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Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem Blog

In addition to my work as a business coach, one of my interests is blogging about life in Israel. This is a country full of contrasts – over eight million citizens living in an area the size of Wales. You can see snow and the lowest place on the globe in the same day. Although surrounded by geopolitical extremes, Israel has achieved a decade of high economic growth. My work brings me in contact with an array of new companies, exciting technologies and dynamic characters. Sitting back with a relaxing cup of strong tea (with milk), you realise just how much there is to appreciate in the Holyland. Large or small operations, private sector or non profit, my clients provide experiences from which others can learn and benefit.

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.

Rejecting Israel and Jerusalem for the wrong reasons

20 September 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Israel, Jerusalem

When people oppose Israel, are they doing it for the right reasons? Consider these two examples: –

  • President Mahmoud Abbas has defended the recent stabbings by Palestinians against Israelis in Jerusalem as a legitimate response to Israel’s oppression. The problem is that this argument justifies a continuance of hostilities against innocent people.
  • Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition in the UK Parliament, grudgingly believes that Israel has a right to exist under the 1948 borders. Yet, he fails to appreciate that these geographical divisions were never recognised in international law and never allowed Jews the right to pray at the Western Wall.

There comments are typical of the many criticisms to be found by political leaders and others, littered across the internet.

Now let us reconsider the events of yesterday, 19th September 2016, in Jerusalem. Yes, there were numerous attacks by Palestinians on Israelis throughout the day. And yet, while all that was happening…………

Around lunchtime, I had a medical appointment. The surgery is located in an ultraorthodox area, about a ten minute walk  from the Old City of Jerusalem. I was treated by an Arab doctor, possibly a Christian.

But that is the point. Nobody asks or needs to know his religion or political views. You live together, despite the incitement of a small vocal minority on both sides.

Then later on that evening, I took part in a half marathon around the city. We weaved our way around different neighourhoods, looking at historical sites going back over 5,000 years. It was a joy. I think the first across the line was an Ethiopian, (predictably?). Again, it was an event open to all.

Israel has is faults, as do all of the other 200 or so countries around the globe, but not as described above.

So I have to ask: Just what are the likes of Abbas and Corbyn objecting to? Why do they need to peddle such falsities? What is their true agenda? For up to now they seem to be spreading hate rather than the bible of peace when it comes to the holy city of Jerusalem.

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.

Israeli economy continues to confuse the experts

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

It has emerged that the Israeli economy grew by nearly 3% in the first half of 2016. That means that all the gloom and gloom from earlier stats have been swept aside. In fact, this is one of the best performances in the whole of the OECD.

Moody’s liked the news and confirmed Israel’s A1 credit rating. And a week ago, S&P also commented favourably on Israel’s financial status. So it seems as if everything is moving along smoothly.

And now look again. The key element to this pattern of growth in 2016 so far has been a massive leap in private consumption – 9.5%. For example, new car sales are up 15% this year. However, all first year economic students learn that such a rush by individuals to their bank accounts does necessarily create long-term positive growth.

As for exports, a key part of the economic charge of recent years, the signs are worrying. The global market is reticent. The shekel remains high, especially in relation to key trading partners such as the UK. Intel and Teva, two dominant manufacturers in Israel, are undergoing planned restructuring, ensuring their exports are low comparatively.

My real concern is that what the stats tend to hide are internal structural weaknesses. For example, while politicians claim otherwise, there is no conclusive evidence that the housing market is slowing down.  The threat of a ‘bubble’ lingers on. Elsewhere, vested interest groups are ensuring that food imports remain restricted and forcing the consumer to accept bloated prices. Even government funds for start ups via the Office of the Chief Scientist have been partially reduced, arguably to pay for promises given to other ministers closer to the Prime Minister.

My own anecdotal evidence from clients in differing sectors is that there has been a pick up in recent months. However, for many it is just a partial rebound from a very difficult period stretching back at least 12 months.

My personal take on the situation is that the Israeli economy has ‘got away with it’ until now. Today, you just get the feeling that it is rudderless. As Bloomberg put it: “Israel’s economy roaring no more, even as it accelerates”. The question is will the Prime Minister care enough to support his Minister of Finance.

You and your small business – I dare you to value your time properly

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

My scope as a business coach and mentor in the Jerusalem area brings me into contact with a wide range of commercial operations. One theme that has come up a few times just recently is the issue of how to value time. And it ain’t that simple, especially if you are a small business.

Here are two case studies:

Let us call the client Barbara. Now Barbara has been providing a successful internet business for some years. Without a formal method or defined business model, the work has flowed in…that is until the flow of new clients dried up unexpectedly. Ouch! It is funny how in business people only turn to coaches in the bad times, where as in sport the opposite is true. I was duly summoned.

It became apparent that Barbara did not have enough time to spend on her commercial operations. Initially, she blamed the time she was required to spend at home. She really is a great, dedicated family woman.

However, further digging revealed that Barbara also likes spending her time helping others, day and night. People seek her out. They value her empathy and counsel. And she gives whole heartedly.

So, I challenged Barbara to limit the role of advice-giver to 30 minutes a day. Within a week, revenue was on the move upwards. And, interestingly enough, all those who needed to speak to her, still found a way to share their burden with Barbara.

In a separate case, David is setting up his business. The temptation is to charge low and haul the first set of customers through the door. This is an empirical formula, internationally accepted.

However, I challenged David to commit to how many work hours he wishes to invest in an average month of work. I then asked how much he wanted to bring home. And finally came the killer question: Of those hours, how many will truly be directed towards producing the service for the clients?

In other words, after all is said and done, how much time will David have to dedicate towards “working the customers”? In simple terms, if David wants US$200 a month and he only has one client for two hours, he has to charge US$100 per hour. Anything less, and he is not achieving his aims and may be making a loss.

Obvious? Yes, when written like this. So why do so many new businesses try to break the rule and thus end up with serious cash flow problems?

The punch line is that time is all around us, like air, yet seeming intangible. That is why many do not fully appreciate it…….at their commercial peril. Value your environment and that includes the time capsule in your very grasp.

What if “what if” is the wrong question to ask? A mentor’s perspective

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

I don’t think it is the unique atmosphere of Jerusalem, from where many of my clients operate. Nor is it specifically the type of people I encourage through business mentoring. However, every week I find myself entering into long discussions based on the question “what if”.

And more and more frequently I find myself thinking that this is the wrong attitude. The client is on the wrong flight path.

Now let me be clear. From an early age, we are taught to check ourselves and to verify potential scenarios. Rightly so. Just take an investment decision – whether or not to purchase a new appliance for the home or expensive machinery for the office. A wrong decision could be disastrous financially and logistically.

However, while ‘what if’ sounds correct, what many people do not consider is the actual probability of such usually negative scenarios. Are they really likely to happen?

For example: What if the washing machine does not perform, as the reports tell us? What if the machinery does not reach reasonable output levels? What if it rains during the Mediterranean summer? Yes, it could happen, but is this likely? No. So why ask the question in the first place?

The answer is that the ‘what if’ game has become a politically correct commercial form of procrastination. People use it, when they are afraid to make a true decision. If they move on, they will have to commit to a project, requiring time, money and effort. For many, that can be scary.

Is there a way out of the ‘what if’ merry-go-round? Sometimes, I throw the question back at the client, encouraging them to answer their own misplaced question. Alternatively, I give a blank stare, forcing them to consider what they have just said. And on rare occasions, I develop the negative possibilities to a very ridiculous degree, at which point the client graciously asks me to back down.

Learning to ask pertinent questions at the right time is not an easy process, as we all know. Coping with hidden fears, which hold us back in commerce, is no less tricky. Reassessing the correct application of ‘what if’ is a big step in the right  direction

Israeli society and UK lawmakers – spot the differences

9 August 2016
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Palestinians

A British JP, Joy Wolfe (who I know) yesterday wrote on her Facebook page that:

I am deeply disturbed by the growing evidence of virulent antisemitism at the top level of the Labour Party. The latest examples come from members of the Shadow Cabinet and are frankly mind blowing and would seem more at home in Nazi Germany that multicultural Britain.

Communities spokesman Grahame Morris wants British Jews who serve in the Israeli defence force to be treated as suspected terrorists.

And Justice spokesman Richard Burgon has urged MPs and party members to quit the Labour Friends of Israel group, declaring: “Zionism is the enemy of peace.

I suppose that in trying to support the Palestinians at any price, such comments may appear justifiable to the socialist politicians. There again, I fail to find any statements from them regarding the 3,000+ Palestinians killed in Syria since 2011. Thus, clearly, the hate contained in their words is directed solely against Israel and its citizens.

So let us spend two minutes and look at some recent developments in Israeli society – three quick ‘did-you-knows’ and a bonus package for the MPs themselves.

  • Did you know that the Israeli army has 18,000 thousand volunteers? And did you know that approximately 25% of them – about 4,500 – come from Arab communities (Muslim or Christian)? For the record, the numbers of Arabs in the army continues to grow every year.
  • Did you know that in the aftermath of a fatal terrorist incident last month in the West Bank, one the first people on the scene to help was Dr Ali Abu Shareh. Now this is man, who assumedly rejects the concept of Jews living in places like Hebron and the West Bank. Yet he rightly and proudly placed humanity before politics. He tried to save lives. Ironically, Dr Shareh has since been fired from his job by his Palestinian superiors. Coincidence? Whatever – it has been left to the Jews of Hebron to help him find new employment.
  • Did you know that Check Point, an Israeli company and a global leader in the fight against software fraud, has just discovered mega security flaws in 900 million android devices around the globe. I could cynically imagine that our intrepid MPs would prefer the bugs to remain in place rather than benefit from technology emanating from such a wicked country, ‘the enemy of peace’.

But here’s the crunch issue for the esteemed reps of the British people. It is now horrendously apparent that large chunks of British aid for the Palestinian people have been diverted towards the private bank accounts of their leaders – I suppose that technically they too are a part of the ‘people’ – or towards means of war against Israeli civilians. The trouble is that these monies come from the pockets of British taxpayers. They could have been used more effectively by true sufferers in other regions.

In other words, basic democratic principles of accountability and transparency have been flouted in the name of hatred. I can but presume that this is what Joy Wolfe is so rightly concerned about. It is the kind of ‘politically correct’ deceit that was used by Mosley in the 1930s.

It is the language that was rejected by one of the great democratic socialists of all eras, George Orwell, who described it as the defence of the indefensible. Shame upon them and their supporters.

Why procrastinators love eating red herrings

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

I love my profession. A business coach and mentor, primarily in the Jerusalem region, I have the opportunity to meet so many varied and interesting businesses and their teams.

As I have written before, one of the subjects that comes up with great regularity is procrastination. It is amazing how many people I meet who claim to be the best ‘putter offer’ in the world.

There are so many blogs explaining how to ‘cure’ or get over the problem. Here’s one from the Harvard Business Review earlier this week.

….next time you find yourself mystified by your inability to get important tasks done, be kind to yourself. Recognize that your brain needs help if it’s going to be less short-sighted. Try taking at least one step to make the benefits of action loom larger, and one to make the costs of action feel smaller. 

Not bad. However, for my clients the problem is often much deeper. They are full of seemingly genuine excuses – a.k.a politically correct language – why they do not have to do whatever by whenever.

An equivalent for politically correct in this case is “red herring”. We all understand what the phrase means, but few actually know what a red herring physically is. And the answer?…………….A red herring does not exist! There is no such fish.

In contrast. look at these two brief case studies in the world of procrastinators:

  1. One of my clients this week claimed that she could not move ahead in the company, because she did not have the correct qualifications. How did she know, I asked her. “Well, it’s obvious”, came the reply. And despite pushing, she could not supply any proof to her statement. She repeated the mantra.
  2. In another recent situation, the client insisted that their work day had to be structured in a set manner, because that is what others around them wanted and needed. When I asked, how they knew that, their only response was one of digging in their heels. “That is the way it has always been”.

My point? People place red herrings in their lives for a reason, usually totally unrelated to the immediate subject in play. It is seemingly that bad that they are prepared to place in jeopardy future progress rather than handle the issue. The core problem may be something much deeper.

In other words, they will eat a ton of red herrings – a.k.a. hot air – rather than do something constructive.

By the way and with some irony, you can create a red herring by smoking fish, which is probably what should happen to the preconceived notions that we all walk around with.

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