Bernie Smith

Let’s stop kidding ourselves

By Bernie Smith | December 6, 2010

New research shows that we can be tricked into assuming there’s a link between activity and outcomes. Is blind optimism leading your business down a dead end?

How to measure the “unmeasurable”

By Bernie Smith | November 30, 2010

I’m often told that some things are impossible to measure. It’s true that some things are much less obvious, but there are some pretty ingenious ways around this. If you can’t measure something directly then you can look for “coincident” events or activities. What am I gibbering on about? Let me give you an example:…

Bargains galore…

By Bernie Smith | November 26, 2010

I’m sad. I take photo’s in Sainsbury’s, but these price tickets just made me smile!  

Why that call centre wants to get you off the phone…

By Bernie Smith | November 20, 2010

We have all been hurried off the phone by a call centre. Have you ever wondered what made that happen?

When to leave things out and ignore people….

By Bernie Smith | November 8, 2010

Sometimes things jar when you first see them. I see this a lot with dashboards that I help design (or redesign). People become very wedded to the look – but more crucially they are wedded to the logic of how something is laid out. I think a brilliant example of this is the modern tube…

Loo’s, trains and board games

By Bernie Smith | November 2, 2010

How does measuring fare revenue lead to a five year old wetting himself?

Lazy and dull

By Bernie Smith | October 25, 2010

What are the dangers of using defaults on Excel and why do we put up with it?