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Mary Mallet, vice-president of Socpo and HR director at Kent County Council
Publications Daily Telegraph; straightish news coverage, OK financials and have read it for so long navigation is easy. Local Government Chronicle has the best gossip on the sector and I'd recommend it to anyone wanting a window on local government from elsewhere.
Sadly I have no personnel publication allegiance, although I tend to read the law/case reports and employment law stuff. Interestingly some of KCC's own publications are crucial to me - economic trends and strategic planning data are fascinating and fundamental while Disability Matters a witty newsletter from our disabled staff group is compulsive reading.
Books My husband was a management development and organisational development specialist so I've read and used all the core academics. Particular favourites remain Blake & Moutan, Hersey & Blanchard, Edgar Schein; latterly Srivastva & Cooperrider, and Beverley Alimo Metcalfe have been influences. I'm afraid Tom Peters and the guru brigade leaves me cold.
My first degree was in English so I read massively - this gives me a book in common with most people and escape from workload reading. I am currently reading Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette and Lorna Sage's Bad Blood.
TV Sorry, not a regular TV watcher although I'm enjoying the re-runs of Inspector Morse for the first time and Absolutely Fabulous was a must for women of my age.
Radio Enjoyment and choice tend to dictate Radio 4 with local radio back-up for traffic and local headlines. Classic FM is perfect for midnight paperwork.
Advertisements Virtually none. Most are over-engineered, drowning in cliché and hype. That said, the recent ones for Hackney looked simple and stylish, but did they get a result?
Internet Socpo's and straight to government websites for White Papers and so on. My PA uses it extensively on my behalf for up to the minute data. I use e-mail exhaustively to keep in touch with fellow HR directors. It acts as a wonderfully effective 'time lapse' phone call which is perfect for hard-pressed people with hectic meeting schedules.
