Notwithstanding that many business organisations use tools such as codes of conduct, training and audits, research constantly shows that only very few employees ever speak up or report wrongdoing. This matters, because such silence creates a fertile ground for white-collar crime. Why is this? The leading cause of silence is fear of repercussions. Research after …
Author: Silvan Mifsud
Survival Mode for Family Businesses and SMEs
I was recently impressed by the hard hitting statistic coming out from the Chamber of SMEs research which outlined that 68% of SMEs in Malta felt that they would not survive more than 12 months in the current conditions (even with the present level of Government Assistance).There are various research studies presently taking place across …
Continue reading Survival Mode for Family Businesses and SMEs
Please be AGILE
Businesses are facing major disruptions which bringing new and urgent demand for change. With some industries on the brink of extinction, change isn’t about fine-tuning — it’s existential. However I still see businesses going about change, using traditional approaches based on heavy processes and lengthy timelines. This is not want is needed. Many businesses need …
Teamwork
With all the difficulties and challenges that various businesses are facing, it is becoming even more evident that one resource they need to rely on desperately is teamwork. However, I too often see groups or sub-groups of employees or managers entrenched in their way of leading and “their” group’s ways of working, more interested at …
Scenario Planning
If I could get €5 for each time someone asks me when I think the pandemic will end, I could likely have saved a good sum of money. Rather than speculating on when the pandemic will end or hoping it will end soon, we need to plan ahead according to the various possible different scenarios …
Business Transformation
Years of research on business transformation have shown that the success rate for these efforts is consistently low: less than 30% succeed. Often, lack of employee communication, engagement and alignment with the new goals are the main reasons for such a high failure rate. So what is Business Transformation exactly? Business transformation is all about …
Power Centres of Family Businesses
I find myself writing once again on Family Businesses. I have written various Blog articles on Family Businesses, but I still face various issues with regards Family Businesses, that makes my blood boil. Add to that the fact that in the current circumstances Family Businesses need to get their act together to face adequately the …
Ask Good Questions
There is the general misconception that being a Leader means that people look to you for answers or bold assertions that build people’s confidence in your competence as a leader. Not really. One of the main skills of a good leader is that of asking good questions. In reality having the approach, that as a …
Trends in 2021 and beyond
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world and some of its effects will last. There are various research projects taking place around the globe that shed light on the factors that business leaders should keep in mind as they prepare for the next normal. As I interact daily with various businesses, I could see first …
Business Relationships
If there ever was a year that taught us important business lessons, that’s definitely 2020. Lessons from the importance of managing your cashflow properly, to using the full potential of technology, to diversifying your supplier base, to decreasing cost and increasing operational efficiency, to finding new revenue sources and to understanding how the buying habits …
A Business Blog for SMEs & Family Businesses 