In all of my years in business – both as an employer and as a consultant – I have never seen anyone hire someone who was uninspired and not wanting to work for the company that just hired them. Over just as many years, I have heard managers say, “These people are lazy”, or“They have to…
“Coachability” is the willingness to be coached, to listen, to respect instruction and act on it. Coaching (another set of eyes) lets you see what’s missing which, if you act on it, could make a big difference. These days, many people know that coaching is a good idea. They listen to it politely but never…
Recently, whilst working with the Global Planning Team of a major oil company, we were asked, “What is the cost of complexity and what is the effective range on this cost?” At one level, the answer is easy; “It is the cost associated with having more than one customer and product. The more complex the supply chain,…
From time to time, I enjoy a good read of “the classics”. I am not certain why the classics are not taught in grade-school anymore – it is a shame. There are so many basic life-lessons that transcend the ages and generations and can be gleaned with grand richness from the tales of literary greats…
Sooner or later in your consulting career, you will find yourself in the somewhat awkward position of having to listen to a client proudly describe what you are sure is the worst conceived performance intervention you have ever heard. Imagine, it has taken you months to get them this excited about anything. You listen in…
