Qualifications are really important in certain areas. I want my doctor, solicitor and optician to be fully qualified but the things I value in effective people are not based on qualifications. Here are ten effective things that don’t require qualifications. Being on time. Some people seem to think that keeping…
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big a fan of measuring things. Data is really important and very useful in taking decisions but I have a problem with Big Data. Too many people and organisations are using the outputs without looking at why big data can be efficient but not…
I would like to take credit for this method but it is actually based on an idea from Rory Sutherland of Ogilvy. However, I have taken his idea and want to show you how to predict the future based on using this method. The problem with most methods of trying…
The definition of productivity is generally thought to be the ration of output volume to the volume of inputs. Put another way, in order to increase productivity you must either reduce inputs or increase outputs. YouTube and the self help bookshelves are full of productivity improvement advice. We are constantly…
A while ago in the blog Why Fixed Overheads Are So Important we discussed fixed costs and their negative effects. These are even more important when looking to make decisions in times of trauma, especially if sales are falling. This is when the effective costing of products & services can make…
Profit maximisation has been the goal for so many organisations since time began. In the days when cheap, obedient labour was the main resource and hire and fire was the name of the game then profit maximisation by keeping costs low was achievable. However, things have changed. Let’s look at…
It is a given that it is important, some would say vital, to know your customer. If you read the LEAN literature then everything should be done having listened to the Voice Of The Customer (VOC) and anything for which the customer will not pay is defined as waste. We…
A recent study of 1,000 American workers (and you can bet your life it’s not much different in the UK) by Zippia.com a career resource website found that in a typical 8 hour working day the average worker only spends 4 hours and 12 minutes actually doing work. That’s why…
We have discussed in a previous blog how You Can’t Manage Time But You Can Use It Better but let’s not trouble ourselves with semantics here. This is the simplest time management system ever. Every time you start to do something you ask yourself one simple question: “Is this the most…
There’s and old phrase “all things to all people” and so many businesses and people try to do just that. They try to find products and services which are for everyone and so inevitably fail. These blogs are not for everyone, the work I do is not for everyone but…