Darren A Smith
Comment & OpinionMake preparations to get the most out of top-level meetings
Too many top-to-top meetings fail to deliver meaningful value. Here’s why – and how to fix it
Comment & OpinionNo one needs to know everything for your team to be a success
Have the courage to reject ‘the intolerance of uncertainty’, says Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter
Comment & OpinionWhy negotiations get escalated, and how to solve those problems
Making Business Matter’s Darren A Smith has spent 35 years negotiating and training on negotiations using the PEPSI system. Here are four reasons why negotiations get escalated
Comment & OpinionHow marginal gains can reduce meetings and recover some time
Meetings are frequently unproductive and inefficient. Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter has a six-point plan to reduce them
Comment & OpinionWhy ‘doing a great job’ isn’t enough to get you noticed
Just doing a great job won’t get you promoted, and it’s because most senior people expect you to do a great job, to do it silently and not to bother them
Comment & OpinionThe ‘working while ill’ badge of honour and how to end it
Workplaces should embrace the army method of ‘restricted duties’ for ill people who are more likely to make mistakes, says Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter
Comment & OpinionHelp your workplace ‘talker’ cut the chatter and be more efficient
Talkative people so want to be heard, says Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter. The problem is that the exact opposite happens
Comment & OpinionPractical steps to improve confidence and stand out more
The people coached by Making Business Matter’s Darren A Smith can normally identify one of three things they can do to improve their confidence levels
Comment & OpinionConflict at work: how to manage it and prevent the blowfish
One blowfish per conversation is bad enough, two is a disaster, says Darren A Smith of Making Business Matter
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 & OpinionUse the three great persuaders to make your work life easier
Making Business Matter’s Darren A Smith ponders what he’d do with the Bruce Almighty-style power to persuade
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