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Fighting procrastination – a parable from the snow of Jerusalem

8 January 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Jerusalem

I am a business coach. If I was to take a quick survey of my clients, at least a third of them curse their poor skills in time management. Bluntly speaking, they procrastinate.

What does this mean? Spin it how you wish, these are people who ensure they are preoccupied doing anything and everything, except focus on their main work for the day.

Please note that one thing they are rarely very good at is looking at their bank account. That is just too painful. The large minus sign would show them just much they avoid getting on with key tasks. The danger of the wake up call is thus averted.

Tips to stop procrastination? There are dozens and dozens of blogs and infographics, ordering the sufferers as to what they must and must not do.

Let me take a different track, a more practical approach, and it based around what happened today in Jerusalem. For roughly 24 hours, the city closed down, and the main roads away from the holy sites were closed, as a brief  snowstorm circled above.

We had been warned and I had prepared a list of work-related tasks to carry out at home. BUT, and a big ‘but’ at that: Would I be able to convert my good intentions into concrete actions? After all, for years, I myself was the king of putting things off. Nobody knew the tricks better than me.

Well, I started the day with a few simple matters to check. Picking up in confidence, I wrote a couple of reports. I made sure I only resorted to a two minute break between longer tasks, rather than carrying on at all costs. In fact, I ended up writing five documents, on top of several phone calls, and ……..

Well, the last thing I wanted to accomplish was to write a blog.

Hats off to the next wave of bad weather.

Your business and a social media campaign – 5 rules of the ‘101 approach’

22 December 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

If you are 20 something years old, you are already Facebook-Twitter-smartphone-Tumbler etc savvy, and probably playing on all of these as you read this.

However, vast numbers of people are aware of all of these “aids” but do not know how to use them, let alone why they are useful. And I am referring specifically to those in business, whether managers in companies or self-employed. These are skilled and intelligent people, who if they were forced to answer honestly, would admit that they are barely familiar with the basic functions of word and excel. So, when it comes to social media, forget it!

I am a business mentor. And the same questions comes up all the time, be it from new businesses, independents, manufacturers and others. Why should I have a website? What is the difference between that and Facebook? And where do Twitter, LinkedIn and others fit all? In fact, is this just one big bluff – a waste of time, money and effort?

They have a point. I have heard of so many clients, who are approached by so-called experts in google ads or facebook or SEO campaigns, selling their services. I am asked for my opinion. And I ask the trick question – can these geniuses deliver new customers? “Well, they will create billions of ‘likes’ and get me to the first page of a google search. And that will do the trick, won’t it?” Er……….

Three months later, I receive a report about zillions of likes and click throughs. However, our experts discretely do not produce a sales report, whose figures have not budged. And why? To find out why, let us go back to basics.

  1. For most commercial operations, social media is a form of advertising, enabling you to get closer to your clients. And it does not matter whether you use an old-fashioned flyer or sophisticated, first you must identify your target audience and where they can be found. So often, our experts just mentioned do not have the commercial experience or patience to initiate that crucial first step. there are some target populations not available on the net.
  2. Facebook is free. Websites can be created in minutes. However, proper campaigns require an investment of thought, money and time, just as was required in the past. Do not forget that you will need to maintain your sites and update them on a regular basis.
  3. In an age of the instant and globalisation, social media tools allow you immediate contact with your client. Thus, make your campaign smartphone friendly. Most internet traffic is generated on mobiles rather from computer screens.
  4. Why will people read your website? For the same reason that they looked at your flyer or newspaper advert. You need to provide interesting and original content, and do so continuously. That is what drives traffic to your sites.
  5. If there are three key elements to remember when creating material, they were neatly summarised in a very practical blog, referring to new content marketing trends for 2015.
  • Keep the message short and simple
  • Use videos, where possible
  • Consider a geographically localised approach.

Gordon Ramsey on ‘Restaurant Makeover’ recruited new customers via free tasters in local markets. I have a retail client in central Jerusalem, whose sales peak, whenever he hands out flyers to passers-by.

That said, there are some golden opportunities to find new clients via social media, provided you remember the rules of advertising, which were determined long before Mark Zuckerberg’s parents were born.

Jerusalem’s resilient economy

20 December 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

I do not often do this, but today I want to echo the thoughts in full of Danny Rubinstein. A quality journalist, Rubinstein has decades of experience reporting on Israel’s relationship with the Palestinians, especially from an economic standpoint.

Now, it is no secret that tensions in the Holy City have risen. Extremists on both sides have tried to provoke the authorities. And yet for all that and what the world does not see is that life goes on. My son continues to work with two Muslims in his department. The Jerusalem Municipality, as per every year, will distribute free Christmas trees to Christian Arabs. “Palestinian entrepreneur, Hani Alami, is setting up an accelerator on the city’s seam line to draw budding entrepreneurs from both sides of the city.”

Rubinstein makes a key point. Despite the language of political leaders and the rhetoric of those seeking to provoke, the vast majority of Jerusalem’s citizens, whatever their religion recognize the interdependence. And thus the local economy continues to move forward.

Entitled, “Jerusalem, where economics triumphs over violence”, can be read in full below.

Despite incidents of violence in Jerusalem, demonstrations and escalating tension, the economy is bringing a semblance of normalcy to the lives of Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem.

Dozens of Arab bus drivers have stopped working due to harassment and Arab taxi drivers are afraid to pick up passengers in the western city, and yet the overall picture is not one of disruption, but rather of a citywide transport network that is held together by thousands of Arab workers.

Aside from the hundreds of public transport drivers, the capital’s various truck companies hire the greatest number of Arab drivers, and they are joined by thousands of workers in garages, gas stations and vehicle testing spots. Some are Israeli citizens, like the residents of Abu Ghosh and Beit Safafa, but most, those from the East Jerusalem neighborhoods, are not Israeli nationals but permanent residents with a blue identity card.

And it’s not just in the transport sector. Arab workers are employed in every area in Jerusalem, in particular in manual labor, factories, hospitals, and hotels. This is primarily caused by the separation fence, which cut off East Jerusalem from the West Bank and the employment opportunities there. This separation led to a dramatic shift in the social structure of Jerusalem’s Arab population.

Most of the elite and the professionals left, in particular for Ramallah, where they work as senior Palestinian Authority officials, clerks and managers in the Palestinian banks, company executives, high-tech workers, engineers, lawyers and academics. They are not involved in the Israeli labor market; all are employed in the Arab market.

The more disadvantaged remained in East Jerusalem, where they have the advantage of freedom of movement in the west of the capital and the rest of Israel. There are tens of thousands of construction workers and cleaning staff in hospitals, universities and businesses who prefer to live within the city limits so as not to have to endure the checkpoints on a daily basis. They live in the poor neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, and some even run successful contractor and trucking businesses.

The Arabs of Jerusalem, totaling some 350 thousand people, account for about 40 percent of the city’s population. They have a higher income than the Arabs of the West Bank, but the cost of living is also higher in Jerusalem – especially housing prices, which are sometimes four times higher than in the West Bank.

The Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem are codependent. Where one can separate Israel from Gaza and the West Bank with fences and barriers, in Jerusalem this is impossible, with the Jewish and Arab neighborhoods so intertwined. 

So one may assume that economic rules will prevail over politics in Jerusalem, over incitement and over fear. There is no one to replace the tens of thousands of Arabs who work in the capital; not immigrants, not haredim and not the few middle class left in the Rehavia neighborhood

The waves of violence in the city subside fairly quickly, and the defense establishment is making great efforts, and on the bottom line – the Jerusalem economy is stronger than everything else.

Can a smile really help improve your business?

29 November 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

I have been acting as a business mentor for a particular client, who has not been having an easy time. Yet, at our last meeting in a boutique Jerusalem café, she was full of beans. She recalled: –

“I bet you don’t realise what one word you have said to me, twice, and which has made a complete difference just recently. As you walked away from our last meeting with words of encouragement, your told me to smile. And then, when I wrote you an email full of my concerns, you repeated the instruction.

I have since internalised the ‘message’. Guess what? I have just recruited 3 new clients. And that was for a project that I had long abandoned.

All that from a smile? By thinking positively, can we really impact on our work (and family) lives?

Step back for a minute. Dr Robert Brooks posted an article, questioning if the process of aging can be influenced by our mindset. He discussed two scientific tests, where groups of elderly people were confined to a closed house, which was transposed to a period from when they were 30-40 years old. Music, food, clothing styles of the past.

The results were amazing. The participants walked out standing taller. The bodies were more supple. In one bizarre incident, somebody threw away their wheelchair, which was no longer required.

This made me think of my friend Avraham Schlissel, a laughter specialist. I few months ago, I attended one of his workshops in Jerusalem, twenty people nervously wondering what they were in for. Absolutely amazing! Over an hour he asked and encouraged people to slightly adjust the way they addressed each other – in teams, in twosomes, or to the whole group . By the end, we were all on the floor in fits of hysteria, taking away ‘something positive’, which we could use elsewhere.

We are surrounded by negative influences and horrendous graphic pictures in the news. By contrast, it would seem that if we could allow more happiness into our lives, it is not just that we will feel better. We could perform so much better at work. Now is that not worth investing some time and thought to?

What really happens in Israel – Part 2

21 November 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

This week’s slaughter in a Jerusalem synagogue has focused international media attention on the pain of those who suffer as a result of Palestinian violence. As I explained in my previous blog, there is alternative side to Israel, a society that rarely hits the news reports.

Last time out I concentrated on Israel’s economy, how it is improving the lives of billions globally. Here, I am venturing into local society. This is not to feature the photos of those Palestinians who handed out sweets after the murderous event. Nor is it a look at how Palestinians falsified import licenses, attempting to smuggle in weapons under the guise of Christmas decorations.

Item One: The massacre itself was stopped by a policeman from the Druze community, who later died of his wounds. At his funeral, attended by the president of Israel, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi could be seen shaking hands and commiserating with leaders of the Druze and other ethnic communities.

Item Two: Enter Tel Aviv and you will readily see that this pluralism is no one-off incident. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it was recently voted the second most-sexiest city in the world. If you find your way to the tourist website, with it listing of pubs and clubs, you will readily understand why.

Item Three: In the same month, Tel Aviv picked up an award as the  ‘world’s smartest city’. The primary citation was the installation of free WiFi for all. Simply no restrictions.

Item Four: Jerusalem should not feel left out. It recently hosted a flash mob, just outside the gates of the Old City. What greater way to demonstrate freedom of expression. Next week, Slovak cycling star, Peter Segan, will be holding master classes around Jerusalem.

Item Five: Be it the Rolling Stones, who turned up this June, the Lord of the Dance troupe due next month, impending visits from OneRepublic, Backstreet Boys, James Blunt et al, Israel has a ready place on the stage for top performing international artists.

I could go on, but I want to bring in the impressions of two travelling Italian business men. They had half a day off during a hectic schedule this week in Israel. Their host told me how he had dropped them near the Old City of Jerusalem and let them stroll by themselves. To paraphrase their conclusions: “Wow, our press never reports just how beautiful and calm it is here in the Holy Land.”

Integrating hightech into society: Israeli case study

14 November 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem
  • Fact No 1: Using commerce, specifically high-tech, to integrate diverse parts of society is nothing new.
  • Fact No 2: Israel has a successful high-tech / start up model.
  • Fact No 3: Israel is not short of social tensions – geopolitical strains, religious-secular divides to name but two.

So can Israel find innovative ways to integrate non-Jews, roughly 25% of society, into its powerful high-tech sector?

Now we know that Israeli high-tech is highly sought after. Just this week, Microsoft has plunged a further US$200m on investment into the Holy Land, purchasing the app Aorato. We also know that Intel, Siemens, and at least a further 250 international tech giants have R&D centres in the country. And it would be a fair bet that most of these places are staffed and run by Jews.

So how does the Start-up Nation ensure that all ethnic backgrounds can have a fair crack at this tempting road to new wealth?

Bloomberg recently posted an article describing the imperative need for Israel to go beyond established recruitment drives. There are simply not enough new engineers and software architects to fill the vacant positions.

Only one in five of Israeli Arabs with a computer science degree works in the field, and a new government program is trying to change that. As part of a push to add 300,000 jobs in the Israeli Arab sector by 2020, the Ministry of Economy has budgeted more than 40 million shekels ($10.5 million) over the next three years to integrate one of the country’s fastest-growing populations into its most promising industry.

A newspaper from Abu Dhabi (ironically?) picked up on this theme. The National discussed intervention and integration into Israeli high-tech by Muslims. Consider that less than a decade ago, there were estimated to be only 350 Arab engineers working in the sector.

Today of the 100,000 software developers in Israel 2,000 are Arabs. In Nazareth there are 600 Arab software developers when there had been only 40 in 2008, according to figures from Tsofen, a non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote the integration of Israel’s Arab citizens into the high-tech industry.

Nazareth is a city that has an incredibly challenging mix, comprising of Jewish, Christian and Muslim neighbourhoods, often intertwined. Despite periods of stress, be it this month or back in 2000, there are on-going successful attempts to provide services available for all. A classic example is a new centre to help abused children.

Similarly, the local business incubator has a healthy range of programmes to enhance integration. A recent ‘make-a-thon’ competition saw around 100 developers and programmers, both Arabs and Jews, work for 36 hours straight to develop apps and software.

Life is not perfect. I am aware that of one Israeli exporter was seeking this Autumn a contract with a potential client in a large Western economy. The CEO of the prospect demanded that the Israeli firm declare on its website its openness to full integration. Strangely, that same prospect does not have a similar policy on its own website. Nor does it seem to demand the same standards from suppliers in other countries.

And, what the prospect failed to admit is that his own country can also be accused of failing re integration……….as does 200 other countries.

What makes Israel unique in this instance is that few places in the world have to cope with the rich and numerous conflicting social issues, which originate both internally and externally. Jerusalem continues to look for new ways to rise to those demands for the benefit of all.

“Know your client” encourages the business mentor

12 November 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Several times over the past few days I have asked my own clients who they intend to target. What is the actual market? And the answers have tended to be very generic in tone: ‘people from abroad’, ‘those with money’, ‘youngsters’, etc.

And when I ask for a drill down or explanation of what each phrase means, I am greeted with a blank stare and a nervous or childish shrug of the shoulders. Because what has sounded commercially brilliant has not been thought through sufficiently.

For example, let us assume that you want to focus on those people, who are comfortably off. Interesting, but where are they located, physically? Can they be found on social media? What is the age group? Each answer will help to direct you towards formulating your eventual strategy.

These specifics are not necessarily easy for everyone to grab hold of. Not only that, they require validation. That means you will need to find a way to put your product or service in front of a group of potential clients and ask for their opinion.

For example, there is a story of a relatively new humous factory in Nazereth, whose first ton of mix was dumped on the tongues of ordinary (and hungry) tasters. I recently met up with a customer in Jerusalem who wanted to approach an overseas market. I forced him to consider which country, city, socio-economic grouping and much more. Within minutes, he began to appreciate why his advertising to date had not delivered the desired results.

Knowing your client is not a simple art to master. However, this does not allow you to ignore the issue. If you palm it off with sound-nice analyses, this lack of meaning will be converted into an eventual revenue stream that will leave your bank account lacking.

How to succeed quickly in business

25 October 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

“How long will it take me to succeed in business”, I am frequently asked. And they quickly add the next line. “You are a business mentor. So you should know”.

Um, er, well… How do I start to explain that it depends on a million and one factors, not all of them in the control of the intrepid entrepreneur. What is the vision? Have you established who is the buying customer? What resources are required and what is available? Budget? Cash flow? Competition? Commercial environment? Location? And so the list goes on.

Now a mentor or coach should be able to provide structure to these issues. Yet just recently, I was invited to help with an alternative approach.

“Lean startup machine” is an exciting global organization that organises 3-day-long workshops that allow individuals to test in real-time just how successful their potential enterprise may become. Based on the catch line ‘fail fast, succeed faster’, participants are taught to identify the clientele, to test the concept by going out on to the street, and then to reconfirm previously accepted assumptions.

Last week, the holy city of Jerusalem hosted such an event, under the dynamic direction of Nadav Lankin. There were about 14 teams, who powered their way to creating solutions for the office, delegates to conferences, drivers wanting a place to park and many other situations. Days were long. The atmosphere was frequently absorbing. The mentors learnt, along with the participants.

Does such a rapid approach work for all? Absolutely not. There are those who just cannot react quickly. There are businesses, such as biotech, that need to be crafted. And others demand renovations. However, the lean machine concept does allow you to validate much quicker than conventional text books may have you think. For example?

Well, one of my clients has been evaluating a thrilling vision that combines production with education. He started to put together large budgets over a relatively long time span. Suddenly, one day, ‘he got it’. He walked in and said very proudly: “All I need to do is set up a limited manufacturing scheme and test if there is demand. If yes, then I can ask others to risk more capital”. Absolutely, and he is now urgently seeking a location and in order to launch within a month.

Another customer has been pondering for some time how to set up a specific service. But how, and will it triumph? Eventually, I encouraged him to turn to others who had succeeded in the same industry to find out if there is a specific model to follow. The advice was simple and fairly uniform: ‘Get out there and meet your customer. Do not sit around, building up meaningless strategies.’ this coming week should see some breakthroughs.

There is rarely a short route to success. Most have to graft towards growth. However, a lean approach can cut out much of the initial deliberations, which are sometimes simply a waste of time and resources.

3 simple tips when preparing for your next meeting

19 September 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Jerusalem

Two very separate  yet related items came my way within 24 hours of each other.

First, I came across an article, explaining “5 ways to host better meetings“. The next day, a mentoring client in Jerusalem asked was describing to me how she had prepared for meeting potential customers later on in the week. I realized that she had been following classic texts and blog posts, but had not thought beyond ‘the immediate’ issues. Disaster as looming and something had to be done, pronto.

It is all very well having your notes ready and preparing a few jokes. That makes us look and sound good, but a meeting should have a purpose. We need to come out of it, having moved pertinent issues forward.

So here are three practical, seemingly obvious suggestions that can help to make a difference, and do so at one of the key junctions of a get-together….the beginning.

First, know who will be present. Please reread that statement. “Know” includes:

  • Discover the full names of the participants and how to pronounce them
  • Learn some of their likes and dislikes. If you are unfamiliar with their background, call on Mr Google
  • Research if they been in similar situations before and rejected offers you are considering to propose.

As I said, obvious, and yet you would not believe how many people I come across fail to invest 10 minutes in such actions. All these actions can stop you making some basic faux pas and help to raise the level of your professionalism.

Second, if the meet up is to take place outside your territory, you may need to check out the site in advance. For example, if they have chosen a coffee bar, why and what are the drawbacks to the establishment? If you are going to look at a property, reconnoiter the place before hand.

Third, and most important, when you finally greet the person, keep your eyes open. There will be something about them – an item of clothing, a photo on their desk, a newspaper article nearby – which will reveal what is close to their hearts. Use that knowledge in ‘the icebreaker’, when you start the first part of your conversation with them. They will be delighted by your interest and concern. In one safe move, you have won them over.

Naturally, you do not have to take these points into account, but why start off a meeting on the back foot for lack of effort?

Jerusalem – biblical ecocentre or thriving economy?

20 August 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Mention Jerusalem to an outsider and they will often associate the city with the bible, modern day conflict and religious tourism. All very true, but there is another totally different side to this Holy City. As demonstrated at the first annual conference of the Jerusalem Business Networking Forum (JBNF), Israel’s capital possesses a nucleus of new technology that is already making an impact around the globe.

At a time when Israel’s overall growth is slowing down and the war with Hamas is having a dire effect on small businesses, Jerusalem is managing to take a lead in a more positive direction. Just taking the first seven months of 2014, there are at least 122 new start ups. Consider Orcam that received US$15m from Intel to perfect glasses for the blind and severely visually impaired. At the other end of the spectrum, Mobileye’s recent IPO on the New York Stock Exchange raised over US$1 billion, the largest ever for an Israeli company.

The JBNF conference summarised the ten or so incubators, hubs, and accelerators  that have sprung up, each with its own niche community: women, young entrepreneurs, Arab, ultra orthodox, and plain boring ‘mixed’. For example, Shaindy
Babad, director of Temech, announced the opening of an incubator for observant women. Ziv Barcesat, presented Yerushalab, a community centre for artisans in Musrara neighbourhood, with their own 3D printers. The list is too extensive to present here in detail.

Hanan Brand, from Jerusalem Venture Capital and which specialises in new media, observed that the level of known funding of Jerusalem-based startups has almost tripled in as many years; from US$45m in 2012 to US$110 million in 2013, and now has already reached US$122m for 36 start-ups in the first 8 months of 2014.

The Jerusalem Development Authority (official sponsors of the conference) via BioJerusalem is deliberately targeting the pharma sector. It is estimated that 50% of the start ups can be found in the field of biotech and nanotech. Marx Biotechnology and NDT Ultrasonics are two fine examples of this entrepreneurial trend featuring disruptive technologies.

Where to next?

Evidently, Jerusalem has moved on since the days of the prophets, the siege of 1948 and even the Intifada of 2000. Mobileye can be mentioned in the same breath as Glide, Revelator, Brainsway and many more whose Jerusalem-based technologies can be seen on the mobile phones of tens of millions, promoting the pop music as countless talented artists and enhancing the health of the previously untreatable. It is time for the world to welcome the Jerusalem economy.

So what are you selling – a product or an idea?

17 August 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Jerusalem

Last week I wrote how Robin Williams “allowed us to consider a “whole new way of thinking” about ideas”. As business mentors, we feed off his absurdities to encourage people to change.

I have just returned from sessions in Jerusalem with two different clients; a high-tech start-up and a family retail business. Both have solid core positions, yet I contended that neither were asking a basic fundamental question. “What is it that I need to do in order to enable my potential customers – angel investors or consumers – to change their minds and thus buy into what I am selling?”

Yochi Slonim recently gave an excellent presentation on this subject to the annual conference of the Jerusalem Business Networking Forum. No stranger to JBNF meetings, Slonim challenged the large audience to answer whether we should be selling products and services or ideas. Let me elaborate.

The art is to understand how products have been turned into a commercial success. The company often plays on an idea that conflicts with established understandings and is then lodged in the mind of the intended target. Remember the highly provocative adverts of Benetton, which placed beautiful jumpers over dead bodies in former Yugoslavia? Slonim invoked the advert of Volkswagen in the 1950s, which asked people to think small – just when large cars were the order of the day. In both cases, sales boomed.

Slonim argued that Jack Trout came up with the concept of “Positioning – The Battle for your Mind” over thirty years ago. A more recent adaptation of the same theme can be read in “Made to Stick“, authored by the Heath brothers. The trick is to find an emotional link or idea between your target audience and what you  are selling.

Slonim was scathing of the much-used phrases such as innovative, unique, qualitative, platform, etc etc. They are repeated so often as to be near meaningless. Just find that golden idea, promote it and your product will began to stand out from the crowd.

How a break can help you to get more work done

4 August 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Jerusalem

At least once a week I come across somebody who works hard, but never actually catches up with their backlog. They seem to expect me to wave a magic wand so that by tomorrow evening their desk will be clear. It is as if I am tackling a secret international crisis on time management that only business mentors can overcome.

There are many tools available to resolve such issues. Much revolves in ensuring that the client is familiar with their key priorities, and thus responding accordingly. Delegation is another subject to be explored. And there is the familiar topic of procrastination, which – pardon the pun – many of us like to shy away from.

Here is an additional consideration. I recently had a follow-up session with somebody in Jerusalem, who was clearly not very alert during our meeting. It emerged that she worked most evenings towards midnight. However, many of these late hours were brought upon herself by the fact that she could not work effectively during the afternoon.

In other words, our subject matter was devoting 12-14 hours per day to work, of which only ten or so counted. That means the bodily machine was recording approximately a 25% rate of inefficiency. Now, if that was just metal and wires, my client would have thrown herself out ages ago.

So what was missing? Simple, she had tried to cheat and had been caught out by the body police. How so?

First, she skips breakfast most mornings. In contrast, nutritionists teach us that this is the time of day when we most need to pump ourselves with some sugars. This is when we have to be alert, racing to work and flying off new ideas at our colleagues.

Additionally, lunch is a must. The body is like an automobile engine. If it does not have food (petrol), it will not function. And in that case, it is shut-eyes time (siesta) in the middle of the afternoon, as my client knows several times a week.

A balanced diet is also a must. Eat your carbs, because you need internal energy. Buy protein, like a tin of tuna. Try to restrict bread intake to the morning hours. And drink – this makes you feel fuller in your stomach.

One final tip: Nobody can rush around non-stop for over 12 hours, and carry on like that most days a week, every week.

Have a break. Have a proper break during the day. You will feel more relaxed. Your productivity will go up. And you will find yourself allocating your evening hours to more fun activities, which you will be awake for. Want to risk trying the new technique?

Over 30 years in Israel, but this Gaza war………

30 July 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

I have been living in Israel since 1982. I write about Israeli society and the economy. For all the battles and bloodshed, I never seen a war like this one in Gaza.

I live in a country, where nobody agrees on anything. Nearly 80% Jewish, there is an old Yiddish joke – in a conversation with 2 Jews, there will be 3 opinions. There are frequently demonstrations against government policies – any government, on any policy. Even now, the army has called the fight with Hamas “Operation Protective Edge” while the Israeli media labels it a war.

But this war…….Surveys reveal that 90% of the public supports it fully. Talk to just about anyone and they are saying the same thing. Despite the heavy price of soldiers’ lives, the hit on the economy, the roaring uncertainty of Kassam missiles, Israelis are in favour (for now) of continuing the fight.

In over three decades, I have never seen such a commitment to unity and for so long. What has changed? How can this be explained to an outsider, who is primarily exposed to the harrowing pictures from CNN, BBC and SKY?

Israelis do not ignore the fact that Gaza is such a tiny strip of sand. I have read off-line witness accounts from journalists, and I am sure they are not exaggerating about the amount of destruction left after the fighting. The near constant Israeli gunfire must be horrendous to live with. Whatever the numbers, and we know they are exaggerated, even one innocent killed is one too many.

So what is it that unifies the Israeli consensus? Why does Israel, which sends aid to the Philippines, Haiti and to elsewhere, find itself going to war? Why should this country sacrifice tens of its best youngsters in the army? Why does my client plead in front of his bank manager as clientele are staying at home, yet he is in favour of the war?

Please understand that the answer does not lie in some hatred of Palestinians. I long for the days when I used to buy in Bethlehem. Neither is it because of some subconscious militaristic drive in Israelis. Our neighbourhood alone is replete with parents petrified about what is happening to their beloved ones at the front. And while I am no big fan of our Prime Minister, I refuse to accept the pathetic accusations how he has launched a personal crusade for future glory.

Four very obvious buttons have been pressed at once, which the mega media channels, Ms S Gomez, Mr M Ali, Ms P Cruz  and other celebs prefer to ignore, for all their state of politically correct ignorance

First – Hamas war crimes will no longer be accepted by Israel: Since Israel left Gaza in 2005, Hamas and its allies have launched thousands of rockets against civilian populations centres in Israel. If the US, UK et al can send troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, Israel has a right to defend itself militarily, and that includes from within Gaza.

To put it bluntly, Hamas built a network of tunnels, deep into Israel, designed to attack, maim, kill, kidnap and destroy. Which country in the world would accept that from a neighbour without a military response? No more.

Second – Israel is refuting and rejecting actively the inhumanity of Hamas: It was the shouting antics of Condeleezza Rice, who twisted Israel’s arm to withdraw from Gaza. In turn, Hamas threw out Fatah a year later. UNRWA schools, funded by Western taxpayers have become military establishments, which teach hatred. Having rejected at least 5 ceasefires, Hamas armaments are killing their own children. It slays opponents without due recourse to law. Hamas admits to exploiting human shields. Israel is saying a big NO to this way of life, both in a military manner and, in parallel, by providing medical supplies to Gazans.

Third –  Israel is no longer prepared to accept the malicious rhetoric of Hamas. The proponents of Hamas argue that the inhabitants are densely caged into a narrow strip of land. Yet, every day including during the war, hundreds of trucks cross into Gaza from Israel. It is the border with Egypt that is sealed hermetically. And anyway, the wealthy yet tiny Singapore is far more congested. It is clear that Hamas has attacked and will continue to attack for reasons of pure hatred.

Fourth, and potentially the straw that broke the camel’s back, Israel has watched as the West has repeatedly failed to keep moral commitments. In 2014 alone, tens of thousands have died in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. Compared to the diplomatic noise over Gaza, politicians and civil servants have been pathetically inactive. Even while Israel has been forced to destroy the military prowess of Hamas, the 60,000 ancient Christian community in Mosul, Iraq, has been wiped out.

Take all of these points together and you can understand why Israelis, even though the government has accepted ceasefires, are very wary of laying down their weapons so quickly. For example, the Druze commander of the Golani brigade, which has seen some of the worst fighting, was injured yet publicly announced his determination to return to the frontline a.s.a.p..

And while we are talking about it, what is a humanitarian ceasefire, as opposed to any other truce? And If Hamas are so worried about its people, why has it not stopped fighting long ago?

This war started back in early July. The 4th of July is noted in Israel to recall the Entebbe raid of 1976. An elite Israeli crack unit rescued those stranded in Africa because of their religion, their nationality. Led by Yoni Netanyahu, Bibi’s brother and the only fatality during the action, Yoni famously addressed his troops before departing. “If we do not do this, nobody else will”.

Let me repeat that: “If we do not do this – get rid of those tunnels, rockets, hate –  nobody else will”. Thanks to Hamas, this Gaza war has never made the Israeli public so united in decades.

Seeing it through – the benefits of mentoring

23 July 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Israel, Jerusalem

My posts recently have reflected on the economic absurdities of the Hamas war with Israel. Yet while battles are fought, sectors of the population try to carry on with their business.

Somebody called this isolating or ‘compartmentalising’ issues. Maybe. It is certainly about self control.

A blog by Annie Pilon considered how this can characteristic can be a critical factor in driving towards commercial success. Amongst her tips, she stressed the importance of achievable goals and – one of my favourites – sticking to proper eating diets. Pilon also referred to recognising one’s limits.

I disagree with the emphasis of  last point. Instead, I believe that we should concentrate on our strengths to carry us through. And here is what I mean.

This week, I completed a contract with a small client in the Jerusalem area, as she tries to build up a small business with minimal resources. Unprompted, as we were saying our goodbye, she blurted out; –

You see the good in people. You articulate it and thus allow them to get ahead.

I hope, dear reader, that you forgive the immodesty here. However, my point is that we all have core strong skills that are sometimes buried amongst mounds of self doubt or other subconscious factors. Mentoring and coaching help you see the way through to your vision.

 

Human suffering in Gaza, and elsewhere?

11 July 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

The current bout of fighting between Israel and Gaza raises old issues of the economic poverty amongst the Palestinians.

And now this week’s bombing, which has resulted in tens of lost lives, makes it easy for outside news agencies to highlight these woes. Sky TV has reported the suffering from a local hospital. The BBC has shown ample footage of the wounded being carried around and other collateral damage. The NGOs are have issued a string of complaints regarding Israel’s actions.

Also this week, at least 50 bodies were found in Iraq. The UN reported that civilian casualties in Afghanistan are up 17%. And the Ebola epidemic in Africa is slaying hundreds. So, if these issues barely rank a mention amongst the educated world media, I begun to wonder if the ‘gabble from Gaza’ had also succeeded in hiding a secondary level of suffering far closer to home.

However good reporters are, we know that they cannot portray a complete story in a two and a half minute clip. Sky omitted to mention that Gaza children continue to be accepted and treated in Israeli hospitals. The BBC has been forced to admit that in its rush to put out stories, facts have become distorted in places. And not for the first time, the NGOs have accepted the sanctimonious rhetoric of the ‘underdog’ in their rush to condemn Israel without due concern for the facts. Again, is there another story?

Lets us accept for now the stats of the Palestinian Ministry of Health that tens have been killed, including women and children. It is not clear to me, how they died.  Do these same figures include Hamas soldiers killed in their own tunnels or taken out by Israeli gunfire? As for the bombings, by whom? It is known fact that up to a third of all Kassam rockets do not make it out of Gaza, falling back on the same population that launched them.  Is that not a crime against humanity?

Next, if the population of Gaza is around 3 million, there are just over 8 million in Israel, of which about 75% is Jewish. Now, the improved Kassam missiles can reach about 80% of the population in the Holy Land. Actually, one landed last night in Beitunia, close to the house of President Abbas!

This means that by attacking Israel, Hamas is waging war against nearly three times the numbers of people in its own territory, highly disproportionate. (And these people have between 15 to 90 seconds to take cover before the rocket lands.) Further, as Hamas leaders boast, the Kassams are directed at civilians, where as Israel is aiming at military targets. Another crime that the International Court of Justice prefers to ignore?

As I wrote last week, Gaza is suffering. While Hamas invested in a large underground (literally) military infrastructure, the leadership has lacked the money to pay its own followers. Resources have been channeled into weapons that kill rather than towards the creation and protection of life. If a different path had been chosen, then

Palestinian firms could be natural partners for Israeli companies – and others – looking to export to the larger Arab markets, notably Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq. The nascent Palestinian technology sector would find an experienced and willing partner in next-door Israel, with its highly developed technology industry. Israeli venture capital firms could provide much-needed financing, support, and know-how to export-oriented Palestinian entrepreneurs.

Hamas has chosen a separate path, wrecking havoc on everyone, starting with its own. This is not a story about fighting in Gaza. This is a war inflicted on civilians of all religions by an Islamic leadership whose human values are deformed, putrid and vile.

The fact that the greater media refuses or is unable to recognise this wider picture concerns me. Ben Cohen has written how the Palestinians have hijacked the language of Auschwitz “to maintain their position in the Western conscience as the world’s most downtrodden nation“. Howard Jacobson observes that Israel’s critics have adopted the language of anti-semites without even realizing it. He defines this as the “gradual habituation to the language of loathing. Passed from the culpable to the unwary and back again. And soon, before you know it…….”

Gaza is suffering? Yes, and because of Hamas. And that misery is passed on in disproportional numbers to its neighbours. If only the Palestinians had a leadership that genuinely cared about human morals. And the world press has a duty to all to find a way to convey that message.

The colour of business mentoring, in Jerusalem

4 July 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Jerusalem

I love business mentoring. It is fun and can be very rewarding, as you watch your client progress. In parallel, you often find opportunities to expand your own horizons.

One such incident happened yesterday, sitting in central Jerusalem with the owner of a small chain of shops. The company is commencing a programme of restructuring, and this process allows for a new logo and additional lines of sales.

The CFO asked for my opinion on a set of posters that had been drawn up. This prompted a discussion, and many constructive points were delivered by himself and the marketing director. Then we were joined by a webmaster, who I had found for my client. The gentleman, we shall call him David, has already delivered an excellent service for another customer.

Here, David was invited to share his thoughts on the suggested posters and how they would feed in to a new website.

David’s comments were incisive and of value to others. In parallel to the message, he concentrated on the colours. He observed how each one plays to a different audience. And whilst the combination displayed in the pilot posters were interesting, they were totally unsuitable for this specific area of commerce. Simply put – nice set up, that would not work here. Ouch!

Both my client and I listened attentively. It was time for a rethink. And yet the ‘Jerusalem Syndrome’ can operate in the most unexpected manner. Checking my emails just a few hours later, I cam across this most pertinent of blogs: “How to use the psychology of colours when marketing“.

The article makes for annoying reading, as you come to realise how multinationals exploit us. For example, red is for energy and urgency. On the other hand, green represents tranquility and harmony. Blue is preferred by the menfolk, and so on.

My conclusion. Next time you come up with your own logo and you look for opinions from friends, you make also want to have it vetted by a psychologist. Today, many of the best logos are riddled with hidden meanings.

 

Who kidnapped Israeli society?

17 June 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

Last week was a busy one, even by the bewildering standards of the Middle East. Sunni militants (ISIS) launched a violent offensive in Iraq against the government, slaughtering civilians who objected. America and the UK initiated a bizarre rapprochement with Iran. And on Thursday night, three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped, assumedly by Hamas supporters.

Measuring the posts of the international media, the Israeli story is the least important. In fact, SKY News believes that the key crisis in the Holy Land is not the immoral act of the kidnappers, but the inappropriate reaction of the Israeli authorities.

I believe that the reporters have missed a trick. If they were to focus on Israel, they will be able to appreciate with greater clarity what is happening around the oil wells in the sand dunes. Here’s what I mean.

1) Israel’s economy: Despite on-going geopolitical uncertainty, the economy grew by 2.7% in the first quarter of 2014.  And yes, that includes increasing trade between Israel and Palestinian firms.

2) Hightech: Israel’s start up economy has not stopped forging new links. Russian billionaire and owner of Chelsea FC Roman Abramovich has just invested $10 million in StoreDot, an Israeli startup developing electronics based on bio-organic materials. A Jerusalem-based company is (ironically?) developing an app to help prevent kidnapping. And CellBuddy is set to create a consumer revolution which should slash the prices of mobile phone calls.

3) Health care: The medical sector is short of cash, doctors, nurses and more. However, it must be doing something correct. Hundreds of Syrian civilians, wounded in the civil war, have been treated in Israeli hospitals. The granddaughter of the Hamas PM has been operated on in a Tel Aviv hospital. Even the wife of Palestinian President is now recuperating in a private clinic near Tel Aviv.

4) Tourism: Only yesterday, Masada, a World Heritage Centre in the desert, rocked to the sounds of La Traviata. Hundreds of tourists flew in especially for the event. Concurrently, the City of Jerusalem is running its annual Light Festival, which spectacularly winds its way around the different ethnic quarters of the Old City.

No country is perfect and that includes Israel. Yet, for all the threats surrounding it and for the morose horror of the kidnapping of the school children, Israel continues to thrive though a policy of inclusion and pluralism where possible. You have to ask: Why is this theme so hidden by the media giants?

The boys have disappeared, feared murdered, and their families are helpless. Unlike the poor girls in Nigeria, Michelle Obama has not published a post in support of the three missing religious Israeli teenagers. Catherine Ashton, EU foreign affair supremo, has yet to find time to comment on the matter.

And what else has been kidnapped? The openness and success of Israeli society, which should be promoted to serve as a light to the Iraqs and Irans of his world. Where has the world media hidden these triumphs and why?

Why 4 gentlemen need a business mentor

13 June 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Four gentlemen are walking around Jerusalem looking for a business mentor. It almost sounds like an opening line to a long joke.

The truth is the opposite. Over the past 6 weeks, I have become acquainted with four people from the Jerusalem area. I do not believe they know each other. They grew up on three different continents. Their social backgrounds reveal no obvious synergy. Academically, their skills range from the ultra brainy down to school drop out. Two are quiet types and two will not stop interrupting.

On the commercial front, they are all trying to set up in Israel for the first time, but again in four diverse fields; publishing, internet, trade and home services. Their prior experience ranges from decades down to months. If you were to put them all in a room together, you would come up with a list of talents several lines long.

So why have they sought out a business mentor? What is the common theme?

While chatting with one of these gentlemen earlier this week, I suddenly realised that there was a trait or characteristic that the four of them possessed in equal amounts. For all their vision, none of them allow themselves to focus on achieving their key ambitions. It is as if they deliberately try to sidetrack themselves.

Here is what I mean:

  • Adam (not his real name) looks to discuss grand theories of life, avoiding the specifics of his business.
  • Bryan talks of his competitors, and at length, but not about what he should be doing.
  • Colin comes up with new ideas, often good ones, at every meeting, but does not try to consolidate what he has achieved to date.
  • David likes to contemplate his next move, for hours, but rarely crosses over to the conversion side of this thought process.

And that is where classic business mentors can make the difference. They can break the mold of these patterns of behaviour, which may seem brilliant to the incumbent. It is the mentor who can bring them to understand and to internalise that these ‘business models’ only result in minimal income

It is the role of a business coach to show clients that something has to change and why. The question is whether these gentlemen or other people like them are up for that challenge.

 

In business, are you able to spy your vision?

2 June 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

The story of the twelve spies in the Bible is known to billions. Leaders of children of Israel were commanded to check out the promised land, ahead of their jubilant entry. Instead, they bought back false reports and the march forward towards Jericho was delayed 40 years.

Commentaries on the text are rich and varied. One of my favourites comes form Rabbi Ari Kahn, who explains how the Jewish princes wee  asked to “see”, not spy, what was in front of them. Personal fears and intrigues led them to cover up the truth. In modern parlance, the mission became a fact-finding expedition, where vision and purpose were thrown out of the back of the tents.

I was reminded of this story when I was sitting yesterday with a client of mine in a Jerusalem restaurant. She has a very pertinent disruptive technology in the field of clean energy. I am not sure if there exists a description for a typical entrepreneur, but she would not fit the ticket. Nevertheless, she has grouped together a team, has created a working prototype, and is about to set off for an expenses-paid trip to a multinational manufacturer.

Our lady in question showed me a response she had recently received from the Israeli subsidiary of a conglomerate, which is known to help entrepreneurs. In fact they have a special programme to empower start ups run by females. Almost word for word, the letter questioned how the company could get this lady of their backs. She was a pest that needed to be got rid of.

Blunt? Rude? Absolutely. Shortsighted? To be seen. However, while hurt, my clientesse, has been able to look at the situation very wisely. The letter has enabled her to recognise the strengths of what she has achieved to date. She is very determined as to what are her end goals. In parallel, she has been prompted to identify with greater clarity where her weaknesses lie.

With hindsight, what happened was that when she first examined the letter, she had been handed a mission. Was she motivated enough to see her vision while others and events tried to distract her?

The answer? She has two requests to represent her company overseas in the next month or so, and the commercial insults are not going to stop her.

An indepenedent economy? 66 year case study and counting

6 May 2014
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

All countries dream of being economically independent. Actually, it is an illusion. The fact that all countries trade, even North Korea, means that we all need each other.

Now consider the strange case of Israel’s economy, which was officially established 66 years ago in May 1948. The moment independence was declared, several Arab states and auxiliary armies invaded. Not a great start. Jump forward to 1986 and several wars in between, the economy was defunct – hyperinflation, tariffs protecting inefficient local industries, unemployment and more.

Today? Well, the country is no longer dependent on exports to Europe and to America. In stark contrast to established geo-political norms, Israel is seeking to become an exporter of fossil energy like gas. Hichtech – mobile, internet, cleanteach, biotech, nanotech, etc – remains the main drive of economic growth.

tech sector is very much based on local brawn and overseas investor capital. It is a basis for mutual discovery. Take two announcements from this week alone.

Intel’s first overseas presence outside America was Israel. There are currently three massive r&d plants in the Holy Land. They employ close to 10,000 workers and generate around US$4.0 billion annually in revenue. The company has just agreed to invest a further US$ 6 billion in their operations in Israel. That mean millions of more satisfied customers around the world.

Google already has executed five separate investment decisions in Israel. It runs and r&d centre near Tel Aviv. It even has created a special logo for web browsers during Israel’s Day of Independence.  In the past few months, Chairman of the board, Eric Schmidt. has reiterated his belief that “Israel has the most important high-tech centre in the world after the US.”

Schmidt’s own personal fund, Innovation Endeavors, has already taken a position in 14 Israeli start ups. In an interview published in Hebrew, he has pledged to up that commitment over the coming year.

There are those who take the position that Israel should be boycotted. If you consider the impact of Israel on the global society via these two commercial monsters alone, you immediately begin to understand why this argument is not just impossible but is hypocritical as well as downright odious.

It is fascinating to see just how Israel’s economy since 1948 has progressed, both internally and as an important element in creating wealth for the rest of the world.

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