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Fri, 19th May

Since my last blog, I have had a business trip to Frankfurt, Germany. A very entertaining and educational visit it was too.

As a Londoner I found it very home-from-home. Apperently it is the most international city in Germany, with almost 1 in 3 of its inhabitents not holding a German passport. (Yeah, I know, probably 1 in 6 people in London haven't even got a passport, British or otherwise!)

Reknown for its vast financial community, it is the focal point of the dynamic Rhine-Main economic region and nicknamed ‘Bankfurt', it is also the historical city of coronations, Goethe and the Frankfurt School. It has an excellent infrastructure with a whopping great airport and I found the architecture pretty darn funky too. Admittedly, the weather was marvelous whilst I was there, but I think even on a grey, wet and windy day Frankfurt's bold high-rise finance sector would still look impressive. On the other side of the river, in stark contrast, is a unique collection of museums.

The primary reason for my visit to this vibrant metropolis was to undertake a speaking engagement in the city's famous Media haunt, the PresseClub - see the picture on the left, The subject under discussion being "Comedy Performance and Management Development" - How a Sense of the Ridiculous Improves Communication Skills. Now quite naturally, most English people would assume this to be one difficult gig; German's are not know for their humour. The thing is, in reality they are really warm, fun, party-loving people. In fact there is a German Stand-up comedian on the London comedy circuit!

So it was a great evening. I had an absolute blast with a really appreciative audience and enjoyed a sumptuous meal with the sponsors afterwards. Unsurprisingly, it is days like these when I love my job!

Before heading to the airport for my flight home, I took time out to enjoy a cold beer and a delicious Frankfurter sausage in the picturesque Romerberg Platz (see left). As I am not a Japanese Tourist, you will appreciate that I do not appear in camera-shot! It's a really neat, traditional German ‘Square' and you would not believe that you are just minutes from one of the globe's busiest Finance centres.

As I hurried from Romerberg to hail a Taxi, I caught sight of a really cool construction site hoarding. The soon to be state-of-the-art retail development had photo images of the consultants and main contractor's staff who were engaged on the project spread around the plush hoarding panels. One specific image caught my eye, as the guy's hard-hat was just class, real chic and sassy! He looked so much like ‘Schultz' out of the 1960's US comedy classic ‘Hogan's Hero's' it was untrue!

On the way back to the airport I did get a glimpse of the Commerzbank-Arena and its marvelous translucent roof. The stadium, which has been totally refurbished and was re-opened in 2005, will host England's first World Cup match against Paraguay on 10 June, as well as four other games including one of the quarter finals.

It was at this point of the trip that my German education was given a real boost, as the taxi driver taught me an extremely relevant German phrase: "Bitte Gott, nicht Strafen!" Which translated means "Please God, not penalties!"

For more information on Commerzbank-Areana,

Soon after my German sortie, I ventured along to a Constructing Excellence Event in the heart of England's financial centre, as the London Club hosted two presentations on supply chain logistics.

Adrian Blumenthal, who works for Constructing Excellence at logistics experts Wilson James' Construction Material Consolidation Centre, explained that the specialist distribution resource is the first of its kind in the UK. Serving multiple inner city construction projects across London through materials handling, storage and delivery, it was established with significant support and endorsement from both Transport for London and Constructing Excellence. Those arch innovators, Stanhope and Bovis Lend Lease, have embraced the Consolidation Centre too.

Because the centre utilises technology enabled management systems and, more importantly, enlightened creative thinking, it reduces vehicle numbers on the roads, thus reducing congestion and pollution, subsequently providing better air quality. Alongside this, safer 'more secure' vehicles, real-time vehicle tracking and routing, with, where possible, use of environmentally friendly fuel.

Brian Murphy of National Green Specification, who spoke eloquently and passionately about waste Managemet, followed Adrian on to the floor. Brian extolled the virture of thinking strategically about this much maligned subject, within the whole logistics process. Doing so can add significant benefit and cost savings.

Marvellous. Delighted to see and hear that our great old industry is showing tangible proof that it can be as innovative as the next.

For more information of these two extremely relevant subjects, please click on:

Not only was it really interesting to hear about these innovations in our great industry, but I also discovered that one of the great old names of Construction and Project Management is not dead yet.

Really delighted to meet at the event Peter Riley, an associate director with Heery. Peter tells me that not only are Heery still alive and kicking, but they are also recruiting new talent. As Heery were one of the pioneers of ‘CM' in the UK during the early 1980's, along with other entrepreneurial American firms like Schal and Lehrer McGovern, it is wonderful to know that there is still life in the old dog yet!

I've also been catching up with people who endeavour to provide a ‘Funky Workspace', namely Jim Griffin and Helen Wright of MITIE Spaceworks.

Jim and Helen responded to my call for people who are designing / constructing / working within, a space that engenders more cross-functional, collaborative and innovative working. We met up when these two champions of ‘Funky Workspaces' were in central London. As Jim explained, they see the importance of ‘Place' in the context of collective creativity as the overriding fact that the ‘space' must ‘work' for the people who utilise it when attempting to achieve one of three key processes: Efficient space, where efficient and effective production is the objective; Impressive space, such as foyers and meeting rooms to express organizational values; break-out space, to encourage and nurture open and free flowing communication.

I hope to visit some of MITIE Spaceworks projects over the next couple of months and report back on some of their ‘best practice' designs. Please do not be backward, come forward by to let me know where other good examples of Funky Workspaces are. I am keen to let the world know of their existence. I thank you.

Since my last blog, Mr. Alan Sugar has found his Apprentice and it is not either of my two favorites!

I must admit to being somewhat baffled by Essex's finest entrepreneur's choice of Ruth Badger, the aggressive sales dynamo, and Michelle Dewberry, the softly spoken assassin, as his two preferred finalists. Mind you, having watched the final four contestants get interrogated in the style of the Spanish Inquisition by Sir Alan's team of trusted consultants, I am astounded that any of them made it through to the final.

Ex-Millwall footballer, Ansell Henry, was deemed a one dimensional Salesman who, although very good, plus a nice chap too, apparently lacked sufficient grit and business savvy. Super performer Paul Tulip, who had been so successful that he never once had to face the wrath of Sugar during the previous episodes, was unceremoniously dumped, because Sir Alan's consultants had literally ridiculed him for being bland, boring and basically lacking any real potential. Not too harsh with the feedback then, good to see they stopped short of drawing blood.

The penultimate episode really confirmed that as a recruitment process the series was a complete failure, but for compulsive TV viewing the format was brilliant.

The final saw willowy blond Michelle just oust less than willowy non-blond Ruth to take the title of ‘Apprentice'. It would appear that Sir Alan admired Michelle's ability to overcome the adversity she had experienced during her formative years and I am sure he could see the ‘killer' instinct that lay beneath her soft unassuming exterior. I also feel sure that Sir Alan believed, like the rest of the watching millions, that runner-up Ruth could start an argument in a cemetery and would not be good for team morale'

Another series is being lined up and I for one cannot wait. Hopefully the next series will use a set of tasks that provide the would-be Amstrad Executives with a better platform to demonstrate their capabilities as innovative, charismatic leaders. Even though Sir Alan probably would not employ such a person himself!

Oh yeah, one last parting shot on the ‘Apprentice'; who else was like me and squirmed when it was clear that none of the final four contestants knew what business Amstrad are in? The thing is, after 12 weeks of watching the programme, are any of us more clued up to what it is Amstrad do?

Wed 17th May

Had a very enjoyable evening on Wednesday, Facilitating at a Construction Knowledge Exchange (CKE) Event.

Whilst the rest of London seemed to be glued to TV screens as Barcalona overcame Arsenal in a gripping European Champions League Final, I joined Co-Facilitator, Workplace Futures' Isabelle Beaumont, and CKE's London representative, John Hampson, at the London South Bank University. The gathering discussed Leadership and Perfect Delivery as part of an introductory session on the use of ‘Innovation Circles'. As ever with a group of mixed professional disciplines from construction, a lively session ensued.

Interestingly, what did get all the heads ‘nodding' in agreement and the passion rising was the travesty that the only organisation's making any real money in construction were those representing the Legal profession. Hence leadership that enables a perfect delivery without recourse to a court of Law to resolve contractual disputes was a clear vote winner.

If you wish to know more about these vibrant sessions and would like to consider joining one of them, just respond to this blog - we would love to see you there!

And finally…

"Treat a man as he appears to be, and you make him worse. But treat a man as if he were what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe