Strategy
1,155 posts
The Way To Lead
A few years back, my son was leaving the train station in Perth when someone asked him for directions. He began to explain the route but stopped halfway. ‘I’m going that direction, why don’t I take you there,’ he said, leading the way. One of the best definitions of leadership I’ve read, explains th
Ideas Worth Keeping
Sometimes our best ideas come to us when we’re working with constraints. We’ve all seen hundreds of brilliant ideas and initiatives come into being as a result of communities being in isolation around the globe. Local councils in London are calling at-risk elderly to ask if they need groceries or me
One Way Or Another
When I got my first job, I cycled to work and back every day. On a fine summer day in Dublin, cycling is a joy, it’s a different story in winter. The worst part was always that last hill on the way home. I’d try to stay on the bike for as long as possible,…
In Answer To Your Question
We like to ask for advice. It’s human to investigate all the angles—to seek the opinions of others. And yet in doing so, we can forget to reflect on our insights and assumptions. We often forget to check in with our beliefs before considering what someone else thinks. What if before sought advice, w
Helpful Conversations
Over the past few weeks, my inbox has filled with emails from organisations I’d forgotten I’d ever had contact with. I must have signed up to an email list or bought something from them many years ago, but it’s so far back, I can’t remember why. We’re all still trying to work out how to…
If I Were You
If I were you. Four words it’s tempting to use when someone shares a problem. Four words I’m trying to avoid using—because I am not you. I don’t know what it’s like to sit with what you’re experiencing or feeling at this moment. You have the wisdom of past experiences to draw on. Ideas you…
Balancing Wants And Needs
On a normal day, our local supermarket stocks fifty different kinds of pasta. Right now they’re stocking two. On a normal day, customers would complain bitterly about the lack of choice. Today they’re grateful to leave the shop with two boxes of a brand of penne they’ve never tried. What we’re witne
What Can You Do Now?
Julie has been running her local florist business for five years. She’s built up a reputation with the people in her suburb, who regularly pop in when they’re walking past to buy flowers and plants that brighten their homes and their lives. While new single bunch, online flower delivery services blo
What Did You Do?
A walk down my local café strip shows just how resourceful we can be when we’re in a tough spot. Because of world events and government guidelines around group gatherings, restaurants and cafes can no longer welcome diners into their premises. But they are quickly adapting. Every café has come up wi
On Resourcefulness
When things don’t go according to plan. Remember this isn’t the first time you’ve had to change course. Make a list of all the other times you pushed through. Remind yourself of the skills and strengths you previously called on in challenging times. Tell yourself those stories today. They will stand
Don’t Be Right, Be Early
Seven years ago, a member of the Zoom video conferencing sales team worked hard to demonstrate the value of their service to me. She emailed, she Zoomed, she answered questions. And I didn’t sign up. ‘I will one day,’ I promised. ‘Just not now. It’s just too early for me.’ Which was true. Few of…
Build a Reputation
My friend Anna has been going to the same hairdresser for ten years. She’s never trusted anyone else to cut her hair in all that time. Now though, she has no option because her stylist just had a baby, and she’s on maternity leave. When Anna sat in the new stylist’s chair, she was so…
What Separates This From That?
When we’re not simply driven by price how do we choose what to buy? We tell ourselves a story about quality, design, durability, or provenance. But often as we rationalise about the advantages of one product or service over another, the differentiator we perceive is the degree of love and care that’
Simple Questions To Ask When Your Marketing Isn’t Working
My marketing isn’t working. This sweeping declaration leads us to draw (sometimes incorrect), conclusions that influence our future marketing plans and business strategy. We can’t fix our marketing when we don’t know why it’s broken. But where do we start? Here are seven questions to ask when your m
Why Should They Care?
The ‘For Lease’ sign attached to the first-floor window of the shopfront is one of half a dozen along Gertrude Street. And the sales copy on each of them does nothing to differentiate one premises from the other. The signs give us dimensions, details about the facilities and ‘good natural light’. Th
Mass Awareness Vs. Minority Affinity
The ‘golden arches’ glow at me in the distance as I set out for the gym before sunrise. It’s impossible to miss the 24-hour McDonald’s at the junction no matter which direction you travel. The ‘golden arches’ don’t distinguish the right potential customer from the wrong one. And that’s the point. Mc
Why This? Why You? Why Now?
Why This? Why You? Why Now? Three simple questions we are often reluctant to answer. When you sit with the discomfort of reflecting on them before you embark on a project, you’ll be clearer about what the world needs from you and why. You’ll also have the beginnings of the story your audience wants
Valuing Your Expertise And Effort
My dad had many manual jobs during his working life, but the one he loved most was being a painter and decorator. It was the only job he did, where he could stand back and find joy in his creative output at the end of the day. Painting was something he could say he was…
The Power Of Reflective Practice
My mother can practically bake a killer apple tart in her sleep. It’s a skill she’s learned over decades of trial and error. We hone any skill by doing. We get better by practising and observing, then reflecting and iterating. The doctor perfects her bedside manner by reflecting on how a consultatio
In Praise Of Incrementalism
One of my favourite TV programs, when I was young, was Columbo—which followed the sometimes scruffy, seemingly absentminded, always polite, homicide detective, who solved murder cases in Los Angeles. What struck me about Columbo was the stepwise way he made progress towards solving the case. He wasn
