Frank and Brown

Have you ever wanted to switch off the phone; do nothing or just go back to the old ways of doing things?  If you hadn’t noticed already face-to-face networking; calling people on the phone and actually having a conversation is back. It has been much hyped recently on the back of a negative reaction to too much talk about Twitter and various social media networks. But fancy the idea of promoting the art of conversation: I can almost see and feel the raised eyebrows and despairing sigh of John Humphreys on the BBC’s Today programme.

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When is PR, writing and general consultancy like sharing your life with a cat? Answer, most of the time actually.

If you’re a consultant working in the service sector then you might get where I’m coming from with this.  Because, let’s face it, clients can be like cats.  Hold that thought for a while.

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It’s been some time now since I was regularly on Twitter or Linked In – the two main social media networks I use.  This is partly due to focussing on work and attempting to ignore the possible distractions of Twitter (primarily).  But, I was surprised to notice that I have not missed it at all.  In fact, I’ve struggled to get back into the routine of making space for a an hour or so of tracking ideas, information and swapping Tweets.  Indeed, I haven’t written a blog since early June.  Now, I love writing, swapping ideas and engaging in conversation and so Twitter ticks all the boxes.  I try and make my Tweets relevant and/or entertaining just as I would in face-to-face conversation; so what is it about it that it is falling to draw me back into regular online interaction?

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Can Johan Cruyff help FM embrace total football ideals?

One reaction to the pressure to save money in the UK business services sector is to bundle services together. For the facilities management industry this is translated as Total Facilities Management. In reality TFM means not a true totality, but an attempt by the bigger players (as smaller organisation just don’t have the scale) to take control of the services normally sub-contracted and self deliver them as much as possible. As with the whole of FM the definition of ‘total’ is easily stretched and manipulated to suit the requirements of the customer. To work properly it has to be done with an open, honest partnership approach – i.e. not hiding what the supplier is unable to self-deliver.

But the key here is that it is not Total FM. Not really.

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Having signed off a leader column for FMX that makes reference to the Lib-Con coalition and imminent cuts I’m in the mood to wax lyrical about what George Osborne’s plans might mean and repurcussions further down the line. I accept cuts need to be made, but I lean towards to the Vince Cable (i.e. his views before the election) perspective and I certainly don’t agree with what appear to be punishing restraints on spending across the public sector.

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The election is over, we have a result and life goes on. That is the harsh reality, we have all got to grin and bear it and do our day jobs whilst the politicians get to grips with the ‘big issues’. But on day-to-day basis, the respective problems we all grapple with are just as important. Julie Kortens, featured in FMX this month as head of FM for Channel 4, gets to have a glimpse of both worlds.

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There is a fascinating discussion going on at the i-FM.net Linked in forum about whether FM does get the recognition it deserves. I think it does. Basically, the problem is that as an industry and as a profession it does not sell itself well. This is partly due to reticence on the part of the people driving the sector, but probably more to do with the fact that people are focused on doing their day jobs – delivering services, making sure things work effectively and hopefully making some money into the bargain. Log onto the discussion if you can, but consider some of the reasons for the discussion in the first place.

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I have picked my team – what about you?

Two weeks to go and all the polls indicate a hung Parliament.  David Cameron and the Conservatives are on a mission to persuade the world that a hung Parliament is a bad thing; Nick Clegg is trying to keep a poker face and Gordon Brown and the boys and girls in red are playing catch-up. But, unless things take a dramatic turn then it still looks like a coalition, a power-share or call it what it is – teamwork – and collaboration will be on the cards. So, how will they work it out – who gets be in Team GBR Cabinet 2010?

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The dust has not settled on the election debate last night, but the pollsters are earning their money, there is still a three horse race and it still looks like the UK is heading for a hung Parliament, or better still some form of coalition based on some solid team work and straight talking.  Now, if that is the case how is it going to break down? The reality will be the big vote winners and hard hitting political muscle will win the best seats at Cabinet. But if you were picking your team who would pull on the shirt and represent Team GBR Cabinet?

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All the talk about hung Parliaments yesterday made smile. Maybe I’m missing the point, but if there is no clear majority it means the leading political parties will have to pull together, talk, work out a solution – maybe even work as a team. Doesn’t that sound like a best case scenario? Isn’t it just possible that the UK might end up with a ‘best of’ selection of political decision makers to lead the country out of the current economic and cultural gloom? And, isn’t that exactly what the leaders and opinion formers in Whitehall and Westminster have been urging business (especially in the built environment) to do for the past ten, fifteen years or more. I’ve written about team work before – I will again – but when it is done right it works and delivers great results.

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