Our farmers have played a major part in carrying us though two pandemic-ravaged years, and they deserve praise. But there’s no room for complacency; now’s the time to brush up...
I thought I’d identified all the major personality traits needed for achieving great managerial success. However, I missed one important quality brought home to me by the COVID-19 pandemic, says...
It seems to be a flaw in human nature: everyone is keen to build, but no one wants to maintain. Yet the really important people are those who keep our...
The unrest and looting that started on 9 July was appalling, but what a privilege it was to witness the fight-back by South Africans of all walks of life, including...
The conductor of an orchestra manages the musicians, hones their skills, and gets them to work in perfect harmony. There are many management lessons here for farmers, says Peter Hughes.
Clear, concise writing that avoids phrases like ‘as a consequence of’ instead of ‘because’, or inanities such as ‘going forward’, creates a good impression and strengthens your arguments, says Peter...
All employees, managers included, need feedback on how they are doing in their jobs. Yet so often this feedback is either not provided or is ad hoc and incomplete. The...
The anti-meat lobby and the emerging ‘fake-meat’ industry pose a threat to livestock farmers worldwide. Timely action by meat industry organisations, and exploitation of opportunities to grow crops for the...
Major global food demand-and-supply trends, identified and monitored by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, were already visible before the onset of COVID-19. The pandemic, and governments’...
So says management legend Peter Drucker. He is right; delegation (done properly) gets the job done, saves time and gets the best out of employees! Peter Hughes explains.
A family business can offer good employment opportunities in a pleasant working environment, but it can come with unique challenges. Understand them and you’ll never regret being a family outsider,...
Extracting bad news from referees can be good news if it saves you from employing an unsuitable candidate.
