Nuggets of wisdom to expand your perspectives…
…on leadership, organizational effectiveness, procurement & supply chain management, change management, personal effectiveness, career growth and success, and Africa.
My work is frequently featured in print and online media, white papers, round-table conferences, expert panels and other similar events. For example, I was on the advisory board for The Logistics & Supply Chain Forum; an advisory panellist for Supply Management; a member of Logistics Europe Supply Chain Vision Group; and a featured adviser on the inaugural Procurious Career Boot Camp.
You can view some of my related work and media features below.
Comment on Procurement Leaders Blog: “Five Reasons Why Procurement Transformation Fails”
Mickey, These are great points you raise here, which I agree with entirely. I’d add 3 more: (a) Unclear or poorly-defined goals; The objectives of many change initiatives are often poorly-defined. Even as I write, I’m supporting a client with a Procurement change...
read moreComment on The Economist Online: “A Sub-Saharan Spring?”
Oliver August’s piece, “A Sub-Saharan Spring?”, centred on the identical premise I proffered in two recent articles – “A Rising Africa!” in New African, Nov. 2011, and “African Renaissance” in Corporate Africa, June 2011. Oliver appears to share my view that the...
read moreComment on BBC Focus on Africa Blog: “Beneath the Surface”
It’s an interesting notion that African governments need “reputation management,” whether as a replacement for old ways of doing diplomacy or not. Trying to manage the reputations of governments with a shocking and disgraceful record of corruption and economic...
read moreComment on BBC Focus on Africa Blog: “Mix It Up”
Special economic zones (SEZs) have not previously been as successful in Africa as in other regions largely due to mismanagement. However, things may be starting to change in many parts of the continent, as we’re now seeing a growth of commercial enterprise and social...
read moreAfrican Renaissance
Troubles in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and who knows where next. The wave of unrest and civil uprisings sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East is a clear message from the mass populace that it is time for change. In North Africa, in particular,...
read moreHow to Fix Inefficient Processes
My shock and disbelief must have shown on my face. Paul burst into laughter as he stood beside me while I read the e-mail. I re-read it a couple of times to confirm that I hadn’t misread it. But I hadn’t. The instructions were quite clear and succinct: “Hi Paul, you...
read moreSummary Profile Feature
Supply Management magazine asked to do a brief profile of me, including a few tips I could share from my experience for others wanting to shape their career destiny. Read the summary profile feature and career tips here.
read morePurchasing Process and Responsibilities
Purchasing has recently been in the spotlight as organizations have sought to manage spend tightly during the economic downturn. One aspect of the purchasing activity that is frequently fraught with internal conflict and misunderstanding is the actual process of...
read moreExpert Panel Advice for Supply Management Magazine
QUESTION: “What should a typical procurement process like? Who should be responsible for getting approvals for items to be procured. Is it the person requisitioning the item, or should this lie with the procurement team?” — Assistant Administration Manager, Abuja,...
read moreBad Times for Business, Good Time for Change
I had a meeting recently with two executives of a division of a large multinational business, which we’ll refer to here as Acme plc. We were discussing a change programme they intend to push through their supply chain and purchasing operations, and how I might support...
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