Mark Boddington is the founder and driving force behind Silverlining – the world’s leading luxury furniture making brand. You may not have heard of Silverlining – don’t be disappointed if you haven’t – their unique design and build proposition is rarely if ever purchased by anyone other than the super-rich. Their world-wide customer base is confidential – many of their clients have been with them for a decade and more – and includes billionaire entrepreneurs, Russian oligarchs, financiers and royalty. You are likely to come into contact with a bespoke piece of Silverlining furniture in a private residence, super yacht, embassy or [...]

Are you lucky enough to work in a great company? Not sure? We are often told that there are very few great companies around. The evidence is often based on the small numbers of organisations who achieve ‘best or great’ status in any of the awards programmes currently running in the UK. Perhaps there are thousands more out there that we are not aware of. I’m not so sure after reading one of the latest articles from Guru Jim Collins. His comments have made me sit up and consider seriously the term ‘greatness’ and how it’s achieved. The meaning of [...]

Change and business growth are inextricably linked. The business growth journey is one of constant change. You cannot participate in one without experiencing the other. Both journeys constantly challenge those people involved in them at all levels in the business. The steer and strategy for ‘change’ within any growing organisation will come from the directors and senior management team, but the middle managers, supervisors and team leaders will also play a major role in its implementation. It is crucial, therefore, that every member of the management team is equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to deliver the new [...]

CIPD research recently revealed organisations have cut training budgets by an average of 52 per cent. And this at a time when many employees will jump ship if they get a better offer elsewhere. Therein lies the rub; no business with aspirations to grow can afford to lose good staff, nor can it afford to invest heavily in training.