Hanging in there - why a hung parliament isn't necessarily a bad thing
Whatever your political viewpoint, there's no doubt that a hung parliament is not a desirable state of affairs. That's pretty much the fact of the matter, as we sit with baited breath, awaiting the 'will he won't he' possibility of a coalition.
Not that you needed telling, but there's a lot at stake here for all involved: not least the risk of lost supporters as a result of making the 'wrong' coalition in the voters' eyes, or compromising on the wrong issues.
But on the plus side it has served to make the post-election wash-up slightly more meaty than the simple retreat and wound licking that we usually see at this time. I would even go so far as to say that there's something almost reassuring about the change in behaviour we've witnessed over the last few days. Where once Nick Clegg could happily gloat over David Cameron and Gordon Brown's public squabbles, with a sort of 'there there' approach, he's now in the position where he has to build some pretty solid bridges in a breath taking amount of time.
A sort of Anneka Rice version of politics if you will.
What this means is that all involved have to work with a little more integrity than we'd usually give them credit for. Clegg, Cameron and Brown are now in a position where they have to think beyond sound bites and bitter PR campaigns and almost beyond their own politics, to find a truly workable common ground.
That's not to say that the outcome will necessarily be favourable, but it has demanded something extra from our pre, post and in-between country leaders. Not only are they being forced into a position where they finally have to admit that they can agree on things (maybe not everything, but at least the odd critical issue...), but they are also having to prioritise real issues, like the economy and the electoral system, rather than simply letting them waste away in a 5 year plan. It's not the if and when, it's the here and now.
What's more, for some strange but also wonderful reason, the country has woken up a bit! People actually seem to care about what's happening in parliament, rather than the sordid goings on of our many over-publicised 'slebs. So great was the turnout at polling stations that people had to be turned away, leading to many a furious voice proclaiming 'disenfranchisement'. Emmeline Pankhurst would have been proud to see that all her hard work didn't actually go to waste. It was touch and go there...
So much as we may feel some fury at the lost votes and the poor system that led us to this position, let's try and not be too miserable about it. And when it comes to business, let's try to learn from it.
Remember that at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you say, it's what you do. With all the will in the world, your PR execs and marketing gurus cannot improve customer service or magic up a fantastic product. Believe in what you're saying, or what you're telling other people to say for you and work with conviction.
And consider that great partnerships often lead to better business. Be careful about who you work with and how you choose to work together (Clegg, Cameron, Brown, are you listening?), but always keep your customers in mind. Politicians, that's the electorate to you.
