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Aug 15, 2021Liked by Bruce Daisley

My old firm used to have a proud tradition of welcoming new arrivals (new starters were asked to present themselves to everyone for 5 minutes) but there was an equal obsession with leavers. I think it might have started because there were two or three really funny people in the company. When people were leaving someone would say 'we're getting Andy or Vicki to do the speech'. The speeches gathered a few hundred people a time, quite often had props, photos, songs. They were in many way living eulogies - and while no one would leave to get one , hearing them (about people who are obliviously leaving) strangely made you more bonded to the company.

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When I first went to work for an American company I was surprised at how much time they took to communicate precisely every rule and regulation. Everything was formal. In the UK I think we have traditions and rituals that often live and die with the manager responsible. Like if you said to me 'the England football team do something with new players' my clear expectation is that it would have started with Gareth Southgate and will end with whoever replaces him. There's no longevity, it's just about the person doing it. As a result it makes it harder to build legacy here I think. (I might be wrong on this)

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