Astonishing growth!
Bravery has many manifestations. Some climb mountains in the high Himalaya or defuse bombs in the dusty Hindu Kush. Others base jump from spindly Antipodean suspension bridges or run with the bulls through the narrow streets of Pamplona.
But few sights in 2011 matched the magnificence of Movember in the City of London. Speechless observers were awed and humbled, excited and intimidated, shocked and even (whisper it) mildly titillated by the incredible display of moustaches that sprouted across the upper lips of the besuited professionals thronging the pavements. These men were made of the stuff of true heroes, men who scorn the hidebound fashions of the flock and shake their fists at convention, men who feast on live scorpions for breakfast and laugh in the face of danger.
They also raised a whole lot of money for an excellent cause – the fight against prostate and testicular cancer, the number one and two male cancers. Movember has quickly established itself as an annual fixture, and corporate Britain has embraced the ritual with most gratifying enthusiasm.
Members of BDO's Forensics team threw themselves into the challenge with particular verve. Not only did they take the plunge and grow lip-furniture with all their strength, they hosted a memorable pub quiz in aid of the appeal that brought together some 15 teams from the capital's finest law firms, along with a regulator and a major UK corporate.
Clearly the main aim of the evening was to raise money and compare moustache-growing prowess, and it succeeded impressively on both counts. Under the iron rule of hot-to-trot Forensic quizmasters Edward Martin and Matt McDevitt, brains were stretched, prizes were awarded, and proceedings continued until 2 in the morning. Even clean-shaven participants were furnished with fake moustaches for the evening (one understands the difficulties a nose-tickler could cause a litigator with a major court appearance, for example); as were the enthusiastic MoSisters, who stood by their MoBros like troupers. A splendid time was had by all.
But as a business development and networking initiative, it was also something of a breakthrough. Everyone's done the usual sporting events, wine tastings and so on, and these are fine in their way. But to make an impact and to build relationships, something a bit out of the ordinary can really make a difference.
When the dust had settled, the benefits for all concerned were clear. “We had really good feedback,” says Clarissa Bonnel, Business Development Manager for Forensic Services. “It was a great catalyst for networking with people we didn't know before, and different levels of colleagues mixed very easily. It was great to be able to do something that worked well as a networking exercise but was also really enjoyable and raised money for an important cause – around £3,000, in fact.
“In all seriousness, you need to think outside the box about business development. I'd also say that if you're going to organise something like this, it's critical that you pay attention to detail and get the logistics right. Ask the right people, put the teams together carefully. And try to get invitations out there a couple of months in advance, three if possible.”
Clarissa has some interesting plans up her sleeve for 2012, continuing the theme of out of the box business development. But for now, the rest of us must give respect where it is due one more time: BDO MoBros, and MoBros among our wider Advisory Bites readership, we salute you all.
