Articles

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

A common trap for people leading teams is to subconsciously ‘put people in a box’.  We think we know what they are good at and then limit our expectations of them accordingly.  For example, we expect that the accounts person is only interested in the numbers, or are surprised when the driver solves a problemRead more

In our fast-paced online world where people are constantly being bombarded with messages it is challenging for organisations to raise awareness of the good work that they do, let alone convert those who hear into customers.  Whether reading an advertisement, social media post, blog or talking face to face, most people will only give youRead more

I received some great feedback following last month’s article about the role of governance boards.  Keenly aware of their ultimate responsibility for the organisation’s success, some board members struggle to know when to dig deeper into the detail and when to rely on what they are told.  While there are no definitive answers, the followingRead more

Most people value organisations that operate with integrity.  Integrity is about being honest and doing the right thing all the time, even if no one is watching.  Unsurprisingly acting with integrity is good for profits – who wants to give their custom to an organisation that is not serving their best interests?  Conversely, a lackRead more

The mid-way point of the year is a perfect time to examine the progress your organisation is making towards achieving its business plan.         Where goals have been achieved ask:  what made it possible for us to achieve this goal?  Could we replicate this winning formula in other areas of our organisation? What long-term benefitRead more

While some of us may remember a time when business was done without emails, texts and social media, in today’s world they are essential business enablers.  Used well they make it possible for organisations to reach wide groups of stakeholders and prospects with speed and minimal cost.  Used carelessly these tools can damage an organisation’sRead more

The key role of governance boards is to ensure that organisations are run well.  In some ways they are like an umbrella – connected to the organisation but sitting above it.  They are aware of what is happening both inside and outside the organisation and keep it moving forward safely, even when the environment isRead more