What would you do if you didn't have to work?

Category: Editorial

This weekend the British National Lottery has a roll-over prize of more than £8 million. An obscene amount of money to win, but it raises the question: "What would you do if you didn't have to work?"

In the same week I have been discussing with one of our associates what we would do if we retired. My answer was that I would do exactly what I am doing now. If I didn't have to earn a living I would spend more time travelling to build relationships and strategic alliances, but that is only bringing forward what I do or am planning anyway.

Regular readers will know that we are in the process of launching a major growth strategy for Brefi Group. The foundations are in place and announcements are planned.

So, why the growth strategy? Is it just to make more money? Is there a risk of destroying what we have built up? After all, what could be better than a life in which I meet interesting people in interesting places to do interesting work? I love to learn new things and to travel. So what would I do if I retired? What many people do. Travel to see interesting places, to do interesting things and to meet interesting people. Just what I am currently paid to do!

However, there is a risk that becoming hooked on growth and success can create a burden of administration and stress, stopping you from doing what you really enjoy.

I had intended to give you a book review this week. For that you will now have to wait. Rather, I was reminded of the story of the Mexican fisherman. I did tell it to you last June, but it is still relevant and I thought I would include it again.

I have been reorganising my office. Takes time and disrupts other things, but definitely worth doing every year or so. So many things that I should really throw out, so many things that I should really file properly - and so many things that I had put aside and then forgotten about. Here's an example from Fortune Magazine, March 8, 2004.

The Hay Group carried out a survey to identify the most admired companies in each industry in America and to discover the behaviours that differentiated them from the others. Here is a summary of the percentage in each group that agreed with key statements.

Behaviour	Most admired	Peers
Performance measures are directly tied to our business strategy	92%	79%
We have translated our strategy into clear plans with accountabilities	84%	74%
Roles and responsibilities are sufficiently clear that people know where to go for the information and support they need to do their jobs effectively	81%	74%
Leaders surround themselves with people who will challenge them on their thinking	81%	60%
Decision-making accountabilities and processes are well defined	79%	64%
All the functions critical to our business success are in place	76%	66%
Leaders devote a significant amount of time to hiring and developing talent	67%	48%

How does your organisation compare - and that includes you, even if you are a one person business.

For your information and reassurance, we are expanding Brefi Group so that we can work with more people on more interesting projects and in more interesting places! Key differentiator identified above: "Leaders surround themselves with people who will challenge them on their thinking". Thomas Edison and Henry Ford had a mastermind group. We shall be announcing the "Brefi Network".

USEFUL LINKS

• Fortune Magazine


• The Importance of Masterminding Top 10 Benefits of Participating in Mastermind


• The Magic of Mastermind Groups Barton Goldsmith

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