Pop music is a good barometer of the culture of the times. The subject matter of music addresses current opportunities and anxieties while the style reflects the harmony, or lack of it, that pervades relationships. Small wonder, then, that today’s pop music is cacophonous, repetitive, noisy and driven. Senseless beat is guaranteed to create senseless…
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The tyranny of growth works against the planet and for an organisation. Organisations seem to need to grow if they are not to become moribund. Since organisations are simply people en masse let’s look first at why people need to grow. If you don’t you fall behind, lose contact with what is happening and become…
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Capitalism is predicated on the proposition that economies will grow. Up to now that has broadly worked. Possessions, the reason for growth, have intrigued man from way back. ‘The next acquisition will make me happy’ is a mantra we all grew up with or adopted on the way. It takes great wisdom to recognise the…
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TMI’s Drink & Think was a resounding success. With some 80 people attending and Ho Kwon Ping as Star Guest, comments and discussion were fast and sometimes furious. The subject: “Social Media promote democracy. How can they be accountable and responsible?” As usual, the Drink & Think Soiree was held under Chatham House Rule. The…
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Thought-provoking fun doesn’t get any better than Wild Rice’s production of The Emperor’s New Clothes. As Impresario Ivan Heng said ‘it makes you just a little uncomfortable, doesn’t it?’ Yes, but it also made us laugh till the tears ran down our cheeks and gasp with admiration for the incredible amount of work, skill and…
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Nobody likes to hear the words ‘declared war’ however provocative the cause. The escalation of rows, especially those involving violence, leads inexorably to greater violence and a deteriorating chance of improving the situation. Punches and guns are sometimes needed but they resolve little more than who has the bigger bulk or the greater cash. So…
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“I sense a lot of nervousness, even from those who have secure jobs that pay well.” So said John Mauldin in his Thoughts from the Frontline on 14th November. “You can say that again,” we echoed. This uncertainty extends beyond the normal fear of bullying bosses. It embraces worries about companies’ performances (Volkswagen, Tesco, Rolls…
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The following piece was written before the horrific attacks on Paris on 13th November. We offer our deepest sympathy to those whose lives have been disrupted by these senseless and cruel actions. We offer our support and thoughts to the French people at this sad time. I assume the December Climate Meeting in Paris will…
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‘Regulate’ is the cry of the day, especially by those who know little of the practicalities of business. When the 2007/8 crisis erupted and brought us close to some kind of financial Armageddon everyone turned to the Regulators – first to blame and then to put it right. The Regulators got busy with pen and…
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The popular saying ‘to drill down’ expresses a need we all feel from time to time. Whether problem or opportunity we want to know what is the real issue. For most of us our thought processes were developed to seek only answers, the faster the better. Questions – we were brought up to believe –…
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