Hiring an apprentice can be more daunting that hiring an experienced worker. Get it wrong and you’ve the management costs and hassle to correct your mistake. But get it right and you’ve have engaged a future high performer. But on what basis do you select your apprentice? The career decisiveness of a young person predicts how well he or she will perform in a job after apprenticeship.

French workers generate the same wealth as British workers but in a 32-hour week rather than the British 36-hour week. Managers are generally under pressure to improve their firms. So there's no question about whether or not managers should invest. It's just a question of where - in people or machines?

There’s a very basic problem in SMEs concerning staff succession and promotion. It’s that there’s apparently nowhere to go – everyone is in a job and no one is about to move over to allow ‘promotion’ of those below. It’s ‘dead man’s shoes’. But it doesn't have to be so. Here's why not.

If everyone would strive, achievements would drive outcomes. If managers could get everyone striving for growth, their organisations would grow. Achievement and growth are key to sustainable business so it’s in everyone’s interest to strive. Here's how to achieve it.

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.

People believe that they must move up to progress. But in an SME, that’s rarely possible. Modern SMEs have flat structures and opportunities to move ‘up’ are few. So it’s often assumed that ambitious staff in SMEs have to leave to advance. To give careers in SMEs management and staff must e re-defined 'progress' on a personal level. It’s the taking on of greater responsibility, making greater contribution to the business and gaining greater personal achievement. Here's how progress becomes career.