Opportunities 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
We often miss opportunities because we focus more on the dramatic, but infrequent, storms than on the calm time between them when we could get things done.
Firms invest heavily in big information systems that are simply a foundation for success. We need to do the little things to leverage that investment to realise its opportunities.
Organisations create grand strategies but don’t connect those strategies to the work their people do every day or the daily experiences of their customers.
Businesses collect data on every aspect of their operations. Often we do little or no analysis to improve the value to our customers and return to our shareholders.
Ways of doing things become familiar and comfortable. We need to review them, listen to feedback, seek out innovation and aim to make things work better. Sometimes we need a fresh pair of eyes.
How to realise opportunities
Be more aware of your environment to recognise opportunities when they arise.
We all use information systems to support our work. Use google or AI or both to search for the very best ways to use systems like yours then compare what you do. Where are the gaps?
Ask 5-10 people in your organisation to explain your strategy and tell you at least one thing they do that they know will help make it a reality.
Think about the last time you gained real actionable insights from your business data. When will the next time be?
Productivity means making the most of opportunities
Lots of people write about productivity. Far fewer people do something about improving it. Productivity is not about working harder or putting in more hours. In fact it often means stopping to observe, think and to create new ways of working or stop doing things badly.
Productivity growth may require investment in training or technology but the most important investment to improve productivity is the investment of your time to stop and think.
Taking a step towards better productivity
The role of a professional advisor includes helping business owners and managers see things more clearly and position themselves and their organisations for growth. Advisors need to demonstrate that value.
I am a member and a past President of Institute of Management Consultants New Zealand which can accredit an experienced, successful consultant as a Certified Management Consultant (CMC). We know we need to show the value of a CMC, not just talk about it.
Phil Guerin CMC of Hague Consulting and Karen Clarke CMC of Capability Collective will run a productivity workshop on 1 August 2025 in Palmerston North that anyone can afford to attend. You can get the benefit of real case studies, research and experience for little more than the cost of your time.
Massey University and BusinessFirstNZ will host the workshop at Masseys’ Palmerston North campus. It is supported by Institute of Management Consultants New Zealand as a CMC outreach initiative. Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/ahpw
We can run the workshop elsewhere in the country or run one for you in house if you are interested. Please let us know.
Phil Guerin, Consultant/Director, Hague Consulting Ltd. © Hague Consulting Ltd 2025. If you like this content, subscribe to our blog – it’s free! Enquiries@hague.co.nz
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