Blog Articles

Most top-down, target-driven transformation programs fail to produce lasting results. Bain’s research on over 350 companies worldwide found that only one in 12 target-driven transformations succeeded in delivering sustained performance improvement. Too often, transformations set ambitious targets but fall short of achieving them. Worse, some organizations hit their targets on paper only to discover that…

From business leaders to athletes to everyday employees, passion is often cited as a key ingredient in the success of high achievers. Consider Elon Musk, whose passion is undeniable. He followed this drive and went on to popularize electric cars through Tesla and reinvigorate space transportation via SpaceX. But Musk has also been called “galactically arrogant,”…

One-on-ones are ongoing meetings between managers and their direct reports. For managers, these weekly or biweekly exchanges typically have two objectives: aligning on expectations and building trust with team members. Beyond this, one-on-ones encourage deeper boss-employee relationships and can be used to give and receive feedback, set individual goals, and troubleshoot roadblocks. Despite all that one-on-one…

Despite the immense publicity surrounding generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) over the past 18 months (or maybe partly because of it), many people continue to harbor misconceptions about its capabilities, usefulness, and potential impact. Some believe it’s a passing fad or an imminent threat to human creativity. For young professionals, it’s the source of a unique…

In 1984, the physician Howard Beckman and his colleagues recorded 74 medical conversations, all of which began with a doctor asking a patient what their concern was. Seventy percent of patients were interrupted within 20 seconds; just 2% got to finish their thought. The study was widely shared, but fifteen years later, Beckman found doctors…

Traditionally, good corporate risk management has meant lots of study, careful analysis, and the flawless execution of well-honed implementation plans. A heavy focus on business optimization and continuous improvement was eminently sensible. Until it wasn’t. In the current era of constant, seemingly unrelenting digital disruption, the pace of change has dramatically accelerated, often becoming far more…

SmileDirectClub (SDC), an American teledentistry company once valued at nearly $9 billion and poised to disrupt the traditional braces industry, went bankrupt in December 2023. SDC offered a breakthrough solution for teeth straightening. With the price (originally some $1,800 vs. the standard $3,000-$6,000), the time of treatment (6 months vs. around 2 years), no required…

As important as it is to make great change decisions, equally important is to consider what happens after the decision to act is made. It is well documented that on average just 60% of planned value is realized. To what can be attributed the “lost” 40%? Analyzing project teams tasked with change initiatives in 257 firms…

A sudden change in leadership, a corporate restructuring, a rough-and-tumble economy — things can sometimes get chaotic at work. When they do, maintaining your balance becomes a challenge. So, how can you find your footing? Where should you turn for support? And what’s the best way to stay focused on your goals and priorities, both…

If you’re like most seasoned leaders, you’ve heard a lot in recent years about the value of trust. Employees who trust their organizations show higher engagement, creativity, and productivity. Those who don’t experience more stress, increased burnout, and are more likely to quit. Fostering trust, therefore, represents a crucial imperative for any leader looking to create…

Large language models (LLMs) have been heralded as a boon to collective productivity. McKinsey boldly proclaimed that LLMs and other forms of generative AI could grow corporate profits globally by $4.4 trillion annually, and Nielsen trumpeted a 66% increase in employee productivity through the use of these same tools. Projections like these have made finding…

The notion of psychological safety is an idea first developed in the 1950s that has been extended in important and careful ways in recent years, especially by Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School. The core of the idea is that a context that is psychologically safe is one where people feel they won’t experience interpersonal…