Sometimes I am in awe of how some professions can make simple things complex.

Think the legal profession for example. It’s almost an art form.

Industry often speaks to industry and that’s jargon.

There is a great art to keeping things simple and an even better skill in making complex things simple to understand. If you can do that, you are a teacher.

Recently I was struggling to explain what a ‘brand’ was to a young man at one of our workshops. He was bright, determined, attentive and interested but I wasn’t explaining it very well.

I paused, I reflected and this is what I said;

“John, it’s that big red letter burnt onto the cheek of a sheep’s arse.”

“Oh now I get you Conor, thanks”

Simple, but effective.

If an army were about to go into battle it is reasonable to assume that they would have a plan.

That plan would also have to be based on a clear vision.

The realisation of that vision would be a fair assessment of whether or not it was successful and there would be measurable consequences to manage if that mission failed.

Business is no different, but do you plan? In fact, do you know where you are going, or where it is you are trying to get to?

If the Generals in the tent have no idea what they are doing, where they are going, or how to get there, then what chance have the soldiers in winning the battle, let alone the war?

Isn’t it time to develop a strategy?

Most people, if they are honest, do not really know the difference between sales and marketing. Most people tend to wrap them together.

Most sales people would rather say they are in ‘marketing’ as if ‘sales’ was a slightly dirty word. In truth, they are two halves of a whole but entirely different halves.

In short, Marketing is everything that you do to reach and persuade prospects.

The sales process is everything that you do to close the sale and get a signed agreement or contract.

Get this right and you will make progress, get it wrong, it will be an expensive mistake.

People create atmosphere. Nothing else, full stop. Good design and comfort merely facilitate that. The secret to a successful outlet is to understand and develop your own DNA. Develop your points of difference. Develop what you do best, what you know best and make it absolutely relevant to where you are and who wants you or could want you.

A hotel (or a business that interfaces with the public) is like a theatre. Every night when the lights go down the show is over, another day is done. The next day, no matter what has gone before it, the show will have a new audience, often a first time audience, and today’s show must, at the very least, be better than the day before.

The actors who will deliver the show are your people. If you do not invest in them in many ways you will have an average show. After all, what is the point of a beautiful comfortable cosy theatre with great sets, great seats and great lighting if the guys on stage have no idea what they are doing?

I love when people freely throw around the word ’strategy’.

The funny thing is you know they don’t really know what it means.

Lots of people confuse ‘mission’ with ‘vision’. Some confuse strategy as vision mixed with mission. It’s easily done so try this;

“Strategy is the step by step removal of removable constraints. Competitive strategy means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value.”  

In our little company we don’t want to hear about what we are good at – that’s vanity. (and perhaps insecurity?)

On the other hand, we grow by learning about what is not good, what we could do better, how we could try harder.

I was deeply impressed by a line I once heard at the outset of a very challenging seminar;

“Most of us would rather be damned by praise than saved by criticism.”

Vision is not a far horizon or even a far off place, an image of some kind of unknowable future.

It is a statement of the purpose, values, skills and creativity of an organisation that constantly strives to be more effective that it is now.

Vision is a journey, not a destination, there is no arrival point. Just like the horizon!

Mel McNally is a visionary. He saw the potential of the Irish pub and he took it to the world. He used to be my boss and boy did he teach me lots.

Mel has always been a busy man but it never failed to impress me how he made time. A knock on his door and a polite “Have you a moment Mel?” was universally greeted with “Of course”. That alone is a good lesson.

It went further. When in his company Mel gave you undivided attention. Besides being considerate, he was ‘focusing’. If he gave me one great gift and lesson, it is the power to focus.

What does that mean? It means, at that very moment the only thing you do is listen, open your mind and concentrate. Of course there are dazzling distractions but the lesson? – If I listen with care, truly focus, concentrate and absorb, I will make progress.

My Mum calls it “one thing at a time”.

You know what? It works – now form an orderly queue please!

I’m stealing this from my Dad’s book ‘Can You Manage’ (but I have his permission).

It’s a great line on leadership;

“Avoid using a sledgehammer when a feather will do, but keep the sledgehammer handy.”

I remember getting a very angry email one day from a very angry young man.

His mail was emotional, uncontrolled, wild and… very angry. He was attacking everyone (mostly me) and it made unpleasant reading.

I was bemused and quickly reminded of a wonderfully simple piece of wisdom I once saw on a cheesy calendar. It said;

“There are many things I have regretted saying, but I have never regretted saying nothing”

Not a bad idea!