Its not the medium – or even the message
Most of us have done some form of study that involves a section on improving communications. We learn about the importance of making any message appropriate to the target audience – using the right language, using appropriate images, and so on. We also learn about choosing the medium for the message according to factors such […]
Small Can Be More Efficient
SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) have a number of problems reaching optimum productivity when comported to ‘the big boys’. It is harder for them to achieve the same economies of scale and hard for them to put the same pressure on their suppliers to contain costs. They are less likely to employ consultants and advisers, […]
Engage Your Employees
There is increasing evidence that high performance and productivity comes from workers who are engaged with the organisation …. aware of, and preferably sharing, its value set; aware of, and preferably invested in, its longer-term mission. Engaged individuals are much more likely to contribute to formal and informal innovation processes, much more likely to be […]
Plan Your Planning
We all know that to.be successful in our career, we have to plan ahead, in our job, we have to plan ahead’ in our life, we have to plan ahead. Although we know this is true, we often forget to do it When should we do it? So, when do we do it. Forgetting about […]
Productivity at all costs?
We have all seen examples of business leaders focusing exclusively on productivity growth – and failing to develop the business. Elon Musk – and his (‘hard-nosed’) approach to managing Twitter (now ‘X’) is just one example. Does this mean that a very strong focus on productivity is wrong? As often is the case, the answer […]
Should You Take a Holiday?
The answer to the question is obvious. Yes, you should. We all need a break from work occasionally to rid ourselves of accumulated stress, to refresh ourselves. But I’ve learned that there are things you can do to help maintain productivity whilst still having x complete break. Firstly – prepare for the vacation. One of […]
Keep It (Very) Simple
Sometimes keeping things simple yields the best results. This is particularly true for start-ups and small businesses. Don’t get sucked into complex (and expensive) systems of control or ‘improvement’. Stick to the basics. Set realistic goals (consistent with your declared mission and vision). If the goals are long-term, set intermediate targets. Communicate those goals/targets throughout the organisation […]
Do We Have To Make A Choice?
Climate-change activists often insist theirs is the right way. They insist that everything we do (or more often not do) must help ‘save the planet’, rather than make us richer or more secure. Yet, in all fields of human activity, the two can co-exist, even help each other…. If we look at green policies and practices […]
Does Time Matter?
Of course it does! However, concentrating on squeeing every last drop of productive output from each day and multi-tasking to get more done can lead to burnout, to stress and anxiety and to a drop in performance. If this sounds like your existence, then think about what it represents. Time is managing you, rather than […]
A Lesson in Communication
Doug Conant was the CEO of Campbell Soups in 2001 when the company’s business was at rock bottom due to several organisational issues including a toxic culture. Among the many leadership strategies, Doug adopted, one of them was to engage with each staff member and personally, connect with them. He did something that was unheard of […]
