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Everyone is winging it

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  • 2 min read

I used to feel intimidated by the many capable people I worked with. Especially older and more senior ones. I assumed they all had their sh!t together in a way that I didn’t. Until one day I realised there’s no secret guidebook or certificate that… 

My simple daily review

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  • 5 min read

A daily review is an integral part of my overall ‘impact system’. It sits alongside other key parts of my system, including a weekly review, which I’ll cover in a separate post. My daily review has two primary objectives: My version of a daily review… 

Why leaders must engage themselves first

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  • 1 min read

The engagement of your team is one of the most important things you must focus on as a leader. But paying attention to your own level of engagement is not only important, but crucial. How you’re feeling about work has a huge impact on your… 

The selfishness of witholding feedback

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  • 1 min read

As managers, we need to stop withholding improvement feedback from our team members. It’s a selfish thing to do. Read on to find out why.

The one unconventional recruitment technique more effective than interviews

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  • 3 min read

There is one unconventional recruitment technique more effective than everything else. Even interviews. What is it? Well, if you hired a chef, you wouldn’t just interview them, would you? You’d also want to taste their cooking, right? So why then do so many recruitment processes… 

Struggling to get everything done?

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  • 3 min read

Most managers feel relentless time pressure. We think, if I can just get over this hump, then I’ll get on top of things…. but the hump never passes. Fortunately, there’s a solution that doesn’t require killing yourself with more work. Here’s how. The answer is… 

Quiet quitting is judgement day for poor managers

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  • 3 min read

Low employee engagement reflects bad management, not bad people. And – judging by Financial Times data on widespread quiet quitting (low engagement by a new name) – bad management is widespread. This presents a huge opportunity for organisations and leaders who can engage their people.… 

What Greek mythology has in common with change management

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  • 3 min read

Change management and Greek mythology have something in common. Sisyphus eternally rolled a boulder up a hill, before it rolled back down. A lot of organisational change is like this. How? Sisyphus was a king in Greek mythology who was condemned by the god, Hades.… 

It’s time to drop “Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions”

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  • 3 min read

Many managers like saying “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions”. It rolls off the tongue and sounds logical. But it’s time to stop saying it. Why? Because it risks creating an environment where problems are supressed. We will all occasionally encounter problems that stump… 

Cobras and butterflies: dealing with complexity

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  • 7 min read

Complex adaptive systems can be particularly challenging when making important decisions. To help navigate these challenges, we have developed some guidance and a simple canvas that will help in understanding the complexity of the systems you work with, and to make better decisions within them.

The importance of values

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  • 5 min read

As we’ve discussed in similar articles on both mission and vision statements, organisational values are an often used concept, but rarely well executed. Many organisations have developed a set of values, but very few have applied them in a way that truly and uniquely defines… 

Book summary: The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni

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  • 5 min read

The strongest organisations are those that are healthy, not just smart. Organisational health depends on four disciplines: developing a cohesive leadership team, creating strategic clarity, over-communicating that clarity throughout the organisation, and reinforcing strategy through systems and ways of working. Clarity doesn’t need to be complex and abstract, instead it can be achieved by answering six questions for any organisation: Why do we exist? How will we succeed? What do we do? Who does what? What’s most important, right now? How will we behave?

The power of clarity

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  • 5 min read

Consider the following set of seemingly unrelated questions: The thread that connects the answer to each of these questions is clarity. Clarity is a fundamental element of great strategy, organisations and relationships. It is one of the most powerful outcomes that can be achieved by… 

Define your organisation’s value proposition in five easy steps

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  • 5 min read

During a recent workshop with a client’s board and leadership team, a great question was asked which had everyone in the room stumped. We were discussing the organisation’s purpose (see our article on the importance of purpose here), which we felt was quite well-defined at… 

Book summary: Measure What Matters by John Doerr

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  • 8 min read

Objectives and key results (OKRs) provide a simple and collaborative goal-setting methodology that can be used by any organisation, team or individual. OKRs comprise of an objective – WHAT we’re seeking to achieve, and one or more key results – HOW we’re going to achieve the objective. OKRs have successfully helped many organisations, including – most famously – Google, prioritise what’s most important, create alignment and connection, increase accountability and stretch for ambitious goals.

Our favourite podcasts about work and business

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  • 6 min read

We love podcasts. They’re super convenient, cover every genre imaginable and usually free – what’s not to love? Beyond pure entertainment, we find podcasts to be a powerful tool for learning. There are many great podcasts covering the world of work and business that we… 

Our 10 favourite tips for creating clarity

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  • 3 min read

Clarity is a fundamental element of great strategy, organisations and relationships. At its core, clarity is simply the state or quality of being clear, coherent, intelligible and free from ambiguity. It exists in multiple forms – as a quality of something (e.g. clarity in the… 

Be crystal clear on your organisation’s purpose

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  • 6 min read

I have recently been reading about the history of outdoor clothing and gear company, Patagonia. There are a number of stories about Patagonia that perfectly illustrate the power of purpose in business. Examples include: Patagonia is an organisation that knows who they are and why…