Investigations are an essential part of company procedures. Investigations start with a broad investigation question and end with a report to management about events. Good investigation centres on high quality information-gathering and highly effective methods of reducing this information to a few pages of A4 for the chair to digest. It’s a simple concept but a task requiring high skill and knowledge. Here's how.

The onus on a manager is not as burdensome as that required of a police officer. The manager’s right to act, to sanction or dismiss, is dependent on the manager having grounds for reasonable belief that the situation occurred. There is no need for proof beyond reasonable doubt or proof on balance of probabilities, just reasonable belief.

For some managers stealing in the workplace is black and white. This article suggests it isn't. It depends which viewpoint you take - employee or employer. Is using a company pen for personal use theft of company assets or just part of the give-and-take of employment? It all depends on your viewpoint and where you draw the line.

There's been a flurry of high profile cases with celebrities and MPs being accused of sexual harassment. In the workplace, the employer should deal with allegations of harassment. For harassment to be deemed to have taken place the alleged behaviour must have had either purpose or effect. Suspension is normal in any case where investigation would be hampered. The investigator then develops a report, setting out all the evidence. A decision is made based on ‘reasonable belief’. Here's more on the process.

We all get the idea that innovation’s important. If we can just improve, develop and discover more than our competitors, we can find and attract more customers and make more profits. But it’s how to do it that foxes all but a few. Here are some guidelines for how to get started in innovation. If you’re a manager of firm that wants to get innovation going, we can help you.

One popular outcome for directors of a profitable firm in a buoyant market is to go for a buy out – selling the firm as a going concern. The buyer will use any identified risks as argument to reduce the offer price. And here's how.