Procurement isn’t normally the first thing that springs to mind when we talk about changing the world. Maybe it should be. Every time your organisation buys something, someone makes a choice about where that money goes. Normally we think about price, quality, specifications, delivery and service. Quite rightly too. But why stop there? Imagine aContinue reading “Your purchasing can change the world”
Category Archives: Thoughts
What is authenticity
We see this word so often now, but what does it really mean? Authenticity is when your actions are congruent with your beliefs and values, irrespective of what pressures may be applied. To be authentic, it is not enough to know your values, you must be your values. Brene’ Brown describes it as “a collectionContinue reading “What is authenticity”
What does your business actually do?
Ask someone what their business does and you’ll usually get an answer about products or services. All perfectly accurate but it completely misses the bigger picture. One of the questions that changed my thinking about business was: What difference does your organisation make to the communities you serve? (Steve Bowman, Conscious Governance) This question canContinue reading “What does your business actually do?”
It should be simple
We know we should keep it simple. Even the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said “Ask yourself at every moment – is this necessary?” Knowing it and doing it are two different things though. Had a great coffee catch up yesterday with a team who have been successful for well over 15 years using a veryContinue reading “It should be simple”
It is who I am
Lately I’ve taken the unusual step of adding humorous memes to some of my posts on LinkedIn (generally involving coffee). Now I understand that some people may see these as more suited to Facebook than LinkedIn. After all, LinkedIn is a serious, professional platform. Sometimes life is too serious not laugh at For me though,Continue reading “It is who I am”
It will never be everything
I had another fantastic coffee catch up today – having been head down for three years, I really did miss these mental stimulation opportunities. One of the many topics we discussed was AI and once again I was reminded that no matter how clever it is, it definitely has limitations. AI is really an amazingContinue reading “It will never be everything”
We need to end fragmentation
In case you didn’t notice, it’s hard out there. Increasing number of organisations applying for a smaller pool of donations. New contracts are almost unheard of while compliance is a never ending beast. If we want a thriving charitable sector, we need to be smarter. We can’t keep on setting up new organisations in theContinue reading “We need to end fragmentation”
You’re making a decision? Why?
When trying to find solutions, we’re told to first understand the problem. Many of the decisions we make as leaders, and as people, don’t stem from what we see as a problem. We don’t sit and try and analyse it, we just know we have to make a decision and that’s what we do. SometimesContinue reading “You’re making a decision? Why?”
Just Explore
In an environment where everyone is trying to give you advice, it can be reassuring to sit down with a sounding board and just explore. This what I do…. I’m not a coach or advisor; I’m not an expert on some American management model that is apparently the answer to every issue, and I certainlyContinue reading “Just Explore”
Advisory Boards
We see that advisory boards are becoming more common in the commercial space, especially with SME, but I haven’t noticed this flowing through into the for-purpose sector. Advisory boards are set up to provide guidance and expertise to an organisation on a specific issue or strategy, not the business-as-usual governance, compliance and decision making thatContinue reading “Advisory Boards”
The Optimistic Cynic 