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…
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…
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…
Service Means Service
Good customer service is a valuable asset, especially in today’s high-tech-oriented, increasingly impersonal business world. Therefore, if you are aware of…
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…
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…
Caution, Learners Ahead
It’s a fact and contrary to certain prejudices and misconceptions, employees can learn to behave in new ways. However, people learn only if they are motivated…
Engaging Conversations
Organizations care about employee engagement because the facts would suggest that it directly impacts their bottom line. Don’t believe us? Well recent and consistent…
Fire When Ready
The real problem with poor performing employees is us. If you want to feel better about yourself we will concede that on rare occasions and for a small percentage…
Never Too Late
We want to talk about the serial late people in the world – those that keep us waiting. And it is not that we lead ‘busy lives’. That’s a given,…
Pause Before You Pounce
We all face multiple challenges in our work and leadership roles – impossible deadlines, missed budgets, angry customers, politically driven colleagues, remotely…
Balance of Power
Rest and recovery are a crucial part of any exercise program. After putting your body through a significant amount of stress during a grueling workout, you have…
Hearing Loss
Proportion and context is something we need to consider often as consultants. The ability to maintain a sense of context is key as we work with clients to develop…
Alone Again
This time fifty years ago man set foot on the moon and currently China is on the dark side of the moon with an unmanned vehicle. This reminded us of Al Worden, perhaps…
A Year in Review
As we march headlong into the new year we have probably had, or are about to have, the dreaded annual performance review. The truth be told that here at Optimize…
What’s in a Label?
As regular readers know, we have issues with the labels that people give others – labels make it too easy to put someone or a group of people in a box. It is also…