The Informer - February 2019

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Member in the spotlight

The rise of flexible working

Steve Tappin, founder of Xinfu, reveals the secrets of the world’s most successful CEOs

T h e

Why companies need to adapt and respond to the needs of today’s evolving workforce

I n f o r m e r Issue 24

February 2019

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THE POWER OF INTUITION How to inspire intelligent decision-making

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Meet. Work. Grow.

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INTRODUCTION

ADAM BLASKEY FOUNDER & CEO The Clubhouse

W e l come I hope the year has got off to a good start for you despite the fact that when we went to press with this issue of The Informer, there had been no positive progress with Brexit negotiations. This continued impasse has no doubt had a marked effect on business confidence, however, in spite of this the FTSE and Sterling have recovered from their December lows and the Prime Minister’s tenacity and resolve continues unbounded.

As any business leader will recognise, challenges, obstacles and bumps in the road never go away: once one issue is dealt with, another one quickly fills its place. Following on from what we have seen in Parliament over recent months and the Members’ Breakfast we hosted last month on emotional intelligence, who could doubt that how we manage our emotions and how we influence

the emotions of others are skills which are absolutely vital in achieving positive outcomes.

Building on this, our Members’ Breakfast on 28 February, when we look forward to welcoming Rick Snyder, is on the topic of intuitive decision-making and how those who incorporate intuition into their decisionmaking process make better and faster decisions. Rick’s new book, Decisive Intuition, is a must-read – please turn to page four to learn more about a simple four-step process to unlock creativity in your company culture.

At The Clubhouse, we welcome hundreds of visitors and guests each month and for those who have not yet adopted what many recognise as a smarter, more flexible and agile way of working, on page seven we explain how you can boost productivity and retain the best employees by taking a new approach

to how and where you work. The world of work has changed materially over the past few years and will undoubtedly keep moving in the same direction, a trend which all of our members, who are drawn from businesses of all shapes and sizes, have recognised and are hopefully reaping the benefits of.

Our Members’ Evening this month takes place on 26 February when we will be talking the business of horses and will be joined by the trifecta of Balthazar Fabricus, founder of bookmakers Fitzdares, racehorse trainer Jamie Snowden and jockey Gavin Sheehan ahead of the Cheltenham Festival next month.

Finally, I am delighted to introduce this month’s Member in the Spotlight, Steve Tappin, CEO of Xinfu, an award-winning global CEO coaching and consultancy firm on a mission to create a new generation of CEOs.

THE CLUBHOUSE P R O D U C T I V I T Y T I P #24 We often get stuck when we obsess over the same problem or answers we aren’t happy with. Talk through ideas and take brain breaks to relax, gain insight and use intuition to ring a new perspective.

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DON’T OVERTHINK

DESIGN & ART DIRECTION

Christian Gilliham_christian@cgcreate.co.uk_07951 722265

To partner with The Clubhouse or promote your business in The Informer please email adam@theclubhouselondon.com Copyright. The Clubhouse London Ltd

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INTUITION

C R E AT E S PAC E F O R I N T U I T I V E G E N I U S

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cKinsey conducted a survey and found that more than 70% of senior executives said that innovation is one of the top three drivers of growth in their companies and the most important way to accelerate the pace of change in today’s global business environment. Yet two-thirds of senior executives were not confident in how to stimulate and inspire innovation within their teams.

In working closely with business leaders over the years, I’ve seen this same dilemma first-hand. It starts with creating the optimal environment for risk taking, intuitive thinking, and creativity to take place.

Here is a four-step process that unlocks the creative genius in your company culture.

How to cultivate intuitive intelligence for greater decisionmaking, creativity, and innovation, says consultant Rick Snyder

Step 3: Encouraging intuition

The more you can facilitate a non-judgmental space in meetings and conversations, the more you will receive candor and feedback that you wouldn’t have conceived of on your own. Whether in a meeting or in the hallway, ask your staff what their gut sense is on a given situation. You will be surprised at the level of intelligence and directness that this encourages when you drop all pretences.

Step 1: Leaders go first

In order for intuitive intelligence to integrate into your strategy and activities, it has to start with members of the leadership team respecting and honouring their own intuition and creativity first. Leaders can foster intuitive decision-making by developing qualities such as receptivity, openness, vulnerability, curiosity, play, emotional intelligence, a willingness to not know, and making time to listen to their inner and outer environment.

The more a leader is willing to break the ice and model the behaviour they expect to see, the more likely these values will be reflected in the company culture and others will learn that it’s ok to take risks, which is necessary for innovation to take place.

Step 2: Safety and risk

with leadership. Building this level of trust is the basis of creating safety in the workplace and encouraging initiative.

If you want outside-the-box solutions or honest feedback as a bare minimum, an environment of open dialogue is necessary.

In order for a culture or a group of people to take a risk, they have to feel safe. In fact, Google conducted a two-year study and found that the highest-performing teams had one thing in common: psychological safety. An atmosphere of open communication, respect, and creativity is infectious and directly serves the company as employee participation skyrockets.

A healthy company culture requires authentic communication about what’s really going on with staff, with customers, and

Step 4: Disruption

Disrupting normal ways of thinking allows your team to get out of their conscious, logical minds and into their subconscious, which is the birthplace of creativity and intuition, and allows your team to make faster and more integrated decisions. Stepping away from the computer or phone, going outside, engaging in a physical exercise, or finding a quiet space for mindfulness practice, all literally change your mind states where you can access your subconscious creativity and intuition and connect the dots in a fresh way.

Warning! Embracing these approaches and techniques may result in your staff feeling more confident, thinking faster, embracing failure more easily, increasing awareness, improving listening skills, and learning how to read-out social dynamics and cues which directly relate to their role in the company. By breaking up routine patterns and modes of thinking, you are creating space for intuitive genius to flourish. ● Rick Snyder is the founder and CEO of international consulting firm, Invisible Edge™.

His breakthrough strategies based on his upcoming book, Decisive Intuition, have been implemented by executives and businesses in Europe, Canada, Asia, Africa, and America. invisible-edgellc.com

“THE MORE A LEADER IS WILLING TO BREAK THE ICE AND MODEL THE BEHAVIOUR THEY EXPECT TO SEE, THE MORE LIKELY THESE VALUES WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE COMPANY CULTURE”

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Meet. Work. Grow.

MEMBER STRAPLINE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

STEVE TAPPIN CEO XINFU

Sha pin g the w orl d ’s f u tu re CE Os Tell us about your company.

Xinfu is a CEO specialist company, working globally as confidants to CEOs on their business leadership and life. It was founded 10 years ago and in 2017 we won the Global Award for Professional Service for the Best Leadership of a Mould Breaking Firm. We work to create fellowships with the executive teams so they can transform their companies and generate super returns – on average, companies we work with create super returns of 549% over a period of five years. We work with some of the top CEOs around the world in the UK, China, Australia and Silicon Valley.

Our clients include EasyJet, Virgin, The Co-op, and Stobart. Since I was 23, I’ve made it my mission to meet the top CEOs in the world, work with them, teach them CEO best practice, and then develop the next generation of leaders.

What has been your biggest success?

We’ve been involved in some of the biggest corporate success stories over the last decade, such as helping to grow EasyJet’s share price from £4 to £18 and helping them become one of Europe’s most successful value airlines.

We have also worked with the CEO of The Co-op to save and relaunch the company.

We’ve also become the leading western company to coach most of China’s current CEOs, as well as their next generation of CEOs. Within two years, we’ve become a market-leading player in Australia, working with Telstra, South32, and West Farmers.

What projects excite you right now?

We have just launched the first ever CEO masterclass that gives practical ways to help anybody become a successful CEO in their company. Having coached over 500 CEOs and worked with CEOs globally for over 30 years, I have learnt all the top level elements of how to be a successful CEO – now I want to share their best practice. At Xinfu, we have created a four quadrant model that underpins the content of our CEO masterclass. By following these four quadrants, you can learn how to be a successful CEO and an inspiring leader.

How has being a member of The Clubhouse contributed to the success of your business?

Since we joined The Clubhouse, it’s helped us create a strong sense of community for our core team and practitioners that work with us, and it is also a good location for us to bring in CEOs to have confidential meetings. We feel we can relax and be ourselves at The Clubhouse and enjoy getting to meet new people there.

Where can members find you?

We are located downstairs at The Clubhouse, St James’s, where members of our team can be found at the hot desks and at the dedicated desks. Since we are a global company and travel frequently, Stacey Williams is our point of contact and can be found in the dedicated desk area for those who want to connect with us.

QUICK-FIRE ROUND

Favourite place to go in London?

Wembley Stadium Who inspires you and why?

Joe Dispenza – Joe is a world leader in human performance with amazing techniques and he is a down-to-earth, humble guy. I believe Joe is taking human development onto a new level in terms of neuroscience, psychology, and spirituality.

Best bit of advice you’ve been given?

You can still inspire CEOs, even if you do not have all the answers.

If you were on a desert island, what would you bring?

I would bring a laptop to stay connected to the world and watch Leeds United get promoted to the Premier League.

Which super power would you like to have?

Telepathy – so I could see into the future and create even more amazing things.

xinfu.com

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FUTURE EVENTS

The Clubhouse

The Clubhouse

ST JAMES’S

ST JAMES’S

An evening with Balthazar Fabricius, founder and chairman of bespoke bookmakers Fitzdares

A workshop on intuitive decision-making to spark innovation with Rick Snyder

TUESDAY 26 FEBRUARY 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm FREE FOR MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS/£25 FOR NON-MEMBERS Join us for an evening discussing the business of horses, when Balthazar Fabricius, founder and chairman of bespoke bookmakers Fitzdares, will talk to us about his story of innovating and disrupting the bookmaking industry, the health of the racing industry, and his experiences of managing a British luxury brand. Balthazar will be joined by racehorse trainer Jamie Snowden and jockey Gavin Sheehan, who will both give further insight. They’ll also offer some selections to keep an eye on at the Cheltenham Festival, which runs from 12–15 March.

SA V E T HE DA TE

Balthazar Fabricius

Rick Snyder

THURSDAY 28 FEBRUARY 8:00 am - 10:00 am FREE FOR MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS Decision-making is one of the most challenging aspects of leading, as we never have all the information we need and yet we still need to act. Research shows that leaders and teams who incorporate their intuition in the decisionmaking process make better and faster decisions. Based on The Clubhouse member Rick Snyder’s upcoming book, Decisive Intuition, this workshop will demonstrate how to access your own intuition through a proven decision-making process.

Learn to spark innovation to create a more agile, adaptable company culture.

HOW TO BOOK: VISIT THECLUBHOUSELONDON.COM OR ASK AT THE FRONT DESK

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BOOK REVIEW

LEADERSHIP MASTERCLASS

HOW THEY DID IT: 100 STORIES OF GROWTH

RESILIENCE FOR 21ST CENTURY LEADERS

As you navigate what seems like never-ending hurdles when you’re growing your business, who do you usually turn to for great advice and support? The 100 Stories of Growth campaign has just published How They Did It. It’s a beautifully designed, 240-page coffee table book brimming with inspirational stories, shared by really diverse founders across the UK. They’ve discovered their own special recipes for growth and they’re even sharing them with us. If you want to find inspiration for your next move, this is the must-read of the year.

Leaders in today’s fast-paced, pressurised business environment are faced with managing large workloads, constant change, high demands on their time, and potential challenges around wellbeing. Discover a rich array of practical tools to build greater resilience and high levels of sustained performance in this half-day Mindful Leadership Masterclass. Delivered by Daniel Stane, mindful leadership expert and consultant to numerous FTSE 250 companies from our partner Potential Project – global leaders in organisational mindfulness and resilience.

To order your copy visit 100stories.co.uk Enter ‘clubhouse20’ at checkout and enjoy a 20% discount.

£145+VAT for members and bookings made by the end of Feb; £195+VAT for non-members; 20% discount for bookings of two or more from the same organisation.

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Meet. Work. Grow.

RESTAURANT TEMPER CITY

For sawn-to-order steaks, freshly caught fish and big wines, head to Temper City, just below The Clubhouse, Bank. It has one of the world’s biggest restaurant fire pits, a dedicated butchery area, and a raw bar and salad selection for those who want a lighter lunch.

Check out the vast tequila, gin and mezcal list too. We love the Sea Bass Ceviche Toastadas followed by the Barbecued Beef Skewers with Kimchi. All animals are rare breed from small, selected UK farms with high welfare practices and all are grass fed as standard – sustainability and great taste guaranteed.

2 ANGEL COURT, 30 THROGMORTON ST, LONDON EC2R 7HJ TEMPERRESTAURANT.COM

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WORK LIFE

The rise in flexible working

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ast month, the Wellcome Trust announced it was considering moving all of its employees to a four-day week to boost productivity and last year, a survey

by Morar Consulting of employees across 12 countries found that for 98% a ‘work anywhere’ culture has a positive impact on productivity. Mobile technology has given employers and employees more freedom than ever before to take control of where, when and how they work, and traditional ideas of work/ life balance have been eradicated. With this comes huge advantages, both for individuals and the businesses they work for.

The Work Foundation has predicted that by 2020, mobile working will reach over 70%. In a recent study by Powwownow, 53% of respondents said they would be more productive if they could work outside the office and 70% said they felt flexible working makes a job more attractive; around a third said they would even pick flexible working over a pay rise.

The working world that people want to operate in is changing rapidly and is only moving in one direction: the Office for National Statistics found that the number of self-employed workers aged 16 to 24 has nearly doubled in the past 17 years. PwC research found that 46% of human resource professionals believe at least 20% of their workforce will be temporary workers or contractors by 2020. This means the demand is growing for flexible working and meeting spaces with the resources of a head office.

The working world that people want to operate in is changing.

Boost productivity and retain the best employees by taking a new approach Initially, many co-working spaces were basic yet trendy but lacking in good lighting, private spaces, quiet places and efficient technology.

Now, many workers are seeking ‘a destination workplace’ which meets their requirements in the same way a head office would.

The working world that people want to operate in is changing rapidly and is only moving in one direction

How flexible working impacts a business When establishing your business, it’s important to make it stand out while staying on your corporate message. Are cafés and hotel lobbies really the best place to meet potential clients? A professional space with a dedicated team will help make the right first impression.

The costs of establishing and running an office in a prime location could also impact a business’s short and longer term growth: by operating in a more flexible and agile way, consuming space on demand, as and when it’s needed, cash is freed up and the business’s balance sheet will look a lot healthier; workers get the social contact and buzzy environment they need in a location convenient to them; they can connect with other professionals, such as lawyers, accountants and consultants, and develop relationships that may be mutually beneficial.

Membership of The Clubhouse offers all of this and more, with a range of benefits and offers exclusively available to members, an inspirational calendar of events, virtual office solutions, individually designed meeting rooms with the latest in audio-visual technology and video conferencing solutions, plus the freedom to move between our four Clubhouses across the West End, Mid Town and The City. It’s the optimum solution for businesses of all shapes and sizes, designed to make you and your businesses more successful. ●

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C O R P O R AT E E X P E R I E N C E S REINVENTED goodwood.com