Exploiting Government Policy?

I am assured that this is genuine, where are we going?

NIGEL JOHNSON-HILL,
PARKFARM, MILLAND,
LIPHOOK
GU30 7JT

Rt Hon David Miliband MP Secretary of State.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA),
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

16 July 2009

Dear Secretary of State,

My friend, who is in farming at the moment, recently received a cheque for £3,000 from the Rural Payments Agency for not rearing pigs. I would now like to join the “not rearing pigs” business.

In your opinion, what is the best kind of farm not to rear pigs on, and which is the best breed of pigs not to rear? I want to be sure I approach this endeavour in keeping with all government policies, as dictated by the EU under the Common Agricultural Policy.

I would prefer not to rear bacon pigs, but if this is not the type you want not rearing, I will just as gladly not rear porkers. Are there any advantages in not rearing rare breeds such as Saddlebacks or Gloucester Old Spots, or are there too many people already not rearing these?

As I see it, the hardest part of this programme will be keeping an accurate record of how many pigs I haven’t reared. Are there any Government or Local Authority courses on this?

My friend is very satisfied with this business. He has been rearing pigs for forty years or so, and the best he ever made on them was £1,422 in 1968. That is – until this year, when he received a cheque for not rearing any.

If I get £3,000 for not rearing 50 pigs, will I get £6,000 for not rearing 100? I plan to operate on a small scale at first, holding myself down to about 4,000 pigs not raised, which will mean about £240,000 for the first year. As I become more expert in not rearing pigs, I plan to be more ambitious, perhaps increasing to, say, 40,000 pigs not reared in my second year, for which I should expect about £2.4 million from your department. Incidentally, I wonder if I would be eligible to receive tradable carbon credits for all these pigs not producing harmful and polluting methane gases.

Another point: These pigs that I plan not to rear will not eat 2,000 tonnes of cereals. I understand that you also pay farmers for not growing crops. Will I qualify for payments for not growing cereals to not feed the pigs I don’t rear?

I am also considering the “not milking cows” business, so please send any information you have on that too. Please could you also include the current DEFRA advice on set-aside fields? Can this be done on an e-commerce basis with virtual fields (of which I seem to have several thousand hectares)?

In view of the above you will realise that I will be totally unemployed, and will therefore qualify for unemployment benefits. I shall of course be voting for your party at the next general election.

Yours faithfully,

Nigel Johnson-Hill

The Monday Morning Quote #65

images“Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions.  Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.”

Mark Twain

Dental Practice Management – The Mastery Programme – Dr Marc Cooper in the UK in January 2010

Marc Cooper of The Mastery Company is visiting the UK in January and is delivering three evening presentations for UK dentists who want to acheive mastery in their practices.

Dr Cooper has been coaching and consulting in the USA and continental Europe since 1984 and is the author of 5 books.

Most dentists achieve ‘mastery’ in their clinical delivery of dentistry. At this level, they handle problems, breakdowns and issues with grace and ease. At this level of mastery they accurately forcast the future. As clinical masters they direct themselves, their patients and their staff to produce quality clinical results.

However, this level of mastery rarely translates into a comparable mastery of the business side of dental practice. The ‘Mastering of the Business of Practice’ evening event is designed to introduce British dentists to the concepts and technologies Dr Cooper has used with more than 2000 dentists over the last 25 years.

Dates & Venues:

  • January 19, 2010 ULC Eastman, Gray’s Inn Road, London.
  • January 20, 2010 Academy of Clinical Excellence, Wakefield.
  • January 21, 2010  The Health Centre, Coleshill, Birmingham.

Fee £60. Time 7pm to 10pm.

Attebndance is limited to a maximum of 25 delegates. To register online, please visist www.masteryofpractice.com/ukmasteryevening

To find out more about Dr Marc Cooper have a listen to his interview with Marita Kritzinger from Apex – here


Bill Bailey at Warwick Arts Centre

One of the great joys of being a parent is being able to share and surprise. My son is a big music and comedy fan, so when the chance came to get some tickets to see Bill Bailey and Orchestra at Warwick Arts Centre I grabbed it. He had no idea what we were doing until we walked into the venue and the smile on his face when we took our seats (centre, second row) was a delight.

And what a fantastic night, I hope you enjoy this snippet of Bill and the Theremin.

One other thing is that Will (son) spotted the Physics Department on the campus (The Arts Centre is part of Warwick University) and has therefore added it to his “must look at” Universities.

The Monday Morning Quote #64

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Weekend Read – The Starbucks Experience

51P2oJuJdUL._SL125_(This review first went out in More Profit in Less Time in October 2007.)

….I took myself off to the closest bookshop to Rees Acres, that being ‘Waterstones’ in Literature Festival, Cheltenham, bought the book and settled down in the coffee shop within the bookshop. Now this coffee shop is a branch of Costa Coffee (owned by Whitbread plc) and I was able to contrast my experience with the aims contained within the book. Nicky served me my large Latte after a nameless one had taken my order and my money whilst studiously avoiding eye contact.

As Nicky held my cup in her left hand, she went through a routine with her right hand. First she wiped her nose with the back of the hand, then ran the hand across the coffee ground container; that done she straightened her glasses and adjusted her hair before returning to the machinery and turning the tap off, mixing my drink and handing it to me. This all done with neither eye contact, obviously it’s company policy, nor any more acknowledgement of my existence than to tell me that what she was plonking in front of me was “Large Latte”.

My response of “Thanks very much Nicky” seemed to be such a shock that I felt I had somehow slapped her. Still no eye contact though, the training has obviously worked. I sat myself at an empty table and tried to ignore the crying babies and the moaning of the Daily Mail wives. However I was marginally distracted by the pigeons pecking around my feet. Presumably the birdlife is permitted or even encouraged, the crumbs on the floor can’t have all accumulated there in just one morning, in order that the non-smoking customers inside the shop can experience something of the al-fresco atmosphere that the smokers enjoy.

To the book, I haven’t finished it yet but do thoroughly recommend it. The highlights of the first few pages should be enough to persuade you.

From ‘The Green Apron Book’ which tells some of the core “ways of being” that you need in order to be successful at Starbucks:

  • Be welcoming
  • Be genuine
  • Be knowledgeable
  • Be considerate

The Starbucks Experience can be found on two very distinct levels inside the company:

  1. In it’s unique corporate culture. Leaders within the business create a unique culture for employees in which empowerment, entrepreneurship, quality and service define the values of the firm.
  2. In its passing down of these values to its partners. The partners, in turn, help create a unique and personal experience for customers. Understanding these principles and getting to know how Starbucks leadership and partners (the term that Starbucks uses for all its employees) have grown the company offers a powerful blueprint for transforming your ordinary into your extraordinary.

(and yes I do know that John Lewis, another firm that I personally hold in high regard, ‘employees’ are partners too).

The book is split into five main chapters, which identify 5 key business principles that drive the phenomenal success of the company.

  1. Make it your own.
  2. Everything matters.
  3. Surprise and delight.
  4. Embrace resistance.
  5. Leave your mark.

This is a slim volume that I have put down with regret, will finish within the day and will read again immediately. (I did and have re-read it a couple of times since then). I suggest that you do the same.

Available from Amazon here.

The Foundations For Great Achievement – Philip Humbert

From the consistently excellent Philip Humbert who’s weekly newsletter is a constant inspiration. If there is only one newsletter you receive make sure that it’s Philip’s, subscribe at www.philiphumbert.com

The Foundations For Great Achievement

I’ve been studying human achievement for almost 50 years (professionally for over 30 years), and the longer I do this work, the more I see that the “recipe” for achievement is simpler and in many ways, much easier than most people believe. In fact, Socrates described the basics almost 3000 years ago with the simple phrase, “Know thyself.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about ways to create a workshop around this simple recipe, and I want to share some preliminary observations with you.

First:  Know your strengths

High achievement comes from knowing what you do well, what you love and where your passion lies. Mid-level performance comes from people who can “get by” or are doing something “acceptable” but they are not using their talents to the maximum. When human beings do something they love and have some talent for, they are unstoppable!

Think about a teenager learning to drive, play sports or music, or asking someone special for a first date. Or how about your own determination to be a great parent, good lover or successful investor. When we are doing something that “makes sense,” something that draws and excites us, we find ways to get good at it. “First, know yourself” and always go with your strengths, passions and talents!

Second:  Know your weaknesses

We all have blind spots and weaknesses. We have things we don’t enjoy, or don’t want to do, and yet too often we create lives or careers that require us to do precisely that! How dumb is that?

If you don’t like detail work, hire a bookkeeper! If you are shy or introverted, don’t go into sales or politics! If you’re a natural born entrepreneur, I wouldn’t recommend a career in the military. Like, duh!

Unfortunately, most of the time our weaknesses are not so dramatic and we find ways to hide or work around them. Then we end up in situations where we can get along, but we “forget” to do the accounting or calculate the budget. We get “bored” with meetings or annoyed with “those dreamers” in the R&D department. It’s important to know what you’re good at, but it’s absolutely vital to know what does not suit you. Acknowledge your weaknesses! Don’t spend your life “trying” to do things that don’t fit! Life’s too short for that! Build on your strengths rather than compensating for your weaknesses.

Third:  Know what you want

We all have dreams and desires. We know what brings us joy, what excites us, what fires us up. Sometimes, we get confused or lose track of our dreams, but they are still “in there.” The trick is to identify and express them!

The winners in life know what they want and they find healthy, productive ways to go after it. They ask, they poke and prod until they “find a way.” Recently, a client expressed amazement that since he identified a particular skill he wants to develop, suddenly he sees people doing it all the time! We’ve all had that experience. My comment was that “when you know what you want, you’re much more likely to get it.”

Fourth:  Know how to express yourself

The final piece is “finding your voice,” your unique way to let the world know you exist. Some do this naturally and become entertainers, politicians or whatever. Others struggle to express themselves, but winners eventually find a way. They speak up. They reach out. They “go for it” and “make waves.” They voice their suggestions, work for their causes, and make a difference in the world.

High achievement starts by knowing who you are, what you want, and going after it. That’s not always easy or simple, but winners keep trying “until” they find a way. “Know thyself and to thine own self be true.” There is no stopping a human being who knows who they are, what they want, and is determined to get it.

Copyright (c) 2009, all rights reserved. U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1529-059X
You may copy, forward or distribute TIP’s if this copyright notice and full information for contacting Dr Philip E. Humbert are included. Contact him at: www.philiphumbert.com or email to coach@philiphumbert.com

The Monday Morning Quote #63

“Do the right thing.  It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”

Mark Twain200px-Mark_Twain,_Brady-Handy_photo_portrait,_Feb_7,_1871,_cropped

Academia v Business

Found this on xkcd.com/664/ some analogies with dentistry I think.

academia_vs_business

The Weekend Read – Mastering The Business Of Practice by Marc Cooper

I first read this book just over 12 months ago and became an instant fan of Marc’s. Dr Cooper has been coaching dentists and their teams for 25 years and understands the Business of Dental Practice from top to bottom. As a qualified dentist and one time practicing periodontist his comprehension of the “sharp end” or “coal face” is absolute.

This book is not a text book nor a “how to do it”; it is written in the form of a questions and answers in a format I recognise from dealing with emails from my own clients.

Divided into sections Ownership, Leadership, Management & Marketing, it deals with everyday problems in an easily read format. I particularly appreciated the fact that the vast majority of case studies transfer to Dentistry on this side of the Atlantic which is rare in US based coaches and consultants.

This is the first of the five books written by Marc Cooper who is the President of The Mastery Company and is a great introduction to his work.

Available from Amazon in the UK,  Amazon in the US for more information on all of Marc’s books go to The Mastery Company.