I mean, really, if you are earning £150K+ with a 50% bonus, then you are doing alright, I mean how bad can the bad times be? Spain instead of the Bahamas, a BMW instead of a Porsche? Boo hoo!

Though it has to be said, it’s far more fun to work in a commercial setting when people are optimistic and the business has a sense of it can do no wrong. All of a sudden though the brakes are on and the ‘slash and burn’ has begun. Even the businesses that are making a healthy profit suddenly get a case of the heebe geebe’s and look to their bottom line to ensure they are not being seen as frivolous.

What’s also interesting is the psychology of leadership in these times, supposedly ‘strategic’ decisions often are the demonstration of a castrated executive team; who in reality cut back the entrepreneurial spirit and imagination, in a direct parallel to the cutting back of a budget. It shows up those who ‘need a budget to create movement’ and those who can ‘create movement on a budget’

But we know in our hearts that this is all cyclical, just like it always has been and as surely as Bell Bottoms will come back into fashion, there will be an up turn. But in the interim, opportunities will be missed, development curtailed and hires delayed.  But the reality is nothing has changed, not really!

Guess what? The sun will (I promise you) rise in the morning and the morning after and the morning after. This is important why? Simply because when you know in your heart that things are truly still the same, it’s a test of the leaders long term strategic thinking that sends a message out to the business. Keep going, nothing has really changed! Don’t believe the hype! We are strong and we know what we are doing!