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This blog is aimed at the Clinton Devon Estate team to let everyone know what the Estate Director is up to... By popular demand! Let me have your feedback...

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Family Business as a Paradox - Professor John Ward

Four full hours this morning on Family Business.  Focus on the big paradox - business or family or both?!

How to ensure that the business can move through generations intact...  but considering that business systems have one logic and family systems another.

Legacy vs individual gain
Communities vs transient
24/7 vs 9 to 5
Emotion vs rational
Given vs planned
Tradition vs change
Harmony vs justice
Tolerance vs standards

Need policies; purpose; process and a paradox...

Family first or business first when thinking about family and business issues - different cultures approach it in different ways.

A lot of time spent on transition between the family...

Think long term, not get too focussed on short term - set milestones for long term - is it an excuse for low performance though?

If you do a financial analysis using standard Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) you will get a short term because it assumes current cash is better than future cash.  Other options include scenario planning and "options".  How little can I pay today to get better information to a better decision later?

Leading in a complex world: Simplify and Amplify...

Professor Maznevski led a session on trying to implement strategy in a complex world.  Today we must NOT try to simplify situations.  Simplification is an illusion.  Complex animals can adapt to complex environments...  simple animals are less adaptable and if their niche changes they can't adapt.

Most complex aspect of any company is it's human brains and relationships.  Yet only 30 to 70 (max)% of any company brains' intellectual capacity is being utilised.  Therefore we should push to use more to deal more effectively with today's complexity!

Brain - empower knowledge

Relationships - empower connectivity

Two characters to help us balance our leadership in a complex world -

Hercules and Buddha

Hercules:

Strength
Power
Control
Single mindedness
Rational thought
Accomplishing goals
Win wealth and status

In management -

Procedures; hierarchy; market share; results; co-ordination

Buddha:

Presence
Mindfulness
Responsiveness
Innovation
Path to enlightenment
Knowledge and wisdom
Questioning
Patience
Trust
Rising above conflict

In Management - informal processes; networks; collaboration; development; exploring alternatives; long term planning

You should operate in both H and B modes at appropriate times to be successful in dealing with complexity.  Simplify and Amplify.

Simplify:

Clear mission
Values and organisational structure
Simple and clear authority
Some core processes

Amplify the ability to respond and create opportunities:

Facilitate innovation and empowerment in decision making
Coach, ask questions and develop alternatives
Increase informal networks and collaboration

Example Nelson Mandela "forgiveness liberates the soul - it is such a powerful weapon"

Be both Buddha and Hercules... take responsibility for what you simplify and what you amplify...

Jean-Claude Biver CEO of Hublot

M Biver CEO of Hublot watches gave a talk this evening...  at first I thought he had spent rather longer at the wine tasting than the rest of us.  However, it became clear this was his style...  He talked about his business philosophy as a leader and CEO.  Basically it revolved around love...

He had three key messages:

1.  SHARE - as a leader share your knowledge and your failures.  Share success also NEVER say any success is yours personally - it is the team's success otherwise you are not a leader - you are rather sad and lonely!

2.  RESPECT - respect your suppliers - they are critical to your customer offering.  Respect your people and customers - an "act of love" (when questioned later - it appears that this message does not apply to competitors!)

3.  FORGIVE - you must be capable of forgiving mistakes - if you cannot forgive you should not be the boss.  If people don't make mistakes there is no future.  No success without failure!  However, no repeating mistakes - if you do then "goodbye" is his philosophy...

These three approaches should be at a leader's work AND at home.

Be "young".  Young means active.  Forget the body (sorry Neil) - the brain and heart must remain young - give love as a leader and remain active...  You can be 85 and still young...

Some interesting views...

Monday 27 June 2011

Day 2 IMD

Full day... Thought provoking 4.5 hour session on what makes family business's tick. Key issue about thinking at least one generation ahead. John Ward and Joachim Schwass are the top two family business professors in the world. This is serious stuff!

Last night had a mind expanding presentation on the state of the world's economies by an economics professor. Time to leave the UK... We appear to be stuffed. Public sector out of control in terms of costs vs value and national debt coming a close second in a league table not to be seen near... Although UK pays over £26k to any family not wishing to work in Spain and Greece the state's largesse is considerably greater!!! Incredible figures - I'd rather not believe them.

A presentation on Social Media convinced me that we need to move into this space sooner rather than later. Engagement with communities and individuals is essential for businesses and reinforces the work we are already doing. Status quo not acceptable - how we engage with multiple generational individuals and communities in ways not even considered a year or so ago will be interesting to say the least. Budleigh Salterton may not be ready for this but from today's session the rest of the globe is. Networks are becoming global with local twists...

Decline of the nation state? Yes but will the politicians get it? Jury is out - to date they don't appear to... If you are a pastry chef in Greece it is classified as a dangerous occupation and you can retire any time after 50 on virtually full pay... If you take UK policy on public pensions, welfare etc we are actually not far behind...

IMD have bespoke iPad app. Awesome. Andrew de G and Luke - I want one for CDE for scorecard reportimg et al...! We shall speak. Remarkable use of technology to very good effect.

That's all for me - got three cases to read for Tuesday...

Sunday 26 June 2011

Off to Switzerland

Just at T5 LHR waiting to catch flight to Geneva for our Family Business Course at IMD. Great to have family, David Cobb and David Robinson attending. Will update with feedback as course progresses.

Thursday 16 June 2011

Forestry Panel - visit to Forest of Dean

On Sunday and Monday I attended the Government's Independent Forestry Panel's first visit which was to the Forest of Dean.  We stayed in the heart of the forest and had two fascinating days of meetings and visits.  What was remarkable was the passion local people have for their local woodlands - a strong culture of association, sometimes through employment, residence, family or simply leisure.  The history and traditions still active and / or treasured were legendary.  The support for their local Forestry Commission representatives was obvious.  We were made welcome and I know that all the Panel got a lot from the visit.  I am looking forward to the contrast with Keilder Forest (the largest man made forest in Europe) and the NE which we visit next.

On the Monday afternoon John Wilding, in his capacity as member of the SW FC Regional Advisory Committee, attended a workshop the Panel was holding with regional stakeholders.  There were seven tables each chaired by a Panel Member - John was allocated to my table but we both agreed that he should find somewhere else to sit!  It was great to see the great and good from the forestry world congratulating John on the award of his well deserved MBE!

Friday 10 June 2011

Otters on the River Otter

Great news article on ITV Westcountry tonight about otters on the River Otter. Featuring the Devon Wildlife Trust and John Wilding from the Estate. If you did not see it have a look at:

www.itv.com/Westcountry-west/wild-otters05226

Please let your friends and contacts have this link before it is taken down

Wednesday 8 June 2011

Visit of Royal Yacht Squadron

Everyone at REO helped to make the visit of the Royal Yacht Squadron such a success and memorable event. The dressage display by Abbie Hughes at the end was the icing on the cake. Thanks to everyone involved. We have a few weeks "rest" before our Summer Event early next month!

The weather, despite predictions to the contrary, proved to be perfect for the visit but still very frustrating for Estate farmers - George is very concerned now as to the reduced yields / quality of his arable crops. Animal feed will be an issue later this year.

Wednesday 1 June 2011

Rain, trees and broadband

it is now getting very silly indeed!  Whilst the sunny weather is great for outdoor activities it is now causing the Estate some real concerns.  The brief downpours recently have done nothing to prevent the Pebblebed Heaths to be now tinder dry and a huge fire risk - already two arson attacks have occurred; Clinton Farms is struggling with grass and arable crops and both income will be down and costs of feed up later in the year; recently planted woodlands are suffering and many hectares will require re-planting this winter.

Only good news is that the hot weather will hopefully delay another serious bout of Phytophthora ramorum in our larch.  John Wilding continues to be vigilant though.  You will have noticed the significant increase in felling activity in East Devon - this is primarily to pre-empt any infection and take advantage of the market.  We exported timber from Bideford recently which was a first (well for a long time) and we also saw timber going to mills in Norfolk, both these events say a lot about the English timber market!  All our harvesting contractors have undertaken site based risk assessments which, in the main, have allowed public access.  It is a credit to the forestry team and our contractors that we have had little or no adverse comment about our activities.  Indeed comments we have received have been mainly inquisitive!  We continue to engage with Forestry Commission SW supporting their initiative to encourage co-operative working across growers and processors in the region.  A very innovative and forward thinking approach.

The £30m funding recently announced for rural broadband infrastructure in Devon is welcome news.  The Estate has been involved in drawing up plans for investment in both wireless and fixed line broadband services across our commercial and residential properties for a number of years.  We have already made contact with both the County and District Councils and hope to see some genuine investment in bandwidth across the geography of Devon over the coming months.  It has been a long time coming (a bit like affordable housing but that is another story and future blog...).