In conversation with CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners, I frequently hear about individuals within the organisation whose performance is ‘sub-optimal’. Digging a little deeper, I hear about the behaviours that make their contribution to the organisation questionable. Here are a few in terms of archetypes: The Bully – angry and threatening The Gossip – undermining…
Category: Culture
“Why is it every time I ask for a pair of hands, they come with a brain attached?” So said Henry Ford referring to employees who just don’t seem to do what you want them to. And guess what, he was right! Organisations are full of incompetent people that can’t understand exactly what needs to be said and…
One of the most pernicious diseases that an organisation can suffer from is one that undermines the relationships upon which the whole enterprise is founded. Any organisation is just a bunch of people doing stuff for another bunch of people. The organisation is people. Its value and impact lies in the relationships between its people. Assets, infrastructure,…
Many stressful and debilitating situations in the workplace can be transformed by a fundamental shift in the way we look at ourselves. Most of us are inculcated from birth with the notion that the way we feel is determined by our circumstances, our environment, our situation – and in particular, our relationships. So that when we…
Now I know you probably haven’t even got time to do your own job, given the welter of legislation that you have to keep up with, the compensation and benefits admin, performance management, compliance, policy development etc. etc. But as the Director of Human Resources, you are the go-to person for all things pink and…
I’m sat in Edinburgh airport having just had an update on a company that I was briefly involved with a while back. The company is falling apart and its survival is in the balance. It has: Investment, Technology, Markets, Expertise, Experience, Prospects, Good People… Basically everything it needs to succeed. And yet it may not….
I’ve never understood why, in some fields, high performance is rewarded by promotion up the management ladder. This creates a unique anomaly whereby the system pulls you away from your area of expertise. You, and the organisation, become hapless victims of your previous success. And, of course, not only does the organisation lose a talented…
Employee Engagement doesn’t work… This will be short and sweet: If your employees are disengaged, you’re not going to turn things around through an employee engagement programme. And you’re certainly not going to fix it by asking HR to take responsibility for it. Why not? Because real engagement thrives between people. You and me. EE programmes intrinsically treat…
Now, take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds… that’s better. Let the indignation and outrage dissipate slightly and prepare for a hopefully reasoned and balanced explanation of this inflammatory statement… Firstly, I need to make a few things clear: I’m an Engineer that has practised engineering and run businesses I couldn’t…
I had a very interesting chat recently in the hallowed halls of Edinburgh’s Royal Scots Club. I met with a guy who has had professional experiences not dissimilar to my own – usually a good basis for getting on. He was describing how he had taken on a business which needed its rather staid and stagnant…