Building Capability
Perspective matters – New Zealand’s place in the world
Perspective matters when considering anything. New Zealand has challenges but they are outweighed by opportunities. This map adopts the equal earth approach just approved by the United Nations but centres the map of the world on a country seen as being at the end of the world: New Zealand. You can create your own view…
Read MoreSuccessful AI Adoption starts with the right Foundations and Capability
New Zealand is moving quickly when it comes to generative AI. Tech NZ’s August 2026 report Digital Foundations First: A Practical Pathway for New Zealand SMEs places New Zealand third among APEC economies for generative AI use among the working-age population. New Zealand is embracing AI, but adoption alone doesn’t drive business transformation. For real…
Read MoreDoes your organisation have the capability to deliver its strategy?
Every organisation has a strategy. Most have strategic plans, investment priorities and annual work programmes. Yet even with considerable effort and investment, we can struggle to achieve the outcome we have set. The issue may not be the quality of the strategy. It’s whether we have the capability to deliver it. Strategy needs capability Capability…
Read MorePursuing Excellence requires targets
Edward De Bono invented the word “PO” – a provocative operation. A po is an idea (often silly) to take us out of the comfort of an existing pattern and move to a new one. The po generates possibilities. De Bono described five ways of getting movement: 1.Extract a principle or feature and work forward…
Read MoreIs your strategy good enough to eat?
Clarity of strategy is key to execution. It needs to be shared in bite-sized chunks so it can be consumed and feed action. I once wrote a marketing plan which was well received. My manager then told me it should align with the company’s strategy. I said I could do that but I hadn’t seen…
Read MoreImplementing 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 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 More