Alanhargreaves

LATEST ARTICLES ( 172 )

• Staying Agile in Uncertain Times

  

  Keep moving, even if just a little We learn the theory of momentum early. Sit on a stationary bicycle and it falls over. Pedal a little and it stays upright.... Read more

  Posted on 30 August 2018 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• 'I' Vs 'We'

  

  Why one works better than the other It’s fashionable among motivational speakers and self-help books to push people to ‘own’ things. There’s nothing wrong with... Read more

  Posted on 24 April 2018 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• The Case for Agnostic Management

  

  Do you really know that you could be wrong? How confusing is the outlook for this year? With so many odd predictions it’s impossible to identify reliable... Read more

  Posted on 12 February 2018 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• The Power of the Near-Deadline Experience

  

  Why accountability works Accountability certainly gets results. People often complete tasks when they know they must, but even more so when they know someone... Read more

  Posted on 12 December 2017 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• The Simplest Growth Strategy

  

  Copy and paste My feet are abnormal. They’re flat, wide, and aging. I use orthotics to ease the pain. Shoe shopping is difficult but I’ve narrowed my choice of... Read more

  Posted on 26 September 2017 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• Spotting Opportunities

  

  Harnessing the value of difference Leave aside politics for a moment and look at what diversity actually means. It’s a range of experience, abilities, knowledge... Read more

  Posted on 22 August 2017 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• Beware the Big Wins

  

  Successful learning Recently published research suggests smiling excessively in victory can lead to defeat in the next round. There may be something to it. The... Read more

  Posted on 20 June 2017 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• The Strategic Enema

  

  Unload the future before you go there It’s rare to see a five-year plan that does not say everything will be amazing when we get there. Most are pretty... Read more

  Posted on 11 April 2017 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• Learning from Drug Dealers

  

  Addicts or Customers? I begin my weekdays with a short exercise routine followed by a 20-minute meditation. Then its breakfast, a shower and into my office and... Read more

  Posted on 13 March 2017 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• What Else is in the Shed?

  

  “China wouldn’t get out of bed to do this.” Astor Industries is a plastic-injection business. It began in 1957 and supplies parts to the Australian auto... Read more

  Posted on 13 February 2017 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• Time to Reboot

  

  Did we just have the year we had to have? Let’s leave your feelings about Donald Trump aside for a moment. What has actually happened? Firstly, most people —... Read more

  Posted on 16 January 2017 SOCIETY

• Time to Pull Over and Enjoy the View

  

  Keep calm and do nothing If your mind is empty, there’s a chance you’ve left enough room for lateral ideas to move in. It’s one reason people feel creatively... Read more

  Posted on 19 December 2016 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• Leading from Alongside

  

  Do nice guys always finish last? Some do. I know a few who have, and plenty who have come first. I also know not-nice people who’ve done well and many who’ve... Read more

  Posted on 11 October 2016 CAREER

• Dare to Be Ordinary

  

  Using what you’ve got I was once a soprano. I sang solos in musical productions and represented our school in eisteddfods. I looked forward to a career as a... Read more

  Posted on 13 September 2016 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• The Risk of Avoiding Risk

  

  Playing it a little bit unsafe Ever look back and wish you’d spoken up? I remember times when it may or may not have helped. It would, however, have been good... Read more

  Posted on 12 July 2016 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• The Power of Simply Connecting

  

  Why you need to get out more About thirty years ago, my hometown, Sydney, built a monorail. It was revolutionary at the time. It connected the city to museums,... Read more

  Posted on 14 June 2016 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• The Best Thing About Equilibrium? We're Never There.

  

  You're better off being here Equilibrium is embedded in the human psyche. Lurking behind science, culture and our daily lives is the idea that there can be a... Read more

  Posted on 18 May 2016 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• Go Ahead, Disrupt Yourself

  

  Converting anxiety to action Disruption is a big word. It impacts different people in different ways. Some see it as an opportunity; others a threat. Yet both... Read more

  Posted on 12 April 2016 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• Choosing Ideas That Get Traction

  

  Why a marriage of convenience works The test of any innovation is convenience. Does it make things easier? There are lots of inventions but few successes. Read more

  Posted on 08 March 2016 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

• So What If There's a Recession

  

  Coping with cyclical inevitability. Forecasts of recession are common this time of the year. Trawl through the financial press and you’ll see all sorts of gloom... Read more

  Posted on 15 February 2016 BUSINESS, CAREER, ECONOMICS, MARKETING & ADVERTISING