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Putting the post-holiday procrastination to use – reflections on time management and control in consultancy life
No, this isn’t going to be another article about all the useful techniques for dealing with procrastination – but Google pomodoro, 10-minute rule or 3-2-1-Go if you are looking for inspiration. Today is the first day back at my desk…
When someone in your team challenges you, how do you react?
We know that challenge is important, but it certainly isn’t always comfortable. It can be particularly uncomfortable to be challenged by someone junior to you in a hierarchy, depending on the setting and the way the challenge is presented. For…
Four practical questions for public body boards to ask about Digital projects
This blog post is a collaboration with Alison McLaughlin, a recognised Digital Leader in Scotland with a wealth of experience of project delivery in the private and public sectors, as a supplier and a customer. We hope it is a…
Top lessons in five years of consultancy
Glen Shuraig Consulting was five years old in September 2024. I tell everyone that one of the best things about my time running a consultancy has been all the learning, so I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what my main…
Reflections on running a small consultancy business… being on the other side of public procurement
I have been promising for a long time to share some of my experience of being a supplier to the public sector instead of a buyer. In four years, I’ve had quite a few experiences, but here is one story that…
Reflections on running a small consultancy business Part 2 – more hats than a Royal Garden Party…
Finally! It’s been a while, but here I am with more blogs on my consultancy experiences over the almost 4 (eek) years since I took the plunge and moved from working in the public sector. I promised to share experiences of being on the other side of public procurement and I will, but today I’m mostly thinking about my many different roles.
Reflections on running a small consultancy business Part 1 – managing workload
It has been an embarrassingly long time since I posted anything to this blog – mainly because I’ve been too busy running my business to have time to write reflectively. A new year is a good prompt to finally do some…
What’s in a business name?
Several people have asked me how I came to choose the name, Glen Shuraig Consulting. A few people familiar with the beautiful Isle of Arran have recognised it. I was lucky enough to get back to Arran for a few days myself this summer, so thought it might be good to share a little about the background to my business name (and have an excuse to include some nice photos).
What reviewing corporate governance can do for our mental health
This blog post is prompted by Mental Health Awareness week, as you would expect. Early disclaimer: I believe strongly that promoting good mental health is a priority for all organisations, but I am no mental health expert. I would welcome comments from people with more expertise that would help improve my understanding. From the stance of my own experience, though, here a few reflections
When we set out to develop corporate strategy for promoting good mental health is governance at the front of our minds? Probably not. We can put in place good initiatives that raise awareness, roll out training and provide support. Taking these steps is really positive and will make a difference. There has been good progress in recent years on resources for organisations, leaders and individuals to draw on. The Forward Institute recently published Helping you Thrive: Leading through Covid-19 which has helpful, practical tips for leaders coping with the current crisis and looking beyond. I strongly recommend it to everyone looking after themselves and their teams right now.
We can raise awareness and take actions across organisations without having to do more than use already established governance processes – thinking through the business case and perhaps putting in place a project or programme structure to focus on delivering benefits. The case for going further depends on whether we are committed to lasting change.