Coping with an Economic Down Turn: Reveals positive steps for securing an edge, cutting costs and boosting performance where it counts.
Program Titles
- Transforming performance Winning Companies; Winning People
- Why Corporate Governance Isn’t Working
- Transforming the company: Transforming Corporate Performance
- Business Process Re-engineering Myth and Reality
- Developing Directors, for building an effective boardroom team
- How Your Business Can Create, Manage and Profit from Intellectual Capital
- Corporate Communications in Crisis
- Differentiation: Standing out from the crowd
- Developing a Corporate Learning Strategy: A corporate learning strategy should add value for shareholders and customers … not impose extra costs.
Colin Coulson-Thomas, Ph.D., has advised over 100 boards on how to improve board and corporate performance, leads the world’s largest winning business research and best practice programme, and has reviewed the processes and practices for winning business of over 100 companies.
Following marketing and general management roles Colin became the world’s first Professor of Corporate Transformation and more recently Process Vision Holder of major transformation projects.
Chief executives, chairmen, sales, marketing and business development directors, HR directors, heads of training and development, chief executive, human resources development managers, personnel managers… in all.
He has examined what the most successful people do differently in over 2,000 companies and some 500 professional firms. As a result he has identified critical success factors for key corporate activities. And what’s key about helping organisations to excel at the activities that matter.
Transforming Healthcare: Shows how support tools can simultaneously address multiple challenges, improve performance and benefit patients.
Successful experience of early adopters of the affordable approach described suggests large increases in healthcare productivity could be achieved.
Benefits include better engagement with patients, greater understanding, more consistent diagnosis and referral, reduced costs, quicker responses, faster dissemination of improved practices, less stress, higher standards of patient safety and care, and enforced and evidenced compliance.”
The safety and well being of patients is a primary requirement, and the management and mitigation of clinical and other risks is a key task of the boards of healthcare organisations.
According to Coulson-Thomas “Levels of risk could be significantly reduced by the use of diagnostic and treatment support tools that incorporate checks and balances that would prevent certain situations from occurring.”
New approach to international operation shown to next generation business leaders
A revolution is underway in the ease with which opportunities and work can be moved around the world.
It has never been easier to go global according to Colin Coulson-Thomas, author of “Winning Companies; Winning People” speaking to young business leaders: “Pioneers are using a new generation of support tools to free people from dependency upon particular locations and support mobile activities, relocation and outsourcing.
They can transform understanding and make it easier for people to do difficult jobs at any time and any where.”
According to Coulson-Thomas, “In an era of protectionism international travel and communications were relatively expensive. Today the horizons of ambitious managers embrace the globe.
Deregulation, privatization and market forces have eroded trade barriers. Work can follow daylight allowing 24 hour operation. Resources can be accessed and activity undertaken locally, regionally or globally depending upon requirements and comparative costs. Sole traders and jungle natives use websites and email to contact customers all over the world.”
However, operating in the international business environment also presents new challenges. There are commercial, legal and financial risks to consider. There are obstacles of distance, culture and time to overcome.
An investigation led by Coulson-Thomas has compared the approaches of successful international operators with those of businesses that find it hard going to reveal lessons for those with global aspirations.
Coulson-Thomas believes “Thinking global is the first step towards acting global.
Be aware of what is happening abroad. Internationalization requires more than an ability to speak foreign languages.
Respect other viewpoints.
Be tolerant of national differences.
Value diversity.
Join international project groups, task forces and teams.
Seek opportunities for foreign travel, overseas exchanges and job swaps.”
Companies like countries can have distinct cultures. Coulson-Thomas advises “Knowledge of where the best bars are in Cities abroad does not distinguish an ‘international manager’. Attitudes, approaches and perspectives do.
Be sensitive to differences and similarities in national assumptions, attitudes, and motivations.
Try to reconcile conflicting interests, while recognizing that particular local requirements create opportunities for bespoke offerings.”
Customer segments may or may not coincide with national borders. Coulson-Thomas finds “Experienced international operators are intuitive and cross-culturally aware. Learn to handle diversity and relationships with overseas colleagues. Mutual expectations need to be realistic and compatible. Address practicalities such as whether technologies are compatible.”
Coulson-Thomas warns “Don’t be pre-occupied with yourself.
Focus on the people you would like to establish, build and sustain relationships with. Understand them. Empathize with them. Respond to their aspirations, hopes and fears.
Keeping opportunities to yourself, trusting no one and operating alone will stunt your growth.
Form relationships with complementary collaborators.
Match your management style to how people you wish to develop closer relationships with operate.”
People need to be properly supported when overseas operations are established. Coulson-Thomas explains “The latest support tools make it easy for people to understand and emulate the superior approaches of high performers. Higher level work can be quickly outsourced and/or moved offshore.
Early adopters report better performance, lower costs, speedier and bespoke responses, increased understanding, reduced stress, less risk and enforced compliance. Large returns on investment result.”
Coulson-Thomas’ research has covered over 4,000 organisations. 2,000 of them have contributed to studies to identify critical success factors for key business development activities. He reports “The findings are remarkably consistent across sectors, professions, corporate nationalities and different sizes of organisation.
In areas examined so far we have identified a relatively small number of top performers and a much larger proportion of fairly average achievers. The good news is that there are practical and cost effective ways of capturing and sharing what stars do differently.”
The event at which Colin Coulson-Thomas spoke on becoming an effective global manager took place in the Old Royal Naval College on the University’s world heritage site.
The event aimed to highlight the importance of an international perspective for the next generation of business leaders.
Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas has helped over 100 boards to improve director, board and corporate performance, and reviewed the processes and practices for competing and winning of over 100 companies.
He is the author of over 40 books and reports, including “Winning Companies; Winning People” which can be obtained from and has spoken at over 200 national and international conferences in 40 countries.
Many talent management programmes are unaffordable and destined to fail. Talented people can be costly to recruit and difficult to manage and retain. Fortunes are spent on expensive people who are not engaged, effectively used, or properly supported.
a practical and affordable route to building high performance organisations and quickly achieving multiple objectives. The approach it recommends can avoid traditional trade-offs and benefits people and organisations.
Talent Management 2: A quicker and more cost effective route to the high performance organisation
Executive Summary
1 Talent Management and the High Performance Organisation
2 Underpinning Research and Experience
3 Addressing Fundamental Challenges
4 Innovation, and Launching and Selling New Products
5 Building and Supporting High Performance Communities
6 24/7 Learning and Development
7 Transforming Public Services
8 Purchasing and Informed Decision Making
9 Implementing Corporate Policies and Strategies
10 Corporate Communications
11 Addressing Special Situations
12 Adopting and Implementing Performance Support
13 Embracing a More Balanced Approach
Transforming Public ServicesA quicker and more cost effective route to the high performance organisation
Many areas of the public sector face financial constraints and/or increases in demand that are outstripping available resources. At the same time policy makers and the public are impatient for responses and results. While still calling for improvements and new initiatives, they may not be prepared to wait for multi-year transformation programmes to deliver results, even if these were cost effective and likely to succeed.
A practical route to transforming public services, building high performance organisations and quickly achieving multiple objectives. The approach can avoid traditional trade-offs and benefits people and organisations.
Executive Summary
1 Creating High Performance Public Organisations
2 Underpinning Investigation of Performance Levers
3 Addressing Continuing Concerns and Challenges
4 Reducing Risk and Enabling Compliance
5 Talent Management
6 Communicating and Engaging with Staff and the Public
7 24/7 Learning and Development
8 Supporting Innovation and Diffusion
9 Procurement and Supporting Responsible Decision Making
10 Supporting Communities of Professionals
11 Transforming Healthcare Services
12 Adopting and Implementing Performance Support
13 Embracing ‘New Leadership’
Colin Coulson-Thomas, Ph.D.’s qualifications include
MSc(Econ)
MSc
MA
AM
MPA
DPA
Ph.D.
FCCA
FCIS
FCA
FCIM
FCMI
FCIPD
FCIPR
Hon FAIA
Colin Coulson-Thomas, Ph.D., is the author of over 100 books and reports
Books by Colin Coulson-Thomas, Ph.D.
- The Future of the Organisation Achieving Excellence through business Transformation
- Business Process Re-engineering Myth and Reality
- Transforming the Company: Manage Change, Compete & Win
- Individuals and Enterprise
- The Knowledge Entrepreneur: How Your Business Can Create, Manage and Profit from Intellectual Capital
- Winning Companies: Winning People
Book Colin Coulson-Thomas, Ph.D. for your Event!