CEO,Barry Phillips on the week ahead at Legal-Island

There's a kind of hush ...all over the world..or the Island at least this week as we really get stuck into performance reviews over the next five days or so. Line managers, no doubt, are making the most of cups of tea served with nervous smiles.

Our marketing and sales team are busy this week producing brochures for this first season with Conference Execs and Managers furiously trying to nail down speakers and venues. This is loads of fun [not]

Scott's attending a meeting of the Skills for Justice E-Forum Project tomorrow. He will also be meeting Nicola Shaw (BDO), Stella Gilmartin (of Gilmartin Consulting), and Adam Brett (McGrigors Solicitors) the same day.

I'm off into Belfast on Wednesday to meet the team at Carson McDowell whilst on Thursday I'm meeting Clive Byrne of NAPD and the education team at Mason Hayes Curran to discuss the programme for the forthcoming education conference. Later that same day I'm meeting Trayc Keevans from Morgan McKinley for dinner and a chat about recruitment

We have the Independent Healthcare Providers using the training centre on Wednesday and who knows who else will pop in unannounced this week to see us? Will it be you?

Guest Writer: James

Happy New Year Everyone!


Our 2012 targets don't seem so far away now...


Everyone's back with a bang today following some extended holidays and our annual shutdown. I hope the water kept flowing for you and you weren't laid low with some nasty flu bug like me - jokes about man flu will be met with a volley of coughs in your direction.



Most staff are getting settled in this week so there's not much networking going on but some highlights for the week are:


All Staff (today) - Brainstorming some 'wacky' ideas for 2011... something of a Legal Island specialty


All Staff (Thursday) - Presentation by Barry and Jayne on the company objectives; incorporating the balanced scorecard


Barry (Friday) - meeting with Steve Mungavin from CIPFA

Until my next time... stay warm!

Monday 20th December 2010

Guest Writer Phyllis

This is our last working week before the Christmas break and as all of our conferences are over for this year most of our staff are taking a well deserved break.

Our Training Centre is busy today and tomorrow.

Scott is meeting with Tom Evens from Employment Rights Branch of Department for Employment and Learning on 21st.

Legal-Island shall be closed for the Christmas holidays from Friday 24th December until 4th January when all our staff shall be back full of enthusiasm and energy.

Until then Seasons Greetings to all.

Guest Writer - Arnold

Welcome on board Legal-Island . This is a last full working week before Christmas so everybody is looking forward to it after a busy year. Last week we had our training week where Linzi Conway did group exercises on teamwork and communication and JJ Lynch who spoke about ‘What makes successful people successful’. After all that we had Christmas Lunch on Friday Afternoon at the Ballyrobin.

This week we have Schrader Electronics using our training centre on Wednesday and Thursday.

Networking

Our CEO, Barry, has a lot on this week as he tidies things up before his winter break. He’s seeing company coach Richard O’Rawe this afternoon and again tomorrow for a feedback session on our EFQM efforts. On Wednesday he’s meeting some of the team from Quelltraining as well as Keith Pryde from AMI Ltd. He’s also meeting Alan Wallace the patent lawyer Wednesday afternoon. That could be a big meeting. At the moment Thursday and Friday is free in his diary but I’ve no doubt that by Wednesday most of the end of the week will be accounted for. Go Barry. Go!

Scott hopes to attend a breakfast seminar at Lisburn Enterprise network on Thursday.

Ainsley is at Parkhall College for his Young Enterprise group on Wednesday afternoon, followed by an Institute Of Directors event in Belfast.

On Thursday morning he is meeting Nic Charlton (Design) at The Mount in Belfast, followed by Jake Campbell (Design).

Peter is graduating on Tuesday after completing his Advanced Diploma in Management Practice and Volunteering at an old peoples home all day on Wednesday, back in the office for his last day before Christmas on Thursday.

Jacqui will be doing her first voluntary day tomorrow at Mount St Michael’s Nursery.

I would like to wish everybody Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Guest Writer - Jacqui

Last Tuesday saw the end of our Annual Review of Employment Law conferences take place in the Stillorgan, and so too the end of another season of events.

Well done to Heather and the team, who made it to Dublin, despite the nasty road conditions. To all the delegates who braved the bad weather to attend the conference and helped end our year on a high with yet another successful day, we say a huge THANK YOU!!

This week everyone is on lockdown, as we have our annual winter training week here on the Island. It got off to a great start with Donna,who did a presentation on "How to be Happy at Work" which provided us with some useful tips (NOT THAT WE NEED THEM). Next up was Kerry on Networking, followed by Vanessa, who gave a detailed brief on "Eventpro". Heather rounded the morning off with an entertaining and lively presentation on "Personalities within a Winning Team".

The training schedule for the rest of the week has been put into jeopardy, thanks to the awful weather conditions, which really took a hold in the afternoon. Here's hoping the sessions go ahead, as the end of the week sees us all heading out for a well deserved Christmas feast before some of my colleagues head off for a lengthy festive break.

I would like to end this weeks blog with wishing everyone a happy and safe Christmas. And if these weather conditions continue, embrace it and get out there and enjoy (who needs the Alps!).

Guest Writer Jayne

Well here we are - the final week of 2011 events!!! Last but by no means least we have the big finale of the Annual Review at the Stillorgan Park Hotel tomorrow.

With what is sure to be an eventful day - complete with a snow covered journey - the team led by Heather are looking forward to completing the year on a high.

Movements for the rest of the team look a bit like this:

Scott is attending the E-Forum Steering Group of Skills for Justice on Tuesday. On Wednesday he is volunteering at Cullybackey High School and assisting with an entrepreneurship exercise. On Thursday Scott will be meeting with Sarah Bondi from NILSC and Emer Hinphey from Thinkpeople. On Friday, Scott will be working from home.

Barry is busy as always this week. He's meeting Trayc Keevans today from Morgan McKinley in Dublin this evening and then having dinner with Clive Byrne from the NAPD later this evening. Tomorrow he's chairing the last of our Annual Reviews. On Wednesday and Thursday he's out networking before flying to London for more of the same on Friday afternoon.

Jayne is hosting at the Annual Review tomorrow, before heading back to Belfast for the Chamber of Commerce President's Banquet in the City Hall. On Thursday she will in meetings all morning with staff and on FRiday she will be volunteering at Ballycraigy Primary School before attending a networking lunch at the Old Courthouse in Antrim. Kerry will also be attending this event.

Ainsley is in Dublin with the Annual Review team Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday he is meeting with DCP in Belfast. Wednesday lunchtime he is meeting with Lesley from Belfast Telegraph Business Magazine and in the afternoon he will be visiting Parkhall College for Young Enterprise (last production week before the trade fair at Fairhill on 8^th December)

On Wednesday Kerry is YENI on Wednesday morning at Ballykeel Primary.

With December only 2 days away, it looks like we'll all get a White Christmas early!!!

Guest Writer Heather

Well another week and another flagship event! This time Kerry will be running the 2nd Northern Ireland Annual Review, this time in the Ramada Shaws Bridge. I'm sure it will go as well as (or even better) than our first one.

Take a look at some of the delights we served at our Annual Review Of Employment Law at the Radisson Dublin Airport last Thursday!

The training centre is also having a busy week with Smart Forward today, Independent Healthcare Providers tomorrow and the Institute of Licensing on Thursday phew!

Our staff volunteering days are also in full flow with myself, Kerry, Jayne and Donna in our local primary schools delivering the YENI programme. Ainsley is in the local Parkhall college, Barry has been cleaning up leaves and Jacqui helps to help out at a school nativity.

Out and About:

Barry - has a busy week loaded with a variety of tasks and duties for him to get stuck into this week. On Monday at lunchtime he's meeting John Cherry to talk about the new Bribery Act before meeting his parents at the airport who are flying in from Devon for a few days. No doubt they will be inspecting the new extension to his house not to mention Island House which they have yet to see. On Tuesday Barry's speaking at the Annual Review of Employment Law Conference at the Ramada. On Wednesday morning he's meeting John Stevenson to review to successful education seminars he has been doing with us. On Wednesday afternoon through to Friday Barry's in London networking. Watch out London!

Scott - will be chairing the second of our NI Annual Review of Employment Law as mentioned above.

Kerry - our Conference Manager for the North will be leading the way on Tuesday at the Annual Review Conference at the Ramada Shaws Bridge. Kerry's hosters for the day will be: Vanessa, Peter, Ainsley & Jayne. Good Luck everyone!

33 sleeps to Christmas!