Communication

Communication

How Did I Not Know That?

Graham Birkenhead, July 28 2026

Do you ever have the situation where someone says something, it completely changes your understanding, it makes perfect sense, and you’re left thinking, “How did I not know that?” I have always struggled to keep kitchen knives sharp - that razor-sharp edge they have when you first buy them. I’ve spent hours trying to hone my edge honing...

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Communication

Spill Chucking and the Art of Floorless Communication

Graham Birkenhead, June 30 2026

Do you recognise this situation? You are drafting a text message on your phone.  You type a perfectly sensible word and it changes it into something entirely different. You correct it and it changes it again. After several attempts to get the word you want, you slow right down to type the word one letter at a time, and carry on with the rest of...

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Communication

Teach Your Children Well

Andrew Penny, May 26 2026

Apparently, human intelligence has already been eclipsed by AI. And not just by a little. One comparison I heard recently was this: we are to hamsters what AI will soon be to us. Now, I tend to think I’m at least a few notches above a hamster. Most days anyway. But it does raise an interesting question. What will AI make of

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Communication

How Much Information is Enough?

Graham Birkenhead, May 5 2026

I'm fascinated by the way people go in search of information - or don't, and what they do with it - or don't.  Some people can never seem to have enough and always seek more, others seem to have it instantly at their fingertips - and are not afraid to use it. We have this idea that information is useful and helpful - but that's not always the...

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Communication

The Cost of 'Now Thinking'

Graham Birkenhead, February 24 2026

I often hear from people, at all levels within a business, about how the focus always seems to be on the here and now - the immediate problems, the next fire - and how they wished they 'knew what the plan was'. A short term plan would be great, and knowing the longer term plan would be even better.  It strikes me that this is not really just...

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Communication

Marketing without Trust is Just Noise

Graham Birkenhead, March 11 2025

For as long as humans have been around, the ability to decide who to trust  - and who not to trust - has been a crucial part of our survival tool box.  Individually, we human beings are relatively weak creatures, but our strength comes from forming social groups, to work, problem solve, and live together.  And that requires communication and the...

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Communication

Lead with your Inside Knee

Andrew Penny, January 21 2025

I spent a few days skiing at Mont Tremblant last week. The snow was perfect and the company excellent.  One of our group is a solid intermediate skier and always trying to improve. Unfortunately for him, the other three of us are all experienced ski instructors and only too keen to offer advice.  It seems that each of us had been quietly...

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Communication

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November

Andrew Penny, November 5 2024

November the 5th has always had a special meaning for me, and I thought it fitting to write about it in this particular Tuesday Tune-up. On one particular 5th of November, a group of would be insurrectionists plotted to blow up government and install a new monarch. They came very close to succeeding. Guy Fawkes was their explosives person and,...

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Communication

Why Most New Businesses Fail

Andrew Penny, July 2 2024

Toronto’s Collision conference boasted 1,834 exhibitors and 37,832 attendees from 117 countries. Collision is mainly a forum for start-ups and small companies to test their ideas, attract financing, and gain traction. Unfortunately, most of them will fail. And why they fail is a lesson for all of

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Communication

What's a little Greenwashing between friends?

Graham Birkenhead, July 25 2023

Greenwashing is the environmental evolution of whitewashing. Its outcome or impact is potentially devastating - in our ESG/PPP ecological balance consideration, the balance is way off as it emphasises a company's profitability (probably shorter term) at the expense of the environment and the trust of

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