Nobody Knows

We get a barrage of forecasts and predictions from commentators and advisers. But if we actually bother to check, most of them are wrong. How should we cope the distraction of these people who seem to know everything?

Three things to not think about

Sometimes some of our best thinking comes about when we are not thinking at all. Alan suggests a few effortless ways to help new ideas arrive over the holidays.

Simple ways to review your business

A business review doesn't have to be a complicated process. Often the simplest review can yield the best ideas. Here's some easy guidelines for taking a second look at what you are doing.

Three rules to stress test your great idea

Got a great idea? It's likely someone else is already doing something similar. Don't be put off. Use their experience to improve your chances of success.

Should you start a business?

Starting a business is exciting, but it can also turn out to be harder work than you expected. Before you write up your business plan, make sure it is something you really want to do.

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?

What I learned at the Olympics

In business, just as in sport, peak performance depends on your ability to focus only on the things you can control. The key to optimizing results is work on the things you can actually do something about.

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.

Managing Appraisals

Performance appraisals can have mixed results. Too often they focus on what’s going wrong rather than what’s going right. For real results, start a proper dialogue around people’s strengths. Look at what they do well. How can they apply those skills to lift their performance in other areas?