Darren A Smith
Comment & OpinionUnhelpful comparisons: a lesson from the pool
Making Business Matters’ Darren A Smith on the ‘dawning moments’ swimming etiquette can provide
Comment & Opinion10 self-development books that aren’t a waste of your time
It is not worth wasting your time on 99% of these ‘self-development’ books. Here are some Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter says are worth committing to
Comment & OpinionHow hotel query can help us check in with customers better
Think about what questions you’re asking and why, says Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter
Comment & OpinionThe tiresomeness of the chase: how to get better responses
If a person keeps missing the deadline, and there are no consequences, why, asks Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter, would they complete the task?
Comment & OpinionStop digging with the assumption shovel and open up your next negotiation
The assumption shovel is shaped by your past experiences, biases and expectations
Comment & OpinionPlay chess, not draughts, with these top negotiation tips
Negotiating is harder to do than haggling, taking more time, effort, and skill. Here’s Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter’s guide
Comment & OpinionIn negotiations? Make sure you know GSCOP and competition law
Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter on some horror stories from his travels training suppliers
Comment & OpinionOne-to-one meetings: why they don’t work and how to fix them
There are three key ways to help drive performance via one-to-one meetings, says Making Business Matter’s Darren A Smith
Comment & OpinionA fresh approach to training could stop us being ‘stunted sharks’
Chat GPT says emails, and meetings are 70% of what we knowledge workers do. It certainly feels like it sometimes, says Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter
Comment & OpinionSeven techniques to help you solve the big problems at work
Soft skills like problem solving are becoming increasingly important, says Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter
Comment & OpinionFour ways to keep people focused in screen meetings
Jaden Smith’s house headwear got Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter thinking about Microsoft Teams
Comment & OpinionYou can’t manage time – but you can stop firefighting
‘Time management’ is a paradox: you can’t manage it, says Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter
Comment & OpinionHow the World Prawn Forum taught me to be good at networking
Here’s what 20 years of networking in person and online have taught Making Business Matter’s Darren A Smith about how and why we must network
Comment & OpinionDo better than saying ‘hope you’re well’ in emails with the push/pull method
‘Hope you’re well’ is the equivalent of the paper straw cover in McDonald’s, says Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter
Comment & OpinionUse the Presentation Compass to keep your audience engaged
If you’re monotone, don’t move, and aren’t engaging, then it is likely that the audience won’t engage either
Comment & OpinionDon’t be a butterfly, hit the big tasks with a 20-minute focus
We can definitely focus for 20 minutes. Proven research tells us this. The rest is up to you
Comment & OpinionSuccession planning: make it easier with these two key questions
Why don’t we do succession planning? We’re busy, sure. But the problem is that there’s no reward
Comment & OpinionFive PowerPoint tips to help end the cycle of boring presentations
Use these five tips to move from ‘instantly forgettable’ to ‘wonderfully memorable’
Comment & OpinionMum’s the word: a simpler way to improve customer service
No online advice will ever surpass the training I witnessed many years ago
Comment & OpinionWork wars: how to avoid escalations and keep conflict in check
Here’s how to reduce your conflicts by 20% and your escalations by 50%