I love motor vehicles, especially those that are designed to perform at optimal levels in races on tracks or on the dirt in rallies. The back-up crew of mechanics and engineers are critical to any driver’s potential success, as the crew spend hours tweaking the performance and ability of the vehicle from engine to suspension,…
“Organizational culture is the ‘water’ in the fishbowl. If the water is clean, nourishing, energising, the fish will thrive and if the water is toxic, the fish will die, leaving the infrastructure value-less” (Ranjan de Silva, Sensei International) Organisational health – the status of operating efficiently and effectively with a “happy team” of positive and…
“When a culture adopts ‘what’s the next action?’ as a standard operating query, there’s an automatic increase in energy, productivity, clarity, and focus” (David Allen – Getting Things Done) Strategy execution isn’t a module or programme that you add on to an organisation but rather a discipline that you build into the organisation’s culture. Execution…
“We’re all fragile threads, but what a tapestry we make” (Jerry Ellis) Mahatma Gandhi suggested that one of the greatest challenges of our day is finding unity amongst diversity. Unity implies oneness, but oneness does not necessarily mean sameness. In other words, we may all be different, unique individuals, but through unity of purpose we…
“If the deck is stacked against you, reshuffle the cards” (Anon) There’s a part of me that wishes that the above quote could represent life and that managing everything that life throws at you was that easy. It’s not! Life is not a board or card game where, if you are losing, you can just…
Jean Henri Fabre, famed naturalist and explorer of the insect world, was born into a peasant family in France, raising ducklings to make some money. While tending the little birds in a nearby pond, he discovered other smaller creatures that dived, swam or wriggled – beetles, tadpoles, worms, mosquito larvae, newts and many insects. His…
Pressure gets to everyone from time to time, often resulting in behaviour that is not aligned to one’s “normal”, known character or disposition. This behaviour irregularity causes confusion in the minds of those closest to you, leaving them frustrated and even upset. This happened to me recently when the family were involved in decorating the…
Leaders, in whatever sphere of influence, need to be authentic in the way that they lead and care for their followers. There seem to be too many leaders who like the podium, the boardroom or leading the road-show, but who fail to demonstrate genuine care to those they lead. A leader only caring when in…
In major change initiatives, once the design is complete and the change project begins, there are two fundamental change processes: planned and emergent. Conscious change leaders orient to both – attention needs to be given to emerging dynamics and the plan should be adjusted as necessary. Dean and Linda Anderson (Beyond Change Management) note the…
Businesses can be wildly successful at change – exponential results could become achievable consistently. Greater profitability, growth in market share, improved customer satisfaction, engaged employees, stakeholder commitment and product innovation all become possible once potential is tapped and actualised. Unfortunately change success statistics suggest otherwise – 60% – 70% of all change efforts fail to…
You sense it when you walk in the door – either “this feels like a good place in which to work” or “something is happening here that is causing people to be unhappy and frustrated”. You sense it in body posture, you discover it from the way in which you are greeted and you observe…
