Eating from the Table of Giants

I quite like the flavour of a good quote. Earlier this week, however, I may have over-indulged. I’ve just returned from a Sydney management conference which was an all-you-can-eat buffet of words and wisdom from various internationally renowned ‘gurus’. Tuck in your napkin and I’ll give you a taste.

I have to say that I travelled to this meeting with some trepidation. Management conferences have a tendency to serve up a flavourless mix of stodgy, glutinous nonsense. Thankfully this one was different. Perhaps because Sydney’s stock of nonsense had been fully dispensed at APEC the fortnight before. Or because this convention was dedicated to the memory of Peter Drucker, one of the most sensible of all management gurus.

Flexible working hours work. Why are they so rare?

One of the principles of creating a simple workplace – a workplace in which it is easy to get things done – is the creation of flexibility. Making it easier for people to do their work when and where they can would seem an obvious way to help employees strike the right balance between work and home.

And it works. I’ve just read interviews with two CEOs – Peter Widdows of Heinz Australia and Tom Quinn of Aker Kvaerner – who describe the significant cultural benefits their organizations have gained from providing their staff with greater flexibility.