Productivity & Trade Briefs

At each step of the leadership journey, the preparation for successfully making the transition is critical to a positive experience certainly for the leader but also for the organization he or she leads. Transitions are not only the visible shifts from one role to another but, when well executed, leaders are prepared, reflective and are poised to be effective quickly in the new role.

A global telecoms company recently decided to do what many companies are doing: figure out how to turn big data into big profits. They put together a preliminary budget and an RFP that asked vendors to take the data the company had and identify opportunities.

If you’re a senior HR leader, you’re expected to have your finger on the pulse of the organization’s top talent. Yet, I still see competent HR leaders blindsided by talent questions from the CEO. Here are five questions you should anticipate.

There’s an astounding number of nonprofits in the world today. We’re talking millions. In many ways, that’s a good thing: It signals not only that there is an ever-increasing number of ways to get involved in social good, but also that people are standing up and trying to make a difference. And it’s no secret that the world needs this kind of social action now more than ever.

A friend of mine was having a hard time balancing her career at a large financial firm with her family demands. She worked at one of those all-too-typical workplaces where employees are expected to log 60 hours or so a week — a perfect illustration of what I call a “culture of overwork.”

For a Christmas gift, I was given a book of English proverbs and sayings. When I read it, I was struck by how many of the sayings found in the book related to the work I do. I soon realized that most of this wisdom originally came from my grandmother.

WordPress.com is the 15th most trafficked website in the world. It is run by Automattic Inc, a company that is 100% distributed. That means everyone works from home, or more precisely, from wherever in the world they wish.

A hidden source of friction is slowing your company down. Your workers are complicit in it. So is your management. And it’s driving everybody nuts.

A CEO we’ve worked with – let’s call him “Gary” – prides himself on being a collaborative leader who invests in consensus and builds relationships. Gary cares deeply about his employees and is eager to deliver. When he was first hired a couple of years ago, the board was deeply impressed by Gary’s values, trustworthy demeanor, and his collaborative approach. Unfortunately, by the time we met Gary, his habits as a “nice CEO” were about to cost him his job.