Wordle

Have you tried using Wordle to analyse data?

I routinely use it to pick out key words form great tracts of text, and my latest venture was to ask a bunch of friends and colleagues for 5 words that they would use to describe me - the answer is here

The pace of change...

Change is endemic throughout life - and especially in the public sector at the moment.

Coming from a large corporate that has undergone very significant change over the 26 years I worked there - and went from pariah to paragon of excellence - I believe that the predominant public sector change model is fundamentally flawed and inevitably leads to dissatisfaction and mediocrity. 

As a change leadership professional I am often appalled at the slow pace of change in the public sector. Some of it is understandable in that the stakeholder model inevitably requires more consultation etc. However, too many consultees do not seem to understand the difference between consultation and democracy - "I can and will consult you, your views may or may not influence the decision" is very different to "Vote for A or B, I will accept the result of the ballot". Moreover, I often see a lack of understanding of the need for real involvement, that goes beyond simply holding consultation workshops; it is by really involving people that the deep issues are exposed and addressed and long-term committment to the solution achieved.

Then the decision processes are far too drawn out and I often wonder if the purpose of the processes, typically involving layers of committees, is to avoid being able to hold anyone to account.

What business has to contribute is the urgency and recognition that change can and should happen faster - if I had a philosophy in this arena (and this is a deliberate caricature) it is "make the change and sort any mess out later" (there will always be mess!), whereas the public sector seems to be "try everything we can to avoid any mess" - a forlorn hope. How much more effective could we be if we applied the Pareto Principle rather than trying to get everything 110% right before moving. By the time the public sector has consulted, considered, decided, planned, consulted about the implementation plan, etc, the goalposts have changed!

Waited almost all day for some workbooks to arrive for a personal development that my other half is running - the delivery company could not find out house even though it has been here for 250 years!

As i walked in to deliver them to the programme (NB It is a women-ony programme) I was delighted with the reception - a bunch of unknown women appreciating my actions.

Now there is a ripple...

What ripples have you made today?

Everything I do has a ripple effect - spreading out into the world to create consequences, good or bad.

What have you done today?