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WATCH: Triple your fees (or more) – how to charge for the value you create, not your time
This video is an event recording of the very first etc Advisory ‘Pot Noodle’. A 45-minute workshop and discussion for agency leaders/founders on changing their pricing strategy to charge for the value they create, rather than by time/hourly rate. In this free, condensed 45-minute online workshop, I spoke with agency founders about how to triple…
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How self-aware really are you? Discover your leadership style and how it’s impacting your business
As an advisor and non exec to agency founders, I wonder if it’s surprising or not to know that I also have a coach myself? My coaching sessions differ somewhat from the sessions with my own clients, focussing less on knowledge of business strategy and predominantly on how as an individual I can learn more…
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How to make feedback your superpower (and a mini challenge)
I’ve been listening to the Beyond Busy podcast, hosted by Graham Allcott. If you haven’t delved into it yet, I’d really recommend it. An episode I listened to recently struck a chord, and I think it’s something worth considering for all agency leaders and founders. The topic? Giving regular, effective feedback. In this particular ep,…
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Just how biased really are you? Take these Harvard tests to find out
Be aware of the analogy around unconscious bias; Just because you know about it, doesn’t mean you are free from it. A really interesting and free way to check how biased you are is to take the Harvard Implicit Association Tests. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling…
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Changing your meeting culture – protocol for great meetings
This post came about following a conversation with a client of mine who was frustrated that his team were not as enthused as he would like on the usual Monday call. After some discussion, it became obvious that whilst the format of the Monday meeting had been set up (some time ago) to be a…
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“I don’t like those trousers on you” – a lesson in reframing
Here’s an exercise for you. If someone says to you, “I don’t like those trousers on you”. What might they mean? Stop reading now and have a think. Jot down as many meanings as you can on a sheet of paper. I’ve shared some of my thoughts at the end of the article. This short…
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Money, money, money – your employee wants a pay rise, how do you react?
If a member of your team came to you and asked for a pay rise, what would your initial reaction be? Would you be happy they felt they could discuss options with you? Would you be open to a discussion about the possibility of more money? Or would you – more likely – feel taken…
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Adding customer value in a time of pandemic
This article is based on an email I received from the Promising Outcomes team at the beginning of the year. It elicited a couple of thoughts and feelings and I enjoyed the under current of hope and opportunity for businesses who innovate their way through the pandemic. The email also imparted some a really great…
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Know Your Reds – How to Avoid ‘Crazy Busy’ and Triage Your To Do list
I wanted to share this video – a TED Talk from Emergency Room Doctor Darria Long – that will make you rethink the way you behave about prioritisation and stress forevermore. So often I find myself speaking with ’crazy busy’ (and stressed) clients about how to use triage as a way to assess the…
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All Agencies are Eating off the Same Plate
You know those budget holders within existing client businesses that you don’t work with but are desperate to get your hooks into? It’s those people who are really your client. One of the founders I work with recently lost a six figure account apparently out of the blue. They were told their work wasn’t on…
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KitKat has a point.
The 31st March marks a quarter of the way through the year. How many of you have taken holiday days so far? I’d guess not many. I too am guilty. Why take a break so soon after Christmas? Except Christmas was almost three months ago. Why take time off when there are few, if any,…
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Listen: Black Duck Eggs – The People Paid to Break Into Huge Companies
Better that an entire series of Homeland, I couldn’t stop listening to this episode from Dark Net Diaries, entitled ‘Black Duck Eggs’. In fact, if you like nothing more than stories or podcasts about hackers, breaches, shadow government activity, hacktivism, cybercrime, and all the things that dwell on the hidden parts of the network, then…
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More than a pat on the back. How to successfully promote your team when working remotely
I try to apply all my articles to common problems you might be facing as business leaders. When my client mentioned recently that a recent promotion for a (remote working) team member wasn’t having the impact he had initially hoped or envisaged (taking charge, leading projects, freeing up my clients’ time), it made me consider…
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It’s not you, it’s me. The challenge of virtual recruiting (and tips from someone doing it right)
‘It’s not you, it’s me’… or, actually, is it me? Virtual recruiting is yet another challenge business leaders have faced during the pandemic. Whilst digital delivery has been the prepotent media headline of choice, hiring and onboarding talent remotely has been equally disrupted by the past year’s events. Figures from analyst firm Gartner show 86…
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8 Top Tips for Creating Great Videos When You’re Not in a Studio
We spoke to George Owen, Founder of ITCH – an agency that creates compelling stories through film, animation and photography – to discover his tips for creating impactful videos and presentations when you’re working from home or unable to get into a studio. Be gone mundane talking heads. Whether you’re contemplating designing a company-wide preso…
