Oh to be a fly on the wall at some firms’ board meetings. We know the bigwigs at City firm Travers Smith were trying to do the right thing when they formulated the phrase ‘that’s not cool’ for calling out inappropriate behaviour. But we wonder if they asked any normal human beings first.

Likewise at Taylor Vinters. Before Christmas we were told that the firm would be leading something called the ‘Zebra Project’. Not a conservation initiative but a series of discussions on ‘transforming the way businesses work’ and, you guessed it, ‘identifying game changers’.

All very commendable, but why ‘zebra’? A straw poll around Obiter towers discovered that the two things zebras are known for is being striped and eaten by lions.

Obiter recalls that Tin Pan Alley-era record companies would subject new songs to the ‘old grey whistle test’.

Perhaps firms should apply something similar to ideas emerging from boardroom echo chambers.

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