Background to Case Histories

So far in this book the tendency has been towards the theoretical, although an effort has been made wherever possible to illustrate points with practical examples. However, it is obviously one thing to appreciate what should be done, and quite another to do it. All the theory — indeed, all the knowledge and understanding — in the world will only be of use if it can be effectively applied, and simply possessing the theory, or the knowledge, or the understanding does not in any way guarantee that the possessor is capable of such application. So it is time to confront the real world of the SME boardroom — or, to be more accurate, the SME general office, since many SMEs don’t have the luxury of a separate boardroom and much of what goes on does so in a relatively open forum.