Disability 5 Change? Really? Where? By now most of us have heard the parable of the boiled frog. Hes the poor fella that gets cooked. OK so they say that if you dunk a frog in a pot of water hell jump out quicker than he or I can say ribbit. Rightly so. Now if we were to place him in a nice comfy pot and turn up the heat he will enjoy his spa bath until he reverts to soup. Apparently the frogs internal apparatus for sensing threats to survival is geared to sudden changes in his environment, not slow gradual changes. Sound familiar? In business we live life in the fast lane. Everything is frantic, zooming by in a blinding flash. Giving us barely enough time to blink, let alone think, make a decision and keep moving. What changes have occurred while we were caught up in watching the action but missing the plays? In business today there are some amazing strategies being employed to ensnare top positions by companies that were not even in the arena five years ago. How was IBM to know that by owning an operating system an industry would be born? How did Apple move from being a PC manufacturer to the hippest new tech toy creator? But where does it end? Is the PC redundant and the cell/combo unit do it all through some main server? How did the Japanese auto manufacturers take over the US market and what about the Korean models? How did the big three slump so badly? Interesting how the S&P is reorganized. Top southern retailer Winn-Dixie struggles in Chapter 11. Delta and Northwest file for bankruptcy? What does that mean for Southwest and other smaller airlines actually making some smidgeon of an income? How do we avoid the fate of the frog? Slow down, smell the coffee, pay attention to subtle changes as well as the dramatic. Its the subtle changes that will kill our business. |
Author Bio:
Graeme Nichol
What differentiates Graeme is the depth and breadth of his experience in management. He has either been in management or has been consulting to management for over 25 years. What he has seen and experienced is an unlimited resource that his clients can tap when resolving their business and team problems.
His experience includes consulting with large practices such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Coopers and Lybrand and Price Waterhouse; and boutique performance improvement implementation practices such as Knox D’Arcy Intl. and KrestaHague Intl. He has configured and managed complex ERP software implementations, worked in productivity and performance improvement, quality improvement, change management, strategy implementation, and managed both small and large projects. Graeme has worked in manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, communication, direct marketing, banking, beverages, consumer packaged goods, foodstuffs, and retail amongst others.
In his years of experience gained around the globe, he always found that business problems were usually either caused or solved by a team. If a team worked well together they could overcome amazing hurdles but if they were not aligned all types of hurdles appeared. He has gained extensive experience developing high performing teams. He knows what makes a team works and how to get them to function as one.
Besides management he is passionate about teaching and training. He has instructed many workshops and training sessions on various aspects of business such business planning, sales training, team building, introduction to business, conflict resolution, negotiations, general management, costing, management accounting, management reporting, developing management metrics and operations management.
When not working with his clients, Graeme’s passions are flying and sailing. His passion for teaching extends into his private life where he teaches flying and basic aerobatics. He has a small aerobatic plane which he loves to take up and throw around the sky. He has raced a 40ft yacht across the Atlantic Ocean, and competed in numerous sailing regattas, in the USA and abroad as well as cruised the East Coast of the USA with his family. Sailing is always a team event as each team member controls a small part of the boat. Team members need to be aligned and focused to achieve the results they desire.
Graeme has a BS degree in Agricultural Economics and an MBA from the University of Cape Town, RSA
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