by Sprott | May 24, 2020 | CEO, Life, Workplace
Like most, the experience of living through the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown has been quite a revelation to me on many fronts. It has been intriguing to watch how the world has responded on a political, business and personal level. In many ways, our varied responses to this crisis are as fascinating as the pandemic.
As James Lane Allen once wrote, “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” I have found this to be entirely true as I have observed the world in crisis. We have seen remarkable leadership, kindness, creativity, compassion and inspiration as COVID-19 unfolded across the globe. In contrast, we have also seen some of the worst elements of human nature too – poor leadership, finger pointing, lying, hoarding and thinly veiled racism. All of this has played out around us, whilst so many lives have been lost.
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by Sprott | Apr 30, 2018 | career, CEO, Workplace
Few consider the incredibly challenging aspects of management as they step into a promotion. One of these is the responsibility of “downsizing”. No matter how you slice and dice it, downsizing a team is a difficult task.
So, how do you approach this with professionalism and kindness, whilst achieving a well-considered result for the business? Importantly, how do you reach the right outcome without creating a lasting, negative impact on several lives in the process?
Sadly, I have been involved in more downsizing projects than I like to remember. From my perspective, there are definitely ways to minimise the angst – for both those directly impacted and their families, but also the “survivors” who are left in the organisation after the process has been completed.
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by Sprott | Sep 12, 2017 | career, Life, Workplace
Like many others, I have to confess to being one of those people who wants to be really good at everything I turn my attention to. I have driven myself (and probably many others) crazy with this perfectionist streak. Over time, I have learnt to manage it more effectively – and you can too.
As life becomes increasingly more complicated, being a perfectionist can have dangerous side effects. When it is just you in the world, it is easier to indulge your perfectionist streak. However, throw in responsibilities for a team, for a family, for a relationship and for some furry friends – well it becomes an increasingly complex juggling act.
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by Sprott | Jul 10, 2017 | career, Life, Workplace
Once upon a time, things were a bit more straight forward when it came to manners and the workplace. The manners that our parents instilled in us prevailed, and we learnt to take our cues at work from the senior and the successful. We learnt about a term called “professionalism”, and generally it was applied and understood by all in a corporate environment. Things were simpler then.
However, the waters have become muddied in the digital world and suddenly etiquette, manners and professionalism seem to be progressively optional. Well, for some. Not for all. And the separation between those who apply etiquette and those who don’t often strongly correlates with long term success and reputation. Without exception, in my experience the most impressive and successful executives, board members and thought leaders that I have met have been humble, gracious and polite. Coincidence? I think not.
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by Sprott | Jun 3, 2017 | career, CEO, Workplace
Remuneration in today’s corporate environment is a complex beast. Anyone who has delved into the world of compensation knows that it is a difficult, but critical piece of the employment puzzle. It is important to have a strategy that is well considered and transparent, particularly in today’s digital environment where information abounds.
The basic premise of remuneration is quite straight forward. You aim to pay market appropriate rates for the fixed component of the remuneration package, and then ensure that you retain your best employees with performance based incentives. Ideally, the better the performance, the more impressive the reward.
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by Sprott | Mar 16, 2017 | career, CEO, Life, Workplace
Most organisations will have a set of core values. These will usually be proudly displayed on the wall and may even make it as far as the annual review or company website. But how often do they truly mirror the organisational culture? Too often the values are not in sync with how an organisation really operates. Here I outline some of the tell-tale signs to look for when the values have no bearing on reality.
Culture is an interesting topic and one that is often an important focus for prospective employees, clients, partners and share-holders. The core values are seen as the beacon of what the organisation aspires to in terms of culture. While a vision articulates a company’s purpose, the values offer a set of guidelines on the behaviours and mindsets needed to achieve that vision[1].
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by Sprott | Feb 8, 2017 | career, CEO, Workplace
Change management is often bandied about in conversations in today’s corporate environment. What exactly is change management and why does it make a significant difference when it is utilised effectively?
Many moons ago, I had the great fortune of studying change management under the brilliant Emeritus Professor at UTS, Dexter Dunphy[1]. Professor Dunphy’s research is published in over 90 articles and 23 books – many of which are specifically focused on change.
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by Sprott | Jan 21, 2017 | career, CEO, Technology, Workplace
Technology is a key element of any modern business today and is often seen as critical to success – and failure. However, articulating the best way to harness technology to the most senior members of any organisation takes a lot more than technical expertise.
I have had the great privilege of working with many IT experts during my career. I have witnessed brilliance first hand in many back offices, where technical gurus have solved problems, created incredible solutions and toiled through the night to ensure that systems keep working. Often this hard work and tenacity goes un-noticed and un-appreciated. Many within the organisation are oblivious to the geniuses that walk amongst them.
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by Sprott | Jan 16, 2017 | Life, Workplace |
What exactly is “flow” and how does it impact your life at work and beyond? How and why does flow create a meaningful existence for both you and your team? How do you harness the creativity and innovation that comes from weaving flow into your daily existence?
The other day, my 11 year old daughter asked me over breakfast about the meaning of life. She noted, quite logically I might add, that it seemed that life was a progression of milestones. She explained that she would finish primary school, then high school, then university and then find a job. This was followed by getting married and maybe having kids. And she finished off with a simple “Is that it?”
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by Sprott | Jan 6, 2017 | Uncategorised
Great teams don’t just happen. You can exert a lot of time and effort assembling the best of the best, but you will not achieve greatness unless you have some basics in place.
Everyone has worked in different teams, at different times of their lives. Almost everyone talks about an experience that was unbelievably good and where the team achieved outstanding results. Sadly, almost everyone also has a war story or two about a less than stellar experience.
There has been so much written about high performing teams that it seems quite astounding that there are still so many negative experiences. Unfortunately, creating an exceptional team is not easy – no matter how many management books you have read or how many degrees you possess.
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