Global Performance Improvement Blog

Quotes from Harold Geneen

admin — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:10:07 +0000

The Guardian - World Factfiles

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:53:31 +0000

Hello everyone,

The guardian is currently publishing a series of country profiles regrouping useful information on various subjects such as demography, political pressure points, landscapes, economy, tourism…

To check it out, just follow this link :

The Guardian Country Profiles

Hope you will find it helpful

G/localization: When Global Information and Local Interaction Collide

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:37:25 +0000

A link to the presentation of a 2006 research led by Danah Boyd, PhD student at UC-Berkeley, on how to successfully mix the local cultures in a global network.

The document addresses different issues such as “how to take advantage of the global while not destroying the local”, “how does connecting the global and local in technology affects the design process” and “Why social software must address glocalization to succeed”.

Here is the link to the article: G/Localization

Have a nice read. We are waiting for your comments!!

What makes a great manager?

admin — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:11:38 +0000

Hi everyone!

Bill has brought to my attention an interesting article on “what makes a great manager”…

Are you ready for the magic recipe?

According to Gerard M. Blair, author of the article and Senior Lecturer in VLSI Design at the University of Edinburgh, “The first step to becoming a really great manager is simply common sense; but common sense is not very common. Management is about pausing to ask yourself the right questions so that your common sense can provide the answers”.

STARTING A REVOLUTION

“As a manager, you actually have the authority to make a huge impact upon the way in which your staff works. You can shape your own work environment. In a large company, your options may be limited by the existing corporate culture [but you can] act like a crab: face directly into the main thrust of corporate policy, and make changes sideways.”

“For instance, when a British firm called Unipart wanted to introduce Japanese methods (Honda’s to be precise) into their Oxford plan (The Economist - 11th April 1992 - page 89) they sent a small team to Japan to learn what exactly this meant. On their return,

(more…)

Does Military Leadership Cross Over into Civilian Life?

Bill — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:22:31 +0000

Why Work Sucks and How to Fix it - A Book!

Imran — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:22:24 +0000

Saturday and the kids are munching on croissants and we are happly slurping our coffes to our hearts content and reading our usual parts of the newspaper. I, to be honest, read very little until later on in the day but one short article caught my attention about meetings and their usefulness, or more appropriately, their usefullness in helping those in organisations who don’t like getting things done. It would be revolutionary to see an organisation that just bands them. Well for those interested in reading about whether it is possible, here is the book mentioned in the article I just read:Why Work Sucks and How to Fix it by Jody Thompson and Cali ResslerWill comment on the book later, i.e. once I have ordered and read it. But I thought it was worth a mention. Author: Imran

Is humility important in leadership?

admin — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:14:12 +0000

Alexander the Great as I mentioned in the previous blog was perhaps the greatest leader the world has ever known. However like all of us, he did have his weaknesses.Every victory increased his ego, vanity and susceptibility to flattery. He likened himself to Achilles and Hercules. His vanity (arrogance) acted as a block to constructive critism and his Macedonian and Greek soldiers became extremely resentful and angry with Alexander’s arrogance attitude which was preventing freedom of speech. Freedom of Speech was the difference between the Greek and Persian Culture therefore hugely valued.Author:

Bill Cole (more…)

Alexander the Great- What leadership lessons relevant today?

Bill — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:30:54 +0000

Perhaps the most read about soldier and leader in Europe.

I am wading my way through a thick tome on his life and at the back of mind thinking,

‘any lessons for the modern business leader’?

Here are his traits:

Alexander, lead from the front, didn’t order anybody to do what he could not do himself (he was one of the finest swordsmen and javelin throwers in the army).

Incredibly courageous (was wounded at least 10 times - in the thick of most of the fighting and with his distinctive plummed helmet an obvious target).

Bill Cole
(more…)

Funky Business Forever!

Imran — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:19:40 +0000

I thought it was time to say something about possibly the two most lateral-thinking business thinkers in Euroape today. Business thinking has not really moved on in the last 100 years and these two have, needless to say, copied/spiced up the ideas of the likes of Charles Handy & Tom Peters, but have added one or two good points, in an over-enthusiastically way without any real eveidence. I have always kept them to myself as they can be rather over-zealous and the tone may lack the touch of the cynicism and argumentative style I need to take on and digest new thinking and intervening ideas.

Jonas Ridderstrale + Kjell Nordström are the two I am talking about. These aren’t books for the intellectual (no theory) but accompany you well in departure lounge and the 30 minute late arrival of a business partner. Take what you like and enjoy the light tone of the book.

Would welcome any comments on the book (Karaoke Capitalism). The new one is on its way!

Author: Imran

Mintzberg: CoachingOurselves.com

Imran — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:15:17 +0000

I have always liked Mintzberg and this site/business venture is no exception. It is, after all, ‘learning to help yourself’!

www.coachingourselves.com

Author: Imran