CIPD - John McGurk

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John McGurk's blog

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John manages the CIPD’s research projects on learning and talent development, including an annual survey which this year included international comparisons. He has recently led research on the evaluation of coaching; e-learning; and the importance of soft skills. His current research explores the skills, attributes and behaviours needed by HR professionals to develop and strengthen their commercial and operational awareness.
John is a qualified coach and mentor. Prior to joining the CIPD he had a multifaceted career starting as a train driver, then moving on to become an HR academic , then research director for the UK pilots’ union.

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John McGurk's latest blog posts

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Apprentice 2012 - Episode Nine: Poor quality fizz and not enough sparkle knocks cheesy Jenna off the throne

17 May 2012 at 13:12

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Tags: Apprentice, John McGurk, BBC

This was a marketing and pitching task and the teams were tweaked to tackle the task of putting the fizz into English wine. The brief was market undersold English sparling wine against Champagne's monopoly in fizz. Bieberboy Nick was recruited into...

Apprentice 2012 - Episode Eight: Pure Evil, Pure Ego and Laura Sells herself Short

10 May 2012 at 14:26

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Tags: Lord Sugar, Apprentice, John McGurk

This was the usual "out of the comfort zone" task involving art and artiness. Lord Sugar likes this one because he can see who sells whilst having a laugh at the ponciness of it all. Anyway Sterling under Adam went off to London and Bristol...

Apprentice 2012 - Episode Seven: The only way is assets and you can't fake strategy

03 May 2012 at 11:23

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Tags: Apprentice, John McGurk

This week it was about buying wholesale and flogging at margin though this time the measure was total assets. Jade stepped up to lead team Phoenix and very quickly showed that she was a total ass. She kicked and brayed in that Claire Short voice and chose...

Apprentice 2012 - Episode Six: Tartan up the favourites to win hearts and minds

03 May 2012 at 11:20

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Tags: Apprentice, John McGurk

This was an innovation challenge. Make a new sort of mobile fast food and flog it at a profit. A lot can be done with fast food. It could for example, be fast and as a football fan I'd like to see it priced so that buying burgers doesn't tally...

Roy Hodgson: Character Trumps Charisma

02 May 2012 at 10:59

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Tags: John McGurk, Roy Hodgson, Leadership, England manager, West Brom, Euro 2012

England fans might not be over the moon but at the end of the day character trumps charisma. I am often asked to talk about leadership. As an avid fan of football I sometimes use examples from the great game but in business the increasing tension is between...

Apprentice 2012 - Episode Five: Phoenix’s retro-cheek leads to Duane being fitted up

20 April 2012 at 12:03

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Tags: Apprentice, John McGurk

Innovation requires a little bit of time so that you can incubate ideas and get insights. It means sometimes trying to think outside the boundaries but both teams really were so inside the box on this task that they could have been cuboid. Phoenix was...

Apprentice 2012 - Episode Four: Left Holding the Junk and coming up against a Brick Lane led to Jane’s Downfall

16 April 2012 at 13:49

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Tags: Apprentice, John McGurk

This was a buy and sell task where the teams were asked to buy and sell junk. Tom's approach was to buy selectively and present minimally. He took a tight rein on the cash and resisted Adam the greengrocers attempted strategy coup to pile it high...

Apprentice 2012 - Episode Three: Don’t make a pickle of production and have the sauce to sell

05 April 2012 at 15:53

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Tags: Apprentice, John McGurk

Anyone who remembers the brilliant film The Graduate will recall that the advice given to young buck Dustin Hoffman by the older men is to “get into plastics”. Lord Sugar told this lot to "corner condiments". He explained that that...

Apprentice 2012 - Episode Two: Bin here Before, Bromanagement breakdown and Dumped by the Numbers

05 April 2012 at 15:42

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Tags: Apprentice, John McGurk

This was about innovation and design. The boys re-imagined the coffee percolator as an eco food compactor. That's what innovation experts call the “adjacent possible”. Ashaq leading the boys' team however was impossible. He ignored...

Apprentice 2012 - Episode One: Blank Goods. Blank Looks and Billyana pays the Price

05 April 2012 at 15:36

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Tags: Apprentice, John McGurk

I was working in the UAE and floored with a virus for episode 1 and thanks to the underappreciated wonder of catch up TV I can get back on track. Episode one was full of the usual chaos. Buy blank goods brand and flog. To be fair the value add involved...

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