Oliver Scott Consulting

Sir Michael Edwardes, in his book Back from the Brink, explains that one of his central problems at British Leyland was that the company was run by the wrong people. He distinguishes between two types of executives at any level in any business: line managers, who are concerned to achieve results; and advisory staff, who are more concerned to produce papers. British Leyland, argues Sir Michael, had staff people in line jobs. Hence vast amounts of political infighting.

And more activity than action. The key is not theoretical but practical: what works best. As the American President Herbert Hoover wrote in an essay in 1958: 'Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do ultimately, as in knowing what to do next.' If you have a problem to do with people and their performance, we'd like to hear from you. Call us, in inviolable confidence, for a no-obligation chat.