» Communication

I was walking yesterday and heard my first cuckoos. At first there was just one in the distance, and I thought “How perfect!”, spring sunshine and birdsong. We walked a little further then heard him again, only clearer, he seemed to have moved closer. Then I realised the song was different; a moment later it […][...] read more » The first cuckoos and their lessons in branding

Yesterday roughly 70% of the Greek voters said “No!” to austerity (despite same same proportion still wishing to remain within the Europe!)  At the same time the French voters voted for Hollande and his anti-austerity platform.  So both sets of people want to get better, economically speaking, but refused to take their ‘medicine’.  This is […][...] read more » The Greeks & the French vote for Change… or did the turkeys just refuse to vote for Xmas?

Today, the second guest Blog from Maurice de Castro, leadership expert and speaker, telling the rest of his personal story: In yesterday’s blog I referred to a time when I faced the challenge of playing my part in helping to turn a business around that was on a slippery slope to nowhere. I used the […][...] read more » WHAT will it take to Change?

A client of mine has been working with Amazon, and shared some very interesting things about the company culture.  It is definitively American.  People are told when they are taken on that their work will be measured and assessed, and the if they fall in the top 10% then they will be promoted.  Conversely, if […][...] read more » Cultural lessons from Amazon

10 English cities in Manchester, Liverpool and Coventry just had referenda to decide if they want London-style mayors.  The turn-out was incredibly low, 24% in Bristol, and the proposition was greeted with underwhelming scepticism.  Why you might ask?  The answer is a simple one, this is either viewed as unlikely to solve voters problems or […][...] read more » What the mayoral referenda tell us about Change

I went to a talk yesterday by Pen Hadow, who rose to international fame when in 2003 he became the first person to trek solo, without resupply by third parties, from Canada to the North Geographic Pole – a feat which has not been repeated and thought comparable in difficulty to making the first ascent […][...] read more » An Arctic explorer’s lessons on Change

Here is a little tale:- Wife texts husband on a cold winter’s morning:“Windows frozen.”Husband texts back:“Pour some lukewarm water over them.”Wife texts back 5 mins later:“Computer completely f*cked now.” Now this conversation may or may not have really happened but it makes the point very well that communication is all about context, and the meaning […][...] read more » Communications.. it’s all about the context!

“All people see is Marilyn Monroe.  As soon as they see I’m not her, they run.”  Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn It is arguable that she created one of the greatest brands of all time, it still makes around $4m pa, and was recently acquired for something like $30m.  This quote of Michelle Williams […][...] read more » Marilyn’s lessons in managing your reputation

..starts with the first step, so said Lao-Tzu.  The same wisdom is at the heart of Change.  I’m delighted to report that my latest client has recognised, for themselves, this simple yet profound truth and thus done much better than many bigger and more ‘sophisticated’ companies.  We had an initial session to map out their […][...] read more » A journey of a thousand miles…

I was watching a program about driver ants and they have a lot to teach most corporations that I encounter.  The millions of individuals in a colony each know their role; they know how they add value.  They focus their energy on common goals and support each other.  From each according to their abilities, to […][...] read more » Corporate lessons from ants