RWC Blog

I continue to be surprised by the attempts of some organisations to “keep things the same” in an ever-changing world. What a waste of energy. Every single day of our lives we: a) Are subjected to change; and often b) Help influence change (either knowingly or unknowingly). This will always be the case throughout the evolution of mankind…it is an unavoidable fact. Those who embrace change, win and enjoy favourable rewards; those who don’t typically fall behind and sometimes go…

It intrigues me to still hear business owners talk in terms of “we’re looking to increase our total revenue this coming year by 15 %”, or “we’re looking to improve our Gross Profit % by 4 % this Financial Year”, and similar money-focused strategic (high-level) statements.  I can tell you with absolute certainty that businesses which have first and foremost a “financial focus” – rather than a “customer focus”; are never as successful as customer-focused businesses. Why is this ?…

Last night I attended a parent meeting which focused on preparation for a school camp that is scheduled for June 2018. I will be attending this camp as a parent-helper. We are fortunate to live in a community within Hawke’s Bay which boasts a core of what I think of as “old school Kiwi country people“. Definition of this demographic ? Easy, these people: a) Are practical. b) Are realistic. c) Have grown-up acquiring values (and now impart to their…

Policy can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand policy is useful to standardise organisation behaviours in support of the desired positioning of the given organisation in the market; yet on the other hand policy can also get in the way of the “right” (i.e. most sensible/ practical) decision/ course of action prevailing. The most effective policies that I’ve either been involved in formulating or applying/ reinforcing have been those which include provisions that recognise unique situations or “extenuating…

I’m constantly amazed by human behaviour. It is a constant source of interest and – at times – frustration. As I approach half a century in age I feel that I’ve discovered a key reason why the majority of mankind is unlikely to evolve much further as a civilisation/ community. This reason is closely linked to the relationship between “interest” and “engagement”. Let me explain… If an employee who is assigned to a particular role/ task has no genuine/ real…

I was reflecting today on the increase in General Manager roles that are being advertised in various mediums (Seek website, etc); where the successful incumbent will be reporting to a CEO/ CE.  The question that enters my mind is “why” do directors see it fit/ justified to have two senior management roles sit side-by-side managing the operational delivery of the given company ?  The concern that I have is that I feel that in many cases such dual appointments are…

I was delighted during the weekend just gone when an employee – a fellow from Germany who is travelling and working in N.Z. currently with three friends – who reports to me, came-up to me at the end of the working day and said in response to me sharing my thoughts that I felt the day had been a highly productive one…”always remember Peter, happy employees will work hard enjoying what they do”. I smiled, for what he had just…

Currently I am managing the production work activities of a largish team of people in the horticulture industry. It has been an eye-opening experience to say the least. What is increasingly concerning me is the waning work ethic many people are displaying. In other industries, in the past, I used to be concerned about franchisees resisting the adoption of new tools/ resources/ practices that were designed to give them comparative advantages in their highly competitive market space. Now I’m concerned…

Over the years I have worked in a diverse range of industries – from the primary sector to retail and beyond.  What I have come to learn as being an absolute truism is that irrespective of business type/ industry sector, there are many organisations failing to evolve simply due to the degree of conflict and in-fighting that plagues their operation. It is clear to me that the more effective leaders can be in minimising conflict and in-fighting within their organisation,…

I came across the below article in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 1st March 2018 (written by Ron Rowe – Life Fellow of the NZ Institute of Management). It is one of the most impressive pieces of writing which focuses on the importance of the cultural development of organisations that I have come across to date. The most important statement made in this article in my view is where Ron says “The cornerstones of culture are effective communications and…