i have argued for many years that the internet was going to disrupt our social fabric as much as the printing press. I relish the openness and shared responsibility that I believe it makes possible. I don’t however believe that success is inevitable and a peaceful future relies on all of us taking a greater responsibility for our thoughts and our dealings with each other. This will mean more people thinking hard about what they think, being prepared to say what they think, and listening intently and with an attitude of tolerance to what other people think.

None of this is going to be easy. I have been accused in the past of being naively unreasonable for expecting people to think. During the Personal Democracy Forum seminar yesterday on wikileaks Douglas Rushkoff asked if we are ready for democracy and today Henry Porter writes of the desire of the grown ups to maintain control.

However I am hopeful. Comparing the levels of technical competence of my kids with those of my non internet friends and comparing the peaceful majority at the student demonstrations in London to the wistful recollection of more politically engaged times amongst my middle class friends, I find myself wondering if the children are becoming grown ups and the adults are succumbing to voluntary infantilisation.

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Interview with ibm’s Vice President of Marketing & Partners for Lotus Software asking him about his company’s strategy for helping mid-market enterprises roll-out these technology solutions. Telegraph Business Club & ibm’s Future Focus Event, Westminster, London June 4th 2009

So we held our Big Biofuel Deabte at the London Transport Museum on Tuesday – and it was a roaring success. As promised, the debate brought together academics, bloggers, journalists, biofuel company executives, policy makers and activists in an explosive

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When:
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 from 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM (GMT)

Where:
The Guoman Tower Bridge Hotel
St Katharine’s Way,
London E1W 1LD
United Kingdom

The Business Scene and Economy are changing rapidly.
Corporates increasingly struggle to keep customers and staff engaged.
The Discussion will consider:

• What will the business environment look and behave like in the future?
• How can corporates and individuals grow and thrive in this brave new world?
• The Economy – Where do we go from here?
• Bonus Culture – Good, Banned or Evil?
• Interim Management and Part Time Workers – What’s next?
• The New Economy – Freeze, Flee or Fight?

The audience will also have a chance to ask their own questions on the night too.

“The global financial storm has produced a global shift in awareness, not only have the rules changed – future sustainable business will need to understand that there is a new value equation out there – value 2.0 if you wish – achieving great performance will depend on truly understanding how to deliver and support this value.” – Gary Sage February 2010

You should attend if you need to:

• Develop high-potential employees
• Grow future senior managers/leaders?
• Retain and engage key staff?
• Reduce costs yet maintain high value?
• Build critical business relationships?
• Understand where business and markets will be in 3-5 years?

Management is vitally important in a time of recession. Indeed, the recession is making the development of your business and your talented people more critical.  Staff turnover remains high in the UK, despite the contraction in the number of people out of work and the face of business is rapidly changing as the way we do business is evolving.

As part of your strategic business practice and also management, development and leadership programmes, naturally you will already be examining the ideas about ‘How to Get Great Performance’.

No doubt you have discovered, the rules have changed.  If this is the case, are you now ready to go to the next stages and learn about how to get great performance in a recession at both INTERMEDIATE and ADVANCED level?

You could have a happier, more cohesive, more effective leadership team to help you exploit and grow through the recession rather than be damaged by it.  Isn’t it worth a few hours of your time to find out how?

Thought Leaders:
Rainmaker – Gary Sage of SageHagan.
Gary Sage is a ‘Super Skiller’.  He is a gifted consultant and Communications Coach whose personal clients span the globe.  Gary has coached and conducted seminars and workshops on five continents to thousands of people and successfully taken his unique methodology into organisations from as diverse a background of; international banks to luxury goods manufacturers to multinational computer companies, to sole traders.

Rainmaker – Gordon Lovell-Read of Orgmentor.
Gordon is an experienced C-level executive with an outstanding track record of leading, and delivering, change in global companies. A recognised transformation expert and leadership guru, he can often be found engaged where individuals or organizations need to intercept, or outpace, significant market trends through fundamental shifts in strategy, thinking and behaviours. Having been involved in integrating over thirty corporate acquisitions, he is particularly well versed in the challenges and opportunities around cultural diversity and the building of shared service functions to drive out synergies.

Cost: Is to cover room hire as all profit will be going to the charity: ActionAid

All prices listed above exclude VAT.

Next step – book now: Places are limited so click the button now. Additional donations gratefully received.

Registered Charity No 274467

Hosted By:
Erudyte Ltd

Erudyte Ltd is proud to bring to our clients, Rainmakers who have had hands on experience as being leaders, delivered on their goals and now share a vision to create a better world.

Our Rainmakers are driven by a deep passion towards making a measurable, significant and permanent difference in the world and are therefore people who have all made things happen – people who have brought an edge of demonstrable value into an organisational environment.

They do this by imparting their knowledge through popular methods such as speaking, consulting, training and one to ones or a seamless programme working alongside existing training schedules, consulting processes or conference events.

Rainmakers will take you and your organisation
to the edge – beyond the boundaries!

We’ve had a bit if an interesting time at the office lately.  All of us have had news that knocked us back on our heels a bit and was, I have to say, a bit challenging.  Out of this came a desire to “Make a Difference” and in my case leave a bit if a legacy and in theirs make a difference to those they can so easily identify with.

Some of our rainmaker speakers have been pushing the idea of “Philanthropic Capitalism” and “Making a Difference” whilst improving both personal and business performance and so we decided to get with the programme and do something positive for everybody.

We are starting to generate money for charity and in time may even get as far as setting up a foundation but for now raising money for the less fortunate is on the agenda.

We realised that post Haiti and other disasters, whilst there is medical help and help to rebuild basic infrastructures, there is little or no help for the inhabitants to rebuild and restart their businesses or in many cases find new business to do to replace that destroyed by the disaster.  We are going to do something positive about that – we know about speakers, rainmakers and events so that’s what we will use to generate funds.

Our initial Event will benefit ‘Action Aid’ as we realise that the thing is to get the funds flowing even if we need to improve targeting later.

The inaugural event will be held in the evening in the City of London, and will feature a discussion between two of our Rainmakers – Gary Sage and Gordon Lovell-Read.

Given that modern businesses, in the UK at least, find themselves in a difficult and challenging strategic environment at present, and might like a different view of what is possible our Rainmakers, Gary and Gordon, will be hosting the Event:

How to get Great Performance in a Recession – A Rainmakers Dialogue

(Intermediate and Advanced Level!)

 They will be discussing themes such as

The Economy – Where do We go from Here?

Bonus Culture – Good, Banned or Evil?

Interim Management and Part Time workers – What’s next?

The New Economy – Freeze, Flee or Fight?

The audience will also be invited to submit questions

 The event will run from about 18:00 to 21:00 on a Wednesday evening at a venue in the City with an opportunity to Network before the speakers

 If you want to be in on the start of something useful and benefit from some incredible experience go to www.events.rainmakerscompany.com and book now

Over the next two months I am going to be delivering a series of workshops in London covering various aspects of the business use of social media. I have been running similar events for some time within organisations but this is the first opportunity, in conjunction with Online Information, to make them available to a wider audience. 

There are three workshops offering a comprehensive understanding of the impact the web on the workplace and the information needed to do something about it. 

24th February GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE WIRED WORLD

10th March HOW TO MANAGE THE NETWORKED WORKFORCE

24th March STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE IN THE POST INDUSTRIAL AGE

If you are unable to make it yourself, or know of someone else who would benefit from any or all of these workshops, do please forward this link.

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Euan Semple on his thoughts about how businesses need to embrace digital for both business comms, and consumer marketing… Is the press release dead? Euan seems to think so!