Buying an SME – it’s different
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Buying an SME – it’s different

As published in The Mandarin September 5, 2023 by Kiah MD John Glenn Enough with the noise about the ‘Big’ 4, and the parallel Defence MSPs. Few would disagree that ‘Big’ has a stranglehold on the professional services government spend. Even with a greater in-house capability in our public service they can’t and shouldn’t replace…

Closing the chasm – the gap between intent and outcome in the public sector
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Closing the chasm – the gap between intent and outcome in the public sector

As published in The Mandarin August 7, 2023 by Kiah MD John Glenn. Do you want another PowerPoint pack with more methodologies, another answer to someone else’s problem being squeezed into your space? Perhaps a dozen more hard-working and enthusiastic grads who just lack experience, sprinkled with revolving door contractors? Experts at what you do…

When it comes to defence, we need to be like Kyiv
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When it comes to defence, we need to be like Kyiv

As published in The Australian February 13, 2023 by Kiah MD John Glenn The old saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but hoping for a different result is pretty apt when it comes to Australia’s defence. The latest Defence Strategic Review is due shortly, one of…

Three ways to deal with deadlock negotiations
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Three ways to deal with deadlock negotiations

Negotiation is the process of trading something of value for something you value more. Deadlock is where there is no movement. It happens when creating a contract, during delivery, around change proposals. It happens within organisations – particularly where groups must work together but have different agendas or outcomes. Sometimes deadlock is real – there…

Cultivating workplace courage
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Cultivating workplace courage

After decades as a military officer, followed by decades in industry, I have often pondered the incongruity of clearly physically brave individuals who always lean towards safe choices in business and bureaucracies, seemingly lacking the courage to make the tough decisions. Worthy of a read is “Cultivating Everyday Courage” (James R Detert, Harvard Business Review,…

Navigating the public-private sector boundary
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Navigating the public-private sector boundary

*Warning, it’s unsafe Any conversations that suggest alternative contracting models can engage companies to deliver social outcomes, acting in the public interest over their own, are based on a false premise that industry will subjugate their own interest in favour of their clients’ interests. Businesses do not exist for the public good. They may do…

Deal-making isn’t a dirty word
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Deal-making isn’t a dirty word

Some years ago I did a Harvard program called “strategic deal-making for business”. I followed on with a master’s unit in strategy at Edinburgh Business School that focused on strategic deals. I started to talk about it with our, mostly, public sector clients. Almost all of them said they “don’t do deals” because they are…

It’s not what you do that matters…
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It’s not what you do that matters…

It’s what you deliver. I recently participated in a Government project review. I really liked the project manager – young, dynamic, articulate, driven – absolutely brilliant until asked what she thought her job was. To which she replied, “…to make sure this process works”. She had been captured by the process, not the project. Projects…