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Businesses are more trusted than governments – but don’t get complacent

10th February 2023

The world is becoming harder for everyone to navigate, but as often happens in difficult times, it’s the everyday person who suffers the most.

The cost of living crisis – with its rising prices, rising inflation, and falling living standards – is set against the backdrop of a deteriorating political culture, while polarising social issues are everywhere on our feeds and screens. 

So who can the everyday person trust when things seem so out of their control? And why do they seem to trust businesses more than their own governments?

Recently, global communications firm Edelman released its 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer – the company’s 23rd edition of the annual report that surveys more than 32,000 people across 28 countries.

This temperature check on public perspectives on everything that’s been going on intrigued me – as a business leader I want to know the real anxieties and emotions of my workforce and beyond… but I quickly found it makes for stark reading.

Edelman Trust Barometer 2023

Only 40% of respondents say they think their families will be better off in ten years than they are now (down from 50% last year).

And if the picture is bleak in the economy, it is darker still when it comes to social issues. Only 20% of people surveyed say they would want to have a co-worker with different opinions from their own. Meanwhile, just 30% would even want to help someone who disagreed with them if they were in need.

That shows us the extent of the polarisation in our society, but it also reveals that many people are unable to see much hope for the future.

In my view, a lot of this boils down to trust.

And in the Edelman Trust Barometer, we see that in almost all areas of the world, trust in business far outweighs trust in government.

What is trust in business?

Graph courtesy of Edelman Trust Barometer 2023

It would be natural here to rhyme off a list of reasons – from the expenses scandal to Partygate and Brexit – to explain why trust in politicians is sinking fast. But it’s important to understand what ‘trust’ actually is.

I’ve looked at the issue of trust in more detail in an earlier blog post, where I argue that trust isn’t earned, it’s granted.

In it, I broke down the trust equation, which shows that trust isn’t simply the sum of someone’s credibility and reliability. It’s about weighing up what you already know about that credibility, but then cross-referencing that with the likelihood that this person may be acting in a self-serving way.

So, the more evidence you have that a person is out for themselves, the less likely they are to be trustworthy.

And looking at this way, isn’t it obvious why polarisation breeds a lack of trust? Because it’s become normal to think the other side is looking out for number one.

Is business up to the task?

Image courtesy of Edelman Trust Barometer 2023

But then why do businesses score higher than governments in the trust stakes? Shouldn’t businesses score lower if they’re the ones with something to sell?

The answer is they score higher precisely because they do have something to sell. But that will only continue if businesses don’t fall into the trap that politicians are already failing to get out of.

It doesn’t take any searing insight to see that public services are crumbling, or that third spaces like youth clubs and libraries have closed. These are firmly in the domain of the government to provide and are highly visible on your local high street.

Now, after the double whammy of Covid lockdowns and rising inflation, pubs and cafes are shuttering, too.

Political leaders can tell us they’re leading for the country, but – as I said in my 2023 outlook post in January – we can see for ourselves that difficult economic decisions are being kicked like a can down the road. Presumably, until the next election takes place.

Businesses are different, brands have something to sell you. But, of course, you already know that. The difference is that they’re explicit about it from the start.

On the other hand, those brands that firmly state their purpose and the impact they want to have on the world are the ones that score well in the equation. Yes, they want to turn a profit. But if their actions align with their purposes, it makes it much easier to trust them.

Excuse the cliche, but you have to walk the walk.

How can businesses do better?

Don’t get me wrong – businesses and business people aren’t perfect.

Immoral practices have dented trust in countless sectors and will continue to do so. 

But what matters is doing things in the right way. Businesses need to remember they are dealing with humans, not robots, and act with compassion.

In the end, no one cares what you say you’re going to do. They care what you actually do. Purpose is great, but impact is vital.

We’ve seen what happens when governments act against their word. It’s now up to businesses to make sure they don’t make the same mistakes.

Read more about the trust equation and how to gauge trustworthiness here.

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Can augmented and virtual reality solve the labour shortage?

27th January 2023

Did you know that in my industry, service demand is currently surpassing resource by 50%? I have a few ideas of how technology can be used to solve the labour shortage, and it’s not replacing humans with robots…

This piece of thought leadership was first published in FM UK Online, read my extended version below.

Labour sourcing and the labour shortage is one of the top obstacles for facilities management professionals. There simply aren’t enough engineers available to be called out for jobs. The end of the free movement following Brexit is just one factor affecting the entire UK labour market, together with the aftershocks of the pandemic and early retirement.

It’s estimated there is a shortfall of over 173,000 workers in the STEM sector: an average of 10 unfilled roles per business in the UK, which is costing the economy a shocking £1.5bn per annum. Additionally, 49% of engineering businesses are experiencing difficulties in the skills available to them when trying to recruit.

In response to the UK labour shortage, it’s become necessary for leaders to offer greater flexibility and to think creatively about their recruitment approach. Also, a lot of companies are simply paying higher wages to attract the talent they want, but this just moves the problem around rather than solving it.

We need to think differently about how to address the problem. Whilst the above factors are important, it’s crucial leaders upskill and reskill existing employees as well, ensuring the expertise is readily available. One way of doing this is through augmented reality (AR), a highly visual and interactive method of presenting digitised information in the context of the physical environment.

AR democratises knowledge and enables connections and information sharing irrespective of physical limitations and distance. The pandemic has catalysed a digital world and the market size worldwide of the AR/VR/MR market is to rise to $300 billion by 2024, so it’s not going anywhere!

What are the benefits of augmented reality?

With AR, the user is totally immersed and has a deep experiential learning experience, meaning they are more likely to recall what to do when a situation or challenge comes up.

Studies have shown that AR and VR can train better than typical classroom learning – this is because practical jobs require fast thinking based on previous experiences, all of which can be gained through simulated learning experiences. This improved learning capability is due to our brain’s ability to build a “memory palace” that organises memories spatially within an environment.

AR is well placed to (re)train engineers in the FM industry and beyond. They can put their learning to the test virtually in the environments where they will be performed. Equally, if an engineer gets called out to do a job they are unsure of, a more skilled engineer can provide live annotations and notes to ensure the job gets done correctly without using more resources and having to call out a different engineer. While initially costly, AR can save training costs and travel expenses as AR sessions can be offered regardless of location, saving both time and money.

AR can train competent people who are able to service the industry

There is a tonne of competent people who have what it takes to fix things. By no means is everyone able to engage in complex jobs but there are a lot of people that can use a screwdriver.

Not every job an engineer gets called up for is complex. Sometimes it only requires a few simple, safe steps that anyone under guidance can do. So that’s where AR and VR can help, to walk everyday people through repairs and maintenance with the help of an engineer virtually or easy to follow videos. This can be done by scanning the environment live through a mobile or tablet to provide real-time assistance. This could save a lot of time and, in turn, alleviate some pressure in the industry by helping reduce the backlog of jobs.

When there’s a shortage of a particular type of expert, technology can help bridge the gap. For instance, a specialist fridge engineer is skilled enough to be able to fix an oven if walked through by another engineer virtually or a video. Two separate specialists on site aren’t necessarily required. It removes all geographical boundaries, talent from another country can help a UK engineer on a job virtually. This not only addresses the issue of engineers not being able to be in two places at once, but it can also reduce their carbon footprint, especially as they can be called to jobs all over the country.

In the midst of FM’s changing work environments, the labour shortage and skills gaps, AR technology could be critical for training and improving operational efficiency and productivity. Not to mention the employee learning experience! AR makes it possible to narrow the knowledge gap, ensuring the workforce of today and future generations have the tools they need to succeed.

Ultimately, AR can be used to upskill and reskill workers to combat the continuing labour shortage.

Read more about how to get the best out of people, and why I give employees 2 hours a week to do nothing.

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Welcome to my 2023 outlook

12th January 2023
notebook

What to look out for in business (and society) this year

I shared my thoughts at the beginning of this year with CEO monthly where this content first appeared.

It’s no secret that 2023 is going to be a rough ride for most, with the cost of living and soaring energy prices weighing heavily on consumers and businesses alike. We’re additionally going to continue to feel the labour shortage, especially given Keir Starmer’s reversal of the Labour Party’s support of freedom of movement.

That said, 2023 must be a year of momentum. Trends around flexible and hybrid work will rightfully continue to become normalised. Antiquated business leaders who force people into the office should be consigned to the past.

This new year will require thinking differently to solve problems. For example, innovations leveraging AR and VR technologies to upskill and reskill employees to combat the labour shortage and integrating gamification in business supply chains to help reach Net Zero.

Here are some of the key developments to look out for in 2023:

Cost of living will continue to hurt consumers and businesses

The immense pressures of the cost of living crisis will continue into 2023 and beyond, wreaking havoc on consumer confidence and spending. The writing is on the wall, inflation was sitting at 12% in October 2022 and is expected to remain well above 10% into 2023. As ever, it’s the everyday people that are under the weight of this financial burden. Consumers have already been adapting, the choice to travel to work is a toss up between commuting fees and energy prices, and spending is only reserved for the bare essentials.

The most frightening impact, however, is the detrimental effects on mental health. ONS reports that people living in the most deprived 10% of areas in the UK are more than twice as likely to die from suicide as those living in the wealthiest 10% of areas. The reality is this cost of living crisis could claim lives. Therefore, businesses need to put a greater emphasis on supporting and protecting their staff as much as they can, whether that’s offering loans or implementing mental health programmes.

Big Tech’s decline provides opportunities for the greater tech industry

Big Tech layoffs actually provide an opportunity for the tech industry. With the big players throwing away top talent, there’s a clear opportunity for them to join innovative start-ups looking beyond the failing ad-based models, albeit with intense competition.

Layoffs are by no means easy. But what matters is doing the right thing, giving appropriate notice time and severance packages to tide people over until they can find new opportunities. This is something Twitter failed to do, and it will no doubt reduce trust in Big Tech. In November, 50% of Twitter’s workforce was let go and a class-action lawsuit was filed asserting that Twitter violated the law by not providing the required notice.

Although Big Tech might build back its workforce, it will not so easily recover from its self-inflicted reputational damage, dismissing employees as though they are merely cogs in the wheel. People must be put first regardless and it’s a lesson all businesses can learn from.

The government’s lack of leadership must be addressed

For successive governments, we’ve seen leaders not only shirking their responsibilities, but choosing to leave problems to weaken those that come after them. Jeremy Hunt’s November 2022 budget was another example of this, delaying the pain of an austerity package to give the Tories a chance. The budget continues the same theme, whereby rampant inflation and state borrowing are kicked down the road to the next government.

I have encountered many different types of leaders and leadership approaches. Those that were successful and well-respected all had a willingness and desire to face problems head on and devise solutions, especially difficult ones. The need for effective leadership has never been more apparent, but it remains to be seen whether this government and its budget are up for the task in 2023. 

Hybrid work demands re-thinking office design

Over the course of my life, I’ve seen the decline of ‘third places.’ This is defined as any place you go to spend time that isn’t your home (first place) or your workplace (second place). They are a space to meet friends and family, interact with local activities and build a sense of community unity, often without any cost.

Government cuts have removed many places like youth centres and libraries. The effects on our communities shouldn’t be underestimated. This, combined with the cost of living crisis and aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, is hugely impacting overall employee well-being. It isn’t just a moral issue, as low engagement alone costs the global economy $7.8 trillion. We need to invest in our employees’ wellbeing in 2023 as this influences both their lives outside work and their experiences at work. Office spaces should be designed with emotional wellbeing in mind. For example, be casual and collaborative, with couches, TVs, games etc. Beyond that, offices should be places where employees can make life moments rather than just do what they can do when working from home.

Read more on how Cloudfm is transforming our offices into a third space for employees and the community.

Innovation is needed more than ever

In 2023, we will increasingly need to look to business leaders and innovators to solve pressing problems due to failing politicians’ lack of action. For example, with the world significantly off course to achieving emissions targets due to the absence of effective global political policies. Gamification is a tool which can be widely utilised to address the engagement gap in the fight against climate change. Behavioural Gamification is the process whereby game mechanics are incorporated into everyday activities to motivate behaviour change. Studies indicate that gamification can impact cognitive and behavioural engagement, while being enjoyable. Business leaders should consider how they can implement techniques such as gamification across their business and supply chain to encourage green behaviour and change within.

The labour shortage is another problem that demands innovation. Some employers are offering greater flexibility, thinking creatively about their recruitment approach, and offering higher wages to attract the talent they want. However, this simply moves the problem around. It’s crucial we upskill and reskill existing employees across industries, ensuring the expertise is readily available. This can be done using augmented reality (AR), a highly visual and interactive method of presenting digitised information in the context of the physical environment that democratises knowledge and information sharing irrespective of physical limitations.

Overall, it’s important CEOs understand their larger impact on society. Businesses can make a real impact in 2023 by leading where the government lacks, innovating and protecting employees and the environment. To do so businesses need to be agile and open to change.

Wishing you all the very best for 2023, here’s to positive change and progress!

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Creating third spaces for employees and the community

8th November 2022

“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.” 

Herman Melville

When I was growing up, it always felt like there was a sense of community everywhere I went. Whether it was seeing your parent’s friends at the local pub, or seeing your mates at the youth centre, you could see the spaces that the community congregated in.

Sadly, that seems to have fallen by the wayside as digital communities became the new social ground, but the need for a physical community space will always persist.

That’s why I opened my office to my teams to use as a ‘third space’ for any of their needs.

There have been quite a few changes in the UK over the course of my lifetime, but one that few people seem to talk about is the death of the ‘third place’. A third place is defined as any place you go to spend time that isn’t your home (first place) or your workplace (second place).

The idea is that the third place is somewhere you go to socialise and to be part of your community – often these were places like libraries, pubs, cafes, parks, or youth centres – places that required little to no money to attend, and which would become the nexus of the community; acting as a place to meet friends, to interact with local events, and as an important part of building a sense of community unity.

Sadly, the concept of the third place has died a death of a thousand cuts. Years of austerity and funding cuts have all but removed youth centres and libraries from society, even as many pubs and cafes have begun to lose their connection to the community. When we stop to think about the third spaces that remain, only parks and libraries remain – the latter of which is already in turmoil with the future of library funding existing on a knife edge, the threat of defunding hanging above them like a fiscally-conservative sword of Damocles.

Stop and think about it for a second – where do you see your community interacting? Do you even see it at all anymore?

The effects have been profound; although they are not always visibly connected to the death of the third space. However, with a bit of critical thinking, the connection becomes apparent. Have you found yourself wondering “why does politics seem more divisive than it used to be?”; “How could someone become so radicalised online?”; “Why do young people today seem so lost?”

The answer to all of these questions may well lie with the death of the third space. Political debates in the community were hashed out in the local pub with a wide array of views in the audience – not debated in ‘right only’ or ‘left only’ online echo chambers.

Similarly, the previous decades have shown that many of those who are inexplicably radicalised online tend to be those who lack a connection to a real-life community. In the absence of a positive community to give a sense of belonging, they are drawn into toxic radical communities that offer a sense of belonging and camaraderie.

The toxic effects of a lack of community become most apparent when we look at the state of many young people today – particularly those in the cities. Years of government-sanctioned cuts have left youth outreach as the responsibility of local communities – communities which have slowly been dismantled by the lack of public spaces.

The result is a growing rate of youth reoffending and a dramatic surge in gang membership – gangs which are offering young men the sense of community and belonging that they crave.

Talking about the decay of community spirit is easy to dismiss as ‘boomer nostalgia nonsense’ – in the same vein as complaints that ‘fish and chips don’t come wrapped in newspaper anymore’ – but the reality is that the loss of community spaces has become a profound and endemic issue throughout the UK.

We urgently need more third spaces in our communities, and although I can’t provide a solution for the entire country, I can at least help those in my immediate network. Starting a few months ago, I opened my office to every member of every team in my organisation. Accessible at any time of day or night, for whatever reasonable / appropriate purpose they may need it for.

Since starting this programme, we’ve: had a series of afterparties, provided space for a handful of social functions and even started up a weekend creche! All employees have access to the building 24/7, and are encouraged to use the space as a community hub.

We’ve had employees bring personal friends along with colleagues for impromptu parties after hours; and on weekends, those employees with children have begun to form a community daycare, taking advantage of the various consoles, activities and games we have in our breakout area.

The effect on morale has been outstanding. Not only has it brought our teams closer together, it has begun to reinvigorate a sense of community amongst those in the area. We have children who otherwise may never have met one another (despite living in the same community), who are now becoming firm friends. We have various employees introducing their groups of friends to one another at after-hours drinking sessions – we’re bootstrapping our own micro-community, and it has cost us virtually nothing.

I wish I could be more optimistic about the return of third spaces in our society, but I’m disheartened to report that any profound change to our view of third spaces is unlikely to materialise under the current government, or even under the opposition’s proposed government. The most that we can do as individuals is to try to form our own communities.

If you – like me – have access to office buildings that you can open to your employees, I implore you to consider following my path, and create a third space for them. The effects on morale and productivity are substantial, and should offer motivation enough, but I would make a more personal appeal.

This blog is primarily a source of business advice, with clear business-orientated rationales for the things I suggest – but in this one case I’d like to make an impassioned plea. Consider opening up your spaces to grow communities – not because it will help your company (although it will) – but simply because our local communities desperately need it. 

We urgently need to build new third spaces and provide new communities for those who need them. We may not be able to reinvigorate them across the country, but if someone reading this can help even one young person find a sense of community, then the effort has been worth it, for – in the words of Dorothy Day – “We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.”

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Crash Landings and Silver Linings

5th October 2022

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery”

James Joyce

Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant-past… one of my employees cocked up. Badly.

It was late on a Friday night when – through a series of errors – the young man in question had managed to destroy about £150,000 worth of work. It was almost impressive, truth be told. He had been under-invoicing one of our larger clients and had only just realised that he had charged them far less than he should have been.

He swiftly went through the full seven stages of grief before reaching acceptance and realising that he’d have to own up to the mistake. Sweating through his shirt, he approached me about the issue and began apologising; offering me his deepest regrets, possible solutions, and – in a roundabout way – asking to keep his job.

My response? I just paid £150,000 to train one employee how to never make that mistake again, and learned about a dangerous flaw in my business that could have been even more destructive – why would I fire him! I sent him home with strict orders not to think about the problem at all over the weekend, and to come back refreshed and with a positive attitude on Monday morning.

Whilst this was a problem, the speed at which the young man had owned up to his mistake had stopped it from escalating to a much greater issue. This demonstrates one of the most vital aspects of any work environment: the safety to come forward and admit mistakes without fear of punishment – and to be able to flag issues anywhere in the company without fear of retribution from higher ups.

 This is an example of a concept that has become known as Black Box Thinking.

Mistakes can be costly – after all, £150,000 is not to be sniffed at – but the way in which we approach failures can determine how much we can gain from failure. By creating an environment in which failure is recognised as a part of doing business, and in which employees can come forward to openly discuss issues without fear of reprisal, you are ensuring that any issues are addressed as soon as possible, minimising damage.

Moreover, I didn’t see this as a monumental cock-up as some might have done – I saw it as a valuable lesson on how we could improve our practices. If this employee (who was a competent employee) was able to make that mistake, then perhaps it was an operational failure by the company.

If there is a vulnerability or flaw in your business that allows for catastrophes like this to occur, then it’s not really on the employee in question, it’s on the business. If you leave a vulnerability exposed, it’s inevitable that someone, eventually, will accidentally trigger that vulnerability.

Black Box Thinking is a mindset that values openness and transparency above fear of addressing a failure. But where does it come from?

No-one understands Black Box Thinking better than the aviation industry. You might have heard the statistic that you’re more likely to die from lightning than in a plane, but there’s a very good reason for this.

Aeroplanes are – or rather were – death traps. The idea that we could fly through the sky in the 1920s is both a marvel of human ingenuity, and a testament to our arrogance. In the early years of aviation, crashes were a common part of flying. In 1929 alone there were 51 crashes, which would equate to around about 7,000 crashes in today’s number of flights.

In 2017 in comparison, there were only 10 fatal airline accidents – a dramatic improvement in anyone’s book. Whilst the improvement in safety was driven by technological updates and carefully planned protocols, both advances were driven by the concept of Black Box Thinking.

A ‘black box’ is a small, nearly indestructible block of sensors and recorders designed to withstand the destruction of a plane crashing. Its single purpose is to chart and record every action leading up to a disaster. In the tragic event of a crash, the Black Box can be salvaged to learn what events lead up to the incident, providing insight on the altitude, vectoring and even the pilots’ communications.

Over the decades, the aviation industry has used black boxes to learn from each and every crash, implementing new protocols and technologies to ensure that each incident is never repeated. With each year, the industry became safer and safer, as the industry learnt from mistakes.

However, the concept known as Black Box Thinking has evolved in tandem with the use of black boxes, but is not as simple as “learning from one’s mistakes”. The term came to be associated with the strict regulations within the aviation industry around whistleblowing and openness.

Due to the incredible risks of flying and the potential for catastrophic loss of life, there is no tolerance for not announcing issues or ignoring potential failures. Any employee within the industry is expected to immediately speak up if they see anything that might indicate a failure or potential risk. Conversely, employees know that any declaration they make will be free of retribution.

If an air steward suspects that their pilot may have had a whiskey or two in the pre-flight lounge, or if an engineer suspects that maintenance hasn’t been carried out to the right standard, they are expected to immediately flag the issue – whilst they in turn expect that they will face no reprisal from the captain or lead engineer for doing so.

If we pause to consider the mistakes that we have made throughout our lives, we would find that many of the subsequent disasters would have been far worse had they been discovered even later. That £150,000 mistake was a blow to my business, sure – but we soon came to realise that had it not been discovered, the same mistake made later in our operations could have cost us millions. That is the value of Black Box Thinking.

Now, If a company had approached me and told me they could identify and fix a flaw in my business that would eventually cost me £1.5 million, and all it would cost was £150,000? That’s one-tenth of the overall loss – a bargain in anyone’s books.

Black Box Thinking isn’t just about learning from your mistakes, it’s a mindset shift that encourages you to value openness and transparency, and to disregard blame and repercussions.

It’s more than putting on a brave face following a disaster, it’s a fundamental shift in perception: a refocusing on what is actually the biggest problem facing your business – the danger of ignoring key issues. If you can achieve this refocusing, I guarantee that you’ll see the positive effects within a few short years.

£150,000 was probably one of the most expensive lessons that I’ve been taught, but I’m always glad that it was one that my company learnt. It’s not only helped us patch a potential threat to the business, but also helped us change our perspective on failure as a collective. In many ways, it was one of the best things that ever happened to us.

Saying that – he better not do it ever again!

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What’s more important than your people?

13th September 2022

If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.

John Cleese

There has been an assertion, commonly held for many hundreds of years, that great businesses are built by great leaders. This theory – whilst always somewhat unspoken in the feudal era – gained stronger roots during the industrial revolution; a period where vast business empires were seen to be built by titans of industry.

The reality – often hidden from people behind the veneer of praise for ‘titans of industry’ – is that businesses are not built by leaders, they are built by workers. In fact, I much prefer the saying and principle, ‘people breed people’.

It may seem counterintuitive, but your goal should not be to create the ‘most successful’ company in your industry, but instead the ‘most desirable to work at’. If you can achieve the latter, the former will follow. So how do I develop my company into the most desirable employer in the sector?

The answer lies in the way in which you develop your company culture, how you attract new talent – and surprisingly – in a recruitment process involving spaghetti and duct tape.

Truly exceptional businesses are built with the right workers, in the right position, working in the right environment where they can thrive. It’s a leader’s responsibility to ensure that his or her business is hiring the right people, and utilising them in the right way – this is a challenge, but one that pays off when approached in the right way.

I believe there are three key elements to consider in this process:

The Right People

When deliberating on how to fill a vacancy within a company, the leaders and recruiting managers must ensure that they are hiring the ‘right’ person.

Do they have the right experience for the role? Do they have the knowledge and skillset required within your firm? Is their personality the right fit?

The Right Position

Whilst an applicant can demonstrate all the knowledge and skillsets required to be a valued member of a business, a good leader must also consider whether they are uniquely qualified for the role in question.

To give an example, pretend for a moment that you are hiring for a data-analysis lead. An applicant may demonstrate exceptional knowledge of the industry, and a near-genius level of skill in crunching data – however, if they demonstrate an inability to manage other team members, they may be suitable for a position with the company, but not this specific management role.

The Right Environment

This point is entirely in the hands of the business leaders – for better or for worse.

Creating a positive workplace environment is a subject which I have discussed extensively in my other blogs and my book, Doing The Opposite, but to give a quick summary: it is vital that workers feel supported and that they have the necessary tools to produce an exceptional standard of work.

This can be done through a focus on wellness, through flexible and understanding business practices, and by providing a support structure which allows them to develop on successes and bounce back from failures. If you’re interested in learning more, check out some of the other topics on my blog.

It is also vitalthat prospective employees are enthusiastic about joining your business. To ensure a strong ‘people pipeline’, companies must seek to make their work enjoyable and engaging to their employees. A crucial part of this is ensuring that your prospective applicants are a strong fit for your culture.

If a business leader can ensure that each of these three key areas are addressed, they will be able to maximise the effectiveness of their workers, allowing them to build a truly exceptional business.

“But how Jeff?” I hear you say. “What advice can you give me on how I can facilitate this?”

The recruitment process varies from company to company, but the most common aspect is the interview. Unfortunately for many businesses, that is the beginning and the end of the process. At my company, Cloudfm, we do things a little differently. We commit an entire day to the interview process. And then we make towers out of spaghetti and duct tape.

Let me explain.

Our highest priority is ensuring that our potential recruits not only have the industry skills required, but the soft skills, mindset and personality required to mesh with our existing culture.

After much tinkering, our process now involves breaking applicants into groups, with a handful of current employees joining each team. The teams are required to perform abstract tasks that demonstrate their problem solving, and how well they mesh with our culture.

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The Importance of Finding Time to Do Nothing

10th August 2022

Thinking is really difficult, which is why so few choose to do it.

Henry Ford

“Time is money” as the old adage goes. Businesses have invested millions into streamlining productivity and efficiency, always with the aim of squeezing as much work out of the smallest amount of time. The exponential growth of quotas, timesheets, efficiency workshops and tech solutions in the last 10 to 15 years bears testament to the importance of this viewpoint.

I – as I frequently seek to do – chose to do the opposite.

I gave my employees two hours a week, and told them to do nothing at all.

Most of us have a routine every day, and I’m no exception. For many, the routine is broadly the same – wake, wash, coffee, commute etc. Routine is one of the core elements of a healthy lifestyle, and even those of us who appreciate a little carpe-diem in our daily life usually have some kind of structure wrapped around their spontaneity.

The benefits are endless. Evidence shows that a certain amount of structure (which varies from person to person I might add) helps reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, and has been proven to increase concentration and focus. On a more practical note, a routine can help us structure our day and plan our activities, work and leisure. Our routines are often bursting at the seams, trying to incorporate the demands of our careers, families and desire for leisure, so the idea of trying to wring out an extra hour a day to do nothing at all may seem a bit preposterous.

But if there is one thing that I’d recommend, it is that we should all try to find one hour a day to add to our daily routine. What for? A period of reflection and mindfulness.

Now those of you who have met me might find it difficult to imagine me engaging in a period of reflection and mindfulness. I think that for many people, mindfulness conjures images of cross-legged yogis in flowing white garments meditating.  Maybe it’s hard to picture me – a late-50s, east-ender turned CEO – meditating in a park or performing sunrise tai chi.

The reality is mindfulness doesn’t have to have anything to do with yoga, meditation or eastern philosophies. Mindfulness can be as simple as sitting on a sofa, alone with your thoughts, or taking a quiet walk through the park. It’s about self-reflection and taking a little bit of time out of your schedule to let your mind run loose and turn over some of the thoughts you’ve had during your day. For each of us, the method may vary, but the goal needs to be the same – to put aside the worries and demands of your routine, and let your mind run.

The benefits are staggering. The American Psychological Association has found that a period of mindful reflection can reduce stress, reduce negative thoughts and ‘dwelling’, increase relationship satisfaction, reduce the severity of emotional reactions, and dramatically increase mental health by reducing the strains that underlie many serious mental health issues like depression and even psychopathy.

Not only will mindfulness bring about improvements in your personal life – it can hugely increase performance in work lives. The same report has found that mindfulness provides substantial boosts to memory, focus and ‘cognitive flexibility’ – the ability to become more adaptive and think outside of the box when faced with complex or stressful tasks.

Mindfulness isn’t just a way of improving personal lives (although it certainly does) – it’s a way of improving an entire business or organisation. CEOs, managers and team leaders should all encourage staff members to engage in a period of mindfulness, as the benefits will have a direct impact on the capacity and capabilities of their employees.

However, this does bring us back to the issue of routine. For many people it’s impossible to find even an hour a week to be able to be alone with their thoughts; and the manager that encourages them to put aside other parts of their routine to do so will not be a particularly beloved one. People don’t like being told what to do with their personal time, and rightly so.

So, what’s the solution?

The solution is to give them the time back from their work schedule, not their personal schedule. You may struggle to encourage employees to sacrifice an hour a week of their personal time to engage in mindfulness, but if you offer them a fully-paid hour out of their work schedule once a week to sit in a park, you may find them much more willing to do so.

Somewhere, there is a team-leader reading this and sweating profusely whilst imagining proposing to senior management that everyone in the company should be given a fully paid hour to do nothing but sit with their thoughts. I’ll admit, it can be a hard sell, but the evidence speaks for itself. That’s why I’ve implemented this policy across my business. Once a week, for two hours, my employees are instructed to engage in mindfulness in whichever way they see fit. I’ve seen the results first hand, and so can you.

If you aren’t quite sure, try it for yourself. Go for a walk through a park today for an hour or so, and let your mind run free. Contemplate your day, and you may enjoy a little peace, find some abstract solutions to your problems, or even discover something profound about yourself in a moment of self-reflection.

After all, as Nietzsche said, “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”

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A Stitch in Time Saves Lives

22nd July 2022

You may delay, but time will not

Benjamin Franklin

We humans have an odd tendency to stick our heads into the sand when facing problems that seem overwhelming. It’s something that many people will have experienced at some stage in their life – be it ignoring a rapidly approaching deadline, or putting off a difficult conversation.  

Unfortunately, this very rarely results in the problem going away. If anything, it almost always makes it much, much worse. This phenomenon has been a part of the human psyche for about as long as humanity has been around – but it wasn’t until the 1700’s when the most well-known version of this sentiment would appear: the phrase “a stitch in time saves nine”.

So people have procrastinated their way through history, why does that matter?

The reason this specific quirk of ours is such an existential threat is because we have found ourselves at a point where the speed of our decision-making will determine our existence. I’ve always been a champion of reducing carbon and protecting our planet, often reflecting on my role as a business leader and how responsible practices can make a difference. A few weeks ago I missed a speaking opportunity at the UN Ocean Conference (due to coming down with Covid), since then I’ve felt compelled to use my voice in another way to share my thoughts.

The problems the oceans are facing are substantial. Overfishing, ocean acidification and reef desertification are threatening the ecological chain that the Earth’s flora and fauna depend on, whilst a simultaneous rise in population and the global median income has increased the demand exerted on the ocean’s resources. The need for action has never been greater, and yet, humanity has failed to collectively act to make the requisite ‘stitches’ to save the planet from ecological collapse.

 So, what are the changes required? How do we even begin to address the many problems that we’re facing?

Whilst men and women much smarter than I are working on solutions to specific problems, such as phytoplankton loss and ocean acidification, I would argue that there are some broader actions that – if widely adopted – would have a dramatic effect on our drive to defend and rebuild our ocean ecosystems. I would suggest three easy ‘stitches’ that can save us in the future: developing the education around marine conservation, making conservation enjoyable, and changing our behaviour towards the oceans.

The first stitch is education. This, more so than any other stitch, is the key to rectifying the issues that have plagued our oceans.

Ultimately, one of the biggest issues we face is that the global population has little to no understanding of the importance of our oceans. A great example of this is the public perception that our supply of oxygen comes from great rainforests along the Amazon and in the Congo. In reality, between 50-80% of our breathable oxygen comes from phytoplankton in the oceans; microscopic organisms that form the basis of the global food chain, and which are at risk of collapse due to ocean acidification as a result of industrial runoff and rising carbon levels. If the phytoplankton go, so does everything else on the planet – yet very few people seem to grasp the severity of the situation.

Surprisingly, the entertainment industry has led the charge in bringing education to the widest audience, with figures like David Attenborough emphasising the wonder of the seas to audiences around the world, whilst also educating them on the threats that the oceans face. The attention that entertainment has brought to the threats facing marine ecology cannot be understated – possibly because, instead of being prescriptive or lecturing audiences, these shows present the facts in an engaging and enjoyable way; which leads me to my next point…

Enjoyment is crucial, not only as a supplement to education, but as a means in its own right. Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Show him how enjoyable fishing is, and he’ll feed himself for the rest of his life – although, admittedly, encouraging more fishing may not be the best analogy to use in this particular blog.

We know we must mobilise the population to take action, but the vast majority of suggested methods rely on either altruism or fear-mongering – neither of which are conducive in motivating sustained effort. The key is to create tasks that have a positive effect on the environment, whilst also providing enjoyment to the activist beyond a sense of self-satisfaction at a job done well. One suggestion would be to create a nationwide point-based system for positive environmental action that benefits the oceans, with rewards and prestige for those who exceed the average within their communities.

Many of us enjoy competing with others and the prestige that comes with it, in the form of Instagram likes and Reddit karma – with some amongst us willing to go to extreme lengths to outdo our peers. The key is that the process must be enjoyable, either in the task itself, or in the accreditation that comes with it. Whilst many environmental conservation projects will need oversight by trained professionals with adequate compensation, there are endless tasks that can be easily completed by the public (picking litter, recycling, volunteering and more) – if only we could make them enjoyable.

The final stitch is perhaps the hardest: changing behaviour.

There are a great many technological advancements and developments being made which will have a positive effect on environmental practices. Ground breaking developments have been made in the creation of biodegradable plastics, carbon capture, sustainable resource collection and many other areas that benefit the oceans. One example is Mindsett, a subsidiary of my firm Cloudfm. Mindsett is working to ensure that data collected by businesses can be used to improve their environmental practise and reduce a company’s environmental footprint. However, technological development can’t always guarantee behavioural change.

Humans are highly adaptable, it’s one of our great superpowers. You can see this in the way that people have quickly adapted to periods of great upheaval, like the blitz – or more recently, as I’ve personally experienced, coronavirus. Humans can adapt to nearly everything (‘nearly’, because we can’t adapt to the collapse of our ecosystem), and this superpower can be harnessed for positive change.

People need to adapt to new ways of behaving and change their outlook to prioritise the security of our environment. If we can encourage the public to adapt to new ways of living – be that by using recyclable materials, reducing resource use or banning single use plastics – we can make dramatic changes to our impact on the oceans.

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The opposite: Value is in the eye of the beholder

20th May 2022
price tag of value

“Price is what you pay, value is what you get“

Warren Buffet

If you ask someone to tell you the value of something, chances are that the first thing they’ll do is try to put a price tag on it, like a bizarre version of ‘The Price is Right’.

Louboutin shoes? £600. Package holiday to the Algarve? One and a half grand.

It’s an unfortunate bi-product of the way we’re taught to view the world. That the cost of an item is indicative of its value; that if something costs a certain amount of money, then that must mean that the value is equal. A £500 bottle of 2010 Dom Perignon champagne for instance, must cost that amount because the taste is so exquisite that it merits the price tag.

Take cars for instance. To someone who doesn’t know a great deal about cars, the price tag is indicative of its value. A £60k Mercedes feels of a higher value than a £4k Skoda. Why? If you asked different people, they would give you a range of answers. Perhaps because of the quality of the engine, or maybe the lavish leather seating, or maybe even just because when you open the door, a built-in light flashes on, projecting the fancy Mercedes logo onto the pavement. With all its bells and whistles, the Mercedes has – at a glance – more value than the Skoda. When we try and put a number on the value, we take for granted that the cost of the item is the amount of value we receive.

We reflect this flawed thinking onto much of our lives and slowly begin to equate cost with value. If something is priced at a certain amount, then its value must be worth its cost. Right?

Somewhere deep down inside, we all know that this actually isn’t the case. If you encourage people to stop and think about this a little bit, they’ll remember that value is subjective. We’ve just become so conditioned to viewing the world in terms of price and value that we’ve forgotten it. My key to getting people to remember this, is showing them the cost of something that they personally don’t value. For some people it’s designer clothing, for others its niche collectables like stamps or vintage comic books – but I think the best example is shoes.

My dad (somewhat notoriously) won’t pay more than £20 for a pair of shoes. Ever. If you were to suggest to him that he should buy a pair of Bottega Veneta shoes for the tidy sum of £1,400… he’d laugh in your face – because to him, the value of a pair of shoes is simply the value that you get from being able to walk down the road.

Now I’m not saying that those shoes aren’t worth £1,400 full stop; I’m sure that somewhere out there, there’s an avid collector of designer shoes who’d gladly pay that sum to add to his collection – and more power to him – but the value that my dad and that particular man credit to a pair of shoes is wildly different.

Value, ultimately, is in the eye of the beholder.

Another easier example to grasp is holidays.

The cost of scaling Everest as a tourist is somewhere between £20k to £90k – depending on how safe you want to be on your trip up. To an avid mountaineer, who has spent the last decade of his annual leave scaling the world’s largest peaks, that may very well be a fair value. On the other hand, there are those amongst us who spend their year waiting for the opportunity to pay a good few thousand to go watch the Monaco Grand Prix from a yacht in the marina. And finally, there are those among us who prefer to barely spend anything at all, hitchhiking through a series of hostels in Eastern Europe.

If you were to take these three hypothetical people and switch their holidays around, you’d find that few of them would agree that the value of those trips matched the cost that they’d have to pay.

The mountaineer may say that he’d never pay thousands of pounds to sit on a boat watching cars whizz past; the car enthusiast would be aghast at staying in a series of decrepit hostels in post-soviet countries, regardless of the cost; and the traveller might scoff at the enormous expense of what he would see as a week of trudging up rocks in freezing weather.

Value is something unique to each individual, whether it be shoes, holidays – almost anything you can conceive of. However, we’ve become used to thinking of value in terms of cost, as it’s the metric with which value has always been measured throughout our lives. When you look at something that you may not know a great deal about, the temptation is to treat the cost as an accurate representation of its value or worth.

So what’s the business lesson to be learned here?

Value isn’t something you can quantify. You can have educated guesses, of course, based on what the contractor is offering, and how much you trust them to deliver it, but ultimately you can’t know the value of a service provider or item until you’ve integrated it into your business.

You can have a contractor providing the exact same service to three very similar companies, and yet they’ll have wildly different views on the value. For one, the value might be determined by how quickly the service can be delivered. For the next, the value may be on how responsive the contractor is to complaints and help requests. For the last, it may be how much they enjoy going for your quarterly drinks with the contractor sales rep.

Only you, yourself, can determine the value that you find in the product or service after experiencing it, then measure that against the cost you paid. If the value you’ve experienced isn’t worth the cost that you’re paying for it – well, then it’s time to negotiate a new deal based on your experience of that value or – in a worst case scenario – get a new contractor.

Value isn’t a number, it’s a feeling. It’s the measurement of that intangible sense of satisfaction with something – and you can’t put a price tag on that.

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