Core Disciplines

At every level it is hard to deny that their is change in the air. Its happening at an international, national and local level. If you are running a small business now there is a lot of things moving and changing. 

So this week I am writing five short blogs, one a day, looking at how we perceive and respond to change as business leaders. I’m be drawing on some client stories and some personal lessons. All ...

Do you find yourself frustrated that your team don’t seem very good at making decisions when it comes to dealing with customers? It comes up a lot in my coaching conversations whether its over-servicing, under-charging or sorting out the occasional visit from Mr. Cock-Up (every business has them from time to time).

In the late 90’s while I was working for Ernst and Young I was doing some research and researching and came across a case study about Nordstrom; an upmarket ...

<sub>I recently watched, in horror, a news item about fat-bergs. Cooking fat poured into sinks binds together into massive lumps that eventually block the sewer. The water flow slows and loads of crap build up.

Just like many sales pipelines. 

My work brings me into contact with lots of people engaged in selling and many of them suffer with ‘pipeline fever’.</sub>

I’ve had telemarketers dialling in London over this last week, targeting £2m + business owners for conversations (some of you may well get a call this week as well). In the telemarketers report I noticed a lot of comments similar to this one

‘We’ve gotten along fine for years doing what we do and don’t need your stinking help.’

Okay, so you’re doing fine…and that’s great! I get it. You have got along fine for years without knowing me….needing me…or needing my ...

Do you ever look at where you have got to and question how you did it? When you look at others around you do you compare yourself unfavourably to them and feel like you might be a bit of a fraud?

Welcome to impostor syndrome and what was my world for much of my corporate life.

After leaving school at sixteen and bumbling around with clerical jobs for a few years I lucked my way into my first Executive role as an ...

A presence, or lack of, confidence appears to be an important driver for success. We look up to people who have an air of self assuredness and confidence. When we meet them we wish we were more like them and when we interview them we will beg them to come and work for us.

But its takes more than confidence to get results as my rock climbing days taught me.

At the tender age of 25 I went to North Wales for ...

The Turkey is done with, you are back at your desk and looking at your brand new wall-planner imagining just how much more you are going to enjoy growing and running your company this year. Your bristling with excitement as you have finally committed to creating that shift. By the time you are visiting the farm shop for your next Turkey you will have more time to think, be more relaxed, with higher profits, reserves in the bank and a ...

I have hours of recorded of video from a number of training programs I have run over the last few years. At least one set of videos has even been formatted ready to turn into an online training program. Yet it has just sat there and I’ve done nothing with it.