Page 28 - BOSS Today Issue 23

Young Managers’ Conference

ust a cursory glance at the to do in future. Perhaps, being workspace of the future to take Attribute For The Future
Jdelegates gathered at the themselves a part of these very account of this?” Concluding the morning’s
Conference Aston Centre in developments, they were less From an OP distributor’s session, Phil Jones, MD Brother
Birmingham told much of the conscious of – or concerned by point of view, Ball pointed out UK, was tasked with focusing on
tale: of the c100 there, of which – these changes at all. that while sales and margins the individual by encouraging
only just over half were men, were in decline, operating costs the delegates to ‘Think Like A
the majority looked under 35 Where We Have were increasing, concluding: CEO’ by actively developing
and none of them (except for Come From? “There are too many players for the attributes most needed by
the over 40s) was wearing a tie. In his opening paper ‘The the amount of business that future industry leaders. Drawing
In his introduction to the day, Industry Challenges’, Alan Ball is currently available. But with on his own experience as one of
Michael Gardner, BOSS CEO, set the scene on how fast- every challenge like this comes the youngest senior executives
reported that he had once been moving this industry river has opportunity”. in the industry, Jones stressed
told that “the current generation been, starting with how the that successful leaders needed
of industry board members are OP distribution structure had The Way Forward to develop ‘more robust thinking’
‘pale, male and stale’”: clearly changed since the 1970s, and Picking up the theme, Aidan about their businesses and lives,
this was not a description of how market demand had Doyle, MD Staples Advantage giving practical tips on how
this audience, which more than declined. UK & Ireland, entitled his young professionals should focus
satisfied Gardner’s objective for Looking downstream, he presentation ‘The Way Forward’ their attention, energy, emotions
this year’s conference to attract identified the key threats to the and focussed on a number of and time on what they wished to
more 25-35 year olds. OP industry as being Amazon, issues for the future: achieve in their lives and careers.
The BOSS CEO went on to generic online resellers and
describe the differing attitudes, eBuyer, but tellingly warned that ■ Technology The Long &
needs and working behaviour constant change was here to ■ The paperless office Winding Road
of ‘Generation X’ (those born stay: “In five years’ time, Amazon ■ Sustainability/recycling The afternoon’s session was
between 1965 and 1990) and won’t exist. Their model and ■ The internet devoted to the younger
‘Generation Y’ (1980-2000) technology is quite weak, so ■ Customer needs speakers, all of them
– aka ‘The Millennials’ – and, other players will come in and entrepreneurs who saw only
looking around my table, it take over.” However, for Doyle, the major opportunities in the changes
was interesting to see that at Ball also predicted a further motif for the future was the which we face as an industry,
least one young delegate was move towards the paperless increasing speed at which we and conveying with passion
ignoring the pens and notepads office and to the 13% pa think and work, and he claimed and humour the excitement
that had been kindly supplied increase in home working, that “Speed is the essence of of taking a simple idea and
to us by event sponsors Pilot concluding that today’s office the future”. The key road block developing it with energy
Pen and Rhodia and was instead space was likely to be Starbucks: for this future was price, and and dedication. Aware – and
typing notes furiously on his “The biggest threat to this Doyle challenged the next unafraid to admit – that as much
iPad. industry is the cloud, because generation of OP industry can be learned from failures
It was perhaps this kind of there we lose control of the leaders to “add value to your and setbacks as triumphs, they
change in end-user behaviour ability to see what is happening. customers without adding cost proved that the path to success
that Gardner had in mind How do we tackle the office/ to your businesses.” can be a meandering one, in
when he warned “We embrace
change; we welcome change.
If we don’t, as an industry we
will die.” Indeed, one of the
themes that became apparent
during the day was that while
the older speakers used their
historical perspective to focus
on how the industry had been
changing, this was seemingly
of less concern to the younger
presenters. These all spoke
about identifying opportunities
for themselves and their
businesses, concentrating on
what they had been doing
and what they were planning

28 BOSS TODAY | July/August 2014

YMC.indd 4 18/07/2014 15:26