From the Bull | Which levers should I pull?
When you break business down to its fundamentals it is actually a simple concept. Basically, you need to have a product or service that solves a market problem, that you can sell in large enough quantities and at high enough prices to earn an acceptable return on investment for the owners of the business. It [...]
From the Bull | “when the competition is drowning, stick a hose in their mouths”
Recessions and economic downturns can sometimes provide the best growth opportunities for a business, especially if it is at the expense of your competitors. Downturns can be tough for everyone but smart businesses won’t ignore the fact that during these times their competitors may be at their most vulnerable. They’ll smell their weakness and go [...]
From the Bull | You just can’t put an old head on young shoulders
These days I am always slightly amused about how much emphasis is placed on youth in business. It seems more and more that people over 50 are considered over the hill and are being replaced by the new young “guns”, many of whom are still wet behind the ears. Why is this? Do we really [...]
From the Bull | The Five Things Great Leaders do
A couple of years ago a guy I knew got fired from his role as a CEO of small public company. In the end the directors grew tired of his excuses for the company’s under-performance and the lack of a clear plan for the future. They also accused him of lacking the behavioural traits of [...]
From the Bull | The three customer groups that matter
A while ago a company that I was involved with commissioned some external consultants to help us understand our customers better. These guys were specialists in their field and were impressive. The work they produced was of a high standard and it satisfied the mutually agreed scope of works. Unfortunately, the output only scratched the [...]
From the Bull | Jumping in the deep end.
Several years ago I was an advisory board member of a services business that was struggling. The business had a reasonable market position and a decent customer offer but was going backwards fast. I couldn’t understand it. The messages coming out of the management team were contradictory, overly optimistic and, when compared to the financial [...]
From the Bull | Job vs. Responsibility
Jim Collins of Good to Great book fame has written a new book entitled “How the Mighty Fall”. In it he states: “one notable distinction between the wrong people and the right people (in key roles) is that the former see themselves as having jobs while the latter see themselves as having responsibilities. Every person [...]
From The Bull | Becoming Slightly Famous
Remember Tim Shaw? He was the presenter of the infamous Demtel TV commercials encouraging us to buy with the memorable “but wait, there’s more”. Tim is an unforgettable personality but behind that quirky persona is a highly skilled business professional. He built a very successful business around being Tim Shaw. There are a lot of [...]
FROM THE BULL | On What Frogs Can Teach Us.
There is a parable that says if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water; it will jump out straight away. But, if you put a frog in a kettle that is filled with water that is cool and pleasant and then you gradually heat the kettle until it starts boiling, the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late. The frog’s survival instincts are geared towards detecting sudden changes.
There are business lessons to be learned from the frog story. Essentially it is a cautionary tale about how change can occur in an organisation
FROM THE BULL | What’s behind you is important
Recently, I was invited to speak to the management team of a successful private company on the subject of leadership. At one point I played a small excerpt from the 1980′s movie, “The Gumball Rally” about the famous car race across America. One of the characters in it is Italian. He’s paired with an American [...]
FROM THE BULL | Don’t be a Wally
The first day at a new job should be the beginning of a great new adventure. For new employees, it is usually filled with some trepidation and excitement. It’s not unusual for them to “test-drive” the travel route to their new job in advance to make sure they’re not late on the first day. They [...]
FROM THE BULL | Get Your Hands Dirty (a personal story)
A positive attitude will overcome many barriers. So will a willingness to get your hands dirty. The earlier this lesson is learnt the better. I learnt it at my first job in 1982. I worked in a paint factory. For its time the factory was modern and well-maintained. However, the occupational health and safety standards [...]
IF Melbourne Part 2:: Social Responsibility
IF Melbourne on white spaces tv :: Episode 2 of 3 In late February, uncluttered white spaces hosted IF Melbourne @ Denmark House to a room for 40 guests from various networks in Melbourne to join in a forum on the broad topic of Innovation. The panel included Paul Breen, Mick Calder, Rebecca Scott, Sahil [...]
FROM THE BULL:: A hole above the waterline won’t sink a ship.
W.L. Gore & Associates is a little-known company that has $2.5bn in annual sales, 8,000 employees and 50 manufacturing facilities worldwide. The company invented the water-proof, breathable Gore Tex fabrics and is a leading manufacturer of advanced technology products for the electronics, industrial, fabrics and medical markets. Gore is one of only 12 companies that [...]
From the Bull :: The Little Things Matter
A colleague of mine, who has a business in the start-up stage, called me recently for advice. He had been chasing a big client for months and had finally got the call to come in for a meeting. The problem was that the meeting was in two days time and he was already committed to [...]
From the Bull:: On Being unreasonable
Being unreasonable… A small number of people have suggested to me that I have made a career out of being contrary and at times unreasonable. This always makes me smile and nowadays I accept it as a compliment. Like a friend once told me, “you don’t get a nickname like The Bull from baking scones [...]
FROM THE BULL:: Innovate or Perish
Recently I had the great pleasure of participating in an Innovation Forum (IF) in Melbourne hosted by the charming and charismatic Ben Rennie of Uncluttered White Spaces. It was a brilliant evening with a great panel, an engaged audience and some lively discussions. Innovation is a curious term that means different things to different people. [...]
From the Bull:: What happens when you give more than you take?
Recently, I was chatting with a great friend of mine who runs his own successful business. He’s a fantastic guy who is loved by everyone. His network of friends, business contacts and acquaintances is huge. He is smart, pragmatic and has the best “bull-sh*t detector” on the planet. He can be gruff at times and [...]
From the Bull:: The ultimate feedback question.
Remember the old staff suggestion boxes? Staff were encouraged to submit ideas, suggestions, criticisms etc via a suggestion box which once every week or so a manager would open and review. If their suggestion was controversial or personal they could submit it anonymously. In the bad old days this was sometimes the only voice that [...]
THE BULL :: Bill Clinton has the X Factor
In the past ten years two of my friends had the pleasure of meeting Bill Clinton. One met him at a speaking function where he was part of a greeting line of probably 200 people. The other met him, by accident, on the wharf at Port Douglas in Queensland. On both occasions the meeting took [...]
FROM THE BULL :: The ultimate test of a great manager
We’d all like to think we are great managers. Right? However there is a big difference between being a great technician and a great manager. Great technicians come in many forms – they might be great buyers or accountants or web designers or warehouse pickers. Their job is to do fantastic work and they focus [...]
FROM THE BULL :: IN HARMS WAY.
Military leaders get paid to make the hardest, most stressful executive decisions that anyone will ever have to make. Essentially, they have to decide (or not) whether to commit their military personnel to armed conflicts and in the process put their people in harm’s way. The stakes are different in business. Very few, if any, [...]
THE BULL :: ARE YOU A CURIOUS PERSON?
Curious people are voracious readers and active learners. The great US President, Teddy Roosevelt, fitted this description perfectly. He didn’t just read books, he devoured them. While he was President he would read a book every day before breakfast. Depending on his schedule he would read another two or three books at night. He reads [...]
THE BULL:: ‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY (AND TO REFLECT ON WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU)
We’re all busy doing what we do and getting on with our lives. Right? However, how often do we stop and consider why we’re doing what we’re doing? How often do we reflect on what it is that we really want to achieve from our lives, not just from our businesses? This is especially important [...]
