When I was 6 the school sports day was an emotional
rollercoaster. The fast kids, y’know the ones who actually had an inkling of
sporting prowess, would be chosen for the 100 yard sprint. We adored those
kids, they were the school heroes. Being a progressive school, it was important
to find fulfilling roles for the less able. Children who displayed good balance
got to compete in the egg-and-spoon race. Those who were good at team work
participated in the three-legged race. There was even a race for those children
who could dress themselves really, really quickly (at 6, speed
is everything). It involved running 20 yards, putting on some very baggy
grown-up trousers and a coat, running another 20 yards, stripping off and then
belting it towards the finish line. It got a laugh if nothing else. Those who
were natural entertainers tended to compete in that race.
And then there was the race for the children who showed no
real talent whatsoever. This was the beanbag race. It involved carrying a
beanbag while walking (not running!)
as quickly as you could to the other side of the field. I was always in the
beanbag race. And I never won.
Last night I found my memories drawn back 40 years to my
bean-bag racing days. My wife and I had been invited to a special high-status
Awards Dinner. Dressed in our best bib-and-tucker we headed into central London
and entered the prestigious and historic Institute of Directors building off
Pall Mall. We allowed ourselves a brief moment where we dared to believe that
tonight our little business, Isle, would finally be recognised. This was, after
all, a proper Institute of Directors event and we had been invited along as a
potential ‘winner’. We were not sure what category we had been entered for, but
it felt pretty good just to be there, in the room, surrounded by the elite.
As we entered the pwc-sponsored dining hall and picked up
our event brochure we learnt three important things. Firstly we, along with the
other 30 or so companies attending, had been shortlisted from over 300 entrants.
I confess that this made me feel a little special. Secondly that we had been
entered for the ‘Chairman’s Award for Corporate Social Responsibility’. Again,
I felt a little surge of pride. We set up a foundation in Isle a few years ago
that supports water entrepreneurs in developing countries. Thirdly, that we had
been shortlisted against three other companies. A £100m+ turnover hotel chain
(the Arora Group), a £500m turnover IT support business (Softcat) and a tiny catering
firm called Ella’s Kitchen. Reading the bumpf it was clear that Ella’s Kitchen was
the rightful winner for their work to ‘improve children’s lives by developing a
healthy relationship with food’.
As Jeremy Vine took to the stage to entertain us, I sat back
and pretended I didn’t care if I lost. It was a lie of course, but I am only
human. Our table cheered loudly and vociferously when Isle’s name was mentioned
in the shortlist (which was jolly nice of them as 2 hours earlier we had not
known each other) but it was not to be our night. The award went to the hotel
chain Arora Group. Slightly worryingly when asked to comment on what his CSR
contribution was the CEO responded with ‘At Arora we look after our staff like
they are family and our clients like they are royalty’, which felt like he had
not quite understood the question.
I am not bitter. I am sure the judges knew what they were
doing. It was good just to be there. Sometimes just holding the beanbag is
enough.
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