Drawing the Line
One well-established principle of organization should always be followed and that is that accountability, responsibility and authority must go hand in hand. No position…
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…
The Philosophy of Identity
Individuals have an identity and so do organizations. An organization’s identity is derived from its Purpose (the fundamental reason why the organization exists)…
Leaving Change to Chance
It still surprises us just how many organizations leave change to chance or at best provide a couple of hours training in a workshop to prepare their leaders to…
The Flight of the Bumblebee
From the title you might assume that here at Optimize we have become fascinated with orchestral interludes and specifically the one written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov…
It's All About Attitiude
Providing outstanding customer service is one of the most rewarding yet challenging activities within any organization. Exceptional organizations that provide outstanding…
Distracting Distortions
Strategic decision making is not easy and many times they go wrong due to the fact that as human beings, we have shortcomings. Behavioural economics provides crucial…
Good Luck!
The element of luck is often cited in business and careers and here at Optimize we subscribe to the fact that success in a career or in business comes from three…
Functional Dysfunction
Many organizations have invested huge amounts in customer relationship management (CRM) applications and these investments have generated a wide range of outcomes…
Plus Ca Change
Plus ca change is the term often used to express the resigned acknowledgement of the fundamental immutability of human nature – “the more things change, the…
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
The secret to effectively leading collaboration at work is finding a middle ground between too much and too little team think but frankly work that requires input…
Transformation Time
Like individuals, organizations change continuously, reacting to developments in their markets and to the arrival and departure of key people. In a large company,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Building a Winning CRM Strategy
“Getting the right product, to the right customer, at the right time, via the right channel at the right price supported by excellent customer service” is the…
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…
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,…