Barry Bramley

Today’s inspirational voice belongs to the founding partner of TomorrowToday: Barrie Bramley.

Barrie is the Chief Imagination Officer at TomorrowToday, a company which he co-founded in 2001. He heads up the Talent Development Project where his focus is on strategic consulting and advice on issues relating to the ‘new world of work’ and attraction and retention of today’s worker. Barrie is recognised as a creative and strategic thinker with an ability to influence both individuals and teams.

As a sought after speaker, Barrie has spoken in many countries around the world. He speaks to over 100 organisations every year on important issues like, Talent, Web 2.0, Generations, Communication and the New World of Work.

Website: http://www.barriebramley.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/barriebramley
Google Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/barrie.bramley
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BarrieBramley
Location: Johannesburg

Barrie was kind enough to answer the following question:

Personal

Q: The all important personal profile. How would a close friend introduce you at a social event? i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.

A: This is Barrie. He’s a ‘ballie’ now that he’s 40, works for TomorrowToday, has some interesting choices in footwear, and he’s one of those very energetic and interesting people that grab your attention. (It’s not how I would introduce myself, but it is how it’s often done)

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: When I was 15 I received junior springbok colours for BMX. I spent 10 years working with a community based organisation in youth and community development, and I’m game for almost anything that doesn’t require my feet leaving the ground.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: Does this sound crazy? My best ‘escape’ is the big screen. Here’s the potentially weird part, I book a seat that’s one row in front of everybody else. That way I get the feeling that I’m the only one in the theatre. As long as I can’t hear anyone or see anyone I can literally escape completely into what I’m watching. An iPod attached directly into my ears can also do it. In fact I’ve done some strange public things with loud music filling my senses, allowing me to escape into my own world.

Q: How would you describe your dream home and where in South African would you like it to be?

A: My dream home isn’t big. It’s got enough space, and the space is wide open. As few walls as possible. Ideally I’d want the house to be facing a mountain. My wife would want it facing the beach. So it’s got to be a place that has both, and there isn’t a lot of choice to meet those criteria in South Africa. Parts of the Cape (Western and Southern) meet those criteria, so that would be it.

This question was proudly sponsored by Private Property

Professional Training

Q: You are the co-founder of TomorrowToday, a company that researches and communicates trends around young people entering today’s work place. Can you tell us about the company and the services you offer?

A: We started TomorrowToday with the conviction that there had to be a better way to work. We knew that younger people entering the business environment were struggling to find what they were looking for, and that business needed to see this and adjust accordingly if they were going to attract the best and brightest, both inside and out. The majority of our work is spent communicating this to various organisations. Mostly in a business context, but community, education and government are facing that same challenges.

Q: Your official title at TomorrowToday is Chief Imagination Officer. How would you describe your position to someone you’ve just met?

A: It’s a title that was given to me by my colleagues. If you ask them, I see things quite differently to most people. This isn’t always useful because it can be quite counter-culture and challenging, and if I’m honest, not always correct. But I do see myself as a catalyst for change and for challenging the status quo. I don’t believe everything must change, but I do add value in ensuring that things being done have been thought through rigorously.

Q: Which of your projects at TomorrowToday are you most proud of?

A: I’m most proud of the platforms I’ve been a part of creating that allow us to communicate our thoughts and discoveries. Our presentations, our blog, and our continual exploration of the new communication channels that are being created all the time (PodCasts, Twitter, Video, etc) I’m also very proud of our thoughts around the ‘War for Talent’. It’s not main stream, and I do think it gets closer to the real issues than current main stream thought.

Q: What are the greatest challenges facing the South African employer today?

A: I’d say that one of the biggies has to be a combination of a skills shortage we have as a developing world economy, coupled with the shortage of people that the developed world is facing. We’re under constant threat of more developed world businesses reaching in and attracting our most valuable people with a superior offering and package. We also have a tremendous challenge to develop the skill we need while all this ‘poaching’ is going on. It sometimes can feel like 1 step forward 5 steps back, for many South African companies.

Q: What is the secret to a happy employee and what advice would you offer companies struggling with staff retention?

A: It’s a bit of a cliche, but a happy employee is an engaged employee. However that challenge is to fully understand what engagement means to today’s younger people. It’s not what it used to be. So my advice would be that companies need to work really hard to understand the criteria today’s younger people attach to engagement, and then to work extremely hard to integrate it into their organisational structures. This is much easier said than done, as many of these ‘new criteria’ are fundamentally different to what has worked up until now.

Q: What can we look forward to from TodayTomorrow in 2010?

A: Our biggest focus this year is on building more robust platforms to distribute our thoughts and discoveries. Some free and some paid for. But if we get it right we’ll be able to provide a really useful resource for anyone who finds our work interesting. We’ve also recently developed some new really exciting strategic inputs. One that looks at what the world will look like once we come out of this economic recession (After Shock), and the other on how Web 2.0 (social media and the like) are impacting how we connect with and to each other (Beyond the Hype).

Life in South Africa

Q: How would you rate the current governments performance since the last general election? What would you want them to most improve upon?

A: My own opinion is that, unfortunately, it’s still too early to rate anything. I think that a fairly large change in government has taken place, and therefore it’s not simply carrying on from the Mbeki era. From an operations perspective, I’d like to see the current government strengthen accountability and delivery. These two areas continue to be very lacking. From a strategic perspective I’d like to see clearer thinking around the world we’re entering (10-15 years from now). I fear we’re still trying to find our feet in the current reality, and if that’s all they achieve we’ll continue to fall behind the global changes happening. If I had to name one specific area it would be ‘connectivity’. if more people had access to cheaper (free) connectivity we’d stimulate far more relevant education, greater creativity, increased small business development, we’d be in a place to invite outlying communities into the main stream and they’d be positioned to compete on a far more even playing field. My mind boggles at the possibilities.

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: My wife, Leisha, had a smash and grab last year. It was a traumatising event for her and for me. Thankfully that’s been the extent of my family’s crime experience. I know others have had far worse experiences. My view of South Africa is the same as it was when I voted in Kwa Mashu for our first truly democratic election. Do I worry? Yes I do. Do I think South Africa is headed for the scrap heap? I can’t say. But I am determined to play the best role I can in ensuring that doesn’t ever happen. Do I have a ‘Plan B’? Absolutely not.

Q: Which South African personality would you pick to have breakfast with?

A: I’d like to have breakfast with Bishop Tutu. He’s done and seen so much. He knows ‘the conversation’ that happens behind closed doors, but he’s far enough removed to not be sucked in by it. He’s inspirational. He’s a counter-culture human being. He’s passionate. Outside of just taking in his story, I’d like to ask him about how he centers himself. When you’ve had a life like I imagine he has, I’d want to know how he’s help it all together at times?

Q: South Africa’s greatest export is?

A: It’s another cliche (I’ve used two now) but it’s got to be our people. I’ve had the privilege of traveling quite extensively outside of South Africa, and I can say without doubt that w’eve got great people. What makes us great is our love for personal interaction, our lack of fear in tackling the tough conversations, by pointing out the elephant in the room, and our wonderful, continually expanding sense of humour.

Life in Johannesburg

Q: What do you most enjoy about living in Johannesburg?

A: The energy. When I’m driving in our famous ‘parking lots’ I try to see everyone as energy. Going somewhere or coming from somewhere. On one level that’s all true. And there’s just so much energy. There’s always action. You can’t help but be impacted by it. I really try to let it impact me positively.

Q: Favorite restaurant for lunch with the family and what would you recommend on their menu?

A: Leish and I have 2 young daughters, so we’ve been a ‘Spur Family‘. Thankfully we’re emerging out of the ‘Spur Phase’ of our lives and beginning to explore new and interesting places. So there’s no ‘regular’ at the moment.

Q: If you were tasked with commissioning a postal stamp depicting the beauty of Johannesburg and it’s people, which image would you select?

A: How do you fit the amazing city lights, the growing integration and comfort with diversity you see at venues like Mandela Square, the smiling faces of children playing sport, the energy and vibe depicted in a grid locked highway, the inter-play between vendors and motorists at traffic intersections, the hope represented by all the construction onto one stamp? I’m sorry but I’d have to ask to commission a catalogue of stamps.

General

Q: If you could invite any three South Africans to a dinner party, who would you invite and what wine would you serve?

A: I’d want to invite three people that would ensure an edge was created for the evening. The wine I’d serve would be Fat Bastard, and I’d make sure there was at least ‘one of them’ in the room. For example, FW De Klerk, Thabo Mbeki and Julius Malema. Can you imagine when the wine came out the new energy that would be released in the room? Palpable. Or what about Bobby Godsell, Jacob Maroga and Jimmy Manyi (you could also put Julius Malema in here – in fact he’d be a great guest at most of my functions) I’d name my theme – ‘You, me and the FB?’

Q: One book that you would make required reading for all matric pupils?

A: One book? Are you crazy : ) But if it’s going to be one, then I’d make it Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘The Tipping Point‘. Here’s why….

It’s not the most sophisticated piece of writing out there, but it’s accessible in that it’s easy and really interesting to read. Gladwell thinks about things in a way that most of us don’t, so they could learn from just that. But it’s a book that talks about how important people are in creating and giving life to a future business, their own ideas and social memes, etc. It’s a book that gives you a framework to use as an entrepreneur (and we need lots of them in South Africa). But my biggest goal in suggesting this book would be to introduce them to an exciting style of thinking that would have them exploring Freakonomics, the Wisdom of Crowds, other Gladwell, and others.

Q: As a prolific blogger and twitter user, how would you say social media has improved your life and what are your predictions for how social media will change over the coming years?

A: Twitter especially, has had a large impact on my reading. I have built my ‘Twitter World’ around people who’s thoughts I’m desperate to hear. I don’t care if they’re taking a shower or having breakfast (I ex-communicate most of those Tweeps). So almost every time I log into Twitter on my phone, there’s someone presenting something interesting. It’s like assembling the smartest people you know into one room and asking them to send you what interests them all the time. It’s amazing.

My view on the future of social media is that it’s going to continue to get more intelligent and personal around who you are. I see it exploding some traditional business models and re-creating new ones. I can imagine a world, for example, in which I can assemble the best journalists in the world, regardless of who they ‘work for’, into one feed that I get everyday. I’ll pay each of them a small amount of money for their thoughts. It becomes ‘MY newspaper’ with the best people available that I choose, instead of someone else’s newspaper with the best people they can afford. That kind of thinking completely blows my hair back : )

Q: Which emerging technology excites you the most?

Q: Some may argue it’s not ‘emerging technology’, but I’d say mobility and the convergence of everything useful to us all being crammed into one device. All the dreams we have for technology become increasingly closer to being realised when it’s accessible, mobile and easy to use.

Apple’s launch of the iPad (no matter how crap you think it is) is significant in this space. Smart phones up until now, have been amazing but for their little screens. The iPad (and the avalanche of competitors to Apple who’ll be releasing now) attempts to take the best of the smart phone, the best of the laptop and put it into one. This is fantastic for all of us. Assuming Vodacom prices it right (fat chance), I can get very excited thinking about the world things like an iPad make possible for people. I’d love to be part of a project that takes 100 iPads and integrates them into the learning programme of a school in a very rural area in South Africa. Imagine?!

Q: Public speaking is rated as one of the most feared activities. What do you enjoy most about it and how did you overcome the natural fear? What is the biggest crowd you’ve spoken to?

A: There’s an energy and excitement that I get when I have to stand in front of people to speak. I don’t know if it’s caused by the challenge of ‘taming’ the fear running through my body, but there are not many other places in my world that come close to the feeling I get when I have to speak. I do get nervous, even scared, but as I get in front of that audience, the fear is replaced by the extreme opposite. It’s a completely addictive rush in that moment. I started speaking in front of audiences in my late teens / early twenties, in a youth development context. I got to learn from some of the best communicators in the country in a very nurturing environment.

My biggest audience was around 2000 people with 7 large screens behind me, and a stage that stretched into the middle of the audience, like a cat walk, at the Sandton Convention Centre. It was very very cool.

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo and what would you ask them?

A: I’d like to read about Mark Hayter. He’s the principal of Grayston Prep (www.graystonprep.co.za) in Sandton/Sandown. My kids go to his school. I’ve not enough conversation with him, but I know he’s passionate about the use of technology in education. I’d want to know what he sees that most of us don’t? What the possibilities are? What the obstacles are to achieving the introduction of the best technology and the best of the internet into our schools (outside of just money)? Why we as parents should be working with schools to tackle these obstacles? I’d like to know what pushed him to become passionate about this? I’d like you to ask him to describe his perfect school (from size, to facilities, to curriculum, to teachers, to technology, to resources, to amount of hours in a day, to amount of years to complete, etc)?

We’d like to thank Barrie for taking the time to answer our questions and wish him and the team at TomorrowToday every success for the future.

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