In the last two years, the world has been turned upside down, firstly by Covid, even more so in the last two weeks with the appalling events in Ukraine. Business leaders, having pushed through the Covid restrictions and adjusted to a “new normal,” are now challenged with another storm of change - a geopolitical one.
Read MoreLast week, Andrew wrote about the 3 stages of growth that a company experiences. While a company needs to adjust what it does as it grows, it also needs to change what it is, and this parallel change in being is a cultural journey. Your culture is created by the people within your company. Cultures often naturally drift and evolve over time, but...
Read MoreI am a great believer in the value of a company being in touch with its values. And I am greatly saddened when I see those values distilled into a mere list of words that are written on walls and published in websites. And you know some of the words I'm talking about: Communication, Respect, Integrity and Excellence are a few of the common ones...
Read MoreThe reason I bring this up is because of a more recent interaction with Bell. My internet stopped working and so I went online to try and resolve it… The first items on their phone tree are all about buying a new phone, a new TV service, faster internet etc… Eventually you get down to repairs and you again click through a long tree only to be put o...
Read MoreWe humans are paradoxical creatures. On the one hand, we like habits - good or bad - where we follow routines, and especially if we did something that worked really well, then we are quite happy to do the same again, and again, and keep doing it. Eating the same things, at the same times, going to the same place for vacation year after year, a...
Read MoreWhen I was a child, I had a VERY active imagination (I guess like a lot, if not most children). I had limited exposure to the world, yet that didn't stop me. Every new experience provided opportunities to ask more questions, everything I saw on television (even in black and white) or heard on the radio, or conversation overheard, gave me more inp...
Read MoreJelena asked me to provide a picture of myself, in a suit, to update my LinkedIn profile. It occurred to me that I haven’t worn a suit in at least a year. Working from home and meeting people from the waist up sort of negates the whole suit idea. This “going to work” is an interesting concept that has become normal over the last year. That physica...
Read MoreWhen you go to a new market, you consider both your best opportunities to obtain new clients and protect yourself from the competition. If you can identify your competition's asset baggage, you can rest assured you will find your sweet spot.Asset baggage includes a company's brand, staff, IT systems, distribution network, marketing collateral, inve...
Read MoreAn area that people get wrong all the time is pricing. Some people price high based on the profits they hope to achieve. Some base it on some sort of average industry “cost-plus” rule. Some are afraid to charge too much. Still, others simply add a few percent to last year’s price. So before you set your next price or quote your next deal here are...
Read MoreA few years ago, while training for a triathlon, I went to see my doctor about a pain in my knee. He prodded and poked, and did various scans and investigations, all of which identified nothing in particular. Eventually, he referred me to a physiotherapist who was adept at understanding, and very importantly resolving, strange aches and pains.
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