Summary
Join John Downes in this episode of the #CriticalFewActions™ podcast as he unveils the powerful Organisation Performance and Value Diagnostic he’s used with successful clients for over a decade.
Learn to systematically assess and prioritize key business decisions, focusing on six critical levers: Vision and Strategy, Building Revenue, Delivering Profitability, Supporting People, Asset Returns, and Organisational Learning.
Discover how concentrating on a few high-impact actions can transform your business, drive profitability, and align your team towards shared success.
Tune in for practical strategies and real-world examples to elevate your organisational performance.
Links and References
In this episode of the #CriticalFewActions™ podcast, John Downes interviews Jane Kneebone, a specialist in marketing, public relations, and strategic communications.
Jane shares insights on brand promotion and crisis management including case studies.
Jane also discusses successful branding campaigns and provides practical tips on traditional and social media engagement.
In this episode of the #CriticalFewActions™ podcast, John Downes chats with Georgie Chapman, a partner at HR Legal, about key considerations in the first phase of the HR lifecycle, Recruitment. This addresses essential tips including:
– job advertisements
– interviews
– pre-employment checks
– letter of offer and employment contracts, and
– terminations.
Summary
In this engaging episode, John Downes talks with Peter Westlund how businesses can enhance their capabilities to achieve their strategic objectives through scenario planning.
Peter explains the importance of adapting to volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments, and offers practical steps for integrating scenario planning into strategic management.
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Summary
In this episode of the #CriticalFewActions™ podcast, host John Downes speaks with Michelle Bourke of Foresight Digital. They discuss strategies to boost Ecommerce ROI, with a special focus on SEO, paid advertising, and conversion rate optimization.
Michelle shares her journey from client-side to agency-side marketing, highlighting the importance of understanding customer behavior and the evolving challenges in the Ecommerce landscape, especially post-COVID.
Summary
Steve Ronalds, co-founder of Gippsland Jersey shares the inspiring journey of how he and Sally Jones started Gippsland Jersey in 2016 to help dairy farmers receive fair pricing amid industry crises.
Steve discusses the challenges of transitioning from an unsustainable milk producer to building a profitable niche product in a market dominated by a few big brand players.
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Summary
In this episode of the #CriticalFewActions™ podcast, host John Downes speaks with Dr. Lucy Burns, a General Practitioner and specialist in lifestyle medicine. Dr. Burns discusses her transition from traditional one-on-one weight management clinics to founding an online weight loss training organisation with Dr. Mary Barson.
They delve into the challenges and successes of moving to a one-to-many model, leveraging their medical and psychological expertise, and the complexities of marketing and scaling their business.
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Business valuations extend far beyond a simple entry on the balance sheet—they carry significant implications, including potential consequences with the ATO. In today’s podcast, we break down the complexities, covering everything you need to know about why accurate valuations matter and how they can impact various aspects of your business. Tune in to gain valuable insights!
In today’s podcast I’m talking with Fiona Hansen. She’s widely recognised for her expertise over the past 20 years in three countries in corporate finance and business valuations.
The ATO is getting more and more sophisticated, both in terms of using AI to identify risks as well as using tactics to “motivate” businesses to pay their tax.
In this episode I’ll be talking to Olga Koskie, who’s a specialist in helping business owners resolve issues with the Australian Tax Office. Olga and I discuss how to avoid ATO issues, and what to do if you do have ATO issues
Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1996 and took control of the company when he returned. Apple was just 90 days from bankruptcy. Steve, took Apple from near bankruptcy to 400 billion in net worth in just 15 years.
Steve understood. The importance of having the right people in the right place, but also having the right culture to help them flourish.
As part of my CEO Masterclass, Linda Murray of Athena Leadership Academy talks about the importance of having the right culture for your organisation and how to develop it.
Today I’m talking to Scott Blakemore and we discuss a number of examples of companies harvesting up 10% or more of their annual revenue to invest in business growth. They were also able to achieve significant gains in productivity and customer satisfaction.
Scott Blakemore is a Business consultant specialising in inventory management with a record of harvesting cash tied up in inventory, improving productivity, and “Delivery In Full, On Time & In Spec.”
In this episode John Downes talks with Joe Ciancio, the Director of Maxsum Consulting, a highly awarded and successful IT strategy and consulting firm.
Today’s discussion focuses on Cybersecurity Threats that are affecting EVERY BUSINESS, large and small. He also discusses the steps you can take to prevent them.
In this episode John Downes talks with Tim Cartwright, the then General Manager of Fresh Foods at Drake Supermarkets, to discuss the core principles that drive his success in leadership, including the mantra that “you don’t lose, you learn.”
Tim shares his journey from starting as a 15-year-old at BiLo Supermarkets to leading a team of over 3,000 employees. With practical advice on delegation, approachability, and prioritising team well-being, this episode is a treasure trove of insights for aspiring leaders.
In this episode, John sits down with LinkedIn expert Sue Ellson to reveal why a polished online presence is non-negotiable for CEOs and senior leaders.
Learn how to conduct an online audit, manage your content like a pro, and track your online activity for measurable results.
In this episode John Downes sits down with Lisa Vincent, Founder and CEO of HowToo, to unpack her journey of building a game-changing SaaS platform for digital learning.
Lisa shares the secrets behind HowToo’s rapid growth, how she used venture capital to fund her vision, and the hard lessons learned from navigating the startup world. She also dives into strategic planning, making data-driven decisions, and the power of clear communication with investors.
In this episode of the #CriticalFewActions™ podcast, John Downes shares a simple four-step approach to strategic planning that turns vision into action.
With real-life examples, John explains how to focus on what matters most—understanding your customers, assessing your business, setting a clear vision, and prioritising the #CriticalFewActions™ that drive real progress.
In this episode, John Downes talks with Damien Lacey, founder of OE Partners; an expert in operational excellence.
Damien shares key insights from his experience with companies like Toyota and Bosch, outlining the critical steps for high value business transformation.
Links and References
Follow me: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | www.
Follow Sue: LinkedIn | FreeWebinars | www.
The #CriticalFewActions™ podcast including show notes and links provides general information only and is not individualized business advice nor can it be relied upon as such. You must take responsibility for your own advice, decisions and actions.
