Long ago Peter Drucker, the father of business consulting, made a very profound observation that has been lost in the sands of time: “Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two – and only two – basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the […]
VIEW POSTIn 2015 SouthWest Airlines received a job application every two seconds, but it was very selective. It received over 287,000 resumes from which it interviewed 102,112 candidates, and hired only 6,582 people. Why has SouthWest Airlines gone to such an extreme to recruit so few people, less than 2% of all applicants? The key to the […]
VIEW POSTHow to use deadlines to your advantage We often live in fear of deadlines or see them as the main source of our stress. You know how it goes: “Only two months left to make your annual target”, “The report has to be completed and on the boss’ desk by Friday morning”, or “The customer […]
VIEW POSTUnderstand how people can react – whether they take control of themselves, or abdicate responsibility… There is a simple, but useful tool that helps you to understand how people respond to situations, and to anticipate their likely behavior. It can also help you identify those who are likely to be winners and losers. This tool […]
VIEW POSTThe skill in delegating work comes after you have delegated it Now you have delegated work you need to make sure it gets done. Just because you have delegated the work does not mean it will automatically get done how or when you want to. Follow these five steps to help you manage your delegated […]
VIEW POSTGiving greater choice does not mean more will be chosen! Most people believe that having a choice is good. The belief here is that choice gives us freedom, so if we have more choices we have more freedom, the better it is for our lives. But some research has found that this is not necessarily […]
VIEW POSTSelf-focus, others focus and a wider world focus Being a leader is continually demanding role. To be effective you not only need to know what to focus on, but also what to not focus on. This is made more complex is that you need focus on and understand yourself, your people or team, and the […]
VIEW POSTA simple lesson for managing your stress. I’d like to share a short story I came across a long time ago. While it is short, the story is full of insights, learning, and wisdom. “A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone […]
VIEW POSTHow to make decisions at speed Speed to market is increasingly important when you need to respond to business, competitive or market changes. Making a poor decision, implementing a decision poorly or taking too long can cost you money and time, and create stress and frustration. Here are five steps for deciding at speed: Make […]
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