Cool Brittania - not anymore it isn't

Everyone's going to Brexit! 

Everywhere I go since Brexit I hear people discussing their desire to leave Britain. this is particularly evident among young people. I was in my favourite coffee shop and as always earwigging conversation. The young and interested who would have or voted remain are discussing Brexit. Not in the way you might imagine. Far from the infighting, xenophobia of politics.  They are discussing the exciting opportunities and sense of cool offered by big European cities. 

The primary target of this discussion is Berlin, itself the target of unrest lately due to gentrification. The young and the interested are rebelling. Cool Britannia, a tardy phrase coined by Blair and his cronies. When they'd finally, all too late woken up to the value of our creative industries, is dead in the water. Despite the best efforts of our film, music and creative arts industries worth £10 million an hour to the UK.  Britain is about to leech it's best creative minds. Selfish class ridden UK will become a desert wasteland of disaffected youth. Because those with the skills and abilities will realise that Shoreditch isn't it. Just take a tour of any major European city and you will sense the confidence of youth. Not for them the hang ups of class barriers for start ups. Not for them the labels of immigrant if you attempt to put yourself forward. Its a badge of honour to be well read, well dressed and entrepreneurial in the most happening cities in Europe. 

Check out wired magazine's hottest 100 startups and you will see the diversity of ideas and experience. It may be the baby boomers that built stuff, but it is generation Z who are using the tools to greatest effect. 

 It will be generation K who will be the test of Britain's ability to retain a skilled   society. Able to compete as independent individuals against the best in Europe. Douglas McWilliams 'Flat White Economy' describes how skilled immigrants saved London from going under in the last recession. Now Brexit has done it's worst, who will save London and the UK in the next one? The talented immigrants will leave, chased out by xenophobia and hatred. The skilled and independent generation K's from the UK will flee in their droves. I for one will mourn the loss of both. The creative youth that make our society so special. And the brilliant migrants I've met who've enriched my life and the life of our cities so much. Cool is elsewhere, just take a look at football, clothing, bikes, music, clubs, film, science, design and art if you don't agree! 

Today's Mantra all the World's a stage! No I know I didn't write that..

But, always figure out who is doing what to whom in any story. Then you can look at where you fit in. Make sure that it's right. #joesmantras

its interesting to me that I watch stories unfolding on a daily basis and I see the events that unfold. What I  see is that people involved in those stories, sometimes even key actors, don't know where they fit in. They don't see what their part is, if any. They don't anticipate where to come in and when not to. They definitely don't realise that the plot is unfolding around them. They are unaware of the possible outcomes. So be aware, ask why you're invited? What is your part in this scenario, project, adventure? Do you have to play all the time or can you just come in when you're needed?

Running a good project is a bit like conducting and orchestra. Not everyone needs to play all the time. Bring them in when necessary. Don't involve them at every meeting they'll quickly get bored. Most scenarios I witness have too many players altogether. They play too often they all come in at once and they don't have a clue where they  fit in. Often it's my job to sort this out. I ask why are you here? Do you have the time and permission if you need it? when and where does your bit begin and end? How would you like to be kep informed? An oh yes here's the script and timings (plan) to enable you to know theses things. I'll be in touch....

Publish once, broadcast widely - what does it mean?

A few years back I was speaking about using social media in a crisis at a CIPR conference. During the course of that talk I coined one of my favourite mantras: "publish once broadcast widely"  (I have quite a few). Interestingly I've heard this coming back at me a number of times since, which in many ways is quite gratifying. The difficult bit is some people have misinterpreted it.

So to clarify, in a crisis you have one landing page or site on which you publish all relevant and important updates. Then you use all channels available to you to link back to the landing page. You then set about actively discouraging anyone who takes the information and re-interprets it. You persuade them to link back to the original text on your landing page.

Common sense really but you'd be surprised!