How to write an eBook

By Jacqui-Hogan1 Comment
Who’s got a book they’d like to write, has an idea for a book or has even written some of it down? At every networking event I go to, I meet at least 2 or 3 people who have. So what’s stopping you? For some it’s uncertainty of what’s involved, for others it’s lack of time and for some it’s because they aren’t sure what to say. Here are some tips from my own experience of writing four books, with 2 more in the pipeline. An eBook is easier than a paper book no complicated layout needed, no page numbers etc. royalties are much better (up to 70% with Amazon!) Amazon in particular, will allow you to upload a plain old ordinary Word document An eBook doesn’t have to be very long My most successful book was only 16 pages! The most successful ebooks are quite short Start with Amazon Kindle Amazon makes it easy You can make a paper book later using their create space app Amazon will show what your book looks...
Read More

Do you delegate?

By Jacqui-HoganNo Comments
It's late in the evening and you are still in the office fixing problems. Or, you took your mobile phone on holiday, even though your partner said 'no work this time darling or I'll leave you / go on my own next time / drop your phone in the swimming pool (you choose)'. You may like to think that you are the only person who can sort out the end of month figures or code that little fix. You haven't shared the way to do things because, let’s face it; no one can do quite like you do. Sounds familiar? For most of your career, you are praised and rewarded for being a supreme expert. You work hard, accumulating experience, and become totally confident in your ability to solve problems. Over time, you find that you are being passed over for promotion because you are so good at what you do; no one can imagine you doing anything else. YOU need to delegate! To delegate...
Read More

Unravelling IT Jargon

By Jacqui-HoganNo Comments
~Navigator member Jacqui Hogan is a management consultant ~ I’ve worked in IT for over 30 years and take it for granted that everyone understands what these terms mean. This works fine during the day, as most of my clients work in IT. But when I get home, my husband, who is a retired Architect (a real one who designed buildings), just looks at me blankly. Here is some of the IT Jargon he says he finds confusing - and an explanation. The Cloud No, not that fluffy thing up in the sky. ‘The Cloud’ often refers to the Internet in general. Strictly speaking, it refers to where you store data and use software applications that are not on your own computer. Whereas you used to get a CD or DVD, install it on your PC in the office, now you can go onto the Internet, and just start using software there. This means you’ll always be using the latest version of the software,...
Read More

I don’t do strategy

By Jacqui-HoganNo Comments
How many times have you heard that? Maybe you have even said it yourself. Imagine what would have happened if the Greeks had said that when they were contemplating how to seize the city of Troy. There would have been no Trojan horse and many more years of misery for both them and the Trojans. In case you may be thinking that the strategy WAS the Trojan horse, here is the probable thinking that went on in the Greek camp. “Dimetri, how long are we going to sit outside Troy then? Our supplies are running low, and some of the soldiers are pretty fed up with army rations. Having boiling oil poured on them every day for months is taking its toll on morale too” “Lord Paris says we have to stay here until Troy gives Lady Helen back, you know, the one with the really pretty face. I think he wants to capture Troy too, so they can’t steal her back’ “Yeah, but our strategy...
Read More

English please not Business Jargon

By Jacqui-HoganNo Comments
Professionals in every field have their own words to describe what they do as a short cut to communication within their own expert group. Unfortunately, we often assume everyone else understands these terms. No one will own up to it of course for fear of sounding stupid. No one likes to question a term or say “Sorry, I don’t understand.” Business is no different. These are some of the jargon terms even business people may not understand. For non business-speaking people i.e. most small businesses, this may help you to understand what that 'smarty pants' consultant or coach is telling you! Balanced scorecard. A tool that measures financial, customer, internal business process and growth. Most small businesses do not use it, preferring to use an excel spreadsheet, which is both easier and more useful. Cash flow forecast. An assessment and understanding of the expected cash coming into and flowing out of the organisation in specific periods. Contrary to belief, this is a mystery...
Read More

Recipe for success in 2015

By Jacqui-HoganNo Comments
2015 is upon us, so you are probably thinking about what to do to make your business more successful in 2015. If you liken your business to a great meal, you will need to get all the right ingredients together and then mix together using an effective recipe. For a well risen business, you’ll need: Your own unique recipe ingredients in a small plan Large spoon fulls of talented people 1 leader, zested A small quantity of well ground new ideas Small number of processes, well trimmed Plain or self raising finance (as needed) Well seasoned managers Customers to taste Business recipe method: Prepare your plan, checking that sufficient unique ingredients are identified and available Mix together spoonfulls of people and well ground ideas, adding a spoonful at a time until well mixed Chop your processes until small. Select only those that are fresh and fold carefully into the people mixture. Make sure your leader is well zested, and add to the mixture. Watch out for curdling – where the people and leader mixtures...
Read More

Where’s your BHAG?

By Jacqui-HoganNo Comments
Do you have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal? “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” ~ John F Kennedy. 1961 Looking back from our technology enriched world, you may not remember the impact of this bold statement. The world had barely begun to put men into orbit, something the US had yet to achieve at all. Yet Kennedy had the audacity and boldness to set a goal that would challenge every area of technology for almost a decade. Many people said it could not be done. Yet, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the lunar surface. Many people dismiss the idea of setting big bold audacious goals. Some, because it is difficult to predict what might be around the corner. Some, because of fear that they cannot achieve such goals. Some,...
Read More

What is a manager?

By Jacqui-HoganNo Comments
Remarkably, over the past few days I have been asked no fewer than five times, “what is a manager?” Help is at hand! What is management? Before we can ask ‘what is a manager’, we need to ask ‘what is management’. The dictionary definition is “the control or administration of an organisation or group of staff.” In practice, it includes one or more of these: Coordinating internal and/or external resources to produce a complex deliverable Helping people to work together to effectively deliver stuff Helping people work together towards a common organisational goal A check on consistency of approach and expenditure, usually through agreed processes Developing individuals skills in a way that enhances their contribution both now and in the future Resolving conflicts and poor performance issues A helpful relationship based upon mutual trust and respect How much of each of these your organisation has (or needs) depends upon things such as size, age, sector, complexity of deliverables and culture. Benefits to an organisation of having managers Managers do the process of...
Read More

Top Ten Tips – Time Management

By Jacqui-Hogan1 Comment
Do you feel that you could be using your time more effectively? If answer is "yes", here are my top ten tips for time management: 1.     Write things down Always take notes. No-one’s memory is perfect. Everyone forgets stuff, especially when stressed. Write random ‘stuff’ down too. It will distract you otherwise. Use a notebook, Post It notes or a tool like Evernote:  http://evernote.com 2.     It’s normal to have days when you can’t work & days when you want to work for 12 hours Work more when you are in the zone and relax when you're not. We all have both kinds of days, so don't beat yourself up about it. 3.     Respect your time and make it respected Delegate everything you can. But remember, delegation means finding the right person, briefing them thoroughly and then (most importantly) letting them get on with the task. Do not forget to take a break occasionally. Do not always say yes. 4.     Not all tasks are created equal Prioritise the important over the...
Read More

Networking for Managers

By Jacqui-Hogan1 Comment
It was not until I left corporate life that I realised why networking was so important. For me, as for many managers, I was just too busy to give it much thought. However, launching myself into the world as a management consultant, I soon realised that ‘who you know’ was not only vitally important to me now, but would have greatly enhanced my career prospects had I done this sooner. Many of us start out being quite good at networking. We know that to get started in our careers, we need to make connections with lots of people. Time passes, our career takes off and we get busy and networking takes second and then third place to the pressures of day-to-day work. Complacency sets in, until we find ourselves being made redundant or languishing in a career backwater. Then we find we are back to stage one of building a network from scratch. How much better would it be, if we...
Read More