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Eventually, every successful company becomes a customer service company. As a company grows it goes through a number of step changes which require its CEO to think very differently. Take for example a manufacturing company. The first stage of growth is getting to product/market fit. And, often the term ‘minimum viable product’ is used to describe t...
Read MoreI am a great believer in the value of a company being in touch with its values. And I am greatly saddened when I see those values distilled into a mere list of words that are written on walls and published in websites. And you know some of the words I'm talking about: Communication, Respect, Integrity and Excellence are a few of the common ones...
Read MoreMy name is Graham Birkenhead and I am a procrastinator. I'm not alone, I'm not even in the minority. It is estimated that 15 to 25% of adults are chronically affected by procrastination, and up to 75% of adults procrastinate on a regular basis. Not only does it mean that you put off doing tasks and activities that need to be done, but the knowled...
Read MoreMost businesses have been in reaction mode over the last 24 months. Covid and its variants have hit supply lines, customer behaviour, logistics, staffing, costs and pricing - just about every aspect of how we run our business. And we have been reacting - some well and some not so well. And some, were definitely harder hit due to the nature of their...
Read MoreI was listening to a conversation about intelligence and how we humans have evolved. The interviewee made a fascinating comment – “humans have effectively networked their brains”. Think about it. We share ideas our information with other brains on a regular basis. Parents’ brains ‘network’ with their children’s brains. We send emails to each other....
Read MoreBlue Chalk Thinking If you are like most CEOs, you have spent most of your life doing what you are good at. This may be sales, operations, finance or some other aspect of your business. And, you have likely spent your time in the same industry. So, you know all about, for example, financing in the mining sector or sales in the lumber industry. This...
Read MoreThis is a special edition of the Tuesday TuneUp. Our team has talked with hundreds of CEOs about their issues and their plans. Here is what we learned in 2021 and our take on the big ideas for 2022. Enjoy. Graham: Employee / Employer Relationships The pandemic will become endemic and we will increasingly realize that we are not going back to our...
Read MoreIn March 2020, just as we were all starting to feel the reality of the Covid pandemic, and we had suspended our disbelief, and really kicked into action to deal with the unfolding crisis, I wrote a blog called ‘Look After You’. At the time, we had no idea how long the pandemic would last; and now, despite vaccines and far better understanding, it...
Read MoreThe ancient Greek poet Archilocus of Paros wrote that “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing”. While the original story or intent behind that moral is lost to history, that little statement has been the source of considerable philosophical and psychological debate as its meaning, and more importantly its applicability to...
Read MoreI have often said that every business is a global business. We are too. I recently presented to 150 mechanical and manufacturing engineers in Latvia - well, many of them were in Lativia but attendees were a mix of in-person and on-line. The subject was international expansion. One of the key messages was the importance of selecting your new market...
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