About James

I've been an unconventional leader since I was a teenager. First with the scout movement, then the Territorial Army. After university I joined the UK civil service on a graduate management development programme. My career is now in its third decade and I've worked in Finance, HR, policy, strategy, IT, change, operations management and internal consultancy. Over the years I've mentored, coached and developed dozens of senior managers and hundreds of people.

Good Strategy

This is adapted from a session where I shared some of my experience of being a strategy team leader and also from studying Strategy for my OU degree. I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in strategy development within Continue reading Good Strategy

Should I be a PRINCE2 Practitioner?

PRINCE2 is one of the most cited project methodologies by government projects, even including Agile over the last few years. This is part three of a very short series on learning about project delivery methodologies. Part 1 was a general Continue reading Should I be a PRINCE2 Practitioner?

Project Delivery Reading List

Continuing the theme of developing into a rounded project delivery professional I thought it might be useful to share some of the more useful things that I’ve read that have helped me to better understand how to successfully deliver change. Continue reading Project Delivery Reading List

Aren’t we all supposed to be Agile?

Government has been using Agile methods for digital projects for a few years now. This is part two of a very short series on learning about project delivery methodologies. Part 1 was a general overview of how to develop expertise Continue reading Aren’t we all supposed to be Agile?

What Project Methodology Should You Learn?

I quite often get asked which project methodology people should learn. The impression I get is that people are looking for either one best way, or the approved house methodology. You need to start learning somewhere, but there isn’t a Continue reading What Project Methodology Should You Learn?