SO HOW DO WE DIG OURSELVES OUT OF THIS?

The gloom deepens and we risk all become just unquestioning spectators.

Good: Diamond Jubilee, Euro 2012 (mostly). 

Ashby de la Zouch celebrates

Bonfires start at the bottom. This was a big national bonfire. Learn from the power of locals to ignite campaigns – cheaply, fast and well branded.

Bad: Syria, Greece, Spain…deeper and down (but I love the fact the dispossessed from the homes are repossessing empty power blocks owned by discredited banks.)

Prospects: dire for us and for England in Euro 2012… I have a funny feeling we may surprise….just wish we weren’t playing in so inimical a series of places.

“Sometimes I feel so depressed I decide to stay in bed. Then I worry that I might fall out and hurt myself.” Robert Benchley

So what in practical terms can we do about all this? Here are seven thoughts.

1. Challenge everything

A young relation is trying to get into Oxford – I began to put her through the sort of inquisition she might encounter. “What’s your best dream?” I asked “Clean water for the world.” She sparkled. “Yet when our water in Britain was at its dirtiest we ruled supreme. Explain.”

Balliol College Oxford where the questions never stop and where that green space keeps thinking (hopefully) fresh.

2. Become an obsessive planner

Sit and think and plan. Speculate how various changing external factors could alter what you try to do. How nimble can you be? How fixed are your costs? How stubborn are your preconceptions. Tear up the old business models.

A tsunami wave. Poignantly symbolic of the forces and surprises we will face. Nothing is impossible. Plan for that.

3. Simplify everything you do

The “Apple-trick”– fewer, better features. More focus. Get more force in the water from that hosepipe. We live in a crowded, noisy world. Beware becoming a Facebook slave or a Twitter addict. Do less, do better. Stop chatting. Start planning.

Apple have been the brilliant simplifiers. Less is more. Declutter. Aim to do three things briiliantly.

4. If you aren’t getting better you’ve got a problem

James Cracknell – rowing gold medallist said “our worst had to be better than our competitor’s best”. How good are you at what you do? Really? Tell the truth. And if you don’t know everything you do is guessing.

Crazy guys with huge stamina. But they knew how to win. Tell the truth. Train harder. Be better. Attack. Focus on winning.

5. It’s what your customers think that matters

Tell that to the bullies at Visa who through their sponsorship of the Olympics have had other ATM machines disabled. In fact if you don’t have a Visa card you can’t go the Olympics. You are in effect bankrupt. The PR from this is needlessly damaging. Visa’s an acronym for “very insulting stupid…” can’t think of a word for “a” … They’ll listen to their customers but too late.

Shame on you bully. You’re a great brand that’s stopped listening to people.

6. Do some stuff

“We do strategy here – we call it doing things” That was Sam Kelleher legendary boss of South West Airlines. Action; speed; innovation;change. If you aren’t trying and rejecting and doing stuff you’re in trouble.

South West Airlines internal poster – nice – one on the world’s success stories – active, interactive, fun; shows it can be done.

7. Get help to pull all this together

This is a cross between self-help, major surgery, a severe work-out programme, a re-launch, botox and good resolutions. Welcome to 2012. Don’t try this at home alone. Surround yourself with a few friends, gurus and inspirers just like the Olympic stars do or smart people trying to climb mountains.

The Sherpa on the left is anonymous but this wouldn’t be easy without him. Get a Sherpa.