Communications revolution or the death of conversation?

We have available to us an unprecedented amount of communication channels in both our Business and Personal lives. Take a casual inspection of a typical working desktop I would take a wager that you will see at least 5 distinct channels, all of which offering a way to communicate with a different audience, in a slightly different way. But are we simply talking more, and listening less?

There has been a lot of theorising in recent years about the ‘death of email’ as a previously indispensable Business tool for timely communication. Indeed the latest and greatest in Business collaboration offerings from Basecamp, Evernote, Google, and the like all extoll the benefits of a new kind of communication and sharing. So with a new forum here, and a collaboration portal there, we are presented with yet more subtly different channels in which to lay down our burden of information.

But what is the real basis of good communication?  Humans are social creatures of a somewhat awkward persuasion, making definitive answers to this difficult to achieve. One way to quantify a successful communiqué would be the efficiency in relaying information, which is something that many struggle with. To quote French Theologian Blaise Pascal (albeit in an English translation): “I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” Brevity is the enemy of time and perhaps we just aren’t very good at explaining everything through one medium.

Another way of looking at the challenge is to examine the sheer breadth of our social output. When we speak to somebody face to face, it is said that upwards of 80% of what you actually say is non-verbal. Body-language, tone, expressions and stature all provide a rich subtext which makes mere words seem akin to shouting down a cup and string to deliver Opera. Perhaps we need 5, 10, or even 20 discrete channels just to exorcise our inner urge to explain what we think, and why we think it.

Whatever the reason for rapidly growing range of communication channels, we should think of them all as part of single pipe. Imagine your broadband line as not just a small bundle of cables, but of a rich braid of threads which you and your employees, are using to weave messages which fly off to their destination. To this end there is no use in attempting to narrow or stem the tide of communication options open to us, we must instead embrace it.

But this invariably is easier said than done. I was in recent discussions with my old Secondary School where I spent many years in what now seems like a very simple era. With no Facebook, Twitter, and very few Smartphones we revelled in the opportunity to get home and log in to the (now extinct) MSN messenger in order to chat with friends. Emoticons were still novel, and an acute representation of the clamour to better express analogue feelings through a digital pipe. So the individual motivation hasn’t changed, but the circumstances certainly have. The School in question has an unprecedented challenge in deciding which channels to boycott, manage, or even endorse in order to make communication between School and Students work. The challenge is no different for Businesses or even individual relationships, where the same message through different channels can have a significantly different impact.

So we face an exciting time, but also one that requires action. Your staff want to communicate, and like a trickle of water through rock, they will find a way. Surely better to show them the way by installing the kind of solution which you think best fits your Business and way of working? Otherwise there is the real danger that everyone will be shouting, and nobody will hear…

What really sank the Titanic?

On the anniversary year of one of the worst civil maritime disasters in our history, this question has undoubtedly been asked afresh by families, engineers, sailors and critical thinkers alike.

Pose this question to a group of your friends or colleagues and a little thinking will betray a plethora of answers tracing up and down the chain of cause and effect. “It was the poor training of crew” those with a people disposition will cry, “It was poor quality Iron rivets” the engineers will theorise. My own answer is that fundamentally it was the bulkheads of the ship which allowed its demise.

There is a churning sea of problems and potential pitfalls in our endearingly chaotic world. We ultimately navigate it to the best of our seaworthiness and in fact the very fact that it isn’t plain sailing is the reason why we can enjoy challenges and the success which triumph will bring, either in our personal or business lives. The reason that I settle upon the 16 supposedly watertight bulkheads of the Ocean class liner being responsible for the sinking and loss of life is that the ship was always going to be exposed to many dangers in such a voyage. Even the consideration of the need for life jackets, lifeboats, bulkheads and sealed doors betrays the acknowledgement that something can always go wrong.

I argue that it was not something as striking as an iceberg, or as immediate as negligence of the crew, but the failure of the main thing which would have mitigated the damage that was responsible (whether or not that damage was avoidable). We all have to sail into choppy seas, and I believe the best preparation is to build your business with bulkheads from day one.

So what does this mean in real terms? Well the theoretical concept of dividing a ship to protect the whole from localised incidents, is what I am eluding to. By taking the time, effort and consideration to create watertight cells within your business you are building a ship which is prepared for peril, but not prone to disaster. An example of this is to set systems which are the lifeblood of your business beyond reproach. Email for instance is now the lifeblood of both internal and external communication for a vast proportion of UK businesses. Historically it might have been perceivable that a small amount of email downtime would be shrugged off by the momentum of the rest of your Titanic, but more recently, downtime of anything which is so fundamental for all aspects of your business is unlikely to stop flooding your ship once it starts.

Another example is training of your staff. Morale is of course critical in keeping your business on message and on track for your objectives whatever they may be. So when one unhappy member of staff leaves, or worse sticks around and sows seeds of discontent, you don’t want a seeping spread of their mentality into otherwise sound neighbouring components. So we forge a strong company ethos, and engage all the staff within it. This is exactly what I mean when I say that an “unsinkable” business will be compartmentalised, with each being considered a strong and structurally sound unit in its own right.

Taking this approach from day one is the way to feel a sturdy ship beneath your feet. You will have the confidence that the choices made and the materials forged have been used in a way that does not leave you exposed to one section flooding the rest. There will always be icebergs, and there will always be incidents, but with your bulkheads set firm then you should stay afloat. What really sank the Titanic?

Great Business Ideas are like great jokes

Most people who are interested in Business will have started to tune in to what they think makes a great Business idea. There is of course no right or wrong answer, which is why the process can be such an exciting one. There are positioning strategies, competitive strategies, and Business plan approaches galore for those who like reading. Personally I am developing an increasingly severe allergy to reading Textbooks so have to come up with my own theories.

One such theory has been formulated after a few years of kicking Business ideas around and seeing countless others demonstrate what works and does not. It can be said that in many ways a good Business idea is similar to a well considered, and well delivered, comedy styling.

You might have heard of an Elevator pitch. An American concept (but valid all the same) focussed on the idea that whatever your idea is and wherever you find yourself, you should be able to explain it well in 60 seconds. In that short time you should outline: what problem you are solving (if there’s no problem why are you doing it?), how you intend to solve it, and why you (of all people) are going to succeed doing it. Done right one of these little pitches could land you a lucrative second meeting, or inspire a Venture Capitalist on the spot. A successful pitch that works in only a minute is indicative of a much broader appeal to your idea, and evidence that it is founded on something solid which compels the listener.

Compare this with the theory of a joke or wisecrack. There is no Holy Grail of humour, but however our brain is wired up we usually chuckle because we have been taken on a journey, however short it may be. First there is the opener. Often implied by the comics accent, appearance, body language and chosen venue before they even speak their first line which will set the scene or lay out a ‘straw man’ for them to tear down later. Once the folly (or problem) has been laid bare, it’s time to cut it down to size and demonstrate your comedic insight with an observation or assertion. Then round off with a closer which may add another twist to the tale or simply further the initial assertion. Either way the well-practised comic has delivered their tale over the short space of a few minutes and brought the audience into a new way of thinking which has made them laugh. If they really hit the mark then that joke will even be repeated by those who heard it.

So your objective when pitching a great Business to a new listener is much the same. Lay out your stall, apply your kicker, add a twist and convince them you are worth listening to again. On the other hand a poor pitch or a joke that falls resoundingly flat first time is unlikely to land you a captive audience with the same participants in future. Those who practise and hone skills of persuasion and explanation are not immune to delivering a duff pitch or idea but they are far more likely to “get it right on the night” when the big opportunity comes around. Don’t be afraid to get out and practise, there is a reason why even great comics have warm up gigs which are free before they hit the big venues.

Customers slipping through your fingers?

The Agency I work for recently presented at a conference of customer care representatives called the ICCA. Our MD Matt Hardy presented on the hot topic of Social Media and Customer service (his slides are available here)

Ultimately conferences like this and the additional time and consideration that savvy professionals are devoting to customer service stem from a step change in the market. Customer expectations are shifting and Individual customers of all spending brackets are expecting to be able to interface with companies they deal with in new ways.

Whilst consumers have always had the potential to influence their own social groups based on positive or negative experiences, things have changed. Only recently has the average consumer been able to climb on their social soapbox and command some real respect from brands with their ability to become a promoter or a detractor for online brand identities big and small.

With the potential for a single irate customer to instantly update hundreds of twitter followers and an average of 130 Facebook friends in fit of rage (or adoration), big brands need to monitor the social arenas carefully. Unlike other engagement provisions like phone lines or opening times, abstaining or pulling down the shutters when you have had your fill of customers wont go down well. 71% of Twitter complaints are ignored and only around 5% of Facebook wall posts to companies are answered which only exacerbates the problem. Rather than waiting on hold or coming back tomorrow, a motivated customer can now say what they want, when they want, and now people outside of their immediate social circle actually hear it.

But hearing it is just the start. Customers have long memories regarding their relationship with a brand. How many times have you stumbled upon a friend or colleagues burning animosity towards a brand due to an event which, when emotionally detached, may seem a little trivial on reflection? The truth is that much like any relationship we don't like to get burned twice. A single unfortunate experience can leave a lasting sour taste, and with an increasingly discerning customer base who are watching the pennies there is really only one way to recover from a royal cock up; ground work with your customer.

I believe the way to achieve truly impressive customer service standards is to deliver a granular and consistently positive experience for the customer. There really is no alternative to providing timely and helpful  'micro-experiences'. When they fire out a tweet (good or bad), a validation from a brand-backed account will catch that broadcast and allow you to own it. Making a mends or thanking the individual is up to you, but the key is consistency and making that first contact.

In our personal lives rarely do we begin to trust someone based on a single dramatic event outlining some kind of ethereal greatness. Likewise we don't often completely write someone off in the face of a single unfortunate action of theirs. I believe the shift of brands into social spaces like Facebook, Twitter, and now Google+ highlights a move towards a more natural way of customers interacting with them. The two-way communication which can now easily be sparked up may seem time consuming for the brand, but may prove more cost-efficient and valuable in the long run. Having recently had a conversation with @RoyalMail after a throwaway irate tweet, I now feel closer to the organisation and ended up praising them to all and internet sundry.

Customer service should be granular, little and often, and using the right kind of social media engagement is a great way to do it.

Learning to Earn?

University fees, Unemployment, or Government deficit. There is a weary air of concern surrounding money in the UK right now. At an organisational level solvency is key, but likewise it seems the individual concern is how to earn more cash. In times of strife and uncertainty it is human nature to adopt a degree of self preservation and introverted stacking of financial sandbags around your little corner of the world.

Ask most people about their financial clout and the answer (if you get one) will invariably involve a quantification of what they "earn". Of course we all know what this means and how it might translate into lifestyle and behaviours. But with the word comes an erroneous, and I would argue, dangerous idea. As inflation soars to a three year high of 5.2% we are beginning to see the value of our pay-packet eroded at an alarming rate. We go to work, we face down recession, and we think we are "earning" a living.

Now by no means am I seeking to undermine the mentality that we (and Europe) should work our way out of recession back into less fraught financial times. What I am considering is whether we are kidding ourselves by suggesting that we are really "earning" in a climate such as this. With money losing value faster than you can hand it to a shop assistant, we are moving towards a model where value is simply being transferred 1 for 1 rather than being generated with every transaction.

In happier times when salaries are rising and the National GDP is healthy, we can all draw close to the comfort blanket of successful Capitalism as the total wealth of the nation increases along with our personal fortunes. What is most sobering about our current (albeit temporary) position is the fact that we really do need to fight for every pound.

I enjoyed myself at Dartmouth Food Festival this weekend. A brilliantly run and attended event with real quality producers on show. It did however occur to me in-between stuffing my face with pies and pasties, that every sale ringing up around me was a baby step into the gale force problem of the credit crunch hangover and its runaway inflation. Right now we aren't so much earning money, as wrestling it from the next man's wallet.

Of course the basic trade model that we have does not fundamentally change when we are in tough times, but recently the domino effect of shaky investor confidence and rising cost of living does put us in a situation which does not lay well with a reliance on Capitalism and its perpetual model of growth.

So what I am really saying is that at least in the short term we should reign in our expectation of being able to "earn" to our hearts content and fill our own wallets. Instead perhaps we should hone our sales patter and focus on providing better value to our customers. That way we might have a little more respect for the man handing over his hard earned cash, and realise that we really are all in this together.

Working harder, working longer?

So an unprecedented financial challenge has descended on global markets. A hugely complex problem with a range of causes, and a maelstrom of impacts. The best banking minds in the world were either unwilling or unable to prevent the credit crunch and subsequent fallout, and have so far been unable to abate its raging consequences. Sentiment seems to have gone from vaguely apathetic in 2007, shifting to inescapably concerned some time around 2009, to somewhat helpless for some now that 2011 has rolled around and a pre-recession daily routine is a distant memory.

With such a complex conundrum and many years to face up to the situation, you might think that we would have  brought our full arsenal of possible solutions into play against the Global Financial crisis. Well it certainly seems like many politicians and economists are at the end of their rope (if not already swinging from it). There have been bailout packages and capital injections staged at multiple points over the last 5 years, with the generous benefactors secretly hoping it will be the last time they put their hand in their pockets as their smiles wear thin.

Either way the problem has not been solved. Investments are still shaky, several banks are struggling to make the figures add up (with more than a degree of irony) and their credit ratings are still being downgraded, property prices look to be uncertain with a trend of around 15% drop in the last year. So what are we doing?

Seemingly the only panacea which is still being offered is work. Whether it be hourly, salaried or freelance, the advice seems to be to just get on with it. 'We had some good times where people worked hard, and now we are experiencing some bad times, so we should just work harder?' Not a bad idea in theory (although a little Dickensian). But have we really adopted this mantra in practise whilst manning the pumps of a sinking economy?

My suggestion would be, not necessarily. Where some companies cut holiday, freeze salaries, and reduce benefits without lowering the working expectation there will of course be cost savings. With staff simultaneously working harder the benefit should be twofold with the net gain for the company and the Economy, being nicely in the black. But I am not sure that the message always gets through that to really succeed in financial recovery, we need to work smarter, as well as harder.

I read an interesting post from Robert Llewellyn (of authoring and Red-Dwarf based fame) regarding the notion of perpetual, plodding growth ultimately being nonsense. I would be inclined to agree with him that the faster we work, the faster we plough towards the exhaustion of the Earth's resources.

However in all honestly I am worried about a far more pressing exhaustion in the working populace. Are we working ourselves to death by taking on a mantle of staggering debt armed with nothing but a steely yet unspecific resolve to "work more". After all, increasing the pension age isn't much good if your workforce snuffs it at 55...

Not just a Third World Problem

Not long ago prospects for graduates and school leavers were said to be at an all time low. In recent years there has been talk of 70 graduates for every available position, or record numbers of unemployed apparently milling the streets staring at the heavens and waiting for jobs to fall. In some camps there seems to be a general attitude of closing ranks and clinging to employment, with those looking for work being left out in the cold.

I attended a family wedding this weekend and was asked by a plethora of relatives whether I had yet secured a job after graduating. Even in the way they phrased the question there was a tone of premature empathy, not dissimilar to the way in which people talk about the death of a pet or some spilled milk. Luckily enough I do currently have a job so was able to return the volley with a description of my seemingly miraculous employment.

I am being a little facetious perhaps given the involvement of family, but what concerns me is the bizarre phenomenon of employment prospects becoming overly pressurised and ultimately paralysed by a perceived scarcity of jobs and the threatening axe of redundancy. Of course times are indeed hard, but shoots of recovery are beginning to show. I feel that its time for employers and employees alike to take a step change to speed the process along.

One great way to oil the wheels of the employment market is to take on interns. Historically Apprenticeships have been a great way to inject young talent and enthusiasm into a trade, and I recently met Glenn Crocker from The National Apprenticeships Service who is doing a sterling job of uniting young people with practical jobs in industry. Internships are a great equal in office based or service industries and I firmly believe its time for more to be made available.

6 months or even 6 weeks of intern work for a candidate provides a two-fold benefit. Provided the employer and intern have selected wisely then they will enjoy a mutually informative process which should yield great value for money for the company and solid experience for the individual.

Admittedly it wont always work out, and there is an overhead for an organisation of any size to take on someone even in an unpaid position. The cost of induction and training needs to be considered and offset against the value the intern can realistically provide. But the majority of Internships I have seen, blossom into full time employment because of the increasingly positive working relationship that occurs when you unite enthusiastic young people with an open minded organisation. Take the employment figures from The University of Surrey for instance. On average 97%+ of graduates are working within 6 months putting them top of UK employability. This is no coincidence, the main contributing factor being the prevalent year in industry intern scheme which plants the seeds for just such blossoming employment prospects.

What I am not in favour of however, is the trend in unpaid Internships. Companies of all sizes are watching their belts, even making use of a few new notches, but this is not an excuse to bludgeon the next generation with oppresive and unfair working conditions. We come back to my original mention of a 'closing ranks' mentality. Increasingly I hear about organisations who sustain unpaid positions telling their interns that the pot is empty, yet cranking up sales incentives and payouts for other staff, or plunging capital into ambitious expansion plans. Some would make parallels between taxpayers and UK bankers at this point, but this does not do the problem justice. A fair days work for a fair days pay. It's not just a third world problem.

The Chewbacca E-mail Defence

After four years of University and working in Industry I have come to notice a strange phenomenon which seems to afflict everyone from the lowest administrator to the highest director with equal virility. All of us have experienced the moment where all eyes turn in your direction on the revelation that an expectation has not been achieved or a target has been missed. Whether its coursework past its deadline, or a long overdue action point from a rather tedious meeting there is a stock standard defence which seems the commercial embodiment of the 'Get out of jail free card'.

"I sent you an email". A few small words so innocently placed, but covers all manner of sins. I don't really understand how it is that a Director on the Warpath or a Lecturer hell-bent on docking marks can be so easily subdued by the timely delivery of the phrase. Whether the purveyor of the excuse is telling the truth or not it I have seen devastating delivery causing instant disarray in those who are turning critical eyes.

On more than one occasion I have seen students excused timely coursework submission due to perceived uncertainty surrounding the delivery of electronic mail. I have even used the excuse myself to cover tardiness when contacting clients at work, professing that "my email didn't send the first time". And of course who could forget the classic Sales Rep tactic of insisting that they speak to the intended recipient in person, just to check if they got that email containing "A really interesting offer".

In an age where E-mail is ubiquitous and largely seen as superior to paper mail, are we really that uncertain as to the quality of the delivery mechanism? Surely if there was genuinely this much doubt as to whether Business-critical documents will arrive when we click 'Send' then we would save some of our raging contempt for Royal Mail, and vent it at E-mail providers instead.

Perhaps it is the lack of per-send cost associated with most E-mail services which lowers our expectations, or perhaps we enjoy the dance of uncertainty surrounding our merry distribution of scores of emails every day. Of course who would forgo the amusing back and forth whilst trying to dictate an E-mail address over the telephone prompting 4 failed emails and one Nigerian scam respondent before finally getting the message through.

Either way it makes me wonder how long before we start to demand more from our best electronic friend. With so much of Business and Personal life depending on timely and safe delivery of Electronic Mail, I think it might be time to iron out the kinks and fire some of these incompetent digital postmen.

There are even some hailing alternatives to E-mail altogether. Could RSS really be a replacement?

PS for those of you pondering the relation to Chewbacca, see this video for a likeness to many a meeting where the E-Mail diversion defence has been employed...

The Great British Discount Challenge

As we are regularly told, times are hard. With negligible recent GDP growth and increasing threat of unemployment, the sound of belt-tightening is a common one in households across the nation.

In conventional thinking one solution to limitations in domestic cash flow is to earn more. You could sign up for more hours or start a small home business to supplement your income and oil the wheels of your household spending. Alternatively you could opt to forgo luxuries and keep your income the same, leaving a little more in the pot for the essentials.

I propose to you a third option. Recently a number of my yearly renewals have come up on Insurance, breakdown cover, mobile contracts etc. With this combined overhead looming I set myself a challenge, to screw down every supplier and see how much I could save. I have written before about gestures of placation from UK companies in order to keep us customers sweet, and it seems that you just need to know the right buttons to push. Thus far I have saved/reclaimed £650 from 3 phone calls. By no means am I claiming to have a Derren Brown-like talent for suggestion, but spending less is easier than you might think.

An example. Recent call on RAC breakdown cover for 2 drivers:

Me: "The account holder has been a member since 1981, £135 seems too much"

RAC: "Let me see what I can do"

(prepare myself for a 'computer says no moment')

RAC: "How about £70 for the same package"

Me: ".....that will be fine"

It seems retailers and service providers have a 'break glass in case of difficult customer' option, which is to slash their profit margins to close the deal. Mobile phone contracts are the prime example of this behaviour, next time you come up for renewal, look that loosely-suited shop attendant in the eye and ask him to halve the line rental and give you double the cash reward up front. My bet is the result will be at least one or the other.

It is simply about asking more. The Pareto Principle has been used to suggest that 80% of a companies revenues come from 20% of their customers. This is what organisations bank on, cash cow customers who happily accept the first price. 

So why don't you try and join me in the challenge next time your renewals come up. And yes, I will graciously accept a cheque for 5% of everything you save. 

A Right Royal Moneyspinner

Forums of the world are buzzing with talk of the Royal Wedding. The event has gone live to almost every country in the World (except Belarus apparently..) and the extensive coverage has been worthy of such a significant event. The now married couple are beaming radiantly, as are the families on both sides of the matrimony. Seemingly a great ceremonial event.

But the real wins from the Wedding come in the form of showcasing British Business and efficiency. It has been a shining example of what we can achieve as a Nation and as Boris Johnson explained during a BBC interview on the day, the Wedding will be a good test of the UK in terms of infrastructure and capability in advance of our Olympic challenge next year. All in all I think we have demonstrated that the nation is a force to be reckoned with.

On a different note and as many of the commentators have eluded, it has been a great day for British Fashion after the revelation of Manchester born Sarah Burton as the designer of Catherine's dress. This combined with the veritable catwalk of other outfits modelled by various dignitaries has provided an unparalleled opportunity to broadcast our clothing lines and world-class designers.

Likewise the market for Kate and Will memorabilia has been booming since its release in January of this year. Everything from chocolate coffee dusters in the face of the couple, to "knit your own wedding" kits have been flying off the shelves. A great revenue stream for the retailers and eventually many of the items will become collectables worth inordinate amounts to Royal collectors, so everyone is a winner! (Particularly purchasers of 'Crown Jewels: Condoms of Distinction')

London's pubs, hotels, restaurants and clubs will be clawing in Millions of pounds of revenue over this weekend and the general hubbub across the nation has also encouraged more liberal consumer spending due to the glut of recent Bank Holidays and general holiday feeling.

So all in all a great day where Great Britain has gone some way to affirming its grandiose title. It is not all black on the balance sheet however. Small Business owners have been shuffling uncomfortably at the prospect of staff cobbling together an 11 day holiday with but 3 days leave. There are predictions that loss of earnings could rack into the Billions, and that's not to mention the cost of the wedding alone (£50 Million + according to some estimates)

I have no doubt there is much debate surrounding whether the Wedding was "value for money", these will be framed in the scene of wider questioning of the Royal Family as an institution. Personally however, I think the return on investment for our most recent of Royal Extravagances would be rather admirable.

Learning not to shout

I once had a teacher who made it his mission to never shout (lets call him Mr W). He would stare down situations which would drive lesser Academics to despair with a steely determination not to lose his cool. When his colleagues would have resorted to chastising and blasting students, he managed to achieve the net result of quality teaching delivery without ever threatening his presumably single figure blood pressure readings. It is surprising how regularly I have considered this small stand in the tumultuous seas of adolescent learning in the days since I was taught by this man. I can only assume that there was some inherent resounding logic which has encouraged me to carry his mantra to this day.

It led me to thinking about the amount of noise in our normal operating environments. Industry will tell you that if you aren't shouting louder than your competitors then you are likely to fall into the oblivion of customer indifference. I propose to you an alternative. Perhaps you shouldn't be shouting at all. Perhaps you should instead be choosing a quiet room where you can make your pitch to the customers in a natural, reasonably paced tone of voice which expresses not only your company mission but your natural predisposition for doing Business. Nobody wants to sit in a meeting room with white noise and megaphones in the background, so why do we put up with it in the sales and acquisition process?

There is a great blog (and organisation) which embodies the mantra of shouting smart, not loud. 37Signals (http://37signals.com/) provide a range of web-based collaboration apps for Businesses to handle their operations. Even more practical than this however is their blog, 'Signals versus Noise" http://37signals.com/svn) with excellent day-to-day tips on tackling life's little challenges without ever losing your cool.

Whilst there will always be competition in your chosen sector of Business my message is this. You can easily spend infinite amounts of resource and energy competing in an escalation of One-upmanship with your competitors. However much like a heated legal battle where the only winners are lawyers, you might find that the only people laughing in the aftermath of the battle are Google with their Ad-words and third party marketing organisations with ever inflated budgets.

Instead why not try to take the example of Mr W and keep your voice quieted. If you happen to stroll into a crowded, noisy room, why not step back and review. Would you be better off changing your spots and entering another room where the background noise is a little less debilitating.

If only it were so easy I hear you cry! Well I appreciate that every Business would probably love to find a quiet room full of receptive punters, however just acknowledging that they exist is the first step towards capitalising on a less frantic revenue stream. A slightly unfortunate illustration is Jamie Oliver's most recent Social Experiment with school drop outs being educated by national experts in various disciplines (http://www.jamieoliver.com/news/jamie-sends-last-chance-teens-to-his-dre). A great idea you might think, unfortunately however the majority of episodes to date have essentially seen an intellectual heavyweight being battered into submission by mobile ringtones and playground banter. The two parties are no longer communicating, they are simply shouting past each other, with the net effect being a train wreck of frustration and wasted energy.

So what can be done to avoid a similar situation in your Business? Well my argument would be that taking a moment to re-open your ears and acknowledge the cacophony of noise around you is the first step towards finding a lucrative Business niche where you no longer fight competitors, you instead pass right through them only to find their vocal protests fading into a distant hum.

The Hourglass of Networking: is your time running out?

The time is coming for another round of Graduates to get out into the market and find themselves a job. There is a lot of talk about the "Worst Graduate Employment figures in decades" (http://tinyurl.com/2fqfhz8). Now this may be true on paper but personally I think there is a mechanism which anyone who is willing can use in order to circumvent the increasingly difficult process of finding employment.

It all comes down to Networking. You dont have to look very far to find several forests worth of networking books which will all claim to give you the power to Network your way towards success (http://tinyurl.com/46x2u46). The topic is rarely even mentioned in the majority of Academic of Vocational courses during a Young persons education, yet it might actually be one of the most important skills you ever learn. Those who are proficient at the skill of social interactions in a Business context leave swathes of grandeur and vocal supporters behind them. Richard Branson is a great example. His "laser-focus eye contact" and unflappable conversation style is said to make him an extremely compelling speaker both on and off the podium (http://www.warrencass.com/what-richard-branson-can-teach-us-about-networking-by-ivan-misner/). Those who are poor at communicating in a Business function are either actively avoided, or if they are lucky, are simply allowed to fade into obscurity to work on their little chunk of the world without incident or growth. The truth of it is that no matter how good you are at Business or how much potential you are internalising, you need to be able to network for it to ever be realised.

Simply ask yourself this: what is the lasting impression you give when meeting someone for the first time in a Business Context? Human nature is to broadly categorise those who you can remember into positive and negative experiences either side of a margin of indifference. Now project this into your day to day experience. If you head to a Graduate Recruitment fair or trade show and meet 15 people who you have sustained conversations with, how many of them will remember you fondly or with interest out of the hundreds of others they have exchanged handshakes with that day?

Well I wont be writing any premium priced 'Black magic' motivational books on the subject any time soon, but I would say this, don't overlook the value of good old fashioned conversation. I see employment fairs and trade expos as blank canvas opportunities. Everyone at those events is looking to build bridges otherwise they would have stayed at home. Head out, head up, and just talk to people who look interesting, for as long as seems natural. In my experience this kind of initiation often leads to a wealth of opportunities which would otherwise seem impossible.

So how to make sense of your ever-increasing bank of contacts once you crack the networking paradigm? Well in my experience expansion of your Business network goes in repeating cycles, each one shaped like an hourglass. You start broad by approaching as many people as you can whilst your direction is fairly fluid. During developed conversations you hone in on a point of interest with a few key people and topics. You reach a point of epiphany at the neck of the hourglass where one or two valued contacts will provide key guidance or experience which will define you in some way. It is then time to use your new-found experience to throw yourself back into the mix and begin once again widening your network to discover new fields as you reach the top of the hourglass.

You might be surprised how many companies are still hiring, but if you don't ask you will never know.

Are you a giver or a taker?

The internet is a wonderful thing, and it feels like we are presently realising a renaissance in the beauty of sharing information with each other, free of borders and restrictions (unless you live in China apparently http://tinyurl.com/67crvtk). There is a stupefying amount of content available to even the most pedestrian of internet surfers and with the ever increasing intelligence of search mechanisms it has never been easier to find what you need quickly and cheaply. Google are of course attempting to lead the way with their relentless aggregation of data and one-upmanship development strategies. The most recent addition to their portfolio being 'Google Recipies' (http://tinyurl.com/4zjbvsl) which intelligently scours the web to provide you with a novel idea for your next meal.


But where does all this content come from, and how is it possible that it is mostly free to the end user? Well the obvious answer is commercial gain from different sources. More often than not content is cunningly interleaved with a revenue stream, be it advertising or retail affiliation. It is just possible however that the Internet is driven by an even more prevalent human trait than a love of wealth. Many ordinary members of society lead a Clark-Kent like existence between their daily persona and their on-line presence. A prime example is Mr Robert Scoble, an ex-Microsoft Employee who now commands impressive power in the Global blogging scene (http://scobleizer.com/). Now I wouldn't seek to speculate on Mr Scoble's off-line existence, but something tells me it might be more of the Dungeons and Dragons variety rather than the Global trendsetter which he can quite rightly claim to be when at the helm of his blog. What drives many such people is an age-old desire to commit thoughts to (digital) paper and very often the "Contributors" of the web do so for the good of the Internet Public.


So we live in an age where information is largely free if you know where to look. But it all has a rather "Church fete" feeling about it don't you think? All to often the brow-beaten moderators of technical forums are used and abused by the great unwashed and left hanging once they have fulfilled their usefulness (https://blogs.secondlife.com/message/135499). The blogger's of this world rarely make much cash from their exploits but still devote a good deal of time to trying to write in a compelling manner when they are unlikely to ever meet most of their audiences. Now of course most of these pursuits are optional, but human goodwill is never limitless. How long will the rich mine of solutions, guides, forums, recipes, maps, and even Medical advice survive before it is plundered by the ever growing internet population? (myself being one of the worst culprits)


Well odds on we have got a while before an apocalyptic ceasing of all content creation, and it might never happen. But it does raise the question, what do you bring to the Internet Party? Are you a grinning free-loader who fills their pockets on the way out, or a diligent guest who brings all your own food, a bottle of Vintage Champagne and helps to clean up when everyone has gone home?


Image Credit: xkcd

The University of Life (you didn't get in)

Many of us spend years of our short lives sat at a desk dutifully listening to a speaker telling us all the things we are supposed to know. It is all to easy to reach the ripe old age of 21 without ever having considered that Education might not be the answer. I am currently in my fourth year of  University Course and I lose count for how many years I have been in the Academic wash. Frankly I am still undecided.


A recent Russel Group directive (http://tinyurl.com/6cy9g5n) got me thinking. Students already struggle to choose their A-levels and a career route through what is an increasingly unforgiving job market. Why are we upping the stakes of what is already a confusing and perceivably rigged game of employment roulette? By saying to young people that they must put themselves through the mill of traditional disciplines at A-level and University we seem to think we are grooming a generation of scholars, but my suspicion is that we might simply be preparing a very expensive fleet of librarians and Professors. After all, research becomes more than a little "Academic" if no one ever leaves University to put it into practise.


Now I do appreciate the value of training your mind to perform mental arithmetic, or look critically at the world around us, however I have concerns about how certain key skills are compartmentalised in Modern Education and some Graduate training schemes. Is it really sensible to partition basics such as IT, Accounting or even Citizenship into neat little packages that are to be squirrelled away onto a CV somewhere? It seems to me that there is a disconnect between the relentless hounding of Academic Certification, and real world personable skills which make people function well within a job or society as a whole. Is it really right or appropriate in an age of equal opportunities that people will often be relegated to a pay-grade for their entire life according to the degree they chose? (http://www.walletpop.co.uk/2010/05/18/the-best-and-worst-paying-university-degrees/)


Why is it that certification is needed as a passport to perform even the most basic of tasks. From food safety to Masters degrees in Corporate Sustainability, the sound of rubber stamping is frankly deafening. Ask many people in Business who they will go to when they actually need something doing and I would place a small wager that it is unlikely to be the person "most qualified". Far more likely to be the the practical person that has a red tape allergy and likes to get things done.


So do we really need teachers, lecturers and qualifications for the world to keep turning? Well the answer is of course we all benefit from our individual interactions with these people. What is alarming is that 'real world experience' is increasingly becoming the antidote to Academic learning. Many trade apprentices work their way into a tidy salary whilst their University going colleagues are left languishing with debt and sometimes bleak prospects. A prime example of what can be achieved from practical application and a resistance of prolonged Acedemia is WH Smith Prodigy Richard Handover who worked his way from Paperboy to CEO (http://tinyurl.com/4q2h5kq).


My advice is this. If you are a young person embarking on the thorny trek through Academic life then follow your instincts on what you are good at what you enjoy, you DO know best.


My plea to employers and the Academic industry is to recognise the gulf between preaching and practise, hopefully before the new fees structure starts to look like a bit of a rip off...

The oily hands around the neck of progress

The strap-line of the day is "Economic Recovery". Be it stimulus packages or streamlining there would appear to be a singular nag uniting contemporary news stories. We are coaxed into recalling the blitz spirit and 'knuckling down' for the good of our nations economy.


Those in work are encouraged to spurr on British business, those at University are schooled to drive forward the next age of innovation, and everyone pays in the form of increased VAT and inflation. All this in the name of climbing from the trough of recession. Thankfully most of our stif-upper lipped population are on board. Dutifully beavering away to put a few more cherries in the GDP pie. But I am afraid to say that we are being let down, badly.


Not necessarily by the financial policy of the new Coalition, not even by the bankers who have been so villainized in the last few months. The shoots of recovery and the gardeners who tend them are being crippled by a frosty and frankly embarrassing UK transport network. How can people be expected to pour themselves into their employment or starting new ventures when they have to sit in 2 hours of traffic jams every day? How can anyone be expected to be optimistic about travelling the country to meet new business prospects when it costs a small fortune for the pleasure of a smelly seat on a smellier train with only space age sliding toilets to brighten the journey?


The folly of it all struck me today whilst walking 300 metres through a bustling research park after being unceremoniously ejected uncomfortably far from my destination. I turned back to see the bus parked in a line of traffic as far as the eye can see, single drivers in every car and even fewer occupants on the bus. 


Freedom of activity is the lifeblood of business. By strangling our ability the travel the Government and travel operators of this nation run the risk of stagnating what could otherwise be a rather jolly climb back into prosperity. Couple this with a faltering yet ever-stifling green agenda and we have an unfortunate cocktail of travel woe which shows no sign of abating.

Where do you fit in the outsourcing puzzle?

There once was a time where owning your own departments in every available business function was seen as a badge of honour for larger companies. With growth came new departments, and with new departments came biddable staff with skills in a certain field. The ultimate destination being your own tower block with tidy little packages of payroll, advertising, IT services, marketing and even tea ladies.


However in today's business world there is a rumbling tectonic shift. In my last job I was working at the sharp end of outsourcing with a UK IT services company. It opened my eyes to what is an increasing trend towards dissolving small, isolated components of a business which are not the core competency of the organisation and replacing them with a far more manageable alternative.


Now in many ways this makes perfect sense, why bother furnishing an office, recruiting staff, training them, and moulding them into the company "fit", only to find that 2 years down the line they aren't quite what is needed. In this case you will be left with a significant overhead that might not be pulling its weight. You wouldn't dream of trying to build your own mobile network to keep you in the loop, the result would be a horrible mess of cups and strings that would invariably be a waste of time. So this begs the question, why try to build your own IT department or marketing team from scratch?


No doubt the prospect of outsourcing whole business functions to specialist providers will put the wind up some business owners. Of course it can be a double edged sword, the providence of the provider is likely to be key to your success and growth and you have to be ready to put parts of your business in their hands. But on the flip side, that leaves both of your hands free to delve into the core competency of what your business actually does. 


You probably already outsource things like telephone lines, maybe even data backup. What could be next for you and your business? This isnt just a persuit of big business either; BusinessWeek's Mohanbir Sawhney spins the outsourcing trend as an hourglass model with the majority of shift occurring at the top and bottom of the company size range. Some more savvy Entrepreneurs have coined the phrase of "Transformational outsourcing" where the somewhat stigmatised trend of outsourcing functions of Western organisations to India or China can infact be embraced in order to vastly improve efficiency, http://tinyurl.com/2t6qc3 (well worth a read).
I have been following CIO's trends for 2010 and looking back many of their suggestions have rung true (http://tinyurl.com/ycamjqo).


My guess is that within a few years we will see a good deal of consolidation into specialist areas with non-specialist business functions being pushed aside and picked up by someone else who cant get enough of delivering your tea or fixing your IT problems. 


The real question is, will this shift bring a much heralded new age of efficiency, or will it stack a house of cards just waiting for a gentle breeze?

The curse of Technological lobotomy

Every day I get emails telling me about the next amazing feature of X, or new release of Y. I like to dabble in some of the muddier ponds of technology available in this fine age so you could say that I am looking for trouble by continually scouring the internet for the next gadget or software trick to double efficiency. I'm sure many of us can relate to this in some degree, as it would seem that Business and Personal lives are inescapably governed by what technology allows us to do.


My question is, are we really working smarter and faster? Or does every auto-complete or keyboard short cut make us that little bit stupider?


The age-old head slap moment where you forget to attach a file to that all important email. I sat down to compose on my Gmail account yesterday and intended to send an attachment to a colleague. Upon clicking "Send" I was politely informed by Gmail that I "had used the word 'attached' in my email, but I had not attached a file". Now at first I was heartened by this gentle, if slightly condescending remark. Much like the firm reminder from a Primary School teacher that writing primarily in crayon was not going to cut it when I moved on in life. Don't get me wrong, I like this feature, what concerns me is that next time I will kick back and let the computer check for my mistakes. With nothing but a red underline or a last minute warning message screening us from professional embarrassment, how long before we fall foul?


The branding trend of slipping in the term "Smart" could be a bit of a misnomer. 'Smart cars' promise a revolution in city transport and assist those who struggle with space or parking (http://tinyurl.com/63a34b3). 'SMART' interactive whiteboards with interactive touch screens and virtual pens profess to aid presentation skills and bring media together to improve teaching effectiveness (http://tinyurl.com/5sfkxjh). Voice dialling on now ubiquitous 'Smartphones' claim to alleviate the tiresome need for us to use our hands. So the general consensus seems to be that if we bolt on certain technology, then we become smarter in the way we work?


Well my argument would be that we are wandering a fine line. There are 3 camps who I would suggest most people fall into. First your non-adopters and your technophobics. (Laggards, your elderly father who still doesn't trust radio waves let alone iPads). Second you have those who take what they are given and pick up gadgets and efficiency tricks as they become common place and not before (Late majority, your average mobile phone user who dabbles with apps and downloads). Thirdly you have your gadget hunters who go out of their way to find "Smart" ways of getting the job done (Early adopters, like your mate Dave who regularly presents you with something flashy and largely useless, but nevertheless admirable). The more you gravitate towards the third camp, the greater the risk of what I call Technological lobotomy.

Being of the third order camp myself I do hope that I will retain my mental faculties long enough to reach retirement. However I fear there is a good chance me and many others will wind up drooling in a lazy-boy with only a tablet PC and a VR headset for company if we let computers do too many things for us without thinking. A fellow blogger also points out that technology fundamentally allows us to be physically unfit in everyday life which should also be thrown into the mix (http://wooga.drbacchus.com/technology-makes-us-dumber).


If you are concerned about your rapidly declining IQ as you read this, fear not, simply perform this test: When you next write an email, turn off the spellcheck and see if you can still formulate basic words and sentences. If you are horrified by the results then a brief spell of Neo-Luddism might be in order (http://tinyurl.com/ycnj9n9)


**Update 2/1/11: Nukes and babies protected by AI: http://tinyurl.com/5rcs4vt
**Update 5/2/11: Good software = stupid? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11263559

The Social Fretwork (Gets hacked)

"Everybody and their mums" are on Social Network websites these days. They have gone from being a murky hang out for long haired guitar-playing lotharios to an inescapable part of every day life. Used for everything from business networking, to organising parties, to managing your romantic relationships the age of the 'Online Persona' is truly upon us.


A few times now I have been presented with the defence from Social Network addicts that we should all be "Managing our online image" for both social and career success. To take this as anything but a passive activity frightens me a bit with enough things to manage in life but it does seem to be increasingly important to success. It was one evening last week when I was logged into Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace all at the same time that I started to feel like a bit of a digital harlot. However the alternative to crouching in the middle of this sprawling web of status updates and friend lists is fade into obscurity before you begin. I was recently told that a prolific Venture Capatalist "doesn't exist" due to his relative abscence from a quick Google search...


But I have alarming news for us all, the safety blanket of these online forums may be snatched all too soon. The scientific eye has turned to social networks and the suggestion is that they might be "undermining people's social skills and their ability to read body language" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7898510.stm). A worrying thought, couple this with the ever present security risks and investing so heavily in our 'Online Persona' starts to look like a bit of a poison chalice. Even the overlord of the social network revolution is not immune to security breaches, with his own Facebook account being defaced to promote vaguely communist-style funding suggestions (http://tinyurl.com/4svl3px).


By far the most noticeable thing about Social Network use is the bizarre power which it exerts over everyday life. If you have seen 'The Social Network' then you will be familiar with Zuckerberg's aspiration to get people talking and blurring the line between online and real life by using terms like "I'll Facebook you" or "give me a poke". Whilst such comments would have previously raised a few eyebrows, they now flow through conversation as standard. The reality is that things have gone much further.


How many of us compulsively check various social networks as soon as we sit down at a computer? More to the point how many of us use them as a procrastination tool by diving into the inviting torrent of  human babble? The rampage of this kind of social interaction seems to have a shelf life however. Some argue that the reigning champ Facebook has not beaten the now defunct MySpace, but that both have simply had their day (http://tinyurl.com/36xna9c). How long will it be before we see today's "Are you on.....?" turn into tomorrow's "You are still on.....?!.


Personally I think Social Network Harikari will come to them all, so don't forget to back up your photos. (http://tinyurl.com/47mom3u)


**Update 1/2/11: "Nobody is safe" http://www.infoworld.com/d/adventures-in-it/no-ones-facebook-profile-safe-552

Geeks: The Fifth Emergency service

Everybody knows one, if not several. They are the retro gaming shirt-wearing, cable wielding, often ale drinking, Geek. Once shunned by society and left to their own devices in darkened rooms striving to collect every last coin on Sonic or building robot mods for their Gameboys (http://tinyurl.com/69c5pad), they are now growing in stature.


Far from being the outcasts of society the geek label is now a ticket to ride. Businesses across the land are calling out for Geeks to keep their offices running and the emails flowing. They build the gadgets which we use, and the software which runs them. They craft the visual effects in films which we watch, and provide the means for us to zip around the internet poking and twittering away like crazy.


What would the blackberry clutching, Ugg boot wearing class of ladies do if it wasn't for the tireless work of geeks? Many an ice queen has been melted by the heroic rescue of a Geek in shining armour. It always amuses me to watch the interaction between a so called Geek and someone that has realised they are entirely powerless after wading into the technological quagmire of the digital age.


If you drill down into the majority of companies, particularly start ups, I guarantee you wont have to look hard to find a techie whose responsibility and power within the organisation has sky-rocketed in recent times (although if you asked many Geeks they might venture that perhaps salaries haven't quite rocketed to the same degree). In times gone by the question might have been "Should we do it?" or "Can we afford it?", in my experience these questions often fall slightly out of focus when the technical specialist strolls into the room and calmly declares that "There is no way that will work, *insert brief but damning technical reason*"


This strangely gladiatorial signal of approval has given rise to a new seat in the boardroom. Office 'Alpha geeks' (http://tinyurl.com/6gjl6wc) now take their seat at the table and regularly have the last word in meetings. The Geek community has even captured the attention of fashionistas across the world with 'Geek chic' becoming ever more popular (http://tinyurl.com/6h6cuqf) and modal followers donning thick glasses and Mario backpacks with relish. They do say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery...


If you know such a person, might I suggest that you be nice to them. They are the new Knights of the round table, the modern day patron saints, and the gladiatorial heavyweights in a ring full of technology which wants to rough you up. Whether you think these titles deserved or not, just be glad that they are on hand next time your laptop dies (I know I am).


Remember a geek is for life, not just for emergencies.


**Update 26/1/11: Geeks rejoice, one step closer to Star Wars! http://tinyurl.com/4re7pt6

Eating frogs and working smart

I am currently embroiled in the University-wide joy that is the exam period. The library is full and the campus is occupied mostly by people who look like they've had a few too many coffees and not enough sleep. Stand still for more than 30 seconds and you will invariably here the low drone of nervous candidates discussing their various exam hurdles and how best to tackle them without coming a cropper.


Personally I think it is all a bit silly, and I have a question for all those currently tearing their hair out. How much time do you spend working and how much time do you spend stressing? All too often people seem to think that hunching behind a mound of paper and hastily assembled text books will allow them to magically absorb a wealth of required information. Lever arch folders become shields and post it note deployment becomes a strategic art form.


What should we really be doing? Well my argument comes back the old adage of "Working smart, not hard". Ever had someone in your class or office who manages to turn up with minutes to spare before a deadline or meeting and pull together what you consider to be a "fluke" in the form of a brilliant performance. If you look a little closer, chances are it was no fluke, they simply work on a plane of efficiency most of us don't even know exists.


Today's alchemy is turning time into gold. It is sitting down and bashing out a piece of coursework after just the right amount of further reading. It is pulling together a powerpoint a few hours before the meeting which looks polished but is still fresh in your mind. And to all those who are currently revising, I say that efficiency is starting your revision early, and stopping not when you get bored, but when you feel full. Not to be confused with a food coma from late night pizza binging in University Libraries during the wee hours, I am referring to that feeling where you stop learning new information and start clinging to books like a life-ring.


From my experience in business the old 80-20 rule is king. If you are a half decent worker then you will get most of the way there in your initial foray into a task. Time spent after this tipping point (which in truth I think most people could identify if they stopped to think) is often wasted and it provides sod all in the way of added value. Without doubt one of the best things you can do is learn to "Eat your frog" as Brian Tracy suggests: (http://tinyurl.com/6fbcqmk) 


I appreciate of course that there are an intangible amount of approaches when it comes to working efficiency, but why not do yourself a favour and take 10 minutes out of your revision to read this, your new bible: (http://www.wikihow.com/Work-Smart,-Not-Hard)