Insight - A piece of the action.

(From Financial Director)

Byline: Roger Trapp.

Like many management gurus, Eddie Obeng is somewhat larger than life. Given to snappy clothes and effusive language, he has been described as the Max Headroom of the business world and "as energetic as Tom Peters - but not as long".

Unlike most management gurus, though, he is not a great one for strategy. Indeed, in one of his books he says 'strategic' is sometimes used as another word for 'loss-making'.

Instead, he concentrates on getting to the basics of what make businesses work - and it is this realism and groundedness that has brought clients as varied as supermarket group Tesco, kitchen and bathroom company Magnet, and electronics company Sony to his Pentacle Virtual Business School.

Pentacle is, in essence, Obeng - based in Beaconsfield because of its proximity to major transport routes, London and his home. He calls in reinforcements when required for courses and other programmes, and also works with organisations and individuals via the internet. The flexible style of the business school, which Obeng has now been operating for 10 years, is a deliberate response to the fast-paced and increasingly complex world in which we live. Moreover, the style of the premises - a modern interior behind an old world facade - is also designed to unsettle those seeking his help.

A former executive director of Ashridge Management College, Obeng first made his name in the field of project management. Formerly the preserve of engineers and other specialists with particular tasks to perform, projects became more widespread as various consultants convinced managements they were essential tools for doing business in the modern world. The problem was that many of these initiatives ceased to live up to the project name and just went on and on, failed, or were simply abandoned when something else came along.