<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>My CEO Life &#187; Culture</title>
	<atom:link href="http://myceolife.com/category/culture/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://myceolife.com</link>
	<description>Real Business, Real Problems, Real Solutions</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 22 May 2012 05:06:20 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Take Responsibility</title>
		<link>http://myceolife.com/2011/12/take-responsibility/</link>
		<comments>http://myceolife.com/2011/12/take-responsibility/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:09:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Simon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business Performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ownership]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://myceolife.com/?p=28541</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had a strange experience the other day.  I was talking to a CEO that I have mentored on and off over the last 3 years.  I, along with others, have provide him with a range of advice and guidance on how he can potentially grow his business.  This advice and guidance is based on years of experience and if given with all the best intentions, especially since none of us are being paid.

During the discussion he turned around and started blaming me and the others for the poor performance of his business.  While I have never claimed to have all the answers, i was a little taken aback.  Was all the information we have provided him wrong or was something else at play?


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2009/04/times-are-tough-enter-the-consultant/' rel='bookmark' title='Times are Tough &#8211; Enter the Consultant'>Times are Tough &#8211; Enter the Consultant</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/11/the-power-of-trust/' rel='bookmark' title='The Power of Trust'>The Power of Trust</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2011/12/i-failed-my-way-to-success-take-2/' rel='bookmark' title='I Failed My Way to Success &#8211; Take 2'>I Failed My Way to Success &#8211; Take 2</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://myceolife.com/2011/12/take-responsibility/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication</title>
		<link>http://myceolife.com/2011/11/simplicity-is-the-ultimate-sophistication/</link>
		<comments>http://myceolife.com/2011/11/simplicity-is-the-ultimate-sophistication/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:33:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leonardo Da Vinci]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Jobs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://myceolife.com/?p=27628</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is believed that Leonardo Da Vinci coined the phase "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication".  At its core, it is challenging all of us to keep it simple and for many this is a real challenge.  

How often do you sit through a meeting in which you walk out the other end going "what was that all about"?  It happens all the time when looking at new businesses.  I often ask the person doing the pitch to explain the business in 30 sec - a minute maximum.  If they cant, they have will they ever explain it to a customer!


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2010/11/classified-ad-ventures-broadens-its-horizons/' rel='bookmark' title='Classified Ad Ventures Broadens its Horizons'>Classified Ad Ventures Broadens its Horizons</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2006/11/walled-gardens/' rel='bookmark' title='Walled Gardens'>Walled Gardens</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/09/going-global-organic-growth-case-study/' rel='bookmark' title='Going Global &#8211; Organic Growth Case Study'>Going Global &#8211; Organic Growth Case Study</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://myceolife.com/2011/11/simplicity-is-the-ultimate-sophistication/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Walking the Talk &#8211; Management Must Lead by Example</title>
		<link>http://myceolife.com/2010/04/walking-the-talk-management-must-lead-by-example/</link>
		<comments>http://myceolife.com/2010/04/walking-the-talk-management-must-lead-by-example/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:28:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lead by Example]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McKinsey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McKinsey & Co]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://myceolife.com/?p=488</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In today's economic environment businesses are making tough decisions.  They are laying off people at a great rate, cutting back on non-essential costs, and pushing through price increases on their customers, all in an effort to improve the overall performance of a business.  Banks are a great example of this, they are looking for any way to increase their revenues through new fees and charges while quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) laying off people. These businesses, especially the public ones, have no choice.  Their share prices reflect the belief by shareholders in higher and higher returns from these companies.

However, while these changes in an organisation can be difficult for the employees (no one likes to see collegues lose their jobs), senior management often dont cut back on their pay packets or their perks, thereby creating an us and them culture in a business.  If senior management don't walk the talk, the run the risk of undermining the culture of a business.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2009/04/businesses-need-to-be-seen-to-tighten-belt/' rel='bookmark' title='Businesses Need to be Seen to Tighten Belt'>Businesses Need to be Seen to Tighten Belt</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/08/office-fitouts-one-of-the-keys-to-a-great-culture/' rel='bookmark' title='Office Fitouts &#8211; One of the Keys to a Great Culture'>Office Fitouts &#8211; One of the Keys to a Great Culture</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2009/03/cash-flow-is-king/' rel='bookmark' title='Cash Flow is King!'>Cash Flow is King!</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://myceolife.com/2010/04/walking-the-talk-management-must-lead-by-example/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Firing People the Right Way</title>
		<link>http://myceolife.com/2010/03/firing-people-the-right-way/</link>
		<comments>http://myceolife.com/2010/03/firing-people-the-right-way/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:20:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Firing people]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[letting people go]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Redundancy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retrenchment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://myceolife.com/?p=482</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The cold hard reality of life for all businesses is that, from time to time, people need to be let go.

Recently i chatted with one person that was made redundant.  Her description of the process was "I was notified I was being made redundant, and immediately frog-marched out of the building. I wasn't even given the opportunity to collect my wedding photos off my desk. It was all rather disrespectful."

The above is an example of a company that is not approaching the letting go of people in the right manner.  How should companies handle this most difficult of times?


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/11/letting-people-go-the-dos-and-donts/' rel='bookmark' title='Letting People Go &#8211; the Do&#8217;s and Dont&#8217;s'>Letting People Go &#8211; the Do&#8217;s and Dont&#8217;s</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2009/04/if-some-one-resigns-accept-it/' rel='bookmark' title='If Someone Resigns &#8211; Accept It!'>If Someone Resigns &#8211; Accept It!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2006/05/part-1-how-to-attract-excellent-people/' rel='bookmark' title='Part 1 &#8211; How to Attract Excellent People'>Part 1 &#8211; How to Attract Excellent People</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://myceolife.com/2010/03/firing-people-the-right-way/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Giving and Taking Feedback is So Important</title>
		<link>http://myceolife.com/2009/05/giving-and-taking-feedback-is-so-important/</link>
		<comments>http://myceolife.com/2009/05/giving-and-taking-feedback-is-so-important/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2009 14:36:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Simon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education & Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Feedback]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://myceolife.com/?p=452</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I recently wrote an article on one of the other blogs that i run in which i gave my view on a market and how the players are performing in that market.  Now the article was meant as a wake up call for one of those players who i thought had become a little lazy however they took it as a slight against them.

This got me thinking about how you should give feedback and what could happen if you happen to take it as it is meant.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2006/12/pennies-from-heaven/' rel='bookmark' title='Pennies from Heaven'>Pennies from Heaven</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2007/05/building-a-business-on-passion/' rel='bookmark' title='Building a Business on Passion'>Building a Business on Passion</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/08/employee-ownership-of-a-business-important-to-long-term-success/' rel='bookmark' title='Employee Ownership of a Business &#8211; Important to Long Term Success'>Employee Ownership of a Business &#8211; Important to Long Term Success</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://myceolife.com/2009/05/giving-and-taking-feedback-is-so-important/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>As Always, Communication is Critical</title>
		<link>http://myceolife.com/2009/04/as-always-communication-is-critical/</link>
		<comments>http://myceolife.com/2009/04/as-always-communication-is-critical/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:27:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Simon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Communication]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://myceolife.com/2009/04/as-always-communication-is-critical/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A topic that is often talked about in management magazines and books is communication.  It seems that an enormous amount is written on the topic yet management time and time again get it wrong.  I was chatting with a friend today about his work place and he commented that "people are anxious and communications are not flowing".

This got me thinking - what are the do's and dont's of great communication from management to the employees.



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2007/02/can-culture-be-managed/' rel='bookmark' title='Can Culture be Managed?'>Can Culture be Managed?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2009/03/when-times-are-tough-staff-need-transparency/' rel='bookmark' title='When Times are Tough &#8211; Staff Need Transparency'>When Times are Tough &#8211; Staff Need Transparency</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/08/office-fitouts-one-of-the-keys-to-a-great-culture/' rel='bookmark' title='Office Fitouts &#8211; One of the Keys to a Great Culture'>Office Fitouts &#8211; One of the Keys to a Great Culture</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://myceolife.com/2009/04/as-always-communication-is-critical/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>If Someone Resigns &#8211; Accept It!</title>
		<link>http://myceolife.com/2009/04/if-some-one-resigns-accept-it/</link>
		<comments>http://myceolife.com/2009/04/if-some-one-resigns-accept-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:37:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Simon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://myceolife.com/?p=417</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever had the situation where someone who reports to you resigns and you try to talk them out of it?  I certainly have and i have also tried to talk them out of it ... often successfully.  However, is this the right strategy or should you just accept the resignation and move on?



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/11/letting-people-go-the-dos-and-donts/' rel='bookmark' title='Letting People Go &#8211; the Do&#8217;s and Dont&#8217;s'>Letting People Go &#8211; the Do&#8217;s and Dont&#8217;s</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/09/the-art-of-decision-making/' rel='bookmark' title='The Art of Decision Making'>The Art of Decision Making</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/08/office-fitouts-one-of-the-keys-to-a-great-culture/' rel='bookmark' title='Office Fitouts &#8211; One of the Keys to a Great Culture'>Office Fitouts &#8211; One of the Keys to a Great Culture</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://myceolife.com/2009/04/if-some-one-resigns-accept-it/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Not to Tell Some One They Dont Have a Job</title>
		<link>http://myceolife.com/2009/03/how-not-to-tell-some-one-they-dont-have-a-job/</link>
		<comments>http://myceolife.com/2009/03/how-not-to-tell-some-one-they-dont-have-a-job/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:56:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Simon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Decision Making]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Communication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retrenchment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://myceolife.com/?p=399</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I recently heard about a manager who called all his staff in for a meeting about the future of his part of the business.  As he went through the presentation, he talked about a new, more efficient structure.  The problem was, the new structure left off a bunch of existing people.  These existing people immediately asked "where am i".  To their surprise, they  were told that their roles where no longer needed and the manager wasnt sure if they would have a job after 30 June.  Now this doesnt appear to  be the smartest approach to the problem of how to tell someone they dont have a job any more.  What is the impact of this approach and how could that manager have handled it better?


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/08/do-you-really-need-an-hr-team/' rel='bookmark' title='Do You Really Need an HR Team?'>Do You Really Need an HR Team?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2009/03/when-times-are-tough-staff-need-transparency/' rel='bookmark' title='When Times are Tough &#8211; Staff Need Transparency'>When Times are Tough &#8211; Staff Need Transparency</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/11/runnning-a-business-on-skype/' rel='bookmark' title='Runnning a Business on Skype'>Runnning a Business on Skype</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://myceolife.com/2009/03/how-not-to-tell-some-one-they-dont-have-a-job/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ryanair Takes on a Blogger and Loses</title>
		<link>http://myceolife.com/2009/03/ryanair-takes-on-a-blogger-and-loses/</link>
		<comments>http://myceolife.com/2009/03/ryanair-takes-on-a-blogger-and-loses/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:24:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Simon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryanair]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://myceolife.com/?p=396</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have just stumbled upon an interesting blog posting from Dublin, Ireland.   In the posting by Jason Roe, he claims that he found a bug in the Ryan Air site that displayed a zero price for an airfare after the user completed a couple of less than obvious actions.  While bugs on websites are nothing new, it was the response by people within Ryan Air (including someone within the PR team) that makes his a fascinating case study on how not to deal with blogger.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/10/can-ceos-really-manage-from-their-desk/' rel='bookmark' title='Can CEO&#8217;s Really Manage from their Desk?'>Can CEO&#8217;s Really Manage from their Desk?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2006/12/conferences-getting-the-most-out-of-them/' rel='bookmark' title='Conferences &#8211; Getting the Most Out of Them'>Conferences &#8211; Getting the Most Out of Them</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/07/internal-conferences-a-great-way-of-building-the-team/' rel='bookmark' title='Internal Conferences &#8211; Building the Team'>Internal Conferences &#8211; Building the Team</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://myceolife.com/2009/03/ryanair-takes-on-a-blogger-and-loses/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When Times are Tough &#8211; Staff Need Transparency</title>
		<link>http://myceolife.com/2009/03/when-times-are-tough-staff-need-transparency/</link>
		<comments>http://myceolife.com/2009/03/when-times-are-tough-staff-need-transparency/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:10:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Simon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transparency]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://myceolife.com/?p=374</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Businesses around the world are going through tough times as the world's economy continues to struggle.  In these tough times, business have to make tough decisions - often letting go of key people.  In making these decisions, it is important that the people in the business understand why the decision is being made, in particular what events have led to that decision.  However, this openness and transparency is often very difficult for management.  Therefore, the result is that businesses become plagued by fear and rumour, thus leading to a slowdown in efficiency and effectiveness and therefore more layoff.  How can management break this spiral?


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2007/03/why-do-ceos-fail/' rel='bookmark' title='Why Do CEO&#8217;s Fail?'>Why Do CEO&#8217;s Fail?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2007/02/can-culture-be-managed/' rel='bookmark' title='Can Culture be Managed?'>Can Culture be Managed?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://myceolife.com/2008/11/letting-people-go-the-dos-and-donts/' rel='bookmark' title='Letting People Go &#8211; the Do&#8217;s and Dont&#8217;s'>Letting People Go &#8211; the Do&#8217;s and Dont&#8217;s</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://myceolife.com/2009/03/when-times-are-tough-staff-need-transparency/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

