The Great British Culture by Paul Cook

If you believe you really don’t have much to look forward to then just make it up! Last week I noticed with the realisation and trepidation of an over-protective dad that my 12 (going on 26) year old daughter had emblazoned a rather interesting tattoo on her left wrist. Utilising my finely tuned investigative and interview technique I pressed for an instant confession.  Thankfully the resultant fact finding revealed said moniker was in marker pen only and soon to fade; what was however a little cloudier was the tattoo itself that of a wristwatch displaying GMT 5 past 3 p.m.  ‘Why?’ I enquired, ‘Because it’s always going home time’ was her poignant retort.  Incidentally, this is the same young lady who when aged 4, and told she had put her shoes on the wrong feet, replied ‘but these are the only feet I’ve got’.  So at a glance and a bit of contrivance, instantly, something to look forward to. 

 

And so our industrious British culture this year has indeed drawn its own tattoo.  To make something true in business, all we have to employ is the phrase, ‘according to statistics’  We (according to statistics) have had the best summer for 25 years; we leapt into 2013 with all the glory of multi gold Olympics, the best organised (according to statistics) since Hercules threw his dinner plate across a field, Andy Murray, the British Lions, The Ashes, house prices up, economic growth, Chris Froome, Bradley Wiggins, unemployment down, international investment in, shares up, washing out, smiley faces, sun shining, new King. 

 

All in all fuelled completely and utterly by our British culture; one which is developed and maintained from the moment we have a conscious thought.  The one and only location such optimism in a philosophy can spring is derived from how we experience the truest of all Blighty’s upbringings.  From the moment we can remember to the time we depart this coil.  The cruel sea of hopes dashed, promises disappointed again and again, forethought and meticulous planning only to be destroyed by outside influence.  Yes, from this we have built our culture of resilience, stamina, resolve; a mentality other countries can only dream of.  Prolonged winters, economic down turns and sporting frustrations pale into insignificance compared to the great British BBQ. 

 

One minute of a solar breakthrough and we suddenly become gods of the bric burnt menu.  Outside we pursue with joyous revelation proclaiming the benefits of this magnificent nation.  Never to be ousted by the outside chance of inclement weather. 

 

For the first time this year I gingerly removed the lid from my trusty, if rather modest, metallic garden BBQ set and peered inside.  Before my very eyes a very interesting culture indeed which had clearly evolved over time and based its survival on the remains of last year’s fleshy deposits.  How should one deal with such alien forms ready for the festivities?  Then the rain did it for me. 

‘Kettle’s on, fancy a take away?’ called my lovely wife. 

Maybe next year. 

 

We all had something to look forward to 2012 into 2013 and I’m unsure of how we created our own wristwatch, but it happened.  Have a great summer.

What If? by Paul Cook

Who was Edward De Bono?

Edward de Bono

Physician born 1933

Edward de Bono is a Maltese physician, author, inventor and consultant.  He originated the term lateral thinking and wrote the book Six Thinking Hats.

For those of you who are proponents of the ‘The hats’, you will know that it is a model of effective systems thinking that increases productivity.  There are six metaphorical hats and each defines a certain type of thinking.

You can put on or take off one of these hats to indicate the type of thinking you are using but must only use that style of thinking.

Thus

 

This putting on and taking off is essential, because it allows you to switch from one type of thinking to another.  Notwithstanding the truly magnificent effect of a Zest facilitation of this model, the question we (at Zest) are commonly challenged with is ‘do we actually have to wear the hats?’

Superman didn’t actually have to wear the audacious letter S on his pristine blue apparel; in fact, he doesn’t need a costume at all; however it does tend to add a certain authenticity and belief when one is travelling faster than a speeding locomotive or rescuing citizens from a burning building.  If he tried either of these super tasks dressed as Clark Kent, the punters may not feel so safe.  Actually wearing the hats gets your team into innovative super mode.

Accordingly, now look at the above chart for the theme of the day; as we discuss emergency and contingency planning for your business known as the what if? THE BLACK HAT.

Imagine if De Bono theory had been used in some past emergency and contingency planning for these infamous pre-businesses.  And let’s apply the black hat.

BUSINESS	HAT COLOUR FOR PLANNING TEAM	THINKING
Enron	Black	What if the CEO and execs aren’t telling the truth?
White Star Liners	Black	What if the ships can’t take a direct hit from an iceberg?
DeLoreon Motor Co	Black	What if we moved production away from the centre of a war zone?
Sony Betamax	Black	Could there be anything else on the market that is better, faster, more value?
Polaroid	Etc
Woolworths	Etc
British Leyland	Etc

And so on to ancient history and a shining example of the greatest business contingency and emergency planning of all time.

The year is AD 79, the people lived in a well-planned, well protected carefully architectured environment.  The emperor presided over his many teams and plans were regularly laid and discussed; sea defence systems, strengthened well trained armies, crop rotation and supply for sustained use, economic contingency for unseen competition, carefully monitored currency trading, health planning and above all, democratic reasoning and inclusion of views from the community.  Yes this was a civilisation prepared for anything, they consistently applied the ‘what if?’  And then a man in a black hat appeared and said ‘what if that big mountain behind us suddenly explodes?’

As Mount Vesuvius poured down on Pompeii the emperor must have wondered ‘where is superman?’

Probably getting changed…

Try Our Free Horror-Scope Test by Paul Cook

Your industry star sign…

 

The English language is an ever moving feast; goes the slightly capricious metaphor.  Each and every year since William the Conqueror gained his apposite tag, this Latin based lingual potion has upgraded itself.  Of course, I’m not sure he (William) leapt up onto the beach intending the resultant language we see now; he was almost certainly distracted by another job in hand; that of crushing, trouncing, whitewashing, vanquishing and overwhelming poor old Harold; which of course he did (I think the arrow in the eye was a bit un-British).  So, pretty much at a rolling pace from 1066 to 2013 we have added words to our French; as William rallied his troops he may have bellowed ‘Nous nous battrons sur les plages’ and in less than a thousand years Churchill’s version was ‘we will fight them on the beaches’.  Less than 100 years after that, our rendering now could be ‘We’s big up sik like innit if you dis us you gonna get shiv’d lol ’   Enough to scare any invading army!

 

As an executive coach and contributor to business acumen I think therefore I must contribute; my word is horror-scope: Oxford concise dictionary 2013 n1 The prediction of a business’s future based on positions of planets, sun and moon at the time of its launch. 2. A diagram showing positions of the planets, sun, and moon at a particular political time and place.

 

Examples

Hairies Launched in the time of the boom and boom era - you still think this will come back one day and keep those high level risk strategies.  Your companies’ Ford Capris are still in the HQ garage waiting for that triumphant day.



Borus  Launched just after the cold war - what the boss says the boss gets and the company does.  Borus companies will not budge, resist change and charge forward despite, and in spite of the consequences.

 

HimandI  (Him and I)  A partnership started and continued through highs and lows without knowing what each other really are all about.  Some HimandI companies even take on completely different personas just in case they have to be honest with each other.

 

Scarios  Business plans and leadership based on true fear; fear of each other, the world, the competition and the talent around.  Don’t mess with a Scario they are known for their lack of remorse.

 

This is the interactive bit so keep reading.

I will cast down a quest to ye business varlets (into the mid-14^th century now).  Label a ‘horror-scope’ in the above style, with reasons, to your business, post it back to us at Zest and the most inventive will receive a free 3 hour coaching session either for yourself, or anyone in your company.  Not only that, we will, if you agree, share it with all our clients.  Free advertising, free marketing and free advice.  Just image what King Harold could have done with that!

Pre 1066 briefing

King Harold ‘What do you reckon oracle?’

Oracle ‘I see a man with a crossbow’

Harold ‘Yes and….’

Sex, drugs, terrorism, controversy, wealth and talent management by Paul Cook

Newsflash; epic, heroic, classic, transformational leadership. Oh and some important stuff about supermarkets in Oldham.

 

Now here is an oxymoron for you to consider; strong talented leadership is exactly what you need for your business. Straightforward, but in the same context, unlikely. Because it’s all a matter of taste, culture, belief, politics, religion, favour, economics, fear! 

Try our free on line test below. Hypothetically speaking which of the below, if taken in their prime, would you consider for your talent management scheme?  To help you decide, I have quoted recent news articles to support their application. 

 

Nelson Mandela's quiet magnificence has long masked his mortality.  Sunday news SA 

Britain had to change, Margaret Thatcher had the courage to make it happen. In 1979 industrial strife was tearing Britain apart. Then a grocer's daughter entered Downing Street, and began a social revolution. The Guardian UK 

 

David Cameron in Germany: Prime Minister and Angela Merkel call for urgent action to make EU 'competitive and flexible.' The Independent UK  

Jorge Mario Bergoglio Pope Francis new Pope's emphasis on simplicity also showing up elsewhere ABQ Journal US 

History will ultimately define Tiger Woods as the greatest closer that the game has ever seen. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offers many faces, many threats. The Washington post US.
 

Also it is possible that these people may all apply for your impeccable, far reaching scheme designed to challenge talent, support growth and build the organisational competitive edge.  So now how do we frame the interview questions? “Tiger, how are you going to keep your focus?”  “Kim, what will you differently if we put you in charge of security?”  After all, these people are going to lift you into this magnificent arena (not the only thing Mr Un would like to lift off). And once employed which projects would you set them loose on; maybe Nelson Mandela change management, Margaret Thatcher conflict resolution, David Cameron/Angela Merkel (they come as a double act) fiscal reliance, Pope Francis everything everywhere.
 

Huge, small, public, private, global or local, the certainty is you will have talented people in your ranks; they will want to be challenged, to achieve, to progress and to compete for you on your behalf.  If you don’t know who they are, then someone else will. 
 

“Hide not your talents, they for use were made, What's a sundial in the shade?”  ― Benjamin Franklin     

    

Oh and if you haven’t got a talent management scheme… 

http://www.zestbusinesscoaching.co.uk/talent_management.php 

Business needs its five a day

In yet another autobiography ( I think he writes one a year), The Fry Chronicles, Penguin Group 2010; the ubiquitous comedian Stephen Fry explains ‘If you are hungry for food you are prepared to hunt high and low for it.  If you are hungry for information it is the same.  Information is all around us, now more than ever before in human history.  You barely have to stir or incommode yourself to find things out.’  He then expounds frustrations of people’s failure to understand this.  ‘Incuriosity is the oddest and most foolish failing there is’.  I suspect if you asked a seasoned homicide detective, a veteran paramedic or serving infantry soldier in a troubled war zone, they may have a different view of what really is the most foolish failing of mankind; but let’s debate that another time.

Back to the Fry theory; is all information really out there?  Yes it is and guess what?  It is free!  We just need to enlist the help of our electronic cousins; Bing, Google, Mozilla, Yahoo, Explorer or my mate Dave Gibbs (if you ever enter a pub quiz or need phone a friend choose Dave above the others).

Some examples:

What is the highest peak of engineering capacity output in the UK this year?  BING, Free

What is the % demand for cruise holidays within the over 50’s age group in Europe?  Yahoo Free

Which car has the most environmentally efficient engine output in China?  Google, Free

Where are the projected data centre market trends for EMEA?  Mozilla, Free

What is the capital of Bolivia?  Dave, Free

FREE, FREE, FREE.

But that is not it; using the Fry comparison, if food was free then you would still need your internal complex bodily functions to convert it to fuel and the ability to grow, see, feel, hear, breath, run, fight and not just survive but compete.  These complex functions; your heart, lungs, liver, intestines, muscle groups, digestive tract.

Business information is free and you still, and will always, need your internal complex business functions to convert it to energy and the ability to grow, operate, sell, market, lead, integrate, change, and be highly competitive.  These complex functions; your people.

In case of impending litigation (my lawyers have asked me to state) I must qualify that not all information is free; Dave generally works for a pint of lager and a packet of twiglets.

Oh, and a final question I randomly placed into any of the virus free accredited search engines; How can I improve absolutely any part of my business beyond the dreams of Araby?  The unswerving response every time as below.

http://www.zestbusinesscoaching.co.uk/index.php

Try it out, it is an amazing solution.

Coaching Tip

“Let the path be open to talent.”
Napoleon Bonaparte

The most critical challenge facing HR professionals currently is ‘managing talent’.  A People Management article this week explores the admission that HR professionals having identified talent, don’t know how to use it to improve the bottom line.

That’s where we come in….

http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2013/02/overwhelmed-hr-fails-to-harness-power-of-talent-data-says-study.htm

 

Coaching Tip

“Coaching highlights what people can readily achieve, given the right support.”

In a recent Sunday Times article, the latest Management Agenda survey from Roffey Park found that many organisations are focusing too much on leadership and forgetting about managing people more effectively now that the economy is beginning to get back on an even keel…

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/Appointments/article1206082.ece