“No stop signs, speed limit, nobody’s gonna slow me down . . . “

Sometimes you just feel like the little kid in the back of the car on a trip with the adults. “Are we there yet?”

Strategies have evolved, objectives have matured, aspirational outcomes are becoming clearer and even the organizational vocabulary has morphed.… Read More

“And when she’s weary, try a little tenderness . . . “

Business partnering skills across all functions are becoming highly prized assets. Human engagement, communication, mutual understanding, collaboration – core qualities of human empathy.

We like to think we have these skills and are open minded, objective professionals.… Read More

“I got the key to the highway, walking’s most too slow”

Agility

With changing business dynamics and increasing layers of complexity, expectations on leadership have increased. 

A current survey suggests that building capabilities focused on agility is the best bet to meet and exceed them.… Read More

“There has got to be a way . . . “

“Elimination is the best form of Automation”.

This resonates because it is true. 

We talk a lot about “simplification” of processes and technology landscapes. What is “simplification” but the elimination of unnecessary clutter, tasks and “noise” that do not directly contribute to the primary outcome of a process?… Read More

“No more heroes anymore . . . “

This week I read a Forbes article on the intriguing topic of “shared leadership”. There is a link to the article at the end of this note.

The process of turning an idea into reality requires more than vision.… Read More

“Been dazed and confused for so long, it’s not true”

In a week where we had 560 financial control, ITGC, audit and information security experts gather for our webcast on the “perfect storm for ICFR”, this is a timely adjunct to that discussion.… Read More

“Castles made of sand, fall in the sea, eventually . . . “

When was the last time you fell into the “Trough of Disillusionment”?

It’s a long drop from the “peak of inflated expectations”.

The technology analyst Gartner Group coined these terms in their now infamous “Hype Cycle” representation of technology adoption.… Read More

“I got a sixty-nine Chevy with a 396 . . . “

“Why do cars have brakes?”

“To help them go faster!”

At first sight, I agree, it’s counter-intuitive. But I have it on good authority that Formula One races are won or lost at the corners, where the brakes together with the skill of the driver combine to help the leader get ahead.… Read More

 “Still don’t know what I was waiting for . . . “

We are creatures of habit.

Basing all our plans, decisions and actions on “received wisdom” is an example of that.

Daniel Kahneman hit the nail on the head in his inspiring work on human rationality and irrationality, “Thinking, Fast and Slow”.… Read More

“Watch out, you might get what you’re after” . . .

Last week saw a great virtual audience and speakers at Global Shared Services Leaders’ Summit 2021 courtesy of Susie, Sally, Sarah, Josh and the team at SharedServicesLink. You can get access to all the presentations at the link below..… Read More