Staple Stories

Tough Love and Why I Loathe Scrambled Eggs

Back in 1980 I ended up in Dundee on an Outward Bound course with a cross-section of c50 other young people. On this course we didn’t climb mountains or ford rivers, instead over three weeks, we faced some of the very real challenges that exist hidden in our communities. I experienced 4 placements including: intermediate treatment (pre-borstal): a psychogeriatric ward; decorating the home of an MS sufferer; and most dauntingly- a ward with about 25 patients where the highest mental age was c18 months.

Continue Reading

Blog

JAC Application Forms – Stand Out from the Crowd

From many years of experience and working with numerous candidates you may find something useful below.

Allow sufficient time and schedule your writing of the form in bite size chunks. Typically, from scratch, a good form can take up to 16 hours of your time.

Seek advice from successful candidates from previous competitions and ask to look at their forms. Review your previous forms. Check out tips and advice on websites.

Continue Reading

Blog

Capitalism + Marxism – A Brilliant Business Model Bred in Yorkshire

At Leeds Business School Simon Biltcliffe outlined his revolutionary business model –  formed from the bitter dust of the miners’ strike in his native Barnsley. His sense of injustice inspired the creation of his very successful print management business Webmart.  And his “northern values” of honesty, directness and trust are the company’s DNA.  He wanted to both challenge and encourage us to learn from history, to keep things simple, engage all staff, to innovate, share learning, to expect people to think you are mad – yet  to make work as enjoyable and as much fun as possible. In common with Steve Edge he emphasised the principle “what goes around comes around”.

Simon was incredibly open and I was struck that he used many more “share”

Continue Reading

Blog

Branding & Design Edge – Uncommon Sense

I was lucky enough to be at a Leeds Business School to hear Steve Edge @EdgeDesignLtd let the audience have his views on marketing and design with both barrels. Steve told us stories and anecdotes from his amazing career which were both thought provoking and challenging – but laced with some simple pearls of wisdom. From working on the Muppets and then Star Wars with George

Continue Reading

Blog

“Well every now and again the ripples rock my boat…

I just throw up my arms and we’ll get soaked”

Whether your ripples are the never ending government changes to our legal system, the increasing regulatory requirements, bureaucracy and technological changes, frazzled clients, stressed colleagues or simply increased competition – our boats can feel well and truly rocked.

Continue Reading

Blog, Staple Stories

A Bottle of Orange Squash – Balancing the Books

When I was a student I worked as a volunteer in a hospice serving drinks to the patients and their relatives. One morning I went into a room and met a young mother who was clearly 30-40 years younger than any of the other patients. She asked me if I would buy her some orange squash and as I was back in the next day I readily agreed.

That afternoon I went to my nearest supermarket and bought the best and most expensive bottle of orange squash. The following day I went back to the hospice and gave the bottle to the woman. She asked me to take the money from her purse and I explained that it was fine and was a gift. I then stupidly had an argument with this dying young woman about who should pay for the orange squash.

Continue Reading

Blog

Public Defender Service – A Level Playing Field?

I tried for many months to get answers from the MoJ as to whether their PDS offers the tax payer value for money. My MP Stuart Andrew has supported my attempts to gain answers by sending several letters to the MoJ and ministers.

Two things happened last week. Firstly I received another letter from my MP – “It appears, somewhat conveniently when considering the Department’s failure to fully address your concerns that my letter dated 17^th July was never received.” He is pursuing the department for answers. More worryingly I picked up a link from the JRS website that the PDS have appointed a silk as Head of Advocacy.

Continue Reading

Blog

Coming Crisis

I recently learnt  that the Chinese symbol for “crisis” is represented by the two Sino-characters for “danger” and “opportunity”. Is that why I have heard such contrasting views from two highly respected business leaders this week?

In October, as part of the ILF I heard Duncan Bannatyne almost preach that “now is the time to start a new business”. Yet the following day at Leeds Business School I heard David Scott present an overview of our debt crisis and share his view that “Europe may be on the brink of a 10 year depression”.

Continue Reading