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Mark's Blog

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Go Forth and Multiply
Go Forth and Multiply:   I can understand if you thought that this article was about procreation, but I have to disappoint you. It’s not! This article is about you as a manager. Now you may ask, “How does the title of the article affect me as a manager? Why and how should I go forth and multiply?”...
Are We Human or Are we Dancers?
Are We Human or Are we Dancers?:   Yesterday I was visiting a client that I have been working with for many years. They are in the “fleet” business and employ around 2500 people. The company runs technologically advanced systems that administer the processes within the business, and is very focuss...
Why KPI's Don't Work
Why KPI’s Don’t Work:   Over this past weekend I have been trying to figure out why it is that South Africa has too little capacity to produce electricity. It seems as if every project that Eskom has undertaken to “rectify” the situation has been a dismal failure – just take Medupi as a case in po...
The Seven Talents 
The Seven Talents:     For a long time now I have been writing and speaking about management and its various facets. I have been trying to demystify this “management thing” and make it understandable to the average man in the street. In so doing, I have had managers get really mad at me, and other...
The Noise, Oh The Noise (Part 2 of The Angry Silence) 
The Noise, Oh The Noise (Part 2 of The Angry Silence):   Gary ran his hands through his hair and looked at me with a look of absolute despair. “Is this what I signed up for? Is this what I went to university for, got a degree and a post graduate degree and then ALSO an MBA? Is this what I did all ...
The Angry Silence
The Angry Silence:   A few weeks ago I was chatting with a group of people about performance and performance management. We were debating the pros and cons of performance management systems and whether or not they actually add any value to a business. One of the people in the group got up to get h...
Seven deadly sins
Seven Deadly Sins:    A few weeks ago I received a call from a client wanting to know if we do “Cultural Sensitivity Training”. My curiosity piqued, I made an appointment to go and see them so that I could gain more clarity as to this “Cultural Sensitivity Training”.   Turns out that they have a...
Off With Their Heads! It's all in the Execution
Off With Their Heads! It's all in the Execution:   A couple of weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a client in which he highlighted a problem that I believe is common to most businesses today. For the sake of clarity, I’ll quote his entire e-mail.   "Dear Mark. Thank you very much for sending m...
Form or Function?
Form or Function?   Some years ago, I took up Fly fishing as a hobby. I enthusiastically bought the best equipment and read everything that I could on the sport of Fly fishing. I learned how to choose the right weight rod for the conditions and targeted fish. I learned how to tie all the relevant ...