A common story I find when working with founders is frustration with the managers that they appoint into their business. Not responsive enough. Not thinking big enough. Not hungry enough. I always need to remind them that this is why *they* are founders, and their team isn’t. Typical founder traits are both a strength and […]
Business is not a spreadsheet
I’ve worked in places where making the numbers right on a spreadsheet meant playing with people’s lives. I’ve also worked in places where supporting people’s lives made the numbers right on the spreadsheet. If you run a business, it’s your choice which way you want to go. It’s your choice what you make the priority. […]
Don’t let your clients’ lack of ethics or inefficiency endanger your business
Cash flow, revenue, sales. These are the oxygen for our businesses. They’re not what creates the value, but we’d be unable to create value without them. Which is why it’s infuriating to see small businesses often left at the mercy of late paying larger customers. Recent surveys by the Small Business Insights Index and Xero […]
Promotion into Management isn’t always the best thing for your stars
When you promote within your team, bear in mind that different jobs are suited to different personalities, and don’t expect your promoted star to instantly become a star manager. Sure, sometimes it happens. But the best salesperson doesn’t automatically become a great sales manager. The greatest developer doesn’t instantly become a great team lead. And […]
Your company can only contribute sustainably if it is profitable
When discussions with my clients turns towards the contribution their company makes to their community or environment, I obsess that they need to be reliably profitable. Especially if their contribution is philanthropic. I’m a governor at my kids’ primary school. I was astonished how many children struggle to do their best simply because their families […]