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“Whistle blowers”
I have a whistle that has four notes, obtained in Chattanooga in the United States of America. There is nothing particularly special about these four different notes and they are almost weak-sounding,...
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Becoming a fountain of inspiration to others
I have travelled on but a few of the great and sometimes famous rivers of our world – the Zambezi (near the Victoria Falls) and the Orange Rivers in Africa, the Colorado and Mississippi in the USA and...
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Recognising and utilising creativity in the workplace
Gillian Barbara Lynne (CBE) was born on the 20th February 1926 in Bromley, Kent, England and was recognised as a dance talent at a young age. Teaming up with her childhood friend, Beryl Grey, while...
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Twisting the tail of the tiger – saying “no” to power and greed and “yes” to...
Colin Hall, friend and former colleague, was born during the Second World War into a reasonably affluent white South African family. His schooling during those Apartheid years meant that he got the...
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“Organisational liposuction”– sucking out the fat & investing the gains in...
As organisations grow, they get fat. As they get fat, the ability to be flexible, grab new possibilities and make subtle shifts in focus or direction is impeded. The impediment causes frustration and...
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Collecting the appropriate connections
I so enjoyed the “Connecting the Dots” or “Dot to Dot” game when I was a child. Seeing an image appear before me, as if by magic, when I connected the dots in the correct sequence gave me a sense of...
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Institutionalising creativity and innovation in the workplace
For many decades, 3M’s executives have focused on a constant flow of terrific new products. In order to achieve this, in 1956, the company instituted a catalytic mechanism that is now widely known:...
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Shake a leg!
It is easy to blame circumstances for a lack of success or at least give really plausible reasons for things not working out as planned. It is true sometimes that we feel like pawns, without any power,...
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Climbing to new heights and maintaining your altitude
According to an old legend, vizier Sissa Ben Dahir presented an Indian King Sharim with a beautiful, hand-made chessboard. The king asked what he would like in return for his gift and the courtier...
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All in the same boat …
The expression ‘in the same boat’ is typically construed as a negative idiom – “you say that you have run out of money – well, I am in the same boat”, meaning that I have run out of money too. It...
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Leaders showing up at work with a transformative disposition
Mary came to work on that cold winter’s morning in Johannesburg, South Africa, making use of the public transportation system as normal, but seemingly now with a spring in her step. Arriving with a...
View ArticleAwakening the potential genius in you
The word “genius” perhaps brings to mind a prodigy or mastermind of the past, either in the musical, scientific or mathematical fields – Bach, Einstein, Mozart, Aristotle, Beethoven and Da Vinci, to...
View ArticleDon’t crack under pressure
Jack William Edouard Heuer was born in 1932 in Bern, Switzerland, as great-grandson of Edouard Heuer, the original founder of TAG Heuer in 1860. He holds an Electrical Engineering degree and a master’s...
View Article“Wheel-spinning” in your career?
“Wheel-spinning” literally refers to a situation where a vehicle has lost traction, e.g. on ice, in snow or mud. Here the wheels may spin without the vehicle going anywhere – continued pressure on the...
View ArticleDo what is not your duty
“A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men” (Proverbs 18:16) On a number of occasions, I have heard the following words from employees as they explain the ‘pain’ of their...
View ArticleOne buttock managers
Recently, I was deeply moved listening to Benjamin Zander interpret classical music to his students and during a TED Talk, demonstrate his ability to bring out the very best in his fellow musicians. He...
View ArticleSome companies are ‘overcooked’ and taste bitter
When I was young, my first attempt at ‘real’ cooking was memorable, but for all the wrong reasons. Oh yes, of course I could fry bacon and eggs, make milkshakes and grill toasted cheese and ham, but I...
View ArticleUnlocking creativity at work
One of the hallmarks of a good business manager is the ability to unlock creativity amongst other managers, supervisors and employees. There are many misconceptions about “creativity”. There is a body...
View ArticleInnovation and disruption risk
“Business leaders are increasingly focusing on risks that threaten to disrupt the fundamental assumptions of their organisations’ strategies. Prioritising such risks has become increasingly crucial –...
View ArticleGet employees to think
“An ant on its feet can do more than an elephant lying down” (African Proverb) One of the internal challenges that many managers face is the false assumption that they have been employed to be...
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