Outside of Black Swans and extraordinary events such as the Euro currency crisis six summers ago, global, UK politics and business tends to flow across three 'Power Rhythms' in any calendar year. These definable periods have their own 'feel' and focus and successful individuals and companies should plan to implement their strategic and tactical activities to take into account their Rhthymic beats and charcteristics. In this post I highlight what these are.

For example, the months of July and August encapsulate the Recharge Rhythm. In my world, this is the time of year when my clients all want to have urgent meetings before, or early in the Rhythm, since everyone goes away at different times in these months and it is almost impossible to get all key people in the same place all at once. From my experience having worked closely with the Yanks for a few decades, the United States enters the Recharge Rhythm two weeks earlier (mid-June) than the UK because the Brits only start to take their summer holidays seriously after the Wimbledon finals in the first week of July. 

Otherwise, the three Power Rhythms have these characteristics which, if noted and understood, can enhance individual or organisational influence:

1. July/August - Recharge Rhythm
In this Rhythm politicians, investors and company managers wind down, privately lick their wounds and celebrate their successes. Few businesses end their financial year in this period. In politics, this is the period for planning the political year ahead. In the US politicians prepare for November elections as the campaign starts after Labour Day (first Monday in September). In the UK, the Palace of Westminster and European Parliaments recess and people start scheming for different outcomes and eventualities.
 
2. September (after Labour Day) to Jan 2 – Play Ball Rhythm
Competition starts in earnest in this Rhythmic period. In the global commercial retail world the run up to Christmas is all about excellent execution. Nowadays, in both the UK and the US retail sales kick off on Black Friday (Friday after US Thanksgiving) and are unrelenting until the following March. In UK politics, this is a vital period for testing initial political messaging as the only elections that take place are usually internal party related for example at political conferences. The Scottish Independence referendum this year is the exception that proves the rule. Parties can slip up here (but not devastatingly) and still pull it around in the critical…  
 
3. Jan 3 to June 30  – Territorial Rhythm
The most important and longest Rhythm in Europe since here is when power and metaphoric, creative or physical territory is won or lost and the political sands in our democracies shift for better or worse. It is usually the most exhaustive Rhythmic period because even if the public take long breaks at Easter, politicians have to fret and work throughout the global Territorial Rhythm. From the Davos meeting in early January through the election periods in many countries, this is a time where careers and dreams are made or broken.

After a busy couple of days talking geo-strategic economics and political affairs in Switzerland recently, a good friend decided to show me how the world’s Super-Rich and Wealthy 1% live - and die. 

We drove from Geneva into the mountains and lunched at Gstaad where I joined the beautiful people off piste. On the way there we stopped and visited the grave of the great English actor David Niven. On the way back to Geneva we stopped at a tiny place in the countryside where Welsh actor Richard Burton is laid to rest. I remember Burton being a mega rich celebrity movie star in my teens (although I am not sure that the word ‘celebrity’ was used that much back then).  He and his wife/ex-wife/wife/ex-wife, Elizabeth Taylor, dominated the front pages - of both the broad sheets and red-tops.

To find him buried in such a way out of the way place, with such a grubby headstone, really brings home the adage ‘You Can’t Take Your Gold With You’. On my return to the UK, I mentioned to my mother that I had visited the graves of Burton and Niven and she was mightly impressed as a fan of them both. Similarly, I mentioned that I had visited the grave of Richard Burton to my teenage daughter over lunch and she replied nonchallantly: “Who’s That?”. Priceless.

Just about sums it all up really…