Ling's Theory of Balls ("The TOB")
In the mid-1980s a new and feared disease raised its ugly head. 'Aids' was killing people across the world and because it was mainly affecting the Gay community, the mainstream press and UK Establishment appeared to me to be slow to catch on. Yet, when they did, they did so with a vengeance. I was serving as an army training officer in Northern Ireland at the time and received an order issued from the UK Ministry of Defence that I was to present to all personnel the 'facts about Aids' and the precautions that should be taken.
|
I took the MOD’s data and added my own ‘Crystal Ball’ overhead slide about how the disease might change lifestyles. I remember talking about declining divorce rates (as couples would be more monogamous), that women would take charge of their own sexuality (as they were being asked, as well as men, to ensure condom use) and that sales of Marks and Spencer ‘comfey’ slippers would rise (as more people stayed home and away from sinful night clubs). All this got a bit of laugh from the (mainly) boys but they got the point which was the objective of the exercise.
The night before this presentation, I thought of using the concept of 'Balls' to outline a way to get the guys to be more focused and organised and to plan ahead. I called it for want of anything else coming to mind, 'Ling’s Theory of Balls' (“the TOB”). There were only five Balls back then and its expansion is the result of feedback received subsequently when it had a run out as a single backend slide in presentations on widely diverse topics to various groups. The TOB seems to particularly appeal to younger people. After they chuckle at the mention of ‘Balls’, I’m glad to say that they appear to hoist a few of these ideas aboard...
The night before this presentation, I thought of using the concept of 'Balls' to outline a way to get the guys to be more focused and organised and to plan ahead. I called it for want of anything else coming to mind, 'Ling’s Theory of Balls' (“the TOB”). There were only five Balls back then and its expansion is the result of feedback received subsequently when it had a run out as a single backend slide in presentations on widely diverse topics to various groups. The TOB seems to particularly appeal to younger people. After they chuckle at the mention of ‘Balls’, I’m glad to say that they appear to hoist a few of these ideas aboard...
1. PLAY BALLI learned from a relatively early age that the Yanks take their sport seriously. As a expatriate brat of IBM Inc, I attended high school in Greenwich, Conn, when my father was relocated. My first summer saw 'soccer' practice start in 90 degree heat. As a pragmatic Englishman, I tried to dodge the sweat inducing laps around the field that the coach would demand at the end of practice by hiding in the toilets on the first lap and rejoining the runners on the last. I made it two days and was caught on the third. "Ling," coach Smith bellowed, "In order to win it, you gotta be in it!" It's not surprising that coach was also the science teacher since this has got be fact, right? If you aren't physically up and about and in the 'game' you have no chance of getting anything from it. Or as a mentor of mine from the City said to me recently, "If you aren't at the table, you can't share in the spoils of the deal!". How many people for example are out of work and just give up? More and more as the monthly US non-farm payroll employment numbers tell us - it is shocking that this great country has a shrinking 'workforce' as people stop looking for work (and paying tax!). Personal energy is absolutely essential for success. 'Play Ball' is the cornerstone of the TOB.
3. CRYSTAL BALLApparently it's no secret: "Girls read more than (most) boys and girls score higher on reading assessments than (most) boys" (see point 2 above). This is a bummer since reading is a key driver in gaining perspective and without this you start well back on life's journey in a number of ways - no matter what your gender. How is it possible for example, for an individual to see broader options for their future if they have only a narrow perspective. As a substitute for reading in the 'olden days' many people would look for perspective by visiting a mystic and getting their fortune told by gazing into a crystal ball. In the digital age the optimal crystal ball can be found through reading widely and debating with your fellow human beings. If you have got this far on this site - there's hope for you yet!
5. TALK BALLSAs a young parliamentary candidate in 1992 (before the World Wide Web transformed politics) I would receive pages and pages of paper 'briefs', through the post, from Conservative Party Central office on topics ranging from local planning to the need for the nuclear deterrent. Although, not a robotic candidate, I would recite their central premise when asked questions at debates in my constituency (when I had children of my own I realised how silly I must have sounded prattling, dryly, on and on about education). On most topics however, 'talking balls' was both expected and part of my job. The experience has held me in good stead ever since. Nobody succeeds in life by either consistently staying quiet or speaking all the time. Improve your vocabulary and learn to speak up and make an argument when you care about something and it is sensible to do so. Talk some Balls.
See my memorable political appointment with the "Tory Tartan Chicken" 7 JUGGLE BALLSLife is about managing the projects that you plan to help you meet long term goals and also coping with events that you meet along the way. If you can Juggle these Balls you are on your way to success. As I self-financed my way through my MBA in London, I wasn't restricted by having to do my summer project with a company sponsor. I approached one of the leading change management consultancies, Time Manager International, about doing my MBA strategic positioning project with them because I had attended their Time Manager programme whilst in the army and thought it was revolutionary. I eventually stayed with the company for five years becoming marketing director and attended many different personal development programmes as an observer. It soon became evident to me that 'Juggling the Balls' of a busy life, both professional and personal, isn't just about time management. For example, a west country council officer on one TM programme I attended said that whilst she was well organised her life was made a misery by the constant unscheduled interuptions of elected councillors barging into her office demanding attention. The TMI presenter made the astute observation that she should also attend TMI's Assertiveness training course to help her push back on these demands. Naturally, I was gratified that the presenter could upsell our product set, but the principal learning point was that continuous personal development is an essential part of Ball Juggling . The more learning time you put into becoming efficient and effective, the easier it is to Juggle Balls.
9. SCORE WITH THE BALLIdeas might be the cornerstone of innovation but getting projects completed is what ultimately turns chit chat into reality. Successful people Score with the Ball even if they only play a small part in a bigger project. In December 1999, I was appointed eBusiness Leader at a business unit of US giant General Electric. I had already contracted with GE for some time and since I was always talking about how the Internet was changing everything, I was pleased to accept my new role. A lot of people thought that this was a retrograde move for me until the great Jack Welch sent his now famous 'we're all in on this Internet thingie' email to all GE employees that same month. With that sort of backing in GE, things get done. The following period up to the dotcom 'crash' was one of he most exciting times I have witnessed in commerce. Powered by their Six Sigma pholosophy, what GE managed to achieve in eCommerce, particularly in their business-to-business units, was spectacular from pretty much a standing start. The buzz about the place was fantastic and although I only played a small part, managing the team to launch the first online retail store card in the UK for example, it was the first time I realised that I truly was a 'completer-finisher' - a man who gets things done. At the end of the day in western societies, we are all judged, in almost all aspects of our lives by how we Score with the Ball - from the cradle to grave.
See where I am scoring today! |
2. HAVE BALLSHere's a marker in the ground at the outset. The TOB is not gender limited (see here). In the 'Smart' stakes, I married up a couple of notches and my kid sister left the UK at 17 years of age (!) for a life in America (and what a success she's made of it too). Of course, gender plays a big role in life. Only a politically correct idiot will tell you different (there's a few of them about mind you). The 'outcome' effects on your life as a result of your sex are both internal and external - in many cases people treat you differently (external) based on it and you (internally) behave differently because of it. But one thing's for sure, having the courage to choose what you want to do is something both absent and found in males and females. Have the (metaphorical) Balls and take responsibility to make something that you want of your own life and be accountable for your actions - whether you succeed or fail. Time's too short to do otherwise.
4. PLAY THE BALLWhen I graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst I was the fittest I had ever been (it's been downhill since!) and I thought I was indomitable. I was so fit I would rock from foot to foot when waiting for the bus. I just couldn't stay still. Intellectually, I was also in great shape. I went onto to win the Royal United Services Institute Essay Prize for all members of the armed forces under 30. I thought I had it all. Then I arrived excitedly at my new posting and on the first morning the commanding officer sat the newbies down and told us about 'integrity'. He said that this was the most important thing that an officer should have. I asked him how he defined this fine term and in essence he said that integrity is closely linked with transparency. If you cannot tell your boss, wife, friends, partners (whoever, I subsequently came to see that this definition was context specific) about something that you have done then it might well have something to do with the fact that your actions are not consistent with your set of values. Over the years, I can attest just how right he was. Save yourself from alot of stress arising from such a mismatch and Play the Ball not the Man! Let others, politic, argue and 'snake' their way about. If you are straight with people it shines through in the end.
6. LISTEN FOR BALLSWhen I was six I was in a cow field near our home in Chippenham. I distinctly remember the day since it was one of the first days that I was allowed out alone. Mum, couldn't see me even from the kitchen window. (Can you imagine a parent allowing that these days?) An older boy and I were trying to avoid the cowpats as we played in the field when all of a sudden he started screaming about a 'bull'. I may not have been as sharp as my sister but I knew that bulls had horns and to get struck with one was painful. As a result, I ran as fast as I could to the fence and dived through the barbed wire ripping a scar in my leg that is still there today. As I looked up, I could see the bigger kid (in between my tears) laughing like a hyena as he had 'fooled' me into running - there was no bull. Moral of the story: If possible, take a little time to assess the things that you are told in life. This is particularly true of what you read on the Internet. Just because it's out there doesn't mean it's right. Get as close to the information source as you can to verify what you are told - Listen for Balls!
8 EYE ON THE BALLMy first job out of University was with an emerging management consultancy firm 'attached' to a group of accountants. We were 'Arthur Andersen Consultants' and in my experience were always considered by the accountants to be second class citizens ("no accountancy qualification Old Boy, you see..."). We were tolerated because of the introduction of 123 electronic spreadsheets and Wordstar desktop word processing programs and even a narrow minded Big Firm accountant could see that these were a big step forward. As a result, I got to work with one of the first IBM PCs brought into the UK from the US - complete with a massive voltage adapter which meant we could plug it into a UK plug socket. It's amazing to think that today's smart phones are several times faster than this Big Blue breakthrough desktop device. It is also amazing to me that with all their Blue Bloodied snobbishness, the Arthur Andersen number crunchers went bust because they took their eye off the Ball at Enron. Meanwhile that emerging consultancy is now Accenture - one of the best global consulting firms in the world. No matter how big or small you are, keep focused on what matters in your life. Success is: Keeping your Eye on the Ball!
See a slideshow of my last day at Arthur Andersen (Adults Only please!). 10. HAVE A BALL!In this millennium, I have both developed the skills outlined above and also fleshed out the ideas behind the TOB. In doing so, I am Having a Ball! Most of all, I have found it liberating to be an independent 'contractor'. Most businesses or organisations are now reluctant to take on people full time. Other than those people thought to be essential to the core of the business - directors, key experts and so on, why would a business pick up the infrastructure costs for non-essential or project dependent people? It's just added complexity. As a result, I have been lucky to work on some remarkable projects. From seeing the manufacture and design of early eReaders in Taiwan to the fast-paced emergence of India as more than just an outsourcing hub in the IT and business information markets. Most significantly, I have come to realise that my children have more in common with the children of other globally minded people (who get the TOB!) in other countries than they do with some children in neighbourhoods in our own land. This has disturbing implications that I discuss elsewhere on this site. At this point it is sufficient to say that living up to your responsibilities and having some fun should not be mutually exclusive - Have a Ball!
See where I'm Having a Ball Today! |