Many businesses, especially, SMEs, see strategy development as something of a “dark art” however, in my experience, it needn’t be…. Whilst it is generally helpful to have plenty of information at the start of the process (market analysis, competitive positioning etc.) the best outputs are generally those that follow a mantra of simplicity and definitely […]
Why ‘Mr Robot’ Is Already Knocking At Your Door
When the movie ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ first came out in April 1968, the date in the title was one generation into the future but most of the technical elements would have seemed very plausible to anyone buying a cinema ticket. Sitting at home watching their own TV, Mr and Mrs Jones followed the Apollo […]
What Makes A Successful Business?
“ What Makes A Successful Business?” This is a question that is often discussed when we are working with companies to help develop their strategy. After all, most of us want to know what is the ‘secret sauce’ behind other people’s success! If you search online, you will find a vast amount of (often contradictory) […]
Migration By The Trillion Is Bugging Me
WHATEVER you feel about Brexit, one thing is certain: concerns about migration were a big factor in the debate; and migration will surely remain a key preoccupation for the UK and other countries. Much of our collective anxiety around the movement of people is grounded in our fears about how ‘The Great Acceleration’ (that immense […]
Artificial Intelligence In Medicine – Maximizing the benefits
Google’s DeepMind artificial intelligence has started working with the doctors and computers at London’s Royal Free Hospital Trust; many of the first questions being asked concentrate on data security and patient confidentiality. About 1.6m patients a month are seen by the three hospitals that the Trust covers and, according to an agreement seen by the […]
Our Genes Define Us… Or Do They?
Our genes are who we are, or so we have thought, yet recent advances in gene editing technology could allow us to change ourselves, and our children, in ways that have never before been possible. The Latin expression homo faber or ‘Man-the-Maker’ holds the idea that humans influence their fate and the environment through the […]
Alice still has her part in robot Wonderland, for now…
IMAGINE the scene of a car crash sometime in the future: two shiny saloons have bumped in the city street and, although both vehicles are dented and stationary, the occupants – including one family and one person on their own – are moving around inside, unbuckling themselves, checking. Everyone is a bit shocked. No-one is […]