In the seminal Monty Python sketch, Palin’s character says that an argument is “…a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition” to which Cleese replies “No it isn’t”. Palin continues “Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of any statement the other...
The US presidential race has officially started. The Republican Party has kicked off its search for a nominee with, as is its custom, the Iowa caucus. The state – the size of England but with a population close to that of Wales – can now get back to normal as the coachloads of media and campaigners head off towards New Hampsh...
The thorny subject of executive pay has once more returned to the political centre stage. Many politicians have accurately defined the problem but no-one seems to have a sensible solution. Most seem agreed that there is little wrong with high rewards for good performance. This, of course, does nothing to reduce the excesses of hi...
There has been much debate recently about the lack of women on the boards of big companies. Senior politicians seem very keen on the subject, hosting various seminars and debates and generally giving off encouraging signals. They all seem to agree that having so few women on boards is a bad thing and that having more would be a g...
It is extraordinary the effect that having to make an acceptance speech has on the world’s most polished performers. For people who make a living from promoting an image it is interesting how so many seem to miss the mark. From Morgan Freeman’s 32 second speech to Halle Berry’s 4 minute 30second epic, Oscar acceptance speec...
The other day I was talking to someone going through the process of moving into an open plan office. He worked for a very traditional organisation (he is a lawyer) and the transition for him and his team was clearly proving difficult. It made me wonder whether open-plan offices, like outsourcing, was a business idea that will soo...
Gore Vidal once famously said that each time one of his friends succeeds a little part of him dies. Recently I saw an article in the Times about a business run by an old friend of mine which gave me the opposite feeling. In ten years he has built a hugely successful business that not only employs a couple of handfuls of bright and ...
With the Olympics just around the corner, many London-based organisations are encouraging their staff to work from home rather than increasing the pressure on the already over-stretched transport infrastructure. For many people this will be their first chance to work from home and will give them the opportunity to define their exis...
Not long ago I went to a talk on the Future of PR. It was so poor that when I left I was quite surprised not to see gas lamps lighting streets full of horse-drawn Hackney carriages. The discussion was all about the importance of getting PR recognised at board level (yawn), reputation management (that wonderful oxymoron), and whethe...
When the concept of reputation management first became fashionable it was always the banks that topped the list. Dour bank managers (with a dose of Scottish Presbyterianism thrown in) were held up as the pinnacles of trustworthiness. After all, you trusted them with your money. And now look what’s happened. One minute we’...
