ItsDevelopmental - content + technology + people

Video: how to create a Google map

Am working on a map for Travel Weekly. This video was very useful . . .

Change consultants needed for UK banking sector

No surprises here then. Ea consulting group is recruiting for change consultants for work on 'exciting, long-term programmes that will reshape the UK banking sector'.

I presume they have a large talent pool to choose from  with RBS and UBS each looking to cut 2,000 jobs.

New places to complain about the boss

Great list of sites where people can complain about their workplace. Having looked up a few, they look a bit like the comments on Youtube - just a load of swearing.

However, there do seem to be some interesting thoughts. With job losses everywhere I am presuming these sites might get a lot of interest. But, won't they just become streams of abusive diatribes? And what of damage to organisations?

I like the idea of harnessing the complain energy (sorry about the term) and turning it into something more constructive. Not sure how to do it though. There must be a way . . .

New world employee engagement

Interesting results of this survey [pdf] of 20,000 plus UK workers on engagement, carried out by Engage Group.

Key elements for successful employee engagement are:

• Management of change

• Involvement in ‘big-issue’ decisions
• Understanding of personal contribution
• Empowerment
• Involvement in ‘everyday’ decisions

Picture: Online training session at RBI

 

I've been talking about landing pages and online treatment of articles. Goos sessions. Keyword research exercise proved interesting. Better to say 'Tesco won' than 'Sainsbury's lost'. 

And here is Adam's picture from the online journalism session.

Career advice: the three things about me to market to others

Had a some good advice recently on how to tell others - collleagues, bosses, friends and family - what you want from work and life.

The advice - and it was more focussed on work, although life outside work is also key for me - was to think about the three things that I want my colleagues and bosses to know about what I want from work.

This is important as I need to be clear on what these priorities are for me. Once I am clear then i can start telling others and kep it repeating it so people know what is important for me.

This is a kind of personal PR plan and a very simple one at that.  I like the idea it enables others to see what I want from work and life and to see this is an honest appraisal.

I'm working on my three points right now . . .

UK snow: what I learned today

It has been a long day which has been shaped by heavy snowfall - not in my hometown but where I work.

I'm tired but wanted to share a few thoughts:

• Don't beleive what First Great Western staff tell you. At Bath station this morning I asked if transport in London was affected by the snow. I was told no - the truth was that most of London transport had ground to a halt and the station nearest to my work was closed.

• It takes longer than you think to get messages to a team which is dispersed geographically. First we  had to clarify message amongst management team then text, email and call.

• Facebook and Twitter are powerful. Team members let each other know what was going on. 

• Remote working is still something my company is trying to succeed at. Key members of our team were away on business and those left to cover did not have laptops and remote access to the business.

• The snowfall meant we and the wider business had to rely on people who could walk to work. And that was not a lot of people.

• Once there they had no access to the canteen.

• We overloaded on emails to the team.

• On a day like today some had to work a lot harder than others.

• We relied on a freelancer who became the unsung hero of the wider business - she was one of the few who could walk in.

• I got my snow news from Twitter NOT from the BBC. Nor for that matter from journalists.

• UK plc ground to a halt and that is a good thing. Some things are bigger than us and our work. We need to remember that.

• My children love the snow. They had fun.