National Learning Institute

Money, happiness and motivation

The first thing Clive Palmer did when he bought a loss-making Australian nickel refinery in July 2009 was to raise the of pay of its employees and then ask them how to run the business. The results have been impressive – and so too Clive Palmer's generosity in return.Workers at an Australian nickel refinery got a surprise at their recent...

Why loyalty pays

Loyalty is something that seems to have been lost in many modern organisations. Corporate decision-makers seem to think that paying people more will gain their loyalty. It does not. All it gains is their compliance.

Recently, Tata Motors released the revolutionary "Nano" in India, the world's cheapest car - $2,500!

What's that got to do...

Five of the worst mistakes managers can make and how to avoid them

What are the common mistakes that get many managers into trouble?

I well remember the first time I was "corrected" by a manager. I was a young bank clerk and had received a transaction that was incorrect, from a much more senior person (a manager) in another branch of the bank. I sent the transaction back with a note asking for it to be...

Firing someone - the painless process

Does it have to be painful, for them and you?

The need to write this article came about through the recent experience of two of my friends. Both had been fired. One for supposed poor performance (although she had never been counselled and at the time was in fact on sick leave) and one because the start up facility she was employed by...