Why Do Once Successful Brands Fail and Others Survive?
SGUK Episode 128
Introduction
Why do large companies fail? The reasons are numerous; the world and its problems are more complex than ever. In this article, we examine three key factors – leadership, financial and differentiation.
Many large companies have failed. Some have gone bankrupt; others have substantially reduced in size and fallen from an industry leadership position. What caused their downfall, and what lessons have we learnt?
The world has changed dramatically since many well-known and trusted ‘rocks’ of business were born. However, reinvention, improvement, and the ability to disrupt the market is required at such a rate that many companies can’t keep up.
In all of the examples and extracts from various reference sources, think of the UK Monarchy when you hear the points being made. Think of the Monarchy as The Firm not a Family. Think of the Firm as a business, and then the analogy becomes easier to transfer across to the issues that the Monarchy is facing now, and the choices that they made as a Family. A family who are given positions and responsibilities by the order of birth and the parentage of the those children. Born into a life that they had no say in, and are told from a very early age, that they cannot leave. Those children are not allowed to shine brighter than their older sibling, and are fortunate to live in a life of high wealth and opulence. For those privileges, compared to the rest of the population of the country, children are reminded throughout their lives, including when they become adults, to follow the same framework as allocated to them from birth, and that because they live in opulence, it will always be their duty to protect the Crown and the Monarchy construct. Finance is never a real issue to them, despite their official views printed every year on their Royal website. Claims of savings being made where they can etc., but the reality is, the true costs increase, and the law of the land does not apply to them. Officially only the Monarch is protected by the law, but the reality is none of the British Royal Family will ever be sent away to be incarcerated somewhere. It is just not going to happen, as more than one case in recent decades stand as proof.
An hereditary Monarchy is another layer of rules and regulations that increases the problems that can unfold. There is no real fear of not being in the same roles centuries from now, whether or not the Monarchy has made any significant benefit to the nation or its subjects – yes we in the UK are designated as subjects who are meant to serve the Monarchy. I and none of my family, including relatives going back over the last two centuries consider ourselves as subjects.
I mention the latter aspect, because in some ways, one can understand why certain aspects of a Monarchy could and would never consider themselves like a business. An hereditary Monarchy makes that thought process a nye on impossibility because none of the family have the knowledge or the competence to understand business principles and how important it is to understand the organisation being managed, and how important the management teams recognise the environment in which they operate and where changes may need to be made in the future.
For the purpose of this topic of Successful Brands, and those who have disappeared from our business landscape, we will look at the world of business, and the key areas that can make a difference, and how those principles can transfer across to a Monarchy.
Leadership, Finance & Differentiation
Are the habits and traits which built such mighty empires still relevant today? The mechanism and people behind the business create the failure to keep up. This article examines three key areas: Leadership, Financial and Differentiation Factors.
Some failed enterprises took years to hit the iceberg. They had already manoeuvred around several icebergs, but ultimately, even millions of pounds of cash injection couldn’t save them from sinking.
Avoiding the icefield in the first place is the answer, with continuous new ways of thinking that aren’t just about avoidance, but also about the ability to drive directional change.
It’s not only about steering the ship around the iceberg but about questioning the whole scenario. Why are we on a ship, and where are we heading?
Leadership Failures
Businesses fail because of poor leadership. The leadership must make the right decisions most of the time, from financial management to employee management. Leadership failures will trickle down to every aspect of your business; with businesses becoming ever more complex, how do we know that leaders make the ‘right’ decisions? Experience, of course, but knowledge is based on historical findings. In a daily changing business landscape, success or failure can come down to analytics, which helps to drive informed decision making.
Lack of Focus
Without focus, businesses can lose competitive edge. In addition, as companies grow, they add more products and services to the portfolio, making the offering increasingly confusing. Focus is the art of limiting your scope to the key area that matters for most customers.
Inability to Learn from Failure
We all know that failure is usually bad, yet it is rare that businesses learn from failure. Realistically, companies fail for multiple reasons. Often business leaders are oblivious about their mistakes. As a result, learning from failure can be difficult.
Examples of poor management include an inability to listen, micro-management and lack of trust, working without standards or systems, poor communication and lack of feedback.
Lack of Planning
Businesses fail because of the lack of short- and long-term planning. Planning should include where you want your business to be in the next few years with measurable goals and results. The right strategy will consist of specific to-do lists with dates and deadlines. Failure to plan will damage your business.
Premature Scaling and Over Expansion
Scaling is a good thing if it is done at the right time. To put it simply, if you scale your business prematurely, you will destroy it
Poor Financial Management
Having complete visibility and a deep understanding of an organisation’s finances and responding to constant change is critical. Poor financial management is why many big businesses fail. Poor decisions are driven by ‘gut feelings’ rather than sophisticated modelling and analysis – steering many large companies on the path to destruction.
Market Disruption
Disrupt or die may sound dramatic, but the competition is fierce.
If there isn’t a start-up disruptor in your industry today, there soon will be. If you don’t disrupt, you are likely to be disrupted. Once a disrupter has a foothold, they seek to penetrate the medium and a higher quality portion to increase profit margins. Eventually, the disrupter will challenge the most profitable part of the sector by offering a new alternative to the established market favourite.
Ignoring Customer Needs
Every business will tell you that the customer is #1, but only a tiny percentage acts that way. Keep an eye on the trending values of your customers. Find out if they still love your products. Do they want new features? What are they saying? Are you listening?
Fundamentally, leadership has the most significant impact on an organisation as it is from this that all decisions are made for the short, medium, and long term.
A Royally Dysfunctional Family
By Neil Brown the author of a book with the same title as the heading for this section. Here are a few extracts.
Families have characteristics that either support mental health and functionality, or impair mental health and cause dis-functionality. Two of these characteristics are;
- The flexibility of the system or the family’s ability to respond to changing needs and emerging situations.
- The ambiance of the system; or the ease or difficulty with which emotional information travels among the members.
What about a family where there isn’t a history of true academic success and there’s lots of teasing and distracting. Imagine in this family where a member wants others to quiet down so they can study. Are they mocked and teased for wanting something different, or are they supported in their needs? To the extent that they are accommodated, that’s flexibility.
How about if you’re the second born, yet the first born is the one who is supposed to get all the attention, and as the second born, you’re told to not draw too much attention to yourself, even though you might be the more interesting sibling.
Now the second element, the ambiance of the system. Basically, that’s how family members are aware of each other’s needs and feelings, and respond to each other’s needs and feelings. Think of this as a continuum with the left side of the scale being very aware and highly responsive even over responsive or too responsive. And on the far right is where people are much less aware or less responsive. On the far right is a lack of support or even a lack of feeling included and belonging. On the far left people feel included but maybe stereotyped and their individuality or autonomy not recognized or appreciated. Most families are somewhere in the middle and that’s where healthy lives. On the far left we could call that enmeshed. That’s unhealthy because it takes away autonomy and over responds and whether the response is positive or negative, it’s taking away the opportunity of someone to have their own private feelings.
Now with our royally dysfunctional family, a family member reports that they are suffering emotionally and are having thoughts of taking their own life and need help and the response is, “Sorry, deal with it.” Harry calls his father and his father refuses to take the call. Where are these examples on the ambiance continuum, pretty extremely disengaged wouldn’t you say. Meghan and Harry needed to leave the structure of the family and reach out to friends to reclaim any mental health and emotional safety. I’m sure they’re reeling from the pain resulting from the lack of empathy, the lack of a caring response.
The Western World is waking up to the realities of racism and inequities in society – institutional racism. Also, mental health and the need to acknowledge the prevalence of and need to respond to mental health issues is far more accepted in today’s world. Sure, it used to be that mental health problems in a family were hush-hush, least anyone finds out. Now it’s common to talk openly about one’s emotional state, one’s emotional issues and to get professional help for yourself or a family member. Somehow the inflexibility of the Royal Family has kept them from catching up to these societal changes and changing or God forbid, leading in these changes. Rather than supporting Meghan when she was racially attacked in the media, or getting her the professional help she needed and requested, crickets, no response, no help, certainly no societal leadership.
These are two significant family features that families and family helpers need to consider for family health. There isn’t one ideal way to be; yet a family needs to be flexible enough to respond to changing circumstances. Some of those circumstances include kids simply getting older and ready to be more independent. Perhaps a youth realizes they are in the LGBT world, or even they are sensitive and when someone raises their voice to them, it goes right to the heart of their nervous system and they want a parent to stop yelling so much. Maybe a Mom who used to be at home and took care of most home functions needed to go back to work; did the other members of the family pick up those functions or leave them for her to do when she got home and on weekends.
When families are on one end or the other, either enmeshed or disengaged, it will interfere with mental health, and the social emotional development of children, teenagers and young adults. I see adults in therapy who come from these families on the extremes and they still carry pain and feelings of unworthiness from their childhoods.
You can see that families at the extremes of the emotional ambiance continuum are less flexible, less responsive to the need to change; less responsive to the clues that family members give regarding their needs.
oOo
If the British Royal Family wants to serve society in any way, they have a responsibility to model, healthy family functioning, and that must include listening and caring about the feelings and needs of family members and being flexible enough to change with the times.
Your Workforce Plan is all Wrong
This is an extract from previous podcasts that SGUK published in relation to Workforce Planning processes and how it plays a huge role in a Monarchy, particularly an Hereditary Monarchy.
Either the British Royal Family is and always was a poster family, like many of the TV schedules had in the 50s and 60s, that everyone was meant to admire and try to emulate in some way- or they are a bonefide business entity, that is allocated public funds and assistance, and should therefore provide the evidence where assistance is needed and why, and what is expected of them as all consumers of services, have the right to question quality, content and style of delivery, and where losses are made, look within to find savings, and if not possible, prove the case to the government of the day, via published accounts, as to why more public funds are needed.
Ah wait, silly me, that is what governments are for, and our taxes go towards. Tell me again, why does any nation need a Monarchy? A Hereditary Monarchy is an additional burden to carry, and here is why.
The Royal Family have no fear of not receiving public funds. They have no fear of facing any evidence of public discord about their performances, because they have up until recently been shielded. Protected by the top tier societal groups I have mentioned in many previous podcasts, which include the government of the day, and its police forces, and its media.
I am 100% certain that there is no Workforce Plan in The Firm, and I am equally certain that within the hundreds of employees, I can guess which levels the people of colour are generally employed in, and I can guess where women are employed, and within that group, I can guess the scales of salary paid, and there is no way that women of colour occupy substantial numbers of senior posts of all females employed, and equally there will be very few women at the top of the organisational structure. The Human Resources personnel should be the lead on any Workforce Planning process and an accompanying Workforce Development Plan. Knowing now that it was the HR department in regular contact with the same Royal Reporters, one in particular on film on two occasions, confirming discussions about Meghan, The Duchess of Sussexes state of mental health, and the suicidal ideations, which is a serious breach of confidentiality, and is a Data Protection Breach legally. So, I am not holding my breath to expect understanding of Workforce Planning, because if such a Plan exists, we would not be in the situation we are in now, regarding the age group of the so called Working Royals.
That being said, let me go through the motions of what should have been done, and what should have been predicted and planned for, and in so doing avoid the current state of affairs. The Less Sprightly and the Unables left to fly the flag of The Firm, which currently mirrors the state of the UK at the moment, a once bright and admirable member of the fleet, now fallen in grace and reduced to a unsteady vessel, with increasing holes appearing in its lowest deck and an engine that is slowly grinding to a halt. All it has are a few oars and a few lifeboats – all of which have seen better days, and is unlikely to be able to travel to safer seas without assistance. It would require outside assistance to carry it forward. Why would the public pay even more to keep a group of unelected people in place, when we have an elected forum for taking the country forward. It is called The Government. They need to do their job, or be voted out. There is no luxury of time to pay people who lack competence or foresight to be a family using public funds to masquerade as a business; a business which also contains people who are not up to date with the requirements of a business, and certainly should be under scrutiny for the public funds it receives to underperform anyway. Time for a change.
Adapting to Disruption
How Apple found it´s way to the top and why Kodak went from hero to zero after many decades of successful disruptive approaches and vanished from the market in just 7 years.
5 reasons why Apple was able to adapt and Kodak wasn´t.
Apple nearly went bankrupt in 1997 and had to adapt its mindset in order to overcome failure. Kodak, on the other hand, was the market leader for two decades dictating usage and profit margins until a technological shift changed consumer behavior and Kodak’s mindset could not keep pace. Kodak was kept disrupting market opponents for years in a row, targeting unexplored audiences and providing cheaper (even free) gear. They managed to forge a tagline that became a synonym to the action of taking pictures and lead the way in a bold brand positioning. After hitting top ranks in a row in their segment, it seems that Kodak´s mindset was orbiting around arrogance, assuming that new technology would not change cultural behavior and missing important steps to prevent competition to grow bigger.
These are the top 5 reasons why Apple could emerge as an awaking phoenix from ashes and Kodak could not.
- Apple played the strategy game well and gained power over its consumers.
Kodak didn’t. - Apple looked for a broader environment change.
Kodak didn´t. - Apple was about environment and community, not about the product itself.
Kodak wasn´t. - Apple embraced the new technological shift and even was part of it.
Kodak didn’t. - Apple was selling the future.
Kodak wasn´t.
No one can say Apple did anything wrong. It is nowadays the second most profitable company in the world, way ahead of any other ¹ despite all the wrong things along the way (including the US$150 Mio aid taken from Microsoft in 1997).
Part of Apples´ successful adaptation comes from positioning itself as a unique company with unique products creating an environment of its own, thus forcing users and producers to learn and get familiarized with Apple´s environment, style and way of getting things done. Since disruption is designed for producers, this gave Apple control over a new set of suppliers and a whole key chain of content, app and Software developers that also wanted to position themselves as unique. Being unique has its competitive advantages: you have complete freedom to create and not being bound to modular standardization ² such all other platforms were.
Although Apple was offering better quality imaging, more depth of colors and screen resolutions, no messy cables, and an overall better design pattern and quality materials for their products such as better internal and external resistance, product size (thinner) and weight (lighter), all of this were still considered sustainable innovation. The truly disruptive innovation was something no one could expect it coming: bringing a computer into the phone, compressing whole computers to single screens and giving birth to the touch generation with a minimalistic design.
Being disruptive, in this case, was merging different technologies into one product (technological shift) and exploring a diverse audience through newly found (or created) platforms and channels.
Given that Kodak’s core business was selling film, it is not hard to see why the last few decades proved challenging. Cameras went digital and then disappeared into cellphones. People went from printing pictures to sharing them online. Sure, people print nostalgic books and holiday cards, but that volume pales in comparison to Kodak’s heyday. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2012, exited legacy businesses and sold off its patents before re-emerging as a sharply smaller company in 2013. Once one of the most powerful companies in the world, today the company has a market capitalization of less than $1 billion.
Why did this happen?
An easy explanation is myopia. Kodak was so blinded by its success that it completely missed the rise of digital technologies. But that doesn’t square with reality. After all, the first prototype of a digital camera was created in 1975 by Steve Sasson, an engineer working for … Kodak. The camera was as big as a toaster, took 20 seconds to take an image, had low quality, and required complicated connections to a television to view, but it clearly had massive disruptive potential.
All of that is moot, the next argument goes, because the real disruption occurred when cameras merged with phones, and people shifted from printing pictures to posting them on social media and mobile phone apps. And Kodak totally missed that.
Top Ten Reasons Why Businesses Will Fail Over the Next 10 Years
Extracts from various reference sources listed below, but now interspersed with actions or inactivity by the British Royal Family. A family who have managed to survive until the passing of Queen Elizabeth purely out of goodwill and popularity of the Queen. Most people knew that post Queen Elizabeth era that things would be vastly different, and not for positive reasons. The rot set in immediately and was visible to all but Royalists and the Royals themselves. Some of these reasons published in respect of businesses likely to fail in the next 10 years, very much applies to the UK Monarchy and the walking disasters of those identified as Working Royals. There are now 5 Working Royals since Harry and Meghan were chased out of the UK and the two in terms of age appear to be the ones most likely on paper to give the UK Monarchy longevity, are the very ones who have almost overnight become the highest risk to ending within 10 years.
Fifty percent of the Fortune 500 companies that existed 20 years ago have disappeared, and the life expectancy of multinational companies is limited and shrinking.
Quartz Crisis
There was a time that in the watch industry, everyone thought that Swiss watches were the best and there was no organisation out there who came close. There was a belief that their customers were loyal and that there would remain at the top level in the industry. The UK Monarchy appears to have the same belief about their longevity, based on an existence of a 1000 years and counting. That complacency is now beginning to show a pattern of decline, both in performance and in popularity.
This extract from Wikipedia is a classic example of an entity that became arrogant and certain that their customer base would not change and leave to seek a different type or style of product.
Extract:
The quartz crisis (Swiss) or quartz revolution (American, Japan and other countries) was the upheaval in the watchmaking industry caused by the advent of quartz watches in the 1970s and early 1980s, that largely replaced mechanical watches around the world.[1][2] It caused a significant decline of the Swiss watchmaking industry, which chose to remain focused on traditional mechanical watches, while the majority of the world’s watch production shifted to Japanese companies such as Seiko, Citizen and Casio which embraced the new electronic technology.[3][4][5]
The quartz crisis took place amid the postwar global Digital Revolution (or “Third Industrial Revolution”).[6][7] The crisis started with the Astron, the world’s first quartz watch, which was introduced by Seiko in December 1969.[3][4][8][9] The key advances included replacing the mechanical or electromechanical movement with a quartz clock movement as well as replacing analog displays with digital displays such as LED displays and later liquid-crystal displays (LCDs).[3][4][9] In general, quartz timepieces are much more accurate than mechanical timepieces, in addition to having a generally lower cost and therefore sales price.”
Let’s explore the top 10 reasons why businesses fail – plus one important bonus tip.
- Complacency
Arrogance is a company killer. As soon as leaders become complacent, their companies begin to fall behind. To succeed, companies need humble leaders who still maintain a smidge of fear that motivates them into action. Leaders should be aware that they can’t afford to cling to any past or current successes because sitting back on their heels will cause their companies to fall behind.
- Not prioritizing sustainability
The number one job of any business is to help make our world a better, more equitable place. Every business must address the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges. Consumers and investors are already demanding more accountability from organizations when it comes to sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion – and this trend will continue to grow as they increasingly vote with their wallets.
- Not putting customers first
Everything a company offers must provide value to customers and make their lives better and easier. Putting customers first also means not being afraid of letting go of existing products and services and getting rid of anything that doesn’t add value to customers.
- Not relentlessly innovating
Our world is moving incredibly quickly, and new and innovative ways to deliver products and services are emerging every day. Companies must relentlessly innovate so they can keep their competitive edge. Many companies are hesitant to change established products, services, or processes – but if they don’t, there will be plenty of innovators that are more willing to change. Those companies will take the lead.
- Not thinking of themselves as tech companies
We have never lived in a time with so many transformative technologies. Tech trends like machine learning, robotics, blockchain, and the metaverse are revamping every business in every industry. Because of the rapid pace of change – and technology becoming first and foremost in the business world – every business must think of itself as a tech company and put these digital transformations front and center.
- Not treating data as a key business asset
Data is the lifeblood of successful companies. They use data to help make better business decisions, understand customers and market trends, create smarter products and services, and improve their business processes.
But all this data comes with a huge responsibility. Companies must keep information safe and comply with all applicable security legislation. The companies that succeed in the future will need to have a solid strategy in place that makes the most of their data while protecting partners and customers.
- Failing to attract and keep talent
Recruiting and keeping top talent is a challenge for today’s organizations – but it’s always been true that people are the heart of every company. Companies that succeed are working on developing the right culture, and are prioritizing diversity. They are also implementing flatter, more agile hierarchies and management structures where people feel good and can be their most authentic selves.
- Not developing future skills
The skills required to succeed at work are evolving faster than ever, and the half-life of today’s skills is rapidly decreasing. Every organization needs to ensure its people are continually developing the right skills, or they will simply be left behind.
- Failing to build strong partnerships and integrate with others
No business can operate in isolation, and in today’s world, it’s more important than ever to build strong and resilient partner relationships and supply chains. For business leaders, this may mean partnering with traditional competitors – a type of cooperative competition called “coopetition” – to tackle their industries’ biggest challenges.
- Lack of authenticity and transparency
To build and maintain a successful organization, you must have the trust of your stakeholders and customers. Gaining this trust requires transparency, authenticity, and honesty – even when things go wrong. Organizations must communicate their purpose and mission, and be transparent about the business processes that affect customers.
A great example of this issue is transparency around a company’s use of data. The companies that try to hide the way they use data (or exploit users’ data for nefarious purposes) will fail, and the ones that are fully transparent about how, when, and why data is being used will thrive by building consumer trust.
Hidden Cause of Failure: Lack of Business Plan and Execution
Many businesses will fail because of a lack of short-term and long-term planning. Your business plan should include where your company will be in the next few months to the next few years. Include measurable goals and results, as well as specific task lists with dates and deadlines.
In my work with a large variety of organizations, I help them prepare for the future and translate their goals into a very simple plan and strategy that everyone can understand and deliver.
Where The British Royal Family Went Wrong
Leadership, Finance & Differentiation
Are the habits and traits which built such mighty empires still relevant today? The mechanism and people behind the business create the failure to keep up. This article examines three key areas:
Leadership, Financial and Differentiation Factors.
Some failed enterprises took years to hit the iceberg. Avoiding the icefield in the first place is the answer, with continuous new ways of thinking that aren’t just about avoidance, but also about the ability to drive directional change.
It’s not only about steering the ship around the iceberg but about questioning the whole scenario. Why are we on a ship, and where are we heading?
Leadership Failures
Businesses fail because of poor leadership. Leadership failures will trickle down to every aspect of your business; Experience, of course, but knowledge is based on historical findings. In a daily changing business ln any industrial setting and organisation, employees behave in such a way (ie exhibit behaviours) that they know what behaviour will cause the manager above them to take issue with said behaviour, and equally know what they can get away with. No employee behaves in any way that they know they will be reprimanded for. The Royal Family is no different. That pattern of what will be accepted and what will be challenged, flows right through to the top of the organisation. The employee in a junior role in an entry point into The Firm, exhibits behaviours that senior management hold and this includes the Monarch. If the Leadership does not see a problem brewing, they will spread that message throughout the organisation, and to ensure that no one outside of the family will have any doubt, they ensure that the nations media who in the UK are tabloids, including the so called quality papers, will describe the Monarchy as being successful and fall on the 1000 year history as the blinding light so bright that no one can see any alternative narrative. The tabloids push that point home every day for years, so nothing really changes in such an environment. Someone new coming into that structure, who has business experience, and has worked globally and also held an Ambassadorial role within an Embassy, and on top of all of that, ran successful business and project managed even more including raising funds for a wide range of charities based in different regions of the globe.
Someone with those type of credentials, trying to make sense of this organisation frozen in time, and dictated by people with zero experience in such matters, but held important roles, because of their order of birth was doomed to struggle, because it was like trying to mix oil and water.
In addition, as companies grow, they add more products and services to the portfolio, making the offering increasingly confusing. In the case of the Royals, it was clear even from the creative accounting over decades, that the Patronages that received the most attention were the ones that the senior Royals liked and therefore chose based on their preference, rather than the need of the organisation or the impact on society. Even the time spent on charities that were of interest to individual Royals, added to those that were allocated to Working Royals, the percentage of time per year by each member of the Senior Working Royals to supporting their Charities accounted to a single figure percentage of their time. Some of those charities never received more than one visit in a ten year period, and any true business would question the impact and benefits in a quantifiable way by only a single figure percentage of their annual time. One cannot help but wonder the remaining 90+% of time each year is spent, and what was the range of activity and in what way was the impact ascertained. Time spent and Output are tied and should show in a measurable way as to how publicly funded entities justified their existence.
Inability to Learn from Failure
Often business leaders are oblivious about their mistakes. As a result, learning from failure can be difficult. Members of the Royal Family are never performance managed by anyone who wishes to remain employed by the Firm, so in my opinion the range of data produced each year is at best creative. The data looked at as a whole, tells us nothing of any importance.
Lack of Planning
Businesses fail because of the lack of short- and long-term planning. Planning should include where you want your business to be in the next few years with measurable goals and results. The right strategy will consist of specific to-do lists with dates and deadlines. Failure to plan will damage your business. The Royal Family feel that they will be in existence for ever, so there is no real danger of not being around, so there is no interest in strategy and workforce planning.
Premature Scaling and Over Expansion
Scaling is a good thing if it is done at the right time. To put it simply, if you scale your business prematurely, you will destroy it. This is a classic error made by the British Royal Family, and actions taken were done out of spite and vindictiveness, and to have professional sounding ‘soundbites’ in the media about the amount of money that was going to be saved, and how frugal the Monarchy was going to be moving forward. Tabloids spun the fairy tales as per usual. No one thought about age profiles or competence, or lack of work ethic, but blindly went ahead and forced out two of their best assets, and then doubled down on the bullying and coercive control behaviour that only led to some home truths. Two thirds of the senior Royal were above or near to retirement age. The remaining two of the seven never had a work rate like the others, and only decided to pretend that they had it, when a new member of the came into the family by marriage. The copying and pasting that started in that period was embarrassing, but due to poor leadership, it was hailed like the second coming of a deity. The two new saviours who had never worked a day in their life before this period commenced, and had no understanding of the detail. All they could do is produce spreadsheets (though in reality I doubt they even managed that – someone else would have produced that and told them what it meant etc) which displayed where all the coat hangers were metaphorically, but no understanding of what the different colours of the items hanging on the hooks represented. The Venn diagrams looked pretty though.
Poor Financial Management
Having complete visibility and a deep understanding of an organisation’s finances and responding to constant change is critical. Poor financial management is why many big businesses fail. Poor decisions are driven by ‘gut feelings’ rather than sophisticated modelling and analysis – steering many large companies on the path to destruction. This is how the UK Monarchy operated, and as stated earlier, vindictiveness and cruelty and old fashioned temper tantrums formed the basis for many decisions made against anyone who was seen not to be a team player, not least because some individuals in the Royal Family made it their mission to make independent thinking and better qualified and experienced in many areas, to feel unwelcome. The Firm is now reaping what they chose to sow.
Market Disruption
Disrupt or die may sound dramatic, but the competition is fierce.
Eventually, the disrupter will challenge the most profitable part of the sector by offering a new alternative to the established market favourite. In the case of the Royals, it is not a market favourite. It is only a favourite among a group of people who are the same age profile of most of the Senior Royals, and most of that age group in that population is above 75 years of age. The republican movement represents over 50% and growing, and nature will result in the third who support having a Monarchy, reducing daily. The world has changed, and most Monarchies have disappeared already and the others will reduce dramatically, and the few that remain in decades to come, will be truly accountable to the will of the people. History has shown us, even where Monarchs were banished or fled from their countries, the few that returned did so as elected officials. The public were in control.
Ignoring Customer Needs
Every business will tell you that the customer is #1, but only a tiny percentage acts that wayWhat are they saying? Are you listening? More than half want a Head of State, not an unelected body there by birthright, with no experience or competence, and a huge number of relatives who benefit from public funding without ever having carried out meaningful work for the nation – much like the senior working Royals we have now, and their relatives. Arrogance of the Royal family will speed up the process of such a social construct being brought to an end. Societal groups who support each other, to ensure that they all have access to the gravy train, will start to look at groups which can really help them, as opposed to continuing supporting a group that most of the nation do not want in place. Ignoring these choices and a refusal to all people to vote on such a topic will ultimately speed up the process and produce the outcome that the Royalists were trying to avoid.
A Royally Dysfunctional Family.
There isn’t one ideal way to be; yet a family needs to be flexible enough to respond to changing circumstances. Some of those circumstances include kids simply getting older and ready to be more independent.
You can see that families at the extremes of the emotional ambiance continuum are less flexible, less responsive to the need to change; less responsive to the clues that family members give regarding their needs. If the British Royal Family wants to serve society in any way, they have a responsibility to model, healthy family functioning, and that must include listening and caring about the feelings and needs of family members and being flexible enough to change with the times.
Your Workforce Plan is all Wrong
I am 100% certain that there is no Workforce Plan in The Firm, and I am equally certain that within the hundreds of employees, I can guess which levels the people of colour are generally employed in, and I can guess where women are employed, and within that group, I can guess the scales of salary paid, and there is no way that women of colour occupy substantial numbers of senior posts of all females employed, and equally there will be very few women at the top of the organisational structure. Knowing now that it was the HR department in regular contact with the same Royal Reporters, one in particular on film on two occasions, confirming discussions about Meghan, The Duchess of Sussexes state of mental health, and the suicidal ideations, which is a serious breach of confidentiality, and is a Data Protection Breach legally. So, I am not holding my breath to expect understanding of Workforce Planning, because if such a Plan exists, we would not be in the situation we are in now, regarding the age group of the so called Working Royals.
The Less Sprightly and the Unables left to fly the flag of The Firm, which currently mirrors the state of the UK at the moment, a once bright and admirable member of the fleet, now fallen in grace and reduced to a unsteady vessel, with increasing holes appearing in its lowest deck and an engine that is slowly grinding to a halt. All it has are a few oars and a few lifeboats – all of which have seen better days, and is unlikely to be able to travel to safer seas without assistance. It would require outside assistance to carry it forward. Why would the public pay even more to keep a group of unelected people in place, when we have an elected forum for taking the country forward. It is called The Government. They need to do their job, or be voted out. There is no luxury of time to pay people who lack competence or foresight to be a family using public funds to masquerade as a business; a business which also contains people who are not up to date with the requirements of a business, and certainly should be under scrutiny for the public funds it receives to underperform anyway. Time for a change.
Adapting to Disruption
Given that Kodak’s core business was selling film, it is not hard to see why the last few decades proved challenging. Cameras went digital and then disappeared into cellphones. People went from printing pictures to sharing them online. Sure, people print nostalgic books and holiday cards, but that volume pales in comparison to Kodak’s heyday.Once one of the most powerful companies in the world, today the company has a market capitalization of less than $1 billion.
The real disruption occurred when cameras merged with phones, and people shifted from printing pictures to posting them on social media and mobile phone apps. And Kodak totally missed that.
- Complacency
- Not prioritizing sustainability
- Not putting service first
- No innovation
- Not being proficient in up to date technical software.
- Not treating data as a key business asset with accuracy.
- Not developing future skills
- Failing to build strong partnerships and integrate with others
- Lack of authenticity and transparency
oOo
Harry and Meghan
The Archewell Foundation
Now let us move on to cover the work of two former members of the 7 Senior Working Royals who were forced out of the UK because of increasing risks to their mental health and the lives of the Sussex family. I won’t need to go into pages of detail to explain it to all you all, because we have spent the last 3 years on this channel promoting the work of the Sussexes, against a backdrop of evil and dangerous activities by those working on behalf of the Monarchy. You wanted the Sussexes to leave, and you thought that they would fail and be forced to return to the abuse that they knew.
The Monarch and the Heir made it very clear, via their mouthpieces in the media that no one should outshine the top two. The Spare was not there to shine but to prop up the next in Line. After years of documented abuse and being told to dim their lights, and to allow the spotlight to shine on the top two couples (even if the truth was bent to on occasion to ensure the light appeared to be bright over their heads) and on breakfast TV not a day went by when the couple were mentioned in scathing terms because of the quality of their work, and Meghan was told repeatedly to go home back to the USA. Well, be careful what you wish for UK Royalists and media. Harry and Meghan left the UK, for a life of self generated income, and left behind UK taxpayer funding. The couple were going to start their own business and ensure that they could do their philanthropic projects without having to worry about fragile egos. The spotlight the Royals wanted was now all theirs. It is amazing how long the Royal family and its dwindling base of supporters were confident that the Sussex family would return, and then the anger set in, because they had not done so. It was also evident that standing in the glare of the spotlight was not going well for the Royal family. The number of fake olive branches offered for Harry to return (but not Meghan) and then the subsequent bridges burned when Harry did not play their game is a comedy skit in the making. In 2023 the King evicted The Sussexes from Frogmore Cottage, the gift from the late Queen upon Harry and Meghan’s marriage – a home for life. Harry and Meghan repaid £2.4m for renovations after the media continued to write articles about how the money should be repaid because work was done and the couple now lived in the USA. They offered Harry a 12 year credit arrangement for repayment. Harry produced a cheque for the full amount. I wish I could have been there to see faces in the room. Recently it has come to light that Harry is a resident of the USA, and on the form he completed he stated the date of the Eviction Notice issued by his father The King.
This next section of the podcast, and to also bring this podcast to a close, I will outline a brief summary of how The Sussexes are well on the way to becoming billionaires in just four years. No taxpayer funds involved. All done on their own efforts, alongside doing genuine philanthropic projects, with measureable outcomes and impact. When people work hard at planning their business portfolio and maintain accurate records, audited by people who require authenticity, and have public records on their website giving details of the impact and costs involved in each project, it is clear that there is no performative activity going on here. There is no need.
By the way, their light still outshines all of you (you know who you are) on Shutter Island and Harry and Meghan and their family live on another continent. UK you have the Monarch you wanted and you have the Next in Line, who you also wanted. Two of the four have documented illnesses and one of those has not been seen since 25th December 2023. The wife of the King has been seen and has enjoyed time away from the glare and the King as well. The Next in Line has been seen undertaking public duties in hours that amount to less than a day since 25th December 2023, and seems to be visibly wilting under the heat of the spotlight. Harry and Meghan look happy and moisterised under the heat of California and the temperature is way higher there. All of their projects are doing well, and the family is happy. I wont rub salt into the wounds too much, but here is the outline of a business, a new business, and one that does not have a media and Hate for Hire groups and individuals paid to say positive things about the few “engagements” undertaken since Harry and Meghan moved away, or since the two senior couples are dealing with health issues. Let’s take a look at how the Archewell Foundation branding is doing four years into its existence.
Supporting Parents:-
Supporting families, in a purpose-driven movement for change to safeguard against online harms.
- From ongoing conversations speaking with parents around the world, it is clear that social media and time online are affecting the mental health of teens and children everywhere. In response, The Archewell Foundation has created a first of its kind support network for parents whose children and families have been impacted by online, social media harm. This community is a place for parents to convene, to heal, and to help prevent future loss and harm from occurring to other families around the world by sharing their stories. It brings the concerns, lived experiences, and solutions to the forefront of public consciousness.
- Through our partnership with parents, we are building an empowered, informed, and connected global community of families who support and uplift one another, while becoming a platform and catalyst to affect change towards a safer online world.
The Welcome Project
Addressing the social isolation recently resettled women experience around the world and building more inclusive and connected communities.
With a belief in the power of connection and a goal of uplifting communities, The Welcome Project supports the creation of programming for women who have recently resettled from Afghanistan. There are currently 11 active Welcome Projects across the U.S. designed to foster a sense of belonging through activities including sewing, art, hiking, swimming, photography, storytelling, and cooking.
By facilitating women-based programming, The Welcome Project also brings access to critical resources and opportunities that not only supports the women participating in The Welcome Project, but also improves the lives of those around them – their families and their communities.
NAACP (The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People)
Supporting and uplifting unsung visionaries working to expand equity in the online world.
2023 Winner: In 2023, this award was given to Nabiha Syed, Chief Executive Officer of The Markup, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates how powerful institutions use technology to change our society. Their data-driven approach has produced reporting on topics including hidden racial bias in mortgage approval algorithms, the security of health information for vulnerable populations, and inequities in internet access.
RESPONSIBLE TECH YOUTH POWER FUND
BUILDING A BETTER ONLINE WORLD Responsible Tech Youth Power Fund Supporting the next generation of leaders pioneering innovation in technology and advocacy to make our online world more inclusive, safe, and accountable for all.
The Archewell Foundation is a founding member of The Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund which has awarded $2 million to a cohort of 26 organizations focused on building a safer, more inclusive online world. These young leaders are pioneering innovation in technology and stewarding a tech ecosystem which safeguards human rights. The projects include innovative solutions to issues that affect us all, including improving education access, the responsible use of artificial intelligence, and promoting the safety and well-being of online communities.
INSIGHT SESSIONS
BUILDING A BETTER ONLINE WORLD Insight Sessions Prioritizing real-world perspectives from young people and parents as we navigate the complexity of technology’s role in society and strive to create a better online world.
The Archewell Foundation regularly conducts intimate discussions with young people and parents to hear their perspectives about social media and the digital future, fostering connections and discussing pathways for change. In October 2023, The Archewell Foundation released the first edition of its Insight Report, based on 15 months of insight sessions. The report analyses the complex role and risks of technology in society, emphasizing concerns about online safety for kids, the importance of considering diverse online experiences, and a collective call for more research, accountability, and transparency to support a safer online environment.
FUTURE OF MEDIA
RESTORING TRUST IN INFORMATION Future of Media Responding to a rapid rise in misinformation and disinformation to create a better, more trustworthy information environment.
The Archewell Foundation is committed to uplifting communities – geographic and demographic – by strengthening reliable and ethical journalism, supporting solutions which help to ensure all citizens are informed and engaged in their everyday lives. To that end, AWF has invested in and uplifted community-based news outlets and organizations that play a pivotal role in enhancing the online experience for everyone including The 19th, Civic News Company, Sustainable Media Center, and URL Media.
We have also joined Press Forward, a five-year initiative dedicated to rectifying longstanding inequities in journalism. Through these collective efforts, The Archewell Foundation is steadfast in its mission to shape the future of media, ensuring a world where reliable information prevails, misinformation is challenged, and the public is empowered with the knowledge needed for a more informed and connected society.
Additionally, as part of The Archewell Foundation’s efforts to enhance our information ecosystem and comprehend the intricate interplay between information, media, and broader societal trends, we funded two independent research projects to investigate the impact of news and social media on public discourse. In Australia, Purpose’s report, “Online Hate Speech in Australia” explores the role of news media in fueling hate speech against marginalized communities. The Foundation also supported Demos’ “Drivers of Digital Discourse” project which delves into the interconnectedness between social media, influencers, and news media, aiming to promote healthier democratic discourse and fundamental rights. Together, these studies contribute to a better understanding of online hate and accountability for those amplifying it.
SUPPORT FOR MOMS
UPLIFTING COMMUNITIES Support for Moms Supporting mothers – and women preparing for motherhood – who are in need of trauma-informed care and vital resources for their families.
Through a mutual belief in the power of supporting women to uplift communities, The Archewell Foundation and Harvest Home have come together to provide support and essentials to expectant mothers who have faced tremendous challenges including domestic violence, substance use, and homelessness. Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and the Archewell team came together to create a baby boutique for Harvest Home that offers clothing, baby essentials, and care products. This ongoing partnership continues to provide vital resources to families who need them most.
Mental Health Response
Caring for the mental health of those impacted around the globe in the immediate aftermath of disasters.
When disasters strike around the globe, Humanity Crew mobilizes quickly to deploy mental health professionals who are trained to intervene and provide trauma-informed care and support for all individuals. This vital resource ensures that psychological support is not forgotten in the wake of tragedy.
Together with The Archewell Foundation’s support, Humanity Crew has provided over 3,176 hours of trauma-informed mental health support to survivors of tragedies around the world.
The Empowerment of Girls
Ensuring that the health of girls around the world is cared for and that they have the essentials needed to thrive.
The Archewell Foundation recently backed girls’ education and health in Nigeria, collaborating with The GEANCO Foundation to send school supplies and menstrual products to students. Through our partnership, AWF has supported menstrual health education for 2,500 girls in the region, addressing critical needs and contributing to long-term, sustainable solutions in their lives.
A Play Space for Uvalde
The Archewell Foundation, in collaboration with KABOOM!, supported the creation of a playground in Uvalde, Texas, as a symbol of hope and healing for the community after the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in 2022. The park was designed by the children in the community, and it also includes a memorial scavenger hunt to honor the lives that were lost.
KABOOM! focuses on building playgrounds in underserved neighborhoods, and their work deeply aligns with AWF’s commitment to fostering joy and resilience through community.
Hope you have all enjoyed updates on Archewell successes. Sussex Supporter Global Network let’s all shine our lights brightly. We are beacons around the globe
Ivy Barrow
210424
REFERENCE SOURCES
https://neildbrown.com/podcast/a-royally-dysfunctional-family/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-do-large-once-successful-companies-fail-kainos-worksmart
https://www.newincite.com/marketing-soapbox/3-companies-that-failed-to-listen/
https://medium.com/@pro.claudio.beck/adapting-to-disruption-66beb93d97d9
https://hbr.org/2016/07/kodaks-downfall-wasnt-about-technology