Academy Articles
Research shows that typical
interviews are about 38% reliable at predicting future performance. Psychometric assessment and structuring of interviews using our approach, can
considerably improve this reliability.
Is it real or is it just another bit of jargon or management speak? I think the answer is both and I have explored this below.
It is very important to be able to identify what is real in this context as true thought leadership is at the root of all the progress made by mankind since the dawn of time.
Scientists study it. Doctors recommend it. Olympic athletes practise it.
It's being offered in schools, prisons, hospitals, law firms and corporate offices and millions of ordinary people do it every day to reduce stress, increase energy, make better use of time and solve problems. So, What is Meditation?
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We devote our intelligencies to anticipating what average opinion expects the average opinion to be'
John Maynard Keynes wrote this in 1936. Nothing has changed since then. In the absence of reliable econometric models we rely on opinion, guesstimates, and tend to believe the crowd.
So what is the average view currently?
Entrepreneurship alive and kicking finds study* Entrepreneurs more likely to lead UK out of recession than Government / * Start-ups should be given tax breaks and more funding / * Four in 10 people plan to run their own business /* Best entrepreneurs deemed to be from poor families
What is the first rule of business? Some would say that it is to "service your key accounts before someone else does!" For many companies, profitability is mainly a downstream consequence of "getting customer service right" with the 20% of customers who often produce 80% of the business.
Peter Cordery joined The Academy for Chief Executives as Chairman of
Academy Group 40 in January 2009. The group is geographically based in Watford and the surrounding area and attracts members who both live or work within the locale.
The role of a CEO is both demanding and highly complex and often there are few places to go to for impartial advice. One would be naive to think that people inside the business give unbiased answers always, so who can the CEO turn to for answers to those tough questions and validation of their ideas?
Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have a fundamentally lonely role. Like me they are charged with the ultimate responsibility for the success of the organisation whether publicly quoted or not-for-profit. And although they frequently have fellow Directors with whom they can share problems, there are some issues which cannot be raised
with colleagues, perhaps when performance is lacking with other Directors, or when re-organisation threatens continued employment.
Nick Jackson chairs
Academy Group 16 which covers the full length of Cumbria and North Lancashire. Membership within the group has always been cross sector and very diverse. Member companies range from a chain of pharmacies to construction and transport and also counts an award-winning charity amongst its number. "The majority of businesses are family-owned," says Nick "and although the members have bonded to become a close-knit group since we formed in 2003, new members are always welcomed by this friendly, open bunch of business leaders and CEOs."
Coaching is the fastest growing business in the world at the moment. There are an increasing number of people setting up as coaches of various types. There are Executive Coaches, Career Coaches, Management Coaches and even Life Coaches!
Suddenly, as the world's finances look increasingly precarious, "Risk" has become a subject very close to all our hearts. As a former professional poker player, living and working in Las Vegas, it was very close to Caspar Berry's for about three years.
Barrie Barrett joined The Academy for Chief Executives in 2000 when he embarked upon setting up his first Chief Executive Forum. Barrie has proved to be one of the Academy's most successful Chairmen – in fact he's in such demand that he now has a total of four groups – Academy Groups 13 and 26 and Directors Forum Groups 1 and 8.
Simon Lester, Chairman of North London & Hertfordshire based
Academy Group 7 is one of The Academy's growing number of individuals who've made the transition from member to Chairman. "I guess you could say that having been a member for 9 years, I
'walked the talk' by taking the decision to start my own group." Simon smiles.
Research carried out by the publisher Sweet and Maxwell
1 earlier this year highlighted that the Government introduced eight new laws a day during 2007. Small wonder that busy executives struggle to keep up with the requirements and complain about the growth of red tape, much of which is to do with employing people.
Peter Pritchett is one of The Academy's veteran Chairmen, having been with our organisation for 11 years. He served his 'apprenticeship' as a member of Academy Group 2, and following an enforced sabbatical (when he was hospitalised for a short while), Peter had time to reflect upon what he really wanted from life.
Everyone has intuitive judgement - few use it well.
From unlikely beginnings in Glasgow, Juliette Lee's appetite for scientific fact coupled with hungry ambition, led her to develop a strong analytical mind and high-powered corporate career at the expense of her intuition. Her life changed dramatically the day she finally faced a difficult truth - that somehow, for some reason, all she had achieved seemed rather pointless.
In the 80s Robyn was a burnt out real estate agent and poor time manager. Today this mother of 6 and grandmother of 10, having conquered her own time challenges, works with clients around the globe helping them solve their time problems. She's author of 5 books, has a huge internet following and is one of the top time management specialists in the world.
Alan Dean chairs Academy Group 19, a group of fourteen CEOs and entrepreneurs based in the Greater Manchester and Merseyside area. He also co-chairs Directors Forum 13. Alan is now approaching his ninth year of group Chairmanship and was additionally appointed as a Director of The Academy for Chief Executives in 2007.
Delivering his first Academy workshop
Remove the Rubbish and win Genuine Quality Clients in March – the feedback from that event was not to his liking, rather than sulk and disappear Mike went to other speakers and Chairmen to learn how to adapt and deliver a truly powerful workshop that was fit for The Academy.
