17 Jul 2015
If you're a manager, ask yourself this. Does your existence at work overcome apathy or add to it? Because what's the point of your job if it isn't to provide evidence that effort is worthwhile and that things can be better?
20 Apr 2015
After every boom comes a bust. And when a bubble bursts, optimism is replaced by pessimism and fear. Fear makes bad decisions. It stops people working. It encourages short-termism, protectionism and hostility towards others. If we want growth, we need optimism. We need to fight the fear.
07 Apr 2015
However great an idea, it will never be perfect. There will always be room for improvement, either in the detail of the idea or its implementation. And that's good news for anyone who wants to contribute and for any business that wants to grow.
20 Nov 2014
If the impact of change can't be simply defined, be on your guard. If it hasn't been created with the knowledge of those who are expected to implement it then fear for the worst. And if it reverses the best things about the organisation, then it's really time to start worrying.
25 Apr 2014
To make improvements you have to make changes. But to make successful changes you need to understanding the nature of change, why it happens, how it starts, how it continues and how it affects people, as well as organizations.
08 Jun 2012
Strategy involves change. People have to change something to bring strategy to life. But people can only help if they know what is expected. And they will only help if they feel engaged with the direction of the strategy.
12 Mar 2012
The end seems nigh for ailing UK-based computer game retailer, Game. And as Max McKeown observes, the company's demise goes to prove that all success is successful adaptation, while all failure is failure to adapt.
10 Jan 2012
Anyone living through 2011 has learned that the waves of change are bigger than any individual, company, or nation. They are also more complex. The trick is to learn to read the signs and then ride the surf all the way to shore.
01 Sep 2011
The name given to an innovation matters. A great innovation may survive without a great name but the name helps - particularly if it is also a product, a service, something you will be trying to sell, something that needs a brand.
14 Feb 2011
Revolutionaries everywhere understand that sometimes incremental changes are not enough and you have to gamble everything to change the world. Hundreds of thousands of protesters in Egypt were prepared to do that – so perhaps you should, too.
28 Jan 2011
Inspired by lively debate about parenting styles in the east and west, Max McKeown explores whether there is any evidence that managers in the West can learn anything from the 'Tiger Managers' who are leading China to greatness.
26 Nov 2010
Successful strategy is often about reacting to events. Planning only takes you so far because you can only guess what will happen in the future. The smart strategist allows strategy to be shaped by events. Good reactions can make great strategy. So being reactive is as important as being proactive.
24 Feb 2010
A sense of urgency is vital to an organization and sometimes it's impossible to get things done without jumping past politeness. That's why not all expressions of anger or impatience are examples of bullying - even if you're the British Prime Minister.
15 Feb 2010
Calling something 'strategic' does not make it smarter. Which leads to two important questions: Why don't strategies work in the real world? And how can we make strategies work for real people doing real things in the ihe real world?
17 Dec 2009
I'm often appalled at the physical spaces and meeting formats in which people are meant to open their minds, solve problems and inspire progress. Desks are for filling in forms and filing papers – not for creating, thinking, making, learning, or collaborating.
23 Oct 2009
It's easy to think that something is so simple that you couldn't improve it or so low-tech your intellect would be wasted even thinking about it. But you'd be wrong. Because anything that is invented can - and often should - be reinvented.
