As the world races around us and runs to the ‘finish line’ in the hope of reaching their longed for goal, it is hard not to get swept up in it all. Do you wish that you could perhaps stand calm; watching; waiting? Martin Vogel is one of those rare gentleman who is the calm in the face of this storm of action.
Quietly and intelligently spoken, Martin speaks when he needs to with relevant and knowledgeable responses. Not surprising then, that he started out as a journalist. He was part of the great institution that is the BBC and in his 20 years there, he went from reporting and producing into strategy and digital media development.
Martin understands that most people want to impact change and have the ability to do so, if they can find the right path. You can see then, why he was an ideal to choice to lead a project that was part of a politics initiative by the BBC to help people with issues that make a difference. Originally iCan then the Action Network, under its Royal Charter, the BBC has an obligation to support democracy and the national debate. As Martin stated “It gives people a starting point in civic life and puts them in touch with others who share their concerns”
He understands from experience how important it is to bring people, with similar aspirations and aims, together and the power of that collective group. You can see why we think he is so fantastic!
We are not the only ones, Paul Brannan, BBC, thinks so too. “Martin’s always had an impressive grasp of complexity and a keen analytical mind. Where others get bogged down, Martin brings clarity – along with options and solutions. He’s undemonstrative by nature, but no less effective as a senior leader who carries himself with a calm authority. I have the highest regard for him as a strategic thinker.”
This makes it clear to see why he, as a senior advisor at the BBC Trust, he led the first public value tests, a radical and innovative approach to evaluating public investment decisions. ‘Radical and Innovative’ pinpoint exactly what Martin, and his business partner Mark, are trying to achieve with their Counter-Consultancy, VogelWakefield. They don’t bring pre-defined organisational or leadership training and hope to fit the company they work with into it. They look at the company/team and work with them to build an impactful and natural culture. Every team is different and VogelWakefield fully appreciate that each needs a tailored approach.
As you can imagine when you speak with Martin he is always thought provoking. His blog is a great way to feel inspired and bring that voice of calm back into your life. My favourite at the moment is Being and Doing. I was lucky enough to speak to Martin about this and I came to the conversation, very much a ‘doer’. Martin’s thoughts really made me step back and consider that being is not opposite to that view. Keep an eye out on his twitter @martivo and you may get a chance to hear his wise words. If you do, let him know we sent you.
We hope you find your calm this week!
Ghilaine
@LadyGhilaine
Tech Talkfest 