Andy Ripley is a rugby player from the 1970s; he wrote the following:

Dare we hope? We dare.
Can we hope? We can.
Should we hope? We must.
We must, because to do otherwise is to waste the most preciuos of gifts, given so freely by God to all of us. So when we do die, it will be with hope and it will be withe easy and our hearts will not be broken.”
- Andy Ripley, 10th June 2007, Athlone Friary.

The article that brought this moving piece to my attention can be found here; if you have the time to read it, it might inspire you too.
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The party leaders have been criss crossing the country for the last few weeks lobbying, promoting, debating their parties policies. The behaviours they display are, most likely, a combination of their own authentic and preferred style combined with those behaviours encouraged by PR advisers and communication consultants.

Business leaders seeking a crash-course in ‘how-to’ and ‘how-not-to’ display the characteristics of leadership could learn much over the next seven days. The only caveat, filter out the agenda of the media source and the way in which the events are reported and make up your own mind.

A final note: diarise two months from today to compare your feelings today with the outcomes that have resulted. How do they differ? This is  the real and probably more worthwhile learning point. Exercise your self-development mandate.
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When speaking in business if our desire is to affirm a positive commitment, why not say “I agree completely”; if we have to use percentages to express the level of our agreement/support, “I agree 100%” will convey the appropriate meaning.

Exaggerating to a point of absurdity diminishes credibility and lowers the likely-hood we will be taken seriously.
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When gifting you hope the recipient will be pleased to receive it; receive a gift and you may have a number of potential reactions:
1) accept or decline it;
2) display pleasure and genuinely mean it;
3) feign pleasure and consign the article to the closet, waiting for the next car boot sale to dispose of said item.

In business, the same principle holds true, ‘feedback is a gift.’ Essentially it’s no less fraught, the same outcomes apply.

Next time you give or receive feedback consider the options. Accept what’s been said, reflect upon it, then decide whether it will be of use to you.

Ultimately it’s one person’s opinion and probably not worth loosing too much sleep over.
On the other hand, maybe a fresh pair of eyes has noticed something you’ve been overlooking.

Either way, gifts don’t come along that often, enjoy them.
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Returning after the winter break, the 2010 season begins on Sunday 14th March in Bahrain. Forward thinking cities/countries and politicians compete to secure the rights to host an event, one in a series of races which span the globe.

In business, we often focus on return on investment (R.O.I.) how else can we justify the expenditure of precious resources? Well, in the world of F1 just as in our lives, nothing is guaranteed. Investment is based on a hunch, a very well thought-out and planned hunch except the brains making the decisions are probably the best in their field.

Innovation created to serve Formula 1 often appears in commercial, military and technology environments some time later; carbon-fibre for strength and lightness is one example.

I’m reminded of a Chinese saving:
‘only a fool learns from their mistakes, a wise person learns from others.’

Well, this fool will be learning this coming Sunday, care to join me?
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2010 is the 82nd time the gold statues have been awarded so why then has it taken so long for a women to win?

Let’s hope the publicity associated with this important milestone inspires women everywhere; in business as in life itself, success often comes down to personal self-belief and confidence as anything else.
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The employer expects and the employee agrees to a specific set of responsibilities and the implied associated activity.

In return for the reward, the employee is expected to work for a ‘nominal’ number of hours. On occasion, it doesn’t matter how these hours are spent, so long as the employer ‘sees’ the employee is ‘at-work,’ the assumption, is that ‘the employee is working.’ Often this course of behaviour results in the employee feeling they are paid to ‘attend-work.’

Implicit in many organisations is a feeling that the employee should be at work before their colleagues arrive and ought not to leave first; the car-park-game is born!

If an individual is paid by results, trust is both explicit and implicit for the relationship to prosper. Micro managing the key result areas (K.R.A.s) is ignored in exchange for an expectation of results.

Independent, freethinking individuals are set free by the payment by results model because it allows for creative endeavour. Worker bees on the other hand, loose all structure and meaning; terrified they colonise together, taking comfort from collective mass and soon revert to recreate the status quo environment they find safe.

Let’s be clear, we need both: free-thinking indviduals and worker-bees for our society to function, which type are you?
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Economically, politically and socially our lives are changing. Whatever the result of the general election in May 2010 it’s certain more change will follow; the need to balance the books will remain.

Budget cuts, less job security, more uncertainty; in essence tough-times ahead.

So how best to cope with the bumps in the road?

I’m reminded of the directing staff at basic training: ‘get fit, stay alert and remain flexible.’

Hoping change won’t happen or blaming others, are strategies others may choose; which is one is best? You decide.
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Later today, Apple holds a press conference in San Fransisco where, we are let to believe, they will announce the much anticipated ‘tablet’ device that will extend the user experience domination started by the iPhone.

If nothing else, Apple ought to be congratulated for keeping a lid on the specifics about this device. Corporate secrets are notoriously difficult to maintain because human beings are involved.

People like to talk and even better they like to tell others ‘juicy gossip.’ Doing so serves to elevate the secret teller to a position of power and implies inside knowledge. Paradoxically if discovered it may also lead to that persons corporate demise too.

Competitive advantage is increasingly difficult to achieve and even more difficult to maintain.

Cynics may say the hype is all part of Steve Job’s master PR campaign, either way we’ll find out later.

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A century ago, ships set sail from this Wharf, delivering their cargo to all points of the globe. As you can see the dock has frozen-over.

This image is a metaphor for business conversations we’ve experienced over the last week. Things seem to be on hold; budgets are frozen, investment is halted, marketing and development plans suspended. Whether this is due to post holiday season inertia, pre-election hesitance, impending fiscal year-end or some other reason is any one’s guess.

Until the metaphorical and meteorological thaw sets in, it may be prudent to revise business plans for the ensuing flood. After all, we know from experience, when the snow and ice melt, the water has to go somewhere. Happy planning.
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