Author: Nailia Tasseel

Burns Night, Monday 25th January, saw many of our team, clients and associates participate in a very special whisky-tasting event at Century Club in Shaftesbury Avenue.  This wasn’t just about an excuse to indulge in the amber nectar, nor simply an opportunity for a social; it was a superb, seamless piece of storytelling, delivered by the Ambassador of one of the UK’s most celebrated single malt scotch whiskies – The Balvenie – Dr Andy Forrester.

 

As we lounged by candlelight in comfortable leather chairs – an atmosphere more akin to a cosy country residence than a club in Soho – Andy energetically took us through the five expressions of The Balvenie – Signature, Single Barrel, Doublewood, Portwood and the no-longer-available-limited-edition Rum Cask (which made a handsome version of the most delicious mojito!).  We studied and experienced the colours, aromas, flavours, different characters and personalities of each expression ( a ‘conversation’, as Andy called it), and learnt about the unique method of ageing and flavouring the whisky from different types of oak cask.   We heard the story of the Speyside distillery, the traditional methodology used, the people whose lives are dedicated to the handcrafting of this delicious single malt and the different roles each person has to play in its unique creation.  Homage was paid to the malt master, David Stewart , whose experience and talent is key to the success of the range, but recognising – like so many success stories – that it is true teamwork that makes it happen.

And then there was Nigel Barden.  Our friend and entertaining BBC food critic did us proud in rounding off the evening by revisiting the story of Robbie Burns, the celebration of Burns Night and the tradition of that ‘chieftain o’ the puddin’ race’, the haggis, which made an appearance complete with neeps and tatties for all to sample (the whisky sauce, of course, made with The Balvenie’s smooth Doublewood).

Tradition and heritage is often clouded by the mechanical processes, large-scale production and focus on the bottom line which characterises today’s commercial world.  It’s during evenings like these that we often realise just how much we take our oldest traditions for granted, without appreciating the rich seam of stories that sit behind the creation of the food and drink we enjoy so much.  But aside from the wonderful educational experience (or conversation) of last night, what struck me was the extraordinary bonding of the human race in creating things for others to enjoy, and the bonding that comes from that collective enjoyment and celebration itself.

Is anyone else as besotted as I am with meerkats? I just love them. They’re so cute, confident and cool. Not just the real animals of course – I mean the pretend ones on Compare the market’s fabulous TV ads.

Have you seen the latest one? A seasoned old-timer reading from a story book tells us how his ancestors left their homeland to brave oceans and snowstorms before ending up in … Russia. There’s courage.

It just goes to show that stories don’t only work beautifully for humans. And although I’m not that fussed about cheaper car insurance, I definitely want a meerkat for Christmas.

ps My wife loves them too. Her name is Kat. Coincidence? I think not.

Each Christmas as the fire begins to burn low and the full impact of culinary over-indulgence takes its effect, I find myself perusing the presents of others. This is not to say that there is any dissatisfaction with my shiny stockpile of gifts – far from it. It is more a combination of curiosity, downright nosiness and the lack of physical ability to move further than the length of the sofa by the end of the day.This year, as I explored a nearby tower of goodies, I came across a book called ‘Never Fly Solo’ in which the author – Rob ‘’Waldo’’ Waldman – takes the reader on a journey through the lessons he learned in his military career as a fighter pilot.

Essentially, two key themes emerge from the book. The benefits of a ‘check-six’ culture (check-six referring to the six o’clock position where the jet is at it’s most vulnerable – the pilot’s blind spot) and the pivotal role of ‘the wingman’.

‘’A good wingman will give you mission-critical feedback, catch your errors, ask questions and propose challenging scenarios to push you forward’’

The best environments, he argues, are those where the different backgrounds, skills, strengths and experiences of those involved are combined in pursuit of a single shared objective. The worst (and sometimes fatal) are where a maverick pilot, team leader, or member of the crew operates in isolation.

Waldman argues that in today’s environment mutual support networks, the harnessing of combined strengths and clear communication are critical to success – not least because we’re only human. We make mistakes, we have limited perspectives and we have to work in volatile stressful environments that lead to tunnel vision, emotional decision-making and task saturation. This ultimately dilutes our ability to function at our best. Effective ‘check-six’ environments enabled by trusted ‘wingmen’ encourage discipline, allow us to take calculated risks, free up communication, and help us to focus our collective capabilities.

How much more decisive would we be if we knew that our strengths were being used to their greatest effect and that our own blind spots were being covered?

This takes nothing away from the individual strength leaders (from any level in the organisation) need to inspire others towards a common purpose. Nor does the theory lend itself to purist committee or consensus styles of operation, which can lead to a reduction in pace and decisive action. It simply demonstrates that more informed decision-making and direction setting can be achieved by a business that is able to harness it’s strengths and capabilities effectively – whatever the challenge or opportunity.

I admit, Christmas day is not usually the moment to get all excited about the prospect of some personal time with a business management book – regardless of the strength of the message. What hooked me into this one was the writer’s use of real-life stories to communicate his experiences of a life continually challenged by change, fear, volatility and tough decision-making, and how he applied these to his business and personal life.  His ability to tell a good story is powerful. Firstly, the very personal reflections of true experiences draw the reader inside the narrative so that we understand and connect to the challenge faced, the heroes involved, the drama, the action and the resolution. Secondly, the stories and anecdotes are a memorable mix of fact and emotion that any reader can relate to, apply the learning from or pass on to others. Finally, each story serves to build on the ‘why, what and how?’ that sits behind the overarching message of the book. They connect us back to the importance of us being, and having wingmen, and to the potential benefits that developing a ‘check-six’ culture could mean in today’s environment.

Within organisations and the community people look to their leaders for guidance. Their messages are often powerful, inspirational and influential. So what happens when your leader communicates a controversial issue? Recently a Parish Priest openly supported and encouraged desperate people in need to steal. However, to ensure his guidance still had moral standings, he suggested these people should only steal from large stores (perhaps those who could afford the loss?). On the news this morning the Priest defended himself by saying that stealing a can of soup was far better than robbery or prostitution and to my surprise, many people wrote in and supported this. Although large businesses can be quite wasteful and perhaps struggle less than their smaller competitors, they are still businesses fighting for growth and their share in the market. Are we right to punish these businesses by encouraging people to steal from them, even if they are desperate? Or is this a bigger issue? Perhaps the Priest’s intention was to get on national television to share the message that we are not doing enough to help the needy people in this country and that large supermarkets have a social responsibility to help them out? Whether he is right or wrong, his message was certainly powerful and provocative and will hopefully encourage more positive rather than negative actions.

Found this great, two-part article on the BBC News site. Commissioned by BBC2’s ‘Working Lunch’ programme, executives and entrepreneurs are asked about the literature that has inspired them in business. Some of the responses are somewhat predictable (Freakonomics, Good To Great, Marketing Strategy & Management) but some are more unexpected. If you want to find out where Of Mice And Men, Wind In The Willows and even the Bible come into things, then read on!

Part One – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8357012.stm

Part Two – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8416136.stm

I went to a Christmas carol service on Saturday in Lichfield cathedral. Not through any great sense of religious conviction, but just because it’s a nice thing to do at this time of year. And the carols – sung by bright young things with hopeful faces – were great.

Unfortunately the trendy canon (I think that’s the right term) didn’t quite hit the mark. He gave a short talk about the pressures of shopping, inappropriate presents, the Copenhagen summit and even Greek Gods. But he didn’t once mention what I sort of assumed Christmas is actually supposed to be about, which is … well, the Christmas story.

I came away humming Silent Night happily enough, but amazed at how easy it is to miss the really obvious big story, even when it’s right under your nose.

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) has been around for many years. In fact, since the 50’s when the phrase was first used by academics and business leaders to identify and articulate the impact of global businesses on society. (I imagine the phrase was near strangled by the booms and busts of the 80’s and 90’s when the environment was not at the forefront of a businesses strategy).

There’s been as many critics of CSR as there have advocates. That’s to say, it’s never been a government initiative, nor has it been obligatory. It’s voluntary and, as such, has swayed in both directions since its conception.

But what does CSR mean for businesses? Can it really affect the bottom line? Can it embed itself sufficiently within a business or brand and become a competitive advantage?

Some years ago, I attended a talk by the founder of the clothing label Howies. As a business, Howies pride themselves on their ethics and it’s become the thread by which the company has grown and flourished (indeed they were recently purchased by Timberland). Every aspect of the brand is as sustainable as can be. Every product is produced with as little environmental impact as humanly possible. Every catalogue printed on recycled stock and printed with vegetable inks. And, every employee as earthly as the brand they represent.

All of this is, collectively, what makes Howies appealing to its customers. So much so that they trade almost entirely on their principles alone. Subtle marketing, no gimmicks and no expensive ad campaigns. CSR, for Howies, has become a real competitive advantage and certainly reaches to their bottom line.

What Howies does isn’t new though. (You just have to look at the great work Anita Roddick and team did with The Bodyshop). But it works for them. They trusted their own beliefs and built a brand which echoes those beliefs, and the beliefs of their customers.

So (and this isn’t a final summary as such but something to ponder) CSR, and indeed corporate/brand values, need to be the foundations by which a business is formed. To add them like you would condiments to a finished plate of food will only affect the credibility and authenticity of the approach. CSR needs to reside within the DNA of an organisation and should be a personality trait that every employee is proud of.

Barnardo’s have always created great adverts. Adverts which communicate the lives of those they strive to help. And their recent TV spot titled ‘Turn Around’ is nothing less than brilliant.

The ad builds upon the great press campaign which ran earlier in the year, where hard-hitting copy and brave art direction shared the stories of children who had been given up on. Indeed, they won many awards but that comes secondary to the role they played in delivering a clear and direct message to the masses.

The new campaign, launched just a few weeks ago, uses laconic narrative, similar in style to that of a text message, to tell the story of a young girl. The film uses the trademark Banardos sepia tones and cleverly uses the  same eight scenes to tell a story of two halves; the young girls transition in and out of various and troubling situations.

To see the full advert click here. Visit Barnardo’s website to read the true story and find out about The Teens’ Speech this Christmas day.

Congratulations to Bill Bryson, whose book A Short History of Nearly Everything has been declared the top selling non-fiction book of the decade.

What’s extraordinary about this book is the sheer ambition of its scope.  Bryson deals with the Big Bang, quantum theory, extinctions, epidemics and earthquakes, subjects which have sunk many a high-brow academic tome.  Yet A Short History… is the most popular non-fiction book of the decade.  Why?

The answer is that Bryson is a born storyteller.  He takes this formidable array of scientific subjects and he presents them in a clear, compelling narrative.  There is cause and effect, there is a timeline, and there’s even a reason to care: he gleefully explains all the many things that could go wrong with our planet at any second!

Not all of us have Bryson’s skill with words, but if he can spin a great yarn around incomprehensible physics and geology, we should all be able to do the same for our own areas of expertise.