In a Harvard Business Review study (July 2012), the article “Why top young managers are in a nonstop job hunt” (Monika Hamori, Jie Cao and Burak Koyuncu) described research based on the analysis of international databases of over 1 200 young high achievers and concluded that many of the best and brightest are not receiving the…
Gartner Inc., one of the world’s leading information technology research and advisory companies, suggests that “enterprise architecture (EA) is a discipline for proactively and holistically leading enterprise responses to disruptive forces by identifying and analysing the execution of change toward desired business vision and outcomes. EA delivers value by presenting business and IT leaders with…
The word “entropy”, from a physics perspective, is the corollary of the second law of thermodynamics, the way in which energy flows from a hotter object to a colder one – entropy goes up as the range of possibility and action goes down. An example of this can be found simply in cooking – once…
From time to time, on account of market or other global business requirements and in order to achieve internal production and financial efficiencies, businesses implement strategic large-scale change initiatives for growth and sustainability. I currently have the privilege of consulting for a large multi-national company who is undergoing such a change. The company, in a…
Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, once said: “There are two things people want more than sex and money … recognition and praise”. Repeatedly, the one motivating factor that heads employee lists is appreciation for a job well executed. Good work not acknowledged seems to be a “demotivator” and results in employees not…
After a successful change management project for which I was consultant, I was invited by the client to join them for an evening celebratory dinner at an upmarket venue overlooking the sea. Upon arrival, I was surprised to find one table reserved for nine people – as it turned out, the eight executives and the…
You see them on the public transportation systems (taxis, buses and trains) as they daily commute to and from work – grim faces representing hearts and minds that are just trying to make it through another day. You find them walking hurriedly, not out of a keenness to contribute skills and talents, but from a…
You remember some companies for the special attention or additional value that you received upon making your purchase – a free bottle of champagne and chocolates in your hotel room, free pillows with the purchase of a bed set or same day delivery where you know that they have gone out of their way to…
The world needs talented people who make their respective contributions willingly and who act with the “bigger picture” of growth and development in mind. Creating opportunity and possibility for others as they apply these talents and skills appropriately, they not only engender stability in the economy, but also steer its growth. This is partly the…
One of the major pressures today in production and process environments is to cut down on operational costs and aim towards achieving operational excellence. Production planning and control, manufacturing execution and operational effectiveness of the people, processes and equipment all need careful coordination if this is to be achieved. Many manufacturers fail to implement industry…
One of the benefits of extensive travel, particularly to other cities in the world, is the opportunity to experience client service first hand in a variety of hotels, with some of them being well-known brands. I don’t always get the service that I expect, but occasionally I am blown away by exceptionally thoughtful gestures by…
Trends change over time. This is not only true of fashion and cultural preferences, but also, and of particular note, the way we do business and hire people to fulfil their respective roles within the work context. Previously, one’s Curriculum Vitae (CV, with qualifications and experience) was the key “deliverable” when applying for a job….
