Tag Archives: Business

Systems thinking for middle managers: workplace democracy in action.

As middle manager, I have been thinking a lot about how I do my job. As a colleague explained to me, “We are the jam in the sandwich.”  I liked the idea because it shows a central, sweet, and connective … Continue reading

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In the age of social media, will your Chief Executive sort your mail?

The question is shocking, as it seems impossible. Yet, in today’s social media enhanced workplace, the potential is implicit within the technology.   We would not expect a Chief executive to open a company’s mail, sort it and deliver it. Yet, … Continue reading

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Privacy and the right to be forgotten: who owns your personal information?

Over the past year, the right to be forgotten (RTBF) has become a topic of debate and interest.  What began as an academic or theoretical issue has become a legislative proposal within the European Union.  From the perspective of the … Continue reading

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Need to improve your customer service? Have your Chief Executive sign the complaint responses

Sometimes you have trouble with customer service. Try as you might, you cannot find a way to improve it. What may exist is a gap between the senior management and the frontlines regarding customer service. In many ways, the senior … Continue reading

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The rise of the networked managers: sense making in the social media age.

The manager’s role is changing. The new organisation, connected and networked,  requires managers to deal with internal and external issues.  The required skill set is changing.  In the past, the focus may have been on service delivery based on top … Continue reading

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Are you a filer or a searcher? Did your organisations teach you to file?

    I know the title of this blog sounds like an obvious question and it may be a basic one. However, I wonder how many companies start from that basic level when developing their staff.  How many teach their … Continue reading

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What you allow to interrupt you defines your priorities

We often hear management gurus advising us that effective and successful leaders know how to prioritise their work and the work of their company. To an extent, they are correct. What is left unsaid and not discussed is how those … Continue reading

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Are we all managers now?: the rise of the self-organising organisations.

The future of manager is connected to the future of work.  There has been talk of the self-organising organisation, which would cut or end the need for managers.  Instead, we are all managers now. The future of work will be … Continue reading

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Are there Good Samaritans on Wall Street if you can be taken for 9 Billion

When JP Morgan lost 9 billion dollars on a derivatives trade, many people saw it as the market functioning properly.  What made the story interesting is the scale of the losses, 9 billion dollars at last estimate.  Yet, the story … Continue reading

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The Bureaucrat and the Banker: Bob Diamond’s downfall

Bob Diamond is a shrewd, powerful, deal maker who does not understand bureaucratic politics. On Wall Street, or in the City, your word is your bond. If you cannot keep your word, you cannot do business. Lehman Brothers collapsed in … Continue reading

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