Insights by Category

MANAGEMENT | PURPOSE | PEOPLE | PERFORMANCE


Purpose

  • Winning isn’t everything

    Winning isn’t everything

    In May 2009 when we had to decide whether to turn-off or turn-around the Perth Wildcats, numerous decisions had to be made. We asked ourselves three questions: What is our Purpose? How shall we Perform? and Who are our People? All equally important. Compromising any…

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  • Focus on the outside

    Focus on the outside

    As managers, it is often easy to get caught up in the everyday. The constant demands of the email in-box, the regular board and management meetings, the routine of operations or the unending unforeseen issues that require your attention can be quite consuming. However, a…

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People

  • Why are they on the team?

    Why are they on the team?

    Not everyone is on the team for the same reason. A manager’s genuine understanding of each team member’s key drivers can greatly improve individual and team performance. In most good teams, there is clarity of mission, good-charactered people committed to playing to their strengths, and…

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  • It’s lonely at the top…and all the way down!

    It’s lonely at the top…and all the way down!

    Today’s as good as any to talk about it. CEOs, Chairs, and Managers often say it’s lonely at the top. And that may well be true. Increasing research, however, suggests that this is a problem throughout most organisations. Ironically, loneliness is a global epidemic despite…

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  • How do we communicate?

    How do we communicate?

    “I don’t see why this even needs to be discussed,” the CEO exclaimed, somewhat frustrated, “the answer is obvious.” We were facilitating the company’s annual strategic retreat, and during the morning break, the senior executives were debriefing an incident at one of their sites. Something…

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Performance

  • The power of strategic abandonment

    The power of strategic abandonment

    There is no greater tragedy than doing well that should not be done at all.  Yet, we fall into habits that are unfruitful at best or dangerous at worst – in business and life. Taking stock every 90 days enables us to evaluate, eliminate, and…

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  • You Snooze, You Win

    You Snooze, You Win

    Sleep and its impact on athletes as well as knowledge workers… How to use Sleep Indicators to improve performance on teams on and off the court. After more than two decades of working with professional sporting teams, high-net-worth individuals, and C-suite executives, sleep health consistently…

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  • Using Perspective and Time to solve problems and make decisions

    Using Perspective and Time to solve problems and make decisions

    In work and life, we often face a problem, crisis or concern requiring critical thinking. Emotions, circumstances and human relationships can make this process difficult. In our work with clients, we find that using a framework of perspective and time helps with such situations. PERSPECTIVE…

    Read More…

Management

  • Why are they on the team?

    Why are they on the team?

    Not everyone is on the team for the same reason. A manager’s genuine understanding of each team member’s key drivers can greatly improve individual and team performance. In most good teams, there is clarity of mission, good-charactered people committed to playing to their strengths, and…

    Read More…

  • Rethinking Management

    Rethinking Management

    It’s time to rethink management – not just for the current environment but for what lies ahead. Many of the most valuable and successful organisations in the world today, did not exist a decade or two ago – evidence that a flexible, nimble and proactive…

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  • The power of strategic abandonment

    The power of strategic abandonment

    There is no greater tragedy than doing well that should not be done at all.  Yet, we fall into habits that are unfruitful at best or dangerous at worst – in business and life. Taking stock every 90 days enables us to evaluate, eliminate, and…

    Read More…

  • You Snooze, You Win

    You Snooze, You Win

    Sleep and its impact on athletes as well as knowledge workers… How to use Sleep Indicators to improve performance on teams on and off the court. After more than two decades of working with professional sporting teams, high-net-worth individuals, and C-suite executives, sleep health consistently…

    Read More…

  • It’s lonely at the top…and all the way down!

    It’s lonely at the top…and all the way down!

    Today’s as good as any to talk about it. CEOs, Chairs, and Managers often say it’s lonely at the top. And that may well be true. Increasing research, however, suggests that this is a problem throughout most organisations. Ironically, loneliness is a global epidemic despite…

    Read More…

  • How do we communicate?

    How do we communicate?

    “I don’t see why this even needs to be discussed,” the CEO exclaimed, somewhat frustrated, “the answer is obvious.” We were facilitating the company’s annual strategic retreat, and during the morning break, the senior executives were debriefing an incident at one of their sites. Something…

    Read More…

  • Managing in the Middle – The three key habits good leaders practice

    Managing in the Middle – The three key habits good leaders practice

    Good leadership often starts well at the top but does not always cascade to the bottom. Most employees experience leadership, culture, values, mission, vision, engagement, etc., predominantly through interactions with their direct manager (or superior), not the CEO. This is where management really happens –…

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  • Who’s on the boat?

    Who’s on the boat?

    A question we often ask of organisations is, “Who’s on the boat?” In other words, “If we started again today, who would not be on the team?” Almost always, there is someone. Often, there’s a list! HONESTY, HUMILITY & HARDWORK History, science and over 3,000…

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  • Turn Quitters to Performers – the Five C’s Framework

    Turn Quitters to Performers – the Five C’s Framework

    40% OF YOUR EMPLOYEES WANT TO QUIT Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace Reports that 43% of employees in Australia intend to leave their current roles and are actively seeking new opportunities! Furthermore, 81% believe now is an excellent time to find a new…

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  • Humanising Strategic Abandonment

    Humanising Strategic Abandonment

    We have strongly advocated strategic abandonment as an ongoing practice for organisations. And in these turbulent times, as Peter Drucker rightly wrote many years ago, “the enterprise has to be kept lean and muscular, capable of taking strain but capable also of moving fast and…

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  • Everyone is a role player! Seven Questions to Consider for each person on your team.

    Everyone is a role player! Seven Questions to Consider for each person on your team.

    Once there were superstars who ruled the world. Charismatic, talented, do-it-all athletes. Winners! They earned the big bucks, were featured on magazine covers, signed global endorsements…even had their own shoe deal. Then there were the lowly role players. often ignored, off-camera, paid little, making up…

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  • Using Perspective and Time to solve problems and make decisions

    Using Perspective and Time to solve problems and make decisions

    In work and life, we often face a problem, crisis or concern requiring critical thinking. Emotions, circumstances and human relationships can make this process difficult. In our work with clients, we find that using a framework of perspective and time helps with such situations. PERSPECTIVE…

    Read More…

  • The Three F’s of Effective Communication

    The Three F’s of Effective Communication

    Communication & Candour is one of the three key behaviours of performing teams (the others are Trust & Vulnerability and Commitment & Accountability). It helps to think of communication in three dimensions: 1. Who needs to be aware of this information? 2. Who’s input, feedback…

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  • 5 Ways To Stop Wasting Time In Meetings!

    5 Ways To Stop Wasting Time In Meetings!

    Work meetings are an increasingly controversial topic these days. Some love them, others hate them. So, what’s the sweet spot? In our work and research, human interaction is one of the most powerful, effective and rewarding pursuits. But only if done right. According to UNC…

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  • The six key responsibilities of a manager

    The six key responsibilities of a manager

    1. PURPOSE – MISSION – Understanding the environment, the team’s comparative competence and what value it creates. Clarifying the mission, vision and objectives. Setting the course and priorities.  2. PURPOSE – GOALS – What will be achieved in the time frame? Qualitative and Quantitative. Understanding,…

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  • Failing our way to success…

    Failing our way to success…

    Failing is an inevitable part of our lives. We experience it from a very young age. As we take our first steps, we fall…but we get up again and keep at it until we master the art of walking! And that pattern continues as we…

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  • Winning isn’t everything

    Winning isn’t everything

    In May 2009 when we had to decide whether to turn-off or turn-around the Perth Wildcats, numerous decisions had to be made. We asked ourselves three questions: What is our Purpose? How shall we Perform? and Who are our People? All equally important. Compromising any…

    Read More…

  • Focus on the outside

    Focus on the outside

    As managers, it is often easy to get caught up in the everyday. The constant demands of the email in-box, the regular board and management meetings, the routine of operations or the unending unforeseen issues that require your attention can be quite consuming. However, a…

    Read More…

  • Focusing on the person – the primacy of the individual

    Focusing on the person – the primacy of the individual

    There are no teams! There are no departments. There are no business units. There are no customers and there are no suppliers. There are, however, individuals who comprise all of the above! The human person. It is the human in management that must take primacy…

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  • Budget for growth to ensure organisational success

    Budget for growth to ensure organisational success

    As we enter a new financial year, most companies have been through the process of financial forecasting or budgeting. Notwithstanding, as argued before, that a 12-month cycle may be too long a time-frame for such a process it is a requirement for various reasons. It…

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