Remote working has been necessary during the pandemic - the alternative for many was no working.     Many organisations have adjusted to the need for remote technologies and remote communication. Have they, though, adjusted to

Evolution is normally a more stable process than revolution.  Changes are incremental, slow and secure, embedded before the next change occurs. So, if you can, you are probably better trying to evolve your business into an improved,

Can productivity be raised too far. Is high productivity ever a problem? Well, it depends on how you look at it and the context/situation you are considering/measuring. For example, it is possible, by applying productivity

If you can’t control events or situations, you might find yourself getting anxious.  This is negative thinking, likely to have an adverse effect on your performance and productivity. In such situations, it is important to

There is some research evidence from India that suggests that providing farmers with information and advice about the use of pesticides, high yield seeds, weather forecasts, etc is more important than ‘showing them what to

As we gain hope, and maybe even confidence, with the first virus injections, it is time to reflect on the effects of the pandemic and form plans for the future. There are two main items

Was what you did and achieved in 2020 the best you could do, bearing in mind the limits caused by the pandemic? If not, you have to think about what you can do and achieve

Every business - and every manager in that  business - should know what are the critical success factors … what must the company do - and do well - if they are to be successful.  What are

We have all been in situations where we have received efficient, friendly service from someone with a smile.  Efficient AND friendly service is so much more effective at creating customer well-being and customer loyalty than

The obvious answer is ‘Yes’ but is that the right answer? it depends on what you means by ‘worry about’. The CEO needs to worry about ‘big issues’ - those that directly affect achievement of

Two trends have come together to transform attitudes to technology. Firstly, hardware (closely followed by software) has become so advanced that many tasks previously thought incapable of being computerised or digitised have now come within

A crisis like the one the world is at the moment changes political, economic and business thinking. Long-strategy understandably gives way to survival thinking.... “How can we get through this?” So, longer (but not that

Which governments succeeded and which have failed in meeting the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic?  Well - as ever - it depends on your definition of succcess. There are two main factors against which the

Many, if not most, companies are looking to improve productivity these days.  They may design single, initiatives or projects to look at key issues or, if they are smart, have an ongoing ‘movement’ that systematically

Do you want your employees to work hard?  (Yes, we’re starting with the easy questions.) Well, actually you don’t. If those employees are doing the wrong things, or even doing the right things but in

I have written and spoken recently about the growing realisation that resilience must be a key factor in industry  development where security and consistency of supply becomes ever more important when selecting working systems and

When we carry out future -gazing or horizon scanning, we can often see likely large-scale changes ahead. For example, self-driving vehicles are coming. We are not sure when but they are coming. What does this

We should be able to assume that most business leaders are aiming to improve the productivity and performance of their organisation.  Yet, not many of them seem to be successful in doing this. This suggests

A lot of productivity writers and bloggers advocate a morning routine to set you up for the day. The problem with routines is that they tend to result in routine thinking. If you want fresh,

When improving performance, we often urge companies to take a longer term view. Forget short term gains and concentrate on the gains to be made year in, year out over many years, Yet, sometimes, companies