Who exactly do you think you are?
The unanswerable question.
03 February 2011
My least favourite question in the world is “What do you do?” Are there some unspoken guidelines about how to answer this question? Are you supposed to define yourself in terms of the company you keep, as in “I work for X Bank”. Should you cite your impressive list of qualifications (please note class captain in Grade 5 does sound a tad desperate)? What about defining yourself in terms of “benefits” (I help clients with strategy and communication issues)?... > read entire article

How much is enough?
Probably a lot less, and a lot more than we think.
17 November 2010
How much is enough? A million bucks? Ten million? A billion?
It's always a number (only the currency denomination varies). Somehow there's an unspoken recipe for happiness around (maybe it's only a Joburg thing).... it goes like this - make enough money and only once this is achieved are we free to focus on other aspects of our lives. Enough money will automatically result in a satisfying life - ultimate happiness is certain. Isn't it... > read entire article

Meetings: Work? Or just a waste of time?
Decision-free zones are drains on productivity.
01 September 2010
Are you lonely? Bored? Nothing to do? Well... no problem, just call a meeting! You'll get to sit around with your mates, get coffee and biscuits brought to you and discuss nothing of any consequence... > read entire article

The South Africa that we could become
World Cup lessons....strictly for the fans.
30 June 2010
Vision, mission and strategic intent - the classic business school lingo which sees most people's eyes snow over like a faulty TV set... > read entire article

How do we measure up?
Does measurement madness really add value?
02 June 2010
Are you more than the value of your share price portfolio?... > read entire article

Do we really know what turns people on?
Why rewards and incentives need a major rethink.
29 April 2010
If I had a hundred bucks for every time I sat in a meeting and the problem of underperformance was resolved with some kind of incentive scheme, I would be sitting in the Bahamas (rather than writing this column). In fact, if it were as simple as the flick of a "pay more and you get mo... > read entire article

Swimming naked (when the tide has gone out!)
Is it time to rediscover values?
23 March 2010
Do you ever wonder what world leaders talk about when they get behind closed doors?... > read entire article

It takes two to tango
Why two heads are better than one.
24 February 2010
Two is the magic number
Do you have a best friend at work? This question, strange as it may sound is part of an internationally renowned study by Gallup, which investigates the correlation between employee attitudes and company profitability... > read entire article

Some thoughts about a Brand You year
Why the need to be different is vital.
20 January 2010
The coffee we buy. The cars we drive. Our laptops. Cell phones. Wristwatches. Shoes. Bags. We are driving, talkin' sleepin' walkin' living brands... > read entire article

Life’s a Beach… and then you land up on one!
Why we need our rest.
26 November 2009
It's the time of year for getting merry (so they say) rather than heavy. Judging by the sighing, fraught, exhausted shadows of our former (January) selves that we seem to have become, it has indeed been a hard year and there's an almost desperate "can't waitness" in the air.... > read entire article

Fat cat splat!
Why our survival depends on it.
11 November 2009
The one thing you can say about life is that it goes on... and on....and on..... > read entire article

Burning up or burning out...
How renewable is your energy?
28 October 2009
In 2008 21 CEOs of South African-listed companies resigned. No doubt that's a record. Ask them if they miss "it" at all and the message is consistent and clear, they have never been happier, they are new converts to life as an ordinary human being... > read entire article

Bye Bye Buzzwords....
Why getting rid of them makes much more sense.
14 October 2009
When Bill Clinton was furiously campaigning for his second term, his advisers, in an effort to keep him on message, coined the phrase "it's the economy, stupid". When things go wrong in personal relationships or in business, it often crosses my mind that "it's communication (stupid!)".... > read entire article

Who's killing creativity?
Let's stop dividing the world into creative "haves" and "have-nots".
30 September 2009
I've got a confession to make: I love the word creativity. It's all about hope, opportunity, discovery, newness, growth and above all fun! It also happens to be the thing that sets us apart from all other species... > read entire article

Crouch, touch, pause...engage!
Before time runs out.....
16 September 2009
Is it just me or is time going faster? Every day passes in a blur of activity, punctuated by phone calls, SMSes, e-mails, meetings and appointments. Adrenaline runs our days and ruins our nights. We pride ourselves on how much we manage to cram in. We revere multi-tasking. We seem to have deluded ourselves into thinking our foot jiggling, finger tapping behaviour (while waiting for someone to make a point),covert watch-checking, e-mail perusing, driving-while-on-the- phone and making- diary- entries behaviour is optimal. This is the best use of our time, isn't it? Being "hectic" means we are valued and valuable. It means the world cannot function without us. Doing something, anything, produces results. Doesn't it?... > read entire article

Are we leading production units or human beings?
Leadership models under the microscope.
02 September 2009
Recently, a group of South Africa's top business and political leaders went away to a tropical island to among other things, come up with a new model of leadership... > read entire article

Corporate values: Driving force or window dressing?
Are they a waste of time or the (bottom line) value of values?
19 August 2009
They decorate boardroom walls. Line thick carpeted passage ways. Proudly punctuate reception areas. They always find a spot in annual reports. Key rings, access cards and even tattoos carry their message. I've even seen them displayed behind toilet doors!... > read entire article

Stop looking for the Perfect 10
An alternative perspective on our skills shortage.
05 August 2009
Did you leave your last performance review/discussion walking on air, feeling like you could change the world? If so, you may be one of the lucky few... > read entire article

Why "once upon a time" ends with "happily ever after"
Telling stories is the key to winning an audience.
29 July 2009
Picture the scene inside one of those glass high-rises that punctuate the Sandton skyline. It's Monday morning teatime. People are telling stories: The plight of the Springbok rugby team/Bafana Bafana or the Proteas; the Saturday night movie; the latest jokes. They are animated, engaged with their story and each other, passionate about their opinion and about sharing it!... > read entire article

Bosberaad Babelaas
What to do the "morning after"....
22 July 2009
A strange and somewhat heretical thought hit me recently: what, if any, is the value of (corporate) strategy?
Most corporate strategies are predicated on the assumption of implementation: i.e. when they are implemented things will change, be different, better. Competitive advantage will be realised. The competition will be ousted... > read entire article

There's no looking 'back'
This crisis demands creative leadership
15 July 2009
Suddenly, shockingly, the world is different. Economic, political and social tsunami's have ripped through our lives and made sure that post 2008, things, on a lot of levels, will never be quite the same again... > read entire article

How to make a strategy stick in tough times
Some insights from SA leaders.
08 July 2009
Job cuts. Restructuring. Retrenchment. Overnight these words have entered the corporate vocabulary. The big question keeping leaders awake at night is how to keep their people "with" them on this rollercoaster ride of uncertainty? Often called alignment; engagement or buy in, this is not necessarily easy at the best of times. In the worst of times, when the people who "remain" post restructuring need to do the job of two or three; forsake their bonus; may even earn less, "alignment" is a big ask. Ironically it is in this very moment that employees' morale can make a business sink or swim... > read entire article