Is this the most stressful business environment I’ve ever been in …? (not Aviva just the world of commerce!) Generally … and for me at the moment?
That was the thing winging its way around in my head early one morning (as it does) …
Mind racing; numbers changing; ideas abounding; opportunities slipping; opportunities coming; anxiety mounting; share prices jumping; share prices falling …
… bankers on the dartboards; insurers in the eye line; media feeding frenzy; green shoots scoured for; good news lost; bad news to the fore; soothsayers and pessimists lauded; optimists castigated; bulls locked away; bears prowling the streets …
Short-selling winning?; long term thinking… what’s that?; business on the front page; business on page 3; business on page 4/5/6/7/8 …
It’s tough they say; it’s just tough; things are so tough …
“What are you doing at the weekend?”
“Don’t know, cos it’s so tough” they say.
“What do you do, John?”
“I’m in Financial Services” …
“I’m sorry about that …” whispers the reply. “Which area of Financial Services, John?” …
“Insurance” I reply.
“Oh well at least you’re not an estate agent or a banker …”
“Yeah, thanks”
“Which company, John?”
“Norwich Union – soon to be Aviva” I replied proudly. (I find it impossible to say “Norwich Union” without saying “Aviva” now, or “Aviva” without saying “formerly known as Norwich Union”.)
“Oh right … good … fine …” they mumble. “Aviva … is that the Bruce Willis ad?”
“Yes, it’s the Bruce Willis ad …”
“I like that” they said.
“Good …” I perk up.
“Good to see you out there rather than your head stuck in the sand …”
“Yes” I agree.
“Is it working?” A murmur … pre-empting in their tone that they don’t think it is …
“It’s working! Absolutely working” (my voice gets more confident) … “and whilst it may be tough, it’s working … I knew it would work and I am doing everything in my power to make it work!”
At times like this, when there’s lots of noise and you get knocked a bit, knocked a lot, etc. it’s important that you do the right thing, stand up straight, keep your head up and keep going … easier said than done …
I was working in Lloyds Bank in 1987 … in Sussex … the weekend of the hurricane and the market crash. “Black Monday”…
I lost my roof; my chimney; my No Claims Discount …
The shop opposite lost its chimney … its windows … its stock …
And the park next door lost hundreds of trees …
Devastating events took place…
The FTSE fell like a stone and then rose again but was a yo yo … I lost my nerve (for a time) … Confidence got shattered …
“It will never be the same again” came a cry …
“We won’t recover from this” I distinctly remember being shouted around me.
“It’s the end” they said …
“This time it’s different from the early 30s, the early 70s and the late 70s” …
It was a very sombre time.
“Stock markets will never recover themselves” …
They did …
I did …
We did …
Bit philosophical but a time like this … early in the morning …
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