Preparing for a presentation I found myself reflecting on the seismic global events of the recent weeks. Once untouchable monoliths of the corporate World, the oil corporations were running scared, BP setting aside £1bn just to cover their restructuring costs.
9 Tips to Help Manage Your Biggest Assets
It’s surprising how many times we can make assumptions of others in the workplace and often underestimate the workload and stresses those in senior roles deal with. As a junior and middle manager I too fell into the trap of
We all want to be Norm – 10 Tips to Build Stronger Customer Relationships
Back in the early 1980’s a US sit com hit our screens and almost immediately became a hit. Centred on a small bar in Boston the show introduced us to a series of characters who were the regulars and staff
Growth Accelerator – A Practical Approach to Improved Performance
We all need a virtual or actual boost in our businesses now and again. It’s too easy to become complacent, comfortable or afraid of making any changes that might make things “different”. What many successful businesses do is harness a
Ice Bucket List – Why the ALS Charity Challenge Works
Unless you’ve been tucked away on a desert island without internet, TV, phone or radio you can’t help to have been exposed to a never ending parade of people posting short videos of self-emersion in cold water. The #icebucketchallenge (don’t
8 Top Tips to Help You Get Organised
Sunday is traditionally known as the day of rest, the day we stay away from thoughts of work and revert our attention to more leisurely pursuits. The need for rest and relaxation and diversion away from stresses and strains of
Knowing the Price of Everything and Value of Nothing
Oscar Wilde’s famous quote from his only published novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is one that intrigues me. It can have a number of subtle meanings but within the novel it is specifically relating to the bartering of an
The Generations Game
A short while ago I was asked to present at a Practice Management Conference to owners and senior managers of law firms in the UK. The brief for this event was to present on the challenge of engaging with younger
Is the Marketing Plan a Dead Doc?
I sense that the traditional marketing planning process has taken something of a back seat in recent years. I don’t have definitive proof just anecdotal comment from fellow marketers and business owners but I suspect there’s a trend developing. The
Law Firm Management – Survival of the Fittest
Charles Darwin knew a thing or two about evolution. If I can cast my mind back to my human biology lessons, the term coined by the great naturalist was “Natural Selection”. It took a little while for this radical theory
The Best of Times or the Worst of Times? – Surviving and Growing in an Unpredictable Period
I’m fed up with hearing that we’re living in “interesting times” we’re not. We’re actually living in the times outlined by Dickens in a Tale of Two Cities. I’m sure you all know the opening chapter of the book word
Spinning Plates, Juggling Balls & Shot Selection – How to Create an Effective Marketing Strategy
Devising a successful marketing plan hasn’t always been easy but your options were pretty straightforward. Depending on budget and market your choices were clear and experience along with a good creative agency would go a long way to delivering results.
Marketing – It’s a Dirty Word
I still encounter those who see marketing as at best a necessary evil and at worst a practice of smoke and mirrors with no substance. This unwarranted prejudice is borne out of a lack of understanding of the core principles
Is It All Good With You? – Leadership & Self Confidence
Have you ever faced the dilemma of thinking how best to phrase the opening line of an e-mail? The trend appears to be for the “hope all’s good with you” or “hope this finds you well”. Nothing wrong with this,
Marriage of Convenience or True Love – Law Firm Mergers
What lies behind the sudden increase in solicitors firms merging? Is it a need for personal partner security, succession or future proofing, fear of failing or a strategic move to build a successful business? 2013 has revealed a weekly supply
