It’s a great question but be very careful about playing politics unless you know what you are doing. It’s similar to investing money, you need to be prepared to lose as well as win. 

The interesting part is that you don’t start playing politics, it starts by playing with you. Think about your first day in the job, who came and introduced themselves to you? What were they like?  Friendly, welcoming, asked you a lot of questions to get to know you.  Well, you were starting in the game of politics. Politics is all about power. Who is in control and who leads the pack? 

Even at home or among your friends you are playing politics too. Think about it, who decides where you go as a group on a night out?  Who decides what you will eat tonight?  Who takes control in an argument? The amazing thing about politics is it is part of your daily life. The difference is that some people pay attention to it and use it to their advantage, while others cruise along, not really aware of what is going on. 

My first piece of advice is: don’t try to take control as it has already been decided by the group your work with or socialise with.  If you suddenly turn up saying you will decide where to go or what to eat is just going to put people’s back up. 

The real trick with corporate or social politics is to understand where the power base is, who supports the power base and who is influential in that power base. Another useful angle on understanding the power base is the see who is outside the pack? What person or persons are criticized the most, which ones are ridiculed at the water cooler talks or bathroom talks?  You need to know who they are too. 

As you can see with this process, you are building up a matrix of who’s who. In many cases it could be your boss who is the group leader and hopefully he’s good at his job. Many bosses enjoy the power of being in control of people’s lives and emotions.  Some people play up to the boss for this reason and this can be a risky strategy. Bosses can and do change and then you’re back to square one. 

So back to your matrix, try this at home and you will be amazed. Start off with the controller of a particular group that you are familiar with and then add in supporters, influencers (use different colours for each group). Now start another group you are familiar with, who probably don’t associate with the first group but probably work in the same area. So, build up that matrix too. Now you will see the people who understand politics as they will have position in both camps. They run with the foxes and hunt with the hounds. Many people don’t realise they do it, but it’s useful for you the have the map. 

So how can this help, well it’s all about awareness! Ideally you need a foot in each camp but that may result in you not being an influencer as you may be perceived as part of the other group. But for the sake of harmony, you help build bridges, so you are perceived as useful. 

Now how do you use it to help yourself? Well, knowing who makes the decisions and who the influencers are can really assist with your progress in the organization. Apart from being good at your job, which you must be, you should be passionate about the organization you work for, that alone may not get your up the corporate ladder, it’s the connections that you have made, along with the use of the influencers in the various packs that can get you noticed. 

The most important part of politics is being aware of who the main players are, find out about them. How long have they been here? What are their objectives or goals? Can you assist in anyway?  If you can, then they maybe they will assist you on your way up.

A note to bosses, yes it’s great to have a team of people around you who tell you that you are great but is there sincerity in that? Get to know your people.  Who are the leaders of the groups?  Who has influence?  How can you use this to help you meet target and goals of the organization? Get building that matrix too.

So, can it go wrong? Yes, it does and frequently – that’s why many people don’t play politics except people who are good at it and why some of us are happy to coast along with the group. Bosses change and so do allegiances so beware. Having a foot in both camps helps to limit the effect of this.  

Corporate politics is fascinating, as a starting point talk to the people who have been there for a few years, ask them who the players are and find out about them and their traits. This will help you identify the ones to be close to and the ones to be careful of. And, if you become really good at politics well then, your career path could take you a long way.

The first problem was the belief that the Titanic was unsinkable, folly of course but hindsight is a great thing. But how many Senior leaders think their business are infallible today, any yet the many icebergs of business, the threat from competition, is mostly ignored. 

Why does this happen well it can be for a number of reasons but from my experience it can sometimes be due to the middle management team. Their approach is don’t tell the senior managers when things are going wrong or we might be blamed – what ice bergs? 

Sometimes it can be the arrogance of senior managers. A common but dangerous perspective is to think and actually believe that their organization is infallible, unfortunately all businesses have the potential to fail, the seabed of business is littered with them. You may recognize some of the following, some have sunk and other are about to sink sadly, Blockbuster video rental company, Eastman Kodak, Sun Microsystems, Borders Bookshops, Sears Retail Company, Pan American Airlines (Pan Am), The Hummer Jeep, Blackberry mobile phones, Abercrombie & Fitch.

What they all share is a belief they were infallible and a reluctance to innovate but as the ship is sinking and the band plays “we told you so” the staff go down with the ship and the bosses all wonder where it all went wrong. 

I know of an organization that when the President went to visit the organization the management team made sure that the best staff were on duty, the operation was spick and span and everything worked perfectly. The outcome was the President believed he had the best organization in the world but the reality was there were many problems that impacted the customers who didn’t get his VIP treatment. So when issues were raised at board meeting he didn’t believe there were problems – big icebergs ahead!  

So what can we learn from this? Firstly, don’t believe everything you hear check it out yourself, drop in unexpectedly!  Talk to your customers they will tell you what the problems are or ask their secretary who deal with the organization. Don’t ignore the feedback there is probably a lot of truth in it. 

Encourage your management team to be more open and to feel comfortable tabling issues. Give them the opportunity to discuss challenges and they will help you find solutions. Don’t become the Captain of the Titanic. Show effective leadership, be a good communicator and a good listener. And keep watching for icebergs! 

Guinness have announced a Euro 100 million fund to help and support pub businesses globally. With the impact of covid 19, many pubs and restaurants have had to close. Now Guinness is offering practical equipment and confidence building measures to get the pubs reopened. 

What is interesting in this story is that a supplier is helping the industry that it supplies at this critical time with the world economy in a tailspin. You would expect the suppliers to be the ones needing help? But Guinness has though out of the box and will help their suppliers and they will help Guinness sell more product in the long term. 

What a great idea and one that will be beneficial to the drinks industry. To me this is a model that other industries should look at. I’m shocked at how many businesses have made their staff redundant as if the end of the world is coming and they don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. 

What’s happened to the positive approach that kept many organisations successful through past challenges? Why are industries and some governments only looking at the here and now not long term? Look at aviation’s mass layoffs, grounding and reduction in aircraft numbers. 

Do they really believe it’s the end of aviation? Come on, life will get back to normal and sooner than they think. Ask any airlines that have already restarted their services most are reporting full flights! If this trend continues many airlines will not have the capacity or staff to bring the airlines back to full operations. 

I recall seeing on LinkedIn recently a Captain who had 22 years’ experience with an airline, he was also a training Captain and also an approved test pilot and he was made redundant – hello have we lost all reason in business? Most of the successful airlines have massive cash balances and yet they are not protecting their greatest assets – their people. 

So Guinness has come up with a great idea to help their industry so let’s hope we see some more innovative and long term thinking and strategy in other areas of business. There is light at the end of the tunnel so don’t give up yet!

Like many people at home, I decided to do some DIY and paint my balcony. So how does this help with a return to business? When painting, you have to plan what you are going to do, how much paint, how many coats, which brushes and what if something goes wrong – turpentine, white spirit, cloths. 

Start with a plan: what do you need to do first? Plan your marketing to let people know you are going to be back in business by using advertising or social media. Who need to know and by when? Set deadlines, if something doesn’t work within a time frame you have to can it. You can’t afford to waste resources or time?   

With painting you have to prepare the area you are painting to protect the adjacent areas from paint. Sanding down old paint for a better surface to work with and better end result. 

What changes do you need to make?  

What needs to change in terms of manpower, suppliers, product or services? Be aware that not everything will be back to normal when you want to start. The reality is your business will need to change to get you started again. What if things go wrong? Do you have a plan B – critical in the current situation.

In painting once everything is ready painting begins, you can’t rush it or errors will happen. It will need two or three coats and they need time to dry in between. 

Getting the business back on its feet

You have to take your time and be patient. Don’t expect great results initially, it will take time. Sometimes you need to do things two or three time to get a result. Then you will start to see the business take off but like painting sometime you have to start again because your preparation or plans have not been fully though out. 

When you finish a painting job and admire your work, it’s a great feeling for you. It’s an achievement and you made it happen. 

Restarting a business 

it’s hard work, requiring a lot of effort and commitment but with the right plan you can make it happen. Always take the positive approach that it can be done and like painting there will be blemishes and rework of some areas along the way but the end result will make it all worthwhile.

I had the privilege of going to see Les Misérables at the Dubai Opera House the other afternoon thanks to our friend Frank. What an amazing venue, the cast and production was world class. Shows are a great way to step out of the stress of everyday business life for a couple of hours. 

The story of Les Misérables is built around the life of Jean Valjean and was written by Victor Hugo. It’s really about Jean’s life story and how he succeeds through life’s tribulations and challenges. 

It bears a lot of similarity around business life. Firstly, it takes a lot of hard work, patience and persistence to finally get what you want in business, but it’s not always an easy journey. Just as things start to get better for Jean Valjean, he discovers that one of the managers who works for him is not good with his staff and it leads one mother getting fired (unfairly) but that can happen in real life too. How often do we check on staff morale and ensure we don’t have rogue managers? 

Luckily Jean finds out and decided to do something to help, today we call it CSR Corporate Social Responsibility – giving back to the world some off what we have accumulated in life. This is one of the strong themes of the play – giving back to people we meet or know. What do you or your organization do to help people less fortunate that us? 

My daughter works for an excellent US company with an office in Galway Ireland. Each Christmas they put up a traditional tree and on it are various tags. Staff take a tag and on it is an age group and the gift or toy they would really appreciate. The staff member then buys the gift and wraps it up and closer to Christmas the various gifts are distributed through charities in the locality, it is totally voluntary and everyone wants to participate. I found this an excellent way to help others in the community. 

Like some young people today Jean’s start of his journey up the corporate ladder was troublesome, he felt the world owed him a living and he was angry and jealous of what other had. He takes advantage of the kindness of someone who took him under his wing.  But the individual instead of taking revenge on Jean for the wrong that he did to him actually prevented him from getting arrested. Yes, it’s a bit drastic but think about when new people join your organization? How are they made to feel, who looks after them? Do you have a dedicated person (possibly a mentor) to ensure they settle in successfully? Do you ensure they are effectively developed to add value to the job role?

Just like in business, there is an individual that Jean does not get on with, someone who constantly is a thorn in his side. In business that could be a competitor, it could be a difficult boss, it could even be a toxic business partner, but we do meet them and have to deal with them too.  Often, we try aggression, to retaliate, but in the show, Jean shows a different approach and uses kindness to deal with difficult people. Yes, some people believe aggression is the only route but using kindness sets you up as a role model and yes occasionally it may not work, but the reality is we are dealing with human beings and the majority react positively to kindness when it is appropriate. 

As in most people’s lives, Jean has his ups and downs but he did not let the negative situations get him down, you have to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you don’t believe your business will succeed them that’s exactly what will happen. If you believe a project will not be a success them the same result. Look for the positives in all situations, they are there sometimes you have to really look to find them. In the end a positive approach will help you solve problems. 

Jean, gets caught up in the French revolution and there is chaos and uncertainty, how many reorganizations have the same effect and why?  Well in the majority of cases it’s down to a lack of communication. Staff want to know what is happening, why and what the outcome will be. If they don’t get this information is leads to serious demoralization, a dramatic decline in the customer service and staff start to look elsewhere for employment. So, while the process is designed to reduce cost, my question would be what will you lose in terms of customer loyalty? How many of your experienced staff will look for jobs with your competitor? What impact will it have on your organizational brand and reputation – those costs will be far greater in the long term. Something many reorganizations do not factor in. So, communicate the plan with your staff they won’t like it but they will respect your honesty.

So, in the end Jean marries off the daughter that he had adopted and ensure she has a good start in life. It was an interesting look into the life of an individual and the trials and tribulations he faced, it’s good for us to do this occasionally and learn from it. One piece of advice I give to participants of my programmes is to read a biography of a famous business person once every 3 months. No, you won’t become this person but you will learn a lot about remaining positive in difficult times and to achieve small objective which them become bigger as you progress. Many biographies are inspirational and they help you to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

If you get the opportunity do go and see the show, its engrossing and spectacular and well worth the time out. Try to find the time to lose yourself for a few hours either in a show a movie or a play and you will feel the value of the time spent and I’m sure your spouse will appreciate it too.

This is a question most of us would avoid or else we think that it would never happen to us. But and it’s a big but, how do you know? I was unfortunate the other evening to have someone tailgate me on a busy road. Thankfully no one was hurt but my car needs to go into the garage for repairs which is a major inconvenience. However, this got me thinking, if I had been badly injured what would happen to my business? Thankfully I have always been a believer in succession planning so I know that my business would continue and that my family would be taken care of. 

What about your business? If you were unable to continue running your business, do you have a plan in place? Many of the SME’s that I have helped and supported have not considered having one why? “I don’t think about that”, “I don’t need one”, or “What’s the point?” 

Think about it this way if you don’t have a succession plan your business could fall apart and become dysfunctional very quickly and it could have a disastrous effect on your family or shareholders. The great part is that it’s not rocket science.   

First make a list of all the senior people in your company, it may be as small as 4 people or as big as 4,000. Now list down your direct reports and consider their skills and competencies. Next remove your personal emotion from this exercise. It’s not a friendliness competition, you need to ensure you think of the company’s longevity. Will the selected person or persons help the company grow and thrive if you are not available?  

Draw up your list and prioritise what the company needs most – it could be sales skills, diplomacy, strong directive style, a decision maker, a combination of all? In fact, it will probably be based around your skill set. But try to build in potential growth in the future and look for someone who is as passionate about the business as you are. 

As you sit back and think about this, your list will start to develop. Another useful idea is to talk to the persons peers – what type of person is he/she – remember as the boss you are only getting one side of the story, asking their peers helps to build a truer picture. Build a box matrix with the strengths and weaknesses of each individual and this will help you focus on what the ideal criteria is to run your business.

Finally, once you have you list of potentials be it 4 or 15, do not share this with them – this is critical as it will cause greater problems if they believe they may become your successor. The information can be shared and discussed with your HR Senior Manager. If you don’t have one then the alternative is to discuss your succession plan with the partners in the business or the share-holders. Someone needs to know that you have the succession plan or it’s a waste time and effort. Also keep the information confidential.  Remember to review the plan each year as situations change, you could lose people in your team and gain new ones which will all impact the succession plan. 

If you feel you need help in this area please do get in touch.

I was privileged to attend a dinner reception hosted by Martin Naughton owner of GlenDimplex, a company he calls International not Global. Michael gave a touching and inspirational speech talking about his success but yet modest in what he said. 

We were hosted in the Portrait restaurant on board the beautiful ship called ‘The World’ which in itself is an amazing business story which you should check out on Google.  She was docked in Dubai for a few days before going off on a tour of the Gulf and then on to the Far-East. 

So back to Martin, he is a very successful business man who started off in Newry, Northern Ireland with a staff of 7 people in 1973. Today GlenDimplex is a power-house across the globe with business in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Far-East and Australia. Their turnover is approximately $1.5 billion per year and they have over 8,500 staff.  This organization is still growing with more acquisitions on the cards.

Martin told us how he started the business and the challenges and successes along the way, then he mentioned an acquisition he recently acquired. He said he originally wanted to take over this particular business about 15 years ago but the owner did not want to sell. Move on 15 years and Martin met this friend again who is now in his late 80’s and still working in his successful business. 

The friend said his sons and daughters were doing very well and in their 50’s but no one was interested in taking over the company. His grandchildren too were very successful but again no interest in the family business. So here he was in his eighties with a company he had built up and loved but did not want it to be sold off to people who would probably destroy the culture and fabric of the business. 

Martin agreed to buy the business off him, but his friend said only under two conditions, firstly Martin had to keep him on for a few more years, as he didn’t want to retire just yet (remember he’s in his 80’s) and secondly there would be no contract just a handshake. Imagine trusting someone to that level that a handshake was all that was needed. Well, that’s exactly what happened. Obviously some paperwork was needed but the lesson here is how far would you trust your business partner and as Michael explained his partner said if we have a contact that would suggest that you intend to take me to court at some stage otherwise why would we need one? I found this fascinating. 

I know some people would say it was madness but think about it, a partnership built on trust. It’s a shame we don’t have more people like this in both Government and business. The world might be a better place. Would you have the courage to operate this way? Well in reality you need to know who you are dealing with and remember Martin and his friend had a long-term relationship. 

On completion of the dinner service Martin insisted on introducing the chefs, their assistants and the waiting staff so we could show our appreciation of their efforts on producing an amazing meal.  I was impressed with his humility, I was impressed by his persona and his attitude, to not only his own staff but even to the staff of the restaurant. 

So what can we learn from this? 

For me the take-away’s were look at your business partnerships and see if you would really trust your business partners. If not why not? What can you do to rectify that situation? 

What can you do to recognize your backroom staff and show them how important they are to you? 

Do you really need to change the culture of a successful and thriving business? This is an area I see a lot of issues with. The number of Organisations that insist that they must be branded on the owning company, have management that fit the owning company’s culture and then with those changes the new business starts to struggle. 

Martin is very successful, he manages his people well, he cares about people not just profits and that’s what makes him successful. I believe we can learn a lot from people like him. 

After 111 years of trying, Ireland finally beat the New Zealand All Blacks in Chicago on Saturday 5^th November 2016. The final score was 40 points to Ireland 29 point to the All Blacks, to some this was a historic victory, to others it’s just another game. 

Whatever your opinion there are lessons to be learnt from this game. Many SME (small to medium enterprises) often think they can’t compete against the big guns, they are too powerful and connected for us to take them on. How true is this statement? How many of us say ‘Don’t bother we don’t have a chance”? 

But hold on, let’s just look at sport for a few minutes. Dr Roger Banister ran the 4-minute mile in Oxford UK on the 6^th May 1952. So, what was so special about that, well for over a thousand years humans were trying to achieve the 4-minute mile with little success. Experts said (at the time) the human body was not capable of running the 4-minute mile and it was dangerous to try.  The Romans even tried chasing people with Loins to achieve it but it didn’t work – I’m not sure what happened to the runners in that race!  

What is amazing is that once Dr Roger Bannister ran the 4-minute mile, many people since then have achieved the 4 minute mile.  It’s part training and part psychology, you need belief, passion and the ability to practice, practice, practice and believe in yourself. 

The Irish game was written off by many pundits before the game and even the commentators from New Zealand at the game were quietly confident that it would be another tough game from the Irish but they would be beaten by the All Blacks as usual. Was this compliancy? Arrogance? Or just normal expectations? 

Think about big organizations, they are always sure they will win against the small guys, because of their reputation? But is that enough in today’s digital arena. A digital guru, trained and guided me on the importance of digital media in today’s business. It gives SME’s the opportunity to take on the big boys on a level playing field. You don’t need a big marketing budget or TV advertising, just a good digital media strategy and you’re now in the game. 

So, take the Irish approach, believe in yourself, be passionate about what you do and have a good digital media strategy. If Dr Roger Banister can do it and Ireland finally beat the All Blacks just think what your company could do? 

Look at some of the SME’s of yesterday: Airbnb, Dropbox, Salesforce.com all started off as SME and grew their business, yes hard work was a key but similar to what Ireland did, they had belief it could be done, they had passion, they knew they were good, they worked closely as a team and kept each other motivated. 

At one stage during the game the All Blacks got within 4 points of the Ireland score. This was a tactic the All Blacks used for years to make the opposition think they were winning and as soon as they took their foot off the gas (relaxed), they came back and beat you. For many that would be the point of giving in, but like Bannister and Ireland, you have to go the extra mile, and then the most amazing thing happens you achieve great success. 

Ask yourself could you do it, are you ready to take on the big guns, it may not work the first time or the second and maybe not the third time, but like Airbnb, Dropbox and Salesforce.com your time will come and you’ll be glad you tried. 

In conclusion, sometimes the impossible is possible, if you believe in yourself! Take the initiative, discuss with your team, look at what you thought was not worth trying for, review your digital media strategy, if you don’t have one you will be out of the game. Think about it?