EARL’S COURT — There’s a polar bear melting in Trafalgar Square. (There’s one in Copenhagen too.) Somehow, all of my family saw it this weekend. Except me.

One child reported back that the key thing is that people are encouraged to touch it. And that is making it melt faster.

“The head’s already gone.”

And for her that symbolised everything you need to know about global warming.

It’s not a bad thing for a child to have taken away.

Small messages are some of the things that we need to learn out of this conference. In spite of the flurry of disjointed attempts to say climate change isn’t an issue… the core ideas are increasingly accepted.

I love the work being done by the Maldives to put their case. Great governmental PR. And no great loss to brand “Maldives” either.

I think we’d all like to see real progress at Copenhagen. It is, after all, one of those global conferences that only used to happen in comic books and sci-fi films. But the fact that it’s happening at all will help us in the end.

/df

METIS-SUR-MER — I have started to get nervous. It’s not like me. But I am giving a speech in late September to the CRHA, Quebec’s largest Human Resources professional association. And I am doing it in French.

Normally I am quite comfortable with these kinds of things. After years of performing on stage as a kid (thank you Mary I) and ten years on the speaking circuit in the UK and Europe, I don’t worry about these things too much. But a few days this summer in the heart of French-Canada and I have realised that I am not as strong in French as I would like to be.

My friend Marie-Claude Perrault is too kind to tell the story of the business meeting she took me to 15 years ago where I talked elegantly about the ‘gestation of business’ (‘gestion’ being management, and ‘gestation’ being the period before birth…)

Earlier this week I met an English fellow who is based near here in Rimouski. He runs a youth orchestra and festivals for the musically discriminating. He’s been living in this part of the world for 7 years and he has lost some of his English vocabulary. So he was flipping back and forth between English and French. That’s normally something I love. But as good as this guy was, I realised it hindered his message. And, knowing that I will face up to 600 people at 9 am for a one hour presentation, I am suddenly nervous.

Can I really talk about leadership in a recession when the words might not show up?

/df

HAMMERSMITH — I don’t know why we have been talking about this a lot in the last few weeks, maybe it’s the season. Maybe people aren’t sure what to do in 2009, so they’re focusing on annual events. But we have been talking a lot about big business strategy meetings.

Some companies have or will cancel them. The theory is:

“It’s a cost. Only managers benefit. So let’s cut it altogether.”

We have certainly seen that.

However, others are taking a different approach:

“How can we make it more cost effective and really see the results out of it.”

And that’s where we get excited. These things don’t have to be complicated. (If you want smoke and mirrors, then we can’t help.) But they can be very effective at reduced cost, if you really focus on actions and results.

/df

TCR — I’ve been at the Melcrum SCM Summit in London off and on this week. One table yesterday was lamenting the fact that presenters were showing very narrow case studies. “It’s just what worked in their circumstance. We should have consultants present on things that work in many businesses,” one said.

But then again, when you get consultants to present they spend too much time selling themselves, don’t they? It’s a bit unpleasant to watch actually.

So I am sure it often feels like a lose/lose situation.

I can’t speak for every management consultant out there but there are a few things that you should know. I know they look simple, but they are important:

1. We cannot charge you for a conversation: we cannot ever charge you without your permission.

2. We will happily meet up with you, talk on the phone, exchange views, without asking for money.

3. We know not every conversation leads to a consulting assignment.

4. Not having any conversations leads to no assignments though — so talking to you is good for us.

5. If anyone pursues you too persistently, ask them to stop. If they don’t: call me, I’ll talk to them! (Pushy consultants give us all a bad name.)

6. Not all of us are good at everything.

7. Shop around. Get what you are looking for.

8. Agree scope, costs and reporting up front. (I can tell you how.) Don’t leave any of your questions un-asked.

9. Give us a clear job and ask us to explain when it starts and when it stops — and what you’ll have at the end. Ask for results that you can really appreciate and understand.

10. Talk to us. Without you we have no reason to be here.

The biggest rule of all is don’t be afraid. Too many of us stand around nervously like teenagers at the disco. Just pick up the phone and say hello.

/df