The Brighter Side of Corporate Life

It’s awfully easy, in this perfect storm that besieges publishing, to be rather negative about traditional media companies – even my employer, [RBI](http://www.reedbusiness.co.uk/rb2_home/rb2_home.htm). So, once in a while, it’s worth taking a few moments out to remember the very positive things. For example, last Friday, I spent the day on the [National Trust’s Box Hill site](http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-boxhill) with about 20 of my colleagues. RBI gives us two days a year we can devote to charity or community activities, and we spent the day helping clear a chalk meadow – a fairly rare habitat – of encroaching trees. Damn hard work, and I slept like a baby that night, but it felt like a worthwhile way to spend a day.

And then, earlier today, I was in an hour-long, open invitation discussion session thinking through the likely impact of Google Wave and Sidewiki on our business. To be fair, the concept were met with a great deal of “huh?”, but some good discussion followed and it gives me hope we’re starting to put these new concepts into our thinking as they emerge, rather than when it becomes and absolute necessity. And that’s progress.

How’s that for a cheery post to start the week?