by Kate Mercer | Jun 15, 2025 | Organisation Culture
I was talking recently to a newly promoted manager in a business of about 20 people – a typical SME in many ways. She’s been with the company for years, knows the MD well, and had just stepped up from the shop floor into her first leadership role. We got...
by Kate Mercer | Jun 15, 2025 | Leadership
One of the questions I hear most from founders and business owners is, “How do I motivate people?” It’s an understandable question. You care about your team, and you want them to feel engaged and energised. But dig a little deeper, and this question usually turns out...
by Kate Mercer | May 21, 2025 | Organisation Culture
When founders talk about culture change, they often start with good intentions. They want to build something more grown-up, more values-led, less reactive. More like the business they thought they were building in the first place. So they look for a structured...
by Kate Mercer | May 21, 2025 | Leadership
Who are you, really? This morning, if you slept well, just a few seconds before waking up, still within your dreams, you had no idea of who you were and who you were going to be today. For some moments just before and just after waking up, you had some blessed time of...
by Kate Mercer | May 7, 2025 | Organisation Culture
When you hear “employee ownership,” you might picture endless meetings, decisions made by committee, and a business grinding slowly to a halt. In reality, the best EO (employee-owned) businesses show us something very different – and very valuable...