Monthly Archives: April 2012

The Seventies were crap. It’s one of those things that ‘everybody knows’. The unions held the country to ransom, refuse piled up in the streets, power cuts were frequent and the fashions were embarrassing. The economy was tanking and Britain … Continue reading →

Can we all be creative given the right circumstances or is creativity the preserve of a few naturally talented people? It’s an important question for organisations. If it’s the former, you foster an environment where people are given as much … Continue reading →

Chris Dillow reckons we are facing a crisis of creativity. “What might be the most important question in economics,” he says, is “how to encourage creativity.” I say this is the most important question because it is the main cause … Continue reading →

If you want to fritter away an hour or two on a Friday, you could do worse than play around with this fascinating Global cities graphic from McKinsey. It maps cities by population, GDP and Per Capita GDP in 2007 … Continue reading →

Two reports about the cost of ageing and its fiscal impact came out last week. The IMF’s Financial Stability Report concluded that the cost of longevity has been consistently underestimated. By 2050, it says, if people are living for even … Continue reading →

A bronze statue of Genghis Khan, by Buryat sculptor Dashi Namdakov, was placed at Marble Arch this weekend. The occasion lead Kate to consider the khan’s legacy and his leadership style. I can never decide whether Genghis Khan was a ruthless … Continue reading →

I’m off for a few days on a finance and risk management action learning event. Normal service (whatever that is) will be resumed next week.

Chris Dillow’s ‘day job’ piece in the Investors’ Chronicle explains the ‘hidden unemployment’ in Britain. Productivity has dropped, he says, because a lot of people simply don’t have enough to do. Part of this is due to firms hoarding labour … Continue reading →

The government’s internet surveillance proposals have provoked a storm of protest from across the political spectrum. Personal privacy and its protection always arouses strong feelings. At least, it does when the threat to it comes from the state. But there is … Continue reading →

My Twitter stream is full of links to articles and blog posts with titles like, “The 7 must-haves for business success,” or “The 5 things that make a successful entrepreneur,” or “10 reasons why beer drinkers make better businessmen.” OK, maybe … Continue reading →