“Out of office” is an interesting game that too many of us play. We set up the autoresponse religiously when we go on holiday, then still surreptitiously check our inbox while we’re away. Before we know it, we get sucked into the inbox and suddenly we’ve lost hours. For some, a reply gets sent out […]
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Structure is not your goal
In our drive for structure, we should always remember that structure is there to support an outcome, and is not an end goal in its own right. Leaders and consultants alike are guilty of creating frameworks and matrices. McKinsey’s famous MECE (mutually exclusive, completely exhaustive) is a wonderful triumph of the intellect over the real […]
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 […]
All it takes to turn an idea into a business
At the BCS talk that I recently did on growing a business with profit and purpose, I asked the audience what it takes to turn an idea into a business. “Grit”. “Determination”. “Hard work”. “Action”. I suspect that came from the entrepreneurs in the room. “Passion”. “A why” (eugh). “Purpose”. “Courage”. I suspect that was […]
Newer isn’t always better – 2 of 4
We crave the new. Last week I wrote about how this can hurt client revenue. But it also shows its addictive face when it comes to our teams. If your business needs a new hire, pause. Does this create an opportunity for someone in your existing team? Can someone fill the role and allow you […]