Travelling into Heathrow

Travelling as I do, I see lots of airports. Heathrow is one of my least favourite but on a recent trip out I was really impressed with the service at security. They had obviously done some work both in terms of layout and in terms of staff development. The system was far more efficient and the security people were helpful, friendly and a pleasure to be with.

I left UK with a good feeling.

Today I arrived at Heathrow on my return journey. Whenever I arrive I try to see the first impressions a tourist or foreigner would get of Heathrow and of UK. I arrive at the new wing and so it is clean and looking very nice. However, as I walk the corridors I come across walkways and escalators that are not working (I have never been through Heathrow when all the escalators and moving walkways are working)

I arrive at Immigration to discover the new IRIS system is not working and there is a queue to see the Immigration Officer. The sign says that if you are at this point, it will take 5 minutes, and that is the point I join at.

The escalator to the baggage hall is not working and as I enter the hall I see a group of people stood in the centre where there is the only video display showing which carrousel each flights baggage will be sent to. Being in the middle of the hall it means people congregate there to wait to see where they need to go. This means that anyone trying to get through the hall has a crowd of people to make their way through. As we stand waiting, there is a constant series of “excuse me” as passengers are trying to get through the standing people.

When you have to wait 25 minutes to be told which carrousel your baggage will be on you start to notice that British Airways flights are being given priority. Any BA flight is on a carousel within 5 minutes. I start to feel that I am a second class person for having flown the wrong airline!

I decide to buy my Heathrow Express ticket while I am waiting. Next to the underground ticket machine there is a sign that tells me there are three ways to get to London. Then I discover that there is no way to buy a ticket for the Heathrow Express. Because of the way it is laid out, I can imagine that a number of people have bought a ticket at this machine thinking they can use it on Heathrow Express.

Finally we get told the carousel to use and we make our way there only to wait another 5 minutes. Boredom is setting in and it is at this stage you start to notice how dirty the place is. The cleaner does not get under the carousel or up to the edges of the walls etc.

Bags start to arrive and they flow in ones and twos and then a gap. Finally we get fours and fives coming up the conveyor. The electronic eye (useless invention when it does work) stops the baggage coming off the conveyor because it senses bags on the carousel. The problem is, this one is set wrong and so stops bags and waits until the bag on the carousel is in front of it and then dumps itself on top of the bag. Bags bounce around all over the place. There are times when no bags come up at all! First Class and Priority bags are the last to make it along with bags in transit. Of course transit passengers are starting to pull their hair out and keep looking at their watches with sweat starting to form on their foreheads.

Finally my bag arrives after an hour waiting in the baggage hall! Due to the position of our carousel we now need to be part of the people that say “excuse me”, “excuse me”, “excuse me”…… as we make our way towards Customs and the green route.

As I finally sit down on the Heathrow Express I ponder about my experience. Why is it so difficult to make a good impression? It must take at least the same amount of energy to make a bad impression.

If I were a first time visitor at Heathrow, I would be forgiven for thinking that I had landed in a third world (or at best a second world) country. Why can I say that with confidence? Because I have been to so called second and third world countries and the airports are far more efficient than Heathrow.

A final thought went through my mind. I did not see, or to be specific, hear any English people working at Heathrow. All of them were of Asian or Middle Eastern descent. I am sorry to say that the thought went through my mind, I wonder if they would behave and work the way they do in Heathrow if they were working in their birth country? My experience is that in Asia and Middle East, people take a lot more pride in their work. Why are they not proud to work in UK? Is it because we have learnt to accept mediocrity? Is it because we lack leaders?

I opened the newspaper to read the headline, BAA plan to reduce their staff by 2000 people!!!!!! Oh dear. Can it get worse?

Getting ill while travelling

I am in South Africa and have an attack of gout. It is not something that happens often to me and my visits to the Doctor has done nothing to help me plan, deal with or learn about my condition. It has been a year since I had my last attack and this came on very suddenly. It is always a worry because the pain is distracting and it can limit my effectiveness as a professional speaker.

What do I do? Going to a Doctor is not something I relish in England, no mind in South Africa. The cost, what will they do, will I catch something, etc.

A close friend insists I go to the Doctor as I limp around in pain. I get loaded into the car on Saturday morning and driven into town to a Doctors surgery. We walk in at 9.35am and explain that I am visiting the country and need to see the Doctor.

The receptionist is not phased and she explains that the Doctor has some pre-planned appointments but she will see what she can do.

Three and a half minutes later I am sat in front of a doctor! He is cheerful and asks me questions which start with, “Have you been drinking too much South African wine?” We laugh and the examination goes ahead with the tone set. He is interested, considerate, and he oozes confidence combined with competence in a way that relaxes me.

Finally he explains (in a way that nobody has ever done before) what gout is, what happens and what he is going to recommend for me.

The recommendation is an injection of a “mix” they do. I cannot even start to pronounce the mix but he goes on to explain that the one will give relief within the hour and the other will kick in four hours later. “That gets you over the initial problem” he says, “and then I will give you a prescription for two things…”

He explains that one breaks down the crystals in the foot and the other is for pain relief if I need it.

Duly dealt with, including an injection and a prescription in hand, I leave the doctors consulting room. (By the way the injection was the least painful one I have ever had in my life) The Doctor hands me a leaflet on gout and as a true patriotic South African smiles and says, “Keep drinking the South African wine hey!”. We laugh, shake hands and he holds the door open as I leave.

Now a new fear clutches me as I realise I will have to pay for the consultation and treatment. I approach the receptionist with my two pieces of paper and she has a look at what is there. A few moments and she looks up and tells me I owe R236.00 (£16.27 or $8.13) for everything. I put away the credit card and pull out cash for such a small amount.

We walk into pharmacy and get a weeks treatment of both items on the prescription which costs me another R180 (£12.41 or $6.20). We go for a coffee and by the time we leave the coffee shop I can walk normally and feel great.

I am gobsmacked at the service I got, the speed I was dealt with and the relief I have in such a short period of time. Never in 10 years of going to Doctors and Consultants in UK have I had the same service and certainly I have never been able to see a Doctor at a moments notice.

I ask my friends if this is normal? “Oh yes, quite normal”. They are British and so know what happens in UK. They go on to tell me how she had a problem and she phoned the Consultant at the hospital directly and asked to see him. He said yes and the appointment was made the same day!

He examined her and said she needed surgery. He then asked when she would like it?! She said next Thursday would be good and he phoned up and two minutes later it was booked!!!!

In UK, if I want to see a Consultant it has to be through a Doctor and I have never seen one within four weeks of seeing the Doctor. In fact the last time the Doctor in UK referred me to a Consultant, I gave up trying to arrange an appointment after three attempts. In future I think I will get on a plane and fly to South Africa.

My friend tells me that increasingly people are coming to South Africa for plastic surgery and dental work in particular because it is cheaper, more efficient and they can combine it with an amazing holiday.

I ask myself, what is wrong with the systems in the West? We seem to have made it too complicated. The health service in UK has become a nightmare of bureaucracy and littered with frustrated people who have lost a common sense of purpose and even possibly even pride in their profession.

Personally? I know where I want to go if I really need medical advise in the future.

Another way...please!

Those of you who know me will know that I believe that society in the West is being strangled by fear of litigation as people spend more time covering their backs and ensuring that they are absolutely covered in the case of anything going wrong, or an accident happening. This atmosphere, which is being perpetuated by Governments in most cases, creates bureaucracy in organisations that stifles their creativity and in many cases, their ability to compete in an increasing global market.

China is at the other end of the spectrum producing goods that are being recalled from the shelves because they have been produced without the care and quality checks that make them safe. These mistakes are costing corporations dearly and wiping out some of the significant savings of having their manufacturing in Asia.

Recently Mattel had to recall toys because of lead paint being used and a problem with magnets. Already lawyers are seeking class action suits to force Mattel to pay for children to be tested for lead poisoning!

There have been a number of issues with goods being manufactured in China including mattresses, being returned for having been sprayed with poisonous chemicals to avoid infestation. Clothes, toothpaste, faulty tyres, dog food, etc. have all been in the news over the last couple of months with questions about their quality and as a result their danger to consumers.

As lawyers start to hover in anticipation of a chance to add to the problem with class actions suits and ways to make their money, we have to ask ourselves, isn’t there another way? Do we have to resort to this old fashioned method of retaliation that stifles innovation and creativity? For some organisations, creativity and innovation is their ONLY way of making money.

How can we blame China?

China does not have the wealth of experience that the West has in their development. If we look at Japan, it had to be educated (notice the word was not ‘told’) about the importance of quality. Once it understood about the importance of quality, Japan embarked on producing a quality product and, only then, did it seek to find ways of cutting the costs in the process down whilst maintaining the quality.

That education process is a vital link. How can we blame companies in China that are being given target prices to produce goods and so price becomes their primary focus? Quality becomes a secondary issue. But then we scream and shout when the quality is poor and try to blame China!

Dutch businessman Jan Kemeling sums it up well:

"It's like this: a Western company tells the Chinese that they have to make something that costs 10 euros, even though they know that the raw materials cost 15. So it stands to reason that the Chinese are going to take something out to arrive at that price of 10. They are going to look for ways to save a bit of money. Which means buying in cheaper paint or cheaper steel or whatever. And that's when the quality starts to slide."
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/chi070824mc

In the case of the lead paint on Mattel toys, it seems that the Chinese manufacturing company outsourced the painting to another company that did not have the quality procedures in place! We can’t blame them for outsourcing in this way because we taught them that. We equally can’t blame them for forcing the outsourced company to do it cheaply when that is what the West taught them was the most important criteria.

The West needs to take a more responsible view and learn the importance of measuring the right things or at least teaching China how to prioritize measurements. Price without the quality IS NOT CHEAP.

So I ask as the lawyers add to the problem with their class action suites and scared business leaders frantically attempt to cover their ‘backs’ and limit the damage: Who is taking a step out of this blame culture and seeing where the real problem is?

As you consider that question, let me bring another thought to the table.



On 21st August we saw the return of the space shuttle Endeavour from the international space station after nearly two weeks away from earth. The shuttle was brought back a day early because of the concerns about Hurricane Dean.

Space shuttle Columbia in 2003 with seven crew were lost when entering earth’s orbit because of a hole made in the wing from some foam falling off at take off. Everything was put on hold to rectify the problem! Prior to Endeavour’s launch this time, NASA said that they had sorted out the issues relating to take-off that had caused eventual disasters of previous missions.

On the 8th August, the world was then shocked to discover that the space shuttle Endeavour was yet again damaged on take-off by falling foam. There were anxious moments when the shuttle flew back to earth and re-entered the earth atmosphere. Would another disaster befall this mission?

Fortunately, the shuttle returned to earth safely and NASA announced that once and for all they were going to get to the bottom this issue and ensure that the shuttle was not damaged. Once again more promises!

A friend said to me recently, “How would you like to get in a space craft made of tens of thousands of parts all made by a company that submitted the lowest tender?”

What a powerful question.

There has to be another way! Litigation and the fear of class action suites is not the way forward. It makes the lawyers rich and brings out the worst in humanity.

For China, education and good measurements are vital. Learn from Japan and educate people at every level of the organisation about quality first and then when that is right, seek ways to drive down costs within that framework.


For NASA I have a simple way of solving the foam issue. Every space flight in future carries one of the Executive Boards grandchildren on the voyage!

Madeline Albright speaks

I had the pleasure of hearing Madeline Albright speak at the SHRM conference. She spoke well and made some excellent comments about the state of the world.



Hear is an official summary of her speech:

Albright Shares Hiring Tips, Middle East Peace Proposals

By J.J. Smith

LOS ANGELES—Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright demonstrated her diplomatic skills by offering tips for HR professionals when hiring an executive—as well as proposals for peace in the Middle East—during her keynote address here March 19, 2007, at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Global Forum and Exhibition.

Albright said that, during her government service, she has had the opportunity to engage some of the most powerful men and women in the world, and that, before she met a leader, she would obtain various assessments from people who met with that person before. These methods can be applied when conducting interviews for top corporate positions, she said.

It is essential to get as much information as possible on a potential hire before meeting him or her, and, by necessity, “some of it is in written form.” However, it is important to talk to people who know that person as well. But even if an HR professional does manage to obtain vast amounts of information on a potential managerial hire, “in the end a lot of it does come down to a gut level, and there is no way to not make a mistake,” she said.

On Dec. 5, 1996, President Clinton nominated Albright as the first female secretary of state. After being confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate, she was sworn in to become the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. government. “I loved being secretary of state,” Albright said. After leaving government service, she entered the private sector, where she has “enjoyed the opportunity to meet with people such as [global HR professionals] who deeply are interested in foreign affairs, but from a different perspective.”

“The truth is, my own perspective has changed since I decided to start a business,” she said. “It’s called the Albright Group, and we offer strategic consulting services in social responsibility issues, especially to companies interested in emerging democracies.”

While in government, Albright said, she frequently turned to the business community for advice when making decisions about foreign policy because business people and diplomats have much in common. “Whether you’re a business person or a diplomat, you have to work in a global environment” that requires knowing “when to hold your tongue and when to be blunt,” she said. “And you have to understand that every time you’re wrong you will be held accountable. But, often, when you’re right, the credit for success will stop one pay grade above.”

Business people and diplomats are expected to have the gift of prophecy, Albright said. “It’s not enough to know what is happening today; you have to be able to predict what is happening next week, next month, next year,” she said. “This is true whether you’re managing human resources or managing world affairs.”

Some people are still predicting that the global economy will take off, and some say it will be brought down by instability and anxiety about the future. Some global forecasters fear that divisions about religion and culture will create ever-widening circles of conflict. And others point hopefully to the lack of tension among the leading powers.

“Given all that is going on, I’m often asked if I’m an optimist or a pessimist. I reply: ‘I’m an optimist who worries a lot,’ ” Albright said, adding that her optimism is based on “faith in democracy, free enterprise and the desire of most people to live free.” However, while she has faith in the resilience of the democratic system, she worries about the plague of terrorism, which remains widespread. “I worry about Afghanistan, where a weak government struggles against warlords and the Taliban with no victory in sight,” she said.

In addition, Albright worries “about the dark side of globalization, which hastens the spread of false and deadly ideas, the proliferation of deadly arms, and … spreads the gap between rich and poor both within and among nations.”

Albright is worried that democracy has slowed in some countries where “nationalization, repression and other failed policies from the past” have resurfaced.

But, above all else, Albright said, she worries “about Iraq and the Middle East because of the efforts of violent extremists to exploit chaos in order to advance their cause.” According to U.S. intelligence reports, the invasion of Iraq has increased the danger of international terror, making it essential for Gen. David Patreus and our forces in Iraq to succeed. “Unfortunately our troops have been caught in the middle of a civil war with the impossible mission to try to protect all sides against violence by all sides,” she said.

Nonetheless, she agrees with President Bush that it would be disastrous for the United States to leave Iraq under the present circumstances, but it might also be a disaster for the United States to stay. “If our forces are not in a position to make a difference, we have an overriding duty to bring them home sooner rather than later,” she said. In addition, the problems in Iraq have reached the point where our leaders no longer have any good options. “Whatever we decide to do, we will face great risks and the possibility of deeper disaster, so all we can hope for is to limit the damage,” she said, adding that there are four steps that should be applied in Iraq and broadly across the Middle East. They are:

• Contain the risk to our troops by giving them jobs that make the most sense; train Iraqis; step up the fight against Al Qaeda; and guard Iraq’s borders to prevent a wider war.

• Encourage a political settlement in Iraq that will give each side more than it would obtain through continued violence. Such settlements must include an equable sharing of oil, the protection of minority rights and the sharing of power between the central government in Baghdad and various regions.

• Pressure Iraq’s neighbors and our allies to do more to create stability.

• Consider the situation in the Persian Gulf as part of a larger strategy that includes revised peace negotiations between Arabs and Israel.

Concerning an effort to engage Iraq’s neighbors in halting violence, Albright said that during her tenure as secretary of state she was confronted with strife in the Balkans in which each faction inside the region had an ally outside the region from which it received arms and support. The solution was to get all the countries with an interest in the Balkans to work together. Something similar should be tried in Iraq, she said. If such a plan is implemented, the involvement of Iran is significant, she said. It is generally forgotten that Iraq invaded Iran during the 1980s, initiating a war that killed more than 1 million people.

“Today, Iraq is divided and weak, while Iran has more influence than at any time in a century and Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has taken advantage of the regional turmoil to try to present himself on the world stage,” she said. By insisting on Iran’s right to reprocess nuclear fuel, questioning Israel’s right to exist and challenging the morality of America’s actions, Ahmadinejad tries to solidify his shaky domestic political base, she said.

The Bush administration deserves support for its efforts to persuade Iran to forgo the option of developing nuclear arms, Albright said. Those efforts are laborious, but the combination of economic sanctions and pressure on oil supplies may cause Iran to look for face-saving ways out. However, the administration has accused Iran of arming Shiite militias inside Iraq. The United States is right to protest and present evidence supporting the allegations, but the administration should not do anything to invite a wider war, she said.

Over the long term, the United States would benefit immensely from improved relations with Iran. There are no objective reasons why American and Iranian goals must clash, because the problems between Iran and the United States are ideological and potentially resolvable, according to Albright. “I fear a war would open wounds that would never close at great cost to us and to the world, so America’s focus should be on how to build peace, not how to justify another war,” she said.

She said one of the United States’ major accomplishments of the past half-century has been to gain the acceptance of Israel’s right to exist by virtually every government in the Middle East, including the Palestine Liberation Organization. “With that principle clearly understood, we should do all we can to encourage the creation of a viable Palestinian partner with whom Israel can negotiate,” she said.

Peace will not be achieved easily as long as there are elements within Islam, Christianity and Judaism who believe that war in the Middle East has been foretold by scripture, and that the decisive battle between good and evil will take place within that region, she said. “Armageddon is not a foreign policy,” she said. Those who believe God is directing events might begin by obeying God’s commandments instead of ignoring them. There’s nothing preordained about murder and mayhem in the Middle East.

Since the attacks of Sept. 11, it has been natural to focus on the threat posed by terrorism and the drama in the Middle East, but the world elsewhere has not stood still, Albright said. “In fact, it has been engaged in a transformation as profound as any since the industrial revolution,” she said, adding, “this may well be one of those periods that people look back on and say history moved from one era to another.” It is called globalization, but it is nothing more than the acceleration of trends that have been going on for decades. Human resource professionals are exposed to these trends every day. More companies are global in scope, and more business people travel overseas or work overseas on a permanent basis, she said.

Need for Training

That has created a need for more training, not only in job skills, but also in such matters as security, language and culture. One of the major trends is a shift in economic and political power from West to East. As countries such as China and India continue to develop, new challenges will arise, such as finding a way for billions of people to emerge from poverty into a middle-class lifestyle without exhausting resources or destroying the health of our planet, she said.

That requires developed nations to pay a great deal of attention to China, Albright said. At one time, Albright believed that all the Chinese wanted from the United States was an assurance that U.S. policy on Taiwan would not change. Now China’s concerns are economic, she said. China’s growth rate remains among the world’s most impressive, but such growth has generated an enormous appetite for natural resources such as oil, minerals and timber. As a buyer on the world market, China is welcomed by those with resources to sell, leading to an expansion of China’s diplomatic and commercial ties on almost every continent, she said. China’s economic clout has given it the confidence to be more assertive on the world stage.

While China is a rising country, it is also a nervous country, for the expectations of the Chinese are growing, unemployment is high and the gap between the rich and the poor is widening, Albright said. There has been a dramatic increase in public protest, and adding to the pressure is that the Summer Olympics will be held in Beijing in 2008, she said. China’s leaders will want to avoid controversy between now and when the games are held, she said.

All of the economic activity known as globalization challenges the U.S. leadership “to establish and maintain rules that enable countries to prosper together instead of at each other’s expense,” Albright said. That will not happen automatically, for it is not likely that governments will make the right choices, and it should not be assumed that the forces of enlightenment and freedom will prevail, she said. “As in Iraq, good intentions can lead to unintended consequences,” she said, adding that “those who feel threatened by globalization can be counted on to make their fears known through nationalism, protectionism and political protest.” Others will see the 21st century as the battle ground for re-fighting the religious wars of the Middle Ages, she said.

For the United States to succeed, it needs to do the best possible job not only expressing its beliefs but also understanding how and why others act as they do, Albright said. The United States has to remain true to democratic principles, “and we have to remember no matter how much we think we know, there’s always a lot more to learn,” she said.

J.J. Smith is manager of SHRM Online’s Global HR Focus Area.

I am back. Sorry for the break

It has been a hectic year and I have not been disciplined enough to keep my blog up to date. No excuses, and I will rectify that from now on.

What has been happening so far? Well we have had a lot of challenges but also a lot of great things happening. The down side has been the death of my Mother in March. It was not unexpected but it still is a challenge. My Dad and Mom were together for over 50 years and he is feeling the effect of loosing his partner. We are supporting him but it takes time.

I have been to South Africa, Canada, India, USA, Vienna, Amsterdam, Belguim, etc. etc. A lot of fun and met some amazing people. The ones that have been most inspiring have been the opportunity to meet Jim Collins and chat with him. What a lovely man! Also the chance to meet and also listen to Madleine Albright speak.

There is so much happening and it is such an exciting time to be living and to be in business!!!! India was amazing. It was fascinating to see what was going on there.

Anyway, I am going to add a few articles to the blogg and post things as I remember them as well as commit to keeping this up to date.

In hope you are having a good time where ever you are and thanks for reading.

Best wishes

Paul
July 2007

November 2006

I spent a full week in South Africa speaking and interviewing with some interesting people.

I had a wonderful meal with Albie Schoeman, who is the HR Director of Clover, the largest milk company in South Africa. Albie was telling me how the Board had been using the ‘Perceptions on bottom line profits’ material I had presented. He said that it had made a significant impact on the team and they had incorporated it into their Conference. We had a delightful meal at the Meat Co in Monte Casino and it was great to see him again.

I had a fascinating interview with Paolo Caveleri, CEO of Hollard in Joburg. What a magnificent Head Office. Modern, with the feel of dynamic people in a fun atmosphere. I found it a useful insight into one of South Africa’s most innovative and exciting companies.

Paolo Caveleri, CEO at Hollards

Looking down on the common area. Note the basketball ring, climbing wall and there was also a Pool table, table tennis tables and more for staff to enjoy.

I also had interviews at Syngenta and South African Breweries as well as meetings at ABSA Bank with my good friend Lawerence Mlotshwa.
Syngenta is an interesting organisation who have done some good things with their leadership team. I am looking forward to going back there and finding out more. Of course, South African Breweries is an amazing story and I am enjoying my research with them which is ongoing.

I had a couple of speaking engagements during the week which went down well.
Paul du Toit had arranged a public event where Ronnie Muhl and I were the principle speakers. Ronnie told his amazing story of climbing Mount Everest and I tried out some new material which seemed to go well. I really appreciate Paul’s efforts to put on the event. He is such a lovely guy and works so hard for the speaking industry.

Also a big thank you to Randal Godden and the members of his group in Joburg who made me feel so welcome. Thanks for inviting me back and I look forward to seeing you next year.


Randal and I at the Golf Club

After an exciting week in SA I was on my way to the United States for three days to do some Institute for Management Studies events in Washington, Philadelphia and New Jersey. Wonderful people and exceptionally nice Chairmen in all three areas. They have invited me back next year, so I must have done something right ☺

Jim was kind enough to give me a whistle stop trip around Washington which was wonderful. The city needs to be seen to be believed. It is very grand and well laid out. It was interesting to meet people a week after the elections where the Democrats had won back The House and the Senate. The great thing about democracy is that people can speak out about how they feel about their ruler and people were very open about their feelings. I think there was also an air of trepidation about what will happen over the next two years.

Back to London and straight into a speech for Vistage that afternoon for Ian Simmonds. Great group and finally got to meet Robert Drew. Everyone seemed to enjoy the presentation and lovely feedback from them all.


The following morning I had a speech for the West Midlands Quality Group and then onto Manchester Police for another speech in the afternoon. All in all an exhausting week but very rewarding indeed.

Having had a successful week we all went to dinner on Saturday night as a thank you to the team. We had decided to restructure the teams responsibilities and everyone was pleased with the new structure and at one of our most successful weeks in sales.

The last week has been a little less hectic but still quite busy. At least I am home and not flying for a few weeks.

My mastermind group went reasonably well. I think we need to bring in some new blood and be prepared to challenge a lot more. I am enjoying the relationship with Roger Harrop and think there is a lot more we could do together.

A fascinating interview with a local business, BGB Engineering. What an amazing company and my thanks go to David Hoyt for sharing their journey with me. I love stories of organisations that think strategically and are also prepared to think differently. Some fascinating insights and I will write an article about them in the next week.




Finally, I visited a school I had worked for a couple of years ago in Nottingham.
I had worked with the Senior Management team as they embarked on their journey to become a college and developing an engineering centre. This was now nearly complete and I had the pleasure to attend a pre-launch event and to say a few words. It was lovely to be able to recognise the hard work of the Head, Peter Brown. He is a dynamic man who had a great vision. Well done Peter, I look forward to seeing a lot more of Top Valley School and Engineering College in the future.


Peter Brown, Head of Top Valley School and Engineering College

The last week of the month will be devoted to writing and planning projects for the next year.

Three Weeks in UK

An interesting three weeks in the UK. So many good things are happening and I’ve had the opportunity to speak at some great venues and meet some wonderful people.

I spoke in Edinburgh, which is always a pleasure. I do enjoy Scotland. The people are so friendly but at the same time they are to the point. They will challenge but at the same time they are open to discussion and ideas.

I have been invited to speak in Bristol (another great event), Manchester, Coventry, London, Newcastle amongst other places. I had an interesting day speaking and working with a College in Northamptonshire. Schools in UK are generally struggling to grasp the future and adapt their thinking to be able to prepare their students for that future.

The Manchester Vistage (formally TEC) group was a wonderful meeting. Some excellent questions and discussion. Thanks to Edward for inviting me and I wish you all well.

I had the pleasure of visiting a division of a Japanese company who has had such massive growth in the last three years. It is interesting to see their approach to business and how they have coped with the growth.

A highlight for me was to speak at the Inspire2006 Conference in London that was organised by the Academy of Chief Executives. It was a delight for two reasons. Firstly I got to see two great friends and spend time with them. My friend Mitchell (see picture) was there and it is a delight to see him, chat with him and I enjoy listening to him speak. I need to listen to him from time to time to get myself re-focused and realise that there is so much I can do if I don’t let myself get in the way of me!!!



My other friend, Guy Levine, was also there and I love seeing him. He is such a lovely young man with a good brain and a warm heart. His insight into marketing on the internet is really wonderful.

I also got to see a number of other friends including Robyn Pearce who is the current President of the International Federation for Professional Speakers.

A wonderful experience was to be on stage at Inspire2006 and have the chance to question the four speakers after they had delivered their speeches. They were all Chief Executives of their companies. John Timpson of Timpson’s, Mark Adlestone from Beaverbrooks Jewelers and Claire Owen of Stopgap. They were all consistent in their message about the need to focus and develop people and most importantly the need to recruit the right people. They were very clear that if the person is not right, then deal with it and don’t let it contaminate the organisation.

I was only able to attend the opening of the UK Speakers Association conference but it was wonderful to see some old friends and to make some contacts.

I am off to South Africa now and have a hectic week planned over there.

South Africa and Namibia

Sunday evening I left for Jo’burg and landed on Monday morning. I hired a car and drove to Sun City, which is two hours from Jo’burg. I was speaking at the IPM Conference and was looking forward to staying at this amazing resort again. Sun City has a number of hotels, a golf course (I hear that there are crocodiles in the river), a casino and some amazing water features.



Elija Lipheko and I

The conference went very well, I ran a small workshop on ‘empowering people’ and then I was the closing speaker for the Conference. The speech went extremely well and the CEO asked if I would speak again next year. People were delighted with the message I gave them as I reminded them that South Africa has come a long way in the last 15 years and they should take pride in what they have achieved. I also pointed out the need to be focused and ‘face forward’ as they continued to build their future. In many ways South Africa is an example to the world in how to overcome adversity and seek reconciliation.

I was delighted to have met some interesting people, including the Director General of the CIPD in UK. I would like to thank Elija Lipheko the CEO of IPM, Shirley Zinn the President, Nicola who did all the planning and took care of me, and all the team who did such a great job.

Wednesday saw me presenting on behalf of Knowledge Resources. This was a packed workshop that went very well indeed. We had a chance to explore leadership and gave the attendees some very useful tips, which each one of them could use in their business.

Thursday took me to the country of Namibia. I had been invited by the Walvis Bay Municipality to speak at their Annual Business Breakfast. This was a new place for me to visit and I was looking forward to finding out about this Port on the edge of a great desert.

I was met by Piet Van Neikerk who organises the event every year. I was delighted to be told I was staying at a Protea Hotel in town. Protea is the biggest hotel group in Africa and I had interviewed Arthur Gillis, their CEO, last year. They are an imaginative hotel group and provide an excellent service as well as some really great accommodation. I was not disappointed. I met the hotel manager; Dave Wylie.

Piet and I outside the Town Hall

Piet, Dave and I headed off into the dunes for ‘sun-downers’. We drove along the main road out of town and literally turned off the road and headed into the sand. Up the dunes we went, until we found a spot over-looking the sea. Here we broke out the wine and the beer and got to know each other as the sun set over the sea. In front of us was the lovely site of the sun setting, to the left was the town of Walvis Bay, where lights came on in the distance as the darkness moved across the land, and behind us the dunes and desert spread out and changed colour as the sun set.

Even though there was a cool breeze on the dunes, the event was something very special. We packed up as the last bit of sun disappeared and headed into town for dinner. They took me to a restaurant on the old Peer. The original Rhodesian Teak boards still provided the restaurant with a floor. What a magnificent meal. Walvis Bay oysters (like cream in the mouth), and medallions of wild game (Ostrich and Gemsbok). We were joined by Jan and the four of us had a lovely meal followed by a night-cap back at the Protea Hotel.

The hospitality of these gentlemen was wonderful. These are lovely people who enjoy being in this town. Both Piet and Jan work hard to develop the town and Dave is doing a wonderful job with his hotel. I was exhausted, but very pleased with my first impressions of Walvis Bay.

I had an early start in order to get set up for the breakfast meeting. Over 350 people had booked, this was the chance a lot of businesses have to buy a table and invite their clients. Once again I had a chance to share with the people what is happening in the leadership world and gave them some pointers to help them in their businesses. I had an overwhelming response from them and many kind words of thanks.

Jan had arranged a trip to a local manufacturing company, which was very interesting. Then they had a treat for me! They would take me into the desert and show me some of the treasures and fun that can be had. We went for a ride, which I could not even start to describe. I saw the campsite where German soldiers camped in the first World War with footprints and tracks fossilised in the clay. Bottles used for shooting practice and even bones from those that had not made it! What can I say? An experience never to be forgotten, and the company of two great guys who were able to show and tell me so much. I want to thank Piet, Jan and Dave for their friendship and hospitality. I want to say a special thanks to Protea Hotel and the staff who were brilliant. To the Municipality and the wonderful people of Walvis Bay I say thank you for making me feel so welcome and for your kind words.

All I can say is, I will be back! To my new friends I say, thank you and a book is in the post.


Sunset in the Dessert

A trip to the States

The last two weeks have been hectic but also great learning opportunities.


I visited America and had a wonderful response from my trip to St Louis. I stayed at the Hilton St Louis Frontenac. Unfortunately my bags had not joined me on my journey!!!! This is when i discovered Tom, the night supervisor at the front desk. He was so helpful and arranged for a taxi to take me to Walmart at 4am (which is open 24hours) and get something to wear to go on stage the next morning. Thanks to Tom and all the staff at Hilton Frontenac for their wonderful support and a great visit.


St Louis people are so friendly and made me very welcome. A sell out for both days and Jim and his wife Kathy had done a great job in planning the two days. Thanks to them both for a wonderful visit and the opportunity to make some wonderful contacts.

My next stop was New Orleans. It was my first visit back after Huricain Katrina last year. AJ took me around and showed me some of the devestation that still remains a year later. Blocks and blocks of houses still empty with water lines showing how high the water was. AJ was able to tell me so much about what had happened and give me a first hand experience of the scale of the problem. My thanks go to him for this and I really do wish him well as he works hard to build his IMS business. Just call if I can help.

Last week was Dawn's birthday and we had a great party. Dawn runs the office for me and she is doing so well in keeping in touch with our clients around the world as well as making new contacts. I have a great team of people supporting me and appreciate them all.

A trip to the Middle East

31st August 2006 A visit to Pakistan

I have just spent 3 days in Pakistan starting in Lahore for a day and a night and then on to Karachi. I am not sure what I was expecting as I went with an open mind and an interest in what the people would be like and in particular how they would respond to me.

I enjoyed my visit a lot more than I expected. The people of this country are very hospitable and friendly. I was amazed at the friendliness of the people everywhere I went. From hotel staff to people that attended my seminars, I was greeted and made to feel welcome. I particularly want to thank Octara who brought me to Pakistan and arranged my visit. Their people are professional and very keen to work with me so that the attendees get the best possible seminar.

The audience at all three events asked great questions and talked to me at length about their situation and what they wanted to get out of my presentations. They were hungry to learn and the lucky winners were delighted with the books we gave away. This country faces many issues relating to the infrastructure but it has such great potential. With loads of natural resources, there is so much they could do, given the opportunity.

I look forward to returning and hope that I am able to contribute in some small way to the development of this country. I want to thank Muhammad Arif and Hamza W. Hashmi in particular for their hospitality and the friendship they showed me. I look forward to seeing them again soon.

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3rd September 2006 Dubai

Three days in Dubai. Lorna joined me here because she will be in charge of developing relationships in this area of the world. It was her first visit and an opportunity for her to discover this fascinating city.

We had the chance to meet with the Group CEO of Tranzum and CEO of Octara, Jamil Janjua, and had a wonderful lunch with him and his wife. They are a lovely couple and very hospitable. I look forward to doing more with them in the future.

This visit was also about planning for the Global Summit which will take place next June in Dubai. Reg Athwal has a good team in place and we were able to discuss the program and sponsorship as well as look at venues etc. Thank you Reg for your hospitality and we look forward to being back.

A visit to Gold Fields South Africa

Meeting Ian Cockerill, CEO of Gold Fields SA

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I arrived at Gold Fields Head Office to meet the CEO, Ian Cockerill. I was shown into a room, which I took to be the Board Room with a painting of Cecil John Rhodes on one wall and a photo of Nelson Mandella on another wall.



Ian walked through the door and I was immediately struck by the warmth of this man. He was welcoming and within minutes he was showing me around the room explaining the history of Gold Fields and what this room, in particular, represented.

Gold Fields will be 120 years old in February and the history of those years is etched into this room in simple things that denote landmarks or points in time. The latest is a cheque on the wall for R4.1 billion which was the result of the black empowerment transaction, which ensured that 15% of the company was owned by previously disadvantaged people in South Africa.

A year ago this company was in the middle of fighting off a hostile takeover from Harmony. The battle consumed the headlines for over 7 months in a very public and aggressive attack by Harmony. I was here to find out from this man how his leadership style had needed to be adapted, and what he had learnt. I also wanted to know how he saw the future of leadership in the face of ‘going global’.

I found my interview with Ian extremely interesting as he explained the approach he and his team had taken. He explained how he had prepared, the approach he had decided to take and the impact on him and his family. Here was a man that personified one of the characteristics of real leaders – his ability to learn from what happens and move on.

Ian believes the team is stronger and wiser, although a little cynical as a result of their experience. He explained that you see the worst side of people and life in these situations, which makes you a little cynical. But, in no way was I led to believe that this was anything but a healthy cynicism that will add to his and his teams ability to lead Gold Fields in the future.

Ian is a man I could talk to for hours because of his insightful mind, his grasp and perspective on business and the way the world is moving. I think I found in Ian a kindred spirit because he is also interested in Leadership.

I thank Ian for allowing me the opportunity to ask him some questions and in particular for sharing his passion with me, as well as his experiences.

Most of all I want to wish Gold Fields a very Happy Birthday for February.

A visit to South African Breweries

23 August 2006

A visit to the head office of South African Breweries (SAB) in Joburg

I visit numerous corporate offices and most corporate Head Office
buildings are extremely efficient looking, a lot of glass and marble
and no soul and a definite air of snobbery or the feeling of having
walked into their version of heaven. Even the secretaries in these
places give the air of being an upper breed because they “work in
Head Office” and in here, “we are the top dog”!

Driving into SAB at 65 Park Lane is NOT like that. Even the guard at
the gate is the most helpful, considerate and very pleasant person to
deal with. The receptionist was only covering, and yet had the
efficiency of a person who totally knew what was expected of someone in that position.

The walk into the Directors suite is always interesting as it often
tells you a lot about the organisation. I was very pleasantly
surprised to find a warm, friendly atmosphere that was not overly
‘plush’ but rather shouted out to me – we are proud of being
South African!

The walls have some very large, beautiful paintings of African scenes
that would stir the soul of any person who loved this part of the
world. Of course, painted into every picture is something that shows
South African Breweries, which is done in a way that shows a pride in
being part of this great country.

My interview with Tony van Kralingen, the Managing Director of SAB in
South Africa, was one of those interviews that I didn’t want to
end. There was so much knowledge to be gleaned from this man about this amazing company. The insight I gained from him backed up
everything I knew about SAB from my previous visits to their depots
and regions around the country. I had expected a bit of exaggeration
from Tony but everything I heard I could believe and understood based
on my past experience.

The reason I was here and why I wanted to interview Tony was because I
wanted to know how they generated the culture within their business
where measurement is not to be feared but rather something that is
welcomed. On my visits a couple of years ago to a number of depots within different
regions, the expression, “If it moves we measure
it” was very common. What I wanted to know was how an organisation
(especially one of this size) engenders that culture at all levels.

I was fascinated with what I discovered and appreciated the time Tony
gave me in order to show me a glimpse of what happens behind the curtain of
this progressive global company.



And on to Muscat in Oman

After a successful visit to Dubai at the CEO Conference I went on to Muscat in Oman. This was my first visit to Oman and I was really impressed by how this country is also developing and moving forward. Whole areas of Muscat have been torn down and rebuilt. I was taken to see the Palace and the royal ship in the harbour.

I was speaking at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and the delegates were business people from the business community. I was slightly concerned that I would not be understood and how the message would be relevant to their country and their situation.

I need not have worried. They were able to understand me and loved my session. One way I judge a session is by how many questions people ask, and we had to cut the questions because we ran out of time. So it was a success and they were delighted. They gave me a beautiful gift and I spent the afternoon in a Soek, which is a tradtional market.

My week in the Middle East

This week has been hectic with very little sleep but at the same time a great experience. On Saturday afternoon I flew to Dubai and arrived on Sunday morning at 3am. On to the hotel and finally into bed at 4.30am. We were being picked up at 9am!!!!!

I was speaking at the CEO Conference being held at the famous Jumeirah Beach complex. There were CEO's from America, China, UK and the Middle East. It was great to be speaking with people I knew and have the chance to catch up with them.

A wonderful event organised by James McGee in Dubai included a visit to the construction site of the tallest building. A visit to the Palm and a boat ride around the construction site.

Probably the highlight of the event was meeting and talking to H H Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum who is the man behind A1 Motor Racing. A visionary man who has a deep passion. He is an interesting businessman and I look forward to seeing him again in the future.

I also met a lovely man, Thomas Power, from UK who runs an excellent internet site www.ecademy.com and he was a pleasure to get to know. I hope this was the start of a long friendship. It was great to get to know Reg Athwall a lot more and of course my good friend and loony Scouse, Guy Levine. It is always facinating to listen to Rohit Talwar and chat to him about the future trends.

So now I am in Oman and tomorrow I talk to the Chamber of Commerce. I met the President of the Chamber today and got to know a bit about the country and the challenges and opportunities of living here.

More update at the end of the week

I get asked this question over and over again. This is my definition of the difference between management and leadership.