New York, New York
Last Wednesday I set off from Manchester for a trip to New York. The purpose of the trip was mainly a series of planning meetings, looking ahead over the next year, and special attention was to be paid to how technology would affect our business.
Flying from Manchester on Continental Airlines, as I placed my case in the overhead locker, the piped music playing on the flight was Jingle Bells, followed by a number of Christmas carols. I thought perhaps I was having a senior moment, but the flight attendants confirmed they hadn’t got around to introducing new tapes.
I am a very relaxed traveller and very little troubles me.I have to admit that even the turbulence I find quite exciting. This probably makes me strange. It sometimes feels like a roller coaster going up and down.In fact,being on an airplane is probably one of my favourite places, especially on a long flight, where you can catch up with the up-to-date films and not be interrupted by phone calls. Also a great thinking time as you float in the sky.
Our think tank sessions also took place in the Rockerfeller building, overlooking the magnificent Manhattan skyline, which I found to be a real inspiration.
Being away from our normal offices, and working with the team over the weekend in this environment, produced lots of exciting ideas. Some of them quite wild – but legal – on how technology may affect us in the years ahead.
We examined both the threats and the opportunities, so what ideas any of you have out there I would like to hear from you.
Please do not feel sorry for any of the senior management team who had to work over the weekend. We still had a great time in restaurants and bars, but the highlight for me was seeing the embarrassed looks on our male techie colleagues and FD, as we set off on our tour of culture. At least that is what we told them. It was in fact a Sex and the City Tour. 90% of the bus were passionate followers of this programme. They were shouting out lots of suggestions to the guys on the bus (and the only guys on the bus were from thebigword). Don’t believe it if they tell you they are men of the world. It is simply not true!!
Hope to have something more serious later in the week.
Flying from Manchester on Continental Airlines, as I placed my case in the overhead locker, the piped music playing on the flight was Jingle Bells, followed by a number of Christmas carols. I thought perhaps I was having a senior moment, but the flight attendants confirmed they hadn’t got around to introducing new tapes.
I am a very relaxed traveller and very little troubles me.I have to admit that even the turbulence I find quite exciting. This probably makes me strange. It sometimes feels like a roller coaster going up and down.In fact,being on an airplane is probably one of my favourite places, especially on a long flight, where you can catch up with the up-to-date films and not be interrupted by phone calls. Also a great thinking time as you float in the sky.
Our think tank sessions also took place in the Rockerfeller building, overlooking the magnificent Manhattan skyline, which I found to be a real inspiration.
Being away from our normal offices, and working with the team over the weekend in this environment, produced lots of exciting ideas. Some of them quite wild – but legal – on how technology may affect us in the years ahead.
We examined both the threats and the opportunities, so what ideas any of you have out there I would like to hear from you.
Please do not feel sorry for any of the senior management team who had to work over the weekend. We still had a great time in restaurants and bars, but the highlight for me was seeing the embarrassed looks on our male techie colleagues and FD, as we set off on our tour of culture. At least that is what we told them. It was in fact a Sex and the City Tour. 90% of the bus were passionate followers of this programme. They were shouting out lots of suggestions to the guys on the bus (and the only guys on the bus were from thebigword). Don’t believe it if they tell you they are men of the world. It is simply not true!!
Hope to have something more serious later in the week.
