HEAD SPACE-are you getting enough?

It’s good for business and it’s good for relationships.

When did you last take time to relax, think, question, read, observe, and consider things from a different perspective? Time out to create a little mental space to declutter, and a more positive personal state of mind. I’m not suggesting time ON the business but AWAY from the business, away from the tasks, schedules, demands, deadlines, and interruptions.

"Research shows that clutter affects your brain’s ability to concentrate

and process information, which has a flow-on effect on your mood and

self-esteem. In a de-cluttered space, your brain doesn’t have to work so hard,

which can leave you feeling more calm and energised."

Helen Reed,?Mindfulness, Holistic Health and Transformation Coach

This year I could argue I've had too much headspace, in March I felt I’d lost the best part of 4 weeks with a 13-day run of positive covid tests. In July I suffered an injury whilst participating in the high adrenaline activity of gardening – inflaming the area between my pelvic and spine (Sacroiliac joint) and was unable to sit, stand, reach, drive or walk let alone work on my pc – I couldn’t even get into a wetsuit, but I did discover the “temporary pleasure” of wild swimming, as the cold reduced the pain!

But ENFORCED head space is not as beneficial as PLANNED head space, which gives you the time to plan your work, clear your desk, and inform those who need to know before you post your out of office.

Finally in September I had some planned time AWAY - a fortnight with my wife Sarah on a Greek island celebrating her birthday (a significant birthday!). Sarah had picked a beautiful family run hotel, 64 rooms spread across a headland of cypress trees with panoramic views over the Ionian, with a couple of restaurants, bars, pools, along with a spa, gym, tennis court, squash court and what seemed like two sun loungers for every guest.

All I had to do was turn up, switch the phone off and enjoy our time together.

I had not been on a two-week beach / hotel pool holiday in decades, so I packed something to read, my swimming googles, and made a birthday promise to put my phone in the room safe and not look at it for 10 days!?

During the holiday we did things we don’t normally do, we ate at a different restaurant each night making a return visit to our favourite one on the last night, played tennis doubles a couple of times, swam in the sea and swam in the pool, followed a couple of half day trails in the cypress forests and took a couple of ferries to other beaches. I was even able to find time to read all 495 pages of Peppers Perspectives - Reflections on Values for living, Global and National Affairs and other Contemporary Issues, written by a former CEO and Chairman of Procter and Gamble. Who during my time at P&G was my 5up Boss (i.e. there were 4 other Bosses between him and me). I also read a book on the miracles performed by Jesus and his followers, 3 back issues of The Economist and was halfway through Becoming - Michelle Obama by day 11, PHONE ON DAY.

Prior to this the only media I’d used was a 10 minute daily catch up on BBC World News following the sad announcement about The Queen -which I heard about at the pool.

So, with all that holiday reading and snoozing here are a few of my holiday reflections, aided by a London Pizzeria Boss, a Greek Doctor, a Financial Crime Fighter, an inflatable Unicorn and a Millennial flash mob, Love Island and Made in Chelsea - all conveniently packaged round The Value Innovator’s 5P’s – Purpose People Product Process and Profit.

1. Purpose

Playing doubles tennis against a couple of newly qualified Auditors / Accountants, constantly teasing them about their inability to keep score (we eventually pulled it back to a draw) I asked them over post-match drinks what exactly are they, auditors or accountants … what was their job title, and what was the main purpose of their role.

After a short pause Olivia said she was an FCF - “I’m a Financial Crime Fighter”

WOW

I was not expecting that, and I promised her that I’ll never use the term bean counter again.

When did you last express your job in terms of its main purpose?

Have you ever focused on purpose when recruiting or conducting an appraisal, rather than job title or job description?

Try it, you might find it provokes a refreshing response, builds self-esteem, generates more focus and an energised sense of purpose.

2. Profit

I’m up early even on holiday so on the first morning took my self-off to watch the sun rise, two days later my calves were covered in blistering bites - so off to see the local Doctor in the village over the hill.

As I jumped up on to the “operating table” I noticed the Doctor “clocked my watch” – 3 minutes later wounds syringed, cleaned, covered, instructions for changing the dressings 3x a day and a prescription in hand he asked for 50 euros.

Me: Sorry was that 15 or 50?

Doctor: 50

Me: Sarah that’s 50 pounds!!

Sarah: I’ve got my cards with me - do you take credit cards?

Doctor: 50 for card, 40 for cash

Me: 30 as I only have a cheap watch and no yacht.

Doctor: OK 30 but only because you have a cheap watch.

Later we spoke to “regulars at the hotel” who had paid him 100 euros for covid exit paperwork and to someone who called him out during dinner to remove a fish bone from her throat which took him seconds - he charged her 200 euros as she had disturbed his dinner!

The profit is in the detail of knowing your customers, knowing your business, and knowing your value.

3. Process

I now know how to make pizza dough using a not-so-secret recipe shared by the owner of a north London pizzeria in a phone conversation with a member of his staff back in north London, as we and perhaps 20 other guests caught the last of the late afternoon sun by the pool.

We heard all 37 minutes of the conversation and were extremely thankful when his battery died just as he was about to explain how and when to set up the ice cream maker.

So much for staff training or leaving written instructions before he got on the plane, or for providing the staff with a How to manual … how to make pizza dough step one … how to set up the ice cream maker for lemon ice cream step one, get 3 yellow lemons.

Everything he shouted done the phone could have been sent in a silent email, text, or WA - some people eh. Always too busy to address the recurring issues because they are too busy addressing the recurring issues.

It’s not a complicated process, it’s a state of mind.

4. Product

A couple of times we swam round the headland to a fantastic beach and back with Will a textile business owner; he and Sarah chatted as I concentrated on keeping up with them. He is currently developing a new range and was explaining the process, the frustrations, hiccups, legislation, timescales etc and that in his experience most slow product journeys eventually turn into profitable products. His Accountant was constantly telling him to drop a line that was only ever going to generate ￡10k a year, Will persisted with the product, changed his Accountant and the product for the last 4 years has generated six figures with very little further input from Will.

Have confidence in your Products (and Services) if you don’t, get out fast and move on.

The hotel has a great product and attracts particular guests at particular times of the year - small intimate weddings, older adults looking to swerve school holidays, and others wanting a touch of luxury for a special occasion. The majority of their guests are repeat returners from all over the world – we spoke to one lady on her 16th stay and met/heard people from Canada, the US, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England.

?

5. People

Day 11 not a cloud in the sky, a comfortable 28 degrees, the sound of water lapping in the pool and my phone in hand. I’d not actually missed it but wanted to check in just in case… 3 hours later I’d filed 543 emails, browsed 258 WhatsApp posts, looked at 76 LinkedIn notifications, 11 texts, caught up with the Queen’s funeral arrangements and the football. The phone was then returned to the room safe, and I returned to my sun lounger to restart the holiday BUT in a very different mood.

Over the remaining 4 days Sarah often interrupted my thoughts with

“where have you gone, stop thinking about work, you’re supposed to be on holiday”.

I was also reflecting on The Queen who in my opinion was a marvellous monarch, a leader of leaders and a wonderful woman; and I’m harbouring concerns about the future role of the monarchy, the union, and the commonwealth without her.

But probably the biggest mood changer was the arrival of a flash mob, of extremely noisy excited younger guests (certainly 30 years younger than the average hotel resident) who had appeared at our peaceful pool overlooking the beautiful Ionian Sea!

Unbeknown at the time of our booking or our arrival, the hotel had taken a booking for 80 English wedding guests – the bride and groom’s parents and friends were staying at various villas in the area and the bride and groom’s 40 strong posse of friends were here to party… and party they did.

I’m told by those that know these things it was like Love Island meets Made in Chelsea.

Talk about LOUD, conversations were shouted from distant loungers to distant loungers, (apparently you can’t buy a house with a small garden in xxx for less than ￡1.2million, Dan forgot his trunks so is swimming in his pants, the more they shush us the more fun we’ll have). Afternoon alcohol was consumed in quantities that staggered the Greek staff and glasses normally banned from the pool area were being smashed by the pool. Forget about swimming laps they gathered in the pool to play with bats and balls, a crocodile, a unicorn and each other. Thankfully earlier in the year I’d heard Lucy Barkas speak on “Managing a multi-generational workforce” and these older Millennials were certainly behaving to type (as were the resident Boomers!).

The Boomers returning from the front desk only made the situation worse as the word spread that “they” were here for 4 days - 3 nights of interrupted sleep duly followed - slamming doors, noisy conversations, shouting, loud music - anyone would have thought it was a celebration. Resident tempers frayed at their “ignorant” and “inconsiderate” behaviour, which was ruining people’s holiday in this beautiful relaxing tranquil setting overlooking the crystal waters of the Ionia Sea – especially for those who were here for 7 nights.

Poor management allowed a situation to fester which affected the experience for all parties, the residents, wedding guests and hotel staff.

?The Manager of the hotel who went missing should have been told by his parents (the hotel owners) to go and speak to the father of the bride (who had paid for the stay) along with the bride and groom about their guests’ behaviour.

?At the time of the booking process guest rooms should have been allocated to one particular area of the hotel with dedicated access to one of the other bars/ pools limiting the potential of upsetting so many other guests NOT across the headland location as they were. Once the wedding booking had been confirmed, guests making a booking should have been informed that a wedding would be happening during their dates AND those who had booked prior to the wedding should have been informed and given the choice of alternative dates.

Sometimes as a business owner you have to be brave (which is easier said than done in this current “economically challenging climate”) and remember the things that made your business a success, such as your product & purpose and SAY NO, to what was clearly a very good profit opportunity for the hotel, after being closed so long due to covid.

As a result of what actually happened the hotel failed to deliver the promised experience that many had paid for and damaged the brand - when asked if I’d be back my response was “the world’s a big place – perhaps sometime in the future”, something the hotel heard a lot from guests checking out, even from their regular guests.

A brand can take years to build and moments to destroy.

?Hindsight is a wonderful thing and perhaps the hotel should have made more of an effort to understand the wedding guests’ expectations to see if they could deliver them without the collateral brand damage, after all they are an experienced wedding venue – but as the front desk staff told me on checkout “the English drink more than any other guests” which reminded me of something an American colleague who worked in the UK for over five years said to me – “The English are polite but have no manners”.

Back home and reflecting on my Greek Head Space here are my top tips:

1.??????Go away and do something different, something you’ll enjoy doing.

2.??????Do NOT use your phone, give one or two people the hotel number for emergencies only.

3.??????Too much head space can be dangerous, distracting, and indulgent – 11 days would have been perfect in my case ??