Back in my corporate days, one executive attempted to change the culture of his organization. The culture, typical of the Midwest at the time, was … Read more
To Manage Change, Unleash Adaptability
About 2500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed that the only constant is change. This statement is not totally true in the modern … Read more
How HR Can Be the Bridge Between the Centuries
HR is on a metaphorical bridge between the centuries. Some HR professionals — many, perhaps most — work for legacy companies struggling to make … Read more
Successful Digital Transformation Takes a People First Approach
A decade ago, a McKinsey study found 65% of the senior executives surveyed were only “somewhat,” “a little,” or “not at … Read more
Society Is Changing What the Future of Work Will Be Like. Are You Prepared?
I tend to have a somewhat cynical view toward predictions about human capital management (HCM). This is because the fundamental challenges facing HCM … Read more
It’s Our ‘Schemas’ That Make Us Resist Change
Resistance is a mental state, not an attribute. People are not born more open (or not) to change. That’s a wrong assumption most of us make. We think … Read more
Change Management Is a Strategic Skill HR Must Master
Workforce planning is vital to any organization’s future, but the increased speed and continuous nature of organizational change puts additional pressure … Read more
It’s No Longer About Getting a Seat at the Table. Tomorrow’s CHROs Need to Lead Business Change
Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health generates some $19 billion in annual revenues and employs about 50,000 people across the nation. The healthcare company … Read more
Hiring the Way You Always Have Gets You More of What You Have
I was reading through a job description the other day that mentioned innovation 3+ times. However, as I read the description, I saw this: “Must have 5-7 … Read more
Flatarchie, Holacracy and Virtual: 3 Emerging Business Structures That Might Work For You
With millennials now moving rapidly into management positions and the “fourth industrial revolution” just on the threshold, according to the World Economic … Read more
You Need the ‘Informal Leaders’ to Get Things Done
Everyone is familiar with the term C-suite. The C-suite is populated with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer… … Read more
How Change Agents Helped These Companies Transform Their Culture
Changing an organization’s culture is considered one of the most difficult challenges for leaders, and those with experience will confirm that it can be a … Read more
7 Ways to Make Your Project Fail and 7 Ways to Prevent That
Wonder why some projects fail while others are successful? Like the 7 deadly sins, this article from Toledo Solutions lists 7 of the most common ways to … Read more
Spicing Up the ‘Change Equation’ For Today’s Organization
Meaningful organizational change is the result of an optimum mix of several factors. Some of them are internal and largely controllable, whereas, others … Read more
7 Culture Insights for Positive Change and 3 Reasons Change Fails
This post is a salute to passionate and experienced culture and performance change agents. You understand the power of culture in organizations and the … Read more
How to Avoid These 3 Culture Change Pitfalls
Culture change is a human experience. It’s not just a business imperative, as it has been viewed for decades, as reflected in these expressions: “If we’re … Read more
We Want Disruption Until It’s Us Being Disrupted
“So many of us in business (say) ‘I want innovation. I want disruption. I want the next big thing’,” said Bradley West to his … Read more
The 21st Century Way to Getting Your People to Do Great Work
Leading is like parenting — everybody thinks they do a much better job than they actually do. There’s a definite gap between how most executives assess … Read more
3 Conversations to Help Your Team Get Through a Reorg
A while ago, I was counseling a senior executive of a government bureau who was two years into shaping his agency to be more customer and results-centered. … Read more
7 Tips to Focus On The People Side Of Change
Change is hard. Some of you may be saying “duh!” Yet many people underestimate how challenging change can be. Anyone who tells themselves change is easy … Read more