Hello, my name is John and I live and work in Madrid (Spain) and Leeds (UK).
This is my personal website, and nothing I say here is any official company line on anything, this is just me noodling around.
I reckon that seeing as I have to go to work anyway, I might as well try to take an interest in it and do it properly. There’s no point spending one-third of my life doing something I’m rubbish at and not engaged in. In fact it’s more than one-third really, if you take out time spent asleep or trying to get to sleep, and commuting to and from work, then it’s probably over two-thirds. And if you subtract the time I spend standing around staring exhaustedly into space wondering how best to help with domestic chores whilst trying to avoid having to clean the bathroom, then it’s closing in on 100% of my waking weekdays.
So I thought I’d show willing and actually try to do something properly.
And that’s what this blog is about. That, and 0ther stuff I think of.
Change management
I first read a book by John Kotter back in 2000 and was immediately hooked on the idea of “change management”; it pulled together my interest in psychology, management, training and communications but in a dynamic and involving way (I like to be in the middle of things).
I define Change Management as being:
about transforming how the people deliver within the organisation.
I also enjoy public speaking (see here for upcoming and recent events) (if I’m not careful, my style can be a bit too theoretical and academic for some people, but that’s because I secretly want to be a University professor), training and I sometimes work as a freelance writer (but less so recently).
I am also really interested in politics, partly in a policy wonk sort of way, and partly from the point of view of it being at the very sharp end of leadership and communication.
No messing about
I called this blog “No messing about” because it’s the sort of thing I say sometimes; it’s a northern thing.
Some fascinating facts
I have a degree in Economics, an MBA and even managed to get email working on my Blackberry (my Blackberry is the third worst piece of crap I have in my house, after my Orange WiFi connection and the window blind in the bedroom).
I am originally from Leeds in the UK, and consequently have the character-building challenge of being a Leeds United supporter.
I read a lot, drink green tea and need more sleep.
