THE BULL
You get What you Tolerate…
May 13, 2013 | The Bull
One of the hardest things to do in business is to let people go. It’s never an enjoyable task and most of us will have a few sleepless nights building up to it. We’ll also internally debate whether it’s “easier” just to persevere with…
What do you Dislike in Business?
May 6, 2013 | The Bull
I was once asked what I disliked in business. There are a few things but my pet hate is when customers don’t pay their bills on time. It’s even worse when clear payment expectations are agreed up-front, the goods or service are delivered…
It Pays to be Dogged
April 29, 2013 | The Bull
A while ago I was involved in getting a business out of voluntary administration. Eventually we only had one minor matter to deal with to allow us to complete the deal – we had to obtain a routine, written consent from a small counter-party.…
Good, Fast and Cheap – pick any two…
April 22, 2013 | The Bull 4
A few weeks ago I was in a $2 Shop listening to a customer berating the sales assistant because the $3 toy they had bought 10 days ago no longer worked. It would have been amusing had it not been for how strident the customer had been with their…
Words to Live by?
April 15, 2013 | The Bull
One of the most enjoyable movies I have seen in a while is Act of Valor. It is a salute to the US Special Forces and the “stars” are active-duty Navy Seals. This makes it unique and lends an incredible sense of reality to the movie taking the viewers…
When (and how) to say sorry…
April 10, 2013 | The Bull
A while ago a long standing supplier to a business I am associated with really screwed up. They let us down badly on what they had promised us. It cost us money and was a huge inconvenience. It could have been the end of the relationship but it wasn’t.…
When do your best ideas come to you?
April 3, 2013 | The Bull 13
I can’t recall the last time a really good idea came to me when I was sitting in my office trying to think one up. I don’t think it’s ever happened. Maybe I’m not in the right frame of mind for it to occur. Or there are…
Best or Better?
March 25, 2013 | The Bull
I remember being involved in a chat with a couple of successful guys who owned their own businesses. At one stage one asked the other whether he thought he ‘was the best at what he does.’ The guy responded that he didn’t know, couldn’t…
Brainstorming – the key is in the approach taken…
March 18, 2013 | The Bull
I love a good brainstorming session. Throw a diverse group of people together with a different set of experiences and backgrounds. Give them a problem to solve and add in some time pressure and you’ve got a good formula for getting something…
Stop Typing and do it in Person
March 13, 2013 | The Bull
If you need to get anything important done then you have to do it in person. Doing it face to face changes everything. It speeds things up, forces action and decisions and is just a more efficient way to move critical matters forward. It’s…
“All our Competitors are Hopeless…”
March 4, 2013 | The Bull
A while ago a company was pitching an idea to me. It was a good idea and well thought through but the company was new and I didn’t really know the people involved. So I asked them – “why do you think your business will be successful…
How NOT to Treat Your Customers…
February 25, 2013 | The Bull 2
A few days ago I spent 1 ½ rapid-fire days interstate on business. By the time I got to the airport for my return flight I was tired. The flight was delayed. OK, no problem. Finally it took off at about 7.30pm. At 8.30pm it was in a holding pattern …
How Connected are you?
February 18, 2013 | The Bull
It’s easy to get caught up in the grind of the 9-5. Catch the same train to work every day. Sit in the same seat. Have coffee at the same time. Buy your sandwich at the same place. Read the same newspaper. Deal with the same customers, suppliers…
Just be Yourself…
February 11, 2013 | The Bull 2
Recently I did a stock take of my wardrobe. I do it every year or so and it always results in me throwing out a lot of stuff that is worn out, out of fashion or is better suited to washing my car. The stocktake was interesting but not surprising. It consisted…
How to Create Something Valuable…
February 6, 2013 | The Bull 1
It’s not easy to create something valuable. Some attempts fail due to lack of focus or effort. Others due to a misreading of what the market considers important and consequently isn’t prepared to buy or pay for. A lack of capital…
You Either Serve the Customer or you Serve Someone who Does…
December 17, 2012 | The Bull 2
Earlier this year I had the great fortune to spend an hour with a local business legend. Let’s call him “James”. James had, over three decades, built a business empire that operates in several countries and employs 2,000 people. He maintains…
11 Things Kids Will Not Learn in School…
December 9, 2012 | The Bull
Charles Sykes, author of DUMBING DOWN OUR KIDS, has created a list of things that he believes are not taught nor learnt at school. It’s a tough, confronting list that may not make everyone feel comfortable or happy. There are, however, some…
Want to Know What your Brand Reputation “Really” is?
December 3, 2012 | The Bull
Then don’t ask your management team. Chances are they’ll have a distorted opinion or will be looking through rose coloured glasses. They may be inclined to have an aspirational view and might ignore inconvenient truths that are too…
What if You’re Wrong?
November 26, 2012 | The Bull 3
One of the great debates in recent times has been over whether human-caused climate change is real or not. Sceptics and supporters have lined up against each other in impassioned debates each convinced that they are right and denouncing the…Read More
Old School Business Never Goes out of Date…
November 21, 2012 | The Bull 2
I’m from the old school of business and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I like agreements to be in writing and I expect everyone to live up to what they have agreed to do, including me. If I screw up I commit to fix the problem quickly, even if it is…Read More
Was it symbolic that Steve Jobs always dressed the same way?
November 12, 2012 | The Bull
Before his untimely death in 2011 Steve Jobs always wore a pair of Levi 501s, a black turtle-neck top and a pair of New Balance running shoes. That was his outfit of choice and it never changed. It was comforting and timeless and it became as…Read More
Are you a Mole or a Meerkat?
November 5, 2012 | The Bull
Someone once asked me whether I was a mole or a meerkat. It was a strange question and I didn’t have a clue what they meant by it. But I was intrigued by the question and started researching the difference between the two animals.
What I was…
The Not to Do List…
October 29, 2012 | The Bull 1
Most people I know have a To Do List. But how many of us have a “Not to Do List”?
Let me explain the difference. The To Do List is about managing priorities, not activities. It is current
for one day only and is the list of things you plan to get done…
Know Your ‘use by Date’…
October 22, 2012 | The Bull 1
I’ve never spent more than seven years in an organisation. The average is about four. Any longer than this and I’m “cooked” – tired, burnt-out and bored. It’s a pattern for me. And I know that if I stay beyond this there’s a risk …
Don’t Ever try to “Sell” to me…
October 15, 2012 | The Bull 1
A few months ago I was in a rare bad mood. It coincided exactly with a cold call from “Richard”, a logistics “expert”, who within the first 30 seconds of the call claimed he could definitely save one of the businesses I am involved with …
What is it That Makes a Great Leader?
October 3, 2012 | The Bull 3
I have listened to many people try to answer this seemingly simple question. I’m yet to hear an answer that gave me the “aha” moment – at least until recently. Oddly that moment came from an insight from the philosopher Lao Tzu who lived…
Are you Boring?
September 24, 2012 | The Bull 3
If I was asked to provide one single hard truth of modern business it would be this – that the majority of businesses are boring, unremarkable and indistinguishable from their competitors.
They don’t stand out, they don’t produce…
A Fool-proof way to Guarantee a Mediocre Career…
September 17, 2012 | The Bull 1
Eighteen years ago I was stuck in a career rut. I had made rapid progress in my early working life, got great promotions and always seemed to be the guy going places. Then the wheels began to fall off. It happened slowly and bit by bit. Almost imperceptibly.…
Aim to be No. 1 in your Market
September 4, 2012 | The Bull
A friend of mine is an Indian restaurateur. He makes a mean curry and his tandoori chicken is to die for. He’s been in the game a long time and knows his market well. He’s a great innovator and regularly tweaks the restaurant’s layout, menu…
The fun and Games with a Board of Directors
August 29, 2012 | The Bull
To be the CEO of a successful business you can’t be a shrinking violet. You need a big ego and a strong back-bone. You have to be driven, prepared to take risks and fight like an alley cat when cornered. Successful CEOs like being in charge and …
The Manifesto for Surviving and Prospering in Tough Times…
August 20, 2012 | The Bull 2
A few months ago I noticed in the press that a bike retailer had gone bust. It wasn’t a big news piece and it seemed to be just another retailer who had followed the long list of others who had gone to the wall in recent times. The owner of the business…
What’s Wrong With Being a Benevolent Dictator?
August 13, 2012 | The Bull 1
It would be nice if business operated as a democracy where every team member was given an equal vote. Unfortunately the practicalities of this approach would mean that you’d end up drinking lots of coffee, attending endless meetings and …
What Motivates You?
August 6, 2012 | The Bull
I left high school in the 1980s. My small claim to fame at school was that I could run a bit (400m was my event) and was a reasonable rugby player. I was also a “stirrer” always keen to see how far I could push a teacher’s buttons. I was good …
66 Important Things I’ve Learned in Business…
July 30, 2012 | The Bull 6
I have always wanted to write an article with this title. I’ve tried a few times before but it never came out the way I was hoping. I have tried again and here is the result. It’s rambling but I hope you enjoy it.
- There is no substitute for
…
From The Bull: “In the long run men hit only what they aim at.”
July 23, 2012 | The Bull 1
“In the long run men hit only what they aim at.” Henry David Thoreau
In 1961 President John F. Kennedy set America one of its toughest challenges ever. In front of the U.S. Congress he told them that before the decade was over America…
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