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Failing to Learn and Learning to Fail

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…

Mark Crocker September 18, 2023

Alone Again

Astronaut Al Worden was once proclaimed the “most isolated human being”. Let us explain. Al Worden was one of seven men that undertook the role of Apollo command…

Mark Crocker September 13, 2023

I Have Seen the Future

Creating the future rather than predicting it requires moving from managing the probable to leading the possible and requires us to address challenges in a fundamentally…

Mark Crocker February 14, 2023

An Excessive Need to Be Me

When someone says, “this is just how I am”, what are they actually saying? What do they mean and are we ok with such a response? It could be considered that…

Mark Crocker February 6, 2023

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…

Mark Crocker February 22, 2022

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…

Mark Crocker January 31, 2022

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…

Mark Crocker January 17, 2022

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…

Mark Crocker January 12, 2022

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…

Mark Crocker December 20, 2021

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…

Mark Crocker November 9, 2021

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,…

Mark Crocker June 21, 2021

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…

Mark Crocker May 31, 2021

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…

Mark Crocker May 5, 2021

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…

Mark Crocker March 11, 2020

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…

Mark Crocker February 11, 2020

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…

Mark Crocker February 3, 2020

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…

Mark Crocker January 27, 2020

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…

Mark Crocker January 20, 2020

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…

Mark Crocker January 8, 2020

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…

Mark Crocker October 21, 2019