Sitting back at my desk again - having had two weeks holiday - I realise that the 'down' time has given me the chance to think and reflect. Think about how I want to feel by the end of 2007 and reflect on the busy and engaging year that was 2006.

At the end of 2006 i spent a lot of my time in the business - meeting people, listening to their stories, looking for the problems and then helping people to directly fix things and take the direct actions to make things better. I learnt loads and therefore really enjoyed the process. I will be doing a lot more of this in 2007 - with many, many visits already planned before Easter.

As ever I want to encourage people to 'get on and do,' find a way around barriers, action not words, using courage to improve people's lives and I will be looking for the managers that encourage and support their staff to behave like this. On the flip side I will be looking for the areas of the buisness where our management structure prevents or stifles 'get on and do'.

I was asked to do a speech last night for an external national organisation - it was a group of senior directors - I was disappointed to hear them talk about 'they, it and them' as the reasons they did not achieve or drive their organisation forward. I wondered when they were going to realise it comes down to 'we and I'. Hopefully the hour I had with them helped. My message was pretty clear! 

I believe that people with passion and a vision will always find a way through - they will make things better and will not be put off ( or take the easy cop out ) by blaming, 'they, it and them.'

All of us at A4e create A4e - it is up to us - it is up to each individual - we determine the future. We determine the culture, the values, the get on and do.

So, this year lets make things happen to improve people's lives more than we have ever done before. There are no blockages or barriers - only ones that have been created by us - and can therefore immediately be removed by us.  

Join me in my determination to walk around barriers and just 'get on and do'

Thanks

Emma