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Posts from ‘June, 2014’

Making a Crisis Less of a Drama

At some point in our careers and as business leaders, turbulence will turn to crisis. That’s when our leadership skills are truly tested. Since it is well worth being wise before the event – planning how we would react to a crisis before one happens – here are some thoughts to help navigate a stormy […]

The Letter of the Law

Few things are more unsettling or disruptive for a business than being embroiled in a crisis with employment law-related consequences. Being on the receiving end of an Employment Tribunal (ET) claim feels like being under attack. But having at least a basic understanding about how to handle these sorts of organisational crises can go a […]

Calm in the Face of Adversity

Many of us are suffering from an unprecedented rate of transformation, information overload, noise pollution and the increasing tendency to exist on ‘auto-pilot’ that goes hand-in-hand will high levels of stress and low levels of well-being. By developing resilience (mental toughness and emotional control) business leaders are not only able to better deal with the […]

Case Study: Stepping Down to Step Up

MSM Software is a UK-based software company providing bespoke software development and support of business-critical systems. Founded 16 years ago, the company has offices in Exeter, Bristol and London. Whilst MSM weathered the first half of the recession well, the completion of a number of long-term contracts in 2012 came at a time when the […]

The Six Most Common Negotiating Mistakes

Whether it’s a multimillion pound contract or just deciding where to meet for lunch, life is full of negotiations. The negotiation process is a lot like a chess game where strategy reigns supreme – one thoughtfully-considered move at a time. Make a careless, short-sighted, ill-conceived move and you could suffer some perilous consequences. Even when […]

Don’t just hope for the best

Three Keys to International Expansion

– By Mark Fritz Thanks to today’s communication technologies, businesses can operate wherever they choose in a way they simply couldn’t have imagined three decades ago. This means that your competition at home could be just as easily be based across the world as across the street. But equally, you could be the competition in someone […]

Why you need Cultural Intelligence

– By David Livermore If you’re operating internationally – be it the other side of the world or just the other side of the Channel – you are going to need to cultivate a degree of Cultural Intelligence (CQ). At its core, CQ is about viewing and treating people from various cultures with respect and dignity […]

Technology: the Great Leveller

– By Wayne Turmel As the leader of a small or medium enterprise looking to expand internationally, the questions never stop. Should you open offices and hire in areas you’re targeting, and how would you manage the people if you did? How can you visit all the potential customers in a profitable way that ensures building […]

Case Study: How Rotary Moved into the Premiership

Rotary Watches is a fourth-generation, family owned, mid-market Swiss watch brand which competes against global luxury giants with a range of affordable classic Swiss watches. Three years ago, the decision was made to re-shape its growth strategy to focus more on consumers in emerging markets, with Asia Pacific being a key region. Whilst Rotary had […]