There are some great networking events taking place in the Midlands that are well worth getting to prior to Christmas 2009, with my pick of them being: -
Thursday 29th October – “Networking Made Clear”, Edge Creative are holding the latest of their excellent networking events at The Jam House in Birmingham, commencing at 6pm, this time in association with Clear Solutions. Email info@edgecreativesolutions.com for more details.
Wednesday 11th November – Lord Digby Jones is the guest presenter at the Birmingham Business Breakfast Club’s November meeting at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham from 7am to 9am. This will be a very popular event – for more details check out www.bbbc.biz
Friday 20th November – The Midlands Business Awards Dinner & Ceremony, the Holte Suite, Aston Villa FC. From 7pm until late, this Black Tie evening promises to be one of the events of the year, co-sponsored by the South Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry and raising money for the Midlands Air Ambulance. The website can be found at www.themidlandsbusinessawards.co.uk or call Jo Bailey on 07725 575282 for details.
Monday 30th November – Institute of Directors West Midlands AGM and Networking Event. 5.30pm to 8pm at the Royal Bank of Scotland, International Banking Centre, Fourth Floor, 2 St Phillips Place, Birmingham, B3 2RB www.iod.com
Wednesday 2nd December – “Yogi Bear’s Guide to Inspirational Leadership” by Steve Richardson, tour of Stoke City FC’s Britannia Stadium and AGM of CIMA North West Midlands commencing at 6pm. For more details contact julie.witts@cimaglobal.com
Tuesday 8th December – Cooper Parry Corporate Finance Networking Breakfast, Dave Mackay Suite, Pride Park Stadium, Derby 8am to 9.30am For more details visit www.cooperparry.com
Wednesday 16th December – Lunch with the IoD Director General, Miles Templeman, 12.30pm, Derby County Football Club, Pride Park Stadium, Derby DE24 8XL More information and booking details at www.iod.com
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Who are the Institute of Leadership and Management?
I am delighted to have recently achieved a Fellowship with the Institute of Leadership and Management and am proud to now also add the designatory letters FInstLM after my name.
After telling a few business colleagues about this great news and gauging their responses, I began to wonder how many people out there in the business world are actually aware of the ILM and what they are all about? The ILM first came to my notice one Sunday morning when they were commenting on a business leadership issue on the BBC News; so even if I was not previously aware of them, the BBC most certainly was (along with their almost 120,000 members).
In their own words, “The Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) supports, develops and informs leaders and managers at every stage of their careers. Through our broad range of industry-leading qualifications, membership services and learning resources, ILM provides flexible development solutions that can be blended to meet the specific needs of employers and management professionals”.
The levels of ILM membership is: -
Affiliate (AInstLM)
This grade is for you if you have a management related qualification at level 2 or at least 10 days’ CPD in the last 3 years or if you’re a newly appointed manager with less than 3 years’ experience or if you’re hoping to become a manager and you have a development plan.
Associate Member (AMInstLM)
If you have at least 5 years’ management experience OR a management-related qualification at level 3 or above or at least 20 days’ CPD within the last 5 years, this is the grade for you.
Member (MInstLM)
ILM’s most popular membership grade is for you if you have at least 5 years’ management experience AND a management-related qualification at level 3 or above or at least 20 days’ CPD within the last 5 years.
Fellow (FInstLM)
This most prestigious membership grade is reserved for those who have at least 7 years’ management experience including 5 years as a senior manager AND a qualification at degree level (level 5) or above or at least 35 days’ CPD within the last 7 years.
If you don't yet know who the Institute of Leadership and Management are, then perhaps you should find out. You can check out their website at www.i-l-m.com or email membership@i-l-m.com or call them on 01543 266886.
And once you have found out who they are, remember where you heard it first!!!
After telling a few business colleagues about this great news and gauging their responses, I began to wonder how many people out there in the business world are actually aware of the ILM and what they are all about? The ILM first came to my notice one Sunday morning when they were commenting on a business leadership issue on the BBC News; so even if I was not previously aware of them, the BBC most certainly was (along with their almost 120,000 members).
In their own words, “The Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) supports, develops and informs leaders and managers at every stage of their careers. Through our broad range of industry-leading qualifications, membership services and learning resources, ILM provides flexible development solutions that can be blended to meet the specific needs of employers and management professionals”.
The levels of ILM membership is: -
Affiliate (AInstLM)
This grade is for you if you have a management related qualification at level 2 or at least 10 days’ CPD in the last 3 years or if you’re a newly appointed manager with less than 3 years’ experience or if you’re hoping to become a manager and you have a development plan.
Associate Member (AMInstLM)
If you have at least 5 years’ management experience OR a management-related qualification at level 3 or above or at least 20 days’ CPD within the last 5 years, this is the grade for you.
Member (MInstLM)
ILM’s most popular membership grade is for you if you have at least 5 years’ management experience AND a management-related qualification at level 3 or above or at least 20 days’ CPD within the last 5 years.
Fellow (FInstLM)
This most prestigious membership grade is reserved for those who have at least 7 years’ management experience including 5 years as a senior manager AND a qualification at degree level (level 5) or above or at least 35 days’ CPD within the last 7 years.
If you don't yet know who the Institute of Leadership and Management are, then perhaps you should find out. You can check out their website at www.i-l-m.com or email membership@i-l-m.com or call them on 01543 266886.
And once you have found out who they are, remember where you heard it first!!!
Friday, 25 September 2009
Midlands Dealmakers Awards 2009
Despite this difficult economy, it was very encouraging to be part of the 700+ business people who attended the excellent Insider Magazine "Midlands Dealmaker Awards and Dinner" last night (with special thanks to Greenwell Gleeson Limited who very kindly extended an invitation to me).
Almost everyone who is anyone in the corporate finance world of the Midlands was there, with very strong showings in the award categories from LDC, KPMG and Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets.
The event showed that there is still much activity in the Midlands, and this will hopefully continue on an upward plane into 2010.
Almost everyone who is anyone in the corporate finance world of the Midlands was there, with very strong showings in the award categories from LDC, KPMG and Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets.
The event showed that there is still much activity in the Midlands, and this will hopefully continue on an upward plane into 2010.
Monday, 14 September 2009
Meet, Know, Like, Trust – The Power of Networking
As the summer fades away to a distant memory and most of us return to our desks, so begins the invitations to events, briefings, lunches etc. many with the promise of networking opportunities and the possibility of business referrals. The blurb almost seems to suggest that if you are prepared to give up a couple of hours of your time, new business can be yours. This is a gross over-simplification of the networking process.
First of all, no matter what you manufacture or which service you provide, business is done by people with other people. Therefore the old networking maxim, “Meet, Know, Like, Trust” (which was recently reminded to the attendees of a breakfast meeting of the South Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry) really comes into play.
Attending networking events allows you access to, and the opportunity to meet, many people in business. Hopefully you will cast off any nerves and talk to a number of these people. By regular attendance at these events you will come across some of these individuals again, speak to them some more, and get to know them.
As in all walks of life, some people you meet you will find that you have much in common with; others less so – but in whom you may still hold a healthy respect for. These are the people you now know in business and whom you realise you actually like.
And being human, we all prefer to deal with people we like and furthermore people we trust.
Another important rule to get the best out of networking is to “give”. It’s not all about securing referrals out of every networking contact but more about building long and lasting relationships. Think about how you can assist a networking contact with a problem or issue that he/she is currently experiencing. Perhaps you know someone who can help them. Remember, in the same way that you will recommend the services of a trusted network colleague to your other contacts, these network colleagues will also be recommending you, when appropriate, if they like and trust you. So goes the power of networking.
Hence, “Meet, Know, Like, Trust”.
First of all, no matter what you manufacture or which service you provide, business is done by people with other people. Therefore the old networking maxim, “Meet, Know, Like, Trust” (which was recently reminded to the attendees of a breakfast meeting of the South Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry) really comes into play.
Attending networking events allows you access to, and the opportunity to meet, many people in business. Hopefully you will cast off any nerves and talk to a number of these people. By regular attendance at these events you will come across some of these individuals again, speak to them some more, and get to know them.
As in all walks of life, some people you meet you will find that you have much in common with; others less so – but in whom you may still hold a healthy respect for. These are the people you now know in business and whom you realise you actually like.
And being human, we all prefer to deal with people we like and furthermore people we trust.
Another important rule to get the best out of networking is to “give”. It’s not all about securing referrals out of every networking contact but more about building long and lasting relationships. Think about how you can assist a networking contact with a problem or issue that he/she is currently experiencing. Perhaps you know someone who can help them. Remember, in the same way that you will recommend the services of a trusted network colleague to your other contacts, these network colleagues will also be recommending you, when appropriate, if they like and trust you. So goes the power of networking.
Hence, “Meet, Know, Like, Trust”.
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Intervallum Conference Diary - Part Two
Whilst between sessions at the Intervallum conference, one of our number spotted the latest book by “The Tipping Point” author, Malcolm Gladwell. Entitled “Outliers”, it describes itself as the “Story of Success”, but with a twist (Outlier – something that is situated away from or classed differently from a main related body).
Interestingly, numerous successful geniuses (i.e. Bill Gates) didn’t make it on intellect alone but were benefactors of opportunities by being at the right place at the right time i.e. he went to a private school where his Mother worked on a committee that raised money to buy a computer terminal for programming on a local mainframe in the days where almost all programming had to be done via punch cards (and this advantage led to programming opportunities with companies while he was still a student). Another example cited is with regard to ice hockey players who were born at the start of the year (and the start of the season) and were normally bigger and more powerful than younger boys, performing better and therefore getting the chances to have additional training (thus getting even better) and going on to be picked for the teams and becoming the major league players (while the younger players didn’t get the opportunities and eventually missed the grade).
The theory continues that IQ only matters to a certain level and that additional intelligence won’t make you any more successful. Physical intelligence then takes over, with the powers of persuasion (knowing how to get the best response from other people) becoming as significant as IQ.
Also, where you come from is important, according to Gladwell – not only due to the opportunities afforded you but in the attitude and confidence you will possess coming from a middle class family as opposed to the “constraints” felt by people with a poorer background.
Another factor of success (unsurprisingly) is hard work of a structured and meaningful nature – Gladwell suggests at least 10,000 hours are required to get to the top of your field, be it computer programming, becoming a chess master or playing the piano.
There’s also anecdotal evidence of people with IQs as high as 200 who never amounted to anything due to where they came from (family background), missed opportunities and an inability to communicate persuasively with people they perceive to be of a higher standing.
It’s certainly a thought provoking piece of work, gave the team plenty of interesting discussions, and goes some way to showing that intelligence alone simply isn’t enough to be a success.
As for the remainder of the conference itself, I would like to thank Mike Harvey for his excellent seminar presentations on Memory skills, the workings of the brain, and body language – a very entertaining and passionate presenter. And a special thanks to Perry McCarthy (racing driver and the original “Stig” from Top Gear) who’s hilarious talk ended the proceedings.
Interestingly, numerous successful geniuses (i.e. Bill Gates) didn’t make it on intellect alone but were benefactors of opportunities by being at the right place at the right time i.e. he went to a private school where his Mother worked on a committee that raised money to buy a computer terminal for programming on a local mainframe in the days where almost all programming had to be done via punch cards (and this advantage led to programming opportunities with companies while he was still a student). Another example cited is with regard to ice hockey players who were born at the start of the year (and the start of the season) and were normally bigger and more powerful than younger boys, performing better and therefore getting the chances to have additional training (thus getting even better) and going on to be picked for the teams and becoming the major league players (while the younger players didn’t get the opportunities and eventually missed the grade).
The theory continues that IQ only matters to a certain level and that additional intelligence won’t make you any more successful. Physical intelligence then takes over, with the powers of persuasion (knowing how to get the best response from other people) becoming as significant as IQ.
Also, where you come from is important, according to Gladwell – not only due to the opportunities afforded you but in the attitude and confidence you will possess coming from a middle class family as opposed to the “constraints” felt by people with a poorer background.
Another factor of success (unsurprisingly) is hard work of a structured and meaningful nature – Gladwell suggests at least 10,000 hours are required to get to the top of your field, be it computer programming, becoming a chess master or playing the piano.
There’s also anecdotal evidence of people with IQs as high as 200 who never amounted to anything due to where they came from (family background), missed opportunities and an inability to communicate persuasively with people they perceive to be of a higher standing.
It’s certainly a thought provoking piece of work, gave the team plenty of interesting discussions, and goes some way to showing that intelligence alone simply isn’t enough to be a success.
As for the remainder of the conference itself, I would like to thank Mike Harvey for his excellent seminar presentations on Memory skills, the workings of the brain, and body language – a very entertaining and passionate presenter. And a special thanks to Perry McCarthy (racing driver and the original “Stig” from Top Gear) who’s hilarious talk ended the proceedings.
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Intervallum Conference Diary - Part One
This year, the team has left the UK, turned the mobile phones off, and left all distractions behind.
The theme for this conference is to work"on" the business, not just "in" the business. And this is a point I think that far too many Company leaders fail to focus on. It's very admirable to work long hours at the "coal face", but if your efforts are misplaced then the business isn't going to be any further on. We have focused this week on a "Time to Think" philosophy - what are we wanting to achieve, are our efforts effectively aligned to these goals, are we contacting the right prospects and/or markets for future opportunities, or are there things we could do better (the answer is yes - we must all work on the basis of continuous improvement)?
By taking that step back from the front line and rising up to take a "helicopter" view, it is incredible how much you can see, and how many tweeks and minor changes you can effect to get you back on the course of the Company vision.
It's like a ship sailing the oceans just one or two degrees out of line - it starts off quite close to the original course, but after a period of time it will be a long way from the original target destination. Regular checking on the direction, as well as the day to day operation of the vessel, will give the Captain the information to make the minor tweeks he needs to reach his scheduled port.
This week the team has worked well to these ends in the conference sessions and produced some valuable thoughts that we intend to progress further as a Company.
Note: One highlight of the conference so far has been a seminar presentation by Dragons Den entrepreneur, David Pybus ("Scents of Time"), who lifted the lid on the behind the scenes aspect of the show, and what it has been like working with Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis (who together invested £80k into his business).
The theme for this conference is to work"on" the business, not just "in" the business. And this is a point I think that far too many Company leaders fail to focus on. It's very admirable to work long hours at the "coal face", but if your efforts are misplaced then the business isn't going to be any further on. We have focused this week on a "Time to Think" philosophy - what are we wanting to achieve, are our efforts effectively aligned to these goals, are we contacting the right prospects and/or markets for future opportunities, or are there things we could do better (the answer is yes - we must all work on the basis of continuous improvement)?
By taking that step back from the front line and rising up to take a "helicopter" view, it is incredible how much you can see, and how many tweeks and minor changes you can effect to get you back on the course of the Company vision.
It's like a ship sailing the oceans just one or two degrees out of line - it starts off quite close to the original course, but after a period of time it will be a long way from the original target destination. Regular checking on the direction, as well as the day to day operation of the vessel, will give the Captain the information to make the minor tweeks he needs to reach his scheduled port.
This week the team has worked well to these ends in the conference sessions and produced some valuable thoughts that we intend to progress further as a Company.
Note: One highlight of the conference so far has been a seminar presentation by Dragons Den entrepreneur, David Pybus ("Scents of Time"), who lifted the lid on the behind the scenes aspect of the show, and what it has been like working with Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis (who together invested £80k into his business).
Sunday, 26 July 2009
“How the Mighty Fall...” – the new book from Jim Collins
Like me, you may have followed Jim Collins work through the excellent “Good to Great”, to “Built to Last” and “Beyond Entrepreneurship” (possibly having previously read the seminal “In Search of Excellence” by Peters and Waterman). And now Collins is back with a new work entitled, “How the Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In”, which appears quite timely in the current economic landscape.
The headline premise of this work is that: -
Decline can be avoided
Decline can be detected
Decline can be reversed
In the book, Collins identifies the 5 main stages of decline which he describes as: -
Stage 1: Hubris born of success
Stage 2: Undisciplined pursuit of more
Stage 3: Denial of risk and peril
Stage 4: Grasping for salvation
Stage 5: Capitulation to irrelevance or death
In essence, he is looking for the main reasons why companies fall, and the stage that they go through from being successful to completely failing; he asks if such decline can be spotted early (much like a screening for a medical condition) and, if treated early, repaired.
The book is full of anecdotal examples of the good, the bad and the ugly in business and is short, punchy and very readable at 123 pages long (211 pages when taking into account the appendices and associated notes).
In my opinion this is a great reference resource for all senior executives to read and reflect on. By looking in to the corporate mirror with complete honesty, does your company fall into any of the 5 stages of decline? According to Collins, even if they do, it may not be terminal as long as you take the right action now.
The headline premise of this work is that: -
Decline can be avoided
Decline can be detected
Decline can be reversed
In the book, Collins identifies the 5 main stages of decline which he describes as: -
Stage 1: Hubris born of success
Stage 2: Undisciplined pursuit of more
Stage 3: Denial of risk and peril
Stage 4: Grasping for salvation
Stage 5: Capitulation to irrelevance or death
In essence, he is looking for the main reasons why companies fall, and the stage that they go through from being successful to completely failing; he asks if such decline can be spotted early (much like a screening for a medical condition) and, if treated early, repaired.
The book is full of anecdotal examples of the good, the bad and the ugly in business and is short, punchy and very readable at 123 pages long (211 pages when taking into account the appendices and associated notes).
In my opinion this is a great reference resource for all senior executives to read and reflect on. By looking in to the corporate mirror with complete honesty, does your company fall into any of the 5 stages of decline? According to Collins, even if they do, it may not be terminal as long as you take the right action now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
