Brian Patterson, chief executive of Wedgwood China.

The English pottery industry is facing intense competition from overseas, and centuries-old Wedgwood is fighting to survive. Brian Patterson, brought in from Waterford Crystal to turn the company around, has been responsible for firing staff, cutting wages and replacing people with robots. The chief executive is in for a shock when he joins the production line of his largest factory in Stoke-on-Trent. A truly revelatory week has made him re-evaluate every reform and every aspect of his company: "I've had my eyes opened in an amazing way into what people ... think and feel. I would never have known that really through the normal systems of management communication."