Don't let it pass you by

Has anybody noticed? That today is the day Henry 8th became King of England? Exactly 500 years ago to this very day? That’s half a millennium. Sort of half time in the modern history of this nation. Do we have him to thank for our divorce rate? Our relationship with the Pope? Our determination to be good at sport but never the best? I know I’m mesmerised by time, but I thought it worth mentioning.

Mark Griffiths http://www.idealconsulting.co.uk/

Ca plane pour moi

Recuperating from tracheitis gives me some time out to put some time in on time itself. But I actually prefer it when time intrudes upon my thoughts unexpectedly. It's very difficult to sit here and wait for time to say something spontaneous. That just wouldn't be timely. The big thing about timeliness is its spontaneity. It counts for everything. It's an acceptance of whatever is there, knocking at the door. Today, I have 51 year-old Plastic Bertrand announcing himself on my threshold. Let him in. Take a good look at him. He's not necessarily who I would've expected. After all, every day I'm writing about serious things. I'm helping all kinds of organisations to get across their marketing messages more effectively. Some need to sell a product or service. Others need to encourage a change in behaviour from hard-to-reach people. They come to me with their thoughts and priorities. They have confidence in my ability to frame their messages. They expect a certain result. They do not necessarily understand how I get it or where my inspiration comes from. Then again, in my approach to meeting their needs, I rarely set out from the same place as my clients. I listen to their needs. Then I just open the door to whatever is there and invite it in. And that's where I begin. It works for me.

Mark Griffiths www.idealconsulting.co.uk

Time and time again

Today, 23rd February 2009, is 100 days to my 50th birthday. One or two people have noticed how time is appearing in these blogs in both regular yet serendipitous ways. With such an anniversary on the horizon, it’s hardly surprising that my mind enters the world every day through this horological doorway. It will be interesting for me to see how the flow of time now enters my work. But not today – I have laryngitis. Sleepless of Stratford will not be open for talking shop. Clients often ask me how I write and write again. Sitting in front of a blank piece of paper, or a screen, for something like the ten thousandth time, means you have to be confident of starting somewhere, of being able to start at all. I’ve never had this problem of starting with words. I think it’s because the door is always open to the inspiration of whatever is there and whoever is strolling past. Hello, there’s Howard Jones, asking his perennial question, What is love, anyway? And there’s David Sylvian answering it, singing The Song Which Gives The Key To Perfection. The trouble is, the backdrop to all of this is Ballroom Blitz by The Sweet. Bassist, Steve Priest, is singing that he sees a man at the back, as a matter of fact, whose eyes are as red as the sun. As the cough medicine kicks in, that’s me staring at the mirror. Good day and good night.

Mark Griffiths www.idealconsulting.co.uk