A Very Special Visitor
It is always nice to have your efforts acknowledged. It doesn’t even have to be a big thing, sometimes ‘Thank You’ is sufficient. As beer makers, when people say something like ‘that’s a great taste’ or ‘that could become my pint’ we always have a nice warm feeling. When someone famous makes those sorts of comments the feeling is even better!
We were selling beer at a local Country Fair in Antrim in June. At these events a lot of people take the opportunity to taste our beer and quite a few of them buy it! On the Sunday of the Fair, our sales team were working hard (or so they tell me) with far more people at our stand than on the Saturday when I was there (I’m not taking it personally).
Someone who is instantly recognisable in Northern Ireland came to our stand tasted the product and decided to buy a mixed case of Legbiter and Barelegs. Our sales person being helpful offered to keep the case until the gentleman and his family had finished at the Fair. The offer accepted, our sales person asked for the name of the person. Orde was the reply, how do you spell that ‘O R D E’? Still no recognition!
Later when the aforesaid gentleman visited the stand again our sales person was ready, “I recognise you from earlier” she said, “what was the name again” oops! Famous Bob aka Bob Little, Sales Director at SLBC pointed out to our sales person that she had just met the Chief Constable of Northern Ireland, for you folks further afield, the top Law Enforcer in Northern Ireland.
When word spread around the office about our visitor and us not recognising him, a great deal of teasing ensued. To get her own back our intrepid sales person wrote to Sir Hugh, apologised for not recognising him and asked whether he would visit us in Killyleagh to have his photograph taken. We were amazed when his secretary called and accepted!
Sir Hugh visited us last Friday and stayed for a considerable length of time. Sir Hugh has a strong, warm character happy to share his experience, but is also willing to listen to yours. A listener as well as a good orator! Sir Hugh was at that other Irish Brewing Company the day before (lol) in Dublin and was interested in how we intend to fulfil our company vision (from 2004) to be “the second most recognisable beer brand in the world”. We also had a laugh about the Harvard Business School concept of “BiHAG”, a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, especially as ours is to be #1 Irish Beer Brand. I hasten to add that with a BiHAG it is more a wish rather than a plan!
The conversation moved to Change Management and how much change there had been in Northern Ireland in the 7 years to Sir Hugh has been here. In that time the policing has completely changed to the point today where it has cross party support. We still have a long way to go, but we’ve made amazing leaps forward in that time!
When consulting to large European companies my comment was often “the only constant for your company is change”. Listening to some of the changes in policing in Northern Ireland reinforced my view that change is as relevant in the public as private sector, in fact it works in all parts of our lives whether home, social or work!
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got”. This comment could be used to describe part of our industry, 52 pubs in UK and Ireland shutting every week seems to reinforce this. To achieve our vision, and maybe even our BiHAG, we’ve got to do things differently. Stick with me to find out more about, as Sir Hugh describes it, the ‘Great American Adventure’!
Sir Hugh, Thank You for your visit and making a wet Friday a bit special for the team at Strangford Lough Brewing Company. Your comments about our beer are appreciated. Best Wishes for success in your new role at ACPO in September.
