In the 21st century we shouldn’t allow our Island-Australia Anxiety to cloud our thinking, our relationships with other countries, our business dealings and our lives. As we continue our path towards participation in the global community and in the next Asian century, we need to be wary about these deep-seated cultural ideas and the way that we express them.
Tag Archives: Thinking
Transactional Relationships – Is this still the Australian way in Asia?
It is important that as Australia creates its strategy for the Asian Century we realise we are well beyond the transactional relationships that apparently continue to occupy the minds of those in government, business and media. Australia needs to work hard to move from the little lot down the road to become part of Asia’s back yard.
Guess who’s coming to dinner – the Power of Dialogue
I would love to set up the modern equivalent of an ancient concept – a space for dialogues that allow us to challenge our own concepts, create and define our real values and philosophies, and better understand the power of diversity. I would love to set up a Google+ circle that allows a number of excellent business thinkers and leaders to ask each other questions and respectfully listen to each other over months and years as we take the voyage of exploration through this complex world
The Asian Century – Again
In the Asian century, business as usual is not enough. Because what we know clearly is there isn’t a single aspect of government policies and national planning that won’t be touched by the great changes to come. Food security and foreign investment, immigration and education, stock market structures and financial regulation, energy policy and environmental standards.
Plans to avoid the Dog House (or not)
The key is to avoid your business being a slave to the product. Driving your business by your value proposition that delights your customers and clients is a better way to avoid the “dog house” – or to make the dog house a successful business proposition!
Scenarios – A thinking and planning tool
Many organisations have failed to see scenario planning as a wonderful method for strategy thinking and planning, yet experience demonstrates that scenario planning produces innovative, practical, inspirational plans that focus on delighting customers and clients.
A fun way to practice strategic thinking
Find an organisation in the news that is attracting a lot of criticism for an aspect of its performance. Look particularly at those where a lot of people are proposing solutions which have a really common feel to them. Identify some underlying long term issues affecting that organisation and see if you can come up with a different solution to everyone else.
Avoiding catastrophe by a bee’s sting
This afternoon I was on my lunchtime walk when I suddenly felt a sharp, pinpoint pain in my heel. I ignored it until my foot hit the ground on the next step and the pain increased significantly. The thought sprang into my mind: It’s a bee sting I ripped off my sandal and checked my [...]
Thinking is a valuable resource
I remember well the stunned reaction of a senior management team when I presented a detailed strategy and action plan that eliminated my own role from the organisation. Before the presentation, I was seen to be talking to a lot of people at all levels of the organisation, therefore I was plotting. It never occured to any of them I would advise they change the nature of my own position and employ a person more suitable to the needs of the organisation.
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