Blog

In business, successful leaders need the determination to achieve and succeed. They need to take the right people with them on their journey. One example is Diana Williams, Founder and Executive Chairman of Fernwood Women's Health Clubs.

Advisory boards can provide much needed management firepower for growing small businesses. Darren Baguley investigates this growing trend.

Managing complex long-term projects is difficult, and the results are often less than spectacular. How come we often can't get project management right? By Byron Kalies

When it comes to project management, Rod Vawdrey, CEO of Fujitsu Australia, says that generally the technology industry disappoints with its inability to deliver on promised outcomes. He dryly states: "Around 54 per cent of projects don't deliver on their promise - I am glad we are not in the airline industry."

Simplicity has emerged as one of the hot management trends of the new century. But is it really new, or just commonsense? Kate Kerrison reports.

John Fogarty, Chief Executive Officer at St John of God Hospital, Ballarat, says simplicity is paramount in his business. To him, simplicity means taking things back to basics and removing obstacles and barriers to efficiency.

"It is obviously the opposite of complexity, and most complexity is usually introduced by human intervention in simple processes," Fogarty says.

Horst von Sanden talks about how Mercedes-Benz used its traditional strengths to forge ahead in a new market, consistently delivering innovation and quality while extending its appeal to new niches. By Penny Sutcliffe

On 29 January, 1886, Karl Benz applied for a patent for his motorised vehicle. In November of the same year his Patent No. 37435a was granted and his Patent Motor Car, as this three-wheeled vehicle has since been known, received official recognition as the world's first automobile.

This may well be the age of the SME (small-to-medium enterprise). These successful Australians have come a long way, and are set to make greater strides in the future, says Ann-Maree Moodie

Management needs creativity if organisations are to survive. Creativity should not be seen as the exclusive territory of the t-shirt and jeans brigade, according to Lloyd Bond, renowned advocate of creativity in the workplace as well as personal life. Anna Kassulke explores creativity in management.

"I had to persuade Mr Bond to lend me his creative brain until he helps me find mine," says Tsuneo Sekine, President of Matsushita Investment & Development Company, Japan.

As businesses get swamped by meetings, Deborah Tarrant discusses ways to make the office meeting more than just a ritual that bored executives revel in.

Intellectual property (IP) is an important aspect of modern business. IP needs protecting and nurturing. Ann-Maree Moodie reports.

Crooners from the 1950s and 1960s are getting antsy. After a lifetime of enjoying a steady income from the hits of yesteryear, these ageing stars are seeing the end of 50 golden years of copyright protection. For many, extended royalties from their top 100 hits are the only reliable income stream.

Hierarchies may be evil necessities, but new styles and concepts of management are making them more horizontal and responsive to the needs of a fast-changing market, reports Darren Baguley