WHEN I started thinking about what I might write for this article, many important business issues came to mind. How the business sector needs to work more closely together to articulate the limitations of our 'micro' economy, what support is needed to address this, where we need to focus our efforts to maximise business opportunities, the impact of the Chinese downturn on the global economy and how can we quantify its impact on Europe, the UK, Northern Ireland? But these were at best ephemeral thoughts and increasingly peripheral as the potential for another considerable political own goal began to unfold.
There's been a lot been written and said on the current political impasse to date. I've no desire to further chide these perceived failings but I am keen to outline my view on how the business sector's response to similar challenges would be diametrically different and to reflect the impact that a long term impasse will have on business growth and development.
Any business organisation lives and dies, succeeds or fails, by collective responsibility. Our organisation is an eclectic mix of skills and talents. It’s those individual set of skills that work collectively to turn the cog in any business wheel, executing in tandem, supportive of one another, collectively pulling together for the greater good.
As it approaches the Rugby World Cup, the Irish team will need these collective qualities in abundance. While I have two sons that play the sport, I'm no expert on the game but even I know that Ireland's success, the determination to be better, grow and develop as a team is based on glorious defeat to the All Blacks in 2013. Fine margins, a game they should have won, the mistake that lost it came down to a young and inexperienced player giving a penalty away. When the dust settled nobody showed any enmity, they accepted that collective responsibility, moved on and vowed to learn from it.
That's what the business sector does. It celebrates success and accepts challenges, learnings and failings collectively. There is simply no other option. 'It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure’, it’s hard to argue with Bill Gates' view.
For me the lack of collective responsibility is the biggest missing at Stormont. When any two businesses enter into an agreement there is an obligation, be that legal or not, for both sides to deliver. But within the Executive it seems to be too easy to break its commitment to the electorate and the disconnect continues to grow. You'd imagine it'd be even more incumbent on a coalition to work collectively, be it mandatory or otherwise, but unfortunately the finger pointing and counter finger pointing paints anything but a collective picture. Simply a complete lack of trust.
I was in London on business last week and colleagues were oblivious to the issues unfolding in the north. In one sense it was a relief. If the business sector in London is unaware maybe then the impact of this crisis won't be as significant as it might have been. On the other hand it simply demonstrates how hard we have to fight to have our voice heard, be it in business or any genre on a UK wide basis. All the more reason for a strong and united political voice.
As pointed out last week by new Cpl CEO Áine Brolly, former senior vice-president of Invest NI in the US, the current Assembly issues don't have the global negativity in terms of headlines, sound bites or footage that the social unrest of a couple of years ago had. Small mercies indeed, but any failure to overcome these issues will have a long term impact upon the Executive's key commitment to develop the private sector and rebalance the economy.
One of the biggest issues we face within the business sector is our ability to train, maintain and attract a skilled workforce particularly within the areas where there is the opportunity for growth and revenue generation within our economy, such as STEM-related industries. As our students leave their homes this month, for GB, the south or further afield, will parents be more disposed to encourage them to come back once they have qualified? Doubtful after the week we have seen within the local political arena.
On the issue of current Executive business related policy, what does an inability to achieve agreement mean for business rate reform, much needed infrastructural development and the employment bill to name a few? As we know all too well it means that these decisions will be made by people that don't have knowledge and expertise on what’s needed at a local level. The vast majority of the business community believe that the Assembly, notwithstanding its many faults, is better positioned to support economic growth than unaccountable, unelectable (in Northern Ireland) GB-based Ministers.
One area I omitted to highlight was devolution of corporation tax but this has, of course, been floundering ever since the carrot was genuinely flaunted by George Osborne in the budget. Certainly, one of my colleagues has been articulating for many months that due the lack of policy-based scaffolding, regarding skills, infrastructure and business support as well as the considerable lack of political goodwill to oversee a sizeable reduction in the block grant, that at best an ability to set our own rate is 'years away'. Nonetheless, it's not going to come any quicker should there be direct rule.
Also what is the impact of all of this as regards the Review of Public Administration (RPA)? Now more than ever, it represents a significant double edged sword. Should the Executive fail in its 'latest' talks one would hope that it is a good thing that at least some of the powers under RPA have been devolved to local government. Or is it? How can we expect our local councillors to demonstrate deference, respect, equity and equality on important issues such as planning when our coalition partners have been bereft of these characteristics in recent weeks?
Irrespective of what happens in the coming days and weeks, the business community, just like the electorate, will continue to go about its business. It will continue to seek opportunities to grow, review how it can improve its products or services, look to increase revenues and profits and with it taxes and possibly create employment. With the commitments it has, it won't be walking away. It has no other option, no matter how great or small the stakes become.
There has to be a lesson here for our Assembly. Stick at it and dig deep for that collective responsibility. In the circumstances I found American businessman Sumner Redmond's quote very apt: 'Success is not built on success. It's built on failure. It's built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.'
:: Claire Aiken is managing director of Belfast and Dublin-based public relations and public affairs company Aiken PR.
:: Next week: Richard Ramsey
