Directis Consulting

The 1970s called. They want their management models back.

Susan Low — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:49:58 +0000

I’m starting to get tired of hearing “business experts” give advice based on studies or research that was done in the 1960s and 1970s. The whole world has changed since then. Business is vastly different. The same management models that were gospel in the Watergate era… well those are the ones that grew up and …

What kind of impact do you make?

Susan Low — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:53:09 +0000

It’s been my pleasure to have some discussions with several successful and talented people in small business and not-for-profit organizations recently around the topic of impact. More specifically, what is the impact we make on our clients and society as a result of our actions? For entrepreneurs, impact is most often measured by the profits …

Strategy and culture face off…

Susan Low — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:33:54 +0000

Fast Company published an article on their site entitled “Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch.” I barely got halfway through before my inner blogger started screaming “DISAGREE! DISAGREE!” The major hypothesis of the article is that culture is more important than strategy, because without an organizational culture which favours accountability and responsibility, you can’t actually implement …

Dear accountants and bookkeepers, board members, executive directors and business owners,

Susan Low — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:33:10 +0000

I have to be careful when writing this open letter, as I don’t want to offend any of the lovely accountants, bookkeepers and clients of same that I have worked with and am working with. So please bear with me as I try to be extremely tactful, but there’s something I must get off my …

Get your numbers together

Susan Low — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:01:48 +0000

Do you know… I mean REALLY know… that the way you’re doing business is going to continue to be profitable as your revenues grow? Most people know that you have to have a positive margin on every unit sold (no, you can’t just “make it up on volume” as one hapless soul once put it). …

Never underestimate a fruit.

Susan Low — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:36:19 +0000

For the first time in my life, I have become the owner of an Apple product. Gee, it only took me how long since the iPods first arrived on the scene? I am writing this blog post on my new iPad, acquired on Tuesday from Staples (after truly horrendous customer service at ReStart, the closest …

Strategy: a balance between numbers and ideas

Susan Low — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:56:54 +0000

In the past week or so I’ve been reviewing a number of strategic planning software as well as business assessment tools. Something I’ve noted is there seems to be a real emphasis on quantitative measurement of outcomes and results in many of the business software tools out there on the market. For example, I’m looking …

Starting 2012 with a bang!

Susan Low — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:42:02 +0000

Well here we go! Heading into 2012, Directis has a lot of things on the go. This will be an exciting year! Here are some of the projects on our plate for this month, quarter and year: January: We are working on a Business Transformer program for small businesses with 5-20 employees and revenues that …

When it comes to strategic planning, there’s power in your pen

Susan Low — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:32:17 +0000

According to the experts quoted in this Fast Company article, writing down your ideas and intentions has a more powerful effect than using a keyboard (or touch-screen) to record your words: “…as your hand executes each stroke of each letter, it activates a much larger portion of the brain’s thinking, language, and “working memory” regions …

Wandering around is no way to manage!

Susan Low — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:41:40 +0000

Something reminded me the other day of a management fad that I learned about in business school: Management By Wandering Around (link to Wikipedia blurb). The idea is that managers can provide leadership, keep in touch with their employees, and know what’s happening at the front line of an organization by being present in a non-structured, dare-I-say-it …