change « David Ferrabee’s Blog

Learning how to change

HYDE PARK — We’ve had a few calls recently from companies where the CEO has said: I want my people to know how to manage change… and they don’t now.

The candour appeals to me.

I’d only separate the “change” from “manage” to make a point.

Few of us are really good at managing change. (With Able and [...]

Bringing brands and company cultures together

KNIGHTSBRIDGE — We have worked on a couple of very prominent instances of this recently. Indeed we’re doing one now. And there’s one single message that has emerged as the most important:

Don’t invent symbolic events. Just look out for them.

Some of us (consultants) will happily tell you that a symbolic event is tremendously important in [...]

Stress: why it's ruining your business

LONDON — Why does W.H Smith have this new category of books in all it’s bigger stores? (See photo above.) Why are we obsessed with misery?

I was talking to someone who works in occupational health and safety last week. And I was surprised to hear that, even in heavily manufacturing businesses, the big issues are [...]

Africa, communications and the future

MAYFIELD — I was in an outdoor restaurant in beautiful downtown Riyadh a few years ago and this lovely guy with a brilliant smile came over with some food. I looked at him and said: “Your from Kenya!”

And indeed he was.

I could tell by his disposition. There’s no faking it. It just is.

For me it [...]

Extreme Business

NEAR CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Yesterday I went kayaking through the salt-water mashes near the sea. The pre-departure briefing, with two of my kids and I, included an explanation of the most dangerous animals in the river: not the alligators, not the sharks… but the oysters and their sharp shells. They’ll “cut you to ribbons.”

So, [...]

Good business, bad business: John Terry and sex at work

PICCADILLY LINE — Sometimes you have to wonder if they say these things just to wind up the Brits. UEFA and FIFA officials that is.

Sepp Blatter, the president of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has commented on the England football captain John Terry losing his job. Terry, who is married with twin babies, was [...]

How the consulting market has changed

FULHAM ROAD — It’s official. For me anyway. I have come to the conclusion that the market has changed. I recognise that it may only be temporary, but it feels longer-term than that.

Where once businesses were interested in concepts and ideas… most now are being far more practical. “I want you to do something that [...]

HR and Communications -- the uncomfortable relationship

WESTFIELD — Human Resources departments and Corporate Communications departments have a great deal in common. Including a mutual suspicion and occasionally antagonism.

Both:
• focus primarily on people
• believe they can use their systems and processes to make people think / do what they want
• don’t like people much

Someone called last night and said: “What is it about Communications people, [...]

Cadbury Kraft is not a people deal

LONDON — There are a whole variety of reaction to the news of Kraft’s seemingly successful bid for Cadbury in today’s media. Many reactions are about more than just the gut reaction to the “uneven narrative of corporate finance”.

We’ve put out press release that you can read by clicking on the link.

What do you think?

/df

“I’m down like your Internet connection”: customer service counts

CHELSEA — I realised yesterday that I have not lived in North America for more than a decade. So it’s hard for me to fully understand what companies like Verizon and Comcast are all about. But even from this distance it’s clear they’re having trouble with service delivery.

A few years ago I found this brilliant [...]

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