Communicating the message is important. It is not always sufficient, but if you are unable to communicate frankly, you are not going to make the right decisions for your business.
Nokia owned the mobile phone market in the first decade of this century. Early on in that period, they sold over half the units bought on the world and by the end of the decade they still sold north of a third. As they reflected on their 2010 performance, chief exec Stephen Elop, told employees the company was “a man standing on an oil platform in the North Sea and facing a raging fire on multiple fronts, who has no choice but to jump into freezing water to survive.”
Elop knew what the future had in store for his mobile phone business, as did the execs at Google, who were gaining round with Android, and at Apple, where the iPhone had already made an impact. That North Sea platform analogy was lacking in taste, but Nokia needed a major change of direction and an analogy that cut through with people was necessary.
Unlike Nokia, Newco are not the leading player in their market, but they are also standing on a proverbial burning platform. Instead of explaining this to their stakeholders, a different message was promoted with their annual accounts, “Profit”, we were told, although the word was qualified by “operational”. “Loss” was the effective word used in the accounts, for those who can understand a P&L, although few news reports got that far.
Hearts were the same yesterday, proclaiming “season 2022/23 saw the club post a record turnover of £20.8m”. This is correct and Hearts were able to report they have more money in the bank than their Glasgow cousins.
Fan comments after the news was almost universal: ‘spend more money’ but wait! Hearts record turnover came because of Europa League qualification, which didn’t happen this year. Even that was not enough to keep them out of the red, they relied on Donations of over £6m (30% of that turnover) to pay their bills.
Hearts have a shock coming in the post. Income will fall away without the Europa League. That £6m donations figure is made up of £1.6m from Foundation of Hearts members and £4.5m from other benefactors (believed to be James Anderson).
Call me cynical, but the Sugar Daddy thing is unwise. Football fans cannot rely on a rich benefactor, the game is littered with morality tales. They also cannot rely on donations from ordinary fans to hold up at the same levels as Edinburgh mortgage payments rise next year.
Stephen Elop ended his talk to staff by saying, “The burning platform, upon which the man found himself, caused the man to shift his behaviour, and take a bold and brave step into an uncertain future. He was able to tell his story. Now, we have a great opportunity to do the same.”
He was unable to reverse the decline of Nokia’s mobile phone business, but today they employ 92,000 people with a turnover of €23bn. Shift behaviour, step into an uncertain future – that is the message which should be coming out of clubs living precariously close to the edge, not this ‘everything is great’ nonsense.
133 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
RC on 15TH NOVEMBER 2023 7:41 PM
was Willie Wallace the last striker we signed from the jam tarts , look how that turned out.
…………..
JOHN COLQHOUN ( Forgive my spelling ).
Look how that turned oot .
LOL
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 15TH NOVEMBER 2023 7:14 PM
If only Stallion Petrov had received support like this from his teammates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhb5uBQZ-20
…………….
BRILLIANT.
My last wife used to say ” YA PURE WAN YE”….When ever someone was being rather silly.
I am almost sure that I heard that saying much later in an episode of ” Jack and Victor”, when ” NAVID ( The shop keeper ), used it against one of his regulars.
” YA PURE WAN YE”, is/was derived from the English, when someone describes another as being ” A ONE” For example…” Oh, hes a one isnt he ” ?
Meaning, ” Hes a bit of a rascal etc”.
In later years I took the saying ” YA PURE WAN YE”, to a different level, when I was watching a LIVE Celtic v Huns game with my mates in a Dennistoun Pub.
At some point in the game…TWO Hun Players ran into each other and collided, MISSING the Ball altogether…
My mates were familiar with the saying ” YA PURE WAN YE” from both my wife and myself……However, as soon as those TWO Hun players collided with each other, I immediately shouted out…
” YA PURE PAIR OF WANS” !
My mates were in hysterics, as were many in the Pub. When things had calmed down a wee bit, my mates were asking me…” How do you get a PAIR of WANS” ?
I guess you had to be there ?
LOL
As Celtic BEAT the Huns that day at Ipox, we had plenty to laugh about in the hours of Bevvying that followed the Final Whistle, with my mates continually asking me ” How do you get a PAIR of WANS” ?
I am STILL laughing as I type this.
HH
Equally, when those TWO Hun Players collided with each other during that game maybe I SHOULD have shouted…
” PENALTY to Rangers” !
LOL
HH
Huge Palestinian flag flying across the new Rusty Bridge over the M8 (from Sighthill to Townhead). Flags at half-mast in my house for Labour. Missus just cancelled her membership.
Morning all.
BIG JIMMY
I might be wrong, normally I am, but if I remember correctly we signed John Colquhon from Stirling Albion and we later sold him to the mini’s.
Brian
Good morning all from Govanhill.
Back to Basics
Great comedy. 😂
https://x.com/irelandfootball/status/1724762582542663858?s=46&t=2N0s5q5c02Jf5KUiNAaW9A
Posted too quickly! Is Liam the first player to give a press conference in Irish? I’m sure when he signed he took and answered questions in Irish. A university graduate too from UCD.
Liam abú!
https://x.com/plzsoccer/status/1724884654463832518?s=48&t=_mPKJp7jaHc7X1HAy4RxrQ
Surely not? The truth!
So what type of hold does the club playing out of Ibrox have on ‘journalists’ that none of them touched the thorny subject of the ‘profit’ was a lie they lost money? I know a significant number are Huns with laptops, but they can’t all be, so what is the hold on them to not print or broadcast the truth, is it threats of violence and/or end of career and if end of career where does this hold on them come from across all newspapers, TV channels and online?
McPhail Bhoy
You are correct in your thinking
Liam was first Celf on signing to give his intro interview in irish.
He is now doing it for Ireland,good on him.
Hope all well bout the town
:-)
HH
Gary Gillespies
What was the query with Glenties Csc(not bada :-))
Joe jim shall i get in touch with Celticbars?
HH
BELMONTBRIAN on 16TH NOVEMBER 2023 9:26 AM
Morning all.
BIG JIMMY
I might be wrong, normally I am, but if I remember correctly we signed John Colquhon from Stirling Albion and we later sold him to the mini’s.
……………
Your probably CORRECT Mate.
I will check it out Online.
Forgive me, as I am just a silly auld sober CHUMP sometimes.
I hope that you and the family are all good.
Maybe we can have a few Beers BEFORE Christmas ?
Im fed up being sober most of the time.
LOL
HH
BIG JIMMY
All good here, hope you are keeping well, catching up before Christmas sounds like a good idea to me.
HH
BIG JIMMY on 16TH NOVEMBER 2023 11:24 AM
BELMONTBRIAN on 16TH NOVEMBER 2023 9:26 AM
Morning all.
BIG JIMMY
I might be wrong, normally I am, but if I remember correctly we signed John Colquhon from Stirling Albion and we later sold him to the mini’s.
…………
I was WRONG and YOU were CORRECT.
Ive just checked Online and John signed for Celtic in 1983 from his Home Town Club Stirling Albion, and then left for Hearts in 1985.
My apologises to ALL on the Blog for being a CHUMP.
HH Mate.
BELMONTBRIAN on 16TH NOVEMBER 2023 9:26 AM
…………
I tend to think more clearly AFTER many Beers.
LOL
HH.
AT
The article referred to “James Gallagher’s Glenties CSC”
The man who ran the Glenties CSC was Joe Gallagher.
Known as mr Celtic, he cashed in his life insurance policies to go to Argentina for Racing Club game.
new article posted.
No big deal really I suppose. Anyone from around the time would know it was Joe, but maybe Joe has family alive who might like to see it corrected.