At a recent business cocktail function the WA swimmer Eamon Sullivan was interviewed about his illustrious career, which has included a world championship gold and a bronze, 2 Olympic silvers and bronze, as well as various world records. A major take away for me was his honest self appraisal of his failure to win gold at...Read More

A business owner friend and I were discussing the current business environment this week, and swapping notes on what works (and what does not) when it comes to increasing sales. Assuming the product and services are in demand and provide value to customers, there seem to be two relatively easy ways a business owner/development manager could increase sales … Attend...Read More

Things that creep up on you can be the hardest to recognise and defend against. Whether they be imaginary spooks hiding in the dark to frighten you from your slumbers, or people quietly tip toeing up behind you to shout ‘boo!’ in your ear, if you don’t see it coming, it can be unnerving when it’s...Read More

I’ve lived through a few recessions in my time. I still remember getting the candles out (yes, really) during the miner’s strike of the early 1970s in England. I was 9. It was fun – as a family we knew when the power cuts were coming to our little town, and when to get the candles...Read More

The phony war is over, the real war has begun. On Friday, the first official day of campaigning started with those that favour UK leaving or remaining in the European Union making their opening arguments. Prime Minister Cameron, coming off a difficult week thanks to the Panama Papers and findings around his father’s money, is arguing for the country...Read More

Legend has it the wife of King Louis XVI of France, Marie Antionette, uttered the words “let them eat cake” on hearing the starving peasants were in revolt against bread shortages. We’re talking late 18th century, and although the Queen would have probably said the words in French (something like ‘Qu’ils mangent de la brioche‘)...Read More

It is a sad fact that today in 2016, you are more likely to meet a board chair called “Peter” than a female board chair. Only 22% of Board appointees are women, although this has increased from 9% a few years ago. In Australia, a recent report showed that men in full time jobs were paid...Read More

I have a philosophy on management which goes – if you notice the manager, then management has gone wrong. Good management should be invisible. It happens behind the scenes, allowing the parts to move together efficiently and the whole organisation to work effectively. Good managers select great people, self motivators, give them the tools to do the job...Read More

It’s been an interesting few weeks already in 2016, with celebrity deaths (Bowie, Rickman, Frey…), jittery stock markets (down 7% one week, up 5% the next, down 2%, up 3%…) and the worst heatwave in 80 years (heralding in the Chinese New Year of the Fire Monkey). And it’s only Feb 14th, Valentine’s Day. Where’s...Read More

For the past 55 years, every Australia Day, the ‘Australian of the Year’ is announced, usually by the Prime Minister in a ceremony outside Parliament House. It’s become a major occasion, and is televised. The Award was originally designed to bring some deeper meaning and a focal point to Australia Day itself. These days the...Read More