November the 5th has always had a special meaning for me, and I thought it fitting to write about it in this particular Tuesday Tune-up. On one particular 5th of November, a group of would be insurrectionists plotted to blow up government and install a new monarch. They came very close to succeeding. Guy Fawkes was their explosives person and,...
Read MoreToronto’s Collision conference boasted 1,834 exhibitors and 37,832 attendees from 117 countries. Collision is mainly a forum for start-ups and small companies to test their ideas, attract financing, and gain traction. Unfortunately, most of them will fail. And why they fail is a lesson for all of
Read MoreGreenwashing is the environmental evolution of whitewashing. Its outcome or impact is potentially devastating - in our ESG/PPP ecological balance consideration, the balance is way off as it emphasises a company's profitability (probably shorter term) at the expense of the environment and the trust of
Read MoreA few weeks ago, I was at a live event where a series of executives explained their firms’ approaches to financing companies deploying sustainable technologies. Their intent was to generate interest in their services. One after the other they tried to differentiate themselves on their features, advantages, and benefits. As you might expect, after...
Read MoreSome years ago, I was cutting logs at my cottage, and it felt as if I had a wood chip in my right eye. I blinked and flushed and probed my eye. I looked in the mirror and couldn't see anything. So I went to see my eye doctor the next day and it turned out that I had a detached
Read MoreWe are in the process of running a series of webinars across the Baltic States and Scandinavia; this is part of our Look West program where we assist companies get a foothold or expand in North America. We are often asked if we know anyone in a particular industry. For example, do we know anyone in the marine industry? Have we got any connections w...
Read MoreIt's amazing how often I see people in leadership positions doing one when the other would have been more appropriate. These 2 words are often used interchangeably, and you could say that to use one word rather than the other is a matter of semantics. But, for the moment, let's just entertain the notion that they are quite different and being ab...
Read MoreI was once told that the only advice you should give is: 'never give advice unless it is asked for'. And that was by a person who seemed to have no end of unwanted advice to proffer. But at least that was one bit of valuable advice. As consultants, part of our role IS to advise, although we usually do wait for at least some sort of tacit request...
Read MoreIn my first job as a Key Account Manager in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods industry, I was trying to sell a couple of pallets of Carpaccio to my client in Riga. The client kept ignoring my calls and I was starting to feel very frustrated. I had only been on the job for about a month and was starting to feel that I would never succeed at this. I cal...
Read MoreA few weeks ago, I tried to connect with the national sales manager of a North American appliance manufacturer. I went through a fairly torturous auto-attendant reception tree to try and find the individual. I eventually spoke to a live person who offered to transfer me – and I was put on hold, indefinitely. I dialed back in and then went throug...
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