Diversity is a tremendous asset when these five conditions are met; otherwise, it becomes a liability.| Marcus Coetzee
This article explores the likely impact of AI on organisations and society and proposes we embrace AI and learn to use it like any other tool.| Marcus Coetzee
Organisations need good governance to stay on track and fulfil their purpose. Good governance involves a group of people, such as a board of directors or trustees, providing strategic oversight and ensuring that an organisation makes sensible strategic decisions and operates ethically. Such governance structures function effectively when they consist of the right people having the right conversations. These are the two key ingredients for successful governance. In this context, the “right p...| Marcus Coetzee
Here are some thoughts about upstream versus downstream problems, especially in the context of the social, economic and environmental challenges that charities and governments face. Upstream problems are the root causes and conditions that slowly emerge and eventually lead to the more visible, urgent problems that appear downstream. These often form part of a vicious cycle where the deeper causes are obscured by the fallout they produce. By contrast, downstream problems are more tangible. The...| Marcus Coetzee
It is a chilly but rare clear day in Scotland as I sit down to write this reflection at one of my favourite cafés in Paisley. I’m entering my fourth year in the UK after emigrating from South Africa. I continue to make steady but slow progress in overcoming various challenges. There is value in writing and sharing after-action reviews. Writing these reflections (and journaling most days) helps me to orient myself and reflect on how I must do things differently in the future. They might eve...| Marcus Coetzee
My clients and colleagues have been complaining about how difficult fundraising has recently become in the UK for charities, social enterprises and community groups. They observe that there seems to be less funding available and much more competition for it. The overall mood of the UK third sector seems subdued. Unfortunately, this situation is very familiar to me. It’s almost déjà vu. It reminds me of the situation facing the South African non-profit sector since the early 2000s. I know ...| Marcus Coetzee
This article describes the various challenges I overcame during my first, second and third years of living in Scotland after emigrating from South Africa in 2021. After three years of making a concerted effort to integrate into Scottish culture and contribute to the country, I’m starting to feel increasingly at home. This article will help people who have recently moved countries to gain perspective on how long it takes to integrate and the likely challenges they will encounter. People tend...| Marcus Coetzee
There is some debate about the job market in the third sector in the UK. It concerns whether organisations like charities and social enterprises struggle to find qualified staff because of a shortage of skilled job seekers. My article explores the different perspectives in this debate and offers advice for organisations struggling to recruit staff. This advice is based on my experience of looking for work in the UK. The post Advice for organisations trying to recruit staff in the UK’s third...| Marcus Coetzee
This article describes my system for managing tasks and information. This system evolved over the past two and a half decades as I’ve consumed books, podcasts and blog posts on productivity, task management and personal knowledge management. This system has enabled me to stay relatively sane as I’ve managed up to 20 simultaneous consulting projects across multiple continents. The post My productivity and knowledge management system first appeared on Marcus Coetzee.| Marcus Coetzee
It is a snowy day in Scotland as I write the first paragraphs of this reflection in December 2023. I’m entering my third year in the UK after emigrating from South Africa. I have continued to make steady progress on several fronts amidst a host of challenges. I believe in the value of writing and sharing after-action reviews. You can read my previous end-of-year reflections from previous years which show how my career has evolved. Writing my reflections (and journaling daily) helps me to or...| Marcus Coetzee
Community wealth building (CWB) is a philosophy and approach to local economic development that is packaged into a coherent and marketable model. CWB is gaining traction in the UK. CWB aims to promote economic activity and investment in local areas and enable equitable economic growth. It opposes the idea of extractive economics where wealth is taken out of communities by national and multinational corporations. It rather promotes generative economics and embraces concepts like localism and n...| Marcus Coetzee
AI algorithmic outputs might produce things that look or sound very good, perhaps even be awe-inspiring or life-changing, but this is not art.| Marcus Coetzee
Marcus Coetzee is a management consultant who works with organisations that are changing the world. He helps to clarify their strategies and find encouragement.| Marcus Coetzee | Musings of a management consultant trying to make a differen...
Our organisations all desire a single lucrative source of income. However, achieving this presents its own dangers. This article explains how to mitigate these risks.| Marcus Coetzee