I’m always astonished by companies that say that culture is important, but do no work on their values. Look after your values, and your culture will follow. A strong set of organisational values, lived by the leadership and reflected in how your company does business will end up creating the foundations of your culture. As […]
Culture
Swearing isn’t unprofessional. Or is it?
Do you swear at work? Often if leaders do, they set a tone. Which is *really* unprofessional. Because people don’t go to work in order to feel like extras in a Tarantino film. But I don’t think people go to work to feel like extras in a Mary Poppins film either. They go to work […]
Good data isn’t a substitute for thinking
I love that we now have more data to use to assist decision-making. We can make decisions now with a stronger basis in evidence than whim, and that can only be positive. But I’ve also seen companies and leaders absolve themselves of thinking by hiding behind the data. Congratulating each other on meeting KPIs, while […]
Don’t Command and Control – Direct and Adapt
The cultural brainwash that leadership is all about command and control runs deep. It remains the default behaviour in many companies, including small ones and ones built on intellectual output. Command and Control IS a valid model. There are scenarios where it may be the best answer. And not the obvious ones – for example, […]
Philosophy interlude! JS Mill on why your team must be able to disagree with you
Just back from my extended holiday (hence the lack of posts this week!) to pick up my eldest son’s GCSE results. The new new GCSE system (I was O levels!). I’m really chuffed with how he’s done. But it prompted me to look at some of my old school and uni notes, and I was […]