Imagine if we could achieve all that by 2020!’ The new HR Director looked triumphantly around the room, breathing heavily and emotionally drained. My gaze was fixed firmly on the desk in front of me. I’m pretty good for the most part at looking enthusiastic at corporate waffle but there are limits.

I was in the Senior Management offsite, whereby senior staff from the various business divisions gather together on a quarterly basis for discussion, inspiration and innovative thinking. Before I was invited to the meeting I used to get annoyed by the fact I wasn’t invited. Then when I was invited, I realised it was two days of tedium where you did not get a minute alone from breakfast until dinner. So basically I liked the status but not the associated work.