Paul Yeomans

I think we are up against it.... though there is hope, possibility and opportunity, not doom and gloom! But I do think that us 'Improvement' people.... of all flavours .... CI/lean/Agile/Design Thinking/Critical Thinking/Systems Change/Change Mgmt/Transformation etc....... are up against a system where making things better is not the name of the game! At the same time so many of the people working in this space want to do just that - make the world of our work, our mahi, what we do a better place - for everyone...... ..... I ask then ..... What do we do???? We are not (generally) the money holders, the ones with the major resources or in the first instance the decision makers...... So .... Team..... What are we going to do???? What are we going to do??? [P.s. I do have a poster that says this | The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free, that your very existence is an act of rebellion, Albert Camus ... 😉 ] Working on it!

5

15 Comments

Systems Innovation Conference, The Foundry, London, 6th&7th Sept DESIGN & SYSTEMS THINKING - TAKEAWAYS I spent the weekend learning from peers about the latest developments in systems thinking practice. I am particularly interested in how design and systems thinking approaches can work together to solve complex problems in organisations. Key takeaways for me were: Systems Thinking 'helps you understand the woods' Design Thinking 'helps you understand the trees' ... integrating both does help you see the 'wood and the trees'. At conference participants shared the many challenges that are demanding system level solutions (delivering on SDGs, the green transition, broken models of healthcare, making development sustainable, 21st century corporate innovation etc) they also shared the many approaches that are in play to deliver change . In particular for mapping systems, defining challenges, mobilising delivery & evaluating impact. It's was fascinating to see the opportunities to cross-pollinate systems and design thinking approaches to deliver change. Design methodology offers, visualisation of journeys & future states, understanding of needs, problem definition, design sprints, co-design, modelling and prototyping etc. Systems thinking offers flow diagrams, feedback loops, data analytics, theories of change, models of collective impact etc. These approaches have been developed in different discipline silos, practitioners are now weaving them together. It was also interesting to share challenges, in particular, the universal challenge of achieving buy-in to systems approaches from politicians, policy makers, stakeholders and communities when this inevitably means moving away from short-term fixes to long-term solutions. The Systems Innovation Network community of practice is made up of a remarkably diverse group of people from different sectors, geographies and disciplines, all united by a common interest in delivering systemic change in the organisations, communities and networks within which they work. This creates an amazing space for peer-to-peer learning. Many thanks to Joss Colchester for convening such an interesting event.

58

17 Comments

Why invest in yourself as a midlife freelance design consultant? Whilst I'm not a fan of all the '10x-ing' and '6 figure' narrative, it's often overlooked at how education and self development can impact a freelance design business. Professional coaching is tax deductible, so it makes sense to be using that to your benefit. The CEO's and C-Suite know this and that's why professional coaching is available to the corporate world. They know that investing in the skill set of their team is vital. Buying a car, a holiday or a new MacBook will not give you the ROI like investing in your education in midlife. In my experience, high end coaching can create results that far out shine any other investment you will make in your life. Because nobody can take away your knowledge or your mindset, it's an investment that will positively impact your business, wellbeing and relationships. It's a no brainer. #freelancedesign #fashion #surfacepatterndesign

2

Happy Friday! Some reasons I LOVE voice notes and how they support agile working. ⭐️I can listen in or send voice notes whilst I’m getting ready, making breakfast, out and about, wherever ! ⭐️ I don’t have to align my diary to others’ (an impossible task these days!) ⭐️ I can listen on 1.5X speed ⭐️It keeps projects moving at pace ⭐️I can express myself better verbally than via written communication ⭐️You can be sure it’s me and not AI 😂 that’s a joke I love AI! Love or hate them, they do support a new agile workplace and I’m a big fan. #agileworking #fridaythought

20

6 Comments

It is not too late to grab your seat for the 360Learning webinar today. David James and I will dig in on the practicalities of #skillsbasedlearning and we would love to see you there. Link in David's post.

1

We have to understand our WHY? The Agile O Group has hit 700 followers and 300 members in the Community of Practice. Continuing to help service leavers build knowledge in the Agile space and head into successful careers. But why? Why do you we do this on top of our day jobs? Why are companies needing Agile Professionals? Why is this niche community needed? Easy! These career paths are highly suited to military service leavers. This support network was built to continue helping others down this path. Companies need people who will roll up their sleeves and get stuff done. Educate / Guide / Support #AgileOGroup #Community #Veterans

13

3 Comments

It's the final few weeks before the PMO Conference in Edinburgh and we've got one final competition for you to get involved in. It's Risk Awareness Week - but you knew that right?! - and we're looking for some great insights from the #PMO community. All you need to do is: 1. join our linked in group- https://lnkd.in/eePdR5U 2. Comment on the pinned post your best risk management strategies, approaches, solutions that you're providing as part of your risk management services from the PMO Don't miss out! You can read more on the terms and conditions on our website- https://lnkd.in/dMbcwHnh #pmo #lovepmo #riskassessmentweek #riskassessment #giveaway

3

It's the final few weeks before the PMO Conference in Edinburgh and we've got one final competition for you to get involved in. It's Risk Awareness Week - but you knew that right?! - and we're looking for some great insights from the #PMO community. All you need to do is: 1. join our linked in group- https://lnkd.in/eePdR5U 2. Comment on the pinned post your best risk management strategies, approaches, solutions that you're providing as part of your risk management services from the PMO Don't miss out! You can read more on the terms and conditions on our website- https://lnkd.in/dMbcwHnh #pmo #lovepmo #riskassessmentweek #riskassessment #giveaway

1

How do #AccessToWork currently set the rate for Support Workers? (spoiler alert: The DWP's approach doesn't make sense) The gorgeous Alice Hastie did this super video. https://lnkd.in/e6hqWFcm If you don't have time to watch- this is how: You go to Indeed's salary checker. Type in administrative assistant and your location. Select hourly pay. The then choose that. Norwich is my closest city. The average rate is £10.16. Which is below the minimum wage. So the adjust it to a whopping £11.40p/h. Alice rightly points out- Access to Work Support Workers are self employed. So out of this would need to take basic needed expenses, such as tax, insurances, NI, equipment, tech subscriptions. At a conservative finger in the air, that's 30% chunk needing to come out of this amount leaving (drum roll please) £7.98p/h. Judging a self-employed person's rate on an employed person's average salary is not fair, right or just. And this is simply for the person doing the job. Let alone the issues for the disabled person to find someone willing to work for much less than minimum wage. Most people who are Virtual Assistants are female (*83%). The Labour Governments commitment to "#MakeWorkPay" includes outsourced workers. How does setting a pay rate that is effectively below minimum wages for women reconcile with this? My other big issue is this; Working as an assistant to a disabled people is a skilled role. The reason we need support is more than simply replying to emails. And actually- this is not what A2W is for- that would be counted as a standard business expense. Setting the rate for people to get specialist support based on a generic administrative assistant salary is nonsensical. You know what happens with this? People end up not being able to use the Access to Work grant as they cannot afford to find someone... and if they do, chances are the service they will receive will not meet their support needs. And there is a reconsideration process. Where you can challenge the rate of pay offered. Which is yet another awful administrative process to navigate (for those of you who need this pointing out- Neurodivergent people can struggle with navigating administrative processes... which is why we need Access to Work in the first place!) on top of the horrific, debilitating and sometimes humiliating process to actually get to the point of being awarded a grant. It is not reasonable. It is not justifiable. It is not right. And for anyone who thinks this grant is throwing money at the wall, a Deloitte report in 2020 said that for every £1 spent on support, the employer gets a £5 return on investment. I'd take those odds anyday. My call to action is this: #DWP find a better way of assessing a reasonable salary for Access to Work Support Workers. If you need assistance with this- drop me a line. I have the network to enable you to do this and am more than happy to help you do better. #LabourGovernment

4

1 Comment

🚀 Do you want to help develop the next generation of Project Managers here at QA Apprenticeships? 🚀 Project management is one of the most in-demand skills - from SMEs to global enterprises, the ability to plan, execute, and deliver projects effectively is what drives innovation and growth. But what’s equally crucial is how we develop the next generation of project managers.... For those passionate about helping others succeed, becoming a trainer or tutor or coach in project management is a fantastic career move. Not only do you get to share your expertise, but you also play a critical role in shaping future PM leaders. It’s a role that’s rewarding both personally and professionally, offering opportunities to: ✅ Stay at the forefront of industry trends ✅ Build your network with diverse businesses ✅ Experience the satisfaction of watching your apprentices grow and succeed Now is the perfect time to take your experience and inspire the next generation so drop me or Sohail Oosman or Carly Green a DM if you want to find out more! #ProjectManagement #Apprenticeships #SkillsDevelopment #CareerGrowth #FutureLeaders #LifelongLearning

50

3 Comments

Book recommendation day. Not only I have found this useful (and the same for Mrs A) it is also relevant to many of my coaching clients. The solution to the problems people want to solve is often not a slight variation on what they are already doing. Of course mortgages, paying bills and family responsibilities can get in the way of big decisions but it doesn't preclude thinking properly about it. What else could you do? A lot more answers to that question than people often think. I used to do assemblies to secondary school kids saying that a lot of the jobs they may go on to do have not yet been invented, or at least were not yet viable prospects financially. Now years on I'm doing that myself. Is this you or someone you know? #professionaldevelopment #careers #leadershipdevelopment Helen Tupper Sarah Ellis

12

4 Comments

Time to hire someone new for your consultancy??? So, it depends where you are in your consultancy journey as to why... If you're a start up going into scale up, you want to hire someone to maybe do the work you can't really be arsed to do anymore. If you're an independent consultancy it's in order to take on more work. And if you're an established consultancy, it's to help you manage the work you've got going on. I hear this as a goal a lot. And when I work with my clients, I break this down into a financial goal first. If you're looking at the average HR assistant / manager role then you're looking at 3 to 4k a month. If we look at the average 'Peace of Mind' package which is £299 a month and you break that 3/4 k month a down, you only need 10/30 new clients on that service to pay for your new member of staff. (Rough figures) This then becomes our marketing goal and it's one that's actually very attainable. So, if you need an extra pair of hands, then look towards your subscription based packages to safely afford this investment. On Friday 28th June in Central London, I'm hosting the Recurring Revenue Revolution Workshop. At this event, I'm going to help you create an awesome 'Peace of Mind' subscription package and talk you through how to sell it to lots of lovely new clients, so that you can more easily afford your next hire 💪🏼 Learn more about this event here: https://lnkd.in/eevh7Jsy

11

2 Comments

I love to get out and meet new people see new ideas, but in the NHS it isnt so easy to do that as we are very siloed. I think networking is important, meeting new people and creating new ideas, fostering connections among professionals is crucial. I see so many events going on which are nice to go to, in reality people don’t have capacity to attend to many and with that less networking opportunities. I have started to attend local business networks which are interesting but rarely have relevant connections. What I have seen is that they work for business, which got me thinking about starting a North East Networking event that can meet on a quarterly basis, starting online and then if successful having face to face meetings with different organisations hosting each time.   I am looking at the formation of a networking and collaboration group specifically for NHS professionals in the North East. This group aims to unite a diverse range of healthcare workers, creating a community that promotes the sharing of knowledge, best practices, and innovative solutions to common challenges.   Purpose: The main objective of this group is to establish a dynamic platform where NHS professionals can connect and collaborate. By bringing together our collective expertise and experiences, we hope to drive improvements in patient care, operational efficiency, and professional growth. This group will focus on: 1 - Knowledge Exchange: Sharing insights, research findings, and clinical experiences to enhance professional knowledge and improve patient outcomes. 2 - Collaborative Projects: Encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation on projects that tackle shared challenges and explore innovative solutions. 3 - Professional Development: Providing opportunities for continuous learning through workshops, seminars, and mentorship programs. 4 - Networking Opportunities: Building a robust professional network to support career development and foster a sense of community among NHS staff. Please let me know if you think this ais a good idea and would like to get involved. It would be appreciated if you could share this with other that could be involved please. Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals commercial enterprise team York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East Ambulance Service Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS FT County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria North of England Commissioning Support Great North Care Record

38

8 Comments

You can never have enough knowledge

1

If you take a look at a lot of the #projectmanagement training and education that exists, you'll notice that for such a big area like governance, there isn't an awful lot covered. That's why we're behind the P3GQA best practice - Project, Programme and Portfolio Governance - and the depth it goes to. Perfect for #PMO professionals who are wanting to provide a robust service, support and guidance to their organisation Go check it out - https://lnkd.in/e9kV8Ury

7

I think this stat may actually be wrong : in the UK alone on Linkedin there are over 300,000 coaches yet only about 3000 hold ICF accreditations. Of course there are always other accreditation bodies (the EMCC is one I also rate and am personally accredited with) however I doubt this would bulk up the number that much. There are loads of reasons: firstly "coach" isn't a protected word: there are many great people who use the word coach as shorthand and really mentor / advise / consult, there are others who have been doing what they've been doing for decades and don't see the need for accreditation. The process isn't perfect yet for me it does signal that the coach has done the work and made a commitment to their ongoing development which I think is only a positive. What do you think do coaches who coach need to be accredited?

43

28 Comments

Todays session with my Lighthouse Group Managers is around Project Management. I read a powerful post on Linkedin yesterday from a friend Ed Brennan who as a Project Manager talked about how 'TimeBoxing' has helped him overcome cancer and how we should all consider how some of the tools used within project management could and should be used more in our day to day management as well as our social/domestic lives. The challenge to manage tasks and time these days is one we are all familiar with and so employing techniques that help us in this area makes sense. As a Coach I work with a lot of people struggling to cope on a day to day basis at work with the sheer volume of tasks they 'have' to complete, and, as a psychologist I know the importance of a plan when it comes to calming 'Chimp' mind. So if by the end of todays session we can find a few ways to incorporate some Project Management into our day to day management I think it will have been time well spent. Interested to know which PM tools and techniques you use on a daily basis for self and team management.

6