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US Corporate Profits To GDP At All-Time High

In the final quarter of 2012 US corporate profits were 11.8 per cent of US GDP. To find the last time the ratio was so high you would have to rewind the clock all the way to the beginning of time. read more

Will A Rise In The Minimum Wage Put An End To Zombie Companies?

Zombies are everywhere. They dominate the TV and offerings at the cinema. They are rife across the economy too. Some say interest rates need to go up; that there are too many companies that are being artificially propped up by low interest rates. read more

Is it Time To Increase The Minimum Wage?

Talk is that the government is considering decreasing, or, at the very least, holding the minimum wage where it is. Superficial analysis may suggest such a strategy is right, but look a little deeper and it may be very dangerous. read more

Thatcherism Is Not The Answer Today

Different times call for different remedies. Depending on your own interpretation of Mrs Thatcher, she either saved or destroyed Britain. She may have put the ‘great’ back in Britain, or put the ‘greed’ back in Britain. But whatever your conclusion, it does not mean the UK needs Thatcherism today and here is why. read more

Are Your Meetings Working?

Meetings are commonplace in most organisations but do they actually work? We've all sat in at least one meeting, wondering what on earth we were doing there, and thinking about how much more we could have accomplished if we had been at our desks, haven’t we? read more

Influencing without Authority

I often get asked for tips on how to influence people over whom the enquirer has no direct line management authority. Typically, their enquiries relate to influencing three distinct types of people, Colleagues within other departments, Clients and Civilians. read more

Communicating In English With Non-Native Speakers

I recently ran an influencing skills workshop in Belgium, and my audience contained a variety of nationalities. Only three out of 15 were native English speakers. Increasing globalisation means that even small businesses now face the challenge of speaking or writing to non-native English speakers, be they customers or suppliers. read more

Don't Underestimate The Importance Of Eye Contact

You probably already "know" that eye contact is a vital part of face to face communication. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself why? And have you ever asked for feedback on the quality and quantity of your own eye contact? In this article, I am going to answer three questions relating to this important subject. read more

Surf’s Up – The Surfer’s Guide To Management

Surfers come in all shapes and sizes but the really good ones are “obsessive”. Go to Cornwall and you'll see the beginners, the vulnerable and the plodders floundering on the waters' edge. The 'real surfers' are far from the beach taking the big waves. read more

Trying Harder Is Over-rated

I have known Davina for ten years. She has a lovely, solid IT business employing 45 people. Turnover is around £4.5m and grows at about 10% each year. But… she is a workaholic and beats herself up about not being the ‘entrepreneur of the year’. read more