Quote-To-Cash – is it really working for you?
In business we often look at the teams in the front line as the ones that have greatest impact on productivity and effectiveness. They are also often the first place looked at when profits are not what the company expects. However, the back office is also the place where much time and many deals can […]
Body Language – a foreign language we all need to learn
Vincent Nichols an English Clergyman said, “We’re losing social skills, the human interaction skill, how to read a person’s mood, to read their body language, how to be patient until the moment is right to make or press a point. Too much exclusive use of electronic information dehumanises what is a very, very important part […]
It’s good to talk
As the late, great Bob Hoskins reiterated in the nineties as part of the BT ‘friends and family’ campaign, it’s good to talk. It’s been over twenty years since the advert was first shown and environments have changed, but the meaning couldn’t be more appropriate. In the ever changing business environment, in which we all […]
Time and task management – Making the most of your day
The daily struggle for almost all employees across any industry, is time management. As the list of tasks ‘to do’ grows, time ticks faster. So much so, that it’s become the norm to work outside of ‘normal’ hours, just to get the job done. Some people are able to balance their time well, whilst others […]
Keeping on Track when Time is Short
For us all to keep on track with tasks when time is short can be difficult, none more so than in the rail industry, where we often hear of over-running engineering works. But it is not just about the time the engineers have track possession that impacts what can be done, but how well the […]
Not-For-Profit vs For-Profit sectors: are they so different after all?
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1452687555475{margin-bottom: 100px !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-9 vc_col-md-9″ css=”.vc_custom_1452702342137{padding-right: 45px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading source=”post_title” use_theme_fonts=”yes” el_class=”no_stripe”][stm_post_details][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1488285051166{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”]Upon first glance, the answer would appear to be a fairly firm “yes”. Firstly and fundamentally, not-for-profit organisations exist to fulfil a social purpose; their ‘mission’. In contrast, private or ‘for-profit’ organisations, as the name suggests, exist to make money. Any […]
“Jobs take as long as they take”
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1452687555475{margin-bottom: 100px !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-9 vc_col-md-9″ css=”.vc_custom_1452702342137{padding-right: 45px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading source=”post_title” use_theme_fonts=”yes” el_class=”no_stripe”][stm_post_details][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1488285595383{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”]Within the transport sector, operators are under increasing pressure to reduce cost. Train franchises are becoming extremely competitive and the last 12 months has seen falling margins for many bus operators. As pressure on margin builds, those responsible for large maintenance […]
Delegation – the management skill that gives you more time!
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1452687555475{margin-bottom: 100px !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-9 vc_col-md-9″ css=”.vc_custom_1452702342137{padding-right: 45px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading source=”post_title” use_theme_fonts=”yes” el_class=”no_stripe”][stm_post_details][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1488285732088{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”]If you search the internet for articles on how to delegate effectively, they all pretty much say the same things; pick the right person, confirm their understanding, agree deadlines, follow up at the agreed intervals and give feedback after the work […]
Ranieri meets Aristotle
With Leicester winning the Premier League there has been a lot of talk about what makes effective teams. How does a group of albeit talented individuals triumph over a collection of highly paid superstars and why is that so unusual? A lot of management consultancy involves improving the performance of struggling teams and whilst it […]
Is it time to revolutionise the meeting culture?
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1452687555475{margin-bottom: 100px !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-9 vc_col-md-9″ css=”.vc_custom_1452702342137{padding-right: 45px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading source=”post_title” use_theme_fonts=”yes” el_class=”no_stripe”][stm_post_details][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1488286481600{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”]“I’ve got to go to a meeting”… it’s a phrase that is dreaded by many and echoes with feelings of frustration, boredom, as well as a general waste of productive time. A cultural norm of back-to-back meetings has developed in the […]
