– By Ian Day It’s a curious irony of the business world that while leaders and managers will always say that they are seeking optimal performance from their people, they very often fail to deal with poor performance, allowing it to fester unchecked and risking the same malaise affecting others. The reason for this is […]
Posts under ‘Communication’
Lessons in Communication
In aviation circles, variants of this story have been doing the rounds for years. The factual basis is that many airlines and airforces ask pilots to complete a ‘gripe sheet’ of any mechanical problems on the aircraft report after every flight which they pass to the ground crew. These responses (usually attributed to Quantas ground […]
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 […]
The World Wide Web Was Born in 1989, 25 Years On Where Would SME Business Be Without It? – by Jo Haigh
October 1989; the month and year I started my business. I was unaware at the time that another new born was the World Wide Web, I was also unaware of the impact this creation would have on my life, both business and personal. In 1989 promoting a new SME profile was all about meetings, networking […]
The Dynamics of Difficult Conversations
The average British person has 27 conversations every day, lasting an average of 10 minutes each. That adds up to a massive 4.5 hours a day or 68 days – every year. We mostly enter these conversations automatically, without forethought or reflection. However, there are some conversations we do notice. We can spend hours, days […]
Post-traumatic stress – by Jo Haigh
Ok so this is a business column so it may seem a strange title, but I am referring not to a medical condition but a business one, related to the parties following a business transaction, in particular, an acquisition. Research carried out by KPMG has demonstrated that the majority of transactions fail to add value […]
Making the most of your adviser – by Jo Haigh
Be it a transaction or specific problems you are dealing with, from time to time you need advice from a professional, inevitably this requires the exchange of money in return for the advice. Advice comes based on years of experience and associated professional qualifications. A short piece of advice therefore may seem expensive but it […]
Case Study: Communication Breakdown
Background: John was MD of a £6 million turnover family business in the manufacturing sector. His father had originally founded the business which the three children eventually joined. However, there was a general lack of structure in the company which also manifested as poor communication, not only between John and his father, but with the […]
The great big give away – by Jo Haigh
It’s common practice in professional service businesses to give away a certain amount of free advice as part of an initial consultation. This may partly be to clarify needs but is often part of the sales process I’m engaging with the client. The difficult part for the adviser is knowing when to a stop with […]
Give Great Answers to Tough Shopfloor Questions by Michael Dodd
The toughest professional questions to members of the Academy for Chief Executives come primarily from just three areas. They’re asked by customers, prospects and your own employees. How do we know this? The information comes from the pre-session surveys that I’ve been conducting with members before sessions on “Give Great Answers To Tough Questions”. So […]