Latest Posts


  • How Complexity Kills Trust

    Customers trust those who give them control — who put them in control — of their lives. They distrust those who try to control them. – Gerry McGovern Why do you trust the companies, organisations, and institutions you deal with? Chances are it isn’t… Continue reading

    How Complexity Kills Trust
  • Why Do We Have Such A Problem With Poor People?

    It’s an uncomfortable truth that many of us working in the social sector share exactly the same prejudices about poor people as everybody else. Recognising this is the first step to tackling any stigma  I was recently asked to write… Continue reading

    Why Do We Have Such A Problem With Poor People?
  • Communities Need A Different Model – And That Might Not Include Us

    Last week I was in Sulawesi, Indonesia, a place none of my family had ever heard of – until a devastating quake and tsunami hit Palu, at which point my phone sprang to life with loads of messages checking that… Continue reading

    Communities Need A Different Model – And That Might Not Include Us
  • How To Avoid Innovation Theatre

    Consistent investment, dedicated teams, proper evidencing of decisions, alignment with strategy. A simple but critical recipe for innovation in future-ready organisations – Tom Cheesewright One of the questions I get asked most frequently is“How do you define innovation?” This week… Continue reading

    How To Avoid Innovation Theatre
  • Does Benchmarking Really Save Companies From Failure?

    Even in the very best organisations, bad practice is waiting just around the corner. In 2014 General Motors began the recall of the Chevrolet Cobalt which would ultimately affect nearly 30 million cars worldwide. The problem was with the ignition switch… Continue reading

    Does Benchmarking Really Save Companies From Failure?
  • What Digital Transformation Is Not About

    #WAODigital18 I’m hearing a lot about testing multiple small things and spreading what works – rather than investing in single Big Bang solutions. The world is moving too fast… — Chris Bolton (@whatsthepont) June 14, 2018 “How ambitious can organisations… Continue reading

    What Digital Transformation Is Not About
  • The Rise Of Business Bullshit – And How We Can Fight It

    “One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this, but we have no clear understanding of what bullshit is, why there is so much of it, or what functions it… Continue reading

    The Rise Of Business Bullshit – And How We Can Fight It
  • The Danger Of Listening To People Who Talk A Lot

    Research indicates that even when everyone within a group recognizes who the subject matter expert is, they defer to that member just 62% of the time; when they don’t, they listen to the most extroverted person – Khalil Smith Innovation must… Continue reading

    The Danger Of Listening To People Who Talk A Lot
  • The Problem With Professionals

    Social progress is about the expansion of freedom, not the growth of services – Cormac Russell Our digital networks, Twitter, in particular, are unparalleled listening tools. I follow thousands of accounts, many organised into lists so I can get a sense… Continue reading

    The Problem With Professionals
  • Why Small Teams Win

    In the early days of Amazon, Jeff Bezos came up with a rule: every team should be small enough that it could be fed with two pizzas. The ‘Two Pizza Rule’ signalled that Bezos didn’t want more talking, more line reports… Continue reading

    Why Small Teams Win