Management Today articles from February 2009

Management Today archives from February 2009

The Shadowy Prince of PR.
February 1, 2009... Some will be mystified, even infuriated, that we have Matthew Freud on the cover this month. I make no excuses. He's one of the most compelling individuals in UK business at the moment, with his finger in more pies than the chief quality...

Chartered Management Institute: In my Opinion.
February 1, 2009... Internal investment is vital even in tough economic times, says Barbara Wilding, chief constable of South Wales Police and a Chartered Management Institute Companion. In any one day a chief constable moves between being a 'top cop'...

The MT Diary: 'Cher Tony' wows Paris; Sarkozy contemplates grands projets; tensions in euroland.(Nicolas Sarkozy)
February 1, 2009... The French are not like us (you read it here first). While we and the Americans endlessly debate the relative merits of buying troubled assets or preference shares to bail out the banks, France is engaged in a full-on argument about the future...

Ten Ways To ... Handle rumours.(Brief article)(List)
February 1, 2009... 1. Face it, tongues will always wag 2. Be open about what's going on 3. Be firm when bearing bad news 4. Address individuals' concerns 5. Build a trusting atmosphere 6. Promote intranet discussion 7. Trust your own...

Don't You Believe It ... Small businesses don't need strategy.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... This view was expressed to me, in all seriousness, at a meeting of an organisation of consultants. I can't think of anything more dangerous - particularly in present conditions. Strategy doesn't have to be as complicated as consultants and...

Dave's Eco-nomics: Ethical investment.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Green alert So the office is aglow with low-energy light bulbs, and your lycra-clad behind polishes a bike saddle every morning. You're doing your bit to save the planet, and probably saving money too. But where is that cash going? If it's...

Earning Curve: Video games.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Nintendo, UK sales of Wii games ('08): pounds 481m John S Riccitiello, CEO Electronic Arts, total earnings ('08): pounds 3.6m Michael Hollick, lead actor, fee for Grand Theft Auto IV: pounds 72k Video game designer, p.a.: up to...

Workplace Rights: Better dismissal law.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Do current dismissal laws work? Employees with at least a year's service have the right to claim unfair dismissal. Following a modest increase in tribunal compensation limits on 1 February, the maximum award is now around pounds 75,000...

History Lessons: Spot the opportunity - Malcolm McLaren.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... By the mid-70s, rock music had developed an unhealthy taste for excess. Bands like Emerson Lake & Palmer went down abstract cul-de-sacs, and Rick Wakeman of Yes took to appearing on stage in a gold cape, playing a rack of keyboards with a...

Your Route to the Top: Admitting a mistake.
February 1, 2009... Act responsibly. 'The buck stops with me,' said Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways, after Heathrow's Terminal 5 fiasco. With so many people willing to pass the buck, admitting a mistake makes a big impact. Be specific. What...

Why Business is Like ... The X Factor.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... In front of 14 million rapt viewers, Alexandra Burke was crowned winner of the ITV's latest X Factor talent contest, netting a pounds 1m recording contract and going on to claim the Christmas number one slot. Her rendition of Hallelujah...

Do It Right: Advertising in a recession.
February 1, 2009... Don't stop. As rivals retrench, you'll gain a greater 'share of voice' by promoting yourself more. In the recession of the early '90s, with new car sales in freefall, Renault boosted its profits with the Papa/Nicole Clio ads. Change your...

Slogan Doctor: Wickes - 'It's Got Our Name On It'.(Wickes Building Supplies)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... In tough times, it's said, people spend money on their existing homes rather than buying new ones. If that's true, plenty of people will be calling on Wickes. Unlike a lot of DIY outlets, Wickes has concentrated on heavyweight materials...

How Does He Manage? Wedding Planner - Mark Niemierko, niemierko.(Interview)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... When did you become a manager? I was a runner for a film company, and became office manager at 18 After four years I moved into film PR, and found I really enjoyed organising events. I'd been to so many weddings where they'd got it badly...

Are You Suffering from: Behalfism.(social behavior)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... This newly recognised affliction describes the person who sets him or herself up as the voice of a cause, person or company, usually without having been asked. When the US election campaign began, for example, the behalfists suddenly...

Words-Worth: Portfolio.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... What's in your portfolio? Your company may have a portfolio of products or services; you may have a portfolio of investments, or skills; you may be pursuing a portfolio career. All these have the same humble origin: a portfolio was (and...

Stat of the Month: Charities struggle.(influence of the recession in finances of charities)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Pounds 2.3bn - UK charities' estimated funding shortfall, 2009. Recessions don't have a conscience, as 190,000 registered charities in the UK are discovering. With their investments declining in value and the cost of fundraising going...

How he Made his Pile: Sheldon Adelson, casino entrepreneur.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Who is he? A year ago, the third-richest man in the US. Then the value of his investments dropped dollars 34bn to dollars 1.3bn. You win some... How did he make his billions? Adelson made his first fortune with Comdex, a computer trade...

Dame Anne Owers: If I had to start again ..
February 1, 2009... I would love to have been a musician, but I just do not have the skills. I do play the piano, but that's strictly for my ears only. I hugely admire anyone who can play well. I didn't sit at school saying: 'When I grow up I want to be chief...

Crash Course in ... dealing with falling sales.(marketing management)
February 1, 2009... Your latest revenue forecast looks like a car going over a cliff - and it's not clear how far it has to fall before hitting the bottom Either you find a way to get sales going again or there will have to be serious cost-cutting. Be...

MT Masterclass: Forecasting.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... What is it? I knew you were going to ask that. It's only natural - we all want to get ahead of the curve, without going round the bend. For those too impatient to wait for what life has in store for us, there are forecasters, those clever...

Decisions: Fred DeLuca - Subway, Founder of the sandwich chain.
February 1, 2009... MY BEST... Franchising came out of necessity. I'd seen McDonald's and KFC operating franchises and in our ninth year I got a buddy to buy one of my stores We learnt franchising day-by-day, week-by-week. When we got up to 150 stores, I...

Behind the Spin: Apple.(Apple Inc.)
February 1, 2009... The dilemma Apple is Steve Jobs and Steve Jobs is Apple. The CEO and the company are one and the same, so when Jobs takes a six-month leave of absence people naturally get a bit jumpy. In December, Apple announced that Jobs would not be...

The paradox of thrift.(consumer spending)
February 1, 2009... It's asking a bit much of recession-hit citizens to spend, spend, spend. The big economic boost can only come from government. I recently attended a dinner party where the host announced that he was serving us ox-cheek. While some of us...

Books: Lost in the digital badlands.(Cyburbia: The Dangerous Idea that's Changing How We Live and Who We Are)(Book review)
February 1, 2009... James Harkin is right to berate internet obsessives for losing touch with who they are, but his argument takes on the tones of paranoia, argues Marcus Warren. Cyburbia: The dangerous idea that's changing how we live and who we are James...

Books: Limitations of laissez-faire.(Free Market Madness: Why Human Nature is at Odds with Economics and Why it Matters)(Book review)
February 1, 2009... Peter Ubel raises important questions of the appropriateness of public intervention in the markets. But, for John Kay, his attack is wastefully directed at a lunatic fringe. Free Market Madness: Why human nature is at odds with economics -...

Books: What lies beneath our decision-making.(The Impulse Factor: Why Some of Us Play It Safe and Others Risk It All)(Book review)
February 1, 2009... Nick Tasler's engaging book is full of lively anecdote, but it's a motivational read rather than science, says Adrian Atkinson. The Impulse Factor: Why some of us play it safe and others risk it all Nick Tasler Simon & Schuster pounds...

Books: Two ways to a balanced life.(The See-Saw: 100 Ideas for Work-Life Balance)(Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life)(Book review)
February 1, 2009... Julia Hobsbawm's warm sympathy or the brace-up exhortations of David Allen? Alix Pryde enjoys the Venus-and-Mars contrast and finds value in both books. I love books about time management. I just never have time to read them Both these...

Books: Three of a kind - Reaching out to your customers.(Brief article)(Recommended readings)
February 1, 2009... Customer Care Excellence Sarah Cook Kogan Page pounds 19.95 Delighting Your Customers Avril Owton A&C Black pounds 8.99 What the Customer Wants You to Know Ram Charan Michael Joseph pounds 12.99 --------------------...

The MT Interview: Matthew Freud.(Interview)
February 1, 2009... Spinmeister and major-league fixer, this scion of a famous family and son-in-law of Rupert Murdoch pulls strings that extend into the top ranks of business, politics and the arts. Once best-known as PR to the stars, he has moved into...

What downturn.(business growth amidst the recession)
February 1, 2009... The banking system has seized up and the economy is in tatters, but nevertheless the downturn is doing wonders for the prospects of a fortunate few. MT reports on four firms for which bad times mean good business. Here we are, looking...

Make better decisions.
February 1, 2009... Even the best leaders make the occasional bad call, but in hard times such mistakes can be fatal. The key to minimising the risk of flawed decision-making lies in knowing your limitations, and having just enough process in place to balance...

Brother, can you spare a yen?(Japan's economy)
February 1, 2009... From the chilling moment it dawned on us that we'd been crunched, economic commentators have tried desperately to work out which past bust offers the best parallel to our unfolding predicament, and therefore the best guide to what happens next....

Motor Mouth.(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... On-road, the Land Rover Defender 90's ride is harsh and noisy, but on the rutted track it takes wing, says Sathnam Sanghera. Before Christmas, I spent an entertaining 10 minutes watching a learner driver try to parallel-park a Ford Fiesta...

Table talk: Where Dale Vince eats ..(Star Anise Arts Cafe)(Restaurant review)
February 1, 2009... The Star Anise Arts Cafe in Stroud has a very down-to-earth ethnic feel, with real wooden floors and vegan food. Sometimes, it reminds me of the desert cafe from Star Wars. Not because everyone looks weird or alien, but because of the sheer...

What's your problem?(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Q: I work for a large outsourcing company. About five years ago I was told by the boss of the division I was in that I wasn't right for the job - which I strongly disagreed with. In fact, I think I was at the mercy of a vindictive manager...

What's your problem?(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Q: It was my birthday last week and we have a tradition at work where we bring a cake in to share with colleagues over a cup of tea. I decided to make a cake (something I never do) and shared it out. The next day, three of my team were off sick...

What's your problem?
February 1, 2009... Q: I got in touch because I was interested to find out what your thoughts might be on self-promotion. I am a graphic design student and I have heard mixed responses from people about sending promotional pieces to advertising and design agencies...

First-Class Coach.(managing promotion)
February 1, 2009... Q: I've just been made a director - the first woman to reach the board in the history of the company. I feel honoured, but also scared I won't add any value. I was completely tongue-tied at my first board meeting. Perhaps I'm not ready for...

The Sharp End: Postman dings twice.(practice of letter carriers)
February 1, 2009... Hope it wasn't important. Dave Waller is let loose on the Haymarket postroom. This month's Sharp End takes a twist. I'm being sent to the Haymarket postroom, for a different slant on how our own firm runs. And if a load of anthrax powder...