Insights & Stories

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the autocracy fall-out

Strong leaders come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are often larger than life. Not all strong leaders are good leaders and not all good leaders are strong. Regardless of their style, reputation or track record, when their time in office is done, they can leave organisations in a state of disequilibrium . This story then, is really about the upsides and downsides of leaders that are forces of nature.

where ideas come from

In 1997, UK public relations firm August One Communications gave all employees 'Duvet Days' - an allocation of days off that could be taken for no reason. I have thought about those ‘duvet days’ and wondered how many great ideas came from them. I suspect quite a few. This story explores why good ideas are vital in business and where those elusive 'a-ha' moments come from.

the perils of complacency

You know what they say, ‘Everything is fine, until it’s not’.

Arguably the biggest risk to sustained success in business, is success itself. Why? It is probably because there is a tendency to believe that long periods of success means more of the same will come. Businesses that adopt this mindset, do so at their peril..

strategy’s esoteric battle

If I have learnt anything at all over the last 30 years of being in business it is this: progress always takes longer than you anticipated.

Why is it that we are so damned impatient? Read on to learn more about the dangerous impact that short-termism can have on sustained performance..

plan for the worst, hope for the best

I am a noisy advocate of the prudence of working through ‘what if’ scenarios even if people don’t always listen. That’s because humans are allergic to change and because they are allergic to change, they are reluctant to contemplate events that are likely to create the need for change. It sometimes takes the unthinkable to happen to portray this reticence as sheer insanity. Covid was the unthinkable..

being effective

It’s one thing to be busy and it’s entirely another to be effective. Organisations - especially those that are large and political - are often high pressure environments where staff can feel compelled to justify their existence by living on the edge of permanent overload. In reality, focussing on executing a short list of high impact projects in line with company objectives is what makes a real difference.

the age of ‘me’

Let’s face it. We live in the age of ‘me’.

This piece will talk about great teams and inspirational leadership, as both are intrinsically linked. The story draws on my own personal experiences of working with great leaders and looks to understand the qualities that they had that both made them great AND the impact they had on organisational success..

did covid make us more empathetic?

You are what you eat and your company is your people. The first has always been true and the second has never been truer.

Covid-19 forced most of us to work from home. The trend still remains for all its pros and cons. What affect did it have on how we engage with each other in the workplace as we joined Zoom in our PJs..

are your ducks in a row?

Everyone talks about the C-Suite. In fact the need to engage with the C-Suite is bandied around on sales calls to such an extent that often more time is spent discussing the need to engage them than what you will actually talk to them about. For many, the C-Suite is a strange enigma. Hard to reach, hard to interest and hard to read. In fact the C-Suite are just plain hard - full-stop. Or are they?

treat every deal like a diamond

It has always struck me that the one department that should get more support than any other is sales. After all no sales, no cash, no cash, no salaries, no investments - well, frankly if sales don’t win then the future isn’t that great really. Sales is the engine of your organisation and if you’re not investing in supporting them at the point of critical need, then you could be leaving success to chance.

the pros & cons of strong cultures

If you’ve been working in the same company for over 3 years have you ever wondered if your capacity for independent thinking has been reined in?

I estimate that I spent about 23 years in major corporates. I didn’t realise how much of an effect this had on me until I left. How hard is it to maintain orginal thought after you’ve been sheep dipped?..

clarity as a key to efficient progress

Everyday, rocks of miscommunication cause waves of disruption to gallop through organisations sending staff scurrying to get everyone back on the same page and moving forward in the direction that was desired but apparently not that clear to everyone.

Crossed wires really can cause chaos..