Succouring Serendipity

Don’t you love it when life seems to smile upon you and unexpected events and outcomes provide pleasant opportunities and experiences?  As is often said “Serendipity is a wonderful thing”, but we have strayed slightly from the word’s original meaning.  The first noted use of “Serendipity” in the English language was by Horace Walpole in a letter to the American educational reformer, Horace Mann, in which he states that he formed the word from the Persian fairy tale “The Three Princes of Serendip” whose heroes

“were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of”.

The name stems from Serendip, an old name for Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka) and literally translates as “Dwelling-Place-of-Lions Island”.  According to Walpole’s definition, Serendipity is not pure fortuitous chance – it also requires a person to spot an opportunity and, through their wisdom as well as happenstance, to enable success or a pleasant outcome.

In January 2007, after gale force winds and severe waves damaged her hull, flooding the engine room, the MSC Napoli was deliberately grounded in Lyme Bay off the south coast of Britain; the weather conditions and list of the ship being too extreme to tow her to a suitable port.  Her twenty six man crew was rescued and the Napoli was left to the mercy of the elements.  The storms continued and the ship began to break up, relinquishing her cargo into the waves.  Some of the Napoli’s load was washed ashore at Branscombe. Local people rushed to the beach to scavenge the flotsam.  The cargo consisted of goods bound for Africa, including Allier oak barrels on their way to South Africa for aging some of the finest wines.  These barrels were packed with a consignment of Zulu bibles into containers and hence were protected from the sea water and floated to the beach undamaged and untainted.  Julian Temperley, the founder of the Somerset Cider Brandy Company, saw the barrels drifting shore-wards in television news pictures and, spotting a possible opportunity, travelled to the beach.  With permission from the Receiver of Wrecks the shipwrecked barrels were salvaged and now have been used to mature a Single Cask Ten Year Old Cider Brandy, named “Shipwreck”. 

I had the pleasure of celebrating Apple Day last Saturday at Burrow Hill, the home of Somerset Cider Brandy.  I sipped Shipwreck under the apple trees and pondered how fortuitous it was that Julian had spotted the opportunity.  Shipwreck is fantastic, with the potent apple spirit smoothed by the oak of the barrels into a subtle and evocative drink.  Apple Day, contrary to its sound, is not a memorial to Steve Jobs and his products, although he was mentioned on Saturday, but a glorious celebration of the variety and richness around us, initiated by the conservation group Common Ground.  A primary driver behind Apple Day is the opportunity to enjoy local seasonal produce and to celebrate some of the unique foodstuffs available in certain areas.  In linking particular apples with their place of origin, Common Ground hoped that orchards they came from would be recognised and conserved for their contribution to local distinctiveness, including the rich diversity of wildlife they support.  Common Ground used the symbol of the apple to indicate the physical, cultural and genetic diversity that we should not allow to be lost in our age of standardization and mass production. 

I believe that we should apply a similar approach to our commercial concerns.  We all have access to the same IT systems, data and infrastructure.  It is what we, the people in a business, do with the information available to us and how we behave (both individually and as teams) that makes the difference.  In these challenging economic times, it is those of us who can operate more efficiently, collaboratively or in a manner that makes us stand out from the crowd that will be ensure success.  Organisations need to ensure customer loyalty and satisfaction by offering unique, outstanding and valued skills or products. Don’t succumb to the temptation simply to follow the heard – although you might blend into the surroundings, you won’t be exceptional and bland mediocrity, perpetuating the mistakes of the past is unlikely to result in long-term, sustainable success.  Organisations and the individuals in them need the drive to succeed and the vision, skills, resilience and tenacity to thrive and adapt as circumstances require.

 

Returning to where I started, with Serendipity in the land of lions, I would like to close with some thoughts on Dr. David Livingstone, the legendary nineteenth century explorer.  Many people know that he had a famous encounter with a lion during his early days as a medical missionary in Kolobeng in South Africa.  It crunched his left arm (indeed it was the mangled and misshapen mend of this fracture that enabled identification of his body, when it was brought back to the UK).  What is not so generally known is that his life was saved following the attack, partially by Mebalwe, a local African whom Livingstone himself had prepared and trained to be able to cope in such a situation, and partially as a result of necessary medication, specifically paid for by a Scottish benefactress. It could be claimed that she, by preserving Livingstone’s life and making it possible for him to remain in Africa for a further thirty years, should be credited with enabling the celebrated Victorian medical missionary and anti-slavery champion to achieve all he did.  However, it is easier to argue that Livingstone, once recovered, made his own good fortune in Africa.  It is noteworthy that Livingstone did not conduct himself in a manner similar to most other explorers and missionaries of the time – he travelled light, without soldiers and support, and hence was not viewed as a threat by the chiefs in the areas through which he travelled.  It was only when funded to oversee significant manned-expeditions, and hence expected by his sponsors to be accompanied by swathes of retinue, that some of his explorations foundered.  Dr. Livingstone was most successful relying on his own skills, approach and abilities.  He was self-aware and appreciated the attributes required to be exceptional in his field.  His is an amazing rags-to-riches story of dedication and perseverance.  His famous words “I am prepared to go anywhere, provided it be forward” should be an inspiration to us all.     

Honestly!

Once, when I was working in recruitment, I interviewed a confident, good looking Aussie guy who was keen to get a role in a US investment bank in Canary Wharf.  We had an interesting discussion and, at the end, I asked him for his passport and certificates that verified his qualifications, so that I could make copies.  He handed them over and I left to make the required duplicates for our files. He was unlucky, or I was fortunate, as, perhaps unbeknown to him, I had met with a chap with the same surname to discuss a work opportunity the previous week and taken copies of his credentials.  I was struck by the similarity in name and looks and wondered if they were brothers.  Also, there was something about the smooth talking charmer, in the room I had just left, that didn’t feel quite right, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.  Instead of going to the photocopier, I went to the hard copy files and looked up what turned out to be his brother’s qualifications – the number on both certificates, theoretically proving that the named individual was a qualified accountant, was identical.  Looking closely, I could make that an excellent copy of the older fellow’s certificate had been tampered with to make a convincing certificate for the younger sibling.  Needless to say, the silver-tongued Aussie with the fake documentation was not recommended by me to the bank in Canary Wharf, nor by my firm for any role.

However, although it is said that “honesty is the best policy”, clearly, in addition to my antipodean contact mentioned above, a number of businesses and individuals have not been following the approach: much to some members of the public's disgust, Tesco’s “Big Price Drop” has come after the retailer ramped up the prices of many specified goods for a brief period of time before the promotion commenced – for example Tesco’s own Brand Fruit & Nut Muesli cost £1.28 on August 16^th, rose to £1.89 on August 23^rd to finally drop to £1.75 on September 26^th.  There is also concern amongst consumers that the “Big Price Drop” occurred at the same time as an announcement was made of a reduction in Clubcard rewards points for shoppers (people believe that one has been used to pay for the other).  It feels a bit like robbing Peter to pay Paul and that the store thought customers too stupid to notice.  In Tesco’s defense, the retailer has suffered its worst sales results with profits dropping by 10% in the last quarter - perhaps that could justify the reduction of reward points which are a bonus rather than a right.  The manipulation of costs to create a favourable impression is more questionable.

In another example, Rupert Murdoch’s flagship publication, the Wall Street Journal, is about to be investigated, due to allegations that sales figures were artificially boosted.  My printing and publishing contacts tell me that this might be the nail that secures Murdoch’s coffin.  From the evidence it is easy to presume that both News International and Tesco’s seem to subscribe to Plato’s view that “honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty”, but I am of the opinion that after centuries of reflecting the commercial reality of business, the opinion is finally becoming out dated.

The corporate and political scandals of recent years (and indeed of more recent occurrences) have undermined public trust – part of the reason that individuals are camping out by St Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London, burning police vehicles in Rome and setting up tents to occupy Wall Street, is to protest against perceived dishonest conduct and to demand a better and more supportive future.  People expect openness and honesty and, with the advent of technology, it is quite easy to find out and publish information that exposes lies and deceptions.  People have had enough of being kept in the dark and paying hidden charges.  They will seek out counterparties with whom they feel comfortable doing business.  Honesty is important – relationships are based on trust.  As Franklin D. Roosevelt so eloquently put it:

“Confidence…thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance.  Without them it cannot live.”

I spent this morning discussing Sustainability with a leading strategist for a household-name-business.  We both agreed that a key element of future business will be collaboration, especially within close communities.  For collaboration to work there needs to be open dialogue and trust.

It is hard to work or live with others without honesty. But even honesty can be damaging. I believe that The Governor of The Bank of England, Sir Mervyn King, was being honest when he expressed his opinion that “this is the most serious financial crisis we have seen at least since the 1930’s, if not ever”.  I also believe that his words have added to the fear and concern both in the Media and the markets, potentially making a bad situation worse.  It is important to be aware of the impact your words may have on others.  My cousin really brought this home to me when we went on a family outing to a beautiful Georgian stately home, which was open for the day near him.  He has two super young sons, there is a three year age difference between them and they are bright and inquisitive.  At the house, all visitors above a certain age needed to buy a ticket to get inside, but children under six could go free.  The attendant selling tickets asked my cousin how many tickets he needed and he replied that as one boy was just six he would require a ticket, although his brother was exempt.  The ticket salesman expressed amazement that my cousin had incurred an unnecessary expense, as he would not have questioned the age of the older boy, and would have let him in for free.  My cousin explained that that was not the point – the boys would have known.  Being honest says more than just the words that are spoken; it is a reflection on you and for maximum impact remember, it’s not just what you say or do, it’s the way that you say and do it. Or, as Ella Fitzgerald sang:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8fCXNTCWig

Cracking It

Much to my amazement my son sent me a card recently (an unusual occurrence as he is an email sort of fellow, if he bothers to make contact at all) – the message on the card was a version of Groucho Marx’s quote:

“Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light”.

I’m not sure if I should be flattered, because he thinks I am open to ideas and/or can guide and illuminate others, or concerned that he sees his mother as deranged.

The connotation of something being cracked seems to imply that it is damaged.  However, it is often from potentially damaging and difficult circumstances that we can learn the most.  Being able to grasp opportunity and understanding from apparent adversity is a blessing.  I was at a wonderful dinner last night to celebrate the start of Chocolate Week in the UK.  Eight of us sat round our table, enjoying an amazing dinner – I’ve never eaten lamb with capers, anchovy and chocolate before, but it was delicious - and I was struck by the success that a number of the diners had achieved, despite unusual or difficult starts:

• ·         One is a co-founder of the Grenada Chocolate Company Ltd., which was established in 1999, to create an organic cocoa farmers' and chocolate-makers' cooperative.  He is an Engineering degree drop-out from NYC, the son of Eastern European immigrants to The States.  He arrived in Grenada with little cash and lived for a decade in a simple bamboo hut that he created in the rainforest.  He is creative, good at devising economical and practical solutions and cares passionately about the world in which he operates.  His latest venture is linked to Sustainability – he has teamed up with some innovative Dutchmen and will be delivering consignments of the cooperative’s cocoa and chocolate both to the USA and Europe on wind powered, commercial cargo boats, taking advantage of the Trade Winds – a pioneering and environmentally responsible approach that has not happened for more than a century.  With modern technology it is now possible to have commercially viable sea-born delivery and, as traditional fuel becomes increasingly expensive, damaging and scarce, wind, tide and solar will have to be the way of the future.
• ·         Another inspirational dining companion is the daughter of Chinese émigrés to New York – her parents worked in menial roles in restaurants and call centres to earn the money to educate their daughters.   She studied in Hong Kong and at a leading Ivy League university, before securing a role as a trader on Wall Street.  Despite being highly successful, she had a passion for chocolate and wanted a job that would satisfy her on many levels.  She followed her dreams and, after a stint at INSEAD, she has transferred her skills into becoming a powerful strategic thinker and is working with our hosts to evaluate all aspects of one the UK’s most eminent artisanal chocolate producers.

Both of these individuals broke away from what was expected of them, to do what they knew was right for their own satisfaction and success.  It is often necessary to break away from long accustomed behaviours and attitudes in order to improve. Sometimes it only takes a small shift in thinking or presentation to make a significant difference. 

Over the past week the papers and screens have been full of memorials to Steve Jobs – an inspirational man who both built and later resuscitated an extraordinary global business – not always the pioneer, but consistently an innovator who improved on others’ concepts to create a desirable product and hence dominated the market (e.g. the iPod after Sony’s Walkman initial breakthrough, the iPhone following Nokia’s dominance of the mobile phone market for the decade before its release and the iPad after various tablets and think pads had failed to excite the public).  Not only did/does Apple provide products that meet consumers’ desires, usually before they have even articulated what they want, but the service approach for direct customers is exemplary (from experience, it’s not so good through an intermediary).  Steve Jobs did the initial voiceover for the first “Crazy Ones” ad in 1997, which was devised as part of the “Think Different” advertising campaign. The words he says are as follows:

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently.  They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.  You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.  About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them, because they change things.  They push the human race forward.  While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.  Because the people, who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” 

If you’d like to hear Steve Jobs speaking these words, here’s the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rwsuXHA7RA

Later, the actual advert used slightly different wording, but the message remains the same.  It is those who dare to be different, who are able to be creative and who follow their own instincts that are most likely to bring about positive change.  We live in a time when change is required more than ever – socially, economically, environmentally, politically, etc...  It concerns me that organisations are increasingly retreating into their comfort zones, especially in areas such as recruitment or the selection of individuals for redundancy.  People are screened out because they are not seen as an obvious fit.  People without degrees are deselected for an opportunity without even a discussion to see what they might be able to offer (Steve Jobs had no degree, nor does Richard Branson nor my Grenadian Cocoa Cooperative founder described above).  People who have not worked in a specific industry are considered inappropriate for a role in a new sector because the recruitment firm advertising the role has “received applications from candidates whose experience more closely match their client's specific requirements”.  We are missing out on individuals who can bring a fresh pair of eyes and perhaps improve things.  Part of the reason that a number of businesses are not coping well in these difficult times is because, as the reality of the bottom line confronts them, they are reverting to type and focusing on what they have always done or trying to encourage actions that have proved successful in the past.   The world is changing.  Much of what we did in the last century has resulted in some of the issues that we are now trying to combat.  I am not convinced that perpetuating the old approaches will provide a secure route to success and sustainable business.  We need to encourage “the crazy ones” who have the vision and drive to change things.

We are facing problems that have never been confronted before.  The fact that many are of our own making does not mean that we should not try to crack them.

Be the one brave enough to stand out and make a difference or support those who can.

Plane Talking

A parliament of rooks assembled in the fig tree at the bottom of my garden this morning.  They were a noisy bunch.  Like Italian litigators, they seemed to home in on the most fragile looking of the group, looking for ways to destabilise them, with one bird clearly dominant and inciting the rest to intensify their actions against the weakling.  They seemed to be doing it for sport.  It is all too easy to see human characteristics in the natural world around us.  However, even discounting the desire to anthropomorphise them, we are not dissimilar to birds: we migrate to easier locations when times turn tough – witness the well known UK names, both organisations and individuals, who are now based in Switzerland; we are territorial (often evidenced in Company politics and neighbourly disputes); some of us have strong nesting instincts; others have cuckoo-like tendencies (leaving the work  of ensuring their legacy to hardworking colleagues), we can make astounding music (I am listening to some exultant choral music as I write this); etc... I could go on for a whole blog on the subject.  However, I want to consider one aspect - Socialising.

Many birds are social – this can be for self-protection, there is often safety in numbers. I have worked in organisations with fear and blame cultures, where there is a tendency to try to hide amongst colleagues, in the hope of not being singled out.  This amazing YouTube clip shows starlings in flight – they almost seem choreographed into an exuberant twilight dance, but in fact their swarming is an effective way of enhancing individual security from predators such as hawks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eakKfY5aHmY&NR=1

Most of us feel safer walking in a group down a dark alley at night, as opposed to being the sole pedestrian making our way through a rough neighbourhood.  There are more productive sides to being social than simply increasing personal safety.  Over the past few months I have worked for an organisation that has locations across the UK and beyond.  I have undertaken significant travel (usually flying – how like a bird I am).  Probably sometimes to the horror of my fellow passengers, especially those stuck beside me, I have taken advantage of the opportunity to chat with a huge number of people as I have jetted across the UK.  I have been:

·         fortunate in that I was there at the right time to provide support and advice to some who needed it;

·         able to introduced individuals to others working on similar matters in different organisations, thereby enabling all to gain a greater understanding and better outcomes;

·         inspired by a fellow passengers’ experiences, and hence expanded my own proposals, by building in new ideas (into strategic plans and White Papers) that were ignited in me through talking to others;

·         told confidential information about people and business strategies (we all need to be careful about what we say to whom!);

·         able to add to my list of experts and contacts across a wide range of sectors and disciplines;

·         told some wonderful jokes and anecdotes;

·         fortunate in meeting people with shared areas of interest and greater expertise than I, who have been able to help me with my concepts and work; and

·         given potential leads and contacts which will be beneficial in the next stage in my career.

One of the things that really make people stand apart from other creatures on the planet is our ability to communicate effectively.  Admittedly, one of the things that also make us stand out on the planet is our inability at times to communicate effectively, resulting in war, confusion and distress.  However, I think language is wonderful; I have a passion for words and their effect.  I know that I am fortunate in that I don’t mind speaking with people (in fact I really enjoy doing so) – which is odd given how painfully shy I was as a child.  I am now firmly of the opinion that if you don’t make the effort to talk with people you’ll never reap the benefits that are available.  It strikes me as amazing how little individuals in one part of a business speak to those in another division - often even when they work in the shared space of an open plan office; cross divisional communication is not encouraged.  I know that I am unusual in that, when I hold monthly team meetings, I frequently include a representative from a number of other business areas (such as Finance, Marketing, IT or Customer Relationship Managers), so that both my team and they can gain a better understanding of what is occurring across the organisation and can share priorities, find ways of collaborating and enhance co-operation.  My chatting to people on aeroplanes and in airports takes this desire to understand and make connections to the next level.

Social Media is a relatively hot topic in most of the big corporates, as well as in the Media, at the moment.  Most of us are still figuring out what role it should play in our lives and businesses.  Clearly I am a fan, given the networks I am involved in (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ to name but a few).  I have met new people through a number of Social Media routes over the past six months.  This blog has resulted in people approaching me.  I have established genuine friendships through Twitter and similar social networking sites, where I now know individuals both on and offline.  One of the most memorable and enjoyable ways of broadening my contacts and horizons occurred last week.  I spent a balmy day on a narrow boat travelling along the Regent’s Canal in London.  We started from Limehouse Basin and made our way through numerous locks, before mooring at Camden.  The canal-side vistas were wonderful and so too was the sense of camaraderie.  Glenn Le Santo, the captain and owner of the boat (as well as being a respected journalist, talented artist and Social Media expert) was brave or foolhardy, in that he tweeted for crew and four of us were recruited on a first-come-first-served basis.  He had only met one of us before.  The five of us were deliciously different, but had a shared sense of purpose and openness to meeting and sharing experiences with others.  As we got to know each other we also discovered that we perhaps had more in common than at first appeared.  I had met one fellow crew member, for perhaps four minutes, at a tweetup earlier this year.  I was delighted to discover that he was coming on board – he is considerate, highly entertaining, artistic, adventurous and has had a breadth of experience that makes him a delight to talk with (he also picked up the skills of opening locks swiftly and was an excellent and patient tutor).  The other three were new acquaintances for me, but I soon discovered that they too were gems.  One, a calm yoga specialist, who looks ridiculously younger than her age, was candid about experiences that she and her children had been through that helped me put some of my own issues into perspective.  The remaining individual had taken advantage of being made redundant to establish his own business, focusing on Social Media, and it was a pleasure to hear his success story in these difficult times.  Once we arrived at Camden a steady flow of Twitter contacts, attracted by the #FMSB hashtag on Twitter, came and joined us on the tow path for a chat.  Again, I met new and diverse people, some of whom I am now in regular contact with.  It will be good to watch and help their businesses flourish.

Don’t underestimate the benefits of being social – whether on a plane, a canal bank or via the internet and mobile connectivity that is available to us now.  I am sure there’s a good reason why the symbol for twitter is a bluebird – it’s a great reminder that at times it pays to be bird-brained.

Shouting At The Rain

I had a weird dream last night about the Minotaur – half man half beast rampaging its way through the dark and complex labyrinth of tunnels under the palace of Knossos.  Remnants of the dream have lingered – betrayal, loss, omissions and subterfuge – it could be a metaphor for the current troubles in Greece, the Eurozone and the world as a whole (or perhaps it was simply too much cheese for supper!).  So this morning, whilst regaining my perspective, I reminded myself of the Greek legend and found elements I had forgotten – when Theseus comes to Crete to kill the monster and hence prevent the on-going sacrificial deaths of Athenian maids and youths, both of King Minos’ daughters fall in love with him.  Ariadne, the elder, is well-remembered for supposedly helping Theseus through the maze by giving him a ball of twine to follow to retrace his steps.  On his return to mainland Greece, Theseus abandons Ariadne on the Island of Naxos and returns home with her sister, Phaedra, who subsequently becomes his wife.  I had forgotten that prior to his departure, Theseus had promised his father that, if he survived the ordeals in Crete, he would fly white sails on his ship to indicate that he was safely returning on board.  His omission caused his father so much distress from the thought that his son had died, that it drove him to suicide prior to the ship reaching harbour.  It is both a Greek tragedy and also an illustration of the fact that Man is slow to learn, often inconsiderate and clearly has not changed much over the centuries.

We need to find a way of learning from our mistakes and the errors of others, or else, as Rob Jones, the leading L&D expert, once said to me, we are simply

“shouting at the rain when we should be finding an umbrella”.

Rob’s neat phrase states a lot – it emphasises the fact that it is up to each individual to take responsible action when in a difficult situation and it stresses the futility of words when deeds are needed.  Churchill made a similar point in a speech to the House of Commons on 12 November 1936, as clouds darkened over Europe:

“The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.”

We in business are familiar with cause and effect – cunning Reward strategies and incentive schemes are devised that rely on the rationale behind the theory, as indeed are innovative training and development programmes and ways of attracting customers.  The big retailers have become so proficient at predicting shopping trends through cause and effect that within hours of a forecast barbeque provisions are available in the aisles as sunny weather is predicted and the number of soups and comfort foods on the shelves increase when the temperature drops.  It is this basic consumerism of Western Society and similar expectations now occurring in the Developing World that has got us into the current global predicament.  Each of us has contributed in a way.  We search for credit cards, mortgages and loans with the lowest APR of interest rate, we expect a return on our investments be it the deposit rate in our savings account or a growing pension pot – it is not surprising that banks were prepared to take significant risks with the money they held, as they were (and indeed still are) under pressure to provide what their customers demand, as well as covering their own overheads and providing a return for shareholders.

Few of us think when we buy beans or asparagus in the shops about the environmental costs of getting these goods to us.  In addition to the air-miles required to deliver out-of-season produce to demanding consumers, the actual cultivation of these vegetables, often grown in countries such as Kenya or Peru, can take its toll on the local environment (agricultural irrigation in Kenya has had a significant impact on water levels in lakes such as Naivasha, the primary fresh water resource for a significant local community, as has the leaching of chemicals into the local water system).  However, there is a contrasting argument to the carbon footprint of food production – countries such as Kenya or Peru tend to rely on manual labour rather than tractors and hence have a less heavy carbon footprint in production terms, and nurturing the crops provides much needed work/income for local people.  In addition, at certain times of the year it is better to buy imported goods than locally produced ones.  We, the consumer, expect year-round availability of the goods that we like, for example apples.  If UK apples are to be provided throughout the year they would need to be stored in refrigerated units – the impact of ten months’ refrigerated storage is greater than the carbon footprint impact off flying in Gala apples from New Zealand.   However, all of the above illustrations miss the point – the cause of the problem is the consumer demand for out-of-season produce, rather than the carbon footprint, which is an effect.  If we were content to eat what is in season and wait for the availability of once a year of crops such as asparagus, we could have a much more positive impact on the environment.

As some of you know, my eldest son has just returned from travelling in Asia, prior to commencing at university (yes I am aware of the carbon footprint created by his trip).  While he was in Laos he visited an amazing waterfall out in the rainforest near Luang Prabang – a beautiful spot for a secluded swim if you happen to be in the area.  Just near the falls is an enclosure, a sanctuary for rescued Sun Bears.  They are wonderful creatures – a bit like the children’s book character Paddington - but dark, their pelt is almost black, with a golden crescent in the fur across their chests.  The Sun bear is one of the most endangers bears.  They are hunted for their gallbladders, which are used in Asian medicine, and their meat is popular.  Much of their rainforest habitat has been destroyed by logging and farming and the logging roads provide easy access for hunters.  War and military action in the region has also destroyed the land on which they live and has equipped would-be hunters with guns.  Little is known about the Sun Bear and its role in the eco system, but there is no doubt that Man’s actions have caused the rapid decline in its numbers over recent years.  The ultimate impact of their loss has yet to be seen.

The cause and effect see-saw is visible in so many of our current predicaments – economic, social, political and environmental.  We seem to lurch from crisis to crisis, with increasingly briefer periods of apparent calm and plenty in between.  As our numbers increase and our ability to communicate swiftly around the globe enhances, the lulls between the crises get shorter – this may be in part due to viral reactions such as have recently been seen in dealing rooms around the globe, as well as the speed with which the Media can transmit information – there is more than a little truth in the phrase that “When America sneezes the world catches a cold”.  Prior to the Industrial and Technological Revolutions, the impact we had on the world around us was sustainable – there were only about 500 million people on the earth in 1650.  The Industrial Revolution and development of Science and Technology, especially of Medicine, together with the colonisation of new lands has led to a terrifying population explosion, reaching 1,000 million in the mid nineteenth century, 2,000 million at the beginning of the twentieth century and over 5,000 million now.  Clearly, if we continue to expand in numbers at this rate we will be the cause of our own demise when there is insufficient land, food and water to sustain us.

Some tough decisions will need to be made very soon to ensure that there is a stable future ahead of us, not just in the Financial Markets but in the wider world in which we exist.  There are bulls and bears in many forms that need to be taken into account.  We must become smarter at understanding the effects of our actions and be prepared to take steps to stop the causes of harm and imbalance.  As my mother, daughter of the man who co-invented the Iron Lung, keeps telling me “prevention is better than cure”.  At the risk of sounding radical, we cannot rely solely on our politicians to do the right thing, even if we have elected them.  It is clear from recent history that many politicians are driven by matters other than their citizens’ best interests.  Each of us has to be accountable and prepared to act to resolve the issues around us.  Only if we take responsibility for the things within our remit can we ensure a positive future for ourselves and the generations to come.  There is no point yelling; we know what action we have to take in our own lives to shelter from the rain.

The Dance of The Seven Veils

There is no doubt that we are existing within the confines of the Chinese curse – we live in “interesting times”.  The global economy is in turmoil: S&P’s downgrading of Italy’s sovereign debt from A+ to A is likely to further fuel the crisis in the Eurozone; it’s commonly agreed amongst the experts that Greece may still default; French Banks are badly exposed to other nations’ debt;  Ireland Portugal and Spain are still struggling; the IMF has slashed forecasts for UK and US economies (the UK is predicted to grow 0.4 less at just 1.1% this year and 0.7 less at 1.6% in 2012 and the prediction for the US has been cut by  0.6 to 0.7%); and there is talk of strikes (even by tennis players!) and further rioting.  It is hardly surprising that senior leaders in organizations of all sizes are concerned.

Regrettably senior leadership’s fear and behaviours often trickle down through an organisation, with more junior employees mimicking their seniors – I was talking to an experienced project manager only this morning, she is tired of the fact that decisions are continually being changed and revoked, so that what she thought were her priorities last Monday had been changed at least four times by Thursday and she knows that what she is currently supposed to be doing will have altered again before the end of this week.  She hates the fact that she is not getting anything done and questions the value of having her working on certain projects until a firm decision has been made as to the required actions and outcomes.  The vacillation she is experiencing is often a result of individuals not wishing to be blamed if a decision proves to be wrong.  The manifestation of a fear or blame culture.  There is an argument that a degree of fear is healthy in business, as it stops employees from becoming complacent.  However, in my opinion, fear cultures are damaging for all involved.  There are seven ways in which fear commonly is obvious in the work place:

1              As individuals feel their own livelihoods to be threatened, there is usually a marked upturn in distrust and backstabbing – the less pleasant sides of human nature become apparent – personal preservation at the expense of others - with only the foolish or naïve being prepared to speak out or challenge.

2              There is usually an increase in gossip, as backstabbing rumours are spread – partially by innocent individuals who are simply seeking clarification as to what is going on, but also by employees with a personal agenda, who wish to strengthen their own position.  It is common for gossip to occur in a clandestine manner, with individuals choosing to communicate with one another away from the main areas where colleagues work (hence the water-cooler and coffee dispenser discussions) or else by using individual technology – a lot of texts and emails are sent to personal accounts and mobiles, but seldom much in writing on company systems.

3              People become preoccupied with internal issues and how they themselves are perceived, rather than focusing on the external environment, the business and customer needs.  This is an ideal setting in which brown nosed yes-men and yes-women can thrive.  When times are tough it is tempting for frightened leaders to surround themselves with people who tell them what they want to hear.  These leaders, who like the rest of us are only human, find comfort in self-affirming statements, which are often easier to listen to than the truth.

4              Indecision is a common trait in fearful environments.  It is hard to know what the right course of action is and hence from the top downwards individuals try to avoid making commitments and decisions that could backfire on them.  This explains my friend the project manager’s predicament – the sponsors of her projects are frightened and finding it hard to determine the best course of action in the current turbulent business environment.

5              There is often a noticeable increase in secrecy – information is on a “needs to know” basis and hence collaboration is diminished and many opportunities missed.  Often the reason for secrecy is rooted in a desire not to cause unsettling concern.  However, we live in an age when we are used to getting information swiftly and easily (usually at the touch of a button) – there are few things worse for an employee than finding out about a decision or situation through the media or others, rather than being told about it, after the decision has been made or an event has occurred, by their managers.

6              Recruitment becomes increasingly cautious when people are fearful – candidates with industry experience are selected over those with drive and creativity as they are an easier decision to justify should things not turn out well.

7              As times get tougher, most organisations become increasingly preoccupied with numbers – the desire to control and cut costs in the short term can override other more strategic decisions and long term goals.  The bottom line becomes increasingly important; with the “What” as opposed to the “How” targets are achieved being applauded.  Clearly, there is an argument that if a business cannot survive in the short term it has no long term future to aspire to, but if an organisation wants a successful future it will need to provide an environment in which people want to work and stay.  If it fails to do this, valued employees will leave as soon as a preferable opportunity comes along.

I believe leaders need to be risk astute as opposed to simply risk averse.  Many of the seven behaviours described above demonstrate a fear of change and hence a reversion to familiar behaviours and actions rather than embracing the opportunities that change can bring.  It was Einstein who said that insanity is

               

“doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

 

Fear in the workplace hinders personal, team and organisational performance.  The root of fear is primarily a dread of change - humans have an in-built and natural desire for stability, but stasis is often a false security - organisations and people who cannot adapt as their surroundings change will die out.  people need to be resilient, flexible, and responsive to the now so as to create a strong future.

Many of us are afraid of making mistakes and fear failure, as opposed to being simply resistant to change.  But, some of the most successful individuals the world has seen knew that they would need to fail to succeed.  When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he tried over 2000 experiments before he got it to work.  A reporter interviewed him and asked how it felt to fail so many times.  He said, "I never failed once. I invented the light bulb. It just happened to be a 2000-step process."  Another, perhaps even more remarkable, example is Wilma Rudolph, who was the twentieth of twenty two children. She was born prematurely and her survival was doubtful. When she was four years old she contracted double pneumonia and scarlet fever, which left her with a paralysed left leg. When she was nine, the metal leg brace she had been dependent on was removed and she began to walk without it.  By thirteen she had developed a distinctive, rhythmic walk, which doctors said was a miracle. That same year she decided to become a runner. She entered a race and came in last. For the next few years every race she entered, she lost. Everyone told her to quit, but she kept on running. One day she won a race. Then she won another. From then on she won every race she entered.  Eventually this extraordinary girl, who was told she would never walk again, went on to win three Olympic gold medals and was considered to be “the fastest woman in the world” for much of the 1960s.

People who are prepared to fail are the ones who ultimately succeed (as opposed to those who are too scared to try) – sometimes it is necessary to make mistakes to finally get to the right outcome or to reach a better result than that which was originally envisaged.

We all have an identity that we show to the world – a friend on Twitter recently blogged about how he felt as though he had lost a part of his sense of self-worth and identity when he ceased being employed.  I can empathise with him – when I was on maternity leave, although proud and devoted to my sons, I felt that I had lost a part of myself by no longer having a job other than motherhood.  Many entrepreneurs who have stepped out of corporate life to set up on their own businesses have commented to me that the biggest hurdle they often had to overcome was their sense of self-worth and identity prior to making a name for themselves.  People feel comfortable as part of the herd and it takes guts to stand out from the crowd.  However, it is the brave individuals who want to make a difference who enable success.  We each need to be aware of who we are and what we wish to achieve.  Even in times of adversity there are great opportunities for the purposeful and brave to grasp.  The following link shows some excellent, creative and unusual business cards belonging to people not afraid to stand out from the crowd:


http://designbeep.com/2010/02/12/40-creative-and-unusual-business-card-designs/

Rather than dancing behind the veils of fear and blame, be yourself, know yourself and be aware of the messages you are giving out.

In Memoriam - 9/11

On September 11^th a decade ago I was on jury service, in the former Middlesex Guildhall which had become the County Magistrates’ Court, opposite the Houses of Parliament (the building is now the Supreme Court of the UK).  We “Twelve Good Men” – four women and eight men actually – had been assigned to a complicated fraud case and we were immured, out of contact with the world, from the moment we entered the court until the time when we were allowed to retire to our jury room for refreshments and discussion.  We dozen were drawn from an remarkable cross section of society including a student, a housewife, a trader from one of the leading investment banks, an electrician, the head of a Caribbean style Steel Band, the Maitre d’ for the top restaurant of a London Five Star hotel and a fascinating lady responsible for running a charity that provided support to military heroes.  Given the obvious skills and capabilities of the group, I was both surprised and honoured when elected Foreman. 

Over the preceding days we had got to know each other well and, having discovered that the food in the canteen was either sweaty and unappetising (wrapped in cling film) or of dubious culinary appeal, we commenced a rota of bringing refreshments for ourselves to our jury room. The Maitre d’ bought in some excellent tea, some of us enjoyed baking and others brought milk, sugar or juice.  I quite enjoyed braving Security’s good-humoured teasing each morning, armed with a home-cooked cake, some freshly made sandwiches or a box of biscuits in my bag.  It became a standing joke with the staff that the jurors from Court Four were running a restaurant and/or having a party in the Jurors’ Room - when they knew that we were in our room, ushers and other court employees would pop in to glean a cookie and a cup of tea.  We developed a genuine sense of camaraderie, sharing parts of our lives with each other and forging friendships that, for some of us, have lasted until today.  The case we were involved in was complex, resulting in heated discussions between us and requests for clarification or evidence.  We came at the issues from all angles and respected each other’s input – if it had been a team offsite/development session the facilitator would have been proud of us!  It was an odd experience, a bit like stepping out of life for a while.  We existed in our own isolated bubble centred round the issues of our case, fellowship in our jury room and the drama in court.  We had a prosecuting barrister who had stepped straight out of the pages of Rumpole, even down to his red cashmere socks and natty waistcoat, the judge was elderly and learned and the defence lawyer was a feisty Asian lady still earning her spurs.

On the morning of the 11^th September we had some major witnesses and complex evidence to attend to.  During a brief break at lunchtime, where we adjourned to our room, the student expressed concern over the anticipated cost of living at university and the Steel Band master made some quick calls to confirm the details for providing the music for a wedding at the weekend.  We filed back into the court for the afternoon session and tried to concentrate on the complex information that was being presented to us.  At teatime we were allowed a break, so adjourned back to our room.

Those of us who had them switched on our mobiles – the trader and I were the first to get a connection and voice messages and SMS texts started flooding through.  I opened my first message, which simply stated that a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers in New York.  I did not take on board the meaning and clicked to the next, while a rapid stream of texts, each announced with a swift bleep, started downloading to my mobile.  The same was happening to others.  The intrusive and urgent electronic beeping was noticeable in the intimate surroundings of our room – everyone with a phone had received a number of messages.  The Trader spoke a text aloud; it was the same as mine - that a plane had flown into the Twin Towers - and then he read out a second, stating that the second Tower had also been hit.  Neither he nor I comprehended what we were reading.  He even asked me what I thought the punch line might be, as he presumed that it had to be a wind-up, and inquired as to whether I had received anything explaining the choice of subject (in his defence, this was a time when jokes were often pinged over the airways, especially by those in The City, and they were frequently quite dark in subject and humour).  Then the penny dropped – it was not a sick joke, it was real, there had been a horrific terrorist attack on New York.  Everyone in the Jury Room had been listening to our conversation and/or reading texts of their own with similar content.  We suddenly all fell silent in shared horror and recognition of what had happened on the “other side of The Pond”.   

The housewife, who did not have a phone, asked us to give details what had happened – it was clear, from the little information that we had, that a significant disaster had occurred in America, resulting in or caused by planes flying into both of the Twin Towers in New York, an attack on The Pentagon and there also seemed to be a plane that had crashed in the countryside.  We had no TV or radio in our little room, our only contact with the outside world was through a few mobile phones and text messages.  We were all confused and concerned.  The trader called his dealing room, only to discover that all trading on Wall Street had been stopped, airports had been closed around the world and the awful details of what had happened while we were in court were confirmed.  Like an old fashioned news reader, he relayed the information as it was spoken to him and we listened in shocked silence to his words.  

Our tea break had not happened until well after the atrocities had occurred, but because we had been cocooned within the serious concentration of the court room, we were in total ignorance of the things happening in the wider world.  It felt strange to find out so much later than everyone else; we had not watched in shared horror as images of the planes hitting the towers and the dramatic collapse of the buildings (clearly resulting in significant loss of life) were shown on screens around the globe.  The intimacy of hearing and imagining, sharing with my fellow jurors the shock, dismay and bewilderment as to what had caused the appalling incidents was a powerful and moving experience.  We knew each other’s personalities and values slightly from having spent so many days together and the scope of our reactions was thought provoking – responses echoed those of the wider British society and ranged from intense anger (the Electrician), deep shock (the Steel Drummer and the Student), fear of similar attacks occurring in London (most of us – this was tinged with self-interest as our location, opposite the Houses of Parliament, seemed a fitting target for making a dramatic terrorist statement), apprehension at the potential impact on international relations and global business (the Trader and the Maitre d’) and sorrow combined with despair at the awful way in which people treat their fellow men (the military charity expert, the housewife and myself).

I am often brought to a mental halt by man’s inhumanity to man.  On a number of occasions, my husband has had to suffer me sobbing at the Rambert Dance Company’s production of Ghost Dances – a moving tribute to victims of oppression in South America, accompanied by bewitching Andean folk music.  The current behavior of the regime in Syria towards members of the general public is shocking, as was the treatment of the Egyptian people by their national police earlier this year (the image of people being slaughtered whilst trying to cross the bridge to Tahrir Square still haunts my memory).  There are a number of iconic images that remain with us as powerful illustrations of our worst atrocities – e.g. the young naked girl, Phan Thi Kim Phuc,  fleeing from a village in Vietnam after a napalm attack; the unknown rebel standing bravely in front of the tanks in Tiananmen Square, Hugh van Es’ photo of an unfeasible number of terrified people crowding onto the roof of a building to escape Saigon by helicopter and the collapsing Twin Towers with the glowing fireball of jet fuel and billowing smoke – these are all carried with us as part of our collective image bank and tinge our attitude towards the world.  There are some positive things that have come out of the Twin Towers footage – it has enabled architectural and aviation experts to learn more about how buildings behave and collapse after impact and hence to modify and improve their designs.  But for the main part, what happened on September 11^th 2001 has made the world a darker place.

We were a more sombre group of jurymen going forward.  A final, significant memory for me of that week was on the Friday 14^th September 2001 when there was a three minute silence held across the UK for the victims of the Tuesday attack.  Our court was overlooking Parliament Square – normally busy with traffic, animated tourists and noisy pedestrians.  The eerie silence that descended over the area for the three minute period (we observed it in our court, respectfully standing) was extraordinary.  For a brief moment the world seemed to stop and all we could do was think about what had happened, feel sympathy for the victims and their families and wonder what the future might hold.

The rushing crowds have returned to our streets – busy commuters stride past the latest horrific headlines on the Evening Standard bill boards beside the news stands – apparently oblivious to the horrors going on in Libya and Afghanistan.  We still live in a troubled world and I am not sure that we have learned much from the occurrences of a decade ago.  It is too easy to slip back into a comfortable rut.  Terrorism is inherently related to fear.  The fear of disruption, disorder, a change to our world as we know it, a descent into loss and chaos.  In the work place, most issues that I have had to resolve have arisen or been aggravated by fear and misunderstanding. 

“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”  ~Bertrand Russell

It is up to us to remember, learn and see if we can enhance our existence by teaching ourselves (it has to start with us) and then those around us and the people with whom we interact to value diversity and overcome the fear we naturally have of the different and the unknown.  We need to forge relationships and understanding that will enable a happier and safer environment for future generations.