Week 1 (How imaginative!)

I'm currently working on a couple of contracts for a major postal services company and enjoying myself very much. The programmes are about change and performance management and I love the culture because it reminds me of the MOD - uniformed, bolshie and Theory X! The change stuff is particularly interesting because I'm working with groups of other facilitators (some good, some not so good!) managing 50+ delegates. It's very "sheep-dippy" but what the client wants and it's interesting to see other people's styles. The delegates are great, mostly front-line operational managers and there's lots of banter but we're achieving good outcomes and getting good feedback - which is nice. To help with my own learning and understanding, I've arranged to visit a couple of the company's local operating sites in a week or two's time and will report back when I've been. Oh yes, and I'm working mostly locally in Kent, Surrey and Sussex except for a trip to Preston and am notching up new places where I've never worked before - Tunbridge Wells and Crawley among them.

Other hot stuff is that I'm about to start delivering a CIPD accredited programme in October and am required by the company I'm doing it for to provide a PDP. I actually took some time to think about it and delivered the PDP on time today. In it I included the fact that I was considering doing a coaching qualification and I've actually signed up for a programme this afternoon. Sadly, it's not until November (can't do the earlier one because I'm working) but it'll be interesting to see how it goes. Oh yes, and I also said that one of my developmental goals was to start keeping a blog again!

Not a lot else going on outside work. Spent last weekend in our lovely brand spanking new mobile home by the sunny Sussex sea and have been busy at home fighting foxes and wood pigeons. The latter have been pinching raspberries but have been easily dealt with by the judicious (oh, Colin, where are you now?!) application of a bit of netting. The former are nasty malodorous scum who take great delight in destroying anything they can get their teeth into - and anything that gives them the option to dig up my vegetables, particularly brassicas, they especially enjoy. Or am I anthropomorphising too much? I just wish that the bleeding hearts out there would stop feeding and encouraging the blighters.

OK, I guess that'll do for a week - need to go and offer the roofers a cuppa, its blummin' hot up there today!