Guest Article – For SME Business Owners Serious About Growing Their Business
27 June 2017My business colleague Neil Sayer is a very effective Business Coach whose clients get great value in working with him as they grow their business. (Every now and then Neil also gets me to come in as a specialist coach for short interventions on time management issues.) So, when he offered to share his 50 […]
The Downside Of Always Being Available For Questions
5 May 2017Do you ever feel that you either have to come in early or stay late to get the ‘real’ work done? Does it seem that every minute of the day is gobbled up by phone calls, meetings and people saying ‘Have you got a minute?’ In the 25 years since I began specialising in the […]
How a CEO With a Seriously Messy Office Got Her Mojo Back
28 February 2017At the conclusion of a day’s time management training for Suzanne and her staff of 20, although we’d achieved a lot, she asked for more assistance. ‘Robyn, can you come and help me sort out my office. I don’t know where to start. It’s so bad that I get a pressure headache when I walk […]
Alternatives To The French ‘No Email After Hours’ Legislation
10 January 2017New French legislation is forcing companies with greater than 50 employees to negotiate with their staff about after-hours email usage. Is email usage just the responsibility of your employer, or are you part of the problem? The French are using legislation to try and reverse the trend. But is law the only way to do this? Personally, […]
Co-Working is Changing the Face of NZ Business
16 November 2016My recent article International innovation in co-working spaces looked at international trends in shared collaborative workspaces. What does our local market provide in the co-working space, you might have wondered. I’m pleased to report that there are some very smart, effective young Kiwi entrepreneurs doing a brilliant job in the same field, and growing fast. […]
Work Anywhere with Agility to Achieve Faster Results with Greater Profit
27 October 2016At a business breakfast a earlier this year I had the good fortune to meet Peter Vile, the CEO of Augen, a bespoke custom software development house. I was fascinated to find that Peter’s firm is spread between New Zealand and Vietnam. There are many benefits of doing business in two countries, and it’s a […]
International Innovation in Co-Working Spaces
4 October 2016Co-working, or shared collaborative workspaces, are not new but it seems the trend has begun to increase exponentially around the world – with some very innovative twists. Andrew Tu’inukuafe, a member of architectural firm Warren and Mahoney, is a specialist in workplace design. Earlier this year he went on a two-week fact-finding mission in the […]
Horrifying Email Overload Statistics
28 June 2016Email overload is always in the top five most common problems my workshop participants complain about. There are two core issues: 1. Information overload and what it’s doing to our productivity. 2. How long it takes to get refocused when we’re interrupted. First, information overload You’ll be interested in who’s researching and offering advice – […]
Don’t Do Email First Thing in the Day
24 May 2016This is one of my most powerful time-saving tips, yet it often draws a gasp of shock and sometimes outrage from listeners or readers. (There are variations and exceptions, before you bite my head off!) Several reasons: The potential distraction factor (unless you’re very disciplined, or on tight time-lines which will keep you focused anyway.) […]
Beware – Over-Use Of Technology Can Make You Less Productive
18 May 2016These days, technological advancements seem to be taking over the world. It affects our lives at home, the way we run businesses, our ability to cope in a non-wired environment, and even our sleep. To name a few, emails, social media, smartphones and apps have optimised the way we communicate with people. Unfortunately, these mediums […]