We’ve all experienced and given a “non-apology” apology.

You know what that feels like to hear and to give. Incomplete or worse. The least apologetic “non-apology” will both try to justify what was said or done with excuses, then say something like “I’m sorry if you were offended”.

No matter how triggered we are, there is never an excuse to say something in reaction to it that offends. It is rare for me to do so, but recently it happened. I said something in reaction to a statement that triggered me. The result of me reacting was that the target of my words was deeply hurt by what I said.

Suffice to say I felt terrible.

I didn’t apologise in the moment as things had become so heated. Instead, I came back the next day to give my apology, ensuring I gave a true apology and not a non-apology.

So, how can we give a true apology? (more…)

The Pontiac Aztek. Still no idea what question this answers.

Have you ever faced a situation where you really don’t know what to do and this has you feel frustrated, or perhaps even overwhelmed, confused?

When that happens, do you feel the need to make a decision quickly, to know what to do, to then act quickly?

It seems to me that in our fast-paced world we are often pressured (and put pressure on ourselves) to think and to act fast.

However, in my experience, sometimes the question is more important than the answer. (more…)

Ken Blanchard has a quote: “catch someone doing something right”.

I believe in business as a force for good, and in the righteous flywheel of purpose-lead businesses following the new triple bottom line and so creating profit for impact.

I’ve started writing posts about businesses I see “doing what is right”, most recently Timpson and Stantec.

Today I highlight Pret a Manger. Given the prevalence of their stores in London, I’ve been a frequent customer, yet I was not aware until recently of their focus on doing what is right.

Until, that is, I saw their focus on supporting homeless people.

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Love this image from a recent post by Gaping Void.

Diversity of thought is a topic I am highly passionate about. One of my core values is “Fair” and the conscious and unconscious biases in our world, ranging from race to gender to sexual orientation to religion to nationality and beyond, are all constructs based simply on fear of “others”, of those who are “not like us”. (more…)

Recently, spurred by my friend Bruce Peters, I wrote: “Give no advice“.

Bruce then wrote a follow-up and I feel to share his wisdom, reproduced below.

Some advice bears repeating and accentuating (and yes, I get the irony!). (more…)

On April 15th 2019 Notre Dame de Paris, our lady of Paris, burned and the world mourned one of the great man-made structures of human history.

Within hours, though, #BeautifulLeadership was shown from business leaders and the French President.  (more…)

Yesterday I wrote: “Your business must make a profit“, finishing that article with a warning about WeWork.

Today, more on that, starting with remembering the lessons of the past and then some alarm bells I am now hearing ring loudly in my ears about WeWork. (more…)

Yesterday I posted a new graphic I created around the righteous

Today a post “Profit for Impact“, about the new triple bottom line and showing the following linear formula as iterative, a “righteous flywheel”.

Purpose + People + Planet = Profit

Today I want to emphasise that your business must make a profit. Yes, I may sometimes seem a bit holistic and “out of the box” on this site, yet trust me, I’m a Chartered Accountant who has spent almost his whole career building businesses and building value in businesses for others.

You can have a great sense of Purpose, be good to People and the Planet, but if you don’t make a profit you won’t be able to do much of that and not for long. (more…)

In January I wrote: “Purpose, People, Planet. The new triple bottom line.”

That article puts forward that it is time for a new triple bottom line, one that creates:

“a “Righteous Flywheel”, where the unerring focus on Purpose+People+Planet as drivers allows the corporation to make Profits, which mean it can then focus more on Purpose+People+Planet and so make more Profit, and so on in a “virtuous circle”.”

It also links to three further articles, each with a case study of a company of scale that has lived this and proven that it creates the righteous flywheel.

At the time of writing, I noted that I’d love to create a graphic to represent this. Well, with the creative skills of Martha Rowe (who has done all the graphic and web design for me for some time), now we have one here. Thank you Martha!

Put as a formula:

Purpose + People + Planet = Profit

However, the formula looks like an endgame of profit, whereas the flywheel graphic highlights that it is a cycle.

I’d love to talk to you about this, and to get more examples of companies operating in this way!

Prior to my focus over the last decade on leadership and so people, I spent nearly twenty years focussed on numbers and building value in businesses. A key part of that is assessing the hidden assets in a business, the stuff that isn’t always apparent in the financial statements.

Some of these come from assessing shifts a company can make in strategy, though what drew me towards a focus on people was that so many assets are actually around people, behaviour, culture. However, all too often those hidden assets are not valued and so not brought forth, focussed on, invested in to achieve returns.

Today some simple thoughts on one area that is a major hidden asset that can be realised by any business. (more…)

This is Dun Carloway, a bronze age fort thought to be built in the first century AD.

It is on the Isle of Lewis, where I spent most of my vacations as a child. Often I played and ran around this structure, then many years later my children did the same.

While the walls have been reduced, most of that was by human hand taking away the stones that made up the walls.

However, it is clear that, at nearly 2000 years old, it is built on firm foundations.

So, whilst I talk often about change, transformation, bravery, stretching and more, in order for any of us or our organisations to embark on such journeys and shifts we must also have firm foundations that support us in our growth and change.

One such area is financial literacy. (more…)

In the world of business we live in, so often we are rewarded for certainty, yet sometimes being uncertain and knowing and stating that this is where we are, that can also be of value to our process and our business. We can be:

Certain in Uncertainty.

Today a coaching conversation that led me to this thought to share with you today. (more…)

This week I wrote a short post called “Reputation Hygiene“. It was about simple things like being on time for meetings.

Now, after reading this, in a recent conversation someone made an off the cuff remark about having read my post and that it had them thinking about Reputation Management and Ethics, though it was just a remark, we didn’t get a chance to discuss it.

Now, as an ICAS CA (see “Trust and being an ICAS CA“) and someone to whom ethics are at my core, I have a question I am pondering from that remark. I won’t share my thoughts now as am indeed pondering, but my gut reaction is:

“If you are ethical you don’t need Reputation Management!”

Put another way, if you need to hire someone to do Reputation Management for your business, then perhaps it is time to questions, your culture, values and ethics?

Discuss!

What if we aim too low?

Today three thoughts on that :

• Seth Godin on the Icarus Deception
• My own thoughts on what clients ask for most often from me
• Marianne Williamson and my favourite quote

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Recently I was about to have a first meeting with someone.

They were late. When they arrived, they gave no reason.

Thought of the term “reputation hygiene”, as with only a little focus and attention our reputation is maintained and built upon, yet if we allow it to be sullied, it can be difficult to restore.

A few simple tips, then around reputation hygiene:

1. Be on time. Seriously. Be on time.
2. Be polite. Always. No exceptions.
3. Answer emails within one working day.
4. If you are wrong, apologise. Oh, and ask what you can do to make it right.
5. Say thank you, and mean it.
6. Say what you are going to do and do what you are going to say.

I could continue, but you get the gist.