Articles

It is common for leaders to neglect their wellbeing when juggling the many responsibilities involved in managing an organisation.  While that might be a short-term solution in times of peak workload, it should never become the norm.  Poor mental and physical health can rob you of enjoyment and, if ignored, lead to poor decision makingRead more

Information about prospects, clients, donors and members can greatly help to improve product and service offerings and increase income.  Databases with contact details  – especially when segmented by factors such as age, gender, location and interests – assist in informing, selling and receiving feedback cost effectively.  However, when data is poorly managed, not held securelyRead more

All leaders have expectations of their team, be they employees or volunteers.  While some are agreed to in employment contracts, job descriptions and health and safety plans, it is rare for these documents to list all that is expected.  When staff do not comply with unstated expectations, and leaders manage against the unspoken standards orRead more

In a perfect world, organisations would have stock ready for sale just before customers buy it, and they would receive their customers’ payment before they pay their suppliers.  Too little stock and customers switch to competitors, too much stock causes cash flow and storage issues. Stock levels should be reviewed regularly.  A useful indicator ofRead more

How long can your organisation continue to deliver the same standard of products and services without your skills and knowledge or those of your key employees? How damaging would it be if an employee left to work for a competitor? Protect your competitive advantage, including customer and supplier information, by including clauses in all employeeRead more

The Cultural Intelligence Centre based in Michigan defines cultural intelligence, or ‘CQ’, as “the capability to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations”.  Increasingly organisations are recognising that they are more successful when they embrace cultural intelligence.  High cultural intelligence brings insight, creativity and innovation to organisations’ solutions and enables them to expand quicklyRead more

At the start of a new year many of us pause to consider how things are going in our lives.  Those of us who are business owners or are in leadership positions often reflect on how our organisations are doing as well.  Where we identify failure, or are dissatisfied with some results, we rightly askRead more

It is widely recognised in the community sector that lasting social, environmental and economic change requires collaboration – collaboration both within organisations and between organisations such as community groups, schools, health providers, businesses and policy makers. While collaboration is equally needed for a thriving private sector, many leaders are suspicious of it.  Within organisations, departmentsRead more

Great leaders know that they, and their teams, will make mistakes.  They know that they will implement initiatives that fail.  And, knowing that failure and mistakes are inevitable, they have the courage to trust their staff and try new things anyway.  They have the ability to manage the mistakes and failures so that they don’tRead more

The decisions we make, don’t make, are slow to make or make without due consideration have a huge impact on organisational success.   Whether intended or not, our decision-making processes can affect product quality, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, cash flow and reputation.  Many leaders are bogged down in decision-making and their organisations and personal wellbeing sufferRead more