What is the most important thing to be done in a business? Is it creating the vision? Is it setting strategy? Is it managing people? Is it building a supply chain? Well, all of these are important - but perhaps the biggest single thing to be done is to build relationships - with all stakeholders

We are often asked to reflect on 'what we think'.  But, rarely, on how we think. Many of us are charged with making improvements, with innovation, with important planning and decision-making.  How we think - and how well we think - is therefore important. Yet most of us don't know.  We think how we think

"Our people are our greatest assert:".  So say most companies.  Yet few of them behave as if they really believe it. They fail to involve, empower - even train and develop - their employees and then are surprised when those employees fail to maximise their contribution - if they stay at all ... they are

I have spent much of my life urging companies to become more efficient - and helping them to do do. But, of course, I know that some do not go far enough. Becoming more efficient should not be an end in itself. Becoming efficient creates capacity - it gives an organisation the headroom to start

Recruitment is perhaps the most important function you ever undertake If you don't recruit talented, skilled, flexible staff, you can't expect your staff to exhibit talent, skill and flexibility. But you also have to create an organisation in which that talent, skills and flexibility can thrive and grow. You have to impose your will ,your

If you run an organisation - and run it well, how do you manage to keep it running well when you are not there.  This can certainly be a problem for small, startups and growing organisations that do not have an established management structure. First of all, let's hope you have recruited well - employing

Should we focus our improvement efforts on improving the quality of what we do ... or in improving the productivity It doesn't matter. Productivity and Quality are inextricably linked. Improving quality adds value to goods or services which adds to the top line of the productivity ratio. Improving quality through systematic analysis and investigation of

Do you know how well your competitors are doing - not in terms of their results but operationally? They might have better results but be a worse performer because they are bigger than you. They may be at a disadvantage in terms of their location, access to labour, materials or energy ... yet still have

When running a race, an athlete has to be in peak condition, with no injuries. They also have to be aware of the capabilities of their opponents and set their tactics accordingly (especially for long distance races). Well, business competition is rather similar. A business organisation has to be in peak condition with no significant

Remember ergonomics?  Not many people seem to. I often see products that look like the designer has no idea of the shape and size of a typical person.  They may have been designed for an average human being of the 1940s ...  but not thew 21st century. Think seats on public transport, on aeroplanes, in