[s]PEAK UP!

A fundamental part of every leader's role is finding ways to solve problems. So, if being a confident problem solver is really important to your success and performance, much of that confidence comes from having a good process to use when approaching a problem. With the right process, you can solve problems quickly and effectively. Without one, your solutions may be ineffective, or you'll get stuck and do nothing, with sometimes painful consequences. When I listen to 'experts' who talk about solving problems, they can really make it sound so complex. They  typically say things like: There are four basic steps in solving a problem: Defining the problem. Generating alternatives. Evaluating and selecting alternatives. Implementing solutions. I totally agree that these steps are important. But I've often found that my best solutions come from when I'm not thinking of the problem at all! You know what they say: "good ideas don't ke

As I reflect on our recent Freedom Day in South Africa on 27 April, I'm really touched by the thought that so many people have lost their livelihoods, family ties and even their lives  so that I can call myself FREE. But what does Freedom actually mean? Did you know that there are 17 Different interpretations of the word F reedom ? I kid you not! According to dictionary.com freedom can mean: 1. the   state   of   being   free   or   at   liberty   rather   than   in  confinement   or   under   physical   restraint: He   won   his   freedom   after   a   retrial. 2. exemption   from   external   control,   interference, regulation,   etc. 3. the   power   to   determine   action   without   restraint. 4. political   or   national   independence. 5. personal   liberty,   as   opposed   to   bondage   or  slavery: a   slave   who   bought   his   freedom. 6. exemption   from   the   presence   of   anything  specified   (usuall