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Category Archives: Management


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Is rapid growth bad for your business?

rapid growth graph tech bizThis article also appeared in Finweek Magazine in their 28-Feb-2013 issue

In 1999, the Webvan Group promised to transform the grocery shopping industry. Thanks to an über-successful IPO and other sources such as venture capitalists, it raised a staggering $1.2bn in start-up capital, rivalling big players like Amazon.com. Fast forward to 2001, when Webvan went bankrupt, barely 18 months later. The cause? It ran out of money.

How is this possible?

When investors inject capital into a business, they want a return on their money. And the expectation is that rapid growth will usually fuel this return. Americans even have an expression for fast-growing firms: “gazelles” are publicly traded companies that have grown at least 20% for each of the previous four years, kicking off with US$ 1m or more in sales.

But sometimes, growing too quickly can actually be bad for business. Continue reading →


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From corporate to start-up: can you cut it?

entrepreneur young at PCThis article also appeared in Finweek Magazine in their 7-Feb-2013 issue

Four years out of our MBA degrees, my MBA classmate Joanne* was working in a senior position at a leading global FMCG company. She was extremely well-paid, got to travel extensively and had all the usual corporate perks. Everyone thought she had the perfect set-up. But inside, Joanne was desperately unhappy. Her dream was to start her own business, and she would spend all her spare time researching an idea she was passionate about. However, she had two children whose private education didn’t come cheap, a sizeable homeloan to pay off, and her husband’s investment business had taken a knock in the global financial crisis. So the family depended on Joanne’s salary. As much as she wanted to quit her job in corporate, she didn’t think she could. Sensing her unhappiness, Joanne and I met for lunch to explore if there was a way she could successfully make the leap from corporate to a start-up. Some valuable lessons came out of our discussion that hopefully can help others in the same predicament.

I made the transition in 2007 and it was the best career decision I have ever taken. The entrepreneurial environment, however, isn’t for everyone. And corporate will be extremely tempting when you hit the inevitable rocky period in your venture. Before making the leap from corporate to start-up, you need to understand what you’re getting into and if you’re cut out for it.

So the first question to address is: What traits do you need to have in order to succeed in a start-up? Continue reading →


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When is it OK to quit?

quitting 4This article also appeared in Finweek Magazine in their 24-Jan-2013 issue

The more resources you invest in a business or project, the harder it is to walk away. But sometimes quitting may be the best thing you can do. Continue reading →


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Do CEOs with MBAs perform better?

CEO MBA runningThis article also appeared in Finweek Magazine in their 17-Jan-2013 issue

In recent years MBA programmes have received a lot of criticism: teaching flawed financial thinking, ignoring business ethics, hiding from the real world of business and sheltering MBA students in academic theory. And so, as the argument goes, MBA business leaders are ruled by greed and short-term gain. Hence much of the blame for the global financial crisis fell on high-profile MBA alumni like Lehman Brothers’ Richard Fuld (Stern’s MBA of 1973), and Merrill Lynch’s John Thain (Harvard 1979). Let’s not forget Jeff Skilling of Enron, who had an MBA, while Bill Gates and Steve Jobs didn’t even complete university.

With these criticisms in mind, do MBA-degreed CEOs perform better than their non-MBA peers? The effect of a CEO’s MBA (or lack of one) on the business’ performance is very much contested ground, with evidence to support both sides. Continue reading →


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Why best practice is bad practice

This is a guest post by Dr Gavin Symanowitz of FeedbackRocket.com. It originally appeared in Finweek Magazine (19 July 2012 issue).

man-bar-flirting

The cute blonde sitting at the bar had been casting furtive glances at us all night. Of course, it wasn’t for me or my mate Ted. It was for Pete. It was always for Pete. Pete was one of those really good-lucking guys who picked up girls effortlessly everywhere he went. It was no different this time. Pete sauntered up to her and whispered something in her ear. She giggled, flicked her hair back flirtatiously, and the two of them left the bar together.

One day, Ted decided he’d had enough of sitting alone at the bar, and asked Pete what his secret was. “What do you actually say to the girl when you go up to her?”

“I’ve got one pickup line that works every time” replied Pete.

Continue reading →


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Is customer delight overkill?

This article also appeared in Finweek Magazine in their 13-Dec-2012 issue

If you were asked, “Do you need to delight your customers?”, you’d probably say yes without hesitating. The concept of customer delight has become so ingrained that we seldom question it. But does your company really need to delight your customers? New research suggests otherwise.

customer delight

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The Dark Side of Passion

This article, a guest post by Dr. Gavin Symanowitz of FeedbackRocket.com, originally appeared in Finweek Magazine (12-July-2012 issue)

We all want to work for passionate leaders – but does it come at a price?

passionate leader.jpg

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Lessons on Competitiveness from Birdfights

birdfight

This article also appeared in Finweek Magazine in their 19-July-2012 issue

What do birdfights, start-ups and David and Goliath have in common? At first glance, not much. However an example from nature shows the connection and how we can learn from this. Continue reading →


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Can grooming talent to leave be good for business?

This is a guest post by Dr Gavin Symanowitz of FeedbackRocket.com. It originally appeared in Finweek Magazine (28 June 2012 issue).

ImageA colleague of mine related how he hired his personal assistant. In the job interview, he asked her why he should hire her. She replied simply, “Because I will make it my personal mission, every day, to make you shine”. What more could he ask for from a PA? So he hired her on the spot.

In my work, I come into daily contact with exceptional leaders and managers. I’m increasingly starting to notice a common trait among these managers. They adopt the same attitude as my colleague’s PA – but in reverse. These managers make it their personal mission, every day, to make their subordinates shine. They genuinely put the development of their subordinates above the short-term needs of the business. And, paradoxically, they are reaping the rewards. Continue reading →


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Why everyone needs a bad boss

bad-boss-snakehead-cartoon

This is a guest post by Dr Gavin Symanowitz of FeedbackRocket.com. It originally appeared in Finweek (21 June 2012 issue).

Everyone should work for a bad boss. I know this seems to be strange advice, especially coming from someone who is dedicated to improving the quality of leadership in organizations. However, working for a bad boss can often have positive effects. Let me explain. Continue reading →