Back in the Black
We normally steer away from sporting analogies mostly because we have never reached the level of elite athletes and also because that space is well catered for by…
Last Minute Larceny
Leaving things to the last minute is a recipe for disaster and it causes stress, anxiety and often a series of corners have been cut. Quality suffers and often there…
Take an Aspirin
Ever felt that there is so much going on that your head is about to explode? Well believe it or not, Exploding Head Syndrome is a real condition! The physician Silas…
The Customer Management Myth
Our view on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is unambiguous. For us it is all about getting the right product, to the right customer, at the right time, via…
Dealing with Complexity
The general view on complexity is that it is a bad thing and that simplification will bring value by removing unnecessary costs. Here at Optimize we are Lean Practitioners…
Leading Change in a Reimagined World
Optimize is excited to announce the launch of a new and progressive leadership development program built to create effective leaders in a reimagined world where…
Time for a Change?
Like individuals, organizations change continuously, reacting to developments in their markets and to the arrival and departure of key people. In a large company,…
No Place for Pyromaniacs
Putting out fires is very rewarding. It’s gratifying and provides instant validation for our efforts. This is apparently why people seem to like fires in business…
Failing to Learn
Ever see those new leaders who carry themselves with such bravado? They’re usually the ones who haven’t failed yet. When they inevitably do, it isn’t pretty…
Risk Versus Reward
Trying to avoid all risk in business is the same as trying to avoid all opportunity. Simply reacting to risk, meanwhile, is just crisis management: shutting the…
Why Your Boss Is Wrong About You
As the performance review season comes to its usually unsatisfactory conclusion for many, we thought we would share our thoughts on why many performance review systems…
Fact Versus Fiction
Every decision maker really should rely on facts before making any decisions – particularly material decisions. This might seem obvious, but fact based approaches…
Finding Fault
In business we often come across cultures where blame is accepted or is even the norm. We like to mention one of our favourite terms – ‘blame-storming’. This…
Blue Monday
Blue Monday is the name given to this day in January (typically the third Monday of the month) claimed to be the most depressing day of the year. The concept was…
Talking Transformation
Individuals, organizations change continuously, reacting to developments in their markets and to the arrival and departure of key people. In a large company, these…
Vive la Révolution
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, commonly known as Industry 4.0, appears to be changing the way businesses function. Organizations must decide how and where to…
The Complexity Equation
Charles Dickens in the 1830’s wrote that he lived in an age of “unrelenting change and unpredictability” so I wonder what he would make of our current scenario…
Lean Times
During the past 20 years, Lean has become one of the prominent performance-improvement programs adopted by companies around the world. Recently, organizations as…
Credibly Credible
Credibility in leadership is important now, more than ever, because there is a good dose of cynicism in the workplace and our people are cynical about us as their…
Service Intelligence
Providing outstanding customer service is one of the most rewarding yet challenging activities within any organization. Exceptional organizations that provide outstanding…