Growing Innovators
Innovation is the game changer for each of us personally, for our shared ventures and for businesses and government globally. By working smarter we can achieve more, through specialisation and adaptation to our environment and adaptation of our environment.
Our economy’s growth rate and the rate of employment are functions of Innovation. I define Innovation as to conceive new ideas and adaptations and the subsequent implementation of these concepts.
Individual’s potential when optimised through self-awareness enables self-fulfilment. The more control and ownership they have of their life journey the more potency they can have to meet new challenges. We all need to work to achieve, to create, to make a difference we can be encouraged when we see for good or ill the impact our actions have. It is not enough to fear failure or to give up so as not to fail. It is in this struggle that the process of personal growth is engaged. By developing individuals and teams we generally become more efficient and effective. While some may go on a road trip of self destruction before hopefully tuning in and accepting a work ethic. Engaged creative individuals devoted to being and growing as innovators. This change is the prerequisite for dynamic economic growth for our society.
Ways to assist this are environmental, providing access to resources such as learning, team dynamics and finance. Interventions and motivation to help stimulate this can be to focused and rigid or to loose and unfocused. Individuals need personalised support and challenges to perform optimally and differing environments will favour differing outcomes. Certainly the most creative and game changing ideas and individuals are usually external to traditional large steady enterprises including governments. To be adaptable and innovative does require a vision that is invested in at all levels of the organisation to achieve success.
My fear is that if as a nation we do not do this and our national debt continues to rise. Then sooner or latter we will default on our debt and then I think the nation will face a stark choice bankruptcy or something as radical as the mass nationalisation of property to give to the creditors. In the past when this nation has needed to raise money Henry the Eighth did undertake the dissolution of the monasteries and then sold the estates. I see no reason, why this won’t be repeated, unless the Economy improves markedly. If I was a creditor of UK Ltd (I note we are no longer UK PLC) and I feared the nation would go bankrupt I would most likely threaten sanctions if we went bankrupt and demand the nation seizes and hands over collateral in payment. In a property-owning democracy I see this as the real underlying dilemma and the only palatable way to avoid it is to grow innovators now.
Technorati
It has been suggested I register this blog with Technorati and they ask me to post this code: GKF2HQ22WDU6 so have now done so to be compliant.
Support our British Olympics
Wenlock and Mandeville
With only 18 months before the Olympics in London begin it is important for the British Peoples to rally behind the Olympics and to make them the best we can. We will be showing hospitality to every nation and together we can make this a time of great cultural learning and increase of international mutual understanding and respect as well as the focus of sporting prowess and fair play.
With businesses making sure it happens creating jobs and lasting local community resources. An army of volunteers supporting it and taking part gaining experience and giving a useful service so the Olympics happens more efficient and more friendly.
With interesting regional events scheduled enabling everyone to get involved locally. The merchandising of the games is interesting with this teapot as perhaps the most British iconic memento.
Loved the video introduction to the mascots Wenlock and Mandeville although Mandeville couldn’t help remind me of a certain Lord of spin…
Alan Johnson
Sad to learn Alan Johnson has stood down. I guess he might have been asked to resign unsure of the reasons at this stage. While I like Alan Johnson MP as a person and I think he is one of the more reasonable and optimistically I had hoped liberal Labour MPs, I am therefore only somewhat saddened to see him go. The resignation letter and acceptance letter leaked on the internet appear sanitised and for public view so not sure what has caused Alan to jump but suspect Ed’s hand was behind it.
Interesting article by Stephen Tall
The new Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls comes across as more of a bruiser and I suggest that debate on the economy may become more heated in the future. Although I believe he has some responsibility for causing the deficit from his work in the previous government. I suspect Ed Ball’s will put clear water between his party and the others which will make policy distinction easier. I also suspect popularist and short-termist policies will be adopted more readily under Ed Balls.
I think the tabloids will have a field day with balls related headlines especially around the economy. I think Ed Balls will come out fighting but whatever he attacks with as much damage he lands on the coalition he will damage Labour as the author of the present woes and the first cause. If he hides or ignores the reality and encourages others to believe a delusion that spending is the only answer to all our problems based on an extrapolation of Keynes. Rather than being simply partisan I would find him moving towards blatant opportunism and irresponsibility. As Dicken’s Mr Micawber would say “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.” With low interest rates and a deficit that is still growing we need to control spending and have controlled investment to stimulate the economy to help us be able to start repaying the UK national debt and to put our house in order.
Economic theory about a balanced budget or investing in growth through statutory spending are both with merit but I suggest only optimal Keynesian spending should be engaged in and all would agree it is better to have interest coming in from a surplus than spending additional money paying interest especially if the cost of borrowing is to increase. The only controversies are the route to achieve this, the timescale, the sacrifices and who would make the required sacrifices as is so often the case the rhetoric of investing a surplus is laudable the devil is in the detail of getting there. If we as a nation don’t plan to get out of debt, when will we ever? … the only other choice involves default and bankruptcy and the loss of sovereign power and the severe reduction in services we would experience then this must be avoided by continued planned action now!
(EDIT: I have since this post re-designated this blog as a business blog and political views are now in Mike Beckett’s Political Blog: Mikish Musings thank you)
Ed I know what you did last government!
Once again, Ed Miliband has invited Liberal Democrats to join him.
Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat chief whip, wrote on his Facebook blog on 15/1/11 “So Ed Miliband wants Lib Dems to join Labour. After careful thought I have compiled a short list of those that I am prepared to let him have. If, after a week of having them, he still wants more then he can come back and we can discuss it. Careful what you wish for, Ed.”
I think that those attracted to Labour might have a superficial interest as I don’t think Ed Miliband’s Labour stand up to scrutiny…
What are their policies, what would they cut, what would they do differently, what responsibility are they taking and how are they helping to make things better? Refusal to compromise is not adult behaviour, adults negotiate and all I see is that Labour are right because they are Labour and they should not compromise and we others should be converted to Labour because they are right. This is so shallow, and the Unions are interested in themselves and their leadership not individuals. In my experience they are just as out of touch as Labour are.
My overwhelming thought, Dear Ed, is I know what you did last government! If I didn’t have a memory, if I did not know your record, then I might be interested. The centralisation, profligate spending, erosion of civil liberties and putting the Labour party’s priorities above the interests of the country are some of the reasons I will politely decline Ed’s offer.
I urge intelligent people tempted to vote Labour to look to building a better society, to support freedom, fairness and electoral reform and back the liberal Democrats.
The inspiration for commenting on this came from Simon and the Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/LibDemLife which I recommend and appreciation to Peter for editorial advice.
Now Ed is attacking the Unions to be seen to be strong against them, however this does look like rehearsed pantomime. I can’t believe it hasn’t been planned in advance and seems to me to just be about positioning and not about reality *sigh*
Ed my impression is that you are coming across as cold and calculating to me and wanting to win at any cost, even family, if this is what the people want then maybe our next Prime Minister will be Mr Miliband but I know I for one will oppose you at the ballot box Ed and I think others will too!
(EDIT: I have since this post re-designated this blog as a business blog and political views are now in Mike Beckett’s Political Blog: Mikish Musings thank you)
Taking care of business for good in 2011
Dear reader ,
Today’s announcement by the Bank of England is that base rates remains at 0.5% is welcomed news for those with a mortgage. With the European Central Bank warning of increasing inflationary pressures how long can this last? Higher interest rates may increase the number of business failing as historically more businesses fail coming out of recession than going into it, so what is coming next?
What businesses needs to thrive normally, is stability however in times of volatility there are opportunities for the brave and with the potencies of governments looking less robust and with less wiggle room to cope with crisis as Stephen Foley suggests in the Independent with increasing risks, it does seem that we are living in more ‘interesting times’ where fortune will as usual favour the brave but what to actually do?
Having asked on Linkedin ‘2011 Economic Predictions – What do you predict will happen? with lots of interesting answers some i hope for and some I fear but they are interesting projections of current trends. I have reflected on what is the best route to ‘competitive advantage’ for UK-based businesses and I am concluding innovation as the most logically answer…
Is social networking or social media placement to enable individualised discovery of what you do the answer to innovation or conversely could private social networking be the answer as so often counter trend investment of time, money and energy has the biggest potential rewards. As always investment advice remains dont risk what you can’t afford to lose and with every opportunity, it’s possible the value will fluctuate possibly going down as well as up…
Please do comment and or keep in touch with me on Twitter: thank you for reading my blog!
Mike Beckett is caring for business and taking no liberties... 