So here we are.  We have had an election and a very unusual outcome.  People who were fighting each other a few weeks ago are now working together.

How does that make us feel?  Are we pleased because it is the most sensible outcome given the voting results, and it attempts to include some of the best people from those available?  Or are we angry and disappointed because our party of choice has either become powerless or compromised?

I do wonder if some of us simply enjoy conflict – we need to know who disagrees with us to know what we believe.  Ideas are not always about good and evil or left and right.  Some practices may have complex outcomes on a variety of deserving groups and this forces us to explore issues on a deeper level, rather than simply supporting whatever our individual parties propose.

Personally I am impressed by the new leaders’ willingness to take a risk for the national interest.  Both personally and professionally they could gain a lot from this arrangement but they can also damage their parties and their political careers.  They are tasked with keeping their own teams motivated whilst being able to trust and rely on each other.  To achieve this they need great interpersonal skills, self awareness, judgment, flexibility amongst others.  Critically they will also face criticism from their own teams, the cabinet and the country at large.  As the previous administration found, it is no easy task to demonstrate confident strong leadership and be responsive to the range of interest groups who disagree with you.  Any organisation or family probably knows this too.

So are we waiting to rub our hands and say ..”I knew it would never work…” , or can we be hopeful for the sake of the country?  We could spend the next 5 years looking for points of disagreements and completely ignore where  there is consensus.  Is that how we are in our personal lives?

In some countries, both near and far, the hand over of power involves very undignified behaviour and sometimes violence. We have a lot to be to be grateful for.  What is your view?

A month ago I ordered some furniture on a buy one get one free offer.  To my surprise only one was delivered.  Sometimes its not the size of the problem to sort out but just having to pay attention to something that should have been so simple.  Its bad enough that I had been waiting from 7am as they need a 5 hour window.  Anyway I phoned the delivery people who then told me to return to my local branch where I paid for it.  At the branch they were a bit flummoxed but tried to sort it.  Thankfully it was early and not busy so the assistant made a few phone calls to try to resolve the issue.  I need the furniture in a week’s time so can’t wait another month for delivery.  I tell her this but aware that it is not her fault.  Eventually she lets me know that I can leave the store while she continues to get to the bottom of this.  I appreciate this as I have other stuff to be getting on with.  I later receive a call saying there is nothing they can do I’ll have to come in and start the whole process again. No, that’s not what I want to hear.  I decide to let it go and plan to go in tomorrow to re-order.  Next she calls back to say that I don’t need to come in as they will reorder the items for me. Okay there is still a delay but I will get them.  An hour later someone calls to ask me if I can be in for a delivery in two days time! Yes, definitely.  I am so pleased.  No need for the various back up plans I was brewing as it should be sorted by the end of this week.  Surprisingly I get yet another call asking me if I am happy with the service!  Well at the moment I am ecstatic but that assumes both items will be delivered on Thursday.

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Looking forward to it