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LONDON — It’s been hard not to think about Korea this week. But I have different things on my mind. Not the loss of a dictator. Not the worry that still has South Korean’s practicing evacuations like WWII Britain and Cold War America. I am thinking about Korea’s fertile business culture and the country’s uncanny ability to reinvent itself, rebuild and [...] LONDON — We’re crashing into Christmas. Like everyone else. Lurking in shop doorways on Dec 24th and thinking “I said I’d never do this again.” It’s been an odd and uncomfortable week amongst men in the UK though. The dominant pagan religion of football has seen people talking about “goodwill toward men”, but in reverse. What qualifies as “lacking goodwill” and what [...]
SOUTH KENSINGTON — There was a piece in the Independent yesterday about Sir Richard Branson’s “three point plan” to get the UK economy going. Unfortunately the plan is completely pants. I wish it weren’t, but it is. Years ago, when I worked in politics a very worthy husband and wife team approached my cabinet ministers with suggested [...]
DOHA, QATAR — We’re working on four different ‘transformation programmes’ at the moment. Combined they are on three continents, in over 30 countries. You would think that would provide some shocking contrasts. But it does something quite different. It shows startling similarities. Everything has superficial differences: language, geography, industry, structure… Yes, those can seem superficial. The issues in big business transformation generally fall into [...] AT HOME — I’ve been trying to figure out how I ended up with a four-digit dentist’s bill this month, without ever discussing even the procedure, let alone the fees. And I can’t really make sense of it. Similarly we have been working with a mid-level legal firm a few years and we keep getting bills through the door with what seems [...]
SOUTH WEST LONDON — They say it’s broken. But I am not convinced it ever really worked. The company cascade is like the Lost City of Atlantis… or the missing Beach Boys album. Many people think it’s out there, but disappointment is the most likely outcome. Here’s how the theory goes:
PICCADILLY — I’ve been scanning the ‘famous birthdays today’ section of the paper for a few weeks. Looking at the ages of those who make the list. And — maybe it’s just me — but one decade seems to be noticeably absent. Mine. I didn’t want to turn 40. But that was 5 years ago, so you think I’d be used to [...] CHELSEA — The problem with change is that you cannot always foresee what might happen next. So you create an anticipated direction of travel and risks, issues, dependencies etc. along the way. That’s how it’s done. In a nutshell. The problem with Britain’s big banks though is not that they don’t know what might happen next. They do, but they’re determined to [...] LONDON — I am still a bit disturbed by an interview I read while on holiday. I have no idea why, while off the grid for a fortnight, I managed to read Lucy Kellaway’s interview with Roland Rudd. But I did. Have a quick read of it and then come back. Let me start by saying that I have no agenda [...]
LONDON — Last night’s black-tie film premiere was a great chance to catch up with some people in the business. There were too many people to talk to properly, unfortunately. But some conversations I’ve been mulling over in my sleep. Quite a few senior people working in communications at the moment are in distress. I’m not saying it’s a [...] |
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