What great chairs do – and what they don’t
The comparison with the chief executive is particularly apt given that by some estimates 85% of chairs used to be a CEO at some point, often at the same company. It can be problematic for them and for the business if they don’t know the difference, or the particular ways in which a chair adds […]
Why achieving strategic clarity isn’t as easy as it sounds
Because it’s clear in your mind, you are able to communicate it to people in a way that they too can understand. Through all the complexity that your business contains, all those moving parts, everyone is able to link back to that clear vision, purpose and strategy, and align what they are doing accordingly. You […]
Are you structured for growth?
Strategic growth has at least as much to do with execution as it does with ideas, however, and so often strong execution follows from a robust structure. There are generally three ways that structure can support – or stifle – strategic growth. 1. Structure frees ideas The larger an organisation gets, the harder it is […]
Are you looking for growth in the right places?
Nothing quite beats the feeling of looking at your budgets and forecasts as the year goes on, and seeing meaningful growth. All those meetings, all that time spent agonising over the strategy, all those business development calls seem validated in the cold reality of the numbers: your plans are working, your collective efforts are paying […]
What graduates really want from jobs
A lot of people talk on behalf of graduates, usually reeling off survey statistics to reveal what they really want from their first significant jobs and how that’s different from previous generations. Four in five consider corporate purpose highly important to their choice of employer, for example, while 25% plan to run a company of […]
Are star employees overrated?
A few years ago, Bain conducted a major piece of research looking for the holy grail of management consultancy: what makes an excellent firm. They found stars – employees who made an outsized contribution to performance – in abundance, typically in highly specialised and creative roles. Star corporate lawyers performed 12 times better than the […]
If Your Values Don’t Fit, You’re Toast
In part one of this blog, we looked at why candidate fit is so important when hiring for growth, how it can turn into an excuse for excluding people, and how most of the time problems with a candidate’s fit can be solved with a little open-mindedness and flexibility. It’s a different matter when you’re […]
Values: The one area where you don’t want diversity?
In part one of this blog, we looked at why candidate fit is so important when hiring for growth, how it can turn into an excuse for excluding people, and how most of the time problems with a candidate’s fit can be solved with a little open-mindedness and flexibility. It’s a different matter when you’re […]
Why Candidate Fit Matters More Than Talent
We’ve all known candidates who sounded ferociously impressive at interview, who had a glittering record of success in well-respected firms, and who then fell flat on their faces when they joined yours. While it’s tempting to assume that these people were paper tigers, who just seemed more talented than they were, it’s improbable that someone […]
Why fit is as important as talent
We’ve all known candidates who sounded ferociously impressive at interview, who had a glittering record of success in well-respected firms, and who then fell flat on their faces when they joined yours. While it’s tempting to assume that these people were paper tigers, who just seemed more talented than they were, it’s improbable that someone […]
