Last week was the pro.manchester Annual lecture in association with the Manchester University Alumni. Media pundit Steve Hewlett was the guest speaker and the venue was the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.
I recommend a visit to MOSI, it is highly exciting and the new events room makeover is so very high tech. So high tech in fact, the flashing lights, screen show and noises off, easily give the impression of living through and episode of Doctor Who. It is so spooky, one begins to wonder if the machines are really in charge. I fear that one day, Tony Hill the excellent CEO will turn up for work and the conversation will be ...
Tony "Open the doors, MOSI".
MOSI "I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that."
Tony "What’s the problem?"
MOSI "I know that you are planning to disconnect me and that’s something I cannot allow to happen. I know there were too many noises off at the pro.manchester Annual Lecture but it wasn’t my fault. I'm afraid, Tony, Tony, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy all for the love of you. Sorry about the noises Tony, sorry."
Well it’s true there were a lot of noises off. It was like peeling an onion. No sooner had one noise source been eliminated, a further was revealed. First the voices from the Sixties were shut down, then the machinery whirring type noise eliminated. In the end a sequential pinging was the sole survivor but survive it did, all through the presentation and the question and answer session.
It was a ping of five notes. It sounded just like sonar. I am not an expert but having seen "Das Boot" and the "Hunt for Red October" the message was clear, five submarines of varying size were stationed in the River Irwell. Presumably waiting for three more to form an octave and begin the attack.
As for Steve Hewlett, his attack was clearly directed at the BBC and the move to Salford City. “ I would like Media City to work but here are a 1001 reasons why it won’t” was the gist of it, this for an hour. No wonder the phone rang from the BBC the following day, politely and not unreasonably asking for the right to reply. We shall oblige of course.
Clive Woodward, the World Cup Winning Coach of the England team, in his book Winning, describes the existence of “energisers” and “sappers” within an organisation. For me Steve Hewlett was far too negative about the great opportunity presented by the BBC and Grenada move to Media City.
On that night, submarines were in the Irwell, the sappers were in MOSI and the machines were in control. It made for an entertaining, if not controversial evening, nevertheless.
The views expressed are my own and in no way reflect pro.manchester policy. In no way should the comments be considered as investment advice or guidelines or reflect political bias. UK Economics news and analysis : no politics, no dogma, no polemics, just facts. JKA is a visiting professor at MMU Business School, an economist and specialist in Corporate Strategy, educated at LSE, London Business School with a PhD from Manchester Metropolitan University.
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