top of page

Thinking Business
a blog by Chris Barrow
Search


Half-empty or half-full? A beginners guide to the rest of today.
Here’s a list of reasons why you could give up, throw the towel in, sell up and go: The threat of litigation; The burden of compliance;...

Chris Barrow
Apr 24, 20192 min read


Feeling the pulse – where have all the good people gone?
My quarterly workshops begin with a round-robin of updates from the delegates on their wins (and their challenges) from the last 90 days....

Chris Barrow
Apr 11, 20193 min read


Taking a 3D approach to teamwork
Problem 1 – same stuff – different day I have a sense that there are dental teams out there who are waiting for some direction; for the...

Chris Barrow
Apr 4, 20192 min read


Continuity in customer service and what we learn from The Wizard of Oz
One of the greatest continuity errors in the history of film-making appears in The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy meets The Scarecrow. During...

Chris Barrow
Mar 27, 20192 min read


Understanding people – probably the biggest challenge that we all face
I recently polled the members of my private Facebook group – The Extreme Business Forum – asking them for three favourite subjects that...

Chris Barrow
Mar 25, 20191 min read


The Business Development Manager job description – a free download from a happy man
I’ve had a marvellous week. Rachel Turner sorted my head out on Monday. Phillippa Goodwin has moved me effortlessly between Manchester,...

Chris Barrow
Mar 8, 20192 min read


Keeping track on your team’s progress
All of my active coaching clients (and their designated team members) receive an automated email on Friday morning, directing them to a...

Chris Barrow
Mar 4, 20192 min read


Day 1 in Mumbai and an ambitious agenda
So it’s 06:15am for me and 12:45am for you (if you are in my home time zone) as I write this blog post, listening to the call to prayer...

Chris Barrow
Feb 22, 20192 min read


Front of House
Managing Director of First Impressions; Always smiling and making eye contact; Has a good handshake; First in the queue for a “selfie”;...

Chris Barrow
Feb 13, 20191 min read


What Star Trek taught us about management and leadership
It’s a simple enough formula: MANAGEMENT = SYSTEMS = LOGIC LEADERSHIP = PEOPLE = EMOTION If you are old enough to remember Star Trek, the...

Chris Barrow
Feb 5, 20192 min read


Troublemakers – and what to do about them
You know exactly who I’m talking about. The (so called) team member who is always stirring things up, gossiping, setting people up...

Chris Barrow
Jan 31, 20192 min read


The Training Culture – making sure that you are exceptional at what you do
Does your business vision extend to training your team to do their jobs properly? I recently ran a workshop during which over 20...

Chris Barrow
Jan 25, 20192 min read


Some key words to think about when considering your Culture
Today my final workshop of the week in Dublin for a group of 7 independent orthodontic practices. That’s 3 workshops and 1 team training...

Chris Barrow
Jan 18, 20192 min read


How a shopping trip turned into a lesson in leadership and CSR
What exactly do you believe in – and how would I know? Last weekend Annie and I visited the The Trafford Centre to help her search for...

Chris Barrow
Jan 17, 20192 min read


The PPFC formula – dealing with difficult people and sensitive situations
One of my FAQs from clients goes something like this: The performance/behaviour of Person A is causing a problem – how should I deal with...

Chris Barrow
Jan 11, 20192 min read


The Script, The Score and The Choreography
After yesterday’s newsletter and social media posts, I want to thank the two practices who signed up for the Bridge2Aid Unity Partnership...

Chris Barrow
Oct 26, 20182 min read


What we can learn from Specsavers and the role of the Hearing Care Assistant
The news from Dental Protection last week that 89% of dentists fear that their patients will sue them and that 64% are referring to other...

Chris Barrow
Oct 22, 20184 min read


Are Millennials a waste of time in a customer-focused business?
In October 2004, researchers Neil Howe and William Strauss called Millennials “the next great generation.” They define the group as “as...

Chris Barrow
Oct 18, 20183 min read


Happy or sad in the NHS? It’s a choice.
This evening I’ll be in York, speaking at a North Yorkshire LDC meeting on the subject of “Delivering clinical care and customer service...

Chris Barrow
Oct 10, 20182 min read


The architect – why my projects aren’t getting off the ground
A lightbulb moment yesterday, whilst in conversation with my business coach, Rachel Turner (by the way, you know you are getting your...

Chris Barrow
Oct 3, 20181 min read
bottom of page
.png)