As an intrepid law student and subsequently a Barrister in England, I recall how one man’s name always reverberated more than any other in the field of law. That of Lord Denning. The other day I was reminded of a now infamous quote by Lord Denning who was one of the foremost thought-leaders and member of the British Judiciary. He was known for being very direct and equally succinct. As he put it:
“Learning is not compulsory… neither is survival.”
Makes you think, doesn’t it?
We live in interesting times. Very interesting indeed.
We are on the brink of yet another chapter in the never-ending Bailout Saga – and one can only wonder which segment of industry will next make its way to Washington D.C. to make its case for money. The latest chapter balances the very real issue of mass job losses in the car industry with the painful realities of an industry sector routinely oblivious to what its clients and economics dictate. It’s not pretty.
I suspect there will be tens or even hundreds of thousands of companies and small businesses that will not be taking a private jet to request funding in the course of the coming weeks. Instead, they will focus closer to home, tighten their belts and do everything in their power to stay afloat – to survive the extraordinary downblast in the economy. It takes guts. Real guts. And the outcome is not certain.
I’m on the side of the little guy.
But I think we ALL have to take a lesson in survival. Rule #1 – understand it’s about survival and think accordingly. Forget that – and you don’t survive. It’s not a shades of grey thing. It’s the real deal. Rule #1 dictates everything else in a survival context.
I think we need to be thinking in Survival terms.
If only to be around for the Recovery.
If business is to emerge from this chaos stronger, fitter and more competitive than before – more ready and capable to compete effectively in a global economy – then we need to embrace the tools and techniques of the century we’re in – not the one we just left behind. If you accept the economic theory of the world being flat, then there are surely some consequences we cannot ignore.
Global Sourcing has created a direct, alternative workforce for an increasing percentage of everyday jobs. This is an opportunity – not a threat if we approach it sensibly and with an eye to the future, not the past.
Rule #1 tells us that now is not the time to be looking back. It is the time to be looking forward and investing forward. Getting operations into shape, getting lean for the climb. Drawing on efficiencies and cost savings where they are found. Digging deep to invest in the next generations of science and technology innovations.
We learn from History that society must move on and that clinging to the past is a precursor to failure. Empires rise – and fall. Our future lies in the future – not behind us. This we know.
As Denning says: ”Learning is not compulsory… neither is survival.”
David Kinnear
New York
