Strategy and Execution
Strategy is about direction, setting the path and the support mechanisms to deal with reality encountered as you strive to reach your destination. The following discussion is a little about strategy and more about execution. Making the decision about strategy is the first strep of many along the path to success. Strategy and execution …
The price of growth
If you can find the time, I think the following podcast summarises a lot of my thoughts on the issues companies face as they grow. pd-sound-business-podcast.html?Division=Victoria&Segment=The+Rest We work with a number of companies who are on a growth path, and some of the issues we face are almost the same – Capacity – can we deliver on our promises People – do we have the right people doing the right thing – and do they have adequate resources to perform well Money – how do we manage the flow The business model – can it deliver on our promise consistently …
Being prepared
I recently completed a number of interviews with CPA Australia in relation to recovering from a disaster. One of the topics that came up several times was about being prepared. While you may never be able to know in advance what may lie ahead of you, and lots of things that do happen are unexpected, it is how well you are prepared and understand your business and your personal and team capabilities that will allow you to achieve success. You can have a listen at: http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/cpa-site/hs.xsl/pd-sound-business-podcast.html?Division=Victoria&Segment=The+Rest …
Disaster recovery
CPA Australia has a great resource on Disaster Recovery, and recently I recorded some advice at the following link: http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/cpa-site/hs.xsl/knowledge-practice-toolkit-disaster-recovery.html The point about recovering from a disaster is that we all should be prepared to deal with the unexpected. Recovery is about understanding your business and being able to adapt quickly when unusual events occur. Have a listen. …
Sustainability
Some of the reasons it is important for a business to be aware of its environmental impact and manage sustainability: Reduce waste Add value to clients and suppliers Improve the bottom line Develop systems that use resources effectively and efficiently Effectively manage company brand and positioning Be a good citizen Contribute to the environmental awareness of its communities and workforce Reduce carbon emissions It seems to me that sustainability is about being mindfully aware of our impact on others and the planet and taking positive action now. Good business sense really. …
So what is innovation and why is it important?
Management has a reputation for overusing words to a degree that they lose their ordinary meaning, and eventually lose relevance, even for the best intentioned of managers. Management speak, especially when not genuine, has the capacity to make eyes role and attention switch off, and rather than encourage performance can act as a disincentive. Innovation is a word that is used frequently, and it is the overuse of the word that blurs the importance of what innovation can be for you and your business. “Innovation is a new way of doing things” is the definition provided by Moody and NoGrady …
Time to get a handle on what your customers want (and control your debtors)
Most businesses that have taken a Christmas break start back at work today. There will be a range of different levels of energy in your business, from those that are refreshed after a break and really keen to get back into making things happen, to those that just don’t want to come back. From a leadership perspective, this is a great time to show the way, and demonstrate the standards you want maintained. In many ways, you will find your people ready to accept some of those changes that you have been meaning to get around to, but just haven’t …
What are the most important ingredients in that elusive recipe for success?
So if there are three critical aspects to business success, and focus is important to achieving success should you focus on only one aspect or are each of them equally important? It really does depend on where you and your business are right now as to what drives your activity and focus. I can recall the times in a number of businesses that I have been involved in where everything seemed to run perfectly. The customers were happy and paid on time, new business was generated by referrals from satisfied existing customers, our market was buoyant even though the economy was reportedly …
The aspects of your business that help you define success
There are a range of drivers that help define success for a business, and a lot has been written about what it takes to achieve success in a diversity of books, articles and blogs. No one but you can define what success means for you. While we all have our own view of what success look and feels like, and it is arguable that the criteria for personal and business success are different, there are many “core” elements in all our versions of success. Some of these include achieving a level of financial sustainability beyond mere survival, fulfilling a worthwhile function …
Reshaping our future
I gave a presentation to a CPA Australia SME discussion group this week and found the discussion very interesting. I am a presenter for The Climate Project http://www.acfonline.org.au/default.asp?section_id=193. The first half of the presentation provides an overview of what climate change is and why it is important to start to do something about addressing the causes now. The second part of the presentation is a discussion about innovative businesses that are taking positive and profitable steps to reduce their impact on the environment. While we discussed reducing waste and making conscious decisions about how we do business now, we also discussed how successful those …
