Category Archives: Managing for business success

Is this your question: Now that people are working from home, how do we make sure they are productive?  The Covid-19 lockdown is revealing what managers truly believe about people. If Participative Management has been a ‘thing’ for decades, where … Continue reading →

There’s a reason the self-fulfilling prophecy concept is so well known – it is so prevalent in a crisis. People panic. Business owners are people. Business owners panic and make rash decisions. Everyone gets scared and productivity suffers. The business … Continue reading →

These quotes got me thinking: “The bad news is, time flies. The good news is, you’re the pilot.” Michael Altshuler “Priority management is the answer to maximising the time you have.” John Maxwell All very well, but are we talking … Continue reading →

I’m not an advocate for Engagement surveys – they have always struck me as somewhere demeaning: sit over there and communicate with leaders via a digital dashboard. Why not simply ask people what they think, how they feel and what … Continue reading →

Do you have staff who: hold you/your operation hostage? suck the life out of everyone, including you? drain your energy and leave you feeling exhausted? complain about everything (and nothing)? are simply ‘high maintenance’? Who knows………it is possible that due … Continue reading →

An article entitled: “The two magic words that motivate staff the most” (link below) implores organisations to solve the staff disengagement  issue by saying ‘Thank You’ (and using recognition schemes). This is, in my experience, addressing the wrong issue and … Continue reading →

During 2015, ‘not a hundy’ was the phrase used for the below-par condition of an All Black (i.e. a Steve Hansen-ism along with the phrase: ‘inconvenient fact’.) ‘Not a hundy’ invariably referred to a physical injury. (It is unlikely an … Continue reading →

Did you see the New Zealand Weekend Herald article: Never mind leadership, get on with your job? “Bosses should stop encouraging employees to become leaders – and teach them how to be followers instead” says Professor Birgit Schyns. I couldn’t … Continue reading →

Is New Zealand over-managed yet under-led? When debating the difference between leading and managing, most say: Leading has to do with people, big picture, purpose, strategy, vision, change, inspiration and Tomorrow Managing is reductionist in nature – controls and systems … Continue reading →

A recent workshop with managers in a time-critical work environment reminded me how distracting, even damaging, some employees can be. How are busy managers to deal with workplace “neurotics”? While I don’t mean this term literally, from what I hear, … Continue reading →