when inspiration fails... stop innovating and start KBO'ing!

When I started this blog I set myself a target of writing an entry about 2 weeks or so – more than that and I risk getting sidetracked into mundane matters about toast and road works, less than that and people might lose interest (I know I would!).


And so far, I’ve stuck to this target pretty well... but today I find myself bereft of ideas and inspiration for subject matter. I’m sharing every writers nightmare (writers block) and every artists’ too, when they’re faced with a blank canvas and can’t image how to start to fill it.



So – what to do? In the words of Churchill, ‘K.B.O.’ – he recognised that to succeed you don’t always have to be constantly coming up with new innovative concepts and models; sometimes it’s enough that you’re able to persevere with what you’re doing and keep doing it despite the odds...

doing a Del Boy...

in the run up to christmas last year, I found myself running a market stall at a craft market, peddling felted soaps, lace, scarves and such like (long story for another time).

Needless to say, it was very different to how I usually work - not only because it was retail, rather than 'business to business', but also because it meant me standing outside all day in -3C.
BUT it was actually a really good experince: trading in an unfamiliar context with a different group of customers meant a lot of thinking and learning on my feet; it also forced me to quickly form loose alliances with other neighbouring traders. All of which not only meant I took sales that were very respectable, but also had the opportunity to reflect on how I do business from a completely diiferent perspective.

So - I'd encourage you all to try the same from time to time. Spend a day doing business in a way that's completely alien to your usual - get out your suitcase fully of (dodgy?) gear, pull on the fake fur trim coat and fire up the 3-wheeler...

'tis the season...

Best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral, winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most joyous traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, but with respect for the religious persuasion of others who choose to practice their own religion as well as those who choose not to practice a religion at all; plus, a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year 2011, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of the other cultures whose contributions have helped make our society great, without regards to the race, creed, colour, religious, or sexual preferences of the wishes.


Disclaimer: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for him/herself or others and no responsibility for any unintended emotional stress these greetings may bring to those not caught up in the holiday spirit.

The time of my life?

The work I do, the way I do it, and the people I do it with, are often exhilarating and purposeful – I recognise that I’m fortunate in often finding meaning and fulfilment in my work.

And with the advent of social media there are ever-increasing opportunities and invitations for me to meet with like-minded people, immerse myself in new thinking, reflect on ideas and experiences; I should be having the time of my life but the time of my life demands that I find myself increasingly having to say no, makes excuses, leave early...

You see, I’m blessed with 2 great young boys who I want to spend time with; I also want to support my wife as she develops her career as a textile artist, and in her expanding role as a community leader through her being part of the school PTA, a member of the local church’s leadership team, developing collaborations between local businesses and so on.

A few people have commented on my work as evidence of a successful career; I see that I do well in spinning a lot of plates in my professional and personal life while trying to get, and keep, the right balance both in and between them.

So, this isn’t meant as a “woe is me, life’s tough...” lament, but hopefully as encourage to some of you who are in similar times of your lives, and explanation to others who may be feeling upset at my apparent snubbing of your kind invitations.

Half of social enterprises will be lost in the next 5 years – and it’s our fault!

About a year ago, I argued the pressing and urgent need for social enterprises to value their people more or risk losing them.

Sadly the latest national salary and careers survey seems to suggest that these warnings have fallen on deaf ears:

• More people expect to be working in the public sector or private enterprise than in social enterprise in 5 years time...

• There will be fewer career opportunities in social enterprise next year than in the private sector

• We pay our staff at least a grade less than their counterparts in the private and public sectors

• Social enterprises are worse at training and developing their people than charities, private companies and local authorities and public bodies are


All of this means that we’re likely to see a growing exodus of people and talent from the sector – indeed I’ve started to see more practitioners leaving their social enterprise employers to join or set up private practices (like I did myself 6 years ago – but that was out of necessity rather than a deliberate career choice, and a story for another time...).

But what of the next generation of social entrepreneurs I hear you cry? All of these new up and coming starlets being born out of the teaching in schools and colleges, who’ve been learning about the wonders of social enterprise? Well, if people have any sense, then they look at employers carefully before committing themselves – and if you had to choose between an employer who paid you less, invested in you less and offered you fewer development opportunities than a private firm or public body, who would you choose?

Why I have to be a naughty boy...

Our mothers taught us that it was rude to eavesdrop on other conversations; which is true – we should respect the privacy of others.

But I’ve found myself being a naughty boy... I find myself increasingly eavesdropping on others' conversations at events and conferences I attend (but how else will I find out who might be a useful person to get to know, and have identified Vivs Long-Ferguson of RSA fame?). And on-line we scream our conversations to the world through twitter, facebook, youtube, linkedin and others, desperate to have our conversations heard by others in hopes that they’ll join in and share their ideas and experiences to enrich our own...

So, sorry mum – but if I’m going to be able to get on in this world (professionally, at least) and find the people I need to help me change the world, I’m going to have to be a naughty boy and break some of your golden rules about good behaviour.

Me and Bono

Well – OK, pro Bono, rather than U2's Bono, but I found myself wondering recently, just how much free support do I actually give?

I've always been very open about saying I'm happy to have an initial chat/lunch/beer with anyone who like to ask me to, without obligation – just 'cos I think that's how the world should work. But I don't keep track of how much time I spend doing this, and I'm suddenly aware that its probably increasing - there seem to be a growing number of people in different sector bodies who 'pass my name on' to various groups and people (I was tempted to list the sector bodies they work for, but might be a tad delicate if I did....), and I'm happy for them to continue do so.

But very few of these lead to any fee earning work, and although that's not the reason I do it, being self-employed I have to try and drum up enough work to keep the bills paid somehow.

But I digress – I do pro bono for a lot of people and I don't track it.

Should I?
But if I did, what would it show? The only reason I measure or record anything I do is because I think it generates useful management information, and anything I record about myself I tend to be pretty open about in sharing what they show (see previous posts about my social accounts and why I do this ). As a freelancer, what useful management information would I be generating by recording how much of my time is spent doing pro bono stuff and openly reporting this (other than to gratify my ego).

This is not a hypothetical question – it’s something I really am trying to work out. I'd appreciate any comments you'd like to share with me, either by reply to this post or by direct email adrian_ashton2@yahoo.co.uk.