The Stretch
How should you manage a stretch? We all have them. A whopping great big number forced in on top of our budgets. A couple of options: 1. Divide and conquer: split the two or twenty million up...
View ArticleLotus Notes
I have just started working somewhere new. They use Lotus Notes as an e-mail solution instead of Microsoft’s ubiquitous Outlook. It has some novel customer focused features: 1. E-mail addresses often...
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Let the Train Take the Strain
This morning on the train from Nottingham into London the “train manager” made an announcement: “Due to health and safety reasons we are only allowed to take 2 bicycles on this train, will passengers...
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Management Targets Result in the World’s Largest Stag Party
The target Since 1978 China has had a One Child Policy. The aim of the policy is to reduce population growth in the country. The theory is that this will curtail demand for natural resources and so...
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How are you Organised?
When you ask for an organisation chart I bet you expect to see something like this: If I gave you an organisation chart that looked a little more like this: What would that tell you about the...
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The Simple Restructuring Rule
There are two big predators in the sea Sharks and Dolphins They came from very different starting points: A shark is a fish A dolphin is a mammal A shark has gills A dolphin has lungs A shark is...
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Management: Can You Have Too Much of a Good Thing?
Good management is a good thing and organisations have a shortage of “talent”. Having more and better managers is critical to success. So you should put all your effort into hiring and developing...
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The Elephant Problem
Manage the numbers We love to manage by targets and numbers. We divide our organisations up and target managers with very specific goals: Reduce waiting times Increase top line Minimise operational...
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The Siren Call of the Reorg
The perfect organisation There are a hundred and one ways you can structure your organisation: You can have a flat structureYou can have a tall structureYou can have an inverted structureIt could be...
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Centre of Excellence or Management Folly?
The centre of excellence How many times have you heard the claim “We are building a centre of excellence”? Or, even more triumphant, “We are a centre of excellence!” It is great management speak. It...
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