AUTHOR ARCHIVES :

Money for Nothing? The Value of Consultants

They get a bad press, consultants. They’re sometimes thought of as being people who charge a lot of money to tell you what you already know. People worry if they’re getting any value from consultants.

Consultants

However, genuinely qualified and talented consultants can bring real value to your business. If you’ve wondered how, there are a number of ways they do it, and a number of benefits they bring.

1. Expertise

Typically, consultants have trained extensively in their chosen specialism. This means that they should have a level of expertise greater than is available to you in-house. For example, these days creating your own website is pretty easy using free and easily available software.…

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How to Run your Business from The Beach

We’d all like to think that we’re indispensible. And leaders are no different. Some leaders don’t take holidays, fearful that their business will collapse in their absence.

Happily, thanks to modern technology, communications and working practices, it’s now entirely possible (and even desirable) for leaders to keep a business running effectively from the comfort of a sun lounger.

Entrepreneur on the beach

If you’ve been running your business without a holiday, you need some tips for managing things effectively from a distance.

1. Delegate

The first thing you need to be able to do is delegate. To achieve this you need to have people you can trust and you need to give them clear instructions with specific milestones and smart objectives.…

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Why Should a CEO Care About Employer Brand?

CEOs have many things to occupy their attention. There’s share price, growth, profit levels, competitors and new product development. Why should they add Employer Brand to their list? Isn’t it just another fad? Perhaps they remember the noise around CSR a few years ago that has now become a faint whisper? Will the same happen to the term Employer Brand?

Employer branding

To decide its value, it might be useful to explore the impact of being seen as a great employer with a strong Employer Brand.

Recruitment

The economy seems to be improving almost daily. After the last few recessionary years, it may be tempting for a company to think that it can recruit great people instantly.…

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The Greatest Leadership Trait? Being Authentic

Do you remember how leaders used to be? They were patriarchal, unquestioned and respected (or feared) by their workforce merely because of their position. As time passed and society changed, the most admired leaders were those deemed to be charismatic. Great leaders needed strong personalities.

More recently, there has been another shift. These days, there’s a call for leaders with strong emotional intelligence. Leaders now need also to be genuine. They need to be authentic. But what does this mean? And how can you, as a leader, be authentic?

Authentic business leader

Listen

If you genuinely listen to your people, three things happen. Firstly, you get important insight into what the key issues (and best ideas) for your business are.…

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What Does a Great Leader need? Time to think!

As a leader, you’re paid (and praised!) for delivering results. It’s all about setting an ambitious plan and then executing it. This requires action. Modern business life is busy and there’s often a barrage of unexpected events you have to deal with. This involves more action. Do you ever have a moment to reflect, to ponder, to think? It’s all very well investing time in action, but if you’re neglecting thinking time, then you’re heading for a fall.

Thinking leader

1. Be more effective

The world is not static. The great plans you make at the beginning of the day, week, month or year will, inevitably, need to be amended over time.…

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Telecommuting – a Sure-fire Way to Reduce Productivity and Effectiveness

I read with interest the recent, excellent article on telecommuting.

It argues that telecommuting reduces a company’s costs, increases its productivity and furthers the green agenda. Well-argued as it is, I disagree. My belief is that it hinders teamwork, fosters resentment, reduces flexibility and makes it difficult to support your employees or identify true talent.

telecommuting

I should state, early on, that I don’t have any problem with occasional telecommuting. If my employees are flexible and are prepared to work late when needed, then as an employer, I’m more than happy to let them work from home to let the plumber in, or to see a school play.…

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