James Lawther
James Lawther
James Lawther is a middle-aged middle manager. To reach this highly elevated position he has worked for many organisations, from supermarkets to tax collectors and has had multiple roles from running a night shift to doing operational research. He gets upset by operations that don't work and mildly apoplectic about poor customer service.
Target Setting, Cause and Effect
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s the UK government relied heavily on target setting as a way to manage the public sector. We had: No...
Details Matter
POSH Bags There is a rumour about Steve Jobs. It is alleged that he sacked an employee at one of the first Apple stores. Why? Because…
Less is More
All children are artists They can pick up a pen or a crayon and create. Before you know it they have drawn something beautiful, a...
W.A.I.T.
In his book To Sell is Human Dan Pink puts forward a simple idea. Whatever your walk of life you sell things: My wife sells...
Estimates and Anchors
Sometimes you will be asked a question and you won’t know the answer… How many customers will call? How many products will you sell? How…
Do You Really Need Big Data?
You think you need big data You need to understanding all those interactions and connections You need databases and decisioning tools and analysts and consultants…
Six Musts if You Use Voice Response…
It is a bit of a touchy subject Should you use a: Voice Response Unit VRU, Interactive Voice Response IVR, one of those damn electronic...
Are You Above Average?
We love averages They let us know how we are doing, we run our businesses on averages, we judge ourselves against averages, average headlines even...
If Somebody Made a Mistake that Nearly Killed You
In 1989 an air show was held at Brown Field in San Diego. The test pilot Bob Hoover was taking thrill seekers for flights in...
4 Ways to Change Behaviour
There are 4 ways to change people's behaviour: The first is the stick: Beat people until they do what you want. The stick works, but…
The SMART Goal Myth
I have been on a leadership course. I've learnt that if I want to improve my team's performance I must set them all SMART goals....
The I-Bomb
Bang… There's been an explosion. Not a Car Bomb or a Molotov Cocktail, nothing that crude, it was much more sophisticated, it was an...
Do Dragons Nurture Ideas or Slaughter Them?
Imagine you are an entrepreneur You have a great idea that needs funding, what do you do? Find a venture capitalist or business angel and...
The Big Problem With Systems Thinking
There is lots of talk about systems thinking. The talk sounds a little like this: Organisations are a system of connected parts It is the...
Scientific Proof – Politicians are Stupid
Have you ever wondered why people hold onto their beliefs despite statistical proof that they are wrong? Is it that we don't understand what the...
God-Awful Art and Operational Measurement
I am not bestowed with an artistic talent. I can't draw. That is not a defeatist attitude, just (another) realisation that I am less than…
A Team Needs a Purpose
A team needs a purpose, a raison d'être, an objective. Without a purpose it isn't really a team, just a bunch of people. If you…
Team, Purpose, Method
There is a line of thought that there are three key factors at work in your organisation: These 3 things inter link Without a purpose…
Bonsai Management
I have started growing bonsai trees. It is immensely satisfying and the results are beautiful. It is not too difficult, this is...
How to be a Creative Genius
Have you ever sat in a brainstorming session where the facilitator pins up a blank sheet of paper and asks people to shout out...