Martin's Story
Did you ever, as a child, build model theatres out of shoe boxes? I did. Did you ever love performing so much that you left school to join in and never went back? I did.
Pantomimes and Cabaret led to fashion shows and conferences, and an opportunity to join a major corporate, where I stayed for 35 years! Why? Because I discovered that all audiences adore a compelling story. And to be presenter of that story is a remarkable sensation; indeed, it is a privilege.
I have a huge belief in, and have built a career on, the concept of ability and presentability being soul-mates. A clever story will always be enriched by a memorable performance. With The Storytellers this is a passion.
My life today, outside storytelling, includes the Development Board of a ballet school, the Board of a major regional theatre, Chairman of one of the UK's largest Drama Festivals and Linda, Daniel, Sam, Amy and Tom.
Posts by Martin Clarkson
17th Jul 2007 @ 8.32am
There are so many definitions of this phrase Employee Engagement. It’s become a mini industry in itself, with a range of companies operating in this field. Web and intranet designers, event producers, pensions and benefits companies, survey companies, healthcare companies - you name it, a vast number of them view themelves as agents of employee engagement. Read item »
posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Engagement, Organisations
23rd Apr 2007 @ 8.37am
Ever heard of work-life balance? The New York Times refers to our addiction to Blackberry’s - or ‘Crackberry’s’:
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posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Misc
12th Apr 2007 @ 8.35am
OK. We all know it. Creating true employee engagement in large organisations is no mean feat. True engagement (which doesn’t just come from a nice looking newsletter as we all know) depends on the combination and balance of many factors - leadership skills, communication, reward, development, culture and environment, line of sight, sustainability and so on….the list is a long one. Yet if an organisation gets it right - or as near to right as it can, profitability increases. I’ll say that slightly louder. PROFITABILITY INCREASES. By up to 20 per cent according to the Corporate Leadership Council. Which, unless we’re just here for the ride, is the whole point of an organisation’s existence (at least, in the private sector). Read item »
posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Engagement, Organisations
3rd Oct 2006 @ 7.03pm
We love this poem by Elspeth Murray, which echoes our frustration at the complexity, jargon, irrelevance and clutter that litters communication within organisations today. Elspeth wrote the poem for the launch of the cancer information reference group SCAN (South East Scotland Cancer Network) in January 2006, which has been trying to improve the quality and speed of services for people with cancer.
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posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Misc
27th Sep 2006 @ 11.38am
Another one for the cabinet…..we are delighted to receive yet another accolade for our work with EDS, which has just won a Silver Quill at the IABC’s Southern Region Conference in the US.
posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Organisations
18th Aug 2006 @ 8.04am
If you’re entertaining guests by letting them help with dinner preparations, make sure they know what you’re serving and where to find the pots, pans and utensils. Same thing applies to new employee induction. Give them an orientation that helps them be productive from Day One.
posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Engagement
8th Jul 2006 @ 3.31pm
Great to see that JetBlue’s new advertising campaign is one of storytelling….
posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Stories, Brands
3rd May 2006 @ 4.00pm
‘Telling people what to do doesn’t work any more because they don’t do it - and nor should they.’
Good words from ex BBC boss Greg Dyke - what he has to say in People Management this month ticks lots of boxes for us….
posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Misc
19th Jan 2006 @ 11.08am
What’s this? A new survey has been published which finds that two thirds of British workers feel their boss is a good leader, and three quarters say they are proud to work for their organisation.
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posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Engagement
11th Jan 2006 @ 1.33pm
Nice to see The Storytellers mentioned recently in Richard Donkin’s column in the FT, with his view of the importance of Meaning at work.
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posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Misc
31st Oct 2005 @ 11.35am
I always enjoy reading what David Bolchover has to say. I wonder how many of us concur with his view that while we might be just a little bored with our day to day jobs we could actually do another person’s job perfectly well, if not better.
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posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Engagement
20th Oct 2005 @ 3.18pm
There has been an interesting, week-long-so-far debate on Melcrum’s SCM forum about what makes a good leader. The response has been amazingly varied. As the Conservative Party enters its final phase of choosing a leader, I thought this BBC News Magazine article was appropriate. I’d be interested to think what everyone out there thinks about this subject!
posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Misc
8th Sep 2005 @ 6.26pm
The term ‘Skilled Incompetents’ really resonated with me when I read today’s article by Dr James Rieley in The Daily Telegraph. This highlights the all-too-common practice of managers looking inwards to concentrate on their own personal agendas, preventing others from achieving their own goals and in doing so preventing the organisation as a whole from achieving its goals and targets. Managers and Leaders? Reading this article, the words Wheat and Chaff spring to mind.
posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Organisations
21st Jun 2005 @ 11.04am
One of the greatest storytellers of this century has explained in the Sunday Times how, in an era where digital technology brings so much to life, the imagination still plays a vital role in good storytelling.
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posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Misc
5th Jun 2005 @ 5.43pm
‘Thou shalt not’ is soon forgotten, but ‘Once upon a time’ will last forever…
posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Soundbites
27th Feb 2005 @ 11.54am
This is a story of a poor man in Glasgow who needed to feed his family. He hit on the idea of using his meagre savings to buy a crate of oranges to sell outside the football ground.
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posted by Martin Clarkson
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filed under Stories
