Cicero will not post this week.
Instead he has released the following statement for us all to ponder and consider:
''In light of recent developments at Sky Sports this week and lest I too publish something that offends some -ism or other, I have decided not to post this week until the fuss has moved on.
'The impact of such po faced nonsense on free speech and freedom of expression in this country should concern us all and we seem to have lost sight of the dictum that while 'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.' Voltaire must be spinning in his grave.
'Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone''
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Thursday 27 January 2011
Friday 21 January 2011
Renewable Energy
Great to see you again. Hopefully you came through Blue Monday this week without incident. Isn’t it strange that we should have a day dedicated to negativity and depression? Says a lot about our national psyche. Maybe we should campaign for this Monday to be Sunshine Day and let’s fill it with positive, uplifting thoughts.
Given the comments that flooded back in response to last week’s musings, it is good to know that there are people out there reading and reflecting on these dribbles. And thanks for the encouragement to obtain a man bag and to go all metrosexual. Not sure quite ready for it yet but your support is appreciated.
Now those of you who are regular readers of these musings, and surely that must mean all of you, will no doubt be aware that we have long supported and advocated renewable energy as a panacea for much of today’s ills. And recent readings, learnings and deliberations have only reinforced that view.
A while back Cicero got the opportunity to visit the high performance training centre at Loughborough University watching top 2012 hopeful Jockstraps going their paces in the gym. It was exhausting work. But it was interesting to see that these Jockstraps spent more time sitting around gassing than using the exercise machinery but when they did, boy did they burn the carbs. Cicero on the other hand when he visits a gym moves seamlessly and relentlessly from machine to machine barely pausing to catch breath. And this set Cicero thinking.
You must be aware that in today’s society it is all about more, bigger, faster. In our workplace more information than ever is available to us and the rate at which we work is accelerating exponentially, prompting a sense of permanent urgency and endless distraction. Those older readers will no doubt recall the pre-email days when letters and memos were drafted by hand, typed by a typist, checked and then sent out by snail mail, if lucky, same day. And then a week later you would get a response. Now we send e-mails out all day to our hearts content and expect on line real time response.
And yet this relentless urgency must undermine creativity, quality, engagement, thoughtful deliberation, and ultimately performance. And they call this progress.
Surely we are at our most productive when we move just like the Jockstraps at Loughborough Uni between periods of high focus and intermittent rest. We cannot be productive if we are constantly juggling activities and not fully engaged in any of them. We are not like computers who operate most productively continuously, at high speeds, for long periods of time, running multiple programmes concurrently.
To back this up a study has been conducted in the power of deliberate practice among violinists. This suggests that great performers work more intensely than most of us do but also recover more deeply. Solo practice, undertaken with high concentration, is especially exhausting. The best violinists generated the highest value by working intensely, without interruption, for no more than ninety minutes at a time and no more than four hours a day. They also recognised that it was essential to take time, intermittently, to rest and refuel.
Now an interesting new study builds on this and suggests that whereas a computer just needs to be plugged into the wall socket, a human being has four energy needs to be met to operate at their best: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. By moving rhythmically between activity and renewal in each of these four dimensions we build our capacity to generate more and more value over time.
Our physical need is about taking care of our health and physical well being. It won’t on its own turn you into a great performer but failing to do so assures that you can’t ever perform at your best. We’re more effective at work when we regularly renew, alternating between active forms such as exercise and play and more passive forms such as meditation and sleep.
In the same vein we need to nurture our emotional needs. Feeling appreciated, secure and valued are key, and after all how we feel profoundly affects how we perform. It’s in our self-interest to cultivate positive emotions, not just because they make us feel good but also because they fuel productivity and effectiveness across all areas of our lives.
And our focus on our mental needs through self-expression and the freedom to develop one’s unique talents, ensures peak performance. A poverty of attention is the biggest hindrance in this area. In the violin study the most crucial ingredient of the most successful violinists, after motivation, was sustained, absorbed attention. The most common source of external distraction at work is e-mail. Think about how you could manage this more effectively so you are able to focus on the important project.
And lastly we must not ignore our spiritual well being. We must challenge ourselves to determine who we are and what we want, our values and our purpose. We can and will perform better if we can take actions that will serve a purpose beyond our immediate self interest.
Now is the time to think hard about how we live our lives and to help our colleagues think the same. To identify what we can to do nourish ourselves across all these four dimensions, to renew and re-energise ourselves and those around us. Always thought renewable energy was the future.
Is it only me........but is this the most pointless job out there?
In the current climate Apparatchik bashing is the new blood sport and our newspapers, well at least those not following the antics of someone called Peter Andre and Jordan, no not the country but a person seemingly, have joined in with great glee and gusto pointing out on a regular basis the cost of the Apparatchik class and the pointlessness of much of what it does.
Now while I might have smidgeon sympathy with some of these views I also realise that there are many good Apparatchiks doing worthwhile jobs who would love to be given the chance to improve the reputation of this tribe. Not all Apparatchiks are involved in engagement or stakeholder or consultation activities.
However is it only me but is this not the stupidest job title ever.....and horror of horrors it is in the private sector-Head of the Role of Bank Manager Programme? Ok it’s a bank so maybe it’s not totally in the private sector but it is still shocking and worrying to see it adopting Apparatchik thinking so readily.
Now I’m sure that the individual is a competent individual. And he, or she, is no doubt doing a good job, but does a bank really need a Head of Role of Bank Manager Programme given it must be stuffed full of bank managers who know how to do the role. Or at least they should do. And no doubt the Head of will have a bevy of senior managers, managers, assistant managers and executive officers reporting to him, or her. Whatever can they do all day?
Is this not the battiest job ever?
Methinks this needs to be brought to the attention of the shareholders to determine if such roles and functions can be justified. Sorry forgot that’s us, the taxpayer, and my answer is no.
Can anyone else come up with a pointless job?
And for those doing purposeful jobs, have a great week.
Sis felix. Et sis fortunatus.
Given the comments that flooded back in response to last week’s musings, it is good to know that there are people out there reading and reflecting on these dribbles. And thanks for the encouragement to obtain a man bag and to go all metrosexual. Not sure quite ready for it yet but your support is appreciated.
Now those of you who are regular readers of these musings, and surely that must mean all of you, will no doubt be aware that we have long supported and advocated renewable energy as a panacea for much of today’s ills. And recent readings, learnings and deliberations have only reinforced that view.
A while back Cicero got the opportunity to visit the high performance training centre at Loughborough University watching top 2012 hopeful Jockstraps going their paces in the gym. It was exhausting work. But it was interesting to see that these Jockstraps spent more time sitting around gassing than using the exercise machinery but when they did, boy did they burn the carbs. Cicero on the other hand when he visits a gym moves seamlessly and relentlessly from machine to machine barely pausing to catch breath. And this set Cicero thinking.
You must be aware that in today’s society it is all about more, bigger, faster. In our workplace more information than ever is available to us and the rate at which we work is accelerating exponentially, prompting a sense of permanent urgency and endless distraction. Those older readers will no doubt recall the pre-email days when letters and memos were drafted by hand, typed by a typist, checked and then sent out by snail mail, if lucky, same day. And then a week later you would get a response. Now we send e-mails out all day to our hearts content and expect on line real time response.
And yet this relentless urgency must undermine creativity, quality, engagement, thoughtful deliberation, and ultimately performance. And they call this progress.
Surely we are at our most productive when we move just like the Jockstraps at Loughborough Uni between periods of high focus and intermittent rest. We cannot be productive if we are constantly juggling activities and not fully engaged in any of them. We are not like computers who operate most productively continuously, at high speeds, for long periods of time, running multiple programmes concurrently.
To back this up a study has been conducted in the power of deliberate practice among violinists. This suggests that great performers work more intensely than most of us do but also recover more deeply. Solo practice, undertaken with high concentration, is especially exhausting. The best violinists generated the highest value by working intensely, without interruption, for no more than ninety minutes at a time and no more than four hours a day. They also recognised that it was essential to take time, intermittently, to rest and refuel.
Now an interesting new study builds on this and suggests that whereas a computer just needs to be plugged into the wall socket, a human being has four energy needs to be met to operate at their best: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. By moving rhythmically between activity and renewal in each of these four dimensions we build our capacity to generate more and more value over time.
Our physical need is about taking care of our health and physical well being. It won’t on its own turn you into a great performer but failing to do so assures that you can’t ever perform at your best. We’re more effective at work when we regularly renew, alternating between active forms such as exercise and play and more passive forms such as meditation and sleep.
In the same vein we need to nurture our emotional needs. Feeling appreciated, secure and valued are key, and after all how we feel profoundly affects how we perform. It’s in our self-interest to cultivate positive emotions, not just because they make us feel good but also because they fuel productivity and effectiveness across all areas of our lives.
And our focus on our mental needs through self-expression and the freedom to develop one’s unique talents, ensures peak performance. A poverty of attention is the biggest hindrance in this area. In the violin study the most crucial ingredient of the most successful violinists, after motivation, was sustained, absorbed attention. The most common source of external distraction at work is e-mail. Think about how you could manage this more effectively so you are able to focus on the important project.
And lastly we must not ignore our spiritual well being. We must challenge ourselves to determine who we are and what we want, our values and our purpose. We can and will perform better if we can take actions that will serve a purpose beyond our immediate self interest.
Now is the time to think hard about how we live our lives and to help our colleagues think the same. To identify what we can to do nourish ourselves across all these four dimensions, to renew and re-energise ourselves and those around us. Always thought renewable energy was the future.
Is it only me........but is this the most pointless job out there?
In the current climate Apparatchik bashing is the new blood sport and our newspapers, well at least those not following the antics of someone called Peter Andre and Jordan, no not the country but a person seemingly, have joined in with great glee and gusto pointing out on a regular basis the cost of the Apparatchik class and the pointlessness of much of what it does.
Now while I might have smidgeon sympathy with some of these views I also realise that there are many good Apparatchiks doing worthwhile jobs who would love to be given the chance to improve the reputation of this tribe. Not all Apparatchiks are involved in engagement or stakeholder or consultation activities.
However is it only me but is this not the stupidest job title ever.....and horror of horrors it is in the private sector-Head of the Role of Bank Manager Programme? Ok it’s a bank so maybe it’s not totally in the private sector but it is still shocking and worrying to see it adopting Apparatchik thinking so readily.
Now I’m sure that the individual is a competent individual. And he, or she, is no doubt doing a good job, but does a bank really need a Head of Role of Bank Manager Programme given it must be stuffed full of bank managers who know how to do the role. Or at least they should do. And no doubt the Head of will have a bevy of senior managers, managers, assistant managers and executive officers reporting to him, or her. Whatever can they do all day?
Is this not the battiest job ever?
Methinks this needs to be brought to the attention of the shareholders to determine if such roles and functions can be justified. Sorry forgot that’s us, the taxpayer, and my answer is no.
Can anyone else come up with a pointless job?
And for those doing purposeful jobs, have a great week.
Sis felix. Et sis fortunatus.
Thursday 13 January 2011
All arms and legs
Greetings.
You are all being really quiet. No comment on last week’s dose of wit and wisdom? Was it not provocative enough for you? Did it not even annoy the Guardianistas and we know how touchy this tribe can be? Or were we still suffering the effects of the revels?
A few weeks back Cicero was in conversation with a Marketing Head Honcho, swapping notes on experiences, capabilities, skills and competencies. It was an illuminating and interesting discussion as they batted backwards and forwards career highs and lows, though there were few lows on either side.
And then Cicero asked what he thought was a perfectly innocuous, straightforward and easy to answer question-how do you build teams?
The Head Honcho went silent for a long time and then huffed and puffed before finally stumbling his way through an answer. It was not that the Head Honcho could not build teams, he just found it difficult to answer because he was so good at it.
It is often said that in sport great players make poor managers and coaches because the silky skills they take for granted and don’t even think about, they cannot pass on. This is not a problem Cicero has. Never has been and never will be, alas.
Now why should this be? Why can’t great sportsmen pass on their genius? Why couldn’t a Marketing Head Honcho explain why he was so good at team building?
Once again we will look to nature for our answer.
Last week when exploring the libretto from a song and dance show called ‘Chicago’ we mentioned the idea of the Confucian Centipede and this week we find out more about her....or him.
As we know a centipede has a hundred arms and legs. Hence the name. And if you watch closely the arms and legs move seamlessly in a beautifully syncopated fashion that Anton du Beke envies, with a ripple effect that Craig Revel Horwood admires and with a grace and poise that not even Anne Widdecombe can emulate.
One day a centipede was strolling through the forest tracked by Jenny Longlegs who had been taking copious notes of the choreography but when trying to put into action failed miserably.
‘Hey you’, she called out, ‘Mr Centipede. Look I have been studying you for a while but I can’t follow the moves you make that I have written down in my book. Explain to me how to walk like you do’
The centipede took the book, studied it for a while and with a scratching of his head, said,‘Do I do that? Do I really do that?’.
He put the book down, shaking his head in amazement, before trying to demonstrate and to follow the copious and detailed notes that Jenny Longlegs had written down.
But the centipede hadn't thought about this before, and didn't do too great. And as a consequence ‘his hundred feet got twisted and wound up in a tangle, fracturing 14 kneecaps, 7 shinbones and an ankle.’
But the story has a happy ending and though he was in terrible pain and was in recovery for a very long time, he did learn to walk again. Before long he was back on his feet and moving once again in perfect rhythm but now he tells his neighbours, anyone who comes to see, and anyone who wants to know the secrets of his dance technique, "never try an explanation of what comes naturally!"
But that is not the end of the story, you will be disappointed to learn.
For it is not enough to excuse an inability to articulate performance excellence by just saying you shouldn’t explain what comes naturally, as the Head Honcho was advised. Good leaders possess a self awareness and an insight on their performance which means they really do understand their strengths and weaknesses inside and out, and that they can articulate these. Great leaders have the ability to learn about themselves and to pass on these insights to others to coach others to optimum performance.
Sadly the Confucian Centipede would never have made a great leader or coach. We may not have hundred arms and legs but the challenge for us is the same-to be to explain what comes naturally to those around us without getting into a right fankle.
Is it only me.........but I think it’s time for me to get in touch with my feminine side, assuming of course I have one of these!
In the olden days before you left the house all you had to do was to check that you had your wallet.
And in the even older days the only thing that your wallet might contain would be money of the folding variety which was relatively portable and easy to carry around.
Now wallets bulge with a variety of plastic cards and loyalty cards as well as folding money. And you have a small life support system to carry around everywhere with you.
And pockets now strain to bursting as we men carry around a multiplicity of devices to cope with the disabilities of old age such as spectacles and the products of a mobile technology revolution such as phones and MP3 players named after a compote of summer fruits. Last week on one count alone I had stuffed into the recesses of my suit 3 sets of keys; reading glasses; mobile phone; MP3; PDA; and bulging wallet; oh and a few bawbees.
Now this is not just bad for my sartorial elegance. Bulging pockets ruin suits and the line of these vestments. And heaven forbid should a phone ring and you have to rummage through assorted electronic devices, money, specs, wallets and plastic to answer before it rings off, ripping the line of your cool-looking suit as you do so.
So on this occasion, and on this occasion only, I am prepared to admit that the distaffs might have it right.
And I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that the time might be right for me to obtain a man bag to contain my life support system and to enhance its portability without the need for a specially designed suit with the dimensions of a Tardis. I know this will come as a shock to you that I am going all metro-sexual but I can see no other option and methinks the support system need for everyday living is only going to get bigger and more complex.
And although I am already there rationally, I am not yet there emotionally which is why my pockets continue to bulge and strain and why Mae West thought I might be pleased to see her. But it can’t be long now before I succumb and soon I will be able to talk knowledgeably about handbags with the distaffs. Unless you can come up with an alternative solution to my problem.
But I can promise that, given my long standing hostility to trolley dolly brief cases, my man bag will not come with bloody wheels.
Have a great week
Sis felix. Et sis fortunatus.
You are all being really quiet. No comment on last week’s dose of wit and wisdom? Was it not provocative enough for you? Did it not even annoy the Guardianistas and we know how touchy this tribe can be? Or were we still suffering the effects of the revels?
A few weeks back Cicero was in conversation with a Marketing Head Honcho, swapping notes on experiences, capabilities, skills and competencies. It was an illuminating and interesting discussion as they batted backwards and forwards career highs and lows, though there were few lows on either side.
And then Cicero asked what he thought was a perfectly innocuous, straightforward and easy to answer question-how do you build teams?
The Head Honcho went silent for a long time and then huffed and puffed before finally stumbling his way through an answer. It was not that the Head Honcho could not build teams, he just found it difficult to answer because he was so good at it.
It is often said that in sport great players make poor managers and coaches because the silky skills they take for granted and don’t even think about, they cannot pass on. This is not a problem Cicero has. Never has been and never will be, alas.
Now why should this be? Why can’t great sportsmen pass on their genius? Why couldn’t a Marketing Head Honcho explain why he was so good at team building?
Once again we will look to nature for our answer.
Last week when exploring the libretto from a song and dance show called ‘Chicago’ we mentioned the idea of the Confucian Centipede and this week we find out more about her....or him.
As we know a centipede has a hundred arms and legs. Hence the name. And if you watch closely the arms and legs move seamlessly in a beautifully syncopated fashion that Anton du Beke envies, with a ripple effect that Craig Revel Horwood admires and with a grace and poise that not even Anne Widdecombe can emulate.
One day a centipede was strolling through the forest tracked by Jenny Longlegs who had been taking copious notes of the choreography but when trying to put into action failed miserably.
‘Hey you’, she called out, ‘Mr Centipede. Look I have been studying you for a while but I can’t follow the moves you make that I have written down in my book. Explain to me how to walk like you do’
The centipede took the book, studied it for a while and with a scratching of his head, said,‘Do I do that? Do I really do that?’.
He put the book down, shaking his head in amazement, before trying to demonstrate and to follow the copious and detailed notes that Jenny Longlegs had written down.
But the centipede hadn't thought about this before, and didn't do too great. And as a consequence ‘his hundred feet got twisted and wound up in a tangle, fracturing 14 kneecaps, 7 shinbones and an ankle.’
But the story has a happy ending and though he was in terrible pain and was in recovery for a very long time, he did learn to walk again. Before long he was back on his feet and moving once again in perfect rhythm but now he tells his neighbours, anyone who comes to see, and anyone who wants to know the secrets of his dance technique, "never try an explanation of what comes naturally!"
But that is not the end of the story, you will be disappointed to learn.
For it is not enough to excuse an inability to articulate performance excellence by just saying you shouldn’t explain what comes naturally, as the Head Honcho was advised. Good leaders possess a self awareness and an insight on their performance which means they really do understand their strengths and weaknesses inside and out, and that they can articulate these. Great leaders have the ability to learn about themselves and to pass on these insights to others to coach others to optimum performance.
Sadly the Confucian Centipede would never have made a great leader or coach. We may not have hundred arms and legs but the challenge for us is the same-to be to explain what comes naturally to those around us without getting into a right fankle.
Is it only me.........but I think it’s time for me to get in touch with my feminine side, assuming of course I have one of these!
In the olden days before you left the house all you had to do was to check that you had your wallet.
And in the even older days the only thing that your wallet might contain would be money of the folding variety which was relatively portable and easy to carry around.
Now wallets bulge with a variety of plastic cards and loyalty cards as well as folding money. And you have a small life support system to carry around everywhere with you.
And pockets now strain to bursting as we men carry around a multiplicity of devices to cope with the disabilities of old age such as spectacles and the products of a mobile technology revolution such as phones and MP3 players named after a compote of summer fruits. Last week on one count alone I had stuffed into the recesses of my suit 3 sets of keys; reading glasses; mobile phone; MP3; PDA; and bulging wallet; oh and a few bawbees.
Now this is not just bad for my sartorial elegance. Bulging pockets ruin suits and the line of these vestments. And heaven forbid should a phone ring and you have to rummage through assorted electronic devices, money, specs, wallets and plastic to answer before it rings off, ripping the line of your cool-looking suit as you do so.
So on this occasion, and on this occasion only, I am prepared to admit that the distaffs might have it right.
And I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that the time might be right for me to obtain a man bag to contain my life support system and to enhance its portability without the need for a specially designed suit with the dimensions of a Tardis. I know this will come as a shock to you that I am going all metro-sexual but I can see no other option and methinks the support system need for everyday living is only going to get bigger and more complex.
And although I am already there rationally, I am not yet there emotionally which is why my pockets continue to bulge and strain and why Mae West thought I might be pleased to see her. But it can’t be long now before I succumb and soon I will be able to talk knowledgeably about handbags with the distaffs. Unless you can come up with an alternative solution to my problem.
But I can promise that, given my long standing hostility to trolley dolly brief cases, my man bag will not come with bloody wheels.
Have a great week
Sis felix. Et sis fortunatus.
Friday 7 January 2011
Razzle dazle 'em
Greetings, welcome back and lang may yer lum reek. We trust the festival season was good for and to you.
And now let us put the revels and feasting behind us for another 12 months and get on with our work. We have much to do.
It seems that some of you are finding the comments appended to Cicero’s words of wit and wisdom oft times more interesting and entertaining than the words Cicero’s writes. Clearly it is pleasing that Cicero’s thoughts are provoking such interesting responses though it is hardly complimentary that Cicero’s own words in themselves are not considered equally intellectually fulfilling.
Still we will plough on.
Cicero is now officially an ‘expert’ and later this month, on the Feast of Burns to be precise, he has been invited to commune with academics, alumni and students at one of our leading universities, on matters close to his heart. It is a thrill and an honour.
Now as you know Cicero’s reputation as a learned orator has been passed down through the generations and though his skills may have waned with age, he is still regarded as jolly good in this aspect.
Oftentimes he has been asked to explain his oratorical skills to a younger generation and he has often found this difficult to do, just like the Confucian Centipede (to be explained in a forthcoming epistle) could not explain how he moved his countless legs. And then while sitting relaxing over the revels listening to some notes from some song and dance show called ‘Chicago’, the answer came and today is the day we get to hear his explanation and exposition of his loquaciousness.
Indeed it is rather quite simple and the insight we are now about to be given can be used, re-used and practised in just about any business situation. And all you need to remember is that the business you are in is in fact show business and your office, the meeting, the presentation, is nothing but a stage on which you perform.
In the words of the song that inspired Cicero all you need to do is.......cue music, lights, action:
Give 'em the old razzle dazzle
Razzle dazzle 'em
Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it
And the reaction will be passionate.....................’
To be great in business you have to learn to act and to put on performance. This is not about insincerity. All great acting is based on a truth but to be great, like all actors, you have to wear many faces, all rooted within in a truth.
And so when Cicero stands up to orate he is not there to read a script or a set of PowerPoint slides. That would be boring. No he is there to put on a show, to perform, to entertain and to razzle dazzle ‘em. And from time to time if we are really lucky to educate and enlighten as well.
And the same applies in meetings. It’s all a show and those who perform well in meetings understand that, understand that they are performing in front of an audience and have the lines and the acting ability to razzle and dazzle in this environment too.
The next time you are in a meeting watch carefully all those around you and work out who is the star in the room and why. Who there is putting on ‘’a show that's so splendiferous that row after row will grow so vociferous’’?
And so for 2011, be inspired by the music around you and learn to put on a performance each and every time you have an audience. Treat your business as a stage and your business as show business. It’s all show business.
So just remember ‘Razzle dazzle 'em..........And they'll make you a star!’ And that’s not a bad ambition to have for 2011.
Is it only me...........but what has happened to our 9-5 culture?
The recent inclement weather, which climate no change deniers continue to ascribe to man mad global warming, go figure, has brought it home to me that in this country at least when the weather has gone a wee bit wonky, we do not do 9-5 in our shops, factories and offices. And this is so serious that Calvin is turning in his grave as his work ethic is torn to shreds.
Most of us have a contract with our employer which says we must turn up at work at 9am and go home at roughly 5pm. I accept that there are multiple variations on this theme but broadly speaking this is the standard working day for most people. Agreed?
And yet this is not how our psyche works. We do not think of our working day starting at 9am but when we leave our centrally heated homes to try to get to work. And vice versa in the evening. Our working day ends when we get home and put our slippers on.
So when the weather goes a wee bit wonky we do not accept we have to leave the house earlier because we know it is going to take longer to get to our workplaces for 9am. And so we leave the house when we normally do and get in late. And of course we have to leave early so we are home at our normal time. It does not occur to us to accept that our slippers may have to wait by the fire for a wee bit longer.
Now it might only be me, and on this occasion it probably will be only me, but surely we have an obligation not just to our employers but also to our customers and to others around us, to make more of an effort to fulfil our contractual terms, even if that does mean leaving for work earlier and getting home later. Or maybe, and this is a radical and revolutionary thought, handing back the portion of our pay we earned while doing nothing travelling, or deducting from our holidays. Fair deal?
And maybe if more of us adopted said approach and maintained our normal contracting hours irrespective of when we left home and got back, we might even get our bins emptied when they are supposed to be emptied. Trains, planes and buses might run. And businesses would not hide behind the weather and use it as an excuse for appalling levels of customer service. Did anyone else try to phone a call centre while the snow lay on the ground tick and crisp and even? Did you get through?
And for the avoidance of doubt, and to ensure I am not hang, drawn and quartered by those with whom it is my great privilege and pleasure to work alongside, let me make it clear that no one I know adopts this approach.
But what do you think? Barmy or brilliant?
Have a great week.
Sis felix. Et sis fortunatus.
And now let us put the revels and feasting behind us for another 12 months and get on with our work. We have much to do.
It seems that some of you are finding the comments appended to Cicero’s words of wit and wisdom oft times more interesting and entertaining than the words Cicero’s writes. Clearly it is pleasing that Cicero’s thoughts are provoking such interesting responses though it is hardly complimentary that Cicero’s own words in themselves are not considered equally intellectually fulfilling.
Still we will plough on.
Cicero is now officially an ‘expert’ and later this month, on the Feast of Burns to be precise, he has been invited to commune with academics, alumni and students at one of our leading universities, on matters close to his heart. It is a thrill and an honour.
Now as you know Cicero’s reputation as a learned orator has been passed down through the generations and though his skills may have waned with age, he is still regarded as jolly good in this aspect.
Oftentimes he has been asked to explain his oratorical skills to a younger generation and he has often found this difficult to do, just like the Confucian Centipede (to be explained in a forthcoming epistle) could not explain how he moved his countless legs. And then while sitting relaxing over the revels listening to some notes from some song and dance show called ‘Chicago’, the answer came and today is the day we get to hear his explanation and exposition of his loquaciousness.
Indeed it is rather quite simple and the insight we are now about to be given can be used, re-used and practised in just about any business situation. And all you need to remember is that the business you are in is in fact show business and your office, the meeting, the presentation, is nothing but a stage on which you perform.
In the words of the song that inspired Cicero all you need to do is.......cue music, lights, action:
Give 'em the old razzle dazzle
Razzle dazzle 'em
Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it
And the reaction will be passionate.....................’
To be great in business you have to learn to act and to put on performance. This is not about insincerity. All great acting is based on a truth but to be great, like all actors, you have to wear many faces, all rooted within in a truth.
And so when Cicero stands up to orate he is not there to read a script or a set of PowerPoint slides. That would be boring. No he is there to put on a show, to perform, to entertain and to razzle dazzle ‘em. And from time to time if we are really lucky to educate and enlighten as well.
And the same applies in meetings. It’s all a show and those who perform well in meetings understand that, understand that they are performing in front of an audience and have the lines and the acting ability to razzle and dazzle in this environment too.
The next time you are in a meeting watch carefully all those around you and work out who is the star in the room and why. Who there is putting on ‘’a show that's so splendiferous that row after row will grow so vociferous’’?
And so for 2011, be inspired by the music around you and learn to put on a performance each and every time you have an audience. Treat your business as a stage and your business as show business. It’s all show business.
So just remember ‘Razzle dazzle 'em..........And they'll make you a star!’ And that’s not a bad ambition to have for 2011.
Is it only me...........but what has happened to our 9-5 culture?
The recent inclement weather, which climate no change deniers continue to ascribe to man mad global warming, go figure, has brought it home to me that in this country at least when the weather has gone a wee bit wonky, we do not do 9-5 in our shops, factories and offices. And this is so serious that Calvin is turning in his grave as his work ethic is torn to shreds.
Most of us have a contract with our employer which says we must turn up at work at 9am and go home at roughly 5pm. I accept that there are multiple variations on this theme but broadly speaking this is the standard working day for most people. Agreed?
And yet this is not how our psyche works. We do not think of our working day starting at 9am but when we leave our centrally heated homes to try to get to work. And vice versa in the evening. Our working day ends when we get home and put our slippers on.
So when the weather goes a wee bit wonky we do not accept we have to leave the house earlier because we know it is going to take longer to get to our workplaces for 9am. And so we leave the house when we normally do and get in late. And of course we have to leave early so we are home at our normal time. It does not occur to us to accept that our slippers may have to wait by the fire for a wee bit longer.
Now it might only be me, and on this occasion it probably will be only me, but surely we have an obligation not just to our employers but also to our customers and to others around us, to make more of an effort to fulfil our contractual terms, even if that does mean leaving for work earlier and getting home later. Or maybe, and this is a radical and revolutionary thought, handing back the portion of our pay we earned while doing nothing travelling, or deducting from our holidays. Fair deal?
And maybe if more of us adopted said approach and maintained our normal contracting hours irrespective of when we left home and got back, we might even get our bins emptied when they are supposed to be emptied. Trains, planes and buses might run. And businesses would not hide behind the weather and use it as an excuse for appalling levels of customer service. Did anyone else try to phone a call centre while the snow lay on the ground tick and crisp and even? Did you get through?
And for the avoidance of doubt, and to ensure I am not hang, drawn and quartered by those with whom it is my great privilege and pleasure to work alongside, let me make it clear that no one I know adopts this approach.
But what do you think? Barmy or brilliant?
Have a great week.
Sis felix. Et sis fortunatus.
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