What a day

Very frustrating day, more problems than solutions today, and a feeling that we are not making any headway! Tomorrow is the next meeting with the boss, so need to ensure we make some decisions.

Today was the day that tickets for the 20:20 world cup went on sale, I was logged into the web site by the 10:00 start time. Was thrown out twice, had it crash mid booking and finally got in at 21:33, when 4 of the games I wanted were sold out. Pathetic! IT technology must be able to handle up to 250,000 people trying to access it over a 10 hour period!

I did get 4 games though, including the opening ceremony, so that’s not to bad.

Also played badminton for the first time in a while and won! We played a different scoring system, and it helped my lack of fitness. Having only just recovered from Rounders, I hope I don’t feel so stiff tomorrow.

Chief Cook and Bottle Emptier

Sunday, a day of rest, or in my case a day of cooking, working and tidying (a little bit).

Given that last week I didn’t feel like cooking much, I thought it would be wise to get some things in the freezer. So 2 cannelloni, 16 soups and 48 stock cubes later I now have a few dishes that just need to be defrosted and cooked, (3 cannelloni’s, 4 fish pies, 3 cottage pies) and weekend lunches for Belle for 8 weeks!

It was far to hot to cook, and I am sure I lost several stone in the processes. If I did that will be very helpful as I am playing badminton tomorrow for the first time in 3 months. I have also managed to find a Wii Fit. I have been looking since I got the job, but the UK has sold out, so I have had to go further a field, so Amazon.co.de came to my aid. A couple of screens tested my GCSE German, but I have an e-mail confirmation and am just a delivery away from that sylph like figure. A friend told me over the weekend she had lost 3 stone, which is fantastic, I would be happy to lose between 1 ½ to 2 stone, because I am big boned!

So, the shopping got in the way of the cleaning, never mind I will just have to accrue it to next weekend.

Finished my presentations, in the end I decided to KIS, I can talk for ever so there is no need for to many slides.

Had a tea disaster tonight, for some reason best know to its self the fresh lamb I bought yesterday smelled like pooh when cooked! Everything else was fine, but you
Just cant eat food that smells like pooh!

So before bed it was a chance to catch up on a programme about the Crystal Skulls. I had high hopes that it would be a serious scientific programme, but no, it was made by Americans! Let me share an example, two of the ancient skulls where placed on a table, and then the placed 2 modern made ‘control skulls’. Now up until this point I was sceptical, but the use of control skulls convinced me! Then, and this is really spooky, they travelled down river into a forest (in South America), following in the footsteps of the first skull discoverer, and, are you ready for this revalation? Then just like the first trip, as they paddled down a river in a tropical rain forest they encountered a swam of mosquitoes. Who would believe that years after the first journey there were the same swarms of mosquitoes. I know I could not believe it either, now when I went into the Amazon we encountered swarms of mosquitoes, but in this case it must be far more sinister!

Coming from a nation that has never suppressed, or committed mass genocides in the name of discovery, I am forced to wonder what would the world be like if the Spanish had not massacred most of South America. One thing is for sure, I would not just have watched a programme made by idiots!

The End of a Legend

It started with Legend and became he became a legend. 31 books, 100’s of characters, new worlds, new histories, stories woven through our histories.

It all began for me as good things often do, thanks to Belle. She got us booked into a talk at Waterstones in Bristol to hear a talk by a fantasy writer called David Gemmell. He was very interesting, he talked about his life, his influences, is approach and his experiences. He shared events in his life that he drew on to help shape the worlds and characters he created.

At that time I had not only never read anything he had written, I had never heard of him. 31 books read, many numerous time and 11 years later and last night I finished the last of his books.

I had saved the Troy trilogy, it would be the last time I could go on a new journey in the world of David Gemmell. It must admit I was nervous that it would me an anticlimax, but no, it was everything you always get from David. A was soon lost in the world of ancient Greece, in the world of Paris and Helen, Hekor, Achilles, Agamemnon and Odysseus. Each evening, I would retire to familiar characters, and a story that gripped. One of the great things about David, is that the end always follows history, but this last time, I hoped it would not. I didn’t want the journey to finish with the death of those who’s lifes I had shared. And just for a moment it looked like it might happen, with only 4 pages left it looked like the central couple, would live and love, a happy ending. But no, yet again someone had to die, and for a while I rallied against it, why these two were not written in the pages of history, they should have left. But then it dawned on me. This was not just the end of a story, this was the end of a Legend, the final book had been finished by David’s wife, and she wrote the ending has his ending. The separation of two lovers, who had been on a fantastic journey, but for whom time had run out. And so as the ship slowly moved out to sea, and the flaming arrows rained down on the funeral pyre we said good bye, not just to Helikaon and Andromache, but to David and all the untold stories that we will never experience. So it was not just the normal parting from friends that bring a tears to my eyes, but a final farewell to for me was a genius, a true story teller, someone that would always take you away from the noise of work that span through your head. I have 31 books to come back to, to read, and read and read again, and I now have a picture of a hero’s departure. If there is one thing that the stories tell us, it is that legends never die!

http://books.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,1835232,00.html

Kopparberg Pear – 4.5% - Swedish

A soft taste, with a gentle fizz. Again the pear provides a cleaner taste than the apple, it clears the pallet but has an over sweet taste, like a pear drop. If you like your drinks a bit on the sweet side then is could be for you, otherwise go for the Poire – St Helier Pear Cider.

Rounders Update

I was amazed when we heard the scores were 34-22, I was convinced it was closer than that, and it was. Fortunately one of our team is part of CSI Sandy, a crack team that investigate things like princes’ shooting eagles. She carried out an audit of the scores and found that we had actually scored 37, and therefore won! How do you miss 15 rounders when counting, far be it from me to say the umpires cheated, but how do you miss 15! Anyway it is good to know that the pain I am still feeling in my legs was worth it.

I have made a car decision, well at least for the short term. Having decide to take the cash allowance, I have been looking around because my current car is on a 20k pa PCP, I did 2k business miles last year, and expect to do the same this month, add football and cricket to that and that is a whole lot of miles. So I was thinking about changing to something similar on a higher mileage. But after thinking about it and looking about, there is nothing I really want at the moment, so I will stick with this one for a while, save of my mileage payments and then look again.

Today has been a good rest, and tomorrow will need to be a mix of work and rest. I want to have a crack at the fairy tale competition Lizsara found. I also need to clear my desk so I can work in the cabin. We have risotto with scallops and pancetta for tea tonight, followed by eton mess, with a chilled rose, finished off with some port and a dvd.

Customers, Complaints, more Customers and yet more Complaints

Working from home today, at got virtually nothing on my TTD list done. As I am still pseudo PM I have spent almost all day working through customer issues, and knowledge gaps. Why will no-one take responsibility for anything!?!

The only way to get anything done is for everyone to take a big step down. This can not continue, we must get people to stand up and be counted. It is so hard to create head room, we will get there, but it is going to be one hell of a slog. I know we are providing an improving service, but I want so much more.

I want to be growing the business not fire fighting. Next week must see some steps forward, I have several meetings with people that can influence the future.

Bulmers Original – 4.5% - Herefordshire

Fizzy, fresh with a really soft apple flavour. This is a nice one. If you like your Ciders light, fizzy and a strong but gentle apple overtones then this could be for you. In the taste test so far this is a real contender.

So the weekend starts here, I have 1 set of actions to be written up, two presentations and a draft set of management objectives, but other than that its TV, Sainsburys, reading and relaxing. I need a rest, 4 weeks of 60 hours + after nothing has taken it out of me, and I need to re-charge.

20:2, Generally a day to be rained on!

Rain stopped play, no result and Somerset are out of this years competion.

So to other things, the client meeting went well, although we only covered one of the issues. Then from thinking we were making progress, the customer contacts us again to say there had been no communication. If the PM wasn’t leaving I would can him!

So tomorrow is customer contact central, I have about 8 customers to contact, 3 presentations to write, and planning for next week. It will be a long Friday.

Kopparberg Cider with mixed fruit– 4.0%

So its from Sweden and tastes like fizzy cough medicine. Let it stay in Sweden, don’t buy it (unless you have a cold!)

Rounders, and typical Marketing Muppets

Day 2 of the SMT went really well, we were finished by 12:30, and then able to try and solve some of the problems that keep being created. I am trying to manage the inbox of one of the PM’s that is currently sick. The point issues are fine, but the volume is becoming a bit of an issue, especially as I am on a client site tomorrow.

Friday is going to be a long day to try and catch-up!

I did manage to get down to Sandy for the RSBP Rounders. It was a fun game, although the opposition took it far to seriously (they were from Marketing), and the scorers couldn’t count. I managed to score a couple of rounders, was not out in either innings, took a catch and got 2 run outs, oh and I managed to run out my wife, oops!

If was fun though, although I am now very stiff!

Why do they give us hope?

As I have said previously sport is a strange emotional driver, you want the highs, but what are they without the lows? Tonight it was more 20:20, out score was ok, but after 10 overs it looked all over, then the fight back, a steady fall of wickets, and hope, more than a run a ball, we could do it, and with a win be that much closer to the quarter finals, but no with 2 balls to go it was all over, we had lost. Defeat grabbed from the hands of defeat, near victory.

So it’s the low, but still hope that a win on Thursday could make it possible to qualify, again hope!

Today was management meeting day 1, and my first PSOR in 4 years, its funny how you go back to names you have used in the past, is there comfort there, familiarity or just habit? So who did it go, well ok I guess. There are some things we need to work on, some stylistic, other more ways of thinking, but there is potential.

We are working towards an end game, of significant improvement, we need to move to a new way of thinking. Challenging not accepting, driving not reacting, striving not pacifying. We will get there, but this is new to many, and they will take time to adjust sink or swim!

It is great to have this challenge, fixing is easy, re-educating, re-shaping and creating a new paradigm is something new. Bring it on, I will do it, those that can grow, will discover a new world, were thought can shape the future, those that cant, wont.
For the first time for a while, we have a challenge to help shape the legend of the mind!

WFH II

Another Monday, another 8:00 management con call, not sure about this for a way of starting the week. That’s not true as a way of ensuring everyone knows what is going on it is a great thing to do, its just I hate mornings.

Phantom Spiders

You know when you have your leg cut off and you can still feel your toes, well I keep having the sensation of a spider running over my foot. Strange thing is it never ran over my foot. Stranger is I have never had a leg cut off, so what am I talking about???

Had a productive day, prep for tomorrows meeting, and sorting through the complaints. One of those days when you finish your TTD list, but don’t feel like you have done anything (better than when you don’t feel like you have done anything, and you still have a TTD list!).

Spent the evening catching up on some on the 7,000 hours I have on the HD box, only made a small dent, like a pigeon hitting a road sign.

Tomorrow night its Sabres v Bears, win this and we have a real chance of making the quarter finals.

Peterborough tomorrow for day 1 of a 2 day management meeting, what would Lizsara say, probably the same as my wife, neither of them understand!

That Fracking Spider

Is dead, flat, down the loo, and deader than dead. Almost a week, after that scary moment, as Michelle was in the shower, I turned around in the library, and that Bastard Spider has walking towards the door. Given that is was between me and safety, there was little option other than to use my size 11 and flatten it. Boy was it quick, with the accuracy of a JL innings (more later) I played and missed 3 times, before rolling the bin along the skirting board, that got some legs, it was limping! Then whollop with my sandal, whoosh, with my shoe, and it flattened and dying, beaten at it is own game, Matthew on top again! Phew!

So to the day normal. It was 20:20 day again, and this time the sunny was shining Taunton was full and we had hope. Now for those of you that know your JL pre game prep, you will know that he always knocks up with a cricket ball on the edge of his bat, getting that hand eye co-ordination set and ready, not today, did he forget, or was he just late out, what ever it was I expect him to be back doing it before his next innings as today h lobed a first baller to cover, was that a sign of things to come, oh no! Finally after about 20 games we saw a Tresco century, and it was great, 53 balls (50 from just 18) supported by Blackwell, Trego, and Craig at 212 off 20 overs even I thought we might win!

After about the 20th time of Mum saying, why don’t you check out the sale, I went at half time, and £80 later I had missed the first wicket. The Worcester team crumbled, always behind the rate the never looked in it, and with good performances from Suppiah, Willowby and Thomas a 69 run win was good reward. We still have hope, so much so that PASH and I are going to Northampton on Thursday. Go Sabres!

1 Season in 1 day

And it was Autumn, not summer. Saturday and we were off to Westonbirt Arboretum to see Crowd House. To be fair we were luck with the weather, gentle drizzle for most of the gig, but not cold. The sound system was a bit poor, and could have done with being set closer to the ground. But, it was good to see them, a good blend of new and old, and Songo and Mum enjoyed it so that was good.

The drive back to Weston was the wettest ever! We have standing water on the M4 and M5 and with wipers on full it was still like driving blind, but we made it home, safe and dry.

After almost 1400 miles this week I feel into bed, only another 240 to go and I am home, with only 300 next week!

Thank Crunchie

Morning meeting with the Boss, which went really well, would have been better if Michelle had not had to get up at 5:45 to get the Banbury for 9:00 (after collecting a car from Sandy). I now have some more direction, some validation and a clear view of what to do next.

Then drove to Taunton for the cricket, watched it rain for an hour and a half then drove home, horary!

Off to see Crowded House tomorrow night, then more cricket on Sunday, so nothing til Monday when I will also have the FuseCar blog to write.

As thought for the weekend Nigel Pearson, go choice or the only one that would take the job. I remain to be convinced, mind you having looked at the fixtures, if we retain the majority of our squad Filbert could do the job.

WFH and another win

Change of plan after a very poor nights sleep, and decided to work from home. Had one of those frustrating days when you always feel you are chasing everything. But managed to complete everything that needed to be done, and prepare for meeting with the boss tomorrow morning. A bit nervous, not sure what will be expected, but I am as prepared as I can be.

Its another 20:20 evening, although this time its on TV. We got a par score, with that man Pete doing it again, with a great partnership with Blackwell.

Westons Vintage Special Reserve – 8.2%

We are back with the apples, and from Herefordshire. Its fizzy, with an over sweet apple taste. Leaves a warm sensation in the back of the throat. In the battle of the apple ciders it is 3rd, which means the pear is still winning.

Breaking News – Having been to Sainsburys today and I have 4 more to try and will be splitting them into Apple and Pear categories.

Spider Update

After having the library shut up all day, with a towel keeping the gap under the door filled. Michelle has searched high and low, and has declared the room spider free. As I am now sat in it I hope so.

20:20 Update

Its come down to 26 off the final over the same boys have done it again, Trego with the bat, and Suppiah and Thomas with the ball. Its Turner bowling the last over again, 4 from the first ball, and 4 more, come on Markie, and a dot, is 2 sixes and a 4 to win. Its 2 off the next, just keep it in regulation Markie, and we are home! Two out of two, lets hope we don’t have rain tomorrow!

Wednesday – A quiet day

In Peterboro today, and had a good day, only blighted by technology. I got my blackberry, which sync’d to much data, my mouse buttons stopped working, and I still cant work in outlook off-line!

Back to cricket, and what rubbish has been written this week following KP’s sixes at the weekend. The death of cricket, dramatic rule changes required, MCC to quick to issue support. What a load of rubbish, just how many players can switch to left handed in the time it takes the bowler to reach the crease, and then hit a 70 metre 6 off a world class bowler, the answer less than 5 in my opinion. KP is a genius, and in a class of his own, there will be lots of players that may try and copy him, but few will succeed. No-one questions the genius of Ronnie O’Sullivan when he switches from left to right handed (other than saying he is mocking his opponent). Sport is about innovation improvement and development. KP has set a new standard, we should enjoy it, not try and enforce the English mediocre disease. I am normally a fan of Aggers, but this time I disagree http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2008/06/laws_should_change_for_switchh.shtml


And finally for tonight

I saw a fantastic advert this evening for a kit to build a model McLaren complete with plastic Lewis Hamilton. How appropriate, a plastic version of a driver who is manufactured and melts in the heat.

Oh and one last thing

Having to write this in bed as the library has been shut down pending spider eradication. It was massive, and just appeared by my arm, I nearly throw my laptop across the room. Then the little bastard hid under some wiring. Therefore we have the room sealed off with a towel across the base, and Belle will be armed with a shot gun tomorrow evening. I hate spiders.

Tuesday – More 20:20

Had a couple of good meetings in the morning, then down to Taunton for more disappointment.

What is it that we like about sport, we want our team to win, we want the games to be close, giving us an exciting finish, but we want our team to win. Tonight we had it all, after a poor start Pete hit a good 79, its great to see the boy from Weston-super-Mare play a winning innings. A final score of 185 was only average for Taunton, and with Gibbs in the Glamorgan team, we were not confident.

With 10 overs to go I was sure we would lose, with 7 overs, I was starting to think we could do it, Thomas and Suppiah bowled exceptionally well, to reduce push the run rate up over 15 per over, then Blackwell was taken for 17 off the 17th over, 1 more great over from Thomas meant 21 from the final over, and Langer brought on young Mark Turner who had been tonked earlier in the game, and there was still the spectre of Gibbs. But fair play to the young lad, he bowled dot, wicket, single and we had won! Go Markie!

Again it means we have hope, yes we will need to win at least 5 of the last 6 games, but that’s what sport is about, that is why we watch it, follow it and put ourselves through the pain, its for the highs, that feeling when someone has done something special, when they have given all, and leave the field with nothing left. As the National winner says, Compete or Die!

Monday – First Board Mtg

So here we go, first board meeting and before that first forecasting meeting.

The day went well, the forecast was excepted to be a tough ride, but my numbers were excepted, the key will be to deliver them! Nothing interesting really during the meeting, generally we are in the position we need to be Paul and I have most to address, but we have plans in place to sort them

Evening with the Sales and Business Development Directors, the food was ok, although the service was very slow! Interesting to get some more background on some of my staff, and their view on my past employers.

Very different to the old days when Steve, Tony and I would have been in the bar til 2am. I was in bed by 23:00 and was able to speak to Belle.

Sunday the day of rest?

I at least had a good nights sleep. As for a day of rest, I have completed the list of jobs, and managed to get some winning England cricket in, so it has been successful, if not restful. I also managed to drink bottle 3 in the cider review.

Poire – St Helier Pear Cider – 5%

Ok, so its from Jersey, which is nearly France, and it is made from pears, not apples, so not sure if it should be allowed

And it is a completely different drink, it is light and refreshing. The pear is not as sweet as the apple and that comes through in the taste. Imagine a pear drop without the sugar coating exploding in your mouth. There is a gentle fizz and a soft clean after taste.

So far it the one I would rather drink, it remains to be seen if it is the best (with still one to come).

Off to cook roast pork for tea, followed by eaton mess, a bit of packing then bed.

First board meeting tomorrow, then dinner with Sales, should be an interesting day.

Not sure I will be able to post for the next couple of days, but will keep the text and update later in the week.

The Weekend starts here

One of the every weekend jobs is the trip to Sainsburys, for the fresh stuff, spinach, tomatoes, avocado etc. Today I also got some cider, there was an offer on individual bottles, so I will provide a little review over the coming days.

Katy – Thatchers – 7.4%

Being a good Somerset boy a prerequisite of cider is generally it should come from the home of cider. Anyone who this thinking Normandy is wrong, whilst there are some nice ‘fizzy’ apple based drinks from northern France the cheese eating surrender monkeys don’t have the range of taste and flavour.

So what about Katy’s then – It is called Katy because it is made from the Katy apple, it has a gentle fizzy, and a subtle apply taste. It is wet, and served cold is a refreshing drink, and the strength does not over power you. It is a nice drink, but I would be surprised if it is the winner.

The Long Plan

Its going to be a busy weekend, that the problem with only having 2 free days each week rather than 7! Do the shopping bit, now doing the web, lunch and cricket bit. Need to tidy the library, put away the clothes purchased last weekend, change the sheets, prep for Mondays board meeting, help a friend prep for an interview and maybe read a bit.

Not sure if I am doing the right blog thing, is there a prescribed etiquette? I think I am using it more as a diary, and a way of ordering thoughts at the end of the day. When your brain goes at 500 miles per hour it is sometimes hard to switch off, so I am using this as a way of removing the clutter of the day, so I can enjoy my evening. I guess it can be what ever you want it to be. I certainly enjoy reading my baby sisters blog, as it makes me feel I understand more of her life.

Not sure if I am prepared to create quite such a window on the sole, but who knows.

Sport

Its Somerset again, lose and the competition is effectively over, after two pathetic displays against Northampton and Glamorgan. Just typical of a team that I follow to lose to the whipping boys!

It looks like this summer will provide a steady stream of sporting experiences, removing the footballing gap that often exists when season finishes. We have England and Somerset cricket, Euro’s which are strangle more enjoyable without England there, I can just watch games for the quality of the football (it does mean you have to choose your games tho, and I will not be wasting my time on Greece v Russia this afternoon).

General Observations

It is interesting how adversity can sometimes do you good. 9 months without a really job, was incredibly hard, confidence taking a really battering, and the challenges of being ‘home alone’ for 8 hours everyday. The truth is though I have learnt some things about what I want from life, and its quite different from before.

I used to have a world that revolved around work, life was defined by world, my self worth was defined my job, and it was all about preparing for retirement. Its daft really work for 30 years and just concentrate on getting there not enjoying the journey. I have also had a life with an average of 2 days a week away from home, you get used to it, it becomes a norm, but I now have a different view. I want to be home, I like my house, I like being with my wife. I like eating together, discussing the challenges of the day, and cuddling on the sofa watching tele. So that is something that I will try and shape work around that. Next week see 3 evenings away from home, 1 work related and 2 cricket related, but the coming weeks look like being more time at home. With offices close to home, I can always be in an office by 9:00 without having to leave home @ 6:30.

The next challenge will be to develop some sort of hobby, not sure what, but I am sure there is something. I don’t want to sit down on a Saturday afternoon and thing work would be fun! The next few weeks will be busy with cricket and stuff, but need to develop something for the winter.


2006 Vintage – Henney’s - 7%

Bottle 2, and this breaks the rule as it is from Herefordshire, not quite the West Country but not France. Its has less fizzy than the last, if fact no fizzy. Its like a cultured scrumpy, but not to appley. It is nice, tastes stronger (I think that sometimes the fizzy hides the alcoholic nature of the drink) it is like the real stuff from my childhood, just without the bits in it.

Definitely the current leader.

In Closing

Lost the cricket, cider strength having some effect, jobs completed are: tidy the library, put away the clothes purchased last weekend, help a friend prep for an interview. Not to bad, over 50% down, time for bed, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Challenges & Migrations

An interesting day, two migration updates, and we are 300 days short over a 3 month period, that’s 5 members of staff, impossible well, its not going to be easy. I am thinking about approaching a 3rd party, I cant think of any other options. If has been interesting to see the difference in approach, 1 just about adequate, and the other is gold plate!

I think we have managed to resolve more of the customer complains, and hopefully next week will be quieter, enabling me to focus on forward planning.

Home by 19:00 and home made cannelloni for tea, which was nice.

Made the mistake of listening to the Somerset game on the web, and at time of writing we are throwing it away again! Langer is clueless, and the team needs a good shake up.

No doubt we will win tomorrow when I am watching it on tele rather than making the trip to Taunton.

Why can my teams never perform?

Customer Complaints et al

When you open your inbox and it has 30 e-mails 25 of which relate to customer complaints you know it is going to be a long day.

The good news is the final 1:1 went well, and we resolved 1 of the complaints (only 4 more to go).

All this however meant I started the task I had scheduled for 9:30 at 19:00, so left office at 19:30. But still home for 20:10, a long day, but an evening with Belle.

I think my thoughts are getting clearer, and should be clear by the time I see the boss on Monday.

Passionless Sabres need to develop some spine

How can a team play with spirit and verve in one game, and like passionless fools the next?

201 should have been a par score, despite some poor captaincy choices by JL (why is he in charge?) we should have been able to chase it down. After not looking like he was interested when fielding Tresco scored a 32 ball 65, then got out not thinking. If he is not able to concentrate then don’t play him!

So 1 game down, and 1 defeat, that only good news is that Warwickshire’s game was rained off and Worcestershire beat Gloucestershire, so still some hope!

Forecast Day, and there are storms ahead

Oh dear, double counting, no single data source, what a mess!

I am sure we will get there, but it is disappointing that more progress has not been made.

Each day the list is getting longer, I need some headspace time to start a plan for moving forward. I have a structure coming together in my head, but as for the other processes, it will take time, and I am not sure who will be able to help implement them (Where is CACO when you need her?).

Got a call from David B today to congratulate me, he was really please fo me, which was really nice. Its good to have such good friends.

Off to the 20:20 tomorrow, fingers crossed for the Gladiators.

Start of week 2, and the list get longer

There is so much trouble shooting that needs sorting quickly, I have had to do a things to do list (I don’t normally need lists!)

On the positive front the team look to have made a great start to the revenue forecasting. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

Long day tomorrow, need to address about ½ a dozen issues, sort the forecast and have a 1:1, the joys of the rat race.

Anyway time for a glass of wine, and thinking about food.

So did I survive the weekend without working?

Almost, the reality was as I am in Hemel on Monday, and needed to send some instructions to the team. But that’s all I did, I built a spreadsheet, and wrote the supporting email, all in all about 2 hours, then work laptop off, home laptop on.

Retail Therapy

After not shopping for 9 months (my standard pick-me up) had a good weekend and made some headway on my list. It was really good to be able to spend time with Michelle, looking for stuff for both of us. It was good to see her Mum and Dad too, and I think they had a good rest.

Sunday was a bit of a rest, although not sleeping didn’t help. Grand Prix was rubbish, Lewis, what a Muppet, he should be shot!

Back to work tomorrow, weekends seem short!

So Friday arrives

It’s the end of week one and what have we learnt.

Firstly, I don’t think I will ever have a team as good as J M P & C again. They were and are phenomenal, we grew and learnt together, were weak where others were strong, and visa versa. I have been nervous about meeting my new team, and they are great. Nice genuine people, who care about their teams, but there was something special with ‘My Team’ I connected with each of them the first time we met.

MACO has been there, has always told me the truth, even when I didn’t want to hear it, and has always given me his best.

JASI and I meet in a crowded bar, at my first southern team meeting (actually my only southern team meeting, quick re-structure works every time). We spent a few late evenings in the bar at various meetings and she has shown herself to be adaptable, kind and again a true friend.

PASH is great, he is an intellectual Tigger, he doesn’t do emotion, but if he ever looked in the mirror, he would see the person the rest of know is there. In work and in life he gives 100%

CACO was the one that could not get away. Despite the stupidity of her interview panel, it was clear she was clever and would bring an energy that we needed. A few days later and we appointed her to the job of the most hated person in the business, a role she performed with relish and considerable skill.

The 2nd is that I am good at what I do, I can make a difference. This week has been challenging, up and down, but ultimately good. Today’s meeting was fantastic, a great guy, and someone I can work with. Next week will be tough, there is a large amount that needs to be done, but it will be fine.

So week 1 over, and I have some confidence back, I am good at what I do, and I can do what I think I can do!

Roll on the coming weeks, and RKC if hell doesn’t get you first, we will make your business bleed!

It’s the real, real world

Today showed the true scale of the issues to be faced. Forecasting is a joke, no follow no testing of assumptions. The are a good group, but very green.

I need to find a way to delay submitting this months forecast, because I don’t trust what I have been given so far.

Today has been a challenge, I wanted to carry on in the office, then carry on at home, but I really need to keep the work life balance thing. Just have to do more tomorrow.

Time for bed after a long day, lets hope tomorrow works!

Back on the road

Day 3 and the trip to Worcester, which took 2 hours each way, to be fair it was meant to take 2 hours, but it still a long time.

Meet another direct report, and he seems nice and competent so that is good. The number for June is looking very low, and the processes that support forecasting are rubbish. We need to get this better in the next 4 weeks, and manage this month very tightly. I think I need some flagging introduced, pro-active seems to only be a software name.

Back to Peterboro tomorrow, so far more civilised, more forecasting and the first 1:1. Mt first free day is Wed 18th, it bonkers, I still need to arrange meetings with 3 peers and make some changes to the monitoring processes for revenue.

Looks like I will miss my personal Action plan by 13th June target, it is looking like 30th June already…………..

On the up side I have breakfast with Michelle twice this week, and could even make it 4 times, not sure we have ever done that before on a work day.

Hopefully a quiet night to night, I want to look at cars, so have the ever reliable What Car? I need to decide whether to get a company car, keep mind, or change mind. I am already scheduled to do 1500 business miles by the end of the 17th June.

Day 2, the first commute.

Day 2 and a trip to Peterboro, left home at 8:30 and arrived @ 9:30, just 1 hour, wow that’s what I call a commute, beats the 2 hours to Newbury.

Had a good day, but a bit sleepy now. It will take some time to get used to using my brain for 8 hours+ a day.

Had some good meetings with my new team, they seem a nice bunch and I am sure we can work together. I am confident that we can fix the issues and get the BU pulling in the right direction.

After a long day, left the office @ 18:15 and was home by 19:00, I could get used to this.

Off to sunny Worcester tomorrow, be interesting to see how long that takes.

So I survived day 1………………..

Had a good meeting with my new boss, and got his steer on what needs to be done.

The next task is to meet with the person who used to do my job and my direct reports, then my peers. That should give me enough to start looking at an action plan and the shape of things to come. I will of course also need some spreadsheets, but then as we all know spreadsheets make the world go round.

I also got clearance to attend the 20:20’s so that’s good news and getting home to see we had beaten Surrey and gone top of the league made a good day better.

Had a lovely surprise when Jan popped in for tea this afternoon, she had been on site to get kicked by a customer and needed biscuits! It was nice to see her and catch up. Also had to refer to my personal tech support to get my new company laptop connected to the home wifi. Mr C you are a tech god!

I am taking Michelle out for dinner tonight, just a pub in the village as she has studying to do, but it will be nice to have someone else cooking.

Off to Peterboro tomorrow, with a 7:30 start, not sure I can remember 7:30, or alarms at 7:00, oh well the price we pay for having a job.

So the Legend begins

Legend of a Mind, taken from a Moody Blue song about drugs in the USA. The meaning is more related to the ability to shape events to your will through the power of your mind.

The real challenge of that statement starts tomorrow.

Up until this point I have walked from success to success, that is not arrogance it is fact. My CV could be read as right place right time. A series of promotions, challenges and making a difference that came easy.

The fact that one person can change that has had an effect. No one will ever do that to me again. I will rebuild, prove that I am what I believe I am. I can do what I believe I can do, and build another successful business.

This is the 3rd role within the same sector, and requirement type, and it is important that I make sure this is the spring board to running a business unit. Whether that be a £20m services BU or MD’ing the whole show time will tell, but I will make it count.

What I will also do is make sure there is a life running along side of the job. I am more than a job, it is not my only way of achieving self actualisation, the challenge to whether I have matured over the last 9 months will be can I create balance.

I want more time with Michelle, this time together has been fantastic, and I am determined to ensure work does not get in the way moving forward. We have created a routine that works, it is important that there is a time when work stops and life begins.

I currently feel ok about tomorrow. I have prepared for a challenge as to what do I want to do, or can listen to the requirements as seen by my new boss.

The reaction of my friends has been fantastic, true they have had to put up with the misery that I have been over the last 9 months, but I have been touched at how pleased they have been. As someone who has never been able to count more that 2 or 3 friends to have 10+ that really care is fantastic.

So how do I feel, I am not nervous, or excited, it all feels normal. This is what I do, so why panic. I am sure sleep will be broken tonight and I will feel the butterflies before my MD arrives tomorrow, but this is just a step along my destiny.

Not sure how often I will update this, so you will just have to check as and when.

So, here we go, one thing is for certain, the next time I write I will have completed day 1.

M