I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard this awful response to a communications idea. It’s perhaps the single biggest brake on creativity, innovation, and growth. Instead, what if you asked… “How about we try… To read the rest of this newsletter please click here. Join over 6,000 property professionals, including leading estate and […]

In many discussions it’s useful to start with some agreed definitions. So let’s go to the Oxford English Dictionary… Customer – n. A purchaser of goods and services. In early use: spec. a person who regularly purchases from a particular business. Relationship – n. The state or fact of being related; the way in which […]

According to startups.co.uk the following retail businesses have either disappeared, been liquidated or gone in/out of administration since Covid: Ted Baker The Body Shop Wilko Debenhams Arcadia Group Victoria’s Secret Oak Furnitureland Monsoon / Accessorize Oasis Beales Aldo Oliver Sweeney Le Pain Quotidien Laura Ashley Peacocks/Jaeger Quiz Made.com Cath Kidston Planet Organic Eve Sleep Joules […]

According to census and other data sources there were 203,000 people in the UK in 1871 whose stated profession was blacksmith. Today, in 2024, that number has declined to 1,095. It’s very easy with hindsight to appreciate why this happened, but it wasn’t at the time. You see, whilst the motor car can be identified […]

We all have our favourite places. My restaurant selection includes Findlerhof Zermatt, Club 55 St Tropez, and a new one, Boheme Chester. As for bookshops I’ll pick Daunt Marylebone, Elliot Bay Seattle, and Blackwell’s Oxford. And for art galleries, my choices would be Hubert Gallery New York, Peggy Guggenheim Venice, and Hockney 1853 gallery Salts […]

In the book ‘HEMP- The Highly Effective Marketing Plan’ the key point made is that if you want to change what someone does then you first need to change how they think and feel. Of course, to do that requires knowing what they currently think and feel, as well as what they currently do. Most […]

Twenty years or more ago, we developed a concept titled: ‘The Fantastic Big Idea’ (or FBI for short). In simple terms, we noted that the best companies and organisations had an idea at their core which drove every aspect of their business. For example: Disney – Fun BBC – Authority Google – All information in […]

In honour of Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner and author of the brilliant book: ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ who died last week, I share an exercise I learned from him that I’ve adapted and run with hundreds of business owners and senior directors over the last two decades – the relevance of which is still […]

I was on a plane to Lisbon last week to attend a leadership conference. I hoped for and did learn a lot from the event, but the first lesson was actually on the flight. To read the rest of this newsletter please click here. Join over 6,000 property professionals, including leading estate and letting agents […]

In your monthly board meetings (feel free to substitute your own label/timetable), what percentage of time is spent analysing the recent performance and results to date? For many companies the answer is between 80-95% – which is crazy. If your senior team spends the majority of time together looking backwards, then it’s unlikely you’ll be […]