What I Learnt Yesterday – week 3 – is all about the same sort of eclectic learning that happens everyday – because everyday is a school-day, and when you stop learning you stop growing.

It is a bit weird looking back at a week of tweets…I am realising I have a very wide range of interests, looking almost random, but the thing that links them all is people and soft skills.  This is why I am publishing them on this site (But the occasional food or eating metaphor may slip through…I can’t stop my @canmencook mentality either!)

Here’s some highlights:

• Intolerance – we always think our way is best and only?
• Weather forecasts – sometimes scare you and don’t prove correct
• Chicken metaphors are great
• New projects are scary but great once you get going
• Praise is priceless
• John Lewis know Customer Service.

Chicken? No, not the silly spat in cocooned Westminster, but a delegate on a course. “If you treat and feed a chicken well, you get better eggs”.  The workshop was about  Banter or bullying, and how to draw the line – but the quote has wider implications.  It is why praise is good, managers who coach and train have more successful teams who are high achieving, and a positive inclusive environment helps everyone work more effectively.Not bad from one chicken!

The praise bit was my sister, a school secretary, who had to stand up and present a piece of software to a highfalutin audience. She also had to demo it.  She moved from being rather Eeyore (from Winnie the Pooh) about it, to being decidedly Tigger when the Chair texted her after (how modern) to praise her. She is presenting it again in high spirits today to the teachers, and now instead of panicking, just said “Bring it On!”.

John Lewis needs more explanation. My auntie (severe Rheumatoid arthritis; husband with Alzheimers and Parkinsons; and a little bit of social care) had bought a new lighter vacuum cleaner.  My sister (she has done a lot of good stuff this week!) had fitted it together but auntie couldn’t even press the on switch.  Old scool, she said “I’ll just have to put up with it” Instead they took it back, and the assistant (sorry, Partner) at JL in Liverpool, took one look at auntie, and took the first vaccum back no question.  Then spent 30 minutes working togetehr to find one that she could cope with.  And they have done and it works and everyone is happy.

Well done John Lewis (and sis for taking the initiative).  JL Partnership obviously know how to feed and treat their chickens!

Izzy – Time Share Dog

(This week we also looked after a time share dog – my friend, Julian is away a lot so has to farm out Izzy.  We missed her yesterday after she had gone home. Gives me a chance to put a gratuitous ‘ahhh’ pic in though…)