William from Ockham (or Occam), was a philosopher of the fourteenth century. Today he is most often associated with ‘Ockham’s Razor’, the idea that explanations should be as simple as possible. But he said the same about how we spend our precious time and resources... As Ockham put it: "It is futile to do with … Continue reading Ockham’s Razor
Down on the farm
All organisations moan about their planning rounds. Some say they want a clear process, some say they want a simple target; everyone wants more resources - and there's the rub. As I often say, the truth is: human beings go to war for resources. So not surprising then that anyone battling the annual planning round, … Continue reading Down on the farm
Post-Heroic Leadership
By John Worne One thing the Specialist-Generalist - and especially the COO has to accept, is for us: the classic model of 'Heroic' leadership probably isn't going to work. In truth it probably doesn't work well for anyone any more; but assuming you're working with a CEO or another obvious 'lead' figure, then (as in … Continue reading Post-Heroic Leadership
‘Diary, Biggest Problem/Most Difficult Thing’
By John Worne COOs and Specialist-Generalists usually collect big issues; and to get things done have to give willingly of their time. Broad accountabilities usually mean lots of meeting - and then there's the inbox. But sometimes lots of activity can be saved by getting to the heart of the matter - with the people … Continue reading ‘Diary, Biggest Problem/Most Difficult Thing’
Why we don’t always need ‘Big Trousers’
By John Worne There are lots of different forms of leadership; what works is often situational and dependent on context. The stereotype - even the default expectation - is dominant, alpha, decisive and driving: 'big trousers' leadership. But today's world is often too complex for too much of that. The leadership that a Specialist-Generalist brings … Continue reading Why we don’t always need ‘Big Trousers’
The Specialist-Generalist 