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.

The firm had been offering modelling of telecommunications systems. It had the necessary software tools. and a well-trained, experienced workforce. But the market was changing. New questions needed huge additional skills – skills in building massively more complex methods. Here's how those skills were achieved.

Performance appraisals have come in for some serious criticism recently. And yet the books and articles written which criticise simply advocate performance appraisal by another name – or rather a collection of names. Here's an analysis of the issues.

Commitment matters. If managers can get all staff to be committed, other management and leadership activities become possible. Without committed staff, there’s little the manager can do to achieve goals and the firm will just drift. This paper describes commitment and outlines research that shows what managers can do to achieve commitment. The research shows that there is correlation between the idiosyncratic granting of developmental opportunities and affective commitment in those benefitting.

Staff development is the act of persuading a member of staff to change – to change their skills, knowledge or behaviours – towards that wanted. That persuasion comes by way of training, mentoring or coaching. Staff have existing competencies and behaviours. The difference between what’s needed and what’s available today is what any development must focus on.