Organisations are like elephants – they learn through conditioning. Trainers shackle young elephants with heavy chains to deeply embedded stakes. After years of being chained, older elephants never try and leave even though they have the strength to pull the stakes out. Their conditioning limits their movements with only a small metal bracelet around their […]
As an employee, individual and citizen of this country we are faced with this dichotomy every day of our lives. As an employee, you may find yourself at a barbecue when someone turns around and asks you what it is like working for your organisation? Now do you tell the truth – after all transparency […]
Three men were working. Each one was busy with a trowel, cement and bricks. A passer-by went up to the first one, who looked very bored, and asked him what he was doing. " I’m laying bricks", he said sullenly. The passer-by then asked the second man, who looked somewhat more enthusiastic, the same question: […]
Questions are powerful tools for effective communication. The questioning technique(s) you select can be critical to achieving your desired outcome. Your choice should depend on the situation, whether you are exchanging information, seeking the solution to a problem, interviewing or counselling. But before we speak about questions, we need to take a step backward. I […]
As a keen observer of reputational issues around the Globe, it has always intrigued me that once a reputation risk incident has happened, that the organisation’s culture are often found to be the main cause and culprit. At NASA (Challenger & Columbia space shuttle disasters) and Andersen (Enron), and even now BP (Complacency), corporate culture […]
Listening is a key concept in stakeholder management. By listening to your stakeholders you can gather valuable information, plug gaps and design appropriate strategies to maximise relationships and reputation. A Valuable but underutilised tool in many companies is the suggestion scheme. The suggestion scheme can be very useful to pick up hints and ideas to […]
Meetings …a place where they take minutes and waste hours! Meetings…It’s unfair to compare a meeting with a funeral. Funerals have a definite purpose! I am sure you have heard these comments and more. I was going to give some tips and decided against it. This poem just sums it up. The Committee – by […]