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Time. How do you Manage Yours?

Stopwatch with words time for a rethink

Whether you are a manager, business leader, self-employed or even retired, time is undoubtedly your most precious resource.  None of us know how much we are going to have, but on a day to day basis, time is the one thing we all have exactly the same amount of; some of us just choose to […]

Solitaire Consulting launches Non-Executive Management service

People shaking hands at a meeting

Solitaire Consulting has launched a new service to provide non-executive management services to new and existing clients in Jersey and overseas. A non-executive manager (NEM) provides operational advice and guidance on an ongoing, but part time or ad-hoc basis.  Unlike the non-executive director (NED), who works at board level and forms part of a firm’s […]

Is Your Business Getting the Best out of Technology?

One of the problems with the question I have posed in the title of this post, is that ‘best’ can be very subjective.  In this context, unless you know what you can achieve with technology it is impossible to know whether your business is getting the best from its technology or not.  So, let’s explore that […]

Outsourcing – opportunity or threat?

This article will examine the case for outsourcing in the specific context of smaller markets such as the International Financial Centres (IFCs) in the Channel Islands, Switzerland and Caribbean.  These centres are characterised by a high cost of doing business, limited pools of skilled labour, restrictive employment legislation and a stringent regulatory environment.  All these […]

5 Best Practices to Manage Project Portfolios

The success of a business can depend highly on its ability to effectively manage and deliver its portfolio of projects.  This helps ensure business goals and strategic objectives are met on time and on budget. The importance of managing project portfolios should not be taken lightly. Here are my top five best practices to help effectively manage project […]

NEWS: Jobstream Group announces partnership with BDO Solutions in Mauritius

Over the last few months I have been working with one of my clients, Jobstream Group, to develop a partnership in Mauritius.  Jobstream Group are a UK based software company specialising in the offshore financial services sector, particularly trust administration and corporate services providers. I recognised an opportunity for Jobstream in Mauritius and over the last 6 months […]

Do you Worry About Things you Can’t Influence?

In 1989 Stephen Covey published his successful book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  In this book he introduced the concepts of ‘circles of concern and influence’, using a diagram similar to that below.  Covey’s premise was that we spend a lot of time and energy focusing on things that concern us but we have […]

Case Study: Law Firm Preparing for High Growth

Photo of a set of scales and a gavel

The Client A law firm specialising in intellectual property within emerging markets.  They have a global client base of high profile bluechip companies.  The firm has approximately 400 staff with offices throughout Africa. The Problem Following some changes within the Senior Management Team, including the appointment of a new Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, […]

Are you Responsible or Accountable?

Two people working on laptops together

I was discussing the question of responsibility and accountability with one of my clients recently and they were having difficulty distinguishing the two.  This was one of the contributory factors why many of the strategies and projects they initiated failed to achieve the outcomes expected.   So what is the difference between being responsible for something […]

Boom or Bust? Time to Invest

I’m delighted to be able to introduce David Croydon of Hilltop Consultancy as a guest contributor to my blog.  David is a fellow member of The Lamberhurst Corporation Consultancy Network, who specialises in helping businesses with growth strategies, mergers and acquisitions.  If you are interested in what David has to say and would like an […]