I thought it was a good idea to to start a business blog to supplement the journal articles I write on change management.
(PDF Articles) I trust that some of the issues raised here may be of interest to you to pursue away from this blog of ideas and thoughts. The blogs run in date order with the most recent at the top of this page.
'150th Anniversary of Rugby Union (Traditional Rules) at Raeburn Place'
Today was the 150th anniversary of the first Rugby match in Scotland played at the original site at the Academicals Ground in Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The match was played according to the original rules of the game between Edinburgh Academicals and Edinburgh University.
It was a game of three halves with a twenty minute trail and then two thirty minute periods of play. I thought the chap sporting a Sherlock Holmes pipe as he ran, the Referee who had interesting plus fours and the Port for the players at half-time were interesting distractions from a frantic game of kicking, running and jousting!
It was a great sporting and social event with many wearing period costume. It was entertaining and a brilliant festive event, although it did not feature in the Scotsman Newspaper.
Edinburgh University won but only by two points. My son played for the Academicals side being an old boy from the 1st team.
Old Rules - Inhibiting Core Skills
I was amazed to find that the rules were more akin to soccer than Rugby with an astonishing 25 players per side - with two players designated as 'backs' and the rest as 'forwards'.
Both teams donned 19thC style outfits and it was interesting watch these players have to adapt to the old rules. The ball could only be lifted from the ground if it was rolling and no tackling - though you could push others aside.
A great event for the New Year and a reminder that change is a great thing. Much better is today's Rugby Union with its high speed strategies and tactics rather than the slow but entertaining game from 150 years ago.
I wonder how many organisations are still ambling on when they should be fleet of foot!
There seems to be plenty of change on the agenda in the World, with crisis in Pakistan and Kenya and continued conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. The political and economic knock-on effect to these shores is immense and could affect many businesses.
Nearer Home
The business news over the Christmas vacation seems to imply the UK is in for a tough time in the year ahead. The continuing Credit squeeze, the continuing Northern Rock fiasco, potential falls in house prices and the UK Government attracting a great deal of criticism with losing CD's of personal details of citizens, questions arising to funding of MP's campaigns and a failure to respond to events in Iraq, Kenya and Afghanistan.
In Scotland - the SNP as a political party will be interesting to watch as the First Minister attempts to implement the promises of the May 06 election. Interest and loyalty to the SNP is rising in Scotland, with significant numbers joining the SNP. It seems that what is most popular is their fresh approach to party politics and their 'bias for action' rather than talk.
It's still early in the administration but plenty of change on the horizon.
Change for Business
Time to look at business and see what will be the major challenges for the year ahead. I think they include:
Managing change, not just for shareholders value, but also to incorporate a positive culture for staff.
Taking every step they can to improve international competitiveness
What is interesting is that we will see in 2008 how well organisations have prepared themselves to deal with tough times. We are not expecting a Recession, but consumer confidence and spending is low and it will be interesting to see how organisations rise to the challenge.
Business Blog
