Blog
Implementing strategy is a team sport
Image source: Strategy Implementation Institute Experience delivers results I am an experienced consultant but I learn new things every day because I make an effort to do so. Being active in professional associations helps me mix with experts at home and across the world. Last month I joined a workshop where we all talked through…
Read MoreOpen for business
Holiday mode We don’t have a White Christmas in New Zealand. We head off to the beach, lake or river. I like summer holidays as much as the next Kiwi but Hague Consulting is open for business now and in January. Being open for business means being open to opportunities for growth, innovation, optimisation and…
Read MoreThe Importance of being You – trust matters
Sometimes the most important thing you can bring to work is you. Your experience, your values, your gut feelings, your passion, your caution, your knowledge and your perspectives. You are the sum of all you have learned and that has value so bringing the real you to work adds value to what you do. You…
Read MoreCut your coat to fit your cloth
Should we budget based on our bank balance or our wish list? There is an old saying : “Cut your coat to fit your cloth”. We should make our plans based on the resources we have, not what we wish we had. I had reason to reflect on that recently for personal reasons which I…
Read MoreProductivity is simple … and complicated
What is productivity? Productivity is both simple and complicated. Productivity measures the efficiency with which we convert capital, labour and materials into outputs. It is simple because we measure productivity by units of output divided by units of input. Lots of different inputs make productivity complicated. It may not be obvious how those inputs interact…
Read MoreA fresh pair of eyes helps you grow
A fresh pair of eyes – how it helps me Each year I get to hear about great ideas being implemented around the world. And I get to ask the people who lead those initiatives any questions I like. Even better, I get to do it with colleagues from around the world who are in…
Read MoreOpportunities we miss
I live in Wellington, New Zealand, the windiest city on earth. But as I walked through Parliament grounds this morning, all the flags were hanging limply. It is a clear, still, mid-winter day. The harbour is flat as a pancake, perfect for kayaking or paddle-boarding but…there are always opportunities we miss. Why we miss opportunities…
Read MoreLearning by doing … and Vikings
We often learn best by doing things. We need knowledge and data but we need to do something useful with it too. If we don’t act on our knowledge, we limit our learning. A recent visit to the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde highlighted that learning by doing teaches us more. The last stop on…
Read MoreTransformation creates value. Are you transforming or tinkering?
Transformation creates value while tinkering just keeps us busy. Transformation is driven by a strategic focus on being in a different place in the future. Strategic transformation redefines an organisation’s operations, identity and direction. That can mean entering new markets, shifting from products to services, digitalisation at scale, switching from physical stores to online etc.…
Read MoreData analysis gives us better outcomes
Data helps make things happen. It helps us understand what is happening and what might happen next. Data helps us make better choices for better outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) is exciting because it automates and speeds up pattern recognition but we can collect, analyse and learn from data without AI. AI doesn’t work without data.…
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