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. […]
Tips, News & Views
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 […]
Your team MUST be able to disagree with you
I remember once having a really heated debate with one of my team members. We held strongly divergent views on how to proceed with some of the Intellectual Property we were creating. A fellow board member was there, and tried to shut the debate down. Afterwards, he asked me why I put up with a […]