Stephanie Osman: Success for Northern Powerhouse is child's play - if we learn to share

The best example I can find to explain this is as follows:

1) If I want it, it’s mine;

2) If it’s in my hand, it’s mine;

3) If I can take it away from you, it’s mine;

4) If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine;

5) If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way;

6) If we are building something together, all the pieces are mine;

7) If it just looks like mine, it’s mine;

8) If I think it’s mine, it’s mine;

9) If I give it to you and change my mind later, it’s mine;

10) Once it’s mine it will never belong to anyone else, no matter what.

Having survived the past four years of this toddler mentality, and with the end seemingly now in sight (as we approach school age I am praying the word “share” will no longer be reserved for fairytales and the Stock Market), it seems I am now faced with it when looking at the prospect of the so called Northern Powerhouse.

My understanding of the reasoning behind the “teaming up” of the Northern cities was to offer businesses, employees and industry an alternative economic hub to London and the South and to rebalance the country’s economy.

Working, as I do, in a small business in the North, this would seem like a very reasonable idea and one that could help small businesses grow and access a wider audience nationally and internationally.

I can see a whole raft of positive marketing strategies that could arise from this collective approach such as large-scale sporting events (think Tour de France and the Commonwealth Games), a series of multi-region recruitment drives to draw talent to the whole of the North and perhaps even some joint Yorkshire and Lancashire tourist promotion, or is that pushing it a bit?

However, the more I read about it and listen to opinion, I am concerned that this could become a competition between the North and London; a case of “us and them”, and should an “us” materialise there seems to be a risk of infighting.

Having said that, it’s difficult to ever imagine we will lose the North-South divide. Of course London is a symbol of service excellence, a real magnet for business and we can’t – and shouldn’t –segregate ourselves from that.

At the same time we need to recognise that we are more than capable of competing with the best of the best.

I recently listened to a podcast from The Bottom Line on BBC Radio 4. The focus of the discussions was to consider how a Northern Powerhouse could “reshape the economic geography of Britain” and in what ways Northern cities should work together to make it a success.

Of course transport problems were discussed but resolving the abysmal journey times between Northern neighbours will not alone ensure we are happy to share a cup of sugar with each other. I am by no means suggesting we are enemies, goodness knows we are an extremely friendly bunch at heart, but the feeling I got while listening to The Bottom Line was that of a segregated community.

Each player at the table brought a different skill, and good corporate governance would suggest that is the best way to build a board, but there didn’t seem to me to be any willingness to share those skills across borders.

What mine is mine and I want some of yours too, but I don’t want to share mine!

Clearly we have some individual pockets of excellence; Leeds and Manchester are financial havens; Liverpool is a major city of culture; Sheffield and Blackburn are manufacturing centres and Wakefield seems set to become the North’s creative hub with the announcement of the sale of the Rutland Mills site to property developers. A collaborative approach to the distribution of these skills and expertise across the North would, with improved rail links, help us move towards a single voice.

While we are close geographically, we must become closer as friends. We must be willing to share what we know and what we can do and not pigeon-hole businesses or skilled workers who are considering the North, to a specific region. Where this collaborative ethos does seem to have been embraced is in Newcastle and the North East, which interestingly enough, was considered “too North” by some of The Bottom Line audience. Another discussion for another time.

However the minds behind the Northern Powerhouse could learn a lot from this ‘team player’ approach. Yes, the focus on improved transport links between the northern cities is the best and most logical place to start.

But if we want to truly become a Northern Powerhouse, a beacon of excellence that stands proud across a range of sectors and can shape the future of the country and its economy, we must learn to share.

Stephanie Osman is the director of marketing for Wakefield-based fds Director Services Limited, a boutique business advisory company specialising in corporate finance and business and director development.