All that energy… but where’s it going?

It’s been a little while now since I got back from my holiday in Portimão.

I’ve had ample time to reflect. Which basically means: my body and brain have had ample time to completely forget they’ve been on holiday at all.

Now, let me just say… parts of Portimão are absolutely lovely. The Old Town, in particular, has heaps of charm – proper architectural character, great food, plenty of nooks and crannies to get lost exploring. It’s the perfect spot to meander around without a plan.

But then there’s… The Strip. The Strip couldn’t feel more different.

It’s busy, sure. Lively, sure. Plenty ‘going on’. By which I mean bars, booming bass, gaudy lights, and odd characters dotted about. Forget the regional speciality of fresh grilled sardines; you’re more likely to grab a burger and chips as you catch the football.

The wildest thing is… it’s easy to see where the energy (and investment) is headed. The Old Town feels like it’s being left behind. I mean, it’s in the name, isn’t it? Meanwhile, The Strip is seemingly buzzing (in a Skegness sort of way), with new bars aplenty and no shortage of tourist footfall. Everything about The Strip felt geared towards Brits abroad and – well – jarring.

So the world’s weirdest game of tug-of-war enters another excruciating moment. What will come out on top – tradition or kitsch, cobbles or neon, clocktowers or subwoofers?

Anyway, I’m not sure I’d rush back there.

Back on British soil, I headed almost immediately to a Vistage meeting – a group I’ve been a part of for about seven years now. Vistage is essentially a room full of business leaders all dealing with their own version of the same set of problems: cash flow, people, politics, local issues, global unrest. You know… the usual light fare.

At one point, someone sighed and casually said, “what a time to be running a business.” And the room chuckled in unison. Because it’s true, isn’t it?

The last eight or nine years have been bonkers. And that’s putting it mildly. Even pre-Covid, things weren’t exactly straightforward. Since then, it’s felt like a fairly constant stream of chaos and uncertainty, reactions and recalibrations. There’s always something.

I think we all find those sessions really useful because we can say things out loud that we wouldn’t necessarily elsewhere. Stuff you don’t say to your team because you don’t want to unsettle them. Stuff you don’t say at home because, frankly, it would scare the life out of your family.

At Vistage you’re surrounded by people who want you to succeed but don’t depend on you day-to-day. That changes the conversation.

One thing that comes up time and time again is the relentlessness of decision pressure. That tension to make calls and get things right has been sky high since the pandemic, or so it feels.

For example, when it comes to people. If you’re a business leader and you’re talking about someone you know deep down isn’t right for the business… 9.63 times out of 10 you already know what needs to happen. It’s just whether you’re prepared to do it. (Not talking about my team by the way – they’re all grand!)

But that’s leadership, I suppose. Making the call with a sense of calm. Maintaining a sense of direction people can get behind.

Unfortunately, Vistage doesn’t work on the basis of referrals or invites. Otherwise I’d ask the Portimão town planning committee to come along. I really do wonder about their vision.

Walking around The Strip there’s plenty of energy, effort, movement… but to what end? Are we really calling most of those developments a move in the right direction?

I know I’ve literally just written that ‘maintaining a sense of direction’ is a good thing, but not all directions are made equal. Maybe those planners could do with slowing down a little, weighing it all up a bit more. “Another karaoke bar? Hmmm…”

Before you frown at the screen… I know I don’t represent the opinion of every local and every holidaymaker. I know there’s supply and demand at play. I guess it’s just a shame to see somewhere neglect its Old Town in favour of shallow, shoddy stuff.

I wouldn’t dream of going into a Vistage meeting and saying: “well, here’s some fun news… I’m going to let everything that got us this far rot”.

I’m not totally sure there’s a neat message here. Maybe that a bit of integrity doesn’t go amiss. Or that if you’re going to the Algarve, maybe stay in the Old Town. Or that running a business is generally quite insane.

Probably all of the above.