Patti Johnson

Patti Johnson is the CEO of PeopleResults, a consultancy that guides organizations and individuals to “start the wave” of change. Patti and her team have advised major clients including PepsiCo, McKesson, Microsoft, Frito-Lay, Hitachi Consulting and many others on how to realize results through people. Previously a senior executive at Accenture, Patti is an instructor for SMU’s Executive Education and a keynote speaker on Leading Change. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and is a regular contributor to SUCCESS magazine and Fox Good Day. Contact her at pjohnson@people-results.com.

Articles by Patti Johnson

HR Insights

Why Stepping Back and Making It Simple Solves Everything

by Patti Johnson on May 9, 2013, 11:25 AM | 2 Comments

Simplicity is hard.

Well, it may not solve everything, but stop and think about how complexity gets in the way of so much of what we do. Organizations are confusing, strategies are misunderstood and the customer experience is disjointed.

It turns out that simplicity is hard. It’s easier to bolt on the new technology to the old version, add four more slides to the 72 page slide deck and narrow down to the top 25 critical initiatives for 2013. Finding the simple truth is difficult and so we punt.

Simplicity takes clarity, honesty, unbelievable discipline and intelligence. Any one of these alone can stop us dead in our tracks – much less all together. It often takes more than one person to achieve simplicity. And, oh by the way, we have a deadline. Read more…

Culture, Leadership

No, a Strategy Is Not Enough — You Need to be Able to Implement It, Too

by Patti Johnson on Apr 24, 2013, 7:00 AM | 11 Comments

Business heroes are often the innovators and the visionaries that set the next strategy. Yet, 90 percent of strategies fail because of execution.

We’ve heard this surprising statistic for a few years. Surely, we’ve changed our ways.

Ron Johnson, the former CEO of JC Penney, is a case study in a strategy not realized – or at least not realized fast enough.

Johnson had a bold strategy to not only redefine JC Penney, but the entire department store concept. His goal was to change everything from store design, marketing, promotion and reinvent the brand. All at once. Read more…

HR Management, Leadership

6 Ways You May Be Driving Your Team Crazy and Don’t Even Know It

by Patti Johnson on Mar 27, 2013, 7:00 AM | 14 Comments

Even the very best leaders have habits that can sometimes make their teams completely crazy.

Beware of these favorites that have been known to cause mumbling under the breath, a twitch, or a knowing look within the team.

Go ahead and ask yourself: Do any of these look familiar? Read more…

HR and the Movies

Zero Dark Thirty: Driving to a Goal by Challenging the Status Quo

by Patti Johnson on Feb 21, 2013, 9:13 AM | 3 Comments

Editor’s Note: With the Academy Awards drawing near, TLNT again asked some prominent thought leaders to write about their favorite movie from this past year with a HR or talent management theme. We’ll feature one each day leading up to the Oscars ceremony on Feb. 24.

By Patti Johnson

Zero Dark Thirty isn’t just about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Even if you haven’t seen this Best Picture-nominated film, you already know the climax of the story. But, you don’t know about Maya, a CIA operative who was obsessed with finding bin Laden to the exclusion of everything else.

Zero Dark Thirty is her story, too. Read more…

Talent Management

Awards Season Reflections: My Nominations for Our Top Talent Failures

by Patti Johnson on Jan 30, 2013, 9:14 AM | 6 Comments

It’s award season! The Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, and in February the mother of them all – the Academy Awards.

We’re seeing surprise winners, whispers of “what IS she wearing,” and Daniel Day-Lewis winning another award for his role as Abraham Lincoln. (Well deserved, I might add.)

Yet, not all awards are positive recognition. At least not today.

I have created my own awards list of the most common talent failures based on my experiences, observations and conversations with many leaders. Read more…

HR Insights, Leadership

Lance Armstrong & Manti Te’o: When We Let Image Hide the Facts

by Patti Johnson on Jan 22, 2013, 10:20 AM | 10 Comments

Sometimes we want to believe the story so much that the facts simply get in the way.

It’s easy with celebrities or athletes because they star in the fairy tales that we accept as truth. But, it can happen at work just as easily, because we want to believe the story there too.

Lance Armstrong did what all disgraced celebrities must do. He visited Oprah.

He admitted doping and apologized to Oprah as he tried to salvage an image and reputation that has fallen far and fast. In the first two minutes, he told her that he had used illegal substances to win every one of his seven Tour de France victories. Read more…

HR Insights, HR Management

Developing Your Workforce: Why Multiple Mentors Are Needed Today

by Patti Johnson on Jan 16, 2013, 11:10 AM | 4 Comments

Many of us used to equate the ideal mentor to a gray haired, senior executive in the corner office. This expert had all the answers and knew the rules.

We have heard our entire career that having a mentor is essential for success. I just attended a client meeting where new graduates were reminded to “find a mentor if you want to succeed.” And, we know it works.

I have seen firsthand the impact of having the right mentor at the right time. Even in the movies, who can debate the impact of Dumbledore for Harry Potter or the problem mentor, Gordon Gekko, from Wall Street? Can Batman’s Robin deny that he wouldn’t have been Robin without Batman? Read more…

HR Management, Talent Management

Want Better Engagement? The Little Things Matter More Than You Think

by Patti Johnson on Dec 19, 2012, 7:00 AM | 8 Comments

Companies everywhere are looking at how to drive up engagement scores and results. Yet, research tells us that the most significant factor in engagement is the relationship employees have with their direct manager, and if someone cares about them and their career.

We know that engagement takes more than a corporate program and free yoga classes at lunch. So, what can you do about it?

Here are a few reminders of simple actions you can take as a manager or team leader that make a difference. Read more…

Talent Management

A Heisman Trophy-Winning Question: Is Assessing Talent an Art or a Science?

by Patti Johnson on Dec 12, 2012, 7:00 AM | 4 Comments

Last Saturday night, freshman Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy just two years after only two Division 1 schools showed real interest in him as a quarterback.

Yes, only two — Texas A&M and Rice. He was just too small to be a successful, big-time college quarterback. Or so they thought.

And, for those who think that this was a one-off, one-time occurrence, perhaps you’ve heard of Robert Griffin III? He won the Heisman Trophy last year at Baylor and is the rookie starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins after being selected second in the NFL draft. Most didn’t see him as the typical college quarterback either.

The last two Heisman winners were largely unnoticed by the experts. If people who spend their careers looking at tape, reviewing stats and analyzing future success can miss this kind of potential – it must not be easy. Read more…

Culture, HR Insights

10 Thanksgiving Blessings @Work That I Am Incredibly Grateful For

by Patti Johnson on Nov 21, 2012, 11:15 AM | 1 comment

It’s that time of year. Buy the turkey and cranberries, invite the relatives over and, of course, we count our blessings.

This year, I can’t help but think of the many blessings I have had at work and in my career. And for me, it’s about the conversations, the small kindnesses ~ the little things that often go unnoticed at the time.

This year, I am especially grateful for: Read more…