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Did the Donkey Win?
Did the Donkey Win?   When I was a child, and that was a very long time ago, one of the games we loved to play at birthday parties was “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”. For this game, there is a large drawing of a donkey attached to a wooden board with an “X” marked where the tail should be. The playe...
To discipline or not to discipline..
To discipline or not to discipline..   Yesterday I was sitting in a glass fronted boardroom, talking to a potential client. In an adjacent meeting room were three people, and as we progressed through our conversation, I couldn’t but help to glance up at the meeting taking place next door. This pot...
The beauty of consultative conversations
The beauty of consultative conversations:   Yesterday I went to see a client that operates in a fairly obscure niche market. This was my first visit to them and I was looking forward to a productive meeting. As I drove to the meeting, I went over what I had read and heard about them and worked out...
I'm the King of the Castle
I'm the King of the Castle:   So yesterday I received an email from someone that had read my previous article, “Seven Deadly Sins”. In this email this person expressed dismay at the fact that he had gone to university and studied hard, so that he could gain knowledge and competence in order to ris...
I think, Therefore I Am
I think, Therefore I Am:   For over thirty years now, I have been working with managers, helping them to improve their management skills. The area that we have focused on, and what managers get paid their salaries for, is the ability to extract the required productivity from their workers.   Man...
Misleading advertising?
Misleading Advertising?   It was a perfect day. I was lining up my final putt. My playing partners were dead quiet. I checked and rechecked the lie. The putt was crucial. I took my putter in hand, stood to the ball aimed and drew my putter back. Just then one of my playing partners let out a big s...
It's Easier than you Think
It's Easier than you Think:   A few weeks ago I was watching a Ted Talk where a young, well-dressed magician was demonstrating the skill of sleight of hand. He had a dry sense of humour but was extremely entertaining. At the end of the talk, he showed how certain tricks were done by getting us to ...
Is Management failing the workforce?
Is Management Failing the Workforce?   A client of mine has this perspective – “why is it that at performance appraisal time, we have a 90% average score, but I don’t see it reflected in the figures?”   I have an answer with three parts to it:   1) 90% is too low! A KPI is the minimum requirem...
Is Leadership the Answer?
Is Leadership the Answer?   Over the past few years, I have been growing increasingly concerned about the amount of leadership training going on in South Africa, and the seemingly corresponding decrease in effective management. We see strike actions taking place that are so poorly handled by the “...