3 lessons kids can teach you about consultancy

Children can teach adults an awful lot, such as how to enjoy the moment and how to play. But what can they teach us buttoned-up consultants? More than you’d think.

Why ignoring social media is like smoking

Smoking is bad for you, in fact potentially fatal. It’s hard to change behavior. Traditional marketing could also be commercially fatal. So why wait?

Six crisis lessons brands can learn from Wikileaks

It’s not just governments which face threats from whistle-blowing sites, like Wikileaks. Organizations, especially consumer-facing brands, can easily attract a negative online presence from a disgruntled customer or employee. We’ve all seen those Brand X Sucks sites. So what should you do?

How to ‘meet for coffee’

A popular request in Silicon Valley is to ‘meet for coffee’. This is often a euphemism for a short meeting with no fixed agenda, beyond getting to know one another. As far as it goes, this can be productive – business is social after all. Many strong business relationships – with clients, partners, investors and potential employees start with an informal intro. But how do you make the most of them?

Ten tasks which need a phone call, not an email

Amid the ever expanding choice of communications methods, the use of the humble telephone is in decline. Who responds to voicemails right? But here are ten task which need you to pick up the phone. Don’t hide behind email, take a deep breath and dial. It’s faster and more productive.

Is an open plan office good for productivity?

We’re starting to research new office space, prior to moving in Summer 2011. During the five years we’ve been in our current location, working practices and expectations of staff/clients have changed. So is an open plan office still the best layout?

Why I deleted Foursquare

I deleted Foursquare. I know it’s not cool to admit that, but it just didn’t add value for me.

Creativity needs solid foundations

To be creative at work, you need strong foundations. The act of generating a new idea and seeing it through to fruition requires personal commitment, perseverance, vulnerability, risk and often conflict.

Ideas in their early stages are fragile like newborns. They need nurturing and protecting. They can be trampled or discarded just as they draw breath, and before they have a chance to flower. At every stage they need to prove themselves – to team mates, to clients, to partners, to influencers and to their audience. As a creative, it’s your role to see that idea blossom – to conceive it, to give it substance, to validate it, to realize it and to evangelize it. A good idea is a personal journey. We put a part of ourselves into our best ideas, and in so doing, make ourselves vulnerable.

How to get fewer emails

Many of us struggle with email volume. It’s a source of stress, interruption and distraction. Taming your Inbox is important. The first step is to get fewer emails in the first place. Here are a few tips:

If you can’t be great, be careful

‘The good is the enemy of the great.’ – unknown (Voltaire?) You don’t stay in a job unless you are good at it. Good is normal. Most people are good. They aren’t great. Most people don’t achieve anything truly remarkable, since good performance is common. Companies with good people are average. Only companies with great [...]