The Kaizen technique is based on the philosophical belief that everything can be improved. Whether it’s applied to our personal lives in the form of changing jobs or improving quality on a manufacturing floor, Kaizen can be extremely versatile. The principles teach us to slowly...
If the last year or so has taught us anything, it’s that any change suddenly imposed upon us can be hugely destabilising. The recent economic uncertainty, social restrictions and seismic shift in the way we live have all prompted record levels of anxiety, and much...
Over the last 20 years I have worked on a whole range of projects – both big and small - with a range of brilliant people. I have been fortunate enough to work in some really well structured organisations with clear processes and roles, and...
Wow – what a year this has been! 12 months ago I genuinely didn’t imagine that I would still be working purely virtually; that all my face-to-face interactions would be on a screen; and that I would be working with a whole team who I...
Change, and particularly resistance to change, are part of our everyday lives, both personally and in business. How organisations adapt to change is key to their success. Where 'once-upon-a-time' companies were admired for their steadfast resilience in the face of internal and external influences, 'adaptability'...
When it comes to change management, change maturity is a key issue. Recent experience has shown me that it is not only important to consider the “now” in terms of readiness for change but also how mature an organisation is in terms of its approach....
“Your value will be not what you know; it will be what you share.” Ginni Rometty, CEO IBM I’ve always believed in the value of sharing experience and expertise. After more than 20 years of working in business transformation across multiple sectors, I’d seen for myself...
The next article in the series is by Neil Holloway who is a big believer in Habit No 6 Synergize and the process of creative cooperation: “Synergy is better than my way or your way. It’s our way.” I have always felt that this is a...
The next article in this series is from Liz Brown, who likes to “begin with the end in mind”. Life is so hectic that it is all too easy in business, and in life in general, to live and work day to day. We do truly live...
The next article is from Alan Sides who describes five features of Habit 4: ‘Think Win:Win’ in operational environments. Reflecting on my work over the past 20 years, there are a number of features of successful ‘Win:Win’ operational environments that I have noticed - I’ve listed 5 of them below. ...
The next article in the series is by Steve Morley who describes the two Covey habits that he believes have clear value in every business: Dear to my heart is Habit 3: Put first things first. Focussing on other people’s ‘most important priorities,’ can not only...
The second article is from Iain Wingham who shares why he is a believer of Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. I get most frustrated when I see leaders and managers within an organisation not listening to their peers and team members...
Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People The Kwatee team are all big believers and followers of Covey’s Seven Habits, with each of the habits influencing our day to day working decisions. So we thought we’d do a series of articles to describe which are...
The last few months have brought about change for everyone. Part of the change for me has been less time spent in the car driving to work and more time at home. As well as enjoying some good books (and a few extra TV shows)...
In early March of this year I remember reading the newspaper headlines describing businesses ‘evacuating’ offices as people became aware of new cases of COVID-19. Fast forward 5 months and, in many cases, the same offices are still empty, with staff continuing to work from...
In my experience, a good, well set-up project with a significant scope will normally include the role of Change Manager. But this role often lacks a clear definition. While it’s seen as a core role for the delivery of a successful project, it’s often difficult for the project team to articulate its true purpose. Additionally, when a project hits hard times it can often be one...
