Re-imagining the way businesses operate This article poses three questions which would make a great framework for any planning workshop right now. Who are we? Do we have a compelling, standout identity that attracts and inspires employees, investors, clients, and partners? Do we convey why we exist through a resonant purpose, a strong value agenda, and…
Many organisations are planning to work with consultants over the coming months to craft new visions, design new organisations and develop new business plans. We thought it might be helpful to share our top tips for getting the most from your relationship and investment. Susan Joint working Employing a consultant is a form of joint…
In the past few weeks we have both received invitations from a number of organisations to work with them on developing their new business plans. This got us thinking about sharing our emerging thoughts about how to plan in a Covid-19 world. The task of crafting a new plan will be familiar to many but…
For the SF fans among our readership: Enabling teleportation: Surrey University creates 6G Innovation Centre With 2G, we could send ringtones, 3G we had pictures, 4G we had video, and in 5G we have virtual reality and augmented reality, which is 3D video. 6G should be four-dimensional, with sensors that transmit people’s touch, sense of…
The crisis isn’t over and in England we are in lockdown again but for many organisations in receipt of CRF and/or other emergency funding the intense crisis management, reactive phase is coming to an end and exhausted minds are turning to recovery, adaptation and the need for a new business plan. However, there is a…
When we first conceived of the idea of a Farewell Fund, it was because there was so little conversation, let alone action when it comes to the idea of renewal in civil society. By renewal we mean the natural cycle of life and death – things fade in their relevance. What was once seen as…
Unwritten rules Liz Fosselin and Mollie West Duffy talk about the power of making explicit the unwritten rules that determine ‘how things are done around here’ and suggest working together to create lists using ‘It’s okay to …’. Practices for productive teams Thomas Seager offers some new ideas for how small creative teams can work…
Thus life satisfaction is not just an individual affair, but depends substantially also on the quality of life of one’s fellow citizens. (Tay and Diener, 2011) Given all the recent upheaval I suspect the things that motivated us back in January 2020 are not necessarily the things that are driving us now. It feels like…
A usually temporary state of diminished mental capacity marked by inability to concentrate or to think or reason clearly. Merriam-Webster I have been talking to a number of people lately who have been feeling like they are not able to concentrate or focus in the way they would ordinarily expect, or that they want to…
What value culture? A wide range of events covering collaboration, evaluation and the place of young people in cultural organisations. Join us for ten days of free online events probing and questioning the value of culture through a series of discussions and interactive workshops. All events will have live transcription. My start up failed, now…
The Practice Seth Godin has a new book coming out: – The Practice: shipping creative work. Definitely one if you are looking for great, grounded and inspirational thinking How to Decide Thinking about how to make good decisions is becoming a big theme in my work (and life). In the face of uncertainty and what feels…
Jon & Steve’s blog post on Monday was certainly thought provoking and when Susan and I chatted about it a whole range of things were brought to mind. Two issues in particular came up for us: Defining ‘mission’ success is hard Permanently failing organisations (PFOs) I’ve picked up on the first one and Susan shares…
I am really delighted to welcome two guest bloggers to join our conversation this morning. They both bring expertise in acquisitions and mergers and very kindly took up my invitation to share their experience of working with different sectors. If this piece prompts any comments or questions do feel free to share them, I’m sure…