Last week, I talked with many executives who are asking the question, “what is the workplace impact of COVID-19?” In the short-term… Messaging: Don’t use a “Return to Work” announcement, as we are still working even when remote! Instead, call it “Return to Workplace” (not “Return to Office” as not everyone has an office). For some companies,…
When historians look back at 2020, how will they assess our generation’s business leaders’ response to the psychological impacts of this quarantine? Our employees’ well-being is dependent on how we assess and assist their different dimensions of health. While most organizations have Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) in place for the physical and mental dimensions, COVID-19…
The Federal government allocates $4.6 Trillion in resources. 38% is on regulation. Thus, companies complying with regulations expend considerable time and resources. This is time and resources that they are not investing in growth (Source: ChiefExecutive.net). Counter this with a conversation I had with a GE executive who talked about “cycle compression” – how fast…
The Covid-19 pandemic’s affect on America’s economy resulted in a record 3.3 million people filing unemployment claims last week. That number was 281,000 one week earlier, and it shattered the previous record of 695,000 set in 1982. Knowing that there are more layoffs to come and many leaders have never been in this situation before,…
In Patrick Lencioni’s recent book, The Motive, he differentiates a CEO’s perception of their position as a continuum between individuals who see their position as a career-achievement reward, for which they are now being financially compensated….versus as a responsibility, for which they are in a position to serve and to suffer for their employees and customers. Korn Ferry’s…
Companies need an innovation process (way beyond creative thinking) that starts with a vision, then moves to the architecting, and results in a systematic execution of change. This does not only address quandaries, but also creates something new. Many companies follow a process similar to this: Feet on the Street – Talk to end users…
The former CEO of Sprint shared his leadership lessons one morning… A leader should be “classy.” Yes, you have competitors – respect them similar to how Larry Bird & Magic Johnson competed in the NBA. “No infrastructure in our country that is more important than the development of our workforce.” Invest in your people, not…
A Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal (BHAG) is a challenge to align the business behind; leveraging content expertise, decision-making ability, and accountability. Employees might not know how they’re going to get there, but at least they know the direction in which they are going. A leader drives system-wide, enterprise change. This gives employees permission to think…
Most companies are structured and designed to maximize profit and minimize risks, yet they still need to innovate in order to become the disruptor, instead of being the disrupted. Larry Page invests in Google X (like the name!) to work on bold, new projects (i.e., self-driving car). Disney has their own accelerator where employees act like…
Once a company’s strategy predicts a future landscape, then it is time to innovate and adapt by positioning choices on where/how to compete. The goal of innovation is to exploit unseen possibilities/breakthrough constraints. This is more difficult for incumbents, who could see shrinking revenue from cannibalizing with a new product. In addition, they have significant…
