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The entrepreneur. The setbacks. The business mentor

25 October 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

When hopes and dreams are dashed, they are often replaced by self-doubt, pessimism, accusations, and anger.

Thus wrote Dr. Robert Brooks in yet another excellent monthly blog. He considers the balance between being optimistic whilst having to consider the possibility of failure.

Brooks has long concentrated on the theme of resilience and how it can be developed in most of us from an early age. The key factor is to have at least one individual around us, who understands and actively supports our feelings.

So what happens if you miss out and enter adulthood without that security blanket? Many of my clients are entrepreneurs, and not just in the field of high-tech. And while I am no psychologist – I am a business mentor and coach, operating primarily in the Jerusalem area – it does not take me too long to assess if a new customer fits the “Brooks ticket”.

And I readily accept that even those people who are not business owners and maintain responsible positions of employment, they too have their setbacks. Can you prepare yourself for those disappointments?

The answer is obviously yes, every one in their own field of activity. However, Brooks offers up a more interesting question, one which is far more far pertinent to my line of work. Why do so many of us spend so much time working out what we will do if something might go wrong – thinking up layer upon layer upon layer of awkward scenarios?

It is almost as if we are encouraging the oedipus effect. Our negativity will ensure that bad things will happen. Alternatively, as Brooks states, we can be more aware of the possibility of ‘success’, a word that so many of my clients seem afraid to contemplate. “What we do have more control over than we realise is our attitude towards and response to those events”, which we cannot influence.

In other words, if something does go wrong, the default thinking should be that you probably handle it, even if that will not be a simple task.

But let me go further. I wish I had a dollar for the number of times people say to me: “What if such and such a bad thing happens”? It may. It should not be ignored. Without being naïve or dismissive, I often throw back a curve-ball and ask: “But what if it does not and what if you achieve your goal”.

I never cease to wonder how people seem so shocked and aghast about embracing the concept that they may do well.

Israel’s economy – why the poor keep suffering

23 October 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel

Two new set of stats were released last week about the Israeli economy

  1. A report from the OECD noted that while there are a lot of “good looking” elements to the economy and many feel satisfied,  poverty is on the up.
  2. Prices are barely rising.

Well, surely this is all very tolerable? After all, no economy gets its finances right all the time. Look again!

It is true that prices have been kept down recently. However, due to increase of world food prices and raw materials, sooner rather than later, these changes are going to end up being felt in the bank accounts of the average Israeli. Now factor in the global truth that the poor spend more on food (and health services) than the richer sectors of society, and you will soon find that the OECD report will have even more painful meaning.

One comparative fact just made my blood boil. Over the past decade, the consumer price index in Israel has risen by 19%. Impressive. However, the index for fruit and vegetables – basic staples of a person’s diet – has leapt up 44%, more than double all other standard items together.

As the analysts observed, Israel has the highest relative rate of poverty in the OECD. And that is why I keep writing and warning about the absurdities and tragedy of Israel’s dual economy.

For years, food prices in Israel have been kept high by vested interests, often close to the corridors of power. For example, there have been suggestions and even attempts to open the market up to imports. For example, why Israelis are only allowed to eat strawberries 3 months a year is beyond me. A combination of religious groups and the agricultural lobby have managed to put this off for yet another year.

And then there is the farce of the creation of a national vegetable distribution centre. A government unit was set up back in 2012 to establish what is supposed to save consumers an estimated 2.5 billion shekels annually – say US$0.6 billion. After numerous surveys and a dozen different reports, nothing – I repeat, nothing – has been decided nor achieved.

And in the meantime, I guess the OECD can start to prepare its next disappointing report on poverty in Israel, because the people at the top, even if they do care, are incapable of acting.

Dangers of Israel’s split economy – new confirmation

18 October 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel

Last week, I wrote about the Israeli economy that it is:

…. continuing to press ahead. Unfortunately, in parallel, there is growing evidence that the rich are getting richer. Those less well off may still be doing better, but are also being left further behind.

The post drew a lot of private comments and a few on Facebook. And it is a theme that I feel very strongly about. The government is unable in part and seemingly unwilling to act. For example, yet again, we read in today’s newspapers how the price of housing has risen a further 8% since the beginning of the year. (The government controls the price of land and  it benefits from large levels of taxation from property transactions).

Sever Plocker is one of Israel’s leading financial journalists. Writing in his regular Friday column in Hebrew, he discussed the annual IMF conference, which took place earlier this month. Yes, he readily noted, Israeli banks were praised for their stability and caution, especially in light of the Deutsche Bank crisis threatening Europe . But……

Plocker went on to stress the thoughts of the IMF’s managing director, Christine Lagarde:

(Globalisation) needs to be slightly different. It cannot be that push for trade as we have seen it historically. The inclusiveness, the determination to make it work for all, and to pay attention to those that are at risk of being left out, whether it is as a result of technology, digital economy, or international trade by modification of supply chains, that factor has to be taken into account.

So, what does it mean for the IMF? It means that if we want to include, if we want to address the inequality issues, we need to have a strong international safety net so that countries that feel at risk, because of policies determined elsewhere, have the tools, have the financing instrument to actually respond.

As Plocker concluded, this is as close as you will find to the language of humility at such an event. In effect it is a public declaration that the strong have failed to look after the weak. And if something does not change soon, we will all suffer.

I wonder if Israel’s politicians and economic mandarins in their villas are tuned in to this message .

2 effective and practical methods to bring in new customers

16 October 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

One of those recurring themes in business coaching is sales: “I want more clients”, my own customers scream at me. And it is amazing how time and again, the solution lies in their own hands.

Here are two of my standard tips to jolt people forward, and they succeed time after time.

The first was written up very succinctly now so long ago as a case study in “Inc.com”. They focused on a young CEO, who was faced by an slightly docile sales team. So, she challenged them all to contact the five people they most wanted to meet in order to conclude their next deal. The results were phenomenal and very dynamic.

When you think about it, the concept is very simple. However, many of us are put off by it immediately with a subconscious thought of “why would these ‘great’ want to talk to somebody like me”. Maybe? Possibly? But if you do not try, you will never know. After all, what have you got to lose except five minutes of your time?

Just recently, I put this trial in front of two sophisticated CEOs. Within a week, one had completed three first meet-ups with key potential clients. The other had greeted me very dubiously, but by the end of our session had enthusiastically listed the names to ten “must-to-contact” rainmakers.

A second tactic is again somewhat obvious but frequently ignored. Go and seek some testimonials, and then publish them. The point is that many of us are persuaded by seeing a review, preferably a visual comment, by somebody who has used your product or service and not been disappointed.

Let me rephrase this. When we look for a plumber or an electrician, we often ask a friend or a neighbour for a recommendation. Similarly, request others to promote you. It is bizarre how so many of us are reticent to do so.

To take this thought one step further, I was watching Sky News last week, when a serial entrepreneur gave a plug to a new website called Social Superstore. This allows you to recommend to others products that you have bought. If they also purchase the item, then you receive a financial reward.

And as a business coach, the best piece of news I can give my clients is that these ideas can be repeated almost continuously. Even better, while much of my client reach is in the Jerusalem region in Israel, these marketing principles can be applied globally.

As I remarked above, quite often the path to higher sales is right in front of us. What we may lack is the clarity to see the opportunity and then the confidence to seize it.

Israel’s economy growing fast…for whom?

11 October 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel

Officially, Israel’s economy is growing at its fastest rate for nearly two years, about 4% per annum. Impressive by most global standards for these days. The question is who is really benefitting for this upsurge?

“The Calcalist” (Economist in English) newspaper has just released a fascinating analysis on changes in the Israeli economy. The starting point is that in the ten years to 2014, GDP per capita has risen 34% (despite the credit crisis). However, real wages have only grown by 5%. So where has the money gone to?

This creeping sense of inequality – a country of two economies – has been seeping into my writings over the past year. And the Calcalist immediately notes the Gini index for measuring differences in financial standings. Whereas Iceland and Norway boast coefficients of around 0.25 and the OECD average is 0.317, Israel stands just better off than the USA with 0.365. Not good.

To give that stat some perspective, it appears that Israelis work on average about 5% more hours per year than counterparts in the OECD. However, it still takes an average Israel around 12 full years of salary payments to buy a flat. Not only is that a number that has grown by 10% in 5 years, it is about the highest in the OECD.

The report refers to a multiple of distortions:

  • As with many countries, there is not enough public money for pensions.
  • Despite the multiple improvements in the past decade, the Arab (eg, education facilities) and Haredi (eg, social services) population sectors lack resources.
  • The food industry, including local agriculture, is heavily protected, to the detriment of the consumer and prices paid in the shops.

Yes, there are positives.

  • Israel’s debt to GDP ration is less than 65% and still dropping
  • As the central government budget grows, the proportion of spending on the military is projected to keep falling – to around 16.8% by 2018.
  • For the past three years, revenue from taxes have consistently beaten targets by about 4%.

So what next? The report comes at a time of year in the Jewish calendar when people are encouraged to reflect. Tomorrow is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, a fast day.

The economy is continuing to press ahead. Unfortunately, in parallel, there is growing evidence that the rich are getting richer. Those less well off may still be doing better, but are also being left further behind. The question is what will be the trigger for the suffers  – typically supporters of the government – to scream out at the election polls “no more”?

Angry at work? 2 non-fail paths towards a resolution

10 October 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

I have just read an amazingly important blog entitled “7 brutal life lessons everyone has to learn multiple times” .I specifically liked the emphasis on the line that “you cannot stay the same forever, and trying to do so will hurt you”.

With respect to the author, Nicolas Cole, I feel that he could have added one further point: Dealing, and then utilising, anger.

We all get angry, especially at work. As a business coach, I am frequently asked by clients how they should handle a supplier who does not perform, or a client who does not pay, or a colleague just…does not. And here’s the funny thing. In over 90% of the cases:

a) My customer finds it difficult to pin point just what ‘hurts’ them

b) The reason is often because the origin of the problem lies……with their own initial actions. And how most of us hate to admit that we are at fault!

Here is a personal anecdote that happened to me over the past few days. I was excluded from a project that I believed that I should have been part of and had a lot to contribute to. I appealed to various parties, as my voice registered increasing displeasure. It took me 24 hours to understand why I was annoyed, if not angry, and at whom.

However, in the process, I found myself going back several months to how the story had unraveled. Sure enough, I had to admit that could have and should have acted differently, and that is not just with the benefit of hindsight. Ouch. Painful for me!

(For the record, my initial position has not changed, but the parties are reconciled and still friends).

And now for the second point. There is second level to handling our anger. This is where you need to invoke some cognitive thinking.

For example, in sport, athletes curse injuries. Yet, the transmission period offers a time for reflection. First, they can use the time for other activities. They can also consider if they have been training properly, considering what has happened. The net result, after all the initial cursing, can be a stronger, better prepared and happier person.

In my case, I have began to use the rejection to consider where else I can be of use. I have already begun to direct my abilities in other areas, where the same project has not been so successful. I am still annoyed at what was, but I have achieved has also been recognized.

Bottom line? Much our anger resides in faults or mistakes that we are ultimately responsible for. It is not always so easy to accept that. Once you do so and then find the cognitive path to turn things to your advantage, then everyone becomes a winner.

Did you see the change in the Middle East last week?

5 October 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

As ever, the international media is full of crisis events – the murdering in Aleppo or the childish debate between two seemingly mature American politicians. However, quietly and without too much drama, something significant happened in the Middle East. There again, as somebody once said, miracles are supposed to happen in the Holy Land?

I am not talking about how two top British politicians and foes since schooldays, Johnson and Cameron, amazingly managed to patch things up over a whisky in a Jerusalem bar. Nor am I referring to the fact that Charles Prince of Wales surreptitiously visited a Jerusalem church to pay homage to the grave of his grandmother…….despite the pathetic attempts to keep the event ‘hush hush’.

Dig deeper and look again.

First, Israel has just appointed two lawyers of Ethiopian backgrounds to become judges. And they are female. While the Ethiopian community still sufferers from discrimination from specific sections of society, this decision is a significant step forward towards greater integration.

And second, if we are talking of women, it is time to praise the Israeli army, a bastion of male domination. According to an article in the Hebrew press: –

  • 85% of all jobs in the military are now fully open to the female sex.
  • 8% of all female recruits now have a combat role, up 400% since 2012.
  • 24% of all technology based jobs are filled by women, and this stat is growing annually.
  • It is evident that sooner rather than later several women will be members of the general staff

In other words, in a country were both the ultra orthodox and Arab communities are very conservative in nature and which has a police force that has been riddled with sex scandals, the Israeli army is showing others that an alternative route is possible.

And the question remains: Where else in the Middle East would you find such a determination to create a more equal and fairer society?  I suggest to you that the answer is only in Israel.

Shimon Peres and the iPhone 8

30 September 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel

I am writing this a few hours after former President Shimon Peres was laid to rest. Two American presidents, an English Prince, a King and regal cavalcade of world leaders personally came to pay their last respects to him in central Jerusalem.

And why? Peres did not just understand history. It was not just the fact that he was part of the Middle East political scene for decades. Peres created historical moments, usually with the emphasis on the word “peace”.

Few can emulate the role that Peres had on the world stage. However, in Israel people are gradually beginning to consider that arguably his greatest achievement was in a totally different sphere. To put it bluntly, by 1985 Israel suffered from hyperinflation and a recession. One year later, Peres was the architect of a plan that reversed the debacle. He froze wages and prices, and received the near unique backing of employers and workers.

The Israeli newspaper “Yediot Ahronot” asked four leading commentators what they saw as the greatest contribution of Peres to the Israeli economy. Aside from the 1985 ‘turnaround’, they came up with fascinating responses: –

  •  The continuous emphasis on making new technologies available to all
  • The need to harness basic human creativity
  • A recovery that tried to include as many different facets of the economy as possible
  • The premise that nothing needs to be impossible

Since 1985, the country has enjoyed near continuous growth. Gone is an economy based on protective tariffs and old industries. Israel has become the ‘start up nation’ of the Middle East, powered by the high-tech revolution. Britain, France and many others are in the throngs of trying to copy this model.

Hidden in another section of the newspaper, there is a small report referring to the fact that the about-to-be-launched iPhone 8 will be totally different from its predecessors. In fact, it turns out that at least two new key features of the phone have been developed by Apple in Herzylia, Israel.

You have to ask: Without Peres and his recovery programme, would Apple ever have come to Israel? Would it then have invested millions in buy up several companies and establishing an r&d centre in a country known to be a political nightmare? Would it be responsible for the wages of over 1,000 software engineers et al between Herzylia and Haifa?

For sure, since Peres changed the nature and direction of the Israeli economy, others have added their vision. However, it was Shimon Peres who made it possible. And somewhere amongst the notepads, wind turbine farms, satellites and mobile phones is a little piece of Peres himself, the man who so desperately sought peace on behalf of all of us.

How multinationals view Israel – 3 perspectives and a bonus

27 September 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

There are hundreds of multinationals operating in Israel. Typically Siemens, Microsoft, Google and many more have their own r&d centres, usually near the costal plain. Just recently, there are indications that their customary approach to the ‘start up nation’ of the Middle East has begun to change. For example: –

  1. Intel

Intel chose Israel as the first country, when it decided to build plants outside America. Today, it now has three facilities in the Holy Land, and at least three generations of chips have emerged from the land of miracles.

Intel’s latest contribution to Israel is to create a smart development centre. It is designed to house 2,500 personal in a state of the art, environmentally friendly complex. Recycling, shared info , customised air-conditioning and much more are its focus points. It will be a show piece to the world.

2. Samsung

Samsung this week officially brought its ‘early stage tech investment project’ to Israel. It has a simple yet determined aim. The Korean company is looking to invest around US$1 million in ‘the next technology’. The company has previously bought control of several Israeli start ups. So this move is a natural extension of this policy. It can be seen as a relatively cheap way to discover a competitive advantage over its rivals.

3. Sequoia and Benchmark Funds

Sequoia and Benchmark are American finance houses, which over the past two decades have invested heavily in the Israeli economy. Both have set up full local offices and raised monies for these operation.

Sequoia has led locally five rounds of financing, raising around US$780 million since 1999. In return, they have secured some of the largest exists in the market. For example, Ravello was sold to Oracle for US$430 million earlier this year. And Benchmark can report on similar successes.

All this is about to change. Neither of the two local offices will be raising more sums. Instead, any local investments will have to be financed by the funds from the American offices.

And then coming up, there is the multi-faceted conference in London on 16th November, called “Mind The Tech”. This will premier Israel’s leading high-tech figures – entrepreneurs, funders, accelerators and more – with their equivalents in the UK. The size of the event is nearly unprecedented, and just goes to show the continuing interest from large parties in the start up scene in the Holy Land.

5 unusual facts about Israel’s growing economy

25 September 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel

The Israeli economy never ceases to surprise, even the self-acclaimed experts. Have a look at these five snippets of info, and ask yourself why they are not reported in the world press for others to learn from.

  1. In a period when the global economy is wondering how to generate new growth, Israel has just announced that its unemployment figure is at a new all-time low of 4.6%. That is a major achievement of which most other OECD countries can be jealous.
  2. After decades of trying, Israel’s exports have begun to find new markets in Africa. Countries like Zambia and Kenya had been forced to put aside Israel’s offerings in their attempt to appease the Arab League. This pressure has been substantially removed, and thus exports from the Holy Land to the continent are likely to double or more in 2017.
  3. In high-tech, Israel’s strengths are well documented. Only last week, CA Technologies invested US100 million in the purchase of the Tel Aviv company BlazeMeter. And Intel, one of the first American conglomerates to enter the country, is about to construct a state-of-the-art r&d centre near Tel Aviv. Never mind the coffee shops and restaurants for workers. Nor that employees’ tech instruments will “talk” to each other. This will be a fully GREEN 34,000 sq m work space, which will be the envy of many around the world.
  4. And then there is the car industry, where since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel has been seen as the ‘enemy’, due to the high cost of oil. However, today Israeli tech is sought after by the manufacturers. And the reason? Look at VW that intends to invest tens of millions in a new company called CyMotive Technologies, because there is a genuine fear that smart cars can be hacked just like smart phones. This presents a threat to human life. Interestingly, the company is partially run Yuval Diskin, the former head of the Shabak.
  5. And continuing on the theme of the motor trade, Arkal Automotive is a relatively unknown company, locked away toward the north of Israel. The majority share holder is an agricultural kibbutz. And yet it has contracts with BMW, Mercedes, Opel and others to supply light weight, glass fibre components for vehicles. Total sales revenue will increase from about US$82 million in 2015 to well over US$90 million this year.

If there is a joint message in all of these points, it is a very simple one. Israel has so much to share with the rest of the world. And many of its products are in use in homes and on the road in most countries in the world. Embrace this knowledge for your own betterment of life, or just lose out.

3 innovative Israeli tips to raising output without upping salaries

19 September 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel

Over the past year, the OECD has made much of Israel’s relatively low labour productivity performance. A updated survey from the Taub Center in Jerusalem reveals a more positive picture. Since 2001, productivity has improved 15%. Interesting, wages have remained static.

I would not normally be too interested in such stats. However, I am still trying to absorb a very impressive summary, which I read last week. Apparently, there is an annual competition amongst the larger employers in Israel as to who can come up with the most innovative techniques to keep workers happy. The event is sponsored by numerous parties, including KPMG and the financial newspaper “Calcalist” (Economist).

Here are my three favourite case studies.

  • Tower Semiconductors is located in the Galilee region. Approximately, 75% of the senior management has risen through the ranks. The company goes out of its way to finance the tuition fees of first and second degrees. Currently, around 45 members of staff are benefitting from this arrangement, which will filter back into the firm’s profits in the years to come.
  • Local authorities are never known to be great payers. Some help out with training courses. The Modi’in Regional Council has taken this simple concept one exciting step further. Not only does it seek to offer technical courses. It will then hire people who have undergone training. The example cited featured a worker who had learnt photography and who was then asked to film one of the council’s events.
  • Nilit’s factory operates 3 shifts every 24 hours. It employs people of all faiths – 60% of its employees count themselves as Moslems and a further 20% are Christian. Before each festival, even at 11.30pm at night, the factory will recognise the on-coming religious event. And that demands the participation of representatives of senior members of staff. Staff turnover has fallen dramatically from 30% to 20%.

I do not have space for all the stories. By way of a bonus, it is worth noting that Pizza Hut deliberately looks to those 16-18 year olds, who start with them on summer jobs, in order to promote them in years to come. Apparently, 90% of outlet managers began their careers that way.

What this anecdotal Israeli experience seems to be confirming is that you do not have to pay somebody a lot of money in order to keep them in their place of work. People want to be encouraged. They need to feel that they are valued. That is one of the core elements of motivating employees. That is what these innovative ideas are celebrating.

Palestinian economy, Autumn 2016 – beyond the rhetoric

16 September 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

For decades, Palestinian leaders have been trying to convince the world that heir economy is bankrupt, and that can only be the fault of Israel. In a year of Brexit, a bizarre American election campaign and continued global retrenchment, has that rhetoric changed. And anyway, who is still listening?

Some facts: In July of this year, an IMF team warned that overseas donations, a critical part of the numbers for the exchequer in Ramallah, were slowing down again. Israel had held up its contributions, due to the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) massive state to Jerusalem. Unemployment is 27% in the West bank and much higher in Gaza. While their is growth of over 3%, this does not cover the growing population.

The World Bank status report, released this week, also makes for depressing reading. The fiscal system is under pressure. And because there is such a disproportionately large public sector, there is a looming threat of a pensions crisis.

The problem for the Palestinians is that the world financial crisis, which continues to fizzle along, ensures that there is no longer so much spare cash available for international aid. In parallel, the competing crisis of refugees from Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East has demanded that large sums be set aside for them.

Add into that equation the continuous flow of stories and rumours about corruption and mismanagement within the Palestinian leadership, and what do you end up with? Less funding!

Even the notoriously conservative thinking British government’s Department for International Development, which has handed out hundreds of millions in aid over the years, observed: “…we will work with organisations in the right way to make sure that we are delivering the right outcomes that meet our Government priorities—both peace and stability, as well as humanitarian causes.” That is Oliverian Newspeak for ‘we are reviewing the situation…you have all been warned’.

One positive factor did emerge this week. Israel and the PA finally settled their argument over how the Palestinians owe Israelis for use of their electricity and other amenities. A time schedule was established to pay off the debt, while Israel wrote off a billion shekels in back payments. Such a deal also answered the critiques, who have repeatedly claimed over the years that Israel has cut off power to the Gaza Strip.

However, the future does not look too bright. 81-year old President Abbas is clearly losing control over the West Bank. That is probably the true reason why elections there have been postponed. In addition, it is becoming horrendously apparent that Abbas will block any challenge to replace him, especially if that means the financial empires of his two sons are threatened. The Falcon Enterprise is evidently worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Whatever the true size of the Abbas family’ private fortune (and that of Hamas leaders), as the Autumn of 2016 approaches, the rhetoric of hatred directed against Israel continues unabated. Many Palestinians continue to live in poverty. And their representatives continue to prosper.

Judging the new person in the conference room? Stop right there!

12 September 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Jerusalem

Let me tell you a true story about an encounter with a new client from earlier this summer.

Based near Jerusalem, this young and petite lady is trying to kick start her business with a many trepidations and minimal commercial experience. We began to go through her immediate tasks, and one included preparing for a final exam. For her first degree, I asked? Yes, and………..

…….and also for her black belt in judo. I could not contain my surprise. Based on height and character, I had severely misjudged her. And what was I, business coach and mentor, doing jumping to conclusions so early on in the proceedings? Inwardly, I felt embarrassed.

I was reminded on the incident, while I was listening to SKY TV a couple of weeks ago. They were interviewing somebody who had spent much of the previous 12 months, trying out over 30 Olympic sports. “Wow, he must be fit,” I thought to myself.

I turned to watch the screen and found myself staring at a man in his mid 30s, lacking at least 2 limbs. And then it clicked that this was a discussion on the Para Olympics. The studio guest then let loose his parting shot:

“Don’t look at the disability. Look at the ability”.

This command applies to both the ‘normal’ person, as well as someone who may be physically impaired – all of us.

And that is the point. How often do we go into a meeting or conference room, take one look at somebody new and say to ourselves: ‘That person is a XYZ character’? Height, code dress, age, body language have ‘forced us’ to make an assessment on the spot. We may be partially right, but we frequently miss out key details.

Around 2,000 years ago, a rabbi by the name of Ben Azzai warned us not to despise people nor dismiss anything. “For there is not a man who has not his hour.” I wonder what he would have made of my female judo client.

Israel’s average wage – what it says about the Prime Minister

10 September 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Arguably, it has been a lousy week for Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Things began to go wrong when he negotiated a deal so that work would not take place on Tel Aviv’s new light railway structure during the Jewish Sabbath. This turned out to be a political agreement to please ultra orthodox Jewish Parliamentarians, which constituency rarely serves in the army, at the expense of soldiers trying to reach bases on time. The public backlash forced Bibi, as he is colloquially known, to transfer responsibility on to another minister.

A few days later, a building site collapsed killing 5 people. As similar tragedies came to light, it has emerged that government has neglected this industry. Contactors get away with murder, while supervisory budgets are frozen.

Amongst all the fury, the release of yet more statistics from the National Institute for Social Security has passed by unnoticed. In my view, they are no less disturbing.

Before continuing, please remember that Israel is enjoying record low levels of unemployment. High tech salaries just keep on rising.

However, it appears that half of all Israelis earn less than 6,500 nis per month, as of the end of 2014 – about US$1,650. If the average monthly wage is around 10,000 nis, then an awful lot of the country’s 8 million citizens are being left behind in the struggle for a better society.

I will leave it for government supporters to explain what is being done about this sad performance. But note, most of the key areas of support for Bibi’s Likud party now lie in the population areas along the Tel Aviv coast line. Here, the average family monthly income before tax is about 25,500 nis. The figure for Jerusalem is about 12,500 nis – over 50% less. For comparison, Haifa’s level is put at 22,901 nis.

I am stunned that such high discrepancies and how they continue unchecked. Whatever happened to the caring society? And given everything, should we really expect anything more substantial from Bibi’s team?

Is there a correct way to ‘dump’ a customer?

7 September 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

All businesses have them. Whether you are as large as Boeing or just a shop owner, we all are faced with the client or potential customer who you just do not want to deal with. They are a pain.

These people come along in different disguises. For example:

  • They ask for one last discount, again and again.
  • They ask for price quotes on many related items, without every deciding on what they want
  • They raise irrelevant issues about the quality of the service or the product in question.
  • They compare you to your competition
  • They demand to know a breakdown of your costs, forcing you to justify your price.

And so the list goes on.

What links all of these points is that they keep nagging at you. This forces-encourages you to change your stance, just to please them. And that only leads to more exasperation.

What prompted me to write this blog was because a friend of mine in the Jerusalem area posted a plea for help yesterday. He was going through this very issue. What should they do?

Most of the responses centred around the theme of telling the potential customer to go away. If they could find a cheaper alternative elsewhere and that was what was important, so be it. Let them walk. And my friend would feel so much better, if only because he would be rid of the troublesome problem.

My work, as a business coach and mentor has led me to help out in many similar situations. I consistently argue the following two points. First, the client probably has yet to realise what they want. Therefore, especially when dealing with a customer in-the-making, a sale in unlikely to eventuate for you. They are projecting their uncertainties on to you, the seller, and thus making you feel worse than them. Both sides are now annoyed at the situation and with each other.

Second, and most important, you need to make a decision as early as possible that you neither want nor need the business. In addition, there may be future hassles as well for all you know, if this is how you have started out.

But, how should you say NO? In the above scenario, most of the advice offered was to be outright. Tell it ‘to their face’.

I argue that you should stick to your original or updated proposal. You can explain that this reflects a fair price for a great product, and that is why many others purchase from you. This allows you to maintain your pride and your branding.

The point is that you show to yourself just how professional and commercial you are. It enhances your self-confidence for when you have to face a similar ordeal, which will come along sooner or later. The alternative method, mentioned above, does not put the emphasis on you and your skills.

And you never know. Sometimes, occasionally, the customer comes back to you and apologises……..and accepts your offer! Yes, it has happened.

Why we can all do with a business coach – 3 anecdotes

1 September 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Almost invariably, when meeting a prospective client, they pose me the question: “Why do I need a business coach or mentor?” Usually, there is an innuendo, implying that my qualifications are not worthy of their custom.

Hmm! It is true that mentors have not spent years, negotiating exams like doctors and accountants. On the other hand they bring to the table a very special cluster of skills, which need to be understood in greater detail. Three recent stories, impacting on clients of mine in the Jerusalem area, highlight what I mean.

Let us call our ‘heroes’ Arnie, Bertie and Chrissy.

Arnie was a troublesome client. He never allowed himself to be pinned down to set meeting times. Clearly talented, he claimed he had excellent clients. And yet he was looking for help.

Progress was slow. He did begin to hail in a few new clients, as he became more time-focused. However  suddenly, after three meetings, he disappeared. And that was that for about three years…………until I read about him yesterday. He is clearly on top of his game and loving it.

My point is that I would like to think that I had a hand in ‘getting Arnie straightened out’. I had started to pose questions, where the answers required a combination of facts, strategy and some very deep soul searching.  What did he really want to do next and how? While I could see that he was finding it a struggle, evidently something eventually changed for the better within him.

Bertie is more amenable to challenging questions. Early on in our meetings, he told me how one of his own and more lucrative clients was about to end their contract. I encouraged him to look at the picture differently and then to offer an updated business model. This he did, and they were delighted with his subsequent performance.

Bertie sent me an email this week, enclosing a copy of a message of recommendation from that same client. Their business had been transformed. It looks as if they are about to re-engage him.

And then there is Chrissy, full of talents and seeking to establish a very innovative business in Israel.

Chrissy sent me an email, outlining why she felt his next avenues are blocked off to her. For example, key persons are not returning her phone calls. With no seemingly obviously connection, she went on to outline the three things that she needs to do next. “What should she do?”, she asked me in frustration.

My response was brief. I showed Chrissy how she could ignore the setbacks, and just carry out those three tasks. What had happened was that she had linked her frustrations of the past to the next set of important tasks, probably in order to procrastinate. She was doubting her abilities.

The common theme of these stories is a message for those contemplating where or not to choose a business coach. This should be a person who has the ability to see beyond what is obvious to you. That talent does not necessarily come from taking exams, but usually emerges from years of hands-on experience.

Taking Israeli technology with you – where ever you travel

30 August 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Israel’s Ben Gurion airport, just outside Tel Aviv, always has the most fascinating of exhibitions. This month, they have posted a montage of about 40 pictures depicting the wonders of Israeli high-tech.

Let me explain. The exhibition always resides in the obligatory walkway connecting passport control to duty free. It is very difficult to miss. The aim is to take some extra or unusual about Israel with you to where ever you travel to in the world.

I guess the picture that made me wake up was the one about bats. Creepy. It is now about five years ago that researchers at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem began to comprehend how bats have their own internal GPS system.

Reading on, what struck me was the amazing range of capabilities that have emerged in recent years from a country that is 50% desert.

And so the pictures continued. One of the last images featured Professor Sarit Kraus. She is a very observant Jew, who has an outstanding reputation in the field of intelligent computer systems – robots to us mere mortals. And that is the point. Israel looks to ensure that all – whatever your religion, social standing or physical ability – are included in this attempt to go beyond what seems impossible.

And as a postscript: Once I arrived at my destination in the UK, I found a series of amazing tweets, showing how Israel tech has leaped across borders; motor industry, curing melanoma, harvesting drinking water from the air, and much more.

Time to stop Israel being a rogue state

25 August 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Four critical pieces of news this week about Israel have been hidden by more important events, such as the continuous banal spats between Hilary and Clinton.

  • Yehia is nearly two years old. Born in Afghanistan with chronic heart complaints, a desperate plea from his family was picked up in Israel. Despite the lack of diplomatic relations, the child and his family were brought over to Tel Aviv in order to save his life.
  • Yasmeen is a 6 year old Syrian girl, who suffered from blood cancer. She has just spent the past six months in a hospital in Haifa and she has been cured. Can you imagine the logistics required to have allowed her to pass through the border?
  • According to a paper published on August 22 in the journal Nature Cell Biology, Israeli scientists believe that they may have discovered the causes melanoma, a horrendous form of skin cancer. This is liable to prevent countless deaths, particularly in the hot regions of the Middle East.
  • And moving away from the field of medicine, we are beginning to understand that Israel has taken water technology to a completely new level. It has created the largest reverse-osmosis desalination plant in the world. Not bad for a country that is 50% desert. Jordan already benefits and others neighbours could follow?

It is difficult to find another country like Israel that engages in such a rich source of activity, which is going to help countless others in so many ways. Certainly, this does not apply to those countries at war with Israel.

And it is that thought that reminded me of a debating incident a couple of years ago. The motion called for the house to declare Israel a rogue state, assumedly because rogue has a negative context. True, but it also means somebody who is mischievous, looking for a means to go around obstacles. And it can also imply that somebody is on their own, not necessarily for their own fault.

The motion was carried, unanimously. Everybody realised just how it applied to the positive side of Israel. However, take this logic one step further, and link it to the amazing facts I described above.

There is a concept in Jewish philosophy, dating back to the Middle Ages: “Who is the greatest hero? One who turns an enemy into a friend.” The common theme that links the above case studies is one of helping people, and this includes those who see Israel as a foe.

Far fetched? For my last item, let me remind my readers of what happened last week in Glasgow. Celtic hosted the Israeli football champions Hapoel Beersheba, who were greeted by a wave a political insults and a wall of Palestinian flags. This incitement has been referred to the European footballing authorities.

The return match was played on Tuesday in Israel. After the game, in which Celtic just came through, Brendan Rogers, the manger was full of praise for his hosts. At a press conference, he detailed how his team had been welcomed warmly.

Is it not time that other countries in the Middle East realised that Israel no longer needs to be a rogue state? Because when that happens, everyone stands to gain big time.

Is there a liar in your meeting?

23 August 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel

We try to do our very honest best and yet sometimes we realise that we have to deal with a liar. For many this is so off-putting. It is contra to all our ethics.

In my profession as a business mentor, possibly ironically, I frequently come across the phenomenon. When people are supposed to be open with me, they sit there with their arms folded. Their face reads: “I do not need help and I am going to say as little as possible”. Which begs the questions ‘what are you doing here in the first place, if you are so wonderful?

Another type of individual I meet is the manipulator. As I recently wrote, they try to convince you to say “yes”, when your response should be an outright “no”. They want you to believe that they have a perfect business model, when it is meaningless. They want you to change methodologies, when it is a short cut to nowhere.

I like a quote cited by Stuart Palmer. He was attending a seminar, which addressed the theme as to why the international media is often so unfair towards Israel. The participant observed that: “Just because something isn’t a lie does not mean that it isn’t deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.” 

And that is very true of what happens in meetings. The truth is used to cover up the lie.

Another way to consider the subject is that while lies can be creative, they are inevitably a sign of weakness. Mentally strong people constantly question “what and why” something is happening. What is the real reason for an event to take place. This gives them an empahtic edge over deceivers.

I suppose that what enlightened me to this theme in the first place was a tongue-in-cheek post that I received from my mother-in-law. It may be humourous, but it makes a point on behalf of the many many many good people around you.

What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?  Here’s a little  mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions: 

If:  A B C D E F G H I J  K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z  is  represented as:  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14  15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. 

Then:   H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K  8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 =  98% And   K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E   11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 =  96%  

But A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E   1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 =  100%   And,   B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T   2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 =  103%  . AND, look how far ‘ass kissing’  will take you.  A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G   1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7  = 118% . 

So, one can conclude  with mathematical certainty, that while  Hard  work  and  Knowledge will get you close, and  Attitude  will get you there. Its  the Bullshit  and  Ass  Kissing that will put you over the  top. 

Now you know why Politicians are where they are! 

…..My conclusion? The next time you are in a meeting with somebody who may seem a bit suspicious, see if they add up correctly!

The BDS motorcade in Israel

20 August 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

BDS is an international movement, promoted by leading Palestinians, that advocates the boycott and divestment of all things Israeli.

This week, SAIPS, a 12 person start up from Israel, was sold for US$75m to Ford. The idea is utilise the Israel tech for a machine learning solution and incorporate it in Ford’s vision for autonomous cars by 2021. In other words, SAIPS technology will be found on roads in nearly 200 countries within a decade.

Naturally, this takeover  is a major repudiation for the BDS campaign. What is significant is that it is not its only failure in the auto sector. For example, five years ago, Mobileye was barely known outside its lab in Jerusalem. A few weeks ago, it released news of its latest partnership, featuring the combined power houses of BMW and Intel.

Israel’s financial newspaper, “Calcalist”, has highlighted at least five other Israeli companies in the motor industry whose innovation capabilities have been sought out by international conglomerates.

  • Nexar has raised over US10m to complete its development to allow smartphones to predict and thus to prevent accidents.
  • Argus has been around for only three years. Backed by US$30m and with offices in Tokyo and Michigan, it protects a car’s computer from being hacked.
  • Valens is primarily a chip maker. With partnerships with Daimler and GM, it provides the driver video info on how to make the car more efficient.
  • Anagog, founded in 2012 and now with 15 employees, has won international awards for its sophisticated parking app.
  • Innoviz has just completed a US$9m round to provide real-time mapping and navigation for vision systems in driverless cars .

The bottom line is that BDS cannot halt this motorcade of progress. Their own leaders will be driving such technologies in years, just as they already using Intel computers, Siemens’ products, Samsung hardware and much much more. Yup, Israel is host to all of these and hundreds more leading high-tech companies.

Which leaves you to wonder just what is the point of the BDS, which happens to be supported by leading anti-semites throughout the West. Funny thing is that Henry Ford was reported to have such tendencies.

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