few weeks after reading

Lost and Found – Finally I Reconnected With A Long Lost School Friend Friday 1st April was a big day for me. I only see the irony now of when I searched and added a long lost school friend on Facebook they might have thought it was a joke. Who are you? I was having

At the weekend I visited my son. It’s great having adult children. When you’re a parent of younger children you do have anxieties of what their future is going to be – of course it never goes away, but what does change is what you worry about.I’ve been keeping an eye on the Ukraine crisis

It was date night on two Saturday’ ago. We’d booked a table for 7pm. It was a new restaurant to us and we both love Italian food – what could go wrong (sorry about the spoiler title). Arrived just before 7pm, it was clear at the start that things weren’t going to plan. It all

This week the BBC withdrew from the Stonewall Equality index – it’s not the first organisation to do so recently. Stonewall has taken a very proactive stance on trans rights which has unsettled some organisations few on trans equality. However, Stonewall represents all LGBT+ people and their rights to live without fear or prejudice –

Whenever I start with a new client (I’m an interim digital and technology leader) I often begin thinking about three things: reflecting what kind of impression I need to make, what I need to be doing to show leadership, and what I need to do to role model the behaviours and ambition I want the

I think I’m turning into a militant vegetarian. I get asked often why I choose not to eat meat, and it’s for a few simple reasons The climate. Farming animals for food is very unfriendly for the environment. And of course it’s bad for the animals. It’s very bad. We don’t need to eat it

A couple of years ago I worked with a woman (Louise) who took photos everyday, I know who doesn’t take the odd selfie? But this was different, it was normally several photos – but she would share just one of these as her “Photo of the Day” – something meaningful for that day. I guess

I read a really interesting (actually frivolous) article about how Netflix apparently fired a few marketing execs for ‘griping’ on Slack. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-fires-execs-over-slack-comments-1234982361/ Most people that have used Slack (or Teams for that matter) will know you have public and private channels (different to direct messages). It seems that the hapless marketeers were actually doing the

I get a little excited sometimes about building things. I’ve made a few things – I’ve always been very practical and I love to get stuck into a project from time to time. I’ve made a dining tables from reclaimed cable drums and built my own bed. The main thing is quality and design. Most

The day had been booked in the diary for a few weeks. Ever since my friend knew the date they were moving. It had been a stressful time for them. Buying a house is stressful at any time, but during the pandemic and much of the time during lock-down it only amplifies this. Thankfully I

Sometimes I get carried away. It often involves my friends sweet basket that is positioned in their living room. I make a beeline for it every time I’m there – Rebecca Fox, aged 7, rather than 47. When it comes to sweets I have zero self-control – if I buy them for home, a bag

Soon after my Mum’s second COVID vaccination I went to stay with her for a few weeks. Prior to the global pandemic I was going to spend some time with her in late Autumn 2020, but with lockdowns and a shielding our meeting had been limited to cups of tea and Kit Kats in the

I’m enjoying, or maybe enduring lockdown in central Manchester. It is a wonderful City – not too big, not too small. Diverse, friendly, creative. It’s also a bit of a building site – as I type the noise from the pavement widening outside is echoing between the buildings where I live. One particular building work

After all, when people start to learn – we might find out they’d been right all along.

The other week I came across some street art. Angel wings. “What if I fall? Oh by my darling, what if you fly?”

Earlier in Trump’s Presidency I read a brilliant article on Trump and his ways of working. Attack. Attack. Attack. Deny. Deny. Deny. And repeat. We all know he’s a bully, sexist, racist, nepotistic and so many other odious things. But he’s also idealised by half the Americans. Why? Because they want to be him! They

Hey, I’m talking to you. White person! Yeah you! All that stuff going on in America – the George Floyd stuff. It’s really important. It’s affecting lots of people. Not just the hundreds of murdered black people that went before him, but everyone viewing those images, seeing the protests and the violent threats and responses

With the Conservatives have now turned on their star player. Their star player delivered them Brexit back in June 2016, it was then a further three years of messing about before it could be executed on. And only in 2019 that the star player, Dominic Cummings, could be brought publicly back on to the field.

There were early warning signs that something was going to happen from early January 2020. Coronavirus was in the news, the pace picked up through February and then into March with the lock-downs across many counties in Europe and US. The number one business goal during this crisis is revenue protection – in short, survival.

It’s all too easy to let the lock-down put a damper on things – so many things we can’t do. Restrictions put on us to protect us and our loved one, and front line services from being overloaded – but for business, it’s also like a work prevention order. There is the immediate need to

Wage freezes, redundancies, lost income, fewer opportunities – that is the economic legacy from the cornavirus. Like it or not that’s that net result of the current corona virus – and as much as it will bounce back quickly (my prediction) it will take a few years to return to normal, unlike the ten years

It wasn’t quite from Maynard Keynes said, but serves as a good benchmark for what we should expect of people, especially of people in power. Right now people are clinging to a fact, that over 3 years ago 52% of the population voted to leave the EU. Some of the facts shared by the Leave

Another nauseating read, I forced myself to read it all. Why is it that middle class white people (yes I am one) get all the coverage? Jihadi Jack’s parent’s struggle, the £7M court case, and their suspended sentence. Why are we focussing on these privileged people? They look great it in the news! Fighting (not

I never understood why I initially liked Teresa May. Was it because she was a Tory? Fact at the time I was too. But it was also because she came as across as balanced, structured, and process driven – May Bot indeed. Having an unstable leader is not something I value, least not the prime

As an emotion shame is suppose to keep us in check from doing ‘stupid’ things. But it also stops people living true and authentic lives through not fault of their own. I was born this way, and I was abused. I didn’t choose this. I was reading an article about how shame stopped (and stops)

The blacklisting of Huawei by America on security grounds is significant. Far more significant than I realised at the time. The announcements by Google, and their legal requirements to stop working with Huawei have far reaching consequences for those who have invested in their handset technology. Don’t get me wrong I’m not a fan of

It’s hard to believe that The Jeremy Kyle show has been on air since 2005. Yesterday ITV finally announced the odious programme was never to return. I remember watching it, enjoying it is disbelief and outrage. Not at the format and how he treated the people on the show. How could people live their lives

I believe that making deep and meaningful relationships with people is the key to happiness. It doesn’t matter what makes you happy – successful career, family and friends, voluntary, hobbies, and of course life partners – without relationships they are nothing. To have relationships is to be human. For much of my life I felt

Running a business you get asked all sorts of questions, often about the services and products you provide. I’m pretty fluent in what we do. This week I was asked what ‘good looked like’ when managing a large programme – it’s a question I’ve been asked many times, in different ways, over the years. I

I was born in the 70’s. The choices then where limited, especially in a deprived northern city where I spent most of my childhood. One of the most critical choices was a second hand chopper or hand-me-down grifter? Like many LGBT children I survived Section 28 – but it could have been so much better.

My experience with the police this week tells me that they are underfunded and the system of communications between police forces are broken. Let me also start by saying that our police do an amazing job, dealing with very difficult and challenging situations and people – they have my full support, but that does not

The older I get the more I realise that money isn’t the answer to problems. Yes, of course money helps – it helps a lot. And there is a point where having enough money generates money, with not very much [of your] effort – I’m not quite there yet! But in business and in life,

Many years ago I had a boss who had a catch phase he played back to business stakeholders when they wanted to do major projects “It will require 50% of your time. So is that mornings or afternoons?”. Of course, in reality, this never did happen. But it is the truth. To get things done

So the evening of the vote my MPs on May’s Brexit Deal. I’m a little anxious. As pro EU remainer I have to say the last few years have been very frustrating. I’m sure I was someone who believes we are better outside the EU, they are equally frustrating. The deal that May has struck

It’s interesting times. The world around me seems to be falling apart. British and international politics is chaos. Reporters murdered in broad daylight. Hate crime rising. Climate change upon us, with no strategy or agreement. Democracy being eroded. So many unknowns. Unable to see truths from the lies. Fear, turning to hate. Polarisation. No common

A few weeks ago I got invited to talk at the LGBT Business Conference East meets West in Vienna. My talk was to share what Series Q does in the UK. In short, Series Q is community for LGBT entrepreneurs and people working in start-ups to learn, share and connect with each other – with

I wrote a blog back in September 2017 (Trump’s Playground War On North Korea) about these two love birds and their public falling out. I compared it to the school play ground – and things haven’t got any better with the ridiculous nature of their relationship. Now best of friends – the bullies have come

As the liquidators and MP select committee continue to rummage around the wreckage of Carillion, and creditor wait eagerly to what remains of it’s carcass over the coming months and years we have to remind ourselves that outsourcing is not all bad. It is sometimes said that outsourcing is the solution for lazy management. And

The USA has declared war on North Korea.  Oh, the irony of the dictator state using the same childish weapon of crying unfair used against it leaps out. It is the kind of behaviour you witness is the school playground.   But of course this is Trump’s way of working. It is ow he got to

One of my favorite roles in my career was heading up a sales team. I know it seems an odd thing for someone with a technical background to be doing, but it makes perfect sense, I really enjoyed it and I know I left it in a better place by focusing on the people ensured

When I am looking to work with people, people to become part of my team (or myself to become part of another team) I look for three things in people. Having a team around you is really important to ensure things get done. I don’t mean getting the same things done – I mean getting the

With my ninja like skills and I normally find a seat. But at nearly £500 a month you might think a seat on a train would be guaranteed, but sadly not.

It’s been a long time since I actually stopped reading a book midway through. Actively stopped. Took my bookmark out, and then sat on the train contemplating if I should have invested another five hours, along with the previous five I had already clocked up. The book was called Insanely Gifted by one of the

The recent comments made by Hammond can not simply be brushed off as being (or trying to be) funny. Unconscious or otherwise he crafted homophobia and targetted the LGBT community specifically. This is different to saying something is ‘gay’ where the intent (is often) not aimed at the LGBT community, but just immature. Yes it shouldn’t

It’s positive that another great establishment has been ‘outed’ for harboring child abusers – pedophiles. And brave people stepping forward to admit something happened to them, that simply was not their fault. But we must not forget that most child sexual abuse happens in families. Farther, Uncles, Grandfathers, family friends, and occasionally even some women.

The Public inquiry will never succeed until it is led by someone who has experience sexual abuse. The Inquiry needs to have legal representation, and a lot of it. But fundamentally this is about the lives of people who were abused symmetrically by people, who were sheltered by organisations. Who is going to step forward

They say that Uber is the largest taxi firm without owning any taxis, and AirBnB has more hotel rooms than Hilton. But after the employment court ruling that Uber needs to treat their drivers as employees, is this a game changer for everything? Employing people is expensive, and then looking after a fleet of vehicles

I just read the most patronising peace of drivel about how start your morning really well. I am not sure what made it worse that it was in Forbes and I expect more – instead of following the click-bait masses on a downward spiral.

I have never been great at sport or athletics, and coming from a ‘sporty’ family I never really could compete with my brother or my farther. My brother played county level tennis and badminton, keen at hockey and football, and in his youth my father was picked to play for rugby for England. Living with

If we want anything doing we will have to fight for it. I am pleased we have a new Prime Minister. Regardless of which party you support, or if you do or do not like Theresa May – we have someone in charge now. She comes with very credible experience in government. But of course

It was a bold and brave move to put the UK to a referendum on the EU. I have never hidden my desire for the UK to remain in the EU, and of course I respect the decision of the UK voting public. We are to leave the EU. The UK at the front, leading

Today is the morning after a wonderful evening spent with IT peers listening to what senior IT leaders think about business and IT. The subject of the Brexit came up – mainly because I raised the issue in conversation and I am passionate that the UK should remain in the EU. I am worried that

I will get around to writing some business related things here at some point, but for now – I am on a rant about LGB and being trans. And America (well parts of it). OK actually this blog is about business too – and it is also about fairness and equality. The UK Government have

Just A Hard-drive of Data The scale of the leak from Mossack Fonseca compared to other recent leaks is staggering. 2.6TB of data, 11 and half million documents. WikiLeaks comes in at just 1.7GB – a drop in the ocean. OK – let’s be honest you could fit all that data on a portable hard-drive