“Success is never owned. It’s rented and rent is due every day” (ANON) His great-aunt hovered over him as he began to practise his scales and exercises. The little boy was perched on an oversized piano stool, but he ignored his discomfort and dutifully responded to her persistent encouragement. “You must practise,” said the old…
In a very competitive market, nothing is more valuable than reputation. With companies across different sectors rising and falling overnight, the responsibility of shareholders, employees and other stakeholders, in partnership with customers, to sustain and grow value for the long term is more important than ever. Co-creating value should be everyone’s priority, especially when a…
The eternal quest to get to the first page of Google search results is perhaps important for optimising exposure, but potentially deceiving in terms of real value being offered. I did a short experiment with some simple searches – like ‘pimple popping’ – and found only one legitimate and really helpful result on page one…
One of my most loved music genre’s is ‘classical’ – not only compositions from the so-called ‘greats’ (Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, etc.), but also the lesser-known composers that have influenced music style in the 20th Century. This morning, it was Ravel’s turn to serenade me. Joseph Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), perhaps one of the greatest of…
“Straight from the horse’s mouth” is an expression commonly used to imply that supplied information is credible, trustworthy and reliable. It is, in other words, considered to be the truth. In essence, this means that the information was obtained first-hand, directly from the source or origin. Many have said that there are two possible origins…
Whether you are a big corporation, an SME or an entrepreneurial start-up, having the right tools to keep you connected to your business and your clients can make all the difference. This does not only involve data security, accounting and productivity tools, but also requires focus on messages and information pieces that are sent to…
Having consulted with a number of firms, I have noticed, almost without exception, the frantic activity of senior and middle management as they scurry from meeting to meeting, prepare presentations, work on budgets, hoping to get the best deal for their respective departments, write reports, attend or participate in road shows and generally answer questions…
So, you have worked hard at developing your career – all your needed studies are complete, you have gained experience in your field and your expertise has set you up as a trusted practitioner. You are respected and your job is stable. You produce quality work and you are appreciated. Your colleagues rely on your…
So, you’ve been appointed to a management position – well done! This is an opportunity for you to express yourself, use your initiative, contribute something worthwhile and exercise your leadership ability. Clearly, senior leadership have recognised your character traits and skillsets and have deemed them to be desirable for the growth of the business, so…
Brand reputation and corresponding trust are critical for the ongoing growth and sustainable development of a company. Ram Charan, author of What the CEO wants you to know, noted: “Without customer’s trust, the rest doesn’t matter”. In fact, Hank Paulson, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, emphasised the need for growing trust in his statement: “Our…
One of the more “revealing” experiences that I have had upon arriving in my mid-life years is that of realising that the 20/20 vision that I had as a younger man is not going to last forever – a visit to the optometrist is becoming a necessity. Imagine for a moment that you need to…
