Why are we still talking about HS2? We agree that HS2 will improve the economies of the northern cities and Scotland. Everybody agrees that it is the only way to introduce the latest rail technology. We need the infrastructure to increase capacity and secure further investment; and so the list continues. These are not opinions – these are facts; facts that if not recognised will result in damage to the economy, stagnation in technology, gridlock in capacity, etc. These negative outcomes are unacceptable to the electorate and therefore, whatever your hue, now is the time to be more positive. Now is the time to commit to HS2 and ensure that the project is completed as soon a possible.
Unfortunately political factions are delaying progress. The most surprising and worrying of which is that of the Labour leadership. Hidden amongst the metropolitan clique of media, focus groups, TV, etc. who fail to value investment that does not effect them directly, sits Ed Balls. Ed Balls ignores the views of 40 million voters outside the capital and views the essential investment in the scheme, £42 billion as a windfall to spend at his discretion. The result being that HS2 does not even begin. Failure to begin means that the economies of the north are seriously damaged and future capacity is deliberately limited. The advantages of the high speed trains can never be achieved if forced to share the same track as the slowest trains, so a decision either way is irreversible.
HS2 is a project which must go ahead for the benefit of the nation; the activities that surround it will determine the future, if any, of national political parties.
PIES – Life What Is It All About?
This has been a funny old week; on Tuesday I went to the funeral of a nephew who was injured, critically, in a road accident five years ago. He ‘died’ two weeks ago and was cremated this week. ‘Inside The Ethics Committee’, a fascinating programme today Radio 4, 9am., considered the Islamic approach to death. I listened intently to the quandaries of the Khan family to whom any (sign of) life was considered worth preserving (regardless of cost, professional advice, etc.). Of course in areas such as these there is no right, nor wrong answers; however obvious, there can be no answers that work for all of us.
Studying PIES can help – but that is all it can do – help. As students of PIES we know that life, and any aspect of it, can be analysed into the four basic elements; the Physical, the Intellectual, the Emotional and the Spiritual. We are still left with the basic questions; when does life begin? When does life end?
Does your life cease when pain (pure, Physical pain) becomes unbearable? Has life any useful purpose when the brain packs up? Am I alive when I do not recognise anyone, I cannot cope for myself or I cannot link cause and effect, (Intellectual death)? Does the world recognise me as deserving death when I am identified as a danger to society or to the community (Emotional)? Or has my life ended when I no longer believe in the future, or am capable of love, fears, dreams, aspirations, etc. (Spiritual death)?
Few will argue that death has occurred when (Physically) the body has stopped breathing and the heart has stopped beating. However, a few (the Khans included) will argue we are still alive if a machine/chemical can be designed to pump air, nourishment or blood into our lifeless bodies. These machines can deliver the outward physical signs of life; but are incapable of an intellectual, emotional or spiritual identity. Without these identities do we deserve to live? Who is going to make that decision? How can we ensure that those issues, we consider important, will be evaluated by the right people, when the time comes?
The beginnings of life cause even greater disagreement. Again most will agree a new, unique, identity is created when one’s father’s and mother’s chromosomes combine (Physical life is created); i.e. at the moment of conception. However, does meaningful (-IES) life begin at conception? Certainly sustainable life does not begin at this point. (In the Catholic church we have a concept of ‘the age of reason’ usually a seven year-old was incapable of ‘sinning’ because intellectually he/she was intellectually incapable of deliberately offending God). Does life begin, therefore, (for most) at seven? Spiritually can we expect a seven year old to understand the concept of family, God, life, etc. Does a child have a soul? If not; does our life/soul begin later? Realistically PIES does not provide answers to these questions; ‘when does life begin?’ but hopefully PIES can help individuals understand why differences, and different views, exist. Also with our own interpretation of the PIES model we will be able, confidently, to define what our answers to these questions will be.
Basically we cannot define universally when life begins and, we cannot be sure when it all ends. There are some things, realistically, that will outlive us. Did we build a family or a house? Did we write a book? Did we help others fulfil their dreams? The results of these actions, and the memories associated with them, are likely to out last us and exist beyond the beginning of our eternal rest. We are all capable of providing some form of legacy for those that live beyond us, this is one of the few certainties of life, and we all need to be aware of this and understand how we can define this legacy.
Finally, is there life in heaven? If there is; ask yourselves; is it Physical, is it Intellectual, is it Emotional or is it Spiritual? Only you can decide whether it is all, some or none of these; whatever you decide will determine the importance of each element in your own, current life; and in the legacy you leave after your short life on this earth has ended.
In the introduction to PIES (April 28th 2013) we learnt how to analyse each of the four dimensions of our life and construct our own PIES-chart. Basically a PIES chart is a circle divided proportionately into four sectors or dimensions; the Physical, the Intellectual, the Emotional and the Spiritual; their relative sizes reflecting the respective importance of each dimension in our current lives.
The PIES-chart is the basis for personal development so it is important we spend time perfecting the construction technique – with a little practice we should be able to construct accurately, not only our own chart, but also charts for friends, family and work colleagues. (If you do not feel competent in constructing PIES charts please spend a little more time practising and revisiting the technique; use friends, family and public figures to identify the differences you perceive between individuals. Remember all the elements of our lives can be expressed in just four dimensions; the Physical, the Intellectual, the Emotional and the Spiritual – PIES).
In this second article we intend to extend the PIES technique to work; extending the model from individuals, we know personally, to general concepts – particularly careers. To develop a feel for this skill we will take two individual, but well known, roles; a professional footballer and a country vicar. The first exercise is to construct a general PIES chart for each; – please try that. You should have two circles one for a footballer the other for the vicar each divided into the four segments; the relative size of each dimension representing the importance of each dimension in their particular role.
The first objective of the exercise is to underline how we, almost subconsciously, know the relative importance of the four dimensions. In PIES analysis there is never a right or wrong answer, because it merely crystallises personal perceptions, but I imagine in most analyses; the footballers physical segment was far larger than that of the country vicar, and in the spiritual dimension the relative values were reversed. This initial analysis contains a large element of stereotyping. Stereotyping is not always an evil, in fact we could not survive in this world if we did not constantly generalise and stereotype.
The other objectives of the exercise are a little more subtle. Hopefully, all footballers will score highly on the physical dimension and all vicars on the spiritual; which raises the question of what makes a good footballer or a good vicar. In the majority of cases this qualitative assessment will lie in the lower scoring dimensions of the PIES chart, not the predominant one!
A good footballer could be a great footballer with the right vision (Spiritual) and a perceptive intellect (Intellectual). His performance will also be dependent on his response to current situations, the emotional response. We have all experienced ‘a game of two halves’ where the only dimension to have changed during the break, with the player or the team, is the emotional one. Similarly 10 men will often perform above normal because of their emotions; or performance will be increased, if an injustice is perceived or an injury inflicted. Great managers understand these basic elements of performance, understand the PIES model and understand that their influence on a match day will be most effective, not in the Physical dimension, but in the Emotional sector of a professional footballer’s behaviour.
With vicars too we would expect the intellectual and spiritual dimensions to be well developed; but truly great vicars will be those who exhibit a physical presence or those who exhibit empathy (Emotional) with their flock. Many of these statements are self evident but unfortunately we tend to ignore them, especially when they refer to ourselves. This article is intended to enable us to reflect on our current situation and to use the PIES model to make our lives happier, more fulfilled and significantly more rewarding. It is intended to concentrate on three areas of work; choosing the ideal career; extending our current role and applying for a new job; each, or all of which, might be relevant at this stage of our lives.
From the above examples there are obvious careers which will concentrate on single dimensions. Building, sport and labouring obviously require physical prowess. Intelligence predominates in academia and in teaching. Emotional intelligence is required for most professions but again it is a fundamental requirement for medicine, social work and public service. The spiritual element is slightly more difficult because there is perhaps a tendency to confuse spirituality with religion. The spiritual dimension, of course, includes not only faith but all our beliefs, ambitions, fears, hopes and desires. It is therefore essential to include spiritual elements, in any role, for longer career development. Matching a career to your personal priorities is the key to a satisfying career.
Having established that each cognisant being and each conceptual role can be represented by a PIES model then finding our ideal job should be easy. The ideal role will be the one where our personal model corresponds, perfectly, with the PIES chart for the job in question. It will immediately answer such questions as are we cut out to be a footballer or a vicar (or perhaps both)? By comparing various roles we will be able to identify those jobs we perceive ourselves to be ideally suited to. An easy way of doing this is in reverse; initially identifying what we are not (athletes, politicians, gardeners, etc.) what is left could be the career for us!
If we find we are not in the ideal role then basically we have two options; adapt our role or look for a new job. In seeking a new opportunity we will be led by our concept of the ideal role. It is unlikely to be an exact match but with PIES we should come pretty close to identifying those jobs we will be satisfied in and, therefore, those for which we should aim and apply. PIES analysis will also ensure that we do not pursue the wrong career direction; a job, that however attractive, does not reflect our true selves.
The other side of career planning, many will face, is selection and recruitment. Often when selecting new staff managers spend hours creating profiles and various complicated selection procedures. At the end of the day the four key elements of the PIES profile are all that is required for short listing candidates; for example is there a true minimum intellectual level of achievement. (Recruitment will also be a good time to assess talent that already exists within an organisation – PIES profiling of existing staff is always a simple and useful exercise). During the interview stage PIES based questions will ensure that each of the key areas can be explored appropriately and in the correct depth. PIES will resolve any areas of doubt, will provide the basis for any further development required and will enable the process of final selection.
For most people work is a compromise; it is not ideal but it satisfies many immediate objectives (location, pay, holidays, security, etc.). Again PIES is here to help. Using the model you will be able to identify those areas where the current position is less than perfect. To improve job satisfaction and self fulfilment it will be necessary to adapt. The chart of your job role, compared to your own PIES profile, will identify those areas where adaptation or correction needs to be made. What is for certain is that the necessary adaptation will lie in one or more of the four dimensions; Physical, Intellectual, Emotional or Spiritual.
To achieve fulfilment, when the charts are compared initially, the solutions should be self evident. From the charts you will be able to formulate further searching questions; examples of questions you might ask are;
Do I want my role to be more or less physically demanding?
How is work damaging/improving my health? (Physical)
Where can I study to obtain professional qualifications?
How can I develop a better understanding of my sector? (Intellectual)
How can the ways others benefit from my effort be explained?
In what ways could the purpose of my role be better understood by others? (Emotional)
Do I have a clear vision of where I want to be in five years?
Do I have complete confidence in the product/service I promote? (Spiritual)
The answers to simple questions such as these, backed by the robustness of the PIES model, will define any actions that need to be taken. The answers obtained from this analysis, supported by the PIES model, will form a strong basis for further discussions with employers and colleagues; discussions which will result a better understanding of the role and how it is perceived. Remember – actions taken now will deliver a better, more fulfilled life in the future.
“In railway terms if we all agree that Crewe is a hub and Euston a destination
why have an airport task force for the South East and not one for the nation?”
MJC 2013
Everytime we read of the need for a competitive UK airport hub we read about Boris or Heathrow, why? Well the answer is simple the Treasury funds a DfT Task Force for the South East but supports no research on the needs of the country as a whole.
Simply comparing the requirements for an airport hub and a traveller destination highlights the different needs of both. A hub needs to be, first of all, economically competitive. it must have flexibility for changing plans. significant growth potential and be environmentally acceptable. Immediately the reasons for avoiding the SE are apparent;
– land, construction and labour are too expensive in the SE
– little scope for future expansion
– prone to closure for local weather and militant industrial action
– building close to built up, residential areas is environmentally unacceptable
– no capacity in the SE infrastructure to support the heavy cargo distribution generated by a hub.
Currently 80% of rail and air infrastructure investment, four out of every five pounds invested by the taxpayer, is spent in the South East. This imbalance itself needs to addressed. HS2 is a start, but have you noticed the complaints raised by the London media; I do not remember similar objections to Underground extensions, HS1, Crossrail, etc.
The treasury needs to make a firm commitment to regional capital projects; the appropriate siting of Britain’s new hub could be a starting point. The primary aim must be to build an international hub that can compete with Amsterdam, Dubai and Frankfurt; but also a national hub that has high speed links to all the UK major centres of industry and population.
A new cargo and transit hub will release capacity at all existing UK destination airports, the biggest of which is Heathrow, eliminating the need for further controversial plans and further wasteful expenditure. A cost saving, which is often ignored, and one which could render a zero sum solution to the UK’s hub problem.This represents an exciting challenge but one that could establish Europe’s key gateway to the Americas, the Far East, India, Australia, etc. at the very heart of Britain.
By treating the project as Britain’s first hub airport rather than an additional London airport opens new possibilities all of which could be achieved quicker and more cost effectively than the SE alternatives.
A UK hub, integrated into existing infrastructure plans, would create much needed long term jobs outside the South East; a truly world class facility for travellers, logistic companies and for expanding International airlines: An opportunity for further, long term inward investment and regeneration; what an opportunity.
Spring is a season of new life and provides a timely opportunity to review the strengths and weaknesses of our own being.
‘PIES will provide, over time, a complete model of human existence. However, having a simple grasp of PIES enables everyone to achieve a happier and more fulfilled life’.
Enthusiastically we throw ourselves at Physical renewal as we strive to shed a few pounds, improve our diets or vow to visit the gym more frequently. Unfortunately we tend to neglect the other three dimensions in the PIES model; the Intellectual, the Emotional and the Spiritual; these are the four dimensions that define the entirety of human behaviour. In each of these areas we need to examine ourselves; evaluate how far we have come, determine where we are now and visualise where we want to be.
Inevitably our Intellectual development slowed at the end of full time education; but have we allowed it to die completely? If so, now is the time to resurrect it. Most people are gifted Intellectually in certain areas and challenged in others; the first decision, therefore, is whether to hone our existing talents or to fill in our obvious shortcomings. Having identified the task we need to seek and explore sources of assistance. Once a way ahead has been decided, we must go for it wholeheartedly and design an achievable, Intellectual development action plan.
Emotions can be more difficult to manipulate but we are all aware of the wide spectra of others’ emotions; even if we struggle to understand them. The first challenge is to locate our own position on the emotional continuum. If we consider ourselves to be too highly strung we need to address our over-reactions and build a more acceptable response scheme. If, on the other hand, we consider our Emotional IQ to be zero we need to re-ignite our awareness of the needs of others. Emotions are often a matter of perspective so generally extreme responses can be tempered, or, alternatively, empathy built by increasing interaction with others, particularly with others in need of help, understanding or support.
Spiritual renewal is always a worthwhile exercise; for, however rational we consider our life choices to be, our actual behaviour does not reflect this. Inevitably we are controlled by, often irrational, hopes, desires, fears and beliefs. On a regular basis we need to examine our vision of the future and then re-state or reject the constructs on which this vision is built. We might discover that our main Spiritual drivers are religious belief, seeking justice, preserving the family or simply the love and appreciation of others. Whatever these Spiritual drivers are, spring is a perfect time to reflect, to review and to revitalise our deep Spiritual self.
Once we have analysed each of the four dimensions of our life we should be able to construct our own PIES-chart; basically a circle divided into Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Spiritual segments; their relative sizes reflecting the respective importance of each dimension in our current lives. The PIES chart will provide the basis of self analysis; it will highlight the more important dimensions in our life and, more importantly, enable us to identify where, or if, a change in our life balance needs to be implemented.
PS. The PIES-chart is the basis for personal development so it is important we spend time perfecting the technique. With a little practice we should be able to construct accurately, not only our own chart, but also charts for friends, family and work colleagues. It is good practice to compare our charts for others with friends impressions of the same individuals ( a good after dinner diversion); of course, the position we occupy will determine the view we have. The differences between these PIES-charts will provide a taste of how we will develop, in future articles, the PIES concept; to improve our lives, our careers and our relationships.
The Blue Bell
Historically, the Romans introduced us to the concept of a public tavern. The Roman tavern certainly served food, wine and possibly some local concoction which was the forerunner of ale, but of equal importance the tavern became a focal point at the heart of the local community.
The Blue Bell in Monton is located close to Folly Brook and the ancient Roman road linking the fortified settlement at Manchester to Wigan. The sound from the marching of legionnaires, posted from the far flung corners of the Roman Empire, and their multilingual chatter can still be heard on quieter nights.
Following William and Mary’s accession to the throne the Toleration Act of 1689 marked a significant milestone in the struggle for religious freedom in England. In Monton the Lomax and Fildes families bought a plot of land on Monton Green and a chapel was built and licensed in July 1698. Seventeen years later in 1715 a band of over 100 Jacobites, supporters of James Stuart, the Old Pretender and father of Bonnie Prince Charlie, ransacked the church. Notably they stole the bell from the chapel and threw it into a local pond; could this action have given the name to the Blue Bell?
Masons building the new church would have stayed at the local inn and many inns took an appropriate ecclesiastical name upon completion of the building; such as the Bell or the Cross Keys (the oldest pub in Eccles). Throughout history bells were believed to have magical powers and particularly appealed to builders as they protected properties against evil spirits and lightning. When added to blue, which has a spiritual significance representing calmness and tranquility, then here in the Blue Bell you have the perfect place to relax safely and enjoy life.
Local written records show the Blue Bell, or the Bell, has been serving the community of Monton since, at least, the early 18th century. For many years it was run by the Greenhalgh family before being taken over by the local farmers, the Lansdales.
In 1876 the Blue bell (or Monton Brewery) was sold as a going concern by Swinton auctioneers, Gilbody’s. The sale included a complete brewing plant; coppers, mash tubs, etc. Also listed was a brewery cart suggesting that this early ‘micro’ brewery was far more than a Victorian Beerhouse; it also supplied other hostelries, or made home deliveries, in the area.
Twenty-one years later, in 1897, the property and surrounding land was purchased by Wagstaffe’s Lion brewery of Hulme. Wagstaffe’s later merged with Watson and Woodhead of Salford; the old buildings were demolished and a new pub and bowling green opened in 1906; built at a cost of £4,000. The pub has changed hands a number of times but retained a ‘W’ connection through Walker and Homfray (1912) and Wilsons (later Watneys 1949). In 2013 J. W. Lees purchased the property and through astute investment continue a tradition of quality and good service going back over 250 years.
There are four main protagonists in this story; the press, the law, politicians and the public. All have differing issues, fears and demands which, currently, are being discussed at length. All, unsurprisingly, are keen to maximise the benefits and minimise the threats to their current lifestyle. Unfortunately of the four the major victims, the public, lack the power and the voice to demand an effective solution.
One solution, which avoids statutory regulation of a ‘free’ press, is to switch from concentrating on punishing the press to strengthening the power of the victims; mainly individuals, but also organisations and institutions. It is necessary to widen the scope from the press to include social media and social media marketing; to in effect have power over any organisation capable of using inappropriately personal information. Most importantly to be effective the regulatory body needs to be designed from the bottom up; it must be easy and cheap to access but be capable of rapid, momentous and effective responses.
Ofcom is a possible home but will require new powers; perhaps by the addition of privacy tribunals which are operated and staffed locally but in which the media, and users of the media, will be funders and stakeholders. Whatever structure the people demand will be a small price to pay for a ‘free’ press and a world class, powerful privacy regulator. Leveson is nearly there it is important that we build on Leveson not undermine his good work.
Mike
Planet Guardian
The closest planet to earth fixed in a 25 mile orbit around Westminster.
Time period GMT -24hrs.
A mysterious planet populated by feeble minded humanoids. Here feeble minded does not mean of low intelligence, some are above average IQ. Feeble minded merely refers to a lack of vision, an inability to develop a logical argument, the avoidance of risk and a concentration on the inconsequential; and is displayed in difficulties in spelling, logical judgment or handling facts. (Their wisdom is fiction, their science is art and their faith is celebrity).
The inhabitants of Planet Guardian infiltrate and merge with humans in Greater London and are significantly over represented in certain professions, viz. the media, education, politics, the law, trade union leadership and the civil service. Their task is to destroy creativity and innovation and place innumerable obstacles in the path of progress in order to preserve the status quo at all costs. Their sworn enemies are entrepreneurship, success, commerce, individuals with strong opinions and decision makers.
Their introversion and an absolute lack of vision or human understanding leads to a concentration on internal processes and a constant need to revisit and to re-examine human activities. The main tools they employ are unreasonable, time consuming requests for information or demands for endless, pointless enquiries. Time wasting that hinders progress and deflects valuable resources from human development.
Did any human not know that British soldiers opened fire on civilians on bloody Sunday or that Tony Blair supported the invasion of Iraq? Of the hundred millions of pounds spent on these and other spurious enquiries are any humans any the wiser? Can any human identify any benefits from these enquiries that could justify the investment? The answer of course to all is no. However, for the aliens it not only provided a sizeable income, and continues to do so; it deflected significant funding away from commercial investment, scientific research, education, health, security and in building the human future. The warnings are clear we need to be vigilant.
Mike
pies10 