Kawhe i runga i te ara i roto i Aotearoa – or coffee on the way in New Zealand – prompts fresh reflection on the microeconomic importance of engaging with fellow human beings, and the “innovation” value of just getting the basics right. In Wellington to present an element of my PhD research (to…
Sabbatical postcard – no time to wish for coffee
A self-confessed cynic about process improvement, which too often fails from want of a clear objective, I am delighted to report a customer service experience that seems to shine as an exception. It was so fast and efficient there was no time to wish for a coffee while waiting in line for service! The early indications…
Rethinking pricing
Client: Chief Executive, Coast City Country General Practice Training Ltd In a new project for our client, we will apply microeconomic disciplines to their pricing of services, including sensitivity analysis around key events. Sunset at Mollymook, in the far south of this client’s area of operations, is a great inspiration!
Congratulations!
After more than five years and two children, we are delighted to congratulate Sharna on the conferral of her PhD. Her thesis is entitled ‘Talking About Talent: Conceptualising Talent Management Through Discourse’. Her research ’employs discourse analysis in order to understand how the concepts of “talent” and “talent management” are socially constructed within an organisational…
Coffee makes planning go ’round
Carolyn Evans and Tanya van der Wall share our guide to keeping planning in perspective as a means to an end – all the coffee in the world won’t fix a governance and planning process that doesn’t keep “eyes on the prize” of realising the organisation’s purpose. Three decades since Michael Porter identified the ‘lost…
Sabbatical postcard … coffee on the road to international peace & security
In the first public airing of her thesis research, Managing Director Carolyn Evans this week presented her work at the Australia and New Zealand Society of International Law Postgraduate Workshop, held in Canberra on the eve of the Society’s annual conference. Using her experience in governance for government, commercial and nonprofit organisations, Carolyn presented her…
Project wrap up
Client: Board of Directors, Coast City Country General Practice Training Ltd In wrapping up this project the ThinkEvans team put focus on the purposes of the organisation (what are we here to do?) and aligning activities accordingly (how are we going to do it?), to make a strong foundation from which to measure outcomes (how well…
Staff development workshops
Client: Board of Directors, Coast City Country General Practice Training Ltd To voice the project focus on options for adding skills to the team for best effect in sustainability terms, the team worked with the client’s team to consider options from a multidisciplinary perspective. The main session was held in Wollongong, with a follow up session…
Sabbatical postcard: coffee on the road, for one
When it comes to decision making and governance, there is probably no bigger stage than that of the United Nations. There are many other organisations that may well have more, or more obvious, influence – like multinational corporations that design our lives with their products and redesign our planet with the impact of their production…
Board briefing
Client: Board of Directors, Coast City Country General Practice Training Ltd The briefing dealt with the quantitative analysis of the supply side of this complex market, and the organisational options going forward. With the Board’s endorsement, this will now provide the basis for team briefings in the new year. The south coast of New South Wales,…
Sabbatical postcard: a dash of dissent in your coffee on the road
For those of us fascinated by leadership and decision making, Australia’s first time in three decades as UN Security Council President has been, to say the least, underwhelming. Any whelm was certainly hard to find in the one topic put forward for formal debate by Australia in the Presidential role – small arms. Not unimportant…
Sunset on a project
Client: Board of Directors, Grand Pacific Health Ltd As part of further implementing the merger of two previous Divisions of General Practice, re-think the executive structure and division of responsibilities in the senior team, and assist the Chair to select a preferred candidate for CEO for consideration by the board. The Board endorsed the recommended…
Sabbatical postcard … coffee on the “crowded” road
On sabbatical from consulting, while travelling in England for her PhD research Managing Director Carolyn Evans has discovered a whole new meaning to fighting the crowd to get coffee. Staying at the University of Warwick in Coventry, this was the crowd scene at the local coffee spot on the banks of the River Sherbourne. Having…
Can’t see the wood for the trees?
Internal projects naturally drive additional business activity and costs but our experience at ThinkEvans indicates they do not always result in an appropriate return on investment. So what is going wrong? Here we look at some of the classic issues we see in businesses and suggest a few actions to start successfully delivering the projects…