tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54820570460533518892024-02-08T02:07:54.534+00:00Brabyn.comLeadership and Motivation for Personal and Business DevelopmentBen Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-21248274856406078362014-10-09T00:12:00.002+01:002014-10-09T00:20:51.030+01:00Networking for Military Leavers - and Everyone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.</i><br />
<br />
A couple of years ago I started speaking to military leavers about how to prepare for the transition to civilian life. Most often this has been through <a href="http://www.heropreneurs.co.uk/" target="_blank">Heropreneurs</a> events and visits to serving military units, and addressed to servicemen and women who want to start their own businesses.<br />
<br />
But one piece of advice applies whether you want to set up your own business or not - and whether you're serving or ex-military or a lifelong civilian: the value of networking.<br />
<br />
<b>Back to Kevin Bacon</b><br />
<br />
In 1994 Kevin Bacon famously claimed to have worked with everyone in Holywood, but since then the world has become much more connected. In summer 2012 I went to Linkedin to find that I was 3 removes from Kevin Bacon - 7 people I knew knew someone who knew one of the 142 people he listed as connections. 6 months later I knew 11 people who knew one or more of his 204 connections.<br />
<br />
Now in October 2014, Kevin Bacon's status as an icon of networking has been raised by his advertisements for EE, the mobile network. Meanwhile he now has 234 connections - and my third degree connections have jumped to 42.<br />
<br />
<b>Bringing Home the Bacon</b><br />
<br />
You may not be looking for a role in Kevin Bacon's next film, but whether you're leaving the armed forces or developing your career options, remember that networking brings you inevitably closer to opportunities. So it's essential to keep building relationships with people you like, admire and can learn from.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHqgJeXFJw22JVpMpspCR5Jhd18lRvBk3LCO42zdmd6aIdUm8SGofdQsChNavrXLIiU2Nm3l39G5KUc_YYQnjPaPT7iSEqiMUdALWoN6meMcyS3-g-3FkoWW0HPZ1nYs9VXPiPjYYy4A/s1600/LinkedIn+profile+of+Kevin+Bacon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHqgJeXFJw22JVpMpspCR5Jhd18lRvBk3LCO42zdmd6aIdUm8SGofdQsChNavrXLIiU2Nm3l39G5KUc_YYQnjPaPT7iSEqiMUdALWoN6meMcyS3-g-3FkoWW0HPZ1nYs9VXPiPjYYy4A/s1600/LinkedIn+profile+of+Kevin+Bacon.JPG" height="116" width="320" /></a><br />
Networking is about meeting people and pursuing connections and interesting leads. My advice to everyone whether ex-military or not, is to set up a LinkedIn profile and start to build their community of shared interest. Especially for those leaving the armed forces, this is a very quick way to secure introductions among people who will understand your background, your values and your ability.<br />
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And in case of doubt, I'm not stalking Kevin Bacon, or earning commission from LinkedIn!<br />
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<i>This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.</i><br />
<br />Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-43666036014115111552014-06-24T00:12:00.001+01:002014-06-24T00:12:08.342+01:00It Couldn't Be DoneI recently came across this poem by Edgar Guest.<br />
<br />
<b>It Couldn't Be Done</b><br />
<br />
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done<br />
But he with a chuckle replied<br />
That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one<br />
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.<br />
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin<br />
On his face. If he worried he hid it.<br />
He started to sing as he tackled the thing<br />
That couldn’t be done, and he did it!<br />
<br />
Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;<br />
At least no one ever has done it;”<br />
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat<br />
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.<br />
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,<br />
Without any doubting or quiddit,<br />
He started to sing as he tackled the thing<br />
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.<br />
<br />
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,<br />
There are thousands to prophesy failure,<br />
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,<br />
The dangers that wait to assail you.<br />
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,<br />
Just take off your coat and go to it;<br />
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing<br />
That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.<br />
<br />
Edgar GuestBen Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-45492322827578339652013-09-04T18:34:00.001+01:002013-09-04T18:34:10.683+01:00Book Review: AntifragileNassim Nicholas Taleb is an exceptional writer - though not entirely in a good way. He is variously described as a "superhero of the mind" (Boyd Tonkin) and "Wall Street's principal dissident" (Malcolm Gladwell), and much commentary focuses on his style more than his content. Few dispute that he is brilliant, though he feels compelled to demonstrate this with striking frequency.<br />
<br />
His most recent book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0141038225/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0141038225&linkCode=as2&tag=brabyncom-21">Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder</a><img src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brabyncom-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0141038225" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is an exciting challenge to received wisdom about adopting middle-of-the-road strategies in personal health and finance, macroeconomics and much more besides. But it comes with a strong dose of personal advertisement and gratuitous demonstration of Taleb's breadth of learning.<br />
<br />
It is worth putting up with this though. The essence of his argument is that a spectrum runs from fragility through robustness to antifragility, and that we should seek to develop antifragility - the ability to become stronger through challenges - in our bodies, our finances, our politics and our economies.<br />
<br />
With examples from a wide variety of disciplines Taleb illustrates that we often describe certain things as good or bad when in fact the key consideration is dose. By careful dose control we can increase our tolerances of many things that would otherwise be very harmful to us - and in doing so we increase our antifragility. Taleb himself reacts to this insight by training with streetfighters rather than personal trainers and investing in a contrarian portfolio.<br />
<br />
His arguments have fascinating ramifications for individuals and policy makers. For example, he suggests that our public health systems are riven by agency risks and the malign influence of what he calls "iatrogenics". He praises entrepreneurs as the heroes of humanity - the people who knowingly or unknowingly take risks that probably condemn them to losses but drive forward progress for the societies to which they belong.<br />
<br />
One of Taleb's interesting conclusions is that we are terrible at making complex judgements and that we should therefore trust the only reliable assessor of quality - time. In other words, we should suspend judgement on things (foods, medicines, concepts, philosophies) until they have stood the test of time. He points out that the best predictor of how long something will last is how long it has already lasted. As a result, he advocates drinking wine and coffee but avoids all processed foods.<br />
<br />
This is an exciting and bold book and it may change your behaviour in any of several ways. You may consider changing your diet, your attitude to saving and investment and even your career. It is well worth reading.
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Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-83094493421251019522013-09-04T17:50:00.000+01:002013-09-04T18:00:42.174+01:00Book Review: Connected<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007303602/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0007303602&linkCode=as2&tag=brabyncom-21">Connected: The Amazing Power of Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brabyncom-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0007303602" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler is an accessible exploration of the fundamental role of networks in our world. These respected academics bring together research from a wide variety of sources to demonstrate the importance of networks to our health, wealth, thoughts and fashions.<br />
<br />
Without resorting to jargon the authors explain the extent of influence in networks (typically significant to 3 degrees of separation) and the breadth of factors that demonstrate contagious behaviour within networks (including divorce and obesity). <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2013/01/linkedin-and-coffee-two-essential-tools.html" target="_blank">I wonder what influences Kevin Bacon and I may be having on each other...</a><br />
<br />
The book touches on the network significance of religions in which adherents have a direct relationship with God. They explain how this increases the interconnectedness of faith networks since all believers are only one remove from each other through their direct connection with God. Through outbreaks of contagious laughter and disease to discussion of the wealth of nations, this book has plenty to stimulate the thoughts of policy-makers and casual readers alike.<br />
<br />
I found "Connected" encouraged me to have greater sympathy for individuals as the product - to a greater extent than I had imagined - of the networks in which they develop.
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Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-44460420439685718432013-09-04T17:10:00.000+01:002013-09-04T17:10:16.668+01:00Book Review: Thinking, Fast and Slow<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0141033576/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0141033576&linkCode=as2&tag=brabyncom-21">Thinking, Fast and Slow</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brabyncom-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0141033576" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Daniel Kahneman is a <i>must read</i> book. Kahneman synthesises the lessons of his 60 year nobel prize-winning career into this tome. As one of the fathers of Behavioural Economics he has been at the forefront of exposing the inherent illogicality of the human mind - features such as loss aversion (the endowment effect) and our tendency to see coherence and causation where there is none.
<br />
<br />
Kahneman fills this book with quick exercises that illustrate our habitual jumping to flawed conclusions - the "fast" thinking of the title. He explains that this is a fundamental and sometimes useful characteristic of our brains and suggests ways to mitigate the consequences and harness the "slow" thinking which buys us time to correct our instinctive mistakes.<br />
<br />
This book is bristling with challenges to the rational economist, and provides tempting insights for the salesman and the potential criminal. It is playfully written and although the author has been an eminent academic since the 1950s, it is modern and engaging for the non-technical reader like me.<br />
<br />
Kahneman reflects on happiness. His suggestions are fascinating. Two notable points:<br />
<ol>
<li>Choose your goals carefully so that they are achievable. Kahneman singles out those who aspire to success in the performing arts as particularly prone to disappointment.</li>
<li>Spend time with friends. This, Kahneman asserts, is the key to happiness. Read the book to find out more, then come over for supper to discuss it!</li>
</ol>
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</noscript>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-31522832935562881432013-09-04T16:11:00.000+01:002013-09-04T16:41:58.042+01:00Book Review: A Voyage for MadmenThis summer we spent a wonderful week on the Devon coast at East Prawle, a few miles West of Start Point. On our first evening the yachts of the Fastnet Race swept past our window on their outward leg, and on the bookshelf beside the window I found a book I had heard of but never read:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1846684439/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1846684439&linkCode=as2&tag=brabyncom-21">A Voyage For Madmen</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brabyncom-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1846684439" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
Peter Nichols' book follows the nine diverse characters who set out to be first to sail around the world non-stop. The race started in 1968 and Nichols does a great job of exploring the characters of these extraordinary men, and the dynamics of the race that developed, fuelled by the growing interest of the media. It held particular interest to me as I have met two of the survivors of the race, John Ridgway and Robin Knox-Johnson, who eventually won the race.
<br />
<br />
First to start was John Ridgway, an early celebrity favourite having rowed across the Atlantic two years earlier with Chay Blythe. Like most of the other competitors, Ridgway was sailing in a fundamentally unsuitable craft, the bilge keeled English Rose IV, and after a collision with a press boat as he leaves Ireland he was baling out all the way south through the Atlantic. He pulled out after only 6 weeks at sea.<br />
<br />
Ridgway and Blythe (who set sail a week or so later) were both early casualties of the malign influence of sponsors - both were sailing boats provided by manufacturers eager for publicity for inshore cruisers that were not fit for the Southern Ocean. But much greater pressure was to befall the last competitor to set sail, Donald Crowhurst, who beat the race deadline of 31 October by only a few hours. He had gambled his house on winning the competition for the fastest circumnavigation, and set sail in a boat that was entirely unfit for the storms ahead.<br />
<br />
Nichol tracks Crowhurst's lonely preparations, departure and, eventually, his decision to cheat in order to save his family. After months at sea and a surreal episode when he goes ashore in South America and has a fine meal with customs officers, Crowhurst's log records his descent into madness. His abandoned craft was found sometime later. He is presumed to have stepped overboard.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Robin Knox-Johnson, with his radio and self steering gear broken, is relentlessly progressing through the mountainous seas of the Southern Ocean, and eventually returns to a hero's welcome as the only competitor to complete the circumnavigation. In a remarkable act of generosity he gave his winnings to Donald Crowhurst's widow. Psychologists' reports of Knox-Johnson commissioned by his media sponsors before he left described him as "distressingly normal".<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, this is an excellent and entertaining study of 9 remarkable men and their endeavours in a bygone age in which it was possible to be without contact with any other human for more than 4 months. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the study of determination and adventure.<br />
<br />
I worked for John Ridgway in 1990 as an instructor at his adventure school in the highlands of Scotland and so it was a special treat for me to read an account of one of his earlier exploits. I spent a very enjoyable evening with Robin Knox-Johnson more recently at an event where he was presenting on the challenges of raising sponsorship for sporting events. When I mentioned that I had worked for John before becoming a Royal Marine, he collected us some drinks and regaled me with tales of his encounters with Royal Marines in Norway and elsewhere for the rest of the evening.
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</noscript>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-54578756603552645472013-04-24T08:32:00.000+01:002013-04-24T08:41:34.508+01:00The wisdom of crowds - a shortcut to better decisions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUdZPGFXY12TgQzmKRztu9Jv7ChVwdqZzBFclCmiIU4Lyl7t0aagUJGO9KqrVA1IZPYS89hX0DWFDzgEtEIWlHp7VVKOjcsjee8ut4FwwLSWDVG6HUxx-6A_S_dX4mmG7ZHMk6QaMw6A/s1600/Picture+18.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUdZPGFXY12TgQzmKRztu9Jv7ChVwdqZzBFclCmiIU4Lyl7t0aagUJGO9KqrVA1IZPYS89hX0DWFDzgEtEIWlHp7VVKOjcsjee8ut4FwwLSWDVG6HUxx-6A_S_dX4mmG7ZHMk6QaMw6A/s320/Picture+18.png" width="320" /></a></div>
This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.
<br />
<br />
Leadership, especially military leadership, is often characterised as a lonely experience - the loneliness of command. At the point of decision, a leader is alone with his or her responsibility - think of Eisenhower deciding when to launch Operation Overlord in 1944 for example.<br />
<br />
But before the time comes for decision, leaders have the opportunity to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop" target="_blank">observe and orientate</a>. The wisdom of crowds can help make this observation and orientation quicker and more accurate. And emerging technology and techniques are making it easier to gather and respond to crowd wisdom.<br />
<br />
<b>Estimating distance</b><br />
<br />
I was introduced to the concept of crowdsourcing as a trainee Royal Marine. We were taught that the best way to estimate the distance to a target was to ask everyone with you to make their own estimate, and then to take an average of all the estimates. The result, we were assured, is reliably more accurate than the estimate of any single individual.<br />
<br />
This fits with the work of researchers such as Scott E. Page who wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0691138540/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0691138540&linkCode=as2&tag=brabyncom-21">The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies (New Edition)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=brabyncom-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0691138540" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Page argues that his claims that "collective ability equals individual ability plus diversity" and "diversity trumps ability" are "mathematical truths, not feel-good mantras".<br />
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<b>Safety in numbers</b><br />
<br />
Business success depends on the engagement of crowds of people with your business idea. These may include customers, employees and investors. While the entrepreneurial vision is your own, its prospects of success depend on the response of others. Balancing your own enthusiasm with "reality checks" is essential, and there are more and more tools that make it easier to do this.<br />
<br />
If you are able to gauge the response to your business before committing large investments of time or capital, you will reduce the risks involved, and you may pick up some valuable insights at the same time.<br />
<br />
<b>How to ask the crowd</b><br />
<br />
With the proliferation of social media and special interest forums it is easier than ever to collect crowd insights. You could start by asking your friends on Facebook using the polling feature, or starting a discussion in a relevant LinkedIn group. For a larger crowd you could try visiting forums and posting questions - a technique I found very useful last year when <a href="http://www.arrse.co.uk/finance/182664-opportunity-invest-new-ecommerce-venture-founders-arrse.html" target="_blank">investigating raising capital for This Tribe</a>.<br />
<br />
For more formal research there are also plenty of services like <a href="http://crowdflower.com/" target="_blank">Crowdflower</a>. And of course for crowdsourced fundraising (in which you invite a crowd to put their money where their mouths are), there are a growing number of crowdfunding platforms in the UK such as <a href="http://www.crowdcube.com/" target="_blank">Crowdcube</a> and <a href="http://www.seedrs.com/" target="_blank">Seedrs</a>.<br />
<br />
This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-66218313932855303832013-01-14T19:15:00.000+00:002013-09-04T18:02:34.063+01:00Linkedin and Coffee - two essential tools for ex-military entrepreneurs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHbYEdKveMU1gW0tGaYd4dOFeHtKQVPT-XT8IfK9-v99zm1ywOcrka84YNhqMqJBc7EfXwPX9P0PJEuqlfjVMd06bGypssPWkjEahV6haaFLmaE0EoWEQlJHhk_7LK2nygrZ8VH0Qrro/s1600/Linkedin+and+Coffee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHbYEdKveMU1gW0tGaYd4dOFeHtKQVPT-XT8IfK9-v99zm1ywOcrka84YNhqMqJBc7EfXwPX9P0PJEuqlfjVMd06bGypssPWkjEahV6haaFLmaE0EoWEQlJHhk_7LK2nygrZ8VH0Qrro/s320/Linkedin+and+Coffee.png" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linkedin and Coffee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.</i><br />
<br />
For people leaving the Armed Forces, one of the most important - and time consuming - activities is developing personal networks.<br />
<br />
If you have spent most or all of your career in the military, it is likely that most of your friends and professional contacts are also military themselves. But in creating a career beyond the Armed Forces, it pays to reach out further afield.<br />
<br />
<b>Networking</b><br />
<br />
The most powerful personal networking tool I have found is <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/" target="_blank">Linkedin</a> - a website used by over 100m people to manage their professional profile and engage with others. One of its key features is that it enables you to see who connects you to people who you may want to engage with - and so who can help you with introductions. It is also a great source of information about personal and organisational interests and priorities.<br />
<br />
Many service leavers have extensive networks within the services, but if you are moving on to civilian life it is best to focus on developing a network that gives access to the key shapers of the environment you are entering. This helps with recruiting potential mentors, introducers, customers, advisors, competitors and even regulators. And if you explicitly set out to increase your network you will quickly identify key contacts who are themselves great networkers and can open many doors for you.<br />
<br />
<b>6 Steps to Kevin Bacon</b><br />
<br />
To illustrate how far networking can reach, I decided to check on how many removes I am from the Holywood actor Kevin Bacon. In 1994 he famously claimed to have worked with everyone in Holywood, but since then the world has become much more connected. In summer 2012 I went to Linkedin to find that <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2013/09/book-review-connected.html" target="_blank">I was 3 removes from Kevin Bacon</a> - 7 people I knew knew someone who knew one of the 142 people he listed as connections. 6 months later I now know 11 people who know one or more of his 204 connections.<br />
<br />
In other words, it is possible to build very broad networks as soon as you recognise the value your contacts can have by introducing their own contacts - so always end a meeting by asking for introductions. This is the alchemy of networking.<br />
<br />
<b>Caffeine Rush</b><br />
<br />
Investing time in meeting people face to face is a great approach, and to adapt a military phrase, "time spent in coffee shops is rarely wasted". Getting to know people whose activities shape your environment is essential, and learning from their experience is usually less costly than trying to work everything out alone.<br />
<br />
Coffee has played a part in networking for hundreds of years - in fact many of the great trading and banking institutions of the City of London grew out of coffee shops in the 17th and 18th Centuries, as did the <a href="http://www.thersa.org.uk/" target="_blank">RSA</a>, which still does a fine job of promoting networking more than 250 years after it was founded. For more on the value of coffee in the generation of good ideas, see is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU" target="_blank">video of Steven Johnson</a>.<br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.</i>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-36983388085128383382012-09-13T15:24:00.000+01:002012-09-13T15:31:50.895+01:00Timing and Capital - Early Bird or Second Mouse<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINccxR_Mn17KXL_JR2qu2JcXSgXpBr-3DVBRLkopPqqTMhLVIGeZBy_wjxhvugEs74NNbbR3JtaD78BupOIbZqR-Qj4nNxY1ERhNZkL7jHGJyT66pMtLk3Rq9A_SSFM3HkJJHfxVwlCo/s1600/Timing+and+Capital.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Timing and Capital" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINccxR_Mn17KXL_JR2qu2JcXSgXpBr-3DVBRLkopPqqTMhLVIGeZBy_wjxhvugEs74NNbbR3JtaD78BupOIbZqR-Qj4nNxY1ERhNZkL7jHGJyT66pMtLk3Rq9A_SSFM3HkJJHfxVwlCo/s320/Timing+and+Capital.png" title="Timing and Capital" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timing and Capital</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.</i><br />
<i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">If you never leave home without a wrist watch and wallet, you already know the importance of timing and capital. In a competitive commercial context these two tools are of vital importance.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Service leavers can bring their skills to bear usefully at every stage in the life of a company and an industry, and this post aims to illustrate some of the timing and capital considerations that may help a service leaver to choose a market that best suits their skills and expectations.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Timing</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">As the market for any product or service develops, demand typically follows a predictable pattern. After development and launch, a small number of "early adopters" are gradually joined by a growing group of customers. The market grows to maturity and then eventually declines.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Understanding the importance of timing and capital is essential if you are to harvest the best results from the market you are in - or thinking of getting into.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Early stage - to the victor the spoils</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">If you join a market at a very early stage - or create it - timing is critical. Get it right and you can enjoy high profit margins and high growth as early adopters sing your praises and spread the word. Get it wrong and you may find that demand doesn't appear - or takes longer and costs more than you expected.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">While many early stage markets don't require large quantities of capital to enter, unless you are sure of your timing it is essential to have sufficient resources to survive if demand takes longer to pick up than you expected - you may also need to refine what you are selling so that more people want to buy it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Of course any given quantity of capital will last much longer if you have a tight grip of costs and keep the "burn rate" as low as you can.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Growth markets - more capital required and less timing risk</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">If you choose to join the market later in its development - perhaps as a "fast follower" improving the initial offerings of others (Apple and Virgin are great examples of companies that do this), you are less exposed to the timing risk - the danger that you will have launched something that is ahead of its time - but you will probably also need more capital in order to capture customers and gain attention.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Mature and declining markets - optimisation and big balance sheets</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Once a market has matured, the profit margins typically reduce and competitive success turns on being able to run the leanest operations. The search for economies of scale lead to consolidation and the creation of larger and larger organisations - along with the need for larger and larger quantities of capital. Strategic timing becomes less of an issue - but tactical timing is essential working capital management in particular becomes a key determinant of success.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>You choose - bird or mouse</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Military experience can fit people for each of these stages. The early stage of the development of a market is typically characterised by uncertainty - one of the staples of a military career - while fast following involves learning quickly from the experiences of others and seeking to build on their insights.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>"The early bird catches the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese"</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Since the military in the UK could fairly be described as a mature and declining market, servicemen and women have plenty of practice in optimising systems and processes to try to find efficiencies - particularly in large supply chains and communications systems.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Capital - be sure of your budget and backup</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Each of these options depends to some extent on the capital available. While (except in some industries like mining or pharmaceuticals) there is often little capital required in the early stages of a market, joining an established market can require massive scale and resources.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Beyond the resources and expectations that an entrepreneur can bring to bear personally, they may need to seek additional capital from other investors or lenders. Understanding the expectations and constraints of those investors - whether they be friends and family or formal investors like business angels and venture capitalists - is essential to ensuring that the entrepreneur has the resources to realise their vision.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">So gaining a clear understanding of the investor perspective should be high up the list of tasks for any entrepreneurial service leaver.</span></span><br />
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.</i>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-17360720881411545992012-07-13T08:38:00.000+01:002012-07-13T08:42:44.198+01:00Financial Analysis and Marketing - Two Key Skills for Entrepreneurs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6mG1jzKCl-dBMxY9-DVk7096KLxoG9hTW0-aei9tt6kOtOlQPplZuQvEqE717nXO8avWPcN7ljM1PlSQA7CGA90lzrOFz9pgZ-vDP6PTvU-9h2nbVcW4D0p3vgOK7iWGvMgnafgoq0M/s1600/Financial+analysis+and+marketing.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6mG1jzKCl-dBMxY9-DVk7096KLxoG9hTW0-aei9tt6kOtOlQPplZuQvEqE717nXO8avWPcN7ljM1PlSQA7CGA90lzrOFz9pgZ-vDP6PTvU-9h2nbVcW4D0p3vgOK7iWGvMgnafgoq0M/s320/Financial+analysis+and+marketing.png" width="197" /></a></div>
<i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.</i><br />
<i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">When I left the Royal Marines in 2000 I knew I had a lot to learn about civilian life (and I still do!). Two of the subject that were particularly alien to me, coming from an armed forces background, where finance and marketing.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br />I was fortunate enough to have a great introduction to each of these in the 2 years after I left the Corps. First I joined JP Morgan and was sent to Wall Street for their analyst training programme, and then during my MBA at Warwick Business School, I studied marketing and strategy under the legendary Professor Peter Doyle.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br />Financial Analysis</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br />Financial analysis, an understanding of the way financial information is recorded, presented and interpreted, is essential to anyone who wants to understand how an enterprise works. The single most important piece of financial analysis is probably "can I sell this product or service for more than it costs me to make or buy?" if the answer to this first question is no, then it's time to go back to the drawing board. But this is only the beginning, and I would encourage any would-be entrepreneur - especially with an Armed Forces background - to spend some time learning how bookkeeping, accounting and financial modeling work.<br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">While I was at JP Morgan I was analysing the financial statements of a major international energy company, when I noticed a $47 million discrepancy between two sets of reports. At first I thought I had uncovered some criminal activity, so I spoke to my boss who meticulously checked though the details, and after several hours pointed out the problem - on a billion dollar balance sheet, the $47m had disappeared as a rounding error!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br />Marketing</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br />While the Armed Forces are a monopoly provider of services to a single client - the British Government - most businesses are competing with a wide range of capable rivals, each vying to take away customers. In any market where supply exceeds demand, an entrepreneur has to find ways of ensuring that they can sell their products or services at a premium. This is the realm of marketing.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />I recommend spending time on a sales and marketing course, or at the very least reading widely on the subject. Peter Doyle's </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0273693980/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=brabyncom-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0273693980" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Marketing Management and Strategy</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=brabyncom-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0273693980" style="background-color: white; border: none !important; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
is a great top level introduction.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />While Doyle puts marketing into a strategic context (he trained as an economist before becoming a marketing guru), there are also simple tactical questions that every entrepreneur should keep a close eye on, such as:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">do I know my customer as well as possible?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">does my product fit my market as closely as possible?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">what can I measure to improve the performance of my marketing activities?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">For me marketing remains the most interesting of the disciplines involved in entrepreneurship - and also the most challenging!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.</i></div>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-27909132497136875812012-07-08T08:54:00.000+01:002012-07-13T08:44:42.343+01:00The Royal Marines Toolkit - Determination and Adaptability<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xpwi1AwzD5ztiYL1A8np7he3xvgHq0y1x93McTw2GMQO9S24mEqqndU3_UhogTpXRTU66AE_saTeeu-gIVfCofKMxQCvVyhSfAaTp72ob12bRHNBcEOuU-ayXvvTeKcknUHRIwh7C4k/s1600/Royal+Marines+Toolkit.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xpwi1AwzD5ztiYL1A8np7he3xvgHq0y1x93McTw2GMQO9S24mEqqndU3_UhogTpXRTU66AE_saTeeu-gIVfCofKMxQCvVyhSfAaTp72ob12bRHNBcEOuU-ayXvvTeKcknUHRIwh7C4k/s320/Royal+Marines+Toolkit.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.</i><br />
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The Royal Marines often have to travel light and deal with a wide variety of challenges, so they have developed a toolkit which combines simplicity with effectiveness in almost any circumstance. The toolkit contains two items: a hammer and a roll of duct tape.<br />
<br />
There aren't many problems that you cannot solve - or at least deal with for the time being - with a hammer and/or duct tape - which is known in the Royal Marines as "Maskers" or "Harry Black".<br />
<br />
These tools have metaphorical importance too of course - the hammer is a symbol of <b>determination</b>, while the maskers stands for improvisation and <b>adaptability</b>. Time spent in the Armed Forces gives plenty of opportunity to develop these two characteristics, and my message to every serviceman and woman considering leaving the Forces is to remember that they have these tools in their pockets long after they take off their uniform.<br />
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One word of warning though - as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Maslow" target="_blank">Abraham Maslow</a>, the father of modern management pointed out, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail." While determination and adaptability are the most important tools in the entrepreneurial toolkit, they should be the only ones...<br />
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of posts on useful tools for entrepreneurs leaving the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/nine-tools-for-entrepreneurs.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here is the full list and links</a>.</i>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-25210964822308884992012-07-06T10:43:00.000+01:002013-04-24T08:34:42.945+01:00Nine Tools for Entrepreneurs<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iI8oM3TVwus" width="560"></iframe>
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On Tuesday I was asked to join speak on "<a href="http://www.bl.uk/bipc/workevents/battlefield.html">Inspiring Entrepreneurs: From Battlefield to Business</a>" at the British Library.<br />
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Following a keynote speech from Clare Perry, the MP for Devizes Matthew Rock from <a href="http://realbusiness.co.uk/" target="_blank">Real Business</a>, who chaired the event, introduced me, Peter Fitchett of <a href="http://www.absolute-rubbish.co.uk/" target="_blank">Absolute Rubbish</a>, Sarah-Jane Hill of <a href="http://www.bishboshbecca.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bish Bosh Becca</a> and Mark Palmer of <a href="http://www.greenandblacksdirect.com/" target="_blank">Green & Black's</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://live.webcasts.unique-media.tv/tbl017/" target="_blank">You can see the full webcast of the event here. My presentation starts at 17:17</a>.<br />
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I shared nine tools that I believe can help service leavers in their journey from the Forces to Entrepreneurship. The nine tools are:<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/royal-marines-toolkit-determination-and.html" target="_blank">Determination</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/royal-marines-toolkit-determination-and.html" target="_blank">Adaptability</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/financial-analysis-and-marketing-two.html" target="_blank">Financial Analysis</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/07/financial-analysis-and-marketing-two.html" target="_blank">Marketing</a></li>
<li><a href="http://timing%20and%20capital%20this%20is%20one%20of%20a%20series%20of%20posts%20on%20useful%20tools%20for%20entrepreneurs%20leaving%20the%20armed%20forces.%20here%20is%20the%20full%20list%20and%20links./" target="_blank">Timing</a></li>
<li><a href="http://timing%20and%20capital%20this%20is%20one%20of%20a%20series%20of%20posts%20on%20useful%20tools%20for%20entrepreneurs%20leaving%20the%20armed%20forces.%20here%20is%20the%20full%20list%20and%20links./" target="_blank">Capital</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2013/01/linkedin-and-coffee-two-essential-tools.html" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2013/01/linkedin-and-coffee-two-essential-tools.html" target="_blank">Coffee</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2013/04/the-wisdom-of-crowds-shortcut-to-better.html" target="_blank">Crowds</a></li>
</ol>
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I'll explore each of these tools in more detail in following posts.</div>
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After the presentation we faced questions from the audience and also via twitter from the online viewers. I asked what tools other people would recommend and "Mentor" was a frequent suggestion - what additional tools would you suggest?</div>
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Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-69230449093089979852012-06-07T00:15:00.000+01:002012-06-07T09:14:19.144+01:00The Scottish Highlands - the Perfect Cure for Ennui<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1846970288/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=brabyncom-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1846970288" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=1846970288&MarketPlace=GB&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=brabyncom-21&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=brabyncom-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1846970288" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
If you're experiencing a sense of ennui - "listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest", you might be inspired by <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1846970288/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=brabyncom-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1846970288">John Macnab</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=brabyncom-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1846970288" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
, a little gem of a book by John Buchan.<br />
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Set in the 1920s, the book follows 3 Londoners - a barrister, a banker and a cabinet minister - as they devise an entertainment to relieve their ennui - their frustration with their successful but unexciting lives.<br />
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They issue challenges to 3 Scottish landowners from whose estates they intend to poach stags and salmon. What follows is a masterpiece of storytelling and an evocative journey through the beautiful Scottish Highlands.<br />
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For the first time since 2000 I've returned to Sutherland, the rugged north western tip of Scotland for a week long holiday. Tomorrow I'm visiting a retired ghillie who lives nearby. He's a former paratrooper, a poet and a countryman who would have fitted right into Buchan's adventure. As I write the rain is pouring down outside and the wind is howling around the very comfortable <a href="http://www.theuphouse.co.uk/index.html" target="_blank">Gull Cottage</a>, where I'm staying. Darkness has only just fallen at 11pm and there is no traffic noise at all. There's no O2 here, though there's plenty of fresh air. It's a far cry from London and not a trace of ennui.<br />
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<br /></div>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-72361916252240670232012-06-06T16:02:00.000+01:002012-06-06T16:05:22.136+01:00How to Spend Fifty Weeks on Holiday Each YearI'm on holiday in the North Western Highlands at the moment and as I jumped into the icy clear waters of the North Atlantic this morning I remembered some words of wisdom I heard 21 years ago from a Manchester paper magnate.<br />
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In 1991 I worked for <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2011/08/3-lessons-from-atlantic-rower-self.html" target="_blank">John Ridgway</a>. Each week or fortnight small groups of hardy individuals would arrive in <a href="https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=ardmore&hl=en&ll=58.411379,-5.065556&spn=0.027066,0.077162&sll=58.40378,-5.063496&sspn=0.054143,0.154324&t=h&radius=3.35&hq=ardmore&z=14&iwloc=lyrftr:h,8916390455234608893,58.409401,-5.066671" target="_blank">Ardmore</a> for sailing, kayaking, climbing and hill walking challenges. My role was to accompany the groups and keep them safe. Drying out after a particularly challenging 16 hours on a windy mountain, I asked one of the visitors why he returned to Ardmore every year to spend a fortnight being eaten by midges, soaked at sea and ashore and driven to physical exhaustion. His answer made a big impression on me:<br />
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<i>"Everyone I know goes on holiday for 2 weeks each year and spends the other 50 wishing they were still on holiday. I spend a fortnight here each summer and 50 weeks thanking God I'm warm and dry somewhere else!"</i><br />
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This was from a man who had built a successful business empire from scratch. At 50 he was as fit as many people on the course who were half his age. Most of all I was struck by his enthusiasm for everything he did.<br />
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Not everyone will agree with his holiday prescription, but then if it's true that we assess our wellbeing by reference to relative rather than absolute comfort, health and wealth, perhaps it does make sense to take short sharp shocks from time to time.<br />
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<br />Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0250 Polin, Rhiconich, Lairg, Highland IV27 4RT, UK58.477362999368907 -5.090103149414062558.469060999368907 -5.1098441494140623 58.485664999368908 -5.0703621494140627tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-66033485891987196342012-05-11T00:49:00.001+01:002012-05-11T00:49:55.358+01:00Feedback and Adaptable Teaching Boost Commando Performance<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of articles on lessons from Commando training. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/p/commando-spirit.html" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration: none;">Here is the full list</a>.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWL9KwNjyZzkw24WOSW5ZkKIy4qhZmaetrCmEN5e7MZgnojylmiCXYajKOXBXTUCDP-Yqmof_XGfjl7jldcIrgXRTS8S1a2t2ZB_kjVDRJR76ZG8dS0R0GbdA3PQ5whqlkr9LoJUZdo4/s1600/Commandant_Commando_Training_Centre_Royal_Marines_Brigadier_Ged_Salzano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWL9KwNjyZzkw24WOSW5ZkKIy4qhZmaetrCmEN5e7MZgnojylmiCXYajKOXBXTUCDP-Yqmof_XGfjl7jldcIrgXRTS8S1a2t2ZB_kjVDRJR76ZG8dS0R0GbdA3PQ5whqlkr9LoJUZdo4/s1600/Commandant_Commando_Training_Centre_Royal_Marines_Brigadier_Ged_Salzano.jpg" /></a><br />
Feedback and adaptable teaching styles are valuable performance enhancing tools even in the toughest environments.<br />
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I recently joined a group of former Royal Marines at an update briefing from the Commandant of the Commando Training Centre, Brigadier Ged Salzano, at the Royal United Services Institute in Whitehall. He shared some impressive statistics with us but also gave some great insights into how Commando training is adapting to incorporate lessons learned from educational psychology - and gamification.<br />
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At a time when all the armed forces are facing cuts, the Royal Marines have been building the case for investing in Commando forces, focusing on the quality and value that the Corps offers. This effort is extensive and detailed, but among the many figures that have been drawn together, I was particularly struck by a trio that demonstrate the improving quality both of the Commando training process, and of the raw material that goes through that process and emerges as a trained Royal Marine:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>62% of all recruits entering training now pass out successfully, up from 53%.</li>
<li>80% of all recruits have at least 5 GCSEs at grade C or above.</li>
<li>40% of recruits are academically qualified to be commissioned officers.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Brigadier Salzano illustrated this last point by mentioning that his Marine driver had a degree in Economics and that they had spent the journey to London discussing economic policy.</div>
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<b>The Nod Whisperer</b><br />
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One of the key contributions to the improving pass out rate comes from an educational psychologist on the staff at the Commando Training Centre. When individual recruits struggle with a stage of training the educational psychologist will take an interest and may suggest different ways of approaching the learning challenge that takes account of the particular disposition of the recruit.</div>
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Since Royal Marine recruits are known as "nods", the educational psychologist has become known as the Nod Whisperer.</div>
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Recently the Nod Whisperer suggested that 3 recruits who were struggling to master the 30 foot rope climb may have unacknowledged vertigo. The recruits denied fear of heights, but agreed to try climbing wearing blindfolds - and promptly completed the climb successfully. Having cracked it once blindfolded they were then able to complete it without their eyes being covered.</div>
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<b>Britain's Got Talented Corporals</b></div>
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Another training innovation is a feedback system in which the recruits in each troop vote for the Corporal that they consider to be giving the best instruction. When the troop passes out and the Corporals are due for posting to different units, the most voted-for Corporals are given first choice and a letter is written to their new Commanding Officer commending them for their performance.</div>
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This simple piece of gamification both encourages and rewards ever-improving standards of instruction, and directly contributes to the improving pass out rate of the Commando Training Centre. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2011/12/leaders-how-games-and-recognition-can.html" target="_blank">I've written about how games and recognition can boost team performance</a> - and the Commando Training Centre is providing more evidence.</div>
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While some believe that the armed forces are bound by rank, convention and deference, here is a demonstration that even in the toughest conditions the Royal Marines have realised that valuable lessons can come from teaching theorists and the pupils themselves, as well as the teachers. This insight is surely valuable far beyond the Commando Training Centre...</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of articles on lessons from Commando training. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/p/commando-spirit.html" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration: none;">Here is the full list</a>.</i></div>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-19901983279075839192012-02-09T22:11:00.000+00:002012-02-09T22:11:07.301+00:00A grizzly story of loyalty<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsYSCy4J53N7D_BCGWEv_ZOCacGbSZJoQ86XYUQnCjitiIOwhsXuecA4PncHHX2SyaL2eCnwwCvEF7Y71NRtiTMVVnC21rmWcCymeF05QXr26RJs665SzYKTtnKDCzHbgtzzdRPAkGMg/s1600/photo+(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsYSCy4J53N7D_BCGWEv_ZOCacGbSZJoQ86XYUQnCjitiIOwhsXuecA4PncHHX2SyaL2eCnwwCvEF7Y71NRtiTMVVnC21rmWcCymeF05QXr26RJs665SzYKTtnKDCzHbgtzzdRPAkGMg/s320/photo+(8).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jan with Ted</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of posts about <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/02/tattoo-test-where-are-you-on-loyalty.html" target="_blank">boosting loyalty and engagement among customers, employees and investors</a>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /><b>Bear with me</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b>Yesterday I visited </span><a href="http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/prc-tedworth-house.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Tedworth House</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">, the new Personnel Recovery Centre from Help for Heroes. I was there to see the CFO of H4H, and he showed me around the amazing facilities that they are building to look after recovering servicemen and women.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />Jonathan brought me a cup of coffee at the canteen and paid using a card. He carries an impressive collection of loyalty cards, and as Jan behind the counter made the coffee he told me a story about loyalty which clearly shows why Help for Heroes has done such a great job of capturing the public loyalty in the last 4 years.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />I asked about the roles played by contractors at Tedworth House. I had noticed that Jan was working for a separate organisation called </span><a href="http://www.blue-apple.co.uk/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Blue Apple</a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">. Jonathan explained that engaging with contractors was a high priority at Help for Heroes, and that with so many different experts involved in the recovery process it was essential to help everyone feel fully involved. Then he told me about a recent crime.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Unbearable</b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVGBfQky47Dbt2q92GBhzRACDbthpE3FLSUhdqhaxwDCPaAvLZDspdW72nUCjCl5j1jF7YfDCLOyHMscV8U2ZmrpKL9hbKVDcH_sCYh5aS_46d7IO23wxY30ILv31HP_n5WJJN6UQxfQ/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVGBfQky47Dbt2q92GBhzRACDbthpE3FLSUhdqhaxwDCPaAvLZDspdW72nUCjCl5j1jF7YfDCLOyHMscV8U2ZmrpKL9hbKVDcH_sCYh5aS_46d7IO23wxY30ILv31HP_n5WJJN6UQxfQ/s320/Picture+5.png" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The ransom note</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />The Tedworth House mascot is a large bear, naturally called Ted, and he lives behind the canteen. A few months ago, Ted disappeared. Shortly after his disappearance, a ransom note appeared, demanding that the canteen staff raise money for Help for Heroes to secure Ted's return. Further photos appeared showing a blindfolded Ted with menacing looking masked guards.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />Jan and her colleague from Blue Apple set about collecting funds and quickly hit their fundraising target, but the kidnappers - or bearnappers as they became known - continued to demand more.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Eventually Ted was released, and when I visited he was seated in comfort in the canteen, where I photographed him with a relieved Jan.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /><b>Honey trap</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b>Jan and her team mates are committed to the work of Help for Heroes and even though they are employed by a separate organisation they play a valuable part in the life and vibrancy of the recovery centre, which is a positive and optimistic place. As a visitor I was really impressed how Jan and her colleagues are an integral part of the Help for Heroes story. After all, </span><a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2011/11/leadership-as-storytelling-how.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">leadership is largely about storytelling - narrative gives a focus for loyalty</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">. And of course </span><a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2010/10/name-and-no-shame-in-praise-of-great.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">praise for great suppliers</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> is always important.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Jonathan told me another story of a leader in action building loyalty - and recognising the contributions of suppliers. Though Tedworth House is already a great facility, Help for Heroes has plans to make it even better, and much of the site is humming with builders and construction machinery. Bryn Parry, the founder of Help for Heroes, gathered the builders from <a href="http://www.vinciconstruction.co.uk/index.html" target="_blank">Vinci</a>, the building contractor, on the first day of a 26 week project, invited a couple of wounded soldiers to speak to them, presented each of them with a H4H Tshirt, and explained how important their work was. The Vinci team completed their 26 week project in 16 weeks, with builders volunteering to work 100 hour weeks to keep the project moving.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Help for Heroes is doing a great job looking after the wounded, but it is also a fine example of loyalty-building and leadership. And if you are looking for good examples in catering and construction, I can certainly recommend Blue Apple and Vinci!</span>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-57683009331539622812012-02-07T08:00:00.000+00:002012-02-09T22:27:41.492+00:00The Tattoo Test - Where Are You On The Loyalty Spectrum?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiby9yJ8U1oYevT-J2DrChMnEw5aGDOLNv4Stgsq69ZqkZ-MEtv0JCAd5IQPjm4KU8D0ig8YEzKRc4Y78wSlFoLtDo4TJTVnAVCrR9Oa3daCM35dslymX3LqxtWKyUonYjsPeNsdYRkpNc/s1600/tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiby9yJ8U1oYevT-J2DrChMnEw5aGDOLNv4Stgsq69ZqkZ-MEtv0JCAd5IQPjm4KU8D0ig8YEzKRc4Y78wSlFoLtDo4TJTVnAVCrR9Oa3daCM35dslymX3LqxtWKyUonYjsPeNsdYRkpNc/s1600/tattoo.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
This is the first in a series of posts about boosting loyalty and engagement among customers, employees and investors.</div>
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In 2012 loyalty building expertise will be a key advantage for organisations from retail to financial services as austerity bites and consumer, employee and investor confidence is put to the test. In tough times a proactive approach will build bonds that embed loyalty for years to come. In coming posts I'll be exploring some of the tried and tested, and some of the emerging loyalty and engagement techniques, including</div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2012/02/grizzly-story-of-loyalty.html" target="_blank">loyalty among suppliers</a></li>
<li>skin in the game</li>
<li>social marketing and word of mouth</li>
<li>points based loyalty schemes</li>
<li>employer loyalty</li>
<li>crowdfunding</li>
</ul>
But first let's establish where you are on the loyalty spectrum - it's time to take the Tattoo Test.<br />
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How passionate are you about your work? Or about the companies from whom you buy goods and services? Or about your favourite sports team? Would you consider getting a tattoo of their name or logo?</div>
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This is one of the most extreme tests of brand loyalty - would you permanently and painfully mark yourself to show your commitment? Here is a list of common tattoo choices:</div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li>Mum & Dad</li>
<li>Girlfriend / Boyfriend / Husband / Wife</li>
<li>Sports Team</li>
<li>Employer</li>
<li>Favoured Brand</li>
</ol>
If you have any of these tattoos then you are demonstrating real commitment and loyalty - and if you are the mum, dad, bf, gf, husband, wife or brand owner involved then you have achieved a marketing milestone - you have embedded yourself indelibly. If you don't have a tattoo of your own, think of the tattooing choices of people you know and what they indicate about their personal and tribal loyalties.<br />
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Incidentally, the only more extreme test is the branding test - the origin of the term "brand" - in which your imprint is burned on with a hot iron!</div>
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After completing my Royal Marines training in 1996, I worked with and Army unit in Northern Ireland. 7 of my fellow subalterns (junior officers) decided to add a tattoo their regimental crest to their right buttocks. For years afterwards whenever they encountered each other a photograph was taken showing the tattoos. Now the tattoos are blue smudges and the regimental crest is hard to recognise, but the loyalty remains. They encouraged me to get a tattoo of the Globe and Laurel or a Commando Dagger tattooed on my bum too, but that's all behind me now...</div>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-25442573718388658352012-01-15T10:17:00.001+00:002012-01-15T10:17:25.119+00:00What's In A Name?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIatg_sbqquP6NZkpiKQMn8PA25iyNP5lsANC0ZqyD11JRheEQL_uMLpnwlO3lD-AXE9uTx-IsXQak-FvWavmzq3ZiMNv-m6ksWnk921ZQoF73Xi3RBVFkCy0YugzBh8nwOJqmAztxJM/s1600/name.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIatg_sbqquP6NZkpiKQMn8PA25iyNP5lsANC0ZqyD11JRheEQL_uMLpnwlO3lD-AXE9uTx-IsXQak-FvWavmzq3ZiMNv-m6ksWnk921ZQoF73Xi3RBVFkCy0YugzBh8nwOJqmAztxJM/s1600/name.jpeg" /></a></div>
There is an article in the current edition of The Economist (<a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21542749" target="_blank">Baby Names, Thanks Mum</a>) which explores the different rules around the world for baby names. For example, it is illegal to call your child "*" in New Zealand. Using names that suggest rank is also banned in NZ - so perhaps "My Name is Earl" is not broadcast there.<br />
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More interestingly, there is evidence that people called George are more likely to become Geologists, while a Dennis is more likely than most to become a Dentist.<br />
<br />
Since many of our names derive from our real or hoped-for activities (surnames often reflect profession or trade) while given names are often encouragements to virtue or success - for example "Patience Potter".<br />
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I've long wondered the extent to which names are destiny - in other words whether causation flows from the name to the nature rather than the other way round. Are people called Patience really more patient? Would that which we call a Rose by any other name smell as sweet?<br />
<br />
I think HR departments may have some explaining to do here. The British military spokesman in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s was a Colonel Coward. He was replaced by a Colonel Chicken - was this pure coincidence? I once visited a Royal Navy ship whose captain was called Commander Thicknesse. He was replaced by Commander Bone ("bone" is military slang for "stupid").<br />
<br />
And do people with problematic surnames suffer in the marketplace - both professionally and personally? Is Miss Hoare more likely to marry hastily and Mr Snodgrass more likely to remain a batchelor? Is Master D'eath drawn irresistably towards medicine?<br />
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Do you have any experience of nominal determinism? If so please share!Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-61760575376506667082012-01-04T08:00:00.000+00:002012-01-04T08:05:01.800+00:00A Farmer's Prescription for GrowthI celebrated the start of 2012 staying with friends in the countryside. As I made coffee on new year's morning, I saw a tea-towel hanging above the stove. On it was written a testament to farmers, and I think it provides a compelling argument for growth and balanced budgets - the perfect prescription for what will for many be an austere year...<br />
<br />
Let the wealthy and great<br />
Roll in splendour and state.<br />
I envy them not, I declare it.<br />
I eat my own lamb,<br />
My own chickens and ham.<br />
I shear my own fleece and I wear it.<br />
I have lawns, I have bowers,<br />
I have fruits, I have flowers,<br />
The lark is my morning alarmer.<br />
So jolly boys now<br />
Here's God speed the plough<br />
Long life and success to the farmer.<br />
<br />
I wish you long life and success for 2012!Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-45943595375683832802011-12-31T11:00:00.000+00:002011-12-31T11:16:21.434+00:00Space Invaders - a game to see in the new year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSgvLsYcJ_q3FbGiHGNyB7k_-iHEKy__f2_72OJ3Agij3XJ6MrvDwRoyG24tz-w1cvcrjpuJfof-HGrrlqUN6m-g3dlVU2zKOGgrGIR7vKxIxXyyHQl7pAwtcIo4YeWGnXDUuo95QHdk/s1600/space+invaders.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSgvLsYcJ_q3FbGiHGNyB7k_-iHEKy__f2_72OJ3Agij3XJ6MrvDwRoyG24tz-w1cvcrjpuJfof-HGrrlqUN6m-g3dlVU2zKOGgrGIR7vKxIxXyyHQl7pAwtcIo4YeWGnXDUuo95QHdk/s1600/space+invaders.jpeg" /></a></div>
If you're staying up to see in the new year, here's a game you might want to try to while away the hours until midnight.<br />
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I was introduced to this game on Exercise Tenderfoot, the first week-long exercise in my training in the Royal Marines. One afternoon we were waiting for an instructor to arrive and one of our section leaders introduced us to this game to while away the time.<br />
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If you've spent the last few days sharpening your reflexes on a Nintendo Wii, PlayStation PS3 or Microsoft Xbox, you are probably honed and ready for this - it's a real-world recreation of a classic computer game - Space Invaders.<br />
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You will need:<br />
<ol>
<li>A supply of soft projectiles - foam balls, tomatoes etc</li>
<li>A large room or rectangular space</li>
<li>About 30 friends </li>
</ol>
<div>
Now organise your friends. Their roles are:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1 defender</li>
<li>1 "special"</li>
<li>28 invaders</li>
<li>1 drill instructor - you</li>
</ul>
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Next ask your invaders to line up in 7 rows (with 4 in each row) with an arm's length between each row, along one wall of the room and facing the opposite wall. The defender waits against the opposite wall with the supply of projectiles.</div>
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<div>
As the drill instructor, you need to manage the invaders. Take command! When you shout "One", they must snap to attention, with their feet together and their arms by their sides. When you shout "Two" they should step their left foot to their left, squatting down and raising their arms to the "I surrender" position. When you shout "One" again, they return to the attention position by brining their right foot up to their left.</div>
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<div>
As you command "One, Two, One, Two, One, Two..." the invaders will move to their left (and the defender's right) until they reach the wall. At this point you give the command "Three" at which point they all take one pace forwards. Now they start each "Two" move with their right foot, moving to their right.</div>
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<div>
While your invaders begin their advance towards the defender, he or she attempts to stop them with the projectiles. Each invader hit by a projectile is knocked out of the game and moves off the playing area. The invaders win if any of them reach the defender's wall before being hit by projectiles.</div>
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The "special" runs along the wall behind the invaders wailing "Woowoowoowoowoo..." and waving their arms above their heads. If the defender is able to hit them they win the game outright.</div>
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Enjoy - and happy new year!</div>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-350506998439659922011-12-22T09:00:00.000+00:002011-12-22T09:16:18.870+00:00The Ten Principles of War<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of articles on lessons from Commando training. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/p/commando-spirit.html" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration: none;">Here is the full list</a>.</i><br />
<br />
In the British Armed Forces, all leaders are trained in the 10 Principles of War. These short principles - many of them only a single word - are distilled from centuries of studying conflict and competition. While they are designed for warfare, they are a great set of guidelines for life in general and business in particular.<br />
<br />
The first principle is usually singled out as pre-eminent, with the second also considered to be special:<br />
<ol>
<li>Selection and Maintenance of the Aim</li>
<li>Maintenance of Morale</li>
<li>Offensive Action</li>
<li>Security</li>
<li>Surprise</li>
<li>Concentration of Force</li>
<li>Economy of Effort</li>
<li>Flexibility</li>
<li>Cooperation</li>
<li>Sustainability</li>
</ol>
These principles were codified by JFC Fuller, a Major General and Military Historian, after the First World War, but they incorporate the ideas of the greatest military thinkers in history including Sun Tsu, von Clausewitz and Napoleon. They are at the core of current British military thought - as the former Chief of Defence Staff writes in his foreword to <a href="http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CE5E85F2-DEEB-4694-B8DE-4148A4AEDF91/0/20100114jdp0_01_bddUDCDCIMAPPS.pdf" target="_blank">British Defence Doctrine</a> (which also gives a detailed analysis of each of the principles in Chapter 2),<br />
<br />
<i>"[doctrine] is meant to educate the mind of the future commander, or, more accurately, to guide him in his self-education, not to accompany him to the battlefield"</i><br />
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So this is not a set of rigid rules - the principles are an educational tool that the leader can reflect upon before battle. As you prepare to face 2012 you may find it useful to reflect on how these principles can help you win in the new year and beyond.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of articles on lessons from Commando training. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/p/commando-spirit.html" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration: none;">Here is the full list</a>.</i>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-89878380519142314812011-12-11T09:19:00.001+00:002011-12-13T01:17:01.246+00:00Leaders - How Games And Recognition Can Boost Your Team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AAlZgzTLAfg1zZRIgrbuqyO0YlxP3UULMPaDEzjp9WonFXI_Ljcc0pPet1w-UElRs_5lE0R4wJKGvD65RFKv0nywJcJ2C2wVyT8oRcVnsacbopoNvAm-vVNW7Utx-_Uw41flFRtwLF4/s1600/chess-pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AAlZgzTLAfg1zZRIgrbuqyO0YlxP3UULMPaDEzjp9WonFXI_Ljcc0pPet1w-UElRs_5lE0R4wJKGvD65RFKv0nywJcJ2C2wVyT8oRcVnsacbopoNvAm-vVNW7Utx-_Uw41flFRtwLF4/s200/chess-pieces.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>
Gamification - the use of game design techniques and mechanics to solve problems and engage people - is now a managerial buzz-word. A recent <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21541159" target="_blank">special report in The Economist</a> explores how the psychology of video games is being used by employers and researchers to improve performance in teams from the military to molecular research.
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<br />
Leaders often have to motivate teams to perform difficult tasks and expend considerable effort - both of which are also often required of game-players. So if you are a leader, you should study the motivations of game-players to see if some of those motivations can be harnessed in support of your team objectives.<br />
<b><br />Making work seem like play</b><br />
<br />
If people believe that what they are doing is leisure rather than work, they may want to do more of it and they may even pay - rather than seeking to be paid - to do it. While persuading employees to pay to work is likely to be unsustainable, team-members are likely to be more happy, loyal and motivated if they are getting psychological rewards as well as material ones.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5wz1fH9C9qNbfUOgyHh0n2dosx81VXsOrXGs2_im9qU2s1zYt8mHfEJDLhpa0ctI3hAm5ZvDGi2wLrGU3aSDspiu6375P5X5w40fcdlfEQOBE3KZFyu5D_IyZ0NkXrVVCGZl0DMV8A4/s1600/Duke+of+Wellington.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5wz1fH9C9qNbfUOgyHh0n2dosx81VXsOrXGs2_im9qU2s1zYt8mHfEJDLhpa0ctI3hAm5ZvDGi2wLrGU3aSDspiu6375P5X5w40fcdlfEQOBE3KZFyu5D_IyZ0NkXrVVCGZl0DMV8A4/s200/Duke+of+Wellington.png" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wellington - a keen player</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Getting the boot in</b><br />
<b><br /></b>The idea that games are important in leadership and learning is not new. The Duke of Wellington said "The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing-fields of Eton" and the language of game-playing pervades management-speak: "raise your game", "gamble", "player" etc. Chess - the archetypal game of strategy - evolved as an early war-game. It has been used both as a general learning tool and to focus strategic thoughts ever since.<br />
<br />
While I was a young military officer I was required to study scenarios in which I talked through TEWTs (Tactical Exercises Without Troops) with senior officers. This was a kind of game, but without friendly forces, let alone an enemy, it lacked the interactivity that is the appeal of the most successful games. A friend of mine discovered Command & Conquer, a computer game which required exactly the same skills - a grasp of the relative performances of friendly and enemy forces and equipment, an understanding of the terrain and weather conditions and a tight grip of the resource and logistic constraints. Perhaps the training budget might have been better invested in sending all young officers to play Command & Conquer.<br />
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From urban design to corporate strategy, companies such as <a href="http://www.codemasters.com/" target="_blank">Codemasters</a> and <a href="http://www.g2g3.com/index.html" target="_blank">G2G3</a> are creating game-based services that help organisations achieve their goals by conducting low-cost experiments and simulations, training key decision makers and scenario-testing. But if you have a smaller budget there is a simple gamification technique you can apply in a wide range of situations.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Give recognition</b></span><br />
<b><br /></b>A key feature of most games is that they involve winning and losing. In other words, they give results. Recognising relative, competitive performance is essential to game-play, and all sorts of managerial tools reflect this from the use of sales leaderboards used to motivate salesmen to the honours system used to recognise civil servants. And of course those selected by competitive process to join a club often recognise each other with some token of membership such as a club strip or the green beret of the Commandos. I recently posted about the use of symbols in recognition in <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2011/07/how-to-boost-team-performance-without.html" target="_blank">How to Boost Team Performance Without Increasing Costs</a>.<br />
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Leaders can give recognition in a wide range of ways from simple oral encouragement to elaborate displays - however it's done, recognition is a form of keeping score - reminding players of the progress they are making at times when the game is tough. And while that recognition may be costly in cash terms, it need not be. Many of the most highly prized rewards are virtually neligible in cash cost terms. The metal used to make Victoria Crosses (the highest award for courage in the UK) is scrap - recycled from guns captured from the Russians at Sevastopol.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvnC72FL1wpjMOkO6MRN1DtltjheN-o6YB2HFFJ7WsLRQPkhd1_AiuhUdGycszolR80Tiy1P5Ka7XrEOohOHzd3ela3-FJmvzcZiwsPR-up_zxnkLV_tSVHKLi6LzfGwT3KBJ_K84sFE/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvnC72FL1wpjMOkO6MRN1DtltjheN-o6YB2HFFJ7WsLRQPkhd1_AiuhUdGycszolR80Tiy1P5Ka7XrEOohOHzd3ela3-FJmvzcZiwsPR-up_zxnkLV_tSVHKLi6LzfGwT3KBJ_K84sFE/s1600/Picture+2.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ARRSE avatar medals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A still lower cost way to use medals to reward behaviour is demonstrated by the Army Rumour Service - ARRSE. The ARRSE website now attracts over 450,000 monthly unique visitors with its mix of news and views on defence and security topics and general interest. This social networking site was set up by some friends of mine who cleverly recruited a small army of moderators who manage the active discussion forums. These moderators and others who help with the running of the site are rewarded with medals that appear by their avatars on forum posts.<br />
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It's not surprising that medals appeal to a community with such a strong military connection, and medals - virtual or real - will not deliver a sense of recognition for every team. But perhaps you can identify a comparable form of recognition that will resonate in your team culture. The UK Department of Work and Pensions has used gamification to improve its staff suggestion box, awarding contributors "DWPeas" - points that they can then allocate to other suggestions, both showing that their contribution is valued and recognising their role in crowdsourcing other good ideas.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>His Captain's hand on his shoulder smote</b></span><br />
<b><br /></b>Money, awards and fame all have a part to play in motivation, but great leaders motivate their teams with recognition. Sir Henry Newbolt summed it up in the first verse of his poem Vitae Lampada, an 1892 poem about gamification that motivated a generation through the horrible ordeal of the First World War:<br />
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<dl style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">There's a breathless hush in the Close to-night</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ten to make and the match to win</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A bumping pitch and a blinding light,</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">An hour to play, and the last man in.</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat.</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Or the selfish hope of a season's fame,</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But his captain's hand on his shoulder smote:</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"Play up! Play up! And play the game!"</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></dd></dl>
<dl style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The sand of the desert is sodden red -</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Red with the wreck of a square that broke;</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The Gatling's jammed and the colonel dead,</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And the regiment blind with dust and smoke.</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The river of death has brimmed its banks,</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And England's far, and Honour a name,</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks -</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"Play up! Play up! And play the game!"</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></dd></dl>
<dl style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This is the word that year by year,</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">While in her place the school is set,</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Every one of her sons must hear,</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And none that hears it dare forget.</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This they all with a joyful mind</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Bear through life like a torch in flame,</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And falling fling to the host behind -</span></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"Play up! Play up! And play the game!"</span></dd></dl>
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So if you are leading a team, remember to smite your people on their shoulders from time to time - they'll raise their game if you do!</div>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-9518444578648397562011-11-25T05:56:00.001+00:002011-11-25T14:35:17.602+00:00iPhone 4S vs Galaxy S2 vs Galaxy Nexus - a Comparison<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgET_iNFo36yVUzwVeOIK3ik6Lo0j9he4iBPeEVgVsvIZ5l7R-vd_qti1uswVt9nyIf7CUvEymCqIa9UlFHPEucjCMNlhlheP1JdShxmbTwrxY-vcnwqq3qB_lFxgaV3jJTRMmKQBJP9N4/s1600/Galaxy+S+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgET_iNFo36yVUzwVeOIK3ik6Lo0j9he4iBPeEVgVsvIZ5l7R-vd_qti1uswVt9nyIf7CUvEymCqIa9UlFHPEucjCMNlhlheP1JdShxmbTwrxY-vcnwqq3qB_lFxgaV3jJTRMmKQBJP9N4/s320/Galaxy+S+2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galaxy S2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After nearly 2 happy years with an iPhone 4 I'm approaching contract renewal, so I've been checking out the options for my next phone. After a quick look at the offerings from HTC, Blackberry and Nokia, I've narrowed my search down to the Apple iPhone 4S, the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.<br />
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I've conducted a "survey of surveys" of these three phones and found that most comparisons focus on performance data charts - screen resolution, battery specs, camera resolution, processor speed etc. My aim is to clarify the decision based on some simple questions about how the phone fits in with the rest of life. If your phone decision depends on some of these considerations, you might reach the same conclusion as me.<br />
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<b>Beautiful design and reliable performance</b><br />
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Over the last 4 years I've migrated from PC to Mac and now own a Mac Mini desktop, a Macbook Air laptop and an iPhone 4. My music is in iTunes and my photos are in iPhoto. I've become an Apple prisoner, captured by the seamless integration of their products and services. I've enjoyed their great design and reliable performance, and I'm a big fan of Apple as a company.<br />
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However, I've had two concerns about my reliance on Apple - the price premium and the limited (and pricey) integration of their services in the Cloud. Even with the introduction of iCloud, this aspect of Apple's offering seems to be behind the services provided by others - notably Google.<br />
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<b>Security and redundancy</b><br />
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Even as I've moved from PC to Mac, I've also moved from Microsoft Office to a host of cloud-based software platforms for both work and leisure. Google is the lynchpin of my online life, providing Gmail, Google Apps, Blogger, Youtube and Picasa. All of these are free and more importantly from my perspective, they are hosted in the cloud, so if any of my devices are lost, stolen or broken, my data and content are secure, backed up in redundant systems which I can reach through a range of devices.<br />
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<b>What is a smartphone for? Data or Voice? Entertainment or Business?</b><br />
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While the ability to make voice calls is still a qualifying requirement for a telephone, none of these three smartphones is marketed on the basis of call quality (which is anyway largely dependent on the quality of the service provided by the network operator rather than the handset manufacturer). For me the reality is that I make fewer voice calls than I used to, and use my phone much more as a data device - for capturing and viewing images, for finding information about places, contacts and opportunities. I'm not a gamer, and I don't rely on my phone to bring my personal music library around in my pocket.<br />
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As a result, certain features stand out. The Galaxy Nexus has a lower resolution camera (5 Megapixels, compared to the 8 Megapixels of the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy S2), but it does have an immediate shutter response, eliminating the delay associated with most phone cameras. The larger and higher resolution screen of the Nexus may appeal to gamers and video downloaders, who will also like the faster processors of the two Samsung phones (1.2GHz rather than 1.0GHz for the iPhone). For those of us with lower performance requirements, the lighter weight and longer battery life of the Samsung phones may be more appealing.<br />
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<b>The importance of freedom</b><br />
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But for me the decisive factor is that after years in thrall to Apple, the Samsung phones offer the opportunity to break free into the more open world of Android. While Apple's strict control is central to their quality, Android offers a degree of freedom I'm finding irresistible. With better integration with Google's cloud services and the freedom to use my phone as a base station for my laptop, Android now fits much better with my needs.<br />
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As a keen photographer I'm drawn to the 8 Megapixel camera of the Galaxy S2, so when my contract renewal comes around, that is what I will be collecting.<br />
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And finally, just mentioning that I'm planning to switch from iOS5 to Android seems to be earning me credibility with my technically minded friends!Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-33238298256261024792011-11-16T23:10:00.000+00:002011-11-22T12:55:09.523+00:00How competitor analysis defines success - a lesson from a gamekeeper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you want to succeed, you need to know what success looks like. Often we define success in relative rather than absolute terms. For example: "success is earning $100 a month more than your wife's sister's husband", "success is being the best...", "success is winning". But this puts our ambitions into the hands of others, since their actions determine whether we believe we have succeeded.
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So if your definition of success involves a competitive comparison rather than an absolute result, it's very important to think about how you choose to define your competition. For example, for most of us it is unrealistic to aspire to be the best high jumper in the world, though we might reasonably aim to be the fastest swimmer in our local pool. More significantly, if you are setting goals for your company or team, it's useful to choose a challenging achievable target rather than a fantasy one ("we want our sales to rise faster than any other seller of x in our domestic market" rather than "we want to top the FTSE100 by the end of the year").
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Not long ago, I was walking on a public footpath near Plymouth when a 4x4 drove up. The driver was clearly checking on me, and explained that he was the local gamekeeper. I took the opportunity to ask him about the local wildlife, including whether there were any deer on the land he looked after. He explained that there were plenty of fallow deer on the estate, especially now he had stopped the poachers. Since the estate was clearly very large, I asked him how he had stopped the poachers. His explanation was very simple.
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He told me that in the past the deer on the estate had frequently been chased and killed by dogs brought by poachers based in Plymouth. One afternoon, he was out checking some pheasant pens when he saw a group of people with hunting dogs walking across one of his fields, away from the public footpath. The dogs were on long leads but he felt confident that they would soon be released to hunt. Considering his options, he decided that calling the police would be fruitless, since he expected that even if they arrived in time to challenge the poachers, there was unlikely to be any useable evidence and they would escape with a warning, and return at their convenience.
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So he decided on a different course. He was 300m from the poachers and they had not seen him. He took his hunting rifle from his car and carefully lined it up with one of the hunting dogs. He shot and killed the dog, with the bullet passing close to the group of poachers, though he was later able to justify it as a safe controlled shot. In the ensuing fracas, the police were called, but by the poachers rather than the gamekeeper.
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As he sat in his car, calmly explaining this story to me, I asked him why he chose to do such a reckless thing. He pointed out that he realised he was not trying to compete with the poachers - he was trying to compete with other nearby gamekeepers. He needed word to get around the poaching fraternity that he was crazy, so that they would concentrate their activities safely out of his range. He regretted shooting the dog, but pointed out that hunting dogs were killing dozens of deer, and that after this incident, poaching immediately stopped on his land.
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Choosing how you define your competitive set is not just a matter of identifying a recognisable set of peers - it may involve a different perspective altogether. It may be that the really important competition is not the obvious one. For example, perhaps rather than looking at the growth of profits you should consider the threat posed by specific skills shortages leading to competition for key staff with companies active in very different markets.
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Of course while competitive pressure can help to motivate and drive innovation, it's perfectly legitimate to define success in terms of absolute outcomes too. While some teams define success as being the best, others may have a specific object such as curing a disease, or completing a project on time and within budget. Either way, wisely defining what success is - the goal of the team's efforts - is essential.Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5482057046053351889.post-35855012406842340452011-11-10T08:15:00.000+00:002011-11-10T08:15:12.476+00:00Sharing a joke - the vital role of humour in a team<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of articles on lessons from Commando training. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/p/commando-spirit.html" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration: none;">Here is the full list</a>.</i><br />
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Standing on a wooden box at the front of the gym, wearing tight white vest and shorts, Sergeant Jordan demonstrated the first move in our physical training session, and in a deliberate falsetto shouted:
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<i>"Feet shoulder width apart! Except in my case where obviously that's not possible!"</i>
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To many, the stereotypical image of military training is a sergeant shouting at a bewildered recruit. My recollections are very different - my main memory of my training is the laughter, not the shouting. Jokes and humour have a vital role to play in forming a team's self-view, and add spice to the narrative that the team develops. If you want your team to gel, think about the role that humour plays while the team is together - does it reinforce a sense of shared identity and purpose, encourage a light-hearted attitude to challenges and reward efforts, or is it undermining motivation and alienating team members?
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Among Physical Training Instructors (PTIs), the arts of entertainment and motivation are totally intertwined. As they push recruits to ever greater feats of physical achievement, they distract them from the pain with volleys of comical remarks that range from poking fun at stragglers to self-parody. A common feature of PTI humour is the <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2011/07/12-pence-price-of-humility.html">humility</a> that is inculcated into every Royal Marine recruit. As the guardians of the physical standards of the Corps, the PTIs deliberately play the parts of the peacocks among the camouflage of the other specialists. Two years after first hearing Sgt Jordan in the gym, I was back at Lympstone training recruits. One day they were trying on new uniforms and I overheard a familiar voice as Sgt Jordan joined them in the changing room -<br />
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<i>"Don't be afraid men, but I'm about to take my shirt off"</i><br />
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Of course humour is often subversive, and most jokes have a victim. While it can play a useful part in team bonding, it can also embed a culture of exclusion or cynicism. The mood of a workplace is often most clearly expressed in the jokes people crack there. Sexism, racism and many other vices are often betrayed in jokes, and listening to the banter around the water cooler can often give the most informative insight into the real values of a company or organisation.
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But humour can also play an important role in helping people deal with fear or discomfort. Studies of people in stressful roles in the military and emergency services routinely show that humour helps alleviate stress and protects people from psychological harm.<br />
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">If you can't take a joke you shouldn't have joined</b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpn4Ffc75jm1gsER3VoGx3puqukgHFtesEzp2NvwjID6xGo_NQofylzUWREluh7yjreWJKmgVpgq11Sh9v170Z7tCEf3-IoE14ZqrfWf2yQmjGRkQAbFM1nIsUQTOlW6pNhrU1nZDo2Q4/s1600/S10+respirator.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpn4Ffc75jm1gsER3VoGx3puqukgHFtesEzp2NvwjID6xGo_NQofylzUWREluh7yjreWJKmgVpgq11Sh9v170Z7tCEf3-IoE14ZqrfWf2yQmjGRkQAbFM1nIsUQTOlW6pNhrU1nZDo2Q4/s1600/S10+respirator.jpeg" /></a>One of the most unpleasant topics we covered in training was Nuclear, Biological and Chemical warfare (NBC). Studying the effects of chemical and nuclear weapons is a shocking experience, since these weapons kill and maim in very brutal ways. As we donned our full protective outfits - known as Three Romeo (level 3 for the inclusion of rubber overboots and double layer gloves, romeo as the phonetic "R" in "respirator" - and practiced various military exercises peering out at the world through the small eyeglasses of the S10 Respirator (gas mask), it was certainly difficult to see the funny side. The only light relief came from our NBC instructor who introduced the concept of Zero Romeo - himself naked apart from the obligatory gas mask.
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Without explicitly deciding that to master NBC we needed to be able to find its funny side, we continued our training and put thoughts of blister agent and secondary blast to the back of our minds. However, as our training approached its conclusion, we set about preparing a presentation for our families, designed to explain to them what we had been doing for the previous 15 months. We tried to cover all aspects of our training in a light-hearted but informative way. Just about everything from the bizarre equipment inspections and gym exercises to the competitive spirit of the group and the drama of our exercises at sea and on land had great comedy potential, but NBC was the unfunny exception.
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<b>A joke that bombed</b>
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We decided to tackle it head on. We would dim the lights, show a picture of a mushroom cloud on the projection screen, and one of our number would silently walk to the front of the stage and read from the publication "Survive to Fight", the nuclear warfare pamphlet. He would read the section explaining what to do when a nuclear bomb goes off nearby (lie down with your feet towards the blast and your hand under your body to minimise burns, do not attempt to stand up until the second shockwave has passed etc). We thought that with the right deadpan delivery, this would amply illustrate the futility of soldiering in a nuclear battle and raise some wry smiles. Unfortunately, senior officers thought that some of our families might not see the funny side, so the sketch was withdrawn from our presentation!
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<b>Always look on the bright side</b>
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One of the <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/2011/07/four-commando-qualities.html">4 Commando qualities is cheerfulness in the face of adversity</a>, and humour is the bedrock on which this is built. A sense of humour is seen as a vital aspect of team membership. Not everyone is born a comedian, and not everyone finds every joke funny, but it is the steady accumulation of challenges laughed through and fears trumped by smiles that build the narrative that holds a team together. Whether your team is preparing to don protective clothing or launch a new product, humour can help you work together.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is one of a series of articles on lessons from Commando training. <a href="http://www.brabyn.com/p/commando-spirit.html" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration: none;">Here is the full list</a>.</i>Ben Brabynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04460114698722349540noreply@blogger.com0