Koffie Met Slagroom Anyone? I went on holiday last month. No sun-soaked Caribbean beach for me. Instead, it was the joys of Northern Europe. It rained every single day and then the rain became stormy (you should experience the Rotterdam to Hull ferry in a force eight gale, it is a big boat but it […]
Optimising Each Part… Doesn’t Optimise the Whole
Harvard Business Review Greg Satell provides a classic example of sub-optimisation in his post. Managers strive for efficiency in every part of their businesses. Yet many of those businesses are bloated and ineffective. This is the efficiency paradox; it runs something like this… The more efficient you make the parts of your organisation, the less […]
Brilliance Alone Won’t Take You Far
The land grab In the 17th and 18th centuries the European superpowers; Britain, Spain, France, Portugal and the Netherlands were racing to conquer the world. They were hell bent on colonising the Americas, Africa and Asia for themselves. The Europeans were engage in a land grab of monumental proportions. The colonies were dependant on the […]
The Most Profitable Activity in the World
Collaboration The iPhone is — arguably — the most profitable product in the world. Since it was launched in 2007 it has sold over 700 million units. In my household alone we have 4 of the damned things. I hasten to add my daughter’s phones are hand-me downs, but all the same. The iPhone 11 […]
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 shows strategic drive and direction. Every thrusting young manager wants a centre of excellence, why wouldn’t they? There are a […]