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Lessons come from many sources. Lessons come from many sources: school, training, personal advice, observation, experience. Most people learn from their mistakes and some say they are the most valuable lessons of all. They say 'the man (or woman) who never made a...

This government has declared Freedom Day! This government has lifted almost all covid restrictions, but they have advised people to act sensibly regarding masks and social distancing. Meanwhile, they are keeping rules about self isolation and restrictions on foreign...

Leave the EU like this? To leave the EU has risks as I have discussed several times over the last few years. A deal could mitigate those risks. Or not! I haven't studied the final deal but I know it's better than no deal - probably only just. It's not what we might...

Equalities issues often make news Equalities issues should matter not only to politicians. I have written before that institutional racism and similar problems could affect your business. Now the equalities minister has said that we need to move the emphasis away from...

Do you use spreadsheets? Spreadsheets are one of the main tools of most people in business, and a lot who are not. I have used them for many years whenever I have had a lot of data to manage.  Therefore, I was surprised to receive a report from Ventana Research saying...

Someone is negotiating badly Negotiating is a key skill for politicians. However, talks between the government and the Mayor of Greater Manchester have not gone well, and have taken too much time, when the situation needed decisions and action. As we don't know what...

What's a 'Shop Your Neighbour' policy? 'Shop your neighbour' means encouraging everyone to report breaches of rules to the authorities. It was in the news recently when Pretty Patel suggested it as a means of enforcing the latest rules for managing the Coronavirus...

Plan to manage risks Plans are an important element in all management, including risk management. You need to know what you intend to do before you can identify the risks you may incur. It helps if you keep your objectives in mind and don't become a slave to the...

Refugees have been in the news. Refugees have been crossing the Channel in small boats hoping to settle in the UK but most have, apparently, no legal right to do so. Many Britons oppose immigration generally, or at least uncontrolled immigration, and are angry....

Rebels are seldom popular. Rebels usually offend not only senior management, but also their colleagues. Therefore, conformity seems to be the way to success. People often say they do not like yes-men, but experience suggests otherwise. Managers like subordinates to be...

Get back to the workplace? Your workplace needs you, according to some. They mean working from home is not good enough. Every employer needs to think about the risks and opportunities, as should every employee. I have written previously about the risks of returning to...

Institutional what? Institutional racism does not exist according to some, because they think it is always down to the individual. Presumably they use same argument about sexism, and other forms of discrimination? The reason it matters is that the underlying issue may...