For many people, one of the biggest curses of knowledge is that we tend to over complicate things. Case in point, I have been doing a lot of reading about Lean Manufacture and its application into the service industry. One book I slaved through this week explained Waste in a complex way that cumulated in the … More Smart people make things simple.
A number of years ago Bill Gates’ mother held a dinner party and invited both Warren Buffet (super rich guy) and Bill along. At the dinner party she ask what they believed was the single most important factor for their success. Both Bill and Warren gave the same one-word answer: “Focus.” Focus is one of … More 3 ways to stay focused on your goals
I hate running on a treadmill! Nothing does my head in quite as much as watching minute after minute tick by, while I stay in one place and move exactly nowhere. It’s funny how one minute can feel like a blink of an eye, but when things are moving slowly or you are watching a … More Do you have a minute?
You have probably all worked with people at the creative extremes. At one end is the person who works really hard, executes like crazy then tells you “I’m not creative”. At the opposite end of the scale is the “ideas person” who constantly has ideas and never delivers on anything. Leading these people can be … More Two things you need to become innovative
I’ve always loved the quote from Blaise Pascal who says, “I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter.” Nowadays ‘this‘ can be… Videos, Emails, Reports, Blogs, Podcasts, PowerPoint, Public speaking, And even one on one conversations. The best of these are short and punchy. And its … More How we steal peoples time
I love being wrong. No actually that’s a lie! Being wrong, is no fun, frustrating and outright embarrassing. Yet, I don’t hate being wrong either. As children, most of our learning occurred as a result of being wrong. It’s weird then that most adults I know try to avoid being wrong, and in doing so miss incredible … More Why you should love being wrong.
Not far from where I live is this sign. It’s a weird sign because it curves to the right with a big arrow showing that the main road heads that way, and off to the left is a little side road. I know it is only a warning sign; however the interesting thing about the … More Are you heading for a dead-end?
I don’t get time to … think I don’t get time to … exercise I don’t get time to … read I don’t get time to … do good I don’t get time to … play with the kids I don’t get time to … relax I don’t get time to … [fill in the blank] … More I don’t get time to …
Recently, one of our business divisions was audited by an external auditor, and the comment was made that a particular process is the best that she’s seen in the industry. The irony is that these processes came about because we failed, and by that I mean failed significantly, three or four years ago. This got … More Often ‘Being the Best’ first requires failure
Often, as I’m walking or running along the streets, I will notice rental properties. Not because they have a sign on them saying they are rental, but because of the way that the lawns are kept and the gardens are over grown. The residents just seem to park their cars wherever they might like, be … More Why Accountability is more like Renting than Owning.
No-one can replace YOU in your life. No-one else can be their father or mother. No-one else can love your spouse or partner the way you can. No-one else has had the struggles and successes you’ve had. That makes you the perfect person to help. No-one else can come to the rescue quite like you. Your whole … More Hero’s wanted … YOU can apply here.
I was chatting with a guy recently who was asking to be involved in some work I do. As we discussed what we were doing he didn’t seem to agree with my approach as he used the word ‘BUT’ in every other sentence. I agree, but… Yes, but… That’s good, but… ‘But’ gets used just … More Nip ‘But’ in the butt and replace it with…
Change is constantly upon us, and the winds of change are always blowing in our lives. So often we lean in against the change. Fight it. And burn a heap of energy trying to get back to where we came from. Usually, in the end, the change forces us there anyway, and we arrive there … More When the winds of change blow – how do you respond?
It’s funny how shadows can be good and bad. A person standing in the right spot to shield the sun from our eyes, is a good shadow. Yet the clouds maneuvering themselves in front of the sun on a bitter winters day, creates cold and dark shadows. As a leader I know I cast good … More As a leader, what shadow are you casting in your organisation?
At Agoge one of our essential values is “be caring”. As the guy at the top I see it as a core responsibility to cast a shadow of caring across the entire organisation. One of the ways I do this is I aim to touch base with our core team in the company at least … More Why I make Caring a task
People Matter ∴ Do Good 