Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Will I stay or will I go? What if you are Scottish, in Scotland? What a dilemma! How would you vote? The No campaigners haven’t come across well, with their threatening and patronising points. And the Yes campaigners haven’t offered any concrete alternatives to the money, pensions, NHS and defence issues. But what little I know of the Scots, they have always wanted their own identity. We, the English just don’t get that, we don’t care so why should anyone else? We know we are a melting pot of raiders that didn’t go home. So where does that need for national identity end? Aren’t there a huge differences between the Highlanders and Lowlanders; Catholics and Protestants; Islanders or Mainlanders?

What else do I know about my Northern cousins? They tend to be thoughtful, reflective and compassionate. Probably more so than us Southerners would admit to anyway. But mainly, they are not stupid. Why bang on about them not knowing what is going to happen to them, as if they can’t possibly know? One of the traits that make us Islanders better at invention is our in-built belief that a problem can be solved, it’s only a question of thinking it through from different angles and the answer will come. And it usually does in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish minds more than any other peoples on this planet.

Well imagine the Yes voters winning. Will the UK say they can’t use the pound? I don’t think so. Not until a debt repayment deal has been agreed.  Will the UK lend them money to get through this interim period? There will be Banks lining up to lend money at better rates than 0.5%. Will the EU welcome them straight in? It is possible Spain would block them as they don’t want to set a president with separatists getting special treatment by jumping the queue to get in. They don’t have to join the EU anyway, Norway isn’t doing to badly on their own.

And then there is Wales. I will move to Pembrokeshire and start an English freedom campaign to get Pembrokeshire annexed back to England, if those total tossers in the Senedd (Welsh version of Senate) get anymore powers to mess up. We now have the worst NHS in the UK and our education levels have gone from top equal with Northern Island to rock bottom (level with Clacton-on-Sea!). OK I did make that last bit up. No offence Clacton, you may well be better than those interviewed hoping to vote UKIP, last month.

As you can see, I have enjoyed venting my spleen, but once the adrenalin has stopped coursing through my Rioja hardened veins I really do believe we are better together.  Teams are always better than individuals at solving problems, there are enough of those on our near horizon. Good luck and may your God go with you.

Good Day, Sunshine!

Good day, sunshine...what a great song, positive and happy and yet there is a little melancholy lurking about. My little world is a happy world; I have just reduced my working hours to 4 days a week and tomorrow promises to be sunny. This is good, as I plan to chase a small white ball aimlessly around a few (18) well kept meadows.

But, I feel like I am left with my 3^rd form chums to play marbles in the corner of the playground while the thugs in the 6^th Form are squaring up for a fight. This fight has been brewing for a month or so, but the biggest lump is reluctant to start it. He needs to clear the air, as the other thugs have been stealing sweats from the juniors.

How have we got to this? Surely it is a lack of clear leadership from the outset? We should have blasted Assad off the map last year, then the extremists would not have got the upper hand with the opposition to Assad. Now we will have to fight Isis for years to come. Obama could have turned around to all his Arab friends and told them to get involved or lose his protection. As to Putin, ask the Ukraine if they want to join NATO and the EU. If they say yes, then tell the Ukraine to hold a referendum across the whole of the Ukraine for a majority mandate. If the vote comes back in favour then NATO will have to accept, and then the Mad House Elf will either have to start a nuclear war or withdraw. Simples.

I am not finished yet. We in the UK, and I, are just as guilty as the rest, of opposing any more conferral with those spendthrift twats in Brussels and Strasbourg . But now we need to think again. Shouldn’t we have a combined force with our old “friends” with their genetic ability to march in time and drive Panzers? Those Ruskies won’t like it up ‘em. Don’t think the good people of Ohio will be in a hurry to join in any land fight in Europe until it’s nearly over. Now is the time to join forces, when we have a common enemy, we do have two fronts opening up...has this happened before?

Who will be our Churchill? Can’t imagine earnest Ed rallying the troops, shiny Dave has lost his credibility, nauseating Nick won’t come up to muster...but hey, who is this coming over the horizon with a big adam’s apple and smile like a crocodile...its Nige! Help!!!  Please come back, Boris!

Gliding at 63!

I have got to 63 and discovered a new sport, Gliding! Sally and I were treated to an evening of gliding, as a present for our Ruby Wedding Anniversary (40 years!) from a dear friend. We each had a turn, sitting in the front with an in structure strapped in behind. He had control while we went through a steep take off. The glider was pulled down a long field by a powered winch at a rate of 0 to 60 in 4 seconds! It was similar to being a passenger in a Ferrari being driven flat out. The G force was exhilarating. The hook drops off at 900 feet and we are free, faint sound of wind rushing passed (it wasn’t me) gliding over the Usk Valley. After no more than a minute the instructor hands over control to you. To accelerate, push the lever between your legs (steady) about 4 inches and the nose dips. The speed indicator moves up from 45 knots to 50 knots immediately. To come back up, do the reverse. To turn, lean the lever to bank in the direction you wish to turn, it’s that simple. It was brilliant, better than sailing or sculling, we were both hooked!

It really is never too late to learn new tricks. But there are no tricks to successful selling, it’s quite the opposite. I am often told that the worst thing a salesman can do is to pester the customer. It is a fine line to tread, as you do not want to appear uninterested but neither do you want to appear desperate either. Even after 45 years of selling I still get nervous about the outcome of a quote, and then really chuffed when I get the order, it is such a personal feeling, like a faithful dog relishing a pat on the head.  What does that say about me Mr Freud? I need to be loved...regularly....

More embarrassing revelations will be revealed next week. 

Phew

Phew, what a test match! Cookie scores some runs and the team are inspired, leadership and team work.  It really does work.

Did you see the programme on Watch HD, last night, called Million Dollar Intern? I recommend you try to catch it or certainly try to watch next week’s version. It has been running since the 10th of July but I only came across it last night and I am really fired up!

In a nut shell, this old duffer and feisty wife run a double business: downstairs is an old book shop and upstairs is classical tea room in a rich Midlands town centre. The old duffer is depressed and has lost his drive, convinced the business is going to hit the buffers soon, while feisty wife is making a real go of her business upstairs. He realises he needs to do something and so enlists this young entrepreneur to come in, disguised as a new low paid employee, to spy on the business and come up with a plan to turn it around. I am not going to go into more detail, as you may be able to catch up with the programme, suffice it to say his recommendations are tough but they do work.

What really comes across and why I am so wired today is how much energy you need to work on your business, and you MUST be passionate and committed. Obviously, I hear you say, but remember it takes 10,000 hours to get really good at any skill, like flying, sailing, golf or manufacturing.

The time to relax and sit back is when you have sold the business and you are on that world cruise, ready for a massive heart attack!

Have a good weekend.

The Bad Moon really has risen

The Bad Moon really has risen; perhaps it’s too early to make any pointed comments about the Malaysian Airways second disaster.  I refer to my earlier comments, it may not be a bad idea to go and chop some wood, as there probably won’t be a lot of gas flowing this winter.

Changing back to more philosophical matters.

A customer of mine talked about how almost all really successful companies start with a good idea, they work from their sitting rooms and garage, gradually moving into proper premises. All good so far, then the biggest danger period begins. Suddenly there are lots of extra costs, lots more distracting problems, that aren’t anything to do with the core business. Before you know it you have taken your eye off the ball, expenses have overtaken income and very hard decisions need to be made.

Quite often inventors are not that good at communicating, these are sometimes known as geeks. The secret here is to know your short comings and weaknesses. Bring in people that can manage your weak areas and value them, because without them you are going nowhere. I have seen it so often where the “founder” really resents paying these “hangers-on”, his words not mine. But these helpers should be looked at as partners not servants. Every hour they handle tedious problems, is another hour to give the founder the time to get on with your area of expertise. It’s called team work.

About four years ago I went on a course at Swansea University, it was called LEADWales. I had visions of learning to be Die Moses leading the Welsh back across the Severn estuary, which had miraculously opened up before us. Being pursued by Arthur Scargill and his army of Soviet backed thugs!  I have said this before; it was a really good course, in my view. I was going through a very sticky time with my own company, and the help and advice that came from my fellow travellers was very welcome indeed. But what really changed my whole attitude to business and enterprise was two different forms of psychometric testing, and then analysis.  I realised that I wasn’t best suited to be the sole leader of my little enterprise.  My strengths were in getting business for the company, encouraging my staff, listening, but most importantly being a team player!

I was quite taken aback, but then I thought about my main sport, rowing in 8s and 4s. You can’t get more team player than that!  Anyway, life or events happened beyond my control and Trim Tech had to be wound up. It was then that my lesson or self realisation (with the help of Belbin et al) that I made the choice to join a team and have not looked back, happy days.

Lastly I mentioned that it takes 10,000 hours of hard work and practise to be really good at anything worthwhile, I think the more you think about this the more you realise this is about right. Look at an Olympian or dare I say it professional sports man.  Really last thoughts, Germany won the world cup because they were the best team, we won the war because of the team of geeks in Bletchley Park! See how I did that, geeks and team work.

The party’s over.....

The party’sover.....or is it? I hope so, all that hype and nothing to show for it again. Let’s go back to amateur sports where all they had to play for is the pride of representing their country. Watching hapless hairdressers (no offence to real hairdressers) trotting about missing the ball then collapsing when any opposition player tackles them, is cringeworthy. Notice how quickly these fairies (you guessed it, no offence to those little creatures found at the bottom of the garden, only visible to those that may have over indulged in smoking something mixed in with their ‘baccy), recover once they have been ignored or they realise they have convinced the poor old ref it really does hurt.

The real game starts today at Headingly. Whoever doubts that test cricket can be exciting didn’t see the last 15 overs, last week at Lords. The game was heading for an uneven draw, when England started to knock over some hard fort for wickets. It then looked possible we could bowl them out and secure a win. Last over (6 balls) with two wickets remaining, first ball of the last 6, a wicket, 4^th ball (second to last ball of the 5 day game!) it looked like we had won with a plumb LBW, only to find out with a slow motion replay the ball had hit the bat first. No one cried, kissed anyone or fell over feigning injury, they just clapped the opposition and shook hands, fair play all round.

And that surely must be the theme of any relationship, employment or business deal? Anything else would fall under the heading of dodgy. When this happens (being lied to, or deliberately miss informed for someone else’s gain), doesn’t that make you feel let down and fed up?  But then if the other party realises what they had done, comes back, apologises, then puts it right, that sometimes has a stronger reaction in the positive direction. (Unless you have jumped your wife’s younger sister, apologies may not be enough!).  But in less tricky situations, you quickly shove all your cross feelings back under the sink and let that wonderful warm wave of relief wash over you. That person you had faith in isn’t a dastardly blaggard after all.

Don’t know where any of this came from, my wife doesn’t have a younger sister, so I am in the clear! Life seems fair at the moment, the sun has got its hat on, hip, hip hurray... and we are off to Solva for the weekend tonight. Solva in the sun is rare (Westests and wettest, West Wales), so when it is sunny it even beats the Maldives.  It’s nearly Pimms o’clock!

Here Comes The Sun

Here comes the sun, dodo do too, here comes the sun.... it just makes you smile when the sun is out and the warmth spreads through you. No I haven’t wet myself, I think.  All those stats coming out of the government, you would think we were piling up so much wealth now. Umm, well not yet. The orders are coming in a little more steadily, and some projects have moved along a little more, but no sign of that much used word BOOM. We aren’t going to boom until those lazy Euro piglets pull their snouts out of the EUtrough and do some work.

I like the word boom, and in fact Baldrick (one of the great philosophers of our time) made up a poem called Boom, boom, boom, boom. Well I hope that made you smile, that is my sole purpose in sending out these epistles. 

 While I am not a fan of Jim Carrey, as he makes me feel uncomfortable in the same way as a British farce does. But I did watch him give a speech at a Business schoolgraduation ceremony. Some of what he said I did like. I apologise right now if I miss quote him, as I scribbled down notes while I listened to the full 26 minutes of his speech. Here we go, 

“Love and fear, being at the two extremes of our emotions. Use love to dream, stop wishing, and get on and try.”

 I like that. 

“Fear, we use practicality, caution, logic (my word) to try to avoid what we fear.” 

He then told us about his father that didn’t think that he (his father) could make it as a comedian, so he became an accountant. (We all know some accountants that that are comedians.) After a few years, his father lost his job and had to re-train as something else. 

“You can fail at what you don’t want, so why not take a chance on doing what you love?” 

I like that one too. How many times have you muttered to yourself, bugger, I should have used my driver in the first place, as you watch your cautious 5 iron shot disappear into the woods?

And lastly:

“Hope is the beggar; its faith that will drive you to heap over your obstacles.” 

Not religious faith but faith in your own abilities.

Smile and make somebody happy!