Corporate Alumni Networks – managing your reputation and protecting your future in recessionary times

Why reputation among former employees is so vital… Imagine yourself, in three years’ time. A former colleague calls – perhaps it’s one of those you’ve had to ‘let go’ this year, or someone who saw an opportunity elsewhere and left.… Continue reading

Politicians urged to use the economic crisis to fight climate change and eliminate poverty

Oxfordshire-based businessman, Dr Graham Wilson, is leading a call for politicians to seize the opportunity presented by the current economic crisis simultaneously to address long-term environmental threats and global poverty. This was the conclusion of delegates at the 4th World… Continue reading

Quaker business practices prove to be more profitable

Quaker business principles of fairness and trust are now being shown to be more profitable and less distressing. I’m sitting in my room at the Quakers and Business Group Conference in Woodbrooke, Birmingham. Quakers have always had an interest in… Continue reading

Create a new window into your organisation

Over the years I have written about quite a few organisations. Roughly half of these have been exceptional performers – ones that I feel should be heralded as exemplars to the rest of us. The other half have also been… Continue reading

Insights on business from American Express

Exceptional companies are based on four basic pillars – obsession with customers, empowerment of employees, inspirational leadership and extraordinary levels of innovation. American Express have recently been focusing on their customer service activities and have produced a smattering of videos… Continue reading

Balfour Beatty, serious fraud and a culture of deception

This morning’s news is that the construction company Balfour Beatty has been fined £2.25 million through the Serious Fraud Office’s (SFO) new powers to recover property obtained by unlawful conduct. After investigating internally, Balfour Beatty reported itself to the SFO.… Continue reading

Leaders, Governance and the Chaplain

At the 9th World Congress on Corporate Governance, held at the Royal Overseas League in London last week, I was responsible for chairing a session on Social Capital. Asked by the organisers to introduce myself, it seemed a good idea… Continue reading

Customer Contempt 3 : BT Broadband (British Telecom)

The action taken by BT last week demonstrates their complete antipathy towards customers. The ‘anti-spam’ move has meant thousands of customers who use POP3/SMTP to send email through BT, instead receive an 0x800CCC78 error. It perfectly qualifies them to be… Continue reading

The ethics of false or grandiose claims in advertising…

I just followed a link to a forum for business referrals. On it an individual has made an offer to provide a free video brochure for anyone who passes two business contacts who sign up for his video production service.… Continue reading