Whither the future for Europe?

With the visit of Angela Merkel to Downing Street recently, this is perhaps a good time to talk about seismic world events. With the anniversaries of two World Wars to consider and the 25 year milestone achieved since the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, there is no shortage of prompts.

But actually the political upheaval I wanted to focus on is the one which is happening in the Ukraine.

I was prompted to think about this for a whole variety of reasons. Firstly, there was the jarring juxtaposition of humour and tragedy which I saw in the newspaper reports from Russia and Ukraine at the end of the Sochi Winter Olympics. On one side we read an article about the humorous end to the games which deliberately feigned a technical fault to mirror the real one at the opening ceremony. And then right next door to it we see a feature about the carnage, despair and hopelessness of the deteriorating situation in the Ukraine. Secondly I was drawn to this subject because I myself once visited Kiev. It was back in the 60’s when the Ukraine was a part of the USSR and we were accompanied everywhere by our Intourist guide, Masha. But even as a schoolboy, which I was then, I was struck by the warmth and approachability of the local people. Finally, my attention is always drawn to this part of the world as I studied Russian at University and have been lucky enough to visit since as a businessman.

Involved as I am these days in international trade with a variety of businesses, it seemed to me a good time to reflect on the economic tragedy underpinning the political warring. Uncertainty is the enemy of economic growth and we are all involved whether we like it or not. Of course it concerns us greatly in the UK because of the potential EU enlargement angle but really it is a major event which will shape the global distribution of power.

The former proud breadbasket for the Soviet Union is today on her knees economically. In 1989, when the Berlin Wall fell, Ukraine and Poland both had a GDP of $80 billion. Poland today is nearing $600 billion while Ukraine struggles to reach $200 billion. At the mercy of foreign aid from whichever source, it is very hard to imagine things getting better, if indeed further crises and bankruptcy can be staved off.

But, in my view, this is not the time or place for academic discussion on painful contrasting economic fortunes. Perhaps we should simply be reflecting and doing what we can to ensure that our government’s response to this crisis is appropriate. When we come to discuss the question of “in or out” votes for Europe, maybe some consideration of Ukraine’s plight might just help us to focus better on our own problems and issues.

Comparison is odious...

The RSPB has more members than all the three major political parties combined.

That was the earth-shattering statistic used in a debate recently by a senior Conservative peer in the House of Lords. I presume his aim was to shock his party members. This is the extent of the job they have on their hands if they are to engage properly with all 63 million of us.

As attention grabbers go, this was a really good one as far as I could evaluate. This is probably because the statistic is surprising in itself and probably also because it creates a striking and unexpected picture which sticks in the memory.

I know the remark wasn’t meant to be pored over at length and analysed from different angles but nevertheless it might be worth doing precisely that.

What makes the comparison so striking? Why shouldn’t the RSPB membership exceed that of all the major political parties? Being generous to the politician in question, let’s say it was an accident that the organisation chosen to contrast with the party membership was the RSPB and any organisation would have served the same purpose.

In this case, the comparison has inadvertently brought about other consequences – namely to suggest subtly that membership of the RSPB is a light-hearted and inconsequential thing. A comparison with membership of the CBI, for instance, probably wouldn’t have had anything like the impact. No, on reflection it seems the contrast between heavy and light was what really did the trick.

I’m not suggesting either, by the way, that this politician thus risked alienating the one million strong membership of the RSPB. What he revealed to me was perhaps the gulf between himself and the people he is trying to communicate with.

By suggesting that one group of people is in some way less relevant than another I feel he may have encapsulated the modern political dilemma. Young people, for instance, often do not engage with politicians of any stripe. Perhaps they feel pigeon-holed, undervalued or simply misunderstood. 

In business, it seems to me, similar rules apply. Any statement that makes a judgement is dangerous, especially in a global and interconnected market where many of us operate. By revealing, however obliquely, that we care more about “I” than “we”, we run the risk of disengaging the very audience we need to engage.

Modern society, like today’s business arena, is a hugely complex place and of course that variety is what makes it so interesting and valuable. In some respects the pace of change is phenomenal but in many areas of life or work the fundamental values have not changed one iota.

As another famous politician once said, say what you mean and mean what you say!

 

Time flies!

Time flies!

No sooner have we said goodbye to 2013 then here we are approaching the end of January 2014. How does that happen and where does the element of surprise or shock really come from?

Sir Terry Wogan used to joke that thankfully when God made time, he had the foresight to make plenty of it. But does it really feel like that to you?

If your business is anything like mine you’ll probably be wishing right now that you had more time available to finish off all those important if not urgent tasks. More time would allow you to solve a whole host of knotty problems at a stroke, make those pressing calls or finish that website upgrade that’s been bugging you for weeks. But would it?

Why is this one of the biggest issues in business that continues to fox us, deceive us and at times play downright unfair with us?

As with most big issues, the main problem often lies in our passive attitude towards it. Lie back and let it happen and time will simply roll over us like the sea broke down the defences at Aberystwyth in the recent storms. Of course we are powerless to stop the passage of time unless we happen to be Doctor Who – but we can recognise the reality of the issue and devise a plan to deal with its often pernicious effects.

By respecting time, valuing it and planning its use well we can often make more use of the same resource. This may sound far-fetched but you only have to give it some serious commitment to see what I mean.

It’s often said in business that just turning up is 90% of the battle and I think that remains as true today as it ever was. The well-organised person who sets the alarm to arrive unflustered for a 9 a.m. appointment many miles from base is always going to beat someone who arrives ten minutes late or not at all. Having got up early of course, the successful candidate is now in a much better position to take full advantage of the rest of the day and push home further his or her advantage.

So, by respecting time and giving it the status of a valuable and finite resource, business people not only get more done - they also get the massive benefit of being perceived as in control. This really is the big game changer because, of course, everyone wants to do business with someone who displays a can-do attitude. Manage your time well and everyone will want to be involved with you as you efficiently rip your way through obstacles and move with visible relish from one challenge to the next.

So, yes, time definitely flies but as far as I can see not half as much if you’re flying too!

to blog or not to blog

To blog or not to blog

I believe there is a spark of creative genius in each and every one of us – even me!

 I will attempt to show you what I mean by using this simple blog as an illustration of my point. As with all efforts at creativity, there is some degree of risk involved when your work is critically reviewed but I hope to convince you there is also a very high chance of success to be enjoyed if all goes to plan…

 I started to blog only recently at the start of 2012, having been encouraged by family, friends and business colleagues to take the plunge and see what I could produce. I didn’t really know what I was doing as this was uncharted territory for me, didn’t know if my ideas would be relevant to anyone or indeed if I was capable of successfully writing a creative piece of work on a specific theme. So, you can imagine the trepidation with which I approached that first task. However, I’m glad to be able to say that that first piece of work went down OK and, more importantly, gave me my first taste of success in the way that I was hinting at in the paragraph above – what I mean by that is the simple act of creating that blog produced several very important successful outcomes for me, both as a person and a businessman:

·         The blog proved to me that I could indeed tackle scary new ideas and change the way I had been accustomed to behave for over 50 years.

·         It convinced me that I certainly can be creative, even with what to me at the time was an alien way of writing and communicating. I don’t think I was unique in considering myself not especially creative but in truth I was the one who had put me into a non-creative pigeon hole and the good news was here was a way out!

·         The task showed me there is distinct pleasure to be had in ordering your thoughts in this way and often we are not aware how much contribution we can make until we crystallize our thinking in writing for the scrutiny of others. 

·         This first blog produced positive comments and very pleasing feedback over time, often from unexpected sources and spread over a very wide range of contacts with a great diversity of backgrounds and reasons for reading my blog. Like the proverbial pebble dropped in the pond, I managed to create a ripple which went a long way and proved to be a very effective way of connecting with my wider audience. All of a sudden I had managed to wake up dormant contacts and had found a way of expressing ideas which was new and totally unique to me. I’m sure there was a large of amount of luck involved too but then it’s possible to make your own luck if you work hard enough at it.

·         Not having been expecting any success at blogging, it has been extremely gratifying, over the eighteen months or so since I’ve been at it, to realize how expectations can be exceeded in the most unlikely of fields if the required effort is put in – surely a good lesson for anyone in business to learn. DIY can work and work very well – with the power and reach of the internet at our disposal, shaky or lucky starts can soon be transformed into steady progress and the results of that can easily serve as the foundation for something bigger and better.

I’ve enjoyed writing this blog today as I’ve not had time to pen one since March this year. The reason for that has been my twice monthly business column for the Chester Standard, a local newspaper with a circulation of nearly 100,000, which has kept me rather busy as I’ve got into my stride with the totally new levels of commitment. I share this not for any reason of self-promotion but simply to show what can be achieved if change is embraced. Oh and I’m not daft enough to think I’m suddenly a world-famous columnist either but one thing’s for sure I would not have taken up the challenge without the blogging experience to bolster my confidence.

Here’s a link to my first blog 

If you care to have a read of it I’d be delighted as always to hear your thoughts. Please email me at info@barnhillmarketing.co.uk or tweet @barnhill_jeff.

My Chester Standard column can be viewed online here on page 29

Could your business be enjoying the fruits of High Growth?

The benefits of producing a sustainable High Growth curve in your turnover and profits are more accessible these days than you might think.

I have been working with several new clients recently as a coach on the Government’s GrowthAccelerator service. This is a programme which is funded by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and is available to all SME businesses from any sector based anywhere in England. Provided you turnover is less than £40m and you employ 1-249 people, you could be eligible if you meet the growth criteria.

Although you certainly will need high energy levels and high levels of commitment to achieve High Growth status (officially defined as ambition, opportunity and capacity for growth at 20%+ pa) I was surprised to learn just how grounded and “normal” some of these client businesses can be. Most of these companies (and I fully support this view) shun grandiose schemes or intellectual strategy and use technology on a highly selective basis only where the benefits are crystal clear and unambiguous. By following a simple plan and being flexible enough to change it when the market produces the slightest twitch and stick with it when the pressure mounts with every subsequent twist and turn – rewards can be reaped.

Some of these rewards would include benefits such as these where UK plc is also undoubtedly a beneficiary:

•     High Growth firms show on average a 300% increase in employment over a 3 years 
•    A contented workforce is empowered to act independently and follow a shared vision
•     Creating a sense of exhilaration that comes from making regular rapid decisions

If you want to know more about my views on developing a High Growth business – check out my latest article on page 26 in the Chester Standard.

Alternatively, if you are interested in hearing direct from me please drop me an email to info@barnhillmarketing.co.uk

Pressure and stress are not the same…

 

thanks to thisiscolossal.com

This is going to be a short blog because I’m under pressure! The particular pressure I’m under is “good pressure” and is largely self-inflicted. As markets grow more difficult and opportunities for growth become harder to find in a shrinking or barely-growing economy, my response is to put myself under good pressure and it’s paying off now as it always has in the past.

Not settling for a comfortable workload is a key part of growing a business and an attitude which I advocate to clients all the time. It improves your attitude, makes you necessarily more efficient as careful time planning is vital and – BIG ADVANTAGE – it bolsters your image and gives you an aura of success which your down-in-the-mouth competitors lack! As you motor from one job to the next, it is virtually impossible to show the world dead eyes or to look as if you are out of the game.

 I see a lot of dead eyes these days in people who mistake “stress” for “good pressure”. Don’t pander to stress would be my advice. Don’t even name it - just get on with your business under the serene influence of “good pressure”. Once you’ve started you won’t look back…

 

 PS This blog took 30 minutes to conceive, tidy up and push out. The positive effects of the work will far outlast a paltry half hour, as I’m sure you can imagine.

 

National Poetry Day 2012

For National Poetry Day 2012 – I have penned the following contribution:

What’s the good of poetry if you don’t read it or say it aloud?

It’s for posh people and arty types – not ordinary folk from the crowd

Actually – I disagree! The whole point of it is it’s specifically for you and me!

Don’t worry about rhyme – assonance is not a crime

Do it tongue in cheek – just be sure you have a good time!

Jeff Hardman