Is there a role for leadership in flat organisations? June 3, 2015 Time-sensitive and strategic decisions are best left in expert hands. For some time now, companies like Google and online retailer Zappos have championed flat organisational structures – where authority is widely distributed, everyone works together in a large space, and employees are encouraged to collaborate. This has certainly transformed leadership and management styles, [...]
Can you cultivate business genius? June 2, 2015 You can identify and learn the “innate” qualities of history’s great successes. We might not all possess the Midas touch of Sir Richard Branson, Arianna Huffington, or JP Morgan, but each of us is perfectly capable of coming up with smarter ideas and smarter solutions to business problems. With this in mind, if you [...]
The tech changes every office needs: Get rid of fixed desks and invest in meeting room management June 1, 2015 Insisting on traditional desks and not quantifying use of space will hit your business financially. Companies are facing a real headache trying to make the most of their space and turn it into a modern, workable office. With the cost of space continuing to rise, it is vital that they can make every inch [...]
Remote working: Ensuring an easy ride when employees work from home May 31, 2015 Even if they can sort the trust issue, there are still some key legal considerations for employers. We have become information junkies. The web is booming, thousands of apps come into being each month, and we have constant entertainment feeds to read and video clips to watch. And now, information has turned inwards – [...]
Who owns ideas in the workplace? May 28, 2015 There are several grey areas, but employers can take steps to stop staff lifting material. The film The Social Network dramatises the story behind the setting up of Facebook. Early in, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, is asked by fellow Harvard students the Winklevoss twins to help them set up a [...]
When healthy workplace competition goes wrong May 27, 2015 Uniting against a common enemy in the workplace is not a productive business strategy. Most reality TV shows transfix us by pitting competing teams against each other for a finite reward. It makes for great viewing, but when employees come together against a mutual enemy in the workplace, can it drive progress or is [...]
How can bosses become social media-savvy? May 26, 2015 Don’t let fear of criticism stop you from speaking out online. Chief executives who use social media can boost their company’s reputation, better connect with employees, and establish a media profile, according to a recent report by Weber Shandwick. But while most companies now have a corporate social media presence, bosses have been slower [...]
How to tackle poor employee performance: Constructive criticism, monitoring and a fair process May 25, 2015 Allowing poor performers to remain unchecked can be extremely detrimental to your business and to staff morale. Managers often prefer to turn a blind eye to under-performing employees, hoping that things will improve without the need for intervention. But so often, things don’t improve – they actually get worse. This can be detrimental to the [...]
What can misfit entrepreneurs teach business? May 21, 2015 The underground economy is a hotbed of creativity and innovation It is not often the case that chief executives and managers turn to pirates, hackers or highly disruptive entrepreneurs for advice. But as business writers Alexa Clay and Kyra Phillips suggest, that’s exactly what they should be doing. Indeed, leaders trying to boost innovation [...]
Is storytelling an overlooked business skill? May 20, 2015 The most successful leaders use narration to inspire their teams Companies are no strangers to the value of storytelling. Marketers have long known the value of a simple story in persuading people to buy their products or services. A recent study by Johns Hopkins University, for example, analysed the content of more than a [...]