Dashboards Don’t Grow Your Business
Dashboards have become a key feature in modern business management. They provide leaders with real-time data on pretty much anything, not necessarily the right things that will make a difference, many businesses find themselves stagnating, struggling to grow or scale effectively. A dashboard is a tool tin the toolbox that can help but, its not the silver bullet!
Big Audacious Thing
In business, leaders often face a dilemma: should they focus on resolving small, immediate problems or tackle larger, more complex challenges? While the allure of completing many small tasks is strong, prioritizing audacious challenges can lead to significant impact. By thinking systemically and using frameworks like Essential Dynamics, leaders can identify critical challenges and create lasting change. Stepping back from day-to-day tasks and gaining a new perspective is essential for success.
You better build a birdhouse
Courses, conferences, and coaching are only useful if they intentionally and demonstrably increase the flow of value in your organization. If you need a birdhouse, build one. Studying carpentry and sketching designs mean nothing without action. Robins can't nest in your plans.
Productivity Prescription - Part 2
Canada faces significant productivity challenges that will be a drag on our standard of living compared to the US and other G7 nations for decades to come. Disagreement persists on how to tackle this issue effectively and the latest Federal budget did little to address this. Many suggest investing in new technology, but for most small and medium-sized businesses, this isn't feasible. It is akin to adding massive modifications to a loved classic car engine. Instead, the focus for thousands of small and medium-sized businesses should be on incremental tweaks and optimizations within existing systems, empowering businesses to drive long-term productivity gains through effective management attention.
The Productivity Prescription
Fellow members of the business community, it is clear that "our part to invest" must be to invest our hearts and minds in solving the productivity crisis, one leader and one business at a time. Business leaders need to learn how to get outside of their day-to-day operations and think of their business as a system, to then identify the barriers to creating more value. By focusing on our business’ unique challenges and unique drivers, we can step up, scale up and level up Canada's economic productivity to an extent never seen before.
The Quest for Peak Performance
Embracing a shared purpose and vision transcends traditional incentive pay, fostering a sense of belonging and collective drive in the workplace. This approach cultivates employee engagement and innovation, illustrating that the heart of organizational success lies in a united, purpose-driven team.
The Futility of Manipulation in Leadership
Over morning coffee, I muse on whether my cat Rusty's antics for food and attention are a form of manipulation or an unexpected display of leadership. These contemplations about our daily interactions lead me to deeper reflections on the nature of leadership and manipulation in both personal and professional spheres.
The Silo busting VP
So, you're a Vice-President.
No doubt you have an org chart handy somewhere that neatly portrays the names and functions of all in your group. Maybe when you accepted the position, your CEO slid that chart across the table and said, "here's the team you're responsible for".