Alex Smith

THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF

2009-09-16T03:27:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended (with more than three hundred others) a presentation by Doctor Norman Doidge based on his best-selling book, The Brain That Changes Itself. I've been reading the book and have been most impressed by the examples and arguments. Doctor Doidge showed us a number of video clips of examples cited in the book and I was absolutely knocked out.

I have been taught that the human brain is more or less fixed. We have a certain number of cells, a fairly fixed IQ and that, after a fairly short time our brain cells start to die and we just have to accept that we forget things and think more slowly. The science of neuroplascticity, which is the subject of the book, proves that that is nonsense. There are so many examples in the book of people who have suffered massive brain damage, been written off and have made complete recoveries.

My own favourite stories in the book include the examples of autistic children who have made fantastic progress from following a regime based on the the idea that the brain can "rewire" itself and the story of Barbara Arrowsmith Young. As a young girl she was a slow learner and, in her own words, believed that she was "stupid". When she realised that, in fact, she had a problem with her brain, she developed new learning programmes which led her to setting up the Arrowsmith School, working with mainly young people with learning dysfunctions and helping them to achieve great results. Dr Doidge also has examples of 80-year olds who have reversed the mental aging process and are thinking and using their brains like people 25 years younger.

Neuroplasticity, when it is fully accepted, will change the way we think of disabilities, of pain, of aging. It is the most positive, hopeful product of scientific thinking I have seen in my lifetime. It will change the way I think and the way I run my training interventions. Thanks to the Centre for Cofidence and Well-being for organising Dr Doidge's presentation.

EXERCISE AND MENTAL HEALTH

2009-08-24T03:45:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to be leading a workshop next month for the Centre for Confidence & Well-being. They had planned a conference in Glasgow on the theme of physical activity and positive mental health. As part of the conference there were to be a number nof physical activities and I was leading two groups who would walk from the conference venue in Glasgow's Merchant City to the People's Palace Museum at Glasgow Green, probably about a fifteen minute walk. At the museum they would hear from a number of speakers about community physical activities, including gardening. Unfortunately, the full-day conference has been cancelled because of lack of numbers. It will go ahead as an afternoon event, without workshops but still with the main speakers, Professor Ken Fox and Professor Nanette Mutrie.

I received an e-mail this morning from the Centre's Chief Executive, Carol Craig, apologising for the cancellation and pointing out that this is the first time in the Centre's five-year history that this has happened. As she explains, part of it may be down to the time of year. In Scotland we have just finished the holiday season and people may not have had time to plan to attend the event. It is a great shame.

As a runner, I am well aware of the psychological benefits of physical activity. I am training to run a 10K with my daughter at the start of next month, in fact just a four days before the conference. The weather in this part of Scotland has been cool and damp for the past few weeks and I have had to train sometimes on very wet days. Thirty years ago, when I ran marathons and had a full head of hair, I actually liked running in the rain. Recently, as I have lost most of my hair, I have found that rain can be painful on my scalp and I have been more reluctant to train in poor weather. Last week, knowing that the race is imminent, I felt obliged to set out on a wet, windy morning. Although the first mile was a bit of a trial, I was soon into my stride and forgot the horrible weather around me. When I arrived home, even before my shower, my wife remarked on the grin on my face and the glow around me. That lasted for the rest of the day and, in fact, until I had my next run on Saturday. And the glow from Saturday's run (this is Monday) which took place in sunshine, is still there.

The speakers at the conference will be presenting research evidence which proves that, for most of us, physical activity is not only good for our bodies but for our minds. My running experience confirms that. And I know that it is not only running. My wife finds gardening incredibly therapeutic. If you can do it, try some physical exercise. You'll be much better for it.

POVERY AND INEQUALITIES IN SCOTLAND

2009-06-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

Just over a week ago I attended a conference on the above hosted by Scotland's Futures Forum at the Scottish Parliament. I shall write more on the conference later but I just want to mention here what a great day it was. The first part of the morning was taken up with speakers giving their slant on what we in Scotland and what the UK as a whole has done about poverty and inequality. There were some discussions about whether there is any difference and, I think, a general view that the extremes of inequality in the UK create the poverty. Later we had a series of soapboxes where a variety of speakers had four minutes to speak on a specific topic followed by four minutes questions/discussion, then in the afternoon a cafe conversation discussing how we think Scotland can/will move over the next ten years.

There was plenty of plain speaking during the day and many great suggestions at the plenary session. Despite the current crisis, the mood of the day was generally optimistic and I left feeling fired up again. Particular praise must go the the Presiding Officer of the Parliament who hosted and chaired the day (with significant help from the journalist Keith Aitken). Some of the comments about politicians were less than complimentary but the Presiding Officer never flinched and thanked everyone for their contribution. I'm looking forward to the final report which should be available at http://www.scotlandfutureforum.org/assets/library/files/application/1230811200.ppt. An audio of the day is available at http://vr-sp-archive.lbwa.verio.net/archive/Future%20Forum/futures_forum.wma.

SYSTEMS THINKING

2009-05-28T03:20:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I attended a Masterclass organised by the Centre for Confidence & Well-being. It was led by John Seddon who talked about systems thinking in service organisations. John is highly critical of the approach, favoured by the present Government, of setting targets and micro-managing. He used an example of a telecoms provider and the approach when you call to report a fault. It exactly mirrored my experience which I wrote about three years ago, down to the person at the callcentre blaming me for their fault!

John is a marvelous speaker whose passion for his subject occasionally leads to him using what is euphemistically called "colourful language". I took no offence nor did anyone around me. When we have experts like John and his team around and when they have often shown their findings and offered their help to government at local and national level, why does this country continue to act in ways which are useless and expensive? This is our money that is being wasted. These are our friends and relatives who are being killed by an obsession with meeting targets as opposed to helping people. How long will this go on before we rise together and clear the lot out?

Check out http://www.systemsthinking.co.uk/home.asp for more.

SCHOOL OF EVERYTHING

2008-10-29T04:41:00.000-07:00

I was at a Channel 4 event in Glasgow a few weeks ago and heard from Paul Miller who founded the amazing website http://schoolofeverything.com. As Paul describes it it's a sort of eBay for people have something to teach. basically you register (free of charge) telling the world what you want to teach, where and what you want in return. Students who want to learn then visit the website to find an appropriate teacher. Students can also register, telling the world what they want to learn then teachers can find them.

What you want to teach can be anything. I suppose that quantum physics could appear there but it includes driving tuition (at the moment because it's a new website there are a lot of driving instructors!), music tuition, reading, knitting - nothing seems to be ruled out. How you want to be paid can also be flexible. My entry describes me as wanting money or knowledge exchange. If someone is willing to teach me tenor saxophone in exchange for hypnotherapy or coaching or some kind of training, I want to meet him/her now!

Another blog, Boing Boing, described School of Everything as follows. 'It's one of those great, simple, smart ideas that make you want to smack your head and say, "Why didn't I think of that?"' If you have a skill you want to pass on or there is something you want to learn, check out School of Everything.

2008-08-15T04:09:00.000-07:00

Monday was a special day for me. It was my 60th birthday. My wife and I had a quiet day and went out for a meal on Monday evening to a local Asian restaurant, the Indian Cottage. It was not our first visit to the place but, as we do not dine out often, it has been some time since were last there. We could certainly not be described as regular customers.

While the waiter was taking our order, my wife made a comment about it being my birthday. He politely asked if it was a particularly special event and we told him it was my 60th. Wishing me happy birthday and making a polite comment about me not looking my age, he went off with our order.

At the end of the meal (which was as good as any we have had recently), he returned with our bill and handed me a bottle of wine saying, "It's not every day that you're sixty." There was no need for that. We did not ask for nor expect any special treatment. As I mentioned earlier, we are not regular customers. It was just a very nice touch. My wife and I have already told at least a dozen people about it and we shall certainly return to the Indian Cottage soon. It was not an expensive bottle but that is not the point. It was lovely gift.

See, customer service is not complicated, not expensive, but it pays.

THE PARADOX OF CHOICE

2008-07-29T02:41:00.000-07:00

I've recently been looking again at Barry Scwartz's book of the above title. It's based on research in the USA into the fact that today people have more choice than ever but are less happy than previously. Logically we think that more choice is better but psychologically this is not the case. There is a cut off point beyond which people end up confused and they then make no choice, or sometimes end up making choices without evaluating all the options with the result that they end up unhappy with the choices they make.

This is important for business. Let's say you run a shop selling running shoes. A customer of average height, weight and running style is looking for advice on the best pair of shoes. There are about a dozen pairs which will suit her so you offer them all. She just gets confused and leaves saying she'll think about it and return. Alternatively, you offer just one pair. This time she thinks you're just trying to punt the most expensive pair and again she leaves and goes to a rival store.

The best thing to do is to offer her three or four pairs. It's much easier for her to do a quick, mental cost-benefit analysis or pros and cons analysis and she is much more likely to make a decision. This results in a satisfied customer and money in your till.

So more choice is not necessarily a good thing. Some choice is better than no choice but too much leads to confusion and confusion leads to dissatisfaction.

GOING GLOBAL

2008-02-15T02:06:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I attended an event at the Scottish Parliament as part of the launch of the Tomorrow Project's latest publication, Going Global. Michael Moynagh and Richard Worsley, directors of the Tomorrow Project have produced a comprehensive and well-researched book which examines emerging trends and the future of work, business, climate, food supply and others.

Richard spoke first, giving a few examples from the publication and he was answered by Professor Andrew Hughes-Hallett. Following that those attending were invited to discuss in groups the implications for our futures, following which a panel of Michael Moynagh and Professor Hughes-Hallett answered questions.

There were many different strands to the discussions as there are in the book but two things remains with me. Firstly, Richard's comment, quoting someone else whom I don't remember, that the first human to live to be one thousand (yes, 1,000) has probably already been born. That is quite a statement. And secondly, and I write this from supposedly dour and pessimistic Scotland, the optimism and energy which filled the room. No one ignored the problems of the inequalities in the world today but almost everyone believes that it does not have to be that way and that the world is beginning to move to make some of the necessary changes.

Anyone interested in the work of the Tomorrow Project or of the Scottish Futures Forum which hosted the event should look at http://www.tomorrowproject.net/ and http://www.scotlandfutureforum.org/.

On Wednesday I visited some old friends at Fair Pley. Check ou their website at www.fairpley.co.uk. It was great to see Stephen and Jim again and I was hugely impressed by their demonstration of their Smoothiecycle. Essentially this is a smoothiemaker powered by a bicycle! Incredible! You exercise to make your smoothie then you have a healthy drink to replace the fluid lost by the exercise. Check it out on the website.

STORYTELLING

2008-01-22T03:46:00.000-08:00

There was an article in People Management, the CIPD journal, last November about storytelling and the use of stories, or parables as I called them in a recent post, in training. One story concerned a large hotel. A man and a young boy were spending a few days there and the staff had, rightly, surmised that they were father and son.

One evening the man returned to reception after taking his son to his room and told his story. It seemed that the boy was seriously ill and was about to begin a course of chemotherapy. What concerned him most was the fact that he was about to lose his hair. To pre-empt that, he had decided to shave his head that night and his father was going to do the same as a mark of support. The father wanted to ask the staff not to react when he and his son came down for breakfast the next day.

When the man and boy arrived for breakfast the next morning, they were astonished to find that ten of the male staff had also shaved their heads and were going about their duties with shiny pates. That is customer service!

CUSTOMER SERVICE 3

2008-01-02T02:15:00.000-08:00

When will companies learn that good customer service keeps customers and attracts new business, while poor service simply plays into the hands (and bank accounts) of their rivals? I have been a customer of the same Internet company for more than 10 years. I have been paying much more than I needed to but did not think of it because I received the service I expected and had no thought of moving. At the beginning of December I was accessing my e-mails remotely and met with an error message advising me that there was a problem with the website's security certificate. That worried me and I wrote to them to let them know and at the same time I asked them a question about my connection speed. There was no reply so I wrote again a week later. Still no reply.

10 days later when there was still no reply I discussed the situation with David Simpson of Megalomedia who designed and looks after the hosting of my website. David said that he could provide the e-mail service I needed for a tenth, yes 10%, of what I was paying. I wrote to the company to tell them that I was cancelling my contract. Within three working days I had a reply to my initial query and later that day a reply to my cancellation message. The second reply asked me to call a 10pence per minute number to discuss this with them and advised me that I could not cancel the contract by e-mail. A contract with an e-mail services company!

I called the number. The woman I spoke to told me that she could not deal with a contract cancellation and that I had to call another number. I read her the e-mail from the "Customer Care Email Team" quoting the number which I had just called. She repeated that I should call another number. I did not. I have written and have also cancelled my direct debit.

Compare my daughter's experience. She has her home, etc. insurance with Endsleigh. She received a letter from a company offering services and realised that it was linked to Endsleigh. She called them. The man she spoke to said that he did not quite understand what had happened, it was not really his area but he would call her back within 10 minutes. 5 minutes later he called back with a full (and satisfactory) answer. My daughter and her husband had been considering moving their insurance business but this example of good customer service reminded them of why they give their business, and will continue to do so, to Endsleigh. It's easy isn't it?

PARABLES

2007-12-04T05:59:00.000-08:00

As anyone who has attended training courses which I deliver will know, I use stories and anecdotes all through my training. I believe that these help people to learn. Most of my stories are well rehearsed and their place in the training is well thought out. Someone recently called them parables. I am uncomfortable with that word because of the religious connection but it probably fairly sums up many of the tales.

Some of the stories are real, some are based on fact and some are complete fiction but, I beleieve, reinforce the training message. All are meant to teach and to entertain. That is why I sometimes describe myself as an Infotainer

I have just bought a new (to me) book called My Voice Will Go With You. The book is edited by Sidney Rosen and is a collection of a few of the stories told by Milton H. Erickson who was probably the most innovative and powerful hypnotherapist ever. I love Erickson's style and never cease to be amazed by the subtle way he weaves messages and hypnotic commands into his tales. At the age of 17 he contracted polio for the first time and overheard a conversation between his mother, the local doctor and two specialists called in from Chicago. He heard one of them tell his mother, "The boy will be dead by morning." He describes himself as outraged that a doctor would tell a mother that about her son. When his mother came into his room she remained straight-faced and he never told her what he had overheard. He did, however, persuade her to shift a dresser which blocked his view of the window so that he would see one more sunset before he died. He saw only half of the sunset because he lapsed into a coma which lasted for three days and which, fortunately for him and for us, he survived. Rosen believes that the message of the story is that we are lucky to be alive. I agree. The alternative holds no appeal whatsoever.

RENEWED FAITH

2007-11-26T06:13:00.000-08:00

Last week I helped to facilitate a team-building day for an organisation working in the field of support for people with drug and alcohol problems. The people who attended the day were most of the admin team and the general manager. Although the day did not go entirely to plan, it still was hard work, intense and inspiring. This is a group of people, some of whom have worked for the organisation for more than twenty years, who claim, and whose behaviour affirms, that they love their work.

During the introductions at the start of the day several mentioned that they were happy at work and that they liked their colleagues. There was a fall-out soon after lunch but, after that, they again showed themselves to be a group of people who like each other and who like and are commiteed to what they do. One of the group is very new, he has been with them since the beginning of the month, and he was as welcome and as well-respected as anyone else.

The most inspiring thng for me was the openness of the group, their commitment to the organisation and the fact that they are obviously not driven by the urge to make money. I am sure that any one of them could earn more in another sector

CONFIDENCE

2007-11-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

Last month I wrote about confidence in relation to the Scottish football team. My final comment was that I thought the supporters' confidence was a fragile thing and I feared that one defeat could destroy it. There have been two defeats since then. One with a weakened team to Georgia and yesterday's defeat by one goal to Italy, the current world champions. Leaving the National Stadium last night after the game and in the bar afterwards I listened carefully to what was being said around me. With only one or two exceptions the comments were very positive. Unfortunately, one of the negative comments I heard in a bar led me into an argument.

The chap behind me described Scotland's defeat and the results in England's group as "the worst day in history"!!! I couldn't let that one go. I pointed out that perhaps the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand which started the First World War, Hitler's army's invasion of Poland, the battle of Culloden were much worse with which the man agreed. The second point was more important. So many Scots appear to think that hating the English because they are English is okay. People who would never think of criticising someone for being black or Asian or Roman Catholic or gay seem to think it is fine to knock the English for their nationality. Sometimes I ignore it but last night I could not let it go. Let's be proud to be Scottish but only because we are Scottish. Not because we are not English.

And rightly criticise the English based media for their obsession with England to the exclusion of the other nations which make up the United Kingdom. But do not knock them simply for being English. That's racism and we should have no room for it in our country or our lives.

CONFIDENCE

2007-10-15T03:08:00.000-07:00

Over the past two weeks I attended a course run by Isobel MacNaughtan on behalf of the Centre for Confidence & Wellbeing. The course was called Communicating with Confidence and was essentially Assertiveness training for young people. I enjoyed the course, learned some new information and approaches and I look forward to beginning to put the learning into practice tomorrow with construction apprentices in Motherwell.

That has set me to thinking again about confidence in Scotland. On Saturday I watched the Scottish football team beating Ukraine 3-1 in Glasgow. Last month I was in Paris to see Scotland beat France 1-0 in the same competition. They also beat France by the same scoreline a year ago. Part of the secret of the Scottish team is their renewed confidence which comes partly from a good coaching team and partly from winning.

It was strange for me before Saturday's game, however. I spoke to my son and a younger friend on our way to the game. Both were quite pessimistic, in fact worried was the word they used. Why? The team has shown it can beat the second-best team in the world. That doesn't mean that they will win every game but the days of them going out to lose are gone, at least for now. The players themselves admit that some of their inspiration comes from the passionate support of the fans. If the fans will only believe, the team will do better. And the better performances of the team will translate to the fans. My only worry is that I think that this confidence is still fragile and may need only one poor game to break it.

SPAM

2007-08-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

I have written in the past about spam, unsolicited e-mails, most of which are either trying to sell me stuff to improve my virility, asking for my bank account details or offering me solutions for mental health problems which, I am glad to write, do not affect me. I wonder who would be daft enough to pass their bank account details to a total stranger? I suppose some people must or the spammers would not do what they do.

I have suffered badly from unsolicited e-mails since I started my newsletter. I can get as many as 100 in a day. A couple of days ago I discovered Cloudmark (www.cloudmark.com) and what a difference. It has allowed through only two unwanted e-mails and has blocked only one which I wanted out of just under 200 mails. I'm using the free trail version just now. I shall subscribe to the paid service in a couple of days. If any of the pests are reading this, I hope you realise that you are now wasting your time and not mine. Give up.

HAGGIS, NEEPS & TATTIES

2007-07-28T03:54:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know about my "invention," deep-fried haggis, neeps & tatties. For those not familiar with Scotland and the Scots tongue, this is haggis, turnip (or swede) and potatoes. On Burns night, 25 January, when the birth of Scotland's national poet, Robert burns, is celebrated around the world people hold "Burns Suppers" at which haggis, neeps and tatties are eaten and usually a fair amount of whisky is consumed.

About twelve years ago I developed a deep-fried version of this. The haggis is encased in a mixture of neeps and tatties, rolled in bread crumbs and flash-fried. This gives it a golden colour but, because no batter is involved, little oil is absorbed. The result is something which looks a bit like a scotch egg and can be heated in a microwave oven. Yesterday I introduced my coleagues in Keep Scotland Beautiful to the product. As has happened every time previously, it went down beautifully. They loved it.

I have offered the product to many Scottish food manufacturers but until now with no success. Much to my annoyance, I am now going to talk to English companies about manufacturing deep-fried haggis, neeps and tatties under licence. Haggis is a uniquely Scottish food but Scottish manufacturers are missing the opportunity. Over 200 taste tests with only one negative reaction, from a man who did not like haggis, confirms that there is a market for the idea. I shall report on my progress later.

BACK AGAIN

2007-05-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

I posted my last newsletter in September last year when I went to work for Keep Scotland Beautiful. It's been an interesting experience and I've learned a lot. However, I don't think I'm made for employment. Without me doing any promotion at all, I have continued to pick up bits of work from a variety of customers. Some of the jobs I have had to turn down because I had a full-time job; some I passed on to others; and some I have accepted.

I 've now decided to leave my full-time job with Keeep Scotland Beautiful and go back to being Enterprising Solutions (Kirkintilloch). I am grateful to the people in Stirling who employed me, to the many colleagues whose friendship I have enjoyed and to the many others around Scotland whom I have met through training them. I hope I don't lose touch with all of them. But Alex is back! With a vengeance!

END OF AN ERA?

2006-09-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

I set up Enterprising Solutions (Kirkintilloch) in April 1995. That's not strictly true. In April 1995 I left my last full-time job and became self-employed. The Enterprising Solutions bit came a couple of years later, but you know what I mean. Tomorrow morning I become a full-time employee again when I join Keep Scotland Beautiful as a trainer. But is it the end of Enterprising Solutions (Kirkintilloch)?

I suppose the question mark at the end of the Subject gives the game away. In fact, I intend to continue to work as a freelance trainer but now on a part-time basis. I also intend to continue offering hypnotherapy, again outwith the normal nine to five. So keep watching this space and keep contacting me if you want my help. I'll find a way to fit in with your needs.

Thanks to everyone who has suppoerted and encouraged me over the past years. I shall not mention you all individually but you know who you are.

CUSTOMER SERVICE 2

2006-08-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

In May I had problems with my Internet access and with e-mail. I was a BT Broadband customer and BT Broadband offers a helpline service. The problem is that this service is online and my problems were with online access. I could connect to my ISP for a few seconds, perhaps up to 30 seconds, then the connection would close. I managed to get a message through pointing this out but then the connection went. Each time I reconnected I would get a series of messages from BT Broadband support personnel in India asling me to contact them, pointing out that if I would not reply to them they could not help me. Remember the problem. The connection kept going down.

Eventually I managed to speak to someone in India. (During my attempts to do this via the operator I was cut off twice! By BT!) The first person I spoke to complained about me keeping my modem on the floor. He said that that was the problem. The modem has been on the floor since I had BT Broadband installed several years ago. There was never a problem. I moved the modem, changed settings as advised by the help desk man and nothing changed. Eventually he said that the line was faulty. He promised to report it but said it could take 48 hours for his report to get through! I accepted this. I was desperate.

Two weeks later (two weeks) I again (and again after being cut off) managed to speak to someone in India. He was even more critical of my set up, complained about my settings (which his colleague had given me) and told me that the system was now fixed. Immediately after I put the phone down the connection failed again. The phone rang. It was the man from India. He confirmed that the line was faulty. Remember, his colleague had told me that two weeke previously.

Two days later I received a phone call to tell me that the fault had been repaired. A couple of hours later the connection failed again. I checked online with BT. Their website tells me that the fault was repaired three days later. I lost my temper. I contacted NTL, a company which had been trying to woo me for several years and whose overtures I had ignored. Within two working days I had a new telephone and broadband supplier. Lines which worked.

I wrote to BT. No reply. I wrote again. No reply. I received a bill. I returned it, pointing out that I had cancelled the almost non-existent service. Strangely (remember, I was refusing to pay) I got a reply from the BT Broadband Complaints Manager (I'll bet she's a busy woman). She assured me that BT "continually strive(s) to provide first class leading products and services with exceptional customer service." Ha! She also advised me that "in the very near future one of our dedicated complaint handlers will contact you to resolve your issues." No one called but I received a reminder that I had not paid my bill and threatening me with a £5 late payment charge. I sent an e-mail advising them that I had no intention of paying the bill. Two days later the "dedicated complaint handler" left a message on my answering machine including her telephone number. I tried to call. For an hour and a half the number was engaged! All of the next day the number was engaged! This is a telephone communications company!

I then received a letter from the "dedicated complaint handler" apologising for the poor service and advising me to ignore the bill. The next week I received my third copy of the bill and another call from the "dedicated complaint handler" inviting me to call her. I tried. Her number was constantly engaged.

There are those who talk about good customer service (in the Scottish phrase, they "talk a good game."); there are those who deliver good service. Make up your own mind about BT.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

2006-08-03T02:22:00.000-07:00

My wife bought me a new espresso machine for Easter. I only drink coffee first thing in the morning and I like a good dose of caffeine to wake me up. She bought a top name brand which turned to to leak - badly. These things happen even with the best of goods so I contacted the manufacturer. The young man whom I spoke to was extremely helpful and said that he would arrange to have the machine collected from my home and returned for testing and, if necessary, repair. The carrier arrived at the due time and took the machine away. Great service, I thought. Unfortunately, that was the end and the company has ruined its image, certainly in my family.

When I had heard nothing after SIX weeks, I e-mailed to ask what was happening. I know that one of the problems with e-mail is that we expect an instant response but when I had heard nothing two days later I telephoned. Almost immediately I received an e-mail advising me that they were not responsible for repairs and I should contact another company. Note, this is the manufacturer, the people who arranged the collection of the machine, who were not responsible!

I contacted the other company. It took several hours to get through on the telephone. The computer system was not working properly and the woman who took my call could not find my case on her computer and had to shout across the office to a colleague. My ears are still ringing! Eventually she told me that my my machine could not be fixed and had been recommended for replacement. It took six weeks to do this! She said that it would take seven to ten days for the replacement to arrive.

Two weeks later I called the manufacturer. The Customer Relations Adviser whom I spoke to confirmed that my machine was to be replaced and it would take seven to ten working days. From that day! Okay it took only five days but that was nine weeks in total to replace a faulty - and expensive - machine.

Apart from the fact that I feel that, had I not chased them, I should still be waiting for my machine to be looked at, I found the insincerity of the correspondence so annoying. Writing "Assuring you of our best intentions at all times" is no substitute for actually dealing with customers professionally and quickly.

There is a lesson here for everyone in business. Your only reason for being in business is to meet your customer's needs. If you don't want to do that, retire.

2006-07-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

I remember a former chairman of mine, Jeff Carter, telling me that, no matter how important an appointment or deadline was, it could always be delayed if one had to attend a funeral. As I get older, I now find myself attending more funerals and Jeff's words are so true. I have also been told so often that no one ever got to the end of his/her life saying, "I wish I'd put in more time at the office." I nodded but never really took it in.

A week ago today, I received an e-mail, apparently from a good friend, Ron Grant. When I opened the mail it turned out to be from his niece to tell me that Ron had died the day before. I spoke to Ron's wife, Alex, later that day and she told me that he had suffered a massive heart attack after gardening.

Ron was one of the greatest men I ever met but no one will buld a statue to him or write his biography. He trained me as a trainer many years ago and we became firm friends. I considered myself honoured that Ron chose me to be his friend. At his funeral on Friday it was clear how many peoples' lives he had touched, all positively, and how much he was loved. I just wish I'd spent more time with him.

Recently someone sent me the following:

Name the 5 richest people in the world.
Name the last 5 Miss Universe winners.
Name the last 10 Nobel Prize winners.
Name the last 10 winners of the Best Actor Oscar.

Difficult isn't it? Applause dies away; trophies gather dust; winners are soon forgotten.

Now name 3 teachers who contributed to your education.
Name 3 friends who helped you in your hour of need.
Think of a few people who make you feel special.
Name the people you like to spend time with.

I'll bet that was easier.

I hope that if any good comes out of Ron's passing it will be that I will finally accept that, while I enjoy my work and like running my business, family and friends are much more important and I'm going to devote more time to them. I suspect that my business will benefit too.

BACK TO WORK

2006-07-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

I came back from holiday on Saturday evening and started working again this morning. The first thing I had to do was go through more than 600 e-mails, mostly spam. I wonder what these people think I am. I look at the sender and the subject then delete. I have no idea what they are offering or what they expect from me. It must take them some time to set up these mailing lists and to send their junk and I wonder what they get from it. Surely most Internet users are like me and just ignore the junk!

We spent a few days in France before moving on to northern Spain and, once again, I was absolutely bowled over by the welcome we received. I have a bit of French but very little Spanish, although my wife speaks better Spanish than she thinks. However, we have found that, as long as we make some attempt to speak the local language, shop, garage and restaurant staff will go out of their way to help us. It's also embarassing at local markets to find that everyone can tell us in English the cost of whatever we want to buy, even little kids! I wonder how many British market traders can count in any language other than English.

We had a conversation with an Irish family whom we met this year for the second time and we all agreed that somehow the locals spotted us as Brits as soon as they saw us. Much to my delight I gave the lie to that the day we left. I was walking back to my car when a driver pulled up and asked me for directions. He thought I was Spanish! I thought they would have to operate to remove the smile from my face.

HOLIDAY TIME

2006-06-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

Why does it happen every year? I usually learn from my mistakes or, even better, the mistakes of others, but again this year I find myself days away from going on holiday rushing to do things which I should have done weeks or even months ago.

I remember my daughter telling me when she was still typing an assignment for her university course two hours before the deadline that she worked better under pressure. I argued that that was nonsense and that, if she planned her work better, she would have more time and be better able to think about what she was doing. Yet there must be some truth in what she said because these jobs which I have left to the last minute are being done well but without the usual messing around which often indulge in.

While I'm on holiday I shall take some time to have a closer look at myself, to do some planning and to see if I really do work better under pressure.

SERVICE

2006-06-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

Those of you who keep up with these newsletters will have read of my bad experience with my telecomms provider. So committed are they to dealing with faults and complaints that almost three weeks after I wrote to them I still have had no response! It's shocking!

A second example of excellent service, however, comes from my ISP, Pipex. Since I moved to NTL I have not been able to use Outlook Express to send and receive e-mails. I contacted the Pipex help desk yesterday and five minutes later my settings were set and everything was working great. Thanks Pipex.

I am now doing some interseting but strangely difficult work for Glasgow Mentoring Network. Essentially my role is to link young unemployed people who are looking for work with mentors who will help them into work. The service is voluntary so only individuals seriously interested in finding a job are involved. I managed to make my first link-up quite easily but I have had problems finding mentors since then. The other agent who works on the programme has a database of about 200 mentors so has less of a problem. I need to get to the same level quickly but it's proving a tough job.

I think there's a lot in it for the mentors. They will help the economy of the area as well as getting a buzz from seeing a young person take a first or another step on the career ladder. It also looks good on the CV. I shall keep working at it.

2006-05-24T03:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last wrote because I had a long (far too long) spell with no Internet connection. There was a fault with the telephone line which I used to connect to Broadband and it took two and a half weeks for the company which provided (note the past tense) the service to repair it. In fact, although they have told me that it is repaired, I have not in fact tested the connection. I finally lost patience with them and moved to another company. I called them on Friday, they agreed to lay the cable and make the connection on Tuesday and they did. That's what I call service.

I have now decided that I shall no longer accept bad service from anyone. I have tended to be a patient and forgiving person but that has cost me time and business. From now on I want as close to perfect service as it is possible to get.

Compare the telecomms experience with my recent experience of a faulty coffee machine. My wife bought be a Krupps espresso machine from Debenhams for Easter. I drink coffee only first thing in the morning but I like a really good shot then. It sets me up for the day. A few weeks after we started to use the machine we found that it leaked. I contacted Debenhams who, rightly, pointed out that without the receipt there was nothing they could do. (We had, of course, thrown the receipt out). The pleasant young man at Debenhams did give me a number for Krupps customer service. I contacted another pleasant young man there who was everything you would want a customer service assistant to be. He asked for the model number and the reference number and confirmed that that particular machine was made in December - well within the guarantee period. He then asked me to pack the machine in a box, securely, and has arranged for it to be collected on Friday.

Okay, it would have been better if the machine had not leaked but, given that something has gone wrong, the company has been quick to get it fixed. There's a lesson there for my former telecomms provider, who, incidentally, has not yet repled to my letter of complaint posted ten days ago!

WHERE THE MIND GOES

2006-04-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

A month ago I met a very interesting woman, Karen Caldwell, who is a life coach. She also delivers Pacific Institute training in Drumchapel, one of Glasgow's peripheral housing schemes. Karen and I had a chat and seemed to be of similar minds on a number of things. Because of that we agreed to meet again and see if there was any way we could work together.

Following that second meeting we have decided to run a half-day workshop together. It is being called Where the Mind Goes, the Behind Follows and will allow people to learn some tools and techniques to make their lives run better. The workshop will be a lot of fun because both of us like to enjoy life, but the results will be serious. For those who want to use the tools, their lives will be better. No question.

The workshop will be held in Lang's Hotel, Glasgow on the morning of Saturday 3 June. We intend to start promptly at 9.28 (yes, you read correctly.) and finish around 12.30 Because we are convinced that we have a good product on offer, we are not setting a fee. Anyone who attends will be asked to pay us whatever they think the workshop was worth. Bookings to me on 07710 760 854 or via the website.

INNOVATION

2006-04-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

I have been involved in a few interesting things since I last posted. Many years ago I invented a new food product, deep-fried haggis, neeps and tatties. For those non-Scots reading, a few words of explanation might help. Haggis, I think everyone knows; neeps are turnips (or suedes); tatties are potatoes. It is traditional around the time of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland national poet, to have Burns Suppers at which people recite his poetry, toast various things related to the poet and eat a meal of haggis, neeps and tatties.

There is also a tradition in Scotland of eating deep-fried food, usually fish or some other commodity ,and chips. In Scotland, deep-fried fish and chips is known as a fish supper. Because of the inherent unhealthiness of deep-fried foods, the Scottish Executive and the health and education authorities are trying to persuade Scots to eat less deep-fried food. Scotland even invented the deep-fried Mars bar, where the confection is dipped in batter and then fried in hot oil. This is now served as a sweet course in at least one major Parisian restaurant.

My version of the deep-fried haggis, neeps and tatties (known as a Burns supper, of course!) does not involve any batter and, because it is flash-fried, is quite healthy. Haggis itself is a healthy food, as barley is an important ingredient. My Burns supper can be chilled and microwaved to warm it up.

I have been trying to persuade a food manufacturer in Scotland to take on the product, make it and sell it and pay me a royalty but so far without success. I have discussed the idea with a number of large food companies and, although several have described it as an excellent idea, none wants to take the chance with it. Two weeks ago, I was featured on a Glasgow radio station, Saga 105.2 fm, discussing the product and how I came up with the idea. The presenter, Alastair Alford, was quite taken both with the technique for creating the idea and with th idea itself. Perhaps someone will have heard the interview and will contact me.

I am also working with a major Glasgow construction company on helping them to develop a culture of innovation. It is not easy in such a traditional industry but CBC are to be congratulated for working at it and not giving up. I hope to report in a later newletter on how this project is going.

Finally, I completed my term at CEDA last week. When I left I gave everyone a badge with a cartoon of my face and the legend I worked with Alex around the edge. Everyone loved the badges and several are still wearing them. The cartoon was drawn by Lorna Campbell at CEDA and the badges were made by a young woman trying to pay off her loans. Take a look at www.onegirloneyear.co.uk for more ideas.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

2006-02-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

For the past seven years I have worked for an organisation in Castlemilk, Glasgow called CEDA (Castlemilk Economic Development Agency). I started there on a youth enterprise project; I had to encourage more young people to think of self-employment, to provide advice and training to young people aiming to start up in business and to provide aftercare support to those already in business.

Over the intervening years I have moved on to other roles with CEDA, many of them involving training, until my most recent project of providing motivation and confidence-building techniques to people to enable them to look at self-employment as an option. This morning I gave notice to CEDA that I had decided to move on to something new. This evening I attended a networking event for half an hour. In that time I was offered work helping with training young business people, which will replace my work with CEDA. What do they say about "when one door opens..."?

Last week I was involved with a colleague from Glasgow's Business Gateway provider in delivering training in presentation skills and report writing to a group of about sixty Young Achievers, that is senior school pupils taking part in Young Enterprise. Anyone who spends any time with these young people cannot help but be inspired. They give me great hope for the future.

2006-02-05T04:36:00.000-08:00

John Grinder and Richard Bandler, the creators of NLP, published some interesting books in their early days before they fell out. I recently picked up a copy of Trance-formations, their long out of print book about hypnosis and NLP. Essentially it is a transcript of a three day training event which they ran, with most of the references to the content of previous publications excluded. What a fantastic book.

Because I trained with Bandler and attended follow-up training in hypnotherapy I have found it quite easy to get into. Some people who know NLP only from books seem to have found it a bit dense and hard to get into. I just find it inspirational and I have already started to introduce some of the techniques to both my training practice and to work I am doing with individual clients.

I recently completed a sales and negotiation skills course and I have used an exercise almost straight from Trance-formations to demonstrate the importance of really looking at people. As demonstrated in the book, if you want to know whether or not you are succeeding in inducing trance you have to watch for every nuance in your subjects posture, skin tone, breathing, etc. One of the trainees described it as the best sales training he has ever experienced, so something seems to be working.

I also attended what was described as an audience with Richard Mehmed, who set up the Brighton wood recycling project almost ten years ago. Richard quit his job selling insurance with nothing else to go to. A very brave act on his part and brave of his wife to support him. His talk and the follow-up interview, which was organised by Forth Sector in Edinburgh, were educational, entertaining and inspiring. If you get the chance to meet Richard or to hear him speak take it. You will not regret it.

2006-01-23T04:58:00.000-08:00

I have been involved in some very interesting but quite diverse training recently. I have run a two-half-day Selling and Negotiation Skills course in Castlemilk, Glasgow with an assorted mix of individuals, ranging from several sales professionals to a few business start-ups desperate to learn anything at all about selling. Using a mixture of well known sales techniques, some tips from the field of NLP and practical exercises, the aim is that everyone should leave more able to persuade their customers to buy.

I also worked with a group of first-line supervisors from a medium-sized manufacturing company near Glasgow. They are following a training course which will last for a year and will enable them to get more out of their teams and prepare them for the next step on the management ladder. Some are obviously happy where they are and just want a few tips to make them better. Others are clearly ambitious and the mix of the two made for a demanding but very satisfying day's work.

I also ran a business planning session for a group from GGNSE which is a network of organisations offering support to employees of people with a variety of disabilities. I was recommended for this work by someone who attended a similar session I facilitated last summer. I have just been asked if I can help a third group with the same agenda. I must be doing something right.

Over Christmas I picked up a copy of the long out of print Trans-formations by John Grinder and Richard Bandler. This is a fascinating glimpse into the early work of the inventors of NLP which has made sense of some of my NLP training which just left me confused. As trainers/presenters Grinder and Bandler are so powerful. That is my inspiration and aspiration .

2006-01-09T08:34:00.000-08:00

Firstly may I wish everyone health, wealth and happiness for 2006. We took some time off over Christmas and New Year to recharge the batteries and are back full of energy for the year to come.

Previously I mentioned my work with Turning Point Scotland. I am glad to say that I have been asked to do further work with the Employability project managed by Aileen Reid. Her intention is to have at least one person in each of the organisation's services trained by me so that they can use these techniques with service users and, where appropriate, teach service users to use the techniques to improve their own lives.

Back in August I mentioned the work I had done with a group of Direct Payments users in Renfrewshire. Unfortunately the local authority has decided to keep the work inhouse so the user group does not have a role. However, from my point of view, I have been asked to do a similar training session for another group in Glasgow because someone who attended the first session liked what I did and recommended me.

I am also involved with an old friend in developing the ideas generation/creativity part of the business. We have set up a separate business, ICE, and are busy developing a programme for the coming year. We hope to host a major conference on creativity in Glasgow and will publish our book, The Beauty of ICE, to coincide with that.

Finally I met someone over the Christmas break who will help me to take forward the recycling project. Watch this space for more news, although I suspect it will be 2007 before the actual even happens.

In my next newsletter I plan to recommend some books and websites which those interested in this kind of work might care to have a look at.

HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

2005-12-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

In a recent blog, Carol Craig of the Scottish Centre for Confidence and Well-being mentions seeing Lady Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, in a television interview. Carol notes that the so-called Iron Lady looked "scary – a horrendous wicked witch with a twisted mouth and face of stone" and reminds us of how Lady Thatcher has never forgiven her colleagues for removing her from office. I am also working with a young woman who describes her mother as having been bitter and full of resentment and suggest that her death at the comparitively young age of 59 from pancreatic cancer might have been the manifestation of her bitterness eating her body away from inside.

I'm not sure about that. The Vanguard programme run by the Centre for Confidence and Well-being draws to a close tomorrow with an open -pace event in the Scottish Parliament. We have learned on the programme how positivity, optimism and happiness do lead to an extended life. I suppose, therefore, that I have to accept that the opposite emotions shorten life but I am not sure that we can ascribe illnesses such as cancer to negative emotional states. I have seen too many positive, happy people die young and bitter old crones appearing to live for ever.

I spent some time on Friday afternoon working with a group of women who run a refuge (or refuges) for women with addiction problems and their children. I was trying, with mixed success, to get them to take on board some of these issues and trying to get them to use these tools both to improve their own lives and to teach to their clients. Some, but not all, were convinced.

I know one thing for certain. I have been depressed in my life and happy. I know which I prefer. I intend to go out laughing.

TURNING POINT SCOTLAND

2005-11-27T12:22:00.000-08:00

I spent Wednesay and Thursday last week working with a group from Turning Point Scotland. This is an organisation with branches the length and breadth of Scotland, "from Fraserburgh to Galashiels" as their own leaflet says. They offer support to people whose lives have been affected by learning disabilities, addictions, mental health problems, Dementia and homelessness. In other words, not the easiest groups to deal with. I have experience of working with disadvantaged groups and individuals and I know how challenging (and rewarding) the work can be.

I was recruited by Aileen Reid who manages TPS's Employability programme. Aileen and I had worked together previously and she thought I could add something to the training she was doing with this group who had volunteered to work on the Employability programme. Essentially, TPS is trying to change the mindset which says these service users have so many problems they just need support to live into saying that many of these service users can look towards working. That may not mean a job as many others would understand it. It may mean voluntary work, which, of course, may then lead on to more traditional employment.

To launch the programme, Aileen held an event in Glasgow with presentations from a number of partners, including JobCentre Plus and others. My highlight of that event was a presentation by one of TPS's own staff who is also a service user. This young woman was born with cerebral palsy and her mother was told that she would never talk or walk and would need to be cared for for the rest of her life. Instead she stood in front of an audience of about fifty and told us her story, accompanied by the PowerPoint presentation which she herself had created. What an inspiration!

Also inspirational were the thirty five or so TPS "volunteers I had the privilege of working with last week and back in October. These are a mixed group of individuals who seem totally committed to supporting their service users and who were such a joy to work with. The future of Turning Point Scotland and the future for the organisation's clients must be good in such positive hands.

PETER DRUCKER

2005-11-20T12:17:00.000-08:00

I wasn't aware when I wrote my last newsletter that Peter Drucker had died. Some words are so overused that they have become meaningless. Every reasonable journeyman footballer nowadays seems to be described as a "genius" and fairly average business consultants write books with half-baked theories and are described as "giants" and "gurus." Peter Drucker hated the word "guru, so I shall avoid it, but he truly was a giant amongst business writers and organisational theorists. Here was a genius in his field.

I first came across Peter Drucker in 1979 while a student at Napier College (now University) in Edinburgh, Scotland. I was not studying management but I had an interest in the subject and I was (and remain) a voracious reader. I picked up a Peter Drucker book to read over lunchtime and couldn't put it down. He wrote so succinctly and so directly that I felt as if he was writing about my experiences. When I was in management and had teams working for me, I did my best to put his theories into practice. When things did not work that was not down to faults with his theories, just my ineffectiveness. But I continued to learn.

Many modern-day theorists, some of whom earn eye-watering sums for lecturing, have simply taken Peter Drucker's work and re-cycled it for a modern audience. But Peter Drucker said it all, and in such a wonderful way, that he remains for me the master. Philip Kotler who is often described as "the father of marketing" wrote that if that were true, the Peter Drucker is the "grandfather." He published his first book, The End of Economic Man, in 1939 and his most recent, Managing in the Next Society, in 2002, although I believe he had just completed another (his 36th!) when he died, just short of his 96th birthday. A giant of a man has left us and the world is poorer as result but let us be grateful for the 95 years he gave us.

MORE CHOICE

2005-11-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

I've just been reading the latest newsletter from Emyr Williams of Business 121 which is linked to Business Bricks (see Paradox of Choice). He describes going into a shop to look for a digital camera. Not only was there too much choice but the choice was all about features and there were no sales staff around to help him make sense of them. It has been so well known and taught on even the most basic sales courses that customers do not buy features, they buy benefits.

Why do so many major retailers and manufacturers insist on trying to sell goods by listing the benefits? This is not complex. If you feel that a feature will be of importance to your customers, tell them why. Here is a simple example. A new car offers 0-60 in 8 seconds. That in itself will not turn people on. The fact that it will pull away quickly at traffic lights or overtake safely are the benefits which will sell it. A simple way of deciding on the benefit of a feature is to use the link words which means that. So if you run a shop which offers late opening on Sunday think "Late opening Sunday which means that customers can get things which they may have forgotten earlier.

Small businesses would do well to note that so many large businesses seem to have forgotten the lesson that people buy benefits and not features. By concentrating on benefits in their promotion and sales activities they can gain the edge on their competitors.

THE PARADOX OF CHOICE

2005-11-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

The latest lecure as part of the Vanguard programme came from Professor Barry Schwartz and was on the paradox of choice. Essentially he said that, although governments and others tell us that choice is good for us and is a sign of freedom and democracy, when we are given a wide choice we either end up paralysed and unable to choose or we choose and are dissatisfied with our choices. We also discussed this in our telephone discussion group this evening.

Some of the examples are of those being offered an almost unlimited choice of retirement pension schemes then choosing the least advantageous option because it was the easiest understood. I remember Matt Weston referring to this in an early Business Bricks (www.businessbricks.co.uk). He mentioned buying a tennis racquet where the shop asked for details of the person who would use it - height, style, etc. He was then offered three racquets to choose from and made his choice quickly. Had he been offered the full range (more than 100, if I remember correctly) he would have been confused. Had he been offered one only, he would have wondered if the salesman was on special commission for selling that brand and was he getting the right racquet for the person's needs. Three seemed to be the magic number.

The lecture (and our discussion) also referred to maximising vs satsficing. I remember studing SE Finer and others on this topic in the late 70's. Essentially Professor Schwartz said that often "good enough is good enough." I think I go with that. The obsession with perfection seems to me to be chasing the impossible and not worth the effort. This is not an argument for shoddy or half-hearted service. But if it's good enough, it's good enough.

BUSY BUSY

2005-11-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

It has been a few weeks since the last posting because I mislaid my password so a lot to write about. Last weekend Robert Sullivan and I were involved in a Development Weekend for CIPFA. Some people seem to have the view that all accountants are dull. They should have been with us.

We were working with almost 100 public authority accountants and the energy in the room would have powered a small town.. The programme was called Developing the Modern Manager so we were covering topics like management styles, managing teams, motivating and goal setting. We also did a session on our favourite area of expertise - ICE: Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise. We have just received the feedback from the event with 99% of the delegates rating it as good or very good. One of the delegates has also asked us to run a motivation session for students at the CIPFA conference next March.

I am also involved in doing some staff training with Turning Point Scotland. Last week I worked with almost twenty TPS staff, teaching them tools which they could use for themselves but, more importantly, use with their clients to try to move them into employment. We looked at personal motivation, goal setting, reframing, handling fear and much, much more. The two half-day sessions flew by for me. TPS clients are in very capable hands. I can hardly wait for the next sessions in two weeks time.

In between Margaret and I have also managed a short break in Cork in the Irish Republic. In every bar and restaurant we visited we were met with wonderful hospitality (and the most enormous helpings of food I've ever seen). There are lessons there for all hospitality providers in the UK.

Now that I have recovered my password the newsletter should appear more regularly.

HAPPINESS TOO

2005-10-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is a deliberate pun. The Vanguard course continues to delight. I have now taken part in two telephone discussion groups which are amazingly helpful. Everyone is so supportive and so many people are using the lesssons from Vanguard in different ways in their work. It truly is inspiring. I thought that with twenty of us on the phone at once plus our facilitator and with no visual clues we would keep interrupting each other but that has not been the case. It is amazingly polite and organised.

We have also had our first online lecture from Professor Barbara Fredrickson. It really was a joy. Despite quite a lot of stats, I found myself riveted. She confirmed some of Martin Seligman's material and added quite a lot of new stuff. I think the things which stood out for me are the hard evidence that a positive affect can add ten years to your life. Think about that. The opposite, of course, is that negativity knocks ten years off. No wonder so many Scots die so young. Our diet is poor, we drink too much, we smoke, some of us live in desperately poor housing, then we are miserable. And no wonder! But the being miserable, apart from all the other things, is killing us too young.

Professor Fredrickson is now working with M Losada and quoted his work with teams. Put simply, positive teams thrive and grow, negative teams get stuck in dead ends and decline. And it doesn't have to be that way. As Professor Seligman outlines in his book, Authentic Happiness, there are inteventions we can use to make ourselves happier and more optimistic. I see part of my role as being to spread that message, to teach these and other interventions and to make my part of the world a happier, healthier and more prosperous place to be.

HAPPINESS

2005-09-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Last week was a particularly good one in a spell of good weeks. On Monday and Tuesday I attended the first two days of the Vanguard Programme, the brainchild of Dr. Carol Craig of the Scottish Centre for Confidence and Wellbeing. We had the privilege of five lectures from Dr. Martin Seligman, leader of the Positive Psychology movement. Dr Craig is critical, I think unfairly at times, of the so-called motivational gurus like Watt Nicol, Jack Black and Anthony Robbins. But where Dr Seligman is different is that he is not a "happy-clappy" type of motivator. He is, first and foremost a scientist. A self-confessed "grouch," he has developed a number of interventions and tested them rigourously so that, when he says such and such an exercise, if practised over time will increase your general level of happiness, he has years of research to back this.

Anyone intereseted in pursuing this further can look at www.authentichappiness.com and take some of the measures there. Also read Dr Seligman's book, Authentic Happiness, which has shorter versions of the tests. I am really looking forward to the rest of the Vanguard Programme which will be delivered online and by telephone until the final session in the Scottish Parliament in December.

A simple but effective exercise from Dr Seligman is the 3 Blessings. At the end of every day write down three good things which happened to you. Keep that up for three weeks, 21 days, and you will almost certainly notice a difference. I have practised it for years and can testify to its effectiveness.

On Saturday I attended a Scotland Unltd event where I was awarded a certificate as a Level 1 Awardee. See the Recycling blog for more. I met some very interesting people and enjoyed a calm and inspiring workshop led by Rob Underwood. The day opened with a thought-provoking presentation by Gerry Hassan with whom I had shared a table during the Vanguard Programme. The sparks during the following discussion were a great cure for any hangovers lurking from the night before.

DIRECT PAYMENTS

2005-08-12T03:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I am reminded of just how lucky I am to do what I do and to be who I am. On Wednesday I spent the day in Paisley working with a group of people who want to set up a service for Direct Payment users and potential Direct Payment users in Renfrewshire. The day was the fist stage of producing a business plan to take to Renfrewshire Council so that they (the group) can get funding for the service. Several people there had what they call impairments and did not find moving or communicating easy. However they gave themselves 100% to the process and their enthusiasm was so infectious.

They know exactly what they want to do and how and why they want to do it. And the main reason they want to offer this service is that they believe that people with impairments are the best people to advise people with impairments. As Sue from Direct payments Scotland wrote to me, "if you want to know what disabled people want, ask DISABLED PEOPLE." I now have about seven flipchart pages of notes to turn into the first draft of the business plan. Following that I shall meet with the group again to continue the process. I can hardly wait. I'll keep you informed of how this project goes.

RECYCLING RACE

2005-07-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

Alex has just been awarded funding by Scotland Unltd to carry out a feasibility study into holding a water=based event in Glasgow next year linked to the Glasgow River Festival. The idea, which came to Alex as a result of a conversation with a colleague, Franny Kearnan, is to hold a race between vessels, all of which must be crewed, made of recycled materials. The boats may be made from any recycled materials - wood, paper, beer cans, milk cartons, etc. Alex hopes to organise a series of related events for children on the ponds in the many Glasgow parks and the canal which flows through the west and north of the city.

Billy Singh of Unltd will be working with Alex over the next few months to try to turn the dream into a reality.