Taking Bad News

As a financial consultant, I am usually taken on by people who have managed to get themselves into a mess, for a variety of reasons. Obviously their objective is for me to sort out the mess so that they can get on with their work and often their life.
So far so good.... At least they, or one of their friends, have identified that they need help.
The problem, which is common to all of the ways that they may have got into that mess, is that to sort it out they have to admit that a bad decision was taken. In fact, the need for my services usually arises because they have failed to face up to this in the past.
It is human nature not to want to face up to our mistakes. But that is the road to ruin for an enterprise. So my assignments tend to terminate when difficult decisions are not taken because management are not prepared to admit their errors.
If the denied mistake is a game-changer, my assignment will be over very quickly. In others, we have managed to sort out many problems before reaching the uncrossable bridge. But what I find completely unacceptable is to be told by management, once presented with the least prejudicial solution, that the problem will be swept under the carpet. It is always better to take a decision, even a wrong decision, than not to take a decision at all. One can only question the integrity of such managers; technical competence is already ruled out.
Thankfully there is no shortage of potential clients. Making mistakes is a key part of business risk taking. I expect to be busy for quite some time.

Self-employment

As I said in a post over a year ago, the problem with being self-employed is that we can work 24/7. There is no right to time off.

And so it has been, for the last 18 months. Loads of flights, various clients competing for my time, different problems and management styles in an economic climate that has gone from bad to nightmare. So much to blog about and so little time.

How the world has changed: the economy, the people, the net. Well I'm back today, taking stock. I hope that I will have time to make a few posts before being snowed under once more with other peoples' problems...

Jobs for the Boys

Another free lunch for Pedro Santana Lopes. It makes me sick!

Palácio Sottomayor

It's chilly in Lisbon this morning, quite appropriate for the day when the power-hungry members of the opposition will bring down the Governament, for entirely selfish reasons.

Strangely the huge flag in my previous post is not flying today.

So here's a photo of something else, an office complex that renovated a splendid palace, now occupied by Barclays, PwC and a hotel.

Tourism Begins at Home

It's a long time since I've been able to wander around the city where I work.

So this may become a photoblog for a while, since current events have become dominated by players who don't deserve the attention they demand.

No apologies for the quality of the photos, I am posting from my phone.

Bravo Mr Sócrates

A great performance in his press conference, providing plausible explanations for his behaviour, pointing his finger at those who put political expediency above the national interest and defying the opposition to come forward with alternative proposals. A spirited, even agressive performance, of the kind that is sadly missing in Portuguese politics.

The reactions from the opposition parties are lame, picking at minor details to try to discredit the whole, politics of the lowest level.

I never thought I'd say it, because the guy gives me the creeps, but "Bravo!"

I Want to Be a Political Commentator

Looking round at the many jobs that I may be qualified to do, I happened upon a brilliant TV performance on Sunday night.

The egregious Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa receives a hefty fee for appearing weekly to make comments so obvious I would be embarrassed to present them. This week, why José Sócrates had to go to Berlin to explain the Portuguese economic situation. "Because Germany is the dominant economic power in Europe"! Brilliant! Where would we be without Marcelo?

If anyone needs another boffin to take a fee for no added value, I'm available...

Busy life, being unemployed

After many years where the norm was to get home and switch off my brain, unemployment brings a new challenge. Thanks to the internet, contacts can be made at any time, via emails that will be read when the recipient gets to the office in the morning. I find myself remembering contacts and opportunities at any time, day or night.

So being unemployed actually increases the time spent thinking about work! Let's see what happens when I move on to the next phase - self-employment...

First Day of Freedom

Walking from court appearance (as plaintiff) to shopping to job interview to property seminar, I couldn't resist snapping this with my phone.

It was a good way to spend the first day after 13 years of routine employment.

More will follow...

Sport TV Golfe

Its nice of the Sport TV guys to dedicate a whole channel to the golfing nuts among us. When they presented the channel on Friday, they said that it would be free to Sport TV subscribers until the end of February. I wait to see what will happen then.

They were a little unlucky in their first day, with the Bob Hope Classic, bought from the Golf Channel, unplayable due to heavy rain in the American desert. American golf broadcasting is frustrating at the best of times, with an excruciating ratio of adverts to live action, so watching repeats of the little golf that had been possible was awful. On the other hand, the Abu Dhabi tournament made good watching, despite having to view it live and the highlights only a few hours later.

As it happens, I am quite happy to pay for 12 months of Sport TV subscription just to watch the four Major tournaments. They added to that last year with the FedEx Cup playoffs. I watch virtually no football, except sometimes the Champions' League matches and gave up on Formula 1 long ago. So we'll see if they expect me to pay more to watch non-stop golf, because that would be a little optimistic. If I can subscribe to only the golf, that will be the way to go.