Intuition: Co-worker or Curse?

Just how bankable is intuition? Often it's the way to go, often it's not. Alan looks at ways to assess whether or not you should back your hunches.

Dealing with speed

App upgrades are a metaphor for the speed of product innovation. There are a lot of them and they are a feature of any business where change is a constant. What can you do to keep 'Up'?

Stimulating new business ideas

We often think we are driving change when all we achieve is a small cosmetic shift. How can you stimulate change that can make a difference to the way you do business? Alan talks about the need for a shift in attitude and gives simple examples of things you can do to bring it about.

A Perspective on Luck

We often think it is an aberration when things go wrong. We tend to think the downside is unusual. Yet, In business and investment, getting it overly right can be just as extraordinary. Are successful people right, or just lucky?

Beer Mat Strategy

Ever heard of "death by one thousand initiatives"? Often fewer ideas lead to better strategies. Even Apple's revival can be sheeted back to a change in tactics of not doing everything. Alan explains simple ways to look at your own business from different perspectives.

The problems with planning

Business plans are a necessary ingredient in creating or maintaining a successful business, but they come with serious health warnings. Expect forecasts to be wrong; build in flexibility that helps you reverse bad decisions; and keep your focus on the planning process, not on the outcome.

Making the most of sponsorship

Sponsorship can be a effective business strategy which helps both the sponsor and the sponsored, but too often it is an ad hoc decision. What are the key elements in getting it right?

Taking action in uncertain times

Business faces a high level of uncertainty, particularly in current times. The challenge for management is to find ways of maintaining momentum without risking everything. Inertia, however, is the enemy. Sometimes you just have to make a decision.

Value statements vs building values

Value statements and corporate governance may be the cliches du jour, but do they have any relevance in the workplace. Real values are outcomes, not starting points. They come from how you behave rather from lofty statements in annual reports.

The key thing about key messages

Sticking to the simplicity of your key message will help you cut through complexity and manage rapid change.