[originaltext]C: Now let’s meet Kevin, one of Britain’s top industrialists, and

C: Now let’s meet Kevin, one of Britain’s top industrialists, and hear about his experiences and ideas on improving company performance. Welcome, Kevin.
K: Thanks, Cathy. Good to be here.
C: Kevin, you’re famous for your unique approach when called in to advise companies.
K: Well, I’m certainly very generous with my advice! I always acknowledge genuine effort wherever possible—it is important to do so; but my job isn’t to manage the company, it’s to hunt down underlying weaknesses in the systems; that’s what I’m trained to do.
C: Your visit to Manson’s received a very mixed response, didn’t it?
K: Well, yes. Following my first visit, they’d researched the market more deeply and had improved product quality considerably, but, on my return, I blamed their failures on the ancient assembly line which they’d still done nothing about, despite my report, and which by now had led to a ten-year waiting list for their customers. The company was so upset by the comments I made during my second visit that they didn’t invite me back!
C: Another of your consultations took you to Criterion Glass, a family-run business.
K: Yes. Their troubles started with an over-concentration on the actual making of the product, on the craftsmanship involved, without asking themselves whether there was still enough of a market for that type of product. Prices needed to be more competitive too, something they hadn’t considered sufficiently.
C: As you said, you’re famous for your advice to industry, but for a long time you were not at all successful in business yourself, were you?
K: True! The first two organizations I headed went into liquidation! They were both relatively new companies, though, without a long history and were trying to establish their brand name. People had tried to warn me, of course. The resources were there— that wasn’t the problem—but I just couldn’t get things to work—basically because financial services just isn’t my field.
C: You enjoy a strong public image, with your unusual choice of clothes, etc... Why did you start to cultivate this original style?
K: Well, many people think I’ve developed this style just to get myself noticed, but it’s really because I think my ability is what matters in business—more than my image. I like to do my own thing, so why shouldn’t I please myself how I look? I know many other business people prefer to follow convention and dress more seriously—that’s up to them.
C: Did this help you to get one of the top jobs in the country—the chairmanship of LBI?
K: That’s not really for me to say.., the company was in serious trouble when I joined... I think they recognized the risk-taker in me and they needed someone who wasn’t afraid of change. The management had preferred to play safe until then—and this, together with their rather poor reputation, was the cause of their problems.
C: Your record in the second half of your career speaks for itself, of course. Now, when you look at managers today, how effective do you think they are?
K: Well—there’s great emphasis now on making money, which I know is what business is about, but too many managers today are interested in making money for themselves. There are a lot of strong personalities around, too, in leadership positions. But people forget that the sort of success which lasts requires close attention to every single aspect of the company, however unimportant it may appear.
C: Well, you’re full of energy yourself, and working harder than ever at the age of seventy... as you reflect on your long career, have you any advice for those just starting?
K: Well, I’ve taken risks and made errors, but I’ve learnt it’s best never to worry about things you can’t do anything about. If you did your best with the information you had at the time, then you must live with your mistakes and move on.
C: Kevin, thank you very much indeed.
K: My pleasure.