Management Today articles from December 2008

Management Today archives from December 2008

A year of living dangerously.
December 1, 2008... Well, this is one year few of us will be sad to see the back of. In August, apart from the rain, things didn't seem so bad. We had our foot on the brake, but it was all looking like a gentle slow-down, with a sensible correction of house...

Contributors.
December 1, 2008... SARAH HOGG Are you sitting comfortably? 3i's chairman talks us through her books of the year. There's stuff to help us survive the financial crisis, while 'light relief' is found in Warren Buffett's 976-page biography. Baroness Hogg also...

Chartered Management Institute: In my Opinion.
December 1, 2008... A downturn is just the time for creativity and innovation, argues Jonathan Kestenbaum, CEO of the National Endowment of Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta), and a Chartered Management Institute Companion. A major economic downturn...

The MT Diary.(Management Today, economy)
December 1, 2008... My globe-trotting search for a thriving economy that might bring the West salvation. Well, it happened. The economy fell off a cliff in September, and those who tried to stop it found themselves reaching out to catch a falling knife. The...

Ten ways to... put the year to bed.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... 1. Toast your successes.. 2.... and note the lessons 3. Celebrate the Dunkirk spirit 4. Get the team's ideas for improvements 5. Set targets for next year 6. Think: at least we're not Lehmans 7. Hold a memorable Christmas bash 8....

Don't you believe it ... always hire the best.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... When it comes to engaging new staff, the prevailing wisdom is clear: you should only ever hire top-quality people. But you don't have to think very hard about this premise - beloved of consultants, academics and journalists - to realise that it...

Dave's Eco-nomics: Flushing with pride.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... GREEN ALERT In the average working day, your firm's washrooms may receive hundreds of people, but not all of them are hiding in a cubicle to play virtual golf on their mobile. No, it's a contentious world in there, with big repercussions...

Earning curve: Cyber crime.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... US losses to phishing attacks (2007): pounds 2.1bn Online fraud, cost to UK (first half 2008): pounds 96.9m John Thompson, CEO, Symantec security software ('08): pounds 3.7m Albert Gonzalez, alleged income, TJ Maxx fraud ('07): pounds 1.1m...

Workplace rights: bonus culture endures.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... The prime minister has declared that 'the days of big bonuses are over', understandably peeved at having to shore up our crumbling financial sector to the tune of pounds 500bn of taxpayers' money Meanwhile, the Financial Services Authority has...

Your Route to the top: Charm your way up.
December 1, 2008... Inspire people. Think Martin Luther King. Appeal to people's emotions by showing them how it could be if only they dared to dream Your optimism will pull people in. Share your passion. If you can't find enthusiasm, find an angle. Link the...

History lessons: Know your subject - Edwina Currie.(on Edwina Currie's allegations that Britain's eggs were infected with salmonella)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Twenty years ago, on 3 December 1988, Edwina Currie, a junior health minister, told TV reporters that most of Britain's eggs were infected with salmonella. Sales fell 60% overnight. Farmers had to slaughter four million hens and destroy 400...

Why business is like... traffic calming.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Accidents on London's Kensington High Street were almost halved last year with one counterintuitive act: removing the road safety features. It turns out that the barriers designed to protect pedestrians were only making life more dangerous. ...

Do it right: Deal-Clinch in a Downturn.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Focus on what you can control. You have no power over how many zeros will be wiped out in tomorrow's market headlines. Make sure your own house is in order: get on those phones, network and make appointments. Stay positive. The papers may...

Slogan Doctor: Halfords - 'we go the extra mile'.(Halfords PLC's slogan)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Have you been to Halfords lately? In the run-up to Christmas the place has become a Santa's Grotto of desirable stuff, from sat-navs and car stereos to bikes and games tables, mostly aimed at the male of the species. But the company's slogan,...

How does he manage? Ice sculptor - Jamie Hamilton, Co-director, Hamilton Ice Sculptors.(Interview)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... - When did you become a manager? My dad set up the company 35 years ago, and I joined after my English degree. That's how I got into it: nepotism. But I grew up with the business. I'm 36, so it's about as old as me. - What does...

Are you suffering from: Washing machine syndrome.(worrying)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Do you spend hours worrying, only to fall asleep, wake up and start worrying again? Do you then start adding new things to the list of worries: chores that you haven't done yet, or global concerns? Washing Machine Syndrome describes the process...

Words-worth: Leverage.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... 'Leverage' is at the heart of the financial crisis. To be 'leveraged' is to borrow money in the hope that the profit you make with it will outstrip the interest you are paying on it. To be 'highly leveraged' is to borrow massively more than...

Remember This.(Henry Thoreau and Frank Lloyd Wright)(Quotation)
December 1, 2008... 'The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it' - Henry Thoreau said it 'Many wealthy people are little more than janitors of their possessions' - Frank Lloyd Wright said it. -------------------- Did you find...

Stat of the month: A christmas turkey?(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Pounds 31.1bn - The UK's predicted spend on festivities This Christmas, we're expected to spend an average pounds 655 each on gifts, food and socialising. Yet analysts are warning retailers that they are heading into the 'the perfect...

How he made his pile: Alki David - Actor, director, business dabbler.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Who is he? The 39-year-old dilettante ranks 47th on the Sunday Times Rich List, heir to a fortune of pounds 1.5bn. How did he make his millions? He had a good start: his Greek father ran the Leventis-David Group, which owns Coca-Cola...

George W Bush: If I had to start again..(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... I followed my dad to Yale, and majored in history. I served my country in the National Guard, and took an MBA at Harvard. But I soon got my shot at baseball. In 1989 I arranged for a syndicate to buy the Texas Rangers from one of my dad's...

Crash Course in ... rewarding people in a downturn.
December 1, 2008... As 2008 draws to a close, your people's excitement about their end-of-year bonuses is tempered by low expectations and apprehension that this might be the last bonus they see in a while. With 2009 looking bleak, how are you going to work out...

MT Masterclass: Selling.(Management Today)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... What is it? Look, I know things are bad right now, but do you really have to ask that? OK - let's get back to basics. Capitalism is about buying and selling: offering something of value that a purchaser is prepared to hand over cash for, where...

Decisions: Terri Kelly - WL Gore & Associates - CEO and president of the US gore-tex maker.(chief executive officers)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... MY BEST... Another best decision was marrying my husband. If I think about my work and that we have four children, it's quite a juggling act, and having someone who supports me is really great. I always feel that there's a healthy balance...

Behind the spin: Nokia.
December 1, 2008... THE DILEMMA Di-di-dee-dee, di-di-dee-dee, di-di-dee-dee-deee. 'Hello? Hello!' shouts Dom Joly into his oversized Nokia. Which other mobile phone-maker can claim to be the inspiration for a comedy sketch? It comes as a surprise to learn...

The end for alpha males.(alpha chief executive)
December 1, 2008... In the buccaneering times, they were kings of the dealmaking jungle. But in a recession we deserve more thoughtful leadership. Times are tough in the corporate world and are likely to get tougher - the recession will prove painful and...

Books of the year.(Roger Parry and Sarah Hogg's favorite reads)
December 1, 2008... MT asked two book-loving business figures to share their favourite reads of 2008... ROGER PARRY - INSPIRATION COMES FROM STRANGE PLACES The great attraction of a book is the control it gives to the reader It's available any time and...

Britain's Most Admired Companies: Tough Times turn Tables.
December 1, 2008... It's a case of patience rewarded for Diageo. It reaps the benefits of more than a decade spent driving its brands upmarket, while past champions plummet in an economy that has hit the skids as we enter a new age of austerity. It has been a...

The MT Interview: Sir Gulam Noon.(Management Today)(Interview)
December 1, 2008... The Indian-born entrepreneur made his reputation as the Curry King, supplying own-label ready meals to supermarkets - and nearly lost it when he got enmeshed in Labour's cash-for-honours row. At 72, he's still working, championing Noon Products...

Let women tame the macho excess.
December 1, 2008... The City has always been a male preserve, fired up by a testosterone-enhanced culture. A healthier gender balance might have avoided the crash. Emma De Vita reports. It's typical: the men make the mess and the women come in to clean it up,...

Motor Mouth.(VW Scirocco)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2008... The VW Scirocco is back. Sathnam Sanghera makes a song and dance about the GT's chrome twin tailpipe and sporty engine. I've been writing this column for more than a year now and have asked for very little, beyond the monthly delivery of a...

Table talk: Where Will Chase eats..(Le Manoir)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Le Manoir is oozing with very sharp, relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere. It's not just the food, it's the experience: it's how it is run and how they react to you - a very interesting place. I first went there with someone who wanted me to...

What's your problem?(employer attitudes)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Q: I'm a PA, and my boss, who runs his own property development business, is being very rude to me. I knew the job would include a bit of everything when I took it on, but he has been asking me to do things that aren't anything to do with...

What's your problem?(business negotiations)
December 1, 2008... Q: I'm in the unpleasant position of needing to negotiate down the costs of my suppliers. I have a small company and longstanding, friendly relationships with them all, often meeting them in the local pub. I am dreading doing this but necessity...

What's your problem?(recession and career changes)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Q: I've been made redundant from a headhunter's, where I have spent most of my career. I'm fortunate that I am in my early thirties and can rely on my husband's income for the short term. I'm considering using this break as an opportunity to...

First-class coach.
December 1, 2008... Q: I'm having real problems with my boss. He was appointed six months ago and comes from outside our sector. He has no technical knowledge of what my team and I are doing, but that doesn't stop him ordering us about. I hate being told what to...

The Sharp End: Festive fun in store?
December 1, 2008... Dave Waller sees the seasonal game-plan rolled out at John Lewis' flagship branch. For me, there's nowhere more harrowing to work than Oxford Street during the Christmas rush. But as a raw recruit about to enter the fray, my spirits are...