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Monthly Archives: June 2017

What We Can Learn From Emirates Team New Zealand

30 Friday Jun 2017

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With Emirates Team NZ taking out a resounding victory to secure the Auld Mug once again, we can learn important messages that can be applied to the world of business:

1) Size doesn’t always matter. NZ had the smallest budget but used cohesion and focus to overcome the disadvantage of not having endless dollars to splash around.

2) Innovation is essential. The NZ team introduced innovations as a disruptor challenging many of the ‘givens’ in yachting.

3) Learn from past failures but keep them in the past. NZ squandered their lead in the last America’s Cup in San Francisco needing only one race to win. Rather than letting this become a ‘hoodoo’ they used this as a motivator but never let it weigh them down.

4) Come back from adversity stronger and wiser. When their boat totalled itself during the Louis Vutton Challenger Series they picked themselves up from near disaster and re-grouped. The repairs and new equipment made the boat faster.

5) Old heads are not always needed. The hero of the NZ team, Peter Burling, aged 26, was in his first America’s Cup. In fact only one of the crew had been there before. When you are good enough, you are old enough. Sometimes we need to rely on talent that is not encumbered by reasons why things can’t be done.

6) Don’t listen to the knockers. Commentators were saying that Emirates Team NZ would struggle because Burling couldn’t win a start. Burling won 7 starts out of 9 against the world’s greatest starter Jimmy Spithill.

7) Know what you are doing. Every team member knew their job so there was no ‘chatter’ on board. Clearly defined roles allowed team members to concentrate on their part in the overall whole.

8) Use technology to your advantage. The Kiwis used technology including ‘playstation’ controls and wearables  to monitor key information to give them the edge.

9) Continuously improve. Despite winning race after race Emirates Team NZ went back to the sheds each day to see how they could improve for the following day. Even if it was just a few seconds they learnt incrementally.

10) Celebrate with humility. Despite it being a long-held ambition to re-capture the Cup, when they won the Kiwis kept the celebration in perspective. In this game, as in business, you are only as good as the last goal you kicked. Longevity is the absolute yardstick of success.

With the America’s Cup, the world’s oldest sporting competition, now in the Southern Hemisphere, it is an opportunity for countries such as Australia and New Zealand to demonstrate to the world that we can be world-beaters. Innovation, focus and continuous improvement are the key ingredients to success.

Wonder Women – fighting for those who cannot see the complexity for themsleves

23 Friday Jun 2017

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alpha male, Chris Pine, DC Comics, Diana Prince, feminism, Gal Gardot, Jill Lepore, Margaret Sangster, Marvel Comics, The Secret Hsitory of Wonder Woman, William Marston, Wonder Woman

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My daughter has been staying with us for a week and as a committed feminist has used her time somewhat mischievously to wind-up her brother. As an alpha male who is five years her junior he hasn’t accrued the wisdom yet to know that winning an argument is not the “be all and end all” in life. In fact it’s an argument that doesn’t find any middle ground given they are both coming at the issue from diametrically opposed positions. Seldom have I heard the words misogynist and misanthropist used so often in discussion/argument.  Life, and therefore the workplace, also contain persons for whom there are widely different perspectives. Gender politics is at play each and every day and is probably getting more heated.

Airing different perspectives and being open to hearing another’s viewpoint is important in a mature and welcoming workplace. The same applies in friendships, communities and families. There can be a fine line between tolerance for the sake of maintaining the status quo or keeping the tone light and calling out every issue you disagree with. This may come down to losing a friendship if you call someone out for a view you find that doesn’t accord with your own. It might be the “I’m not a racist” racist remark, the “I’m not homophobic” homophobic remark,  the”I’m not sexist” sexist remark, or the “I’m not Islamaphobic” islamaphobic remark. Tolerance of such statements can be tacit consent and soft encouragement. Calling it out possibly risks straining and ending a relationship whereas staying connected offers the opportunity, by example, to change behaviours; admittedly over a longer period of time. Seeing the perspective of the other party, regardless of avoiding appeasement, is an essential ingredient to being mindful and having a robust EQ.

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We were given some free movie tickets lately and chose to see Wonder Woman. Sensing that a scantily clad superhero might provoke a response e.g. objectification of women, stereotyping etc.I thought I would do some homework. It did strike me that Wonder Woman as a character sits in elevated company with Superman and Batman etc but would be quite lonely if she wanted to swap stories about gender equality. There aren’t any other top-tier female superheros from the Marvel or DC Comics stable. Imagine my surprise though to find that the feminist credentials behind Wonder Woman are actually quite substantial.

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The comics were written by a reasonably famous American psychologist, William Marston, using the nom-de-plume Charles Moulton, who, coincidentally invented the lie detector. Might explain Wonder Woman’s truth lasso! His inspiration for the character was Margaret Sanger a pioneering feminist and acknowledged founder of the modern birth control movement. Sanger just happened to be the aunt of Marston’s parnter in a rather bohemian polyamorist relationship. He had the opportunity to observe her close up. It’s not quite that simple though because Marston also had an interest in BDSM and ‘pinup girls’ which might explain why Wonder Woman is dressed like she’s on the way to a Fetlife convention inspired by a Vargas centre-fold. Life is appears is much more complex than binary polarised viewpoints.

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As it happens Wonder Woman is an easy watch. Armed with the knowledge I had gained from hearing a podcast featuring Jill Lepore who has written the seminal work The Secret History of Wonder Woman I found it layered in ways that your traditional DC or Marvel fare isn’t. Most super heroes have a vulnerability e.g Superman and kryptonite. For Wonder Woman it is chains. Chained she is helpless so the comics and the movie see her bound and totally helpless. Each time she breaks free she is emancipating – the chains being a metaphor for breaking free from society’s constraints. Each time she is bound Marston gets to explore his fetish.

The reversal of roles in the comics and the movie are plain to see. The damsel in distress is none other than Chris Pine (aka Captain Kirk) and he must die and not her. It’s him that calls at her door at night and not vice versa. She saves the day single-handed. The men well are just a bit like wallpaper in the background. Their parts are not fleshed out to any degree, kind of like many female roles in male-oriented movies. Director Patty Jenkins is having a field day turning gender stereotypes on their head except maybe the key one and where women today are still complaining – equal pay.

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Gal Gadot playing Wonder Woman received a reportedly pitiful $300,000 for the part. Even if this is explained away by producers saying that’s what all leads get on their first franchise offering, you would have thought someone had the presence of mind to flip things on the head for this movie. After all this is wonder woman. We all know Wonder Women in our personal lives, communities and workplaces. My daughter is a wonder woman and will do great things. Unfortunately she will encounter men in her career who will hold her back or pigeon hole her not allowing her to grow. Fortunately there will be those who will see her potential and allow her to shine. At the end of the day no-one’s flame glows brighter by extinguishing another’s. The same might be said for snuffing out someone else’s argument. If we are to get on, we all need to realise that the world, like Marston’s life, is full of complexity, contradiction and compromise.

Cities Are Our Democratic Future

16 Friday Jun 2017

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cities, democracy, Donald Trump, Mao, Paris Climate Agreement, plutocracy, Sadiq Khan, South China Sea, Theresa May

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You can’t help but feel for London. With the spate of terrorist attacks and now the dreadful fire there must be a palpable sense of disbelief, grief and anguish hanging over what is one of the world’s great cities. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, seems to be everywhere whereas British Prime Minister Theresa May not so much. Her expression of grief and upset, while no doubt genuine, seems to feel a little more forced than Khan who, after all, connects directly with his own city.

This appears to be an emerging trend where large cities because of their size, strategic importance and cluster of financial power seem to be wielding a lot more influence. Influence beyond our comprehension a decade ago. Cities, for many of us, are where we live, work and die. The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) calculates that by 2050 70% of the world’s population will reside in cities. Cities are in many ways easier to make a connection to. It’s hard not to fall in love with Madrid or Barcelona, New York or Amsterdam. It is a lot harder to fall for the USA or Netherlands to the same extent. Where passion for an entire country comes into play it can be hard to distil patriotism from nationalism. At the city level I don’t think you can be nationalistic. I’ve not heard of a concept called ‘cityalism’. I’ve heard of city pride though.

In some ways countries are letting us down. The UK just recently seems a good example. For those of us who wanted to remain in Europe the country votes for Brexit. The USA, once leader of the free world, now seems to want to focus internally and gives its mantle to China. China which has worked hard through soft diplomacy to re-enter the world post Mao, now builds faux islands in the South China Sea for aggressive strategic advantage. Japan, in recent years a beacon of what you can do if you don’t devote your intellectual elite to the pursuit of armaments design and manufacture, is now militarising. We waited with baited breath recently for what Trump would do on the Paris Climate Agreement and he didn’t disappoint. They’re out!

With all the flux in the world politics and the rise of populism it feels like democracy itself is under threat. Trump isn’t doing much to help by muddying the waters around the Fifth Estate with his constant labelling of any negative press as ‘fake news’. Putin seems ensconced as the leader of Russia (duly elected) and the maturing democracy of Turkey has taken a huge leap backwards as President Erdogan curtails opposition, the press and free speech in an endeavour to cement his long-term plutocratic ambitions. Voters everywhere (except maybe France and Germany) are fed up. Politics and politicians are turning us off and away from a real interest in politics. It used to be a topic of conversation at the pub, or in the coffeehouses. Nowadays our views are so polarised you would think twice about revealing your political allegiance for fear of being disowned by your friends of the opposite political colour. Tolerance for another’s political perspective is genuinely lacking in today’s society.

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It’s easy to feel gloomy with this pot pouri of negativity permeating our world. But there is a shining light on our horizons. As it becomes too difficult, or problematic, to contemplate issues at an international or national level, people are starting to think and act locally. Community is the salve for the schisms in society. Cities are on the rise. Cities are making the pledges to reduce greenhouse gases a reality when their nations refuse to play ball. Cities are engaging their citizens in a way that is forging a new and dynamic form of democracy that might leave our traditional democratic structures behind. It just might be that cities save the very essence of democracy. So it’s Sadiq Khan who seems to cut through for me lately. Cities are vibrant and they engage. Spain has grappled with the vexed and complex issue of bull-fighting for years. Barcelona just banned it outright. When it felt like New Yorkers were losing their city to the developers and wealthy, they morphed the Highline out of an ugly industrial relic.

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It’s easy to be pessimistic with the world today and this constant barrage of negativity. But some things endure. The human spirit is one and the other is the inexorable rise of the city and its ability to heal communities and create engaging places to live, play and do business. Where governments can’t or won’t step in cities now will. That is why Sadiq Khan looked so …err.. Presidential this last couple of weeks and why May and Trump looked forlorn.

Tai Chi and the Bottom Line

09 Friday Jun 2017

Posted by Burning Manager in Uncategorized

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Eastern philosophy, redundancy, Tai Chi, Taoist Tai Chi Society of Australia, VUCA

tai-chi-1078x515I’m new to Tai Chi having only recently joined the Taoist Tai Chi Society of Australia. I’ve done a two day intensive and now devote two hours each Saturday morning where I practice this ancient and graceful martial art form done in slow motion with a group of dedicated and well-practiced Tai Chi-practitioners. Quite possibly the youngest in the group, I do know for certain I’m the only one sweating at the end of each session. What’s good about it is the fact that it requires so much concentration from me.  To even try to get near the fluidity and nuance of some of the moves, let alone string together the 108 move set that comprise Tai Chi, I have to devote my entire cognitive capacity. The worries, niggles and ideas from work can’t penetrate that time. Tai Chi I have discovered to my delight is not a semi-permeable membrane. After those two hours my mind is free from the tensions of work. Tai Chi in this respect is like gold!

It’s been a difficult time at work lately, losing our second biggest tenant which comprises over 20% of our income. It’s never easy being a Landlord. At any point when a tenant goes into administration the lease is one of the first things to go. Doesn’t matter that they are on a 10 + 10 lease. The email comes through and the administrator disclaims. Effectively this means from that point on you no longer have any money coming in even though all their stuff is there. Immediately your head starts to spin and inevitably your thoughts go to your bottom line. The question quickly arises as to how you can replace them and survive the loss of such a large portion of your income.

Regrettably this has meant redundancies, which I still feel is a reflection on poor management. Surely we are capable of retaining talent and replacing the sitting tenant? If only it was that easy. I heard recently that redundancy is a relatively new tool in management and that years ago management held onto staff loyal to them. In the endeavour to find new tenants, deal with administrators, handle the auction company, show prospects through, find ways to retain staff, re-organising our own company and farewelling someone in the most mindful manner under the circumstances, the stress levels peak. The brain starts to process these ‘simultaneous equations’ even when you try to switch off.

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I know that my most creative moments happen when I have cleared my head of the clutter. My daily meditation routine, in our meditation room, has sadly failed to de- VUCA my world at the moment. That is 20 minutes of me noting my thoughts without judgment and letting them slip away…only to be immediately followed by another. At the moment I find I need ‘industrial strength’ declutterer. Without a clear mind I am less able to get my mindset right to address the problems we are currently facing. That’s where Tai Chi has come to the rescue. After many a Single Whip, Carry Tiger to Mountain or Pick Up Needles from the Sea Bottom I am cleansed. This affords me most of the weekend to refresh, ready to tackle the challenge afresh on Monday morning.

True uncluttered downtime, where we can break free from thinking about work is essential. Despite CEOs regarding themselves as stress resistant and resilient individuals, we all need time to cleanse our palate otherwise everything tastes the same. It is true that in time of difficulty we seem to attract further difficulty. Actually, it often just feels that way because our mindset has shifted. Devotion of so much cognitive load to the problem means that when a small issue comes along we inflate its importance, not because it seems really large, but because we assess our capacity to deal with it psychologically, physically and emotionally as severely limited. Creating quiet space in our heads in a VUCA-world is one of the most important skill sets an executive can possess. Passing on this ‘wisdom’ is one of the most important roles an executive can fulfil. This is especially true for any departing staff who will be experiencing their own cognitive overload as they consider life without the security of a regular income until they get back on their feet.

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Philosophies from the East have much to teach us as our world gets more complex and technologically cluttered. As information overload occurs and we find ourselves caught in the middle of work that can follow-us 24/7, no matter where in the world we are located, finding a way to switch off is essential. It may seem strange to some to look back to the days before business technology to find a cure for its ailments, but if we want to address our issues in a meaningful way I would recommend thinking about Tai Chi or similar eastern practice. For me I no longer have a choice – it’s my bottom line.

The Stark State of Our Corporations

02 Friday Jun 2017

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Alan Joyce, Avatar, climate change, corporations, District 9, Donald Trump, Iron Man, Jeff Immelt, Jeffrey Skilling, leadership vacuum, Lehman Brothers, LGBTIQQ, Margaret Court, Margaret Thatcher, Paris Climate Accord, Qanats, refugees, social policy, Stark Industries, Tony Stark

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It’s the stuff of movies, particularly sci-fi, where the corporation, generally with some arch technology, ends up thwarting and subordinating the State. People become slaves to some corporate juggernaut able to monitor and control our every move. Think Omni Consumer Products (Robocop), The ICS Network (The Running Man), RDA Corporation (Avatar), Multi-National United (District 9) and my personal favourite, Energy Corporation (Rollerball). Just occasionally you see a mega corporation doing good, a la Stark Industries in Iron Man. But it’s the exception rather than the rule.

This week we have been ‘rocked’ by one of the most predictable events in recent political history; the departure of the US from the Paris Climate Accord. No right-minded person could think that climate change is some sort of fake news or hoax. Even Margaret Thatcher, way back when, commenting on climate change said even if you weren’t convinced wouldn’t you err on the side of caution? It can’t do any harm surely? Well Donald Trump thinks it can – to his blue collar coal-mining constituency who voted him in at the very least. The dystopian world that many feared would eventuate with the election of Donald Trump seems to be unfolding before our very eyes. You can almost admire Trump. He thinks something – without any basis in fact – and then follows through on his irrational assumptions. His thoughts on the matter are writ large in the media, especially Twitter.

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So too recently has our very own champion of women’s tennis Margaret Court used the media to espouse her distorted beliefs. Just lately she has felt compelled to make some pretty ‘out there’ comments about gay people and transgendered children. Her linkages of LGBTIQ people to Nazis, communists and the devil is the stuff of pure befuddled fantasy. She has so much of an issue with gay people (especially lesbians in the game that gave her so much of her wealth and fame) that she has refused to fly on our Australian carrier Qantas because its CEO is an openly gay man and a supporter of marriage equality.

The withdrawal of the US from the climate accord has left a leadership vacuum in climate change. In fact it would appear that the inward focus of Trump is leaving a leadership vacuum across a range of fronts. Take for example the breath-taking proposition of Communist China assuming the leadership mantle of free trade. Where climate change in the US is concerned it would appear that corporations will fill the void. Big names like GE, Du Pont, Exon Mobil, Tesla have indicated that they will step into the breach. It’s easy to see why. Those who embrace new technology get the jump on it. If you are a market follower it can be nearly impossible to play catch up. US corporations do not want to see energy innovation become the domain of other countries.

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It’s just not in public/climate policy where corporations are stepping up taking on quasi State-like roles. In social policy there are a number of CEOs of corporations who are embracing societal issues. Partly this is driven by responding to consumer pressure, partly due to internal pressure as millennials increasingly take up key roles in organisations. Woe betide any company that under pressure from its media savvy millennial workforce thinks that incremental evolution not revolution is the best way forward on social issues. This is a demographic who demand to see results now.

Alan Joyce, the CEO of Qantas, as an openly gay man has pinned his rainbow colours to the marriage equality mast. Good on him for that. More and more we are likely to see Corporations acting in the stead of the State. While governments play politics, Corporations have an enviable potential to actually deliver if they choose so to do. It will attract the ire of those who disagree with the moral/philosophical issue being championed. Margaret Court’s recent tirade is testament to that. With a clear road ahead it is hard not to imagine corporations pushing the boundaries across a range of issues previously regarded as the preserve of the State.  Space flight is one very clear example.

Corporations now appear willing to step up when voids are created. Climate change is an existential threat so the role played by Corporations as good global citizens will be crucial if we are to survive the climate change threat. The more governments shy away from taking big bold decisions in the face of huge challenges, the more the public will come to rely on Corporations to save us from our elected politicians. This is a genie that cannot be put back in the bottle. We know who we elect warts and all. The intense scrutiny of the media in the 24 hour news cycle has seen to that. Social media has heightened our gaze. If Corporations become de facto leaders through absentee government then we have to ask just how much do we know about these unelected power brokers? Perhaps as Shareholders now we need to know where Directors stand on a range of issues from climate change, gender equity, marriage equality, LGBTIQQ rights, migrants and refugees etc. rather than just what business qualifications they have and what other Boards they sit on?

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Victor Hugo described history as ‘an echo of the past in the future; a reflex from the future on the past’. History has taught us that when Corporations have unfettered freedom, think the East India Company, things don’t always go as we would like. Science fiction writers and directors most often cast the Corporation as evil in their imagined future and we all know how accurate they are in predicting the future look of things (hover boards aside).

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So next time you applaud your government for standing aside and letting ‘us’ get on with it, or celebrate the fact that our jobs will be safer and our electricity bills lower without action on climate change, reflect on this. It may not just be coastal erosion and devastating climactic conditions your grandchildren are fighting, but also some nebulous all-encompassing Corporation that cannot be elected out of office. Remember for every Jeff Immelt there is a Lehman brother or a Jeffrey Skilling. And remember we can’t rely on Iron Man. Our choice will be more stark than that!

 

 

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