World Class Business

The final session today is an interview of Greg Dyke (LWT, Channel 5, BBC etc) and Sir Gerry Robinson (Coca Cola, Grand Met, Granada etc) by Jeremy Paxman, kicking off the conference with a focus on HR's role in world class business (the conference also finishes with a session on world class HR).

Paxman: "So what is the secret of your success?"

Robinson: "It's about clarity.  The ability to say what you want, the ability to say what the organisation iis going to do, to cut out the bullshit.  People generally want to do the right thing.  Once they know what it is, they'll do it."

Dyke: "The ability to motivate, inspire, to make you feel better.  To get the people who work for you to be confident, to do things on their own motivation.  So that they feel valued, to infuse them rather than scaring them to death.  To be authentic, to just be you"

Paxman: "Well the alternative isn't very attractive is it!"


Both Robinson's and Dyke's replies work for me logically and cognitively.

But if I was working in one of their organisations, it would be Dyke's responses that would inspire me emotionally.