There is a lot written about the way to be successful and achieve – the importance of goal setting and targets, planning, monitoring progress and measuring performance. But is there another less well understood route to achievement and success through constantly striving to excel, investing in relationships, being curious and encouraging this in others?…because when these things are in place sometimes, for no apparent reason, wonderful things happen….seemingly by chance……Here is a story which reminds us of how little we are in control of the way events turn out but also how we can do a lot to give the best chance of a good outcome, even without knowing what this might be!!

In October, to celebrate the two year anniversary since the publication of ‘THE 31 PRACTICES – release the power of your organization’s VALUES every day’, there is a competition to win a copy of the book.

Whilst visiting New York to spend time with a client for their annual 31Practices review, I took the opportunity to visit the Brooklyn Tabernacle for a Sunday morning service. Not everybody who attended was religious but the attendance of about 3000 reminded me of the power of bringing together people with a similar mindset and interests. This is the simple principle of World Values Day. Last year at a UK Values Alliance meeting the concept of a World Values Day idea was born and several months later it is nearly here.

We are living in extraordinary times – volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous.

The pace of change will never be this slow again.

In the service sector, many traditional approaches are no longer relevant and there is a new business agenda emerging.

As we are entering the final quarter of the calendar year, you might like to take a moment to reflect on the fact that we are all writing Chapter 2017 for our personal lives and for our work/role/job… every day. We hold the pen. And at the end of 31 December 2017, there will be one key difference between our Chapter 2017 document and any other document we will ever create… It cannot be edited. On 31 December 2017 (in just 91 days’ time), your Chapter 2017 will be complete and finished. What do you want your colleagues, customers, friends, family and other stakeholders to remember you for?