Blog
Practical thoughts on strategy, projects and getting results.
Project impact on operating performance
Pulling together Projects usually exist to improve operating performance. The project creates something to improve output, speed, quality or safety, to be more competitive, or to save money. Often the project does two…
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Successful AI Adoption starts with the right Foundations and Capability
New Zealand is moving quickly when it comes to generative AI. Tech NZ’s August 2026 report Digital Foundations First: A Practical Pathway for New Zealand SMEs places New Zealand third among APEC economies for generative…
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Implementing strategy is a team sport
Image source: Strategy Implementation Institute Experience delivers results I am an experienced consultant but I learn new things every day because I make an effort to do so. Being active in professional associations…
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Open for business
Open for business image by Freepik Holiday mode We don’t have a White Christmas in New Zealand. We head off to the beach, lake or river. I like summer holidays as much as the next Kiwi but Hague Consulting is open for…
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Cut your coat to fit your cloth
Should we budget based on our bank balance or our wish list? There is an old saying: “Cut your coat to fit your cloth”. We should make our plans based on the resources we have, not what we wish we had. I had reason to…
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Productivity is simple … and complicated
How much does it cost to make your business fly? Image by Freepik What is productivity? Productivity is both simple and complicated. Productivity measures the efficiency with which we convert capital, labour and…
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Opportunities we miss
I live in Wellington, New Zealand, the windiest city on earth. But as I walked through Parliament grounds this morning, all the flags were hanging limply. It is a clear, still, mid-winter day. The harbour is flat as a…
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Transformation creates value. Are you transforming or tinkering?
Just playing or will it fly? Credit: Image by brgfx on Freepik Transformation creates value while tinkering just keeps us busy. Transformation is driven by a strategic focus on being in a different place in the future.…
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Data analysis gives us better outcomes
Data is nail-biting. Image by DC Studio on Freepik Data helps make things happen. It helps us understand what is happening and what might happen next. Data helps us make better choices for better outcomes. Artificial…
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Doing things badly costs money
Doing things badly costs money (Image credit: Freepik) One short piece of free advice: “Doing things badly costs money.” I’m a management consultant. Recently someone asked me if that meant giving people advice all the…
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Ghost benefits and real project benefits
Spooky ghost credit kjpargeter in freepik Ghost benefits are scary. They threaten to use up your money, time and reputation with nothing to show for it. Ghost benefits are the imaginary gains from projects that haunt…
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Project rescue – a simple guide
A project in need of rescue – image credit Freepik A project rescue is a structured approach to save a failing project. Your project fails when quality, scope, budget, or schedule does not meet expectations. It can also…
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