By Doce Tomic
A common misconception around succession planning is that it signifies the end of a CEO’s tenure. Just as you don’t wait until death is knocking at the door to buy life insurance, you also shouldn’t wait to start planning for your inevitable exit.
Companies are no different than individuals in that they should always be prepared for the unexpected, such as the loss of a key individual – especially the CEO or a member of the executive team. (more…)
by Amy Gallo
Great managers strive to do right by their employees — treat them well, motivate them to succeed, and provide the support and coaching each person needs. This is often easier said than done, especially when it comes to coaching. That’s because coaching takes time, skill, and careful planning. And there are certain types of people who may be particularly challenging for managers to coach. Think about the Eeyore on your team who is pessimistic at every turn, or the person who refuses your advice with a smile on his face. It’s not fair to you or to the employee to give up, so what do you do? (more…)
by Cindy Wahler
Academic training provides abundant business case examples that allow students to see how and why organizations succeed or fail during turbulent times. We do know that companies with the best strategy can engender great success. The strategy, if implemented appropriately, can help turn the organization around by increasing market share and profitable growth.
The one caveat to brilliant strategy is talent. With the war on talent being ever so true there are many highly educated candidates in the marketplace. Those candidates who could not secure employment after completing an undergraduate degree went back to school. They chose further education in the form of postgraduate degrees and specialty certificate training programs. The intent is to enhance resumes, add additional qualifications and create greater marketability. The net result is that our potential employee population has never been brighter, smarter and steeped in theoretical business acumen. Those students who had an opportunity to participate in a co-op or internship placement do have an edge. This was a savvy choice on their part to seek out academic programs with a practical component. Employers will always hire a known quantity, and if fortunate, many of these students are indeed hired back upon graduation as full time employees. (more…)
by Joe Panepinto
It only took me about three seconds to decide what to wear on the first day in my new gig as strategy director at Genuine Interactive, a digital marketing agency (jeans and a wrinkled linen shirt, duh). Deciding what books to take was a bit trickier.
In the end, I decided to bring only one: The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval. Sure, the niceness principles in Chapter 1 are great, but what’s most intriguing about the book — especially for a strategy leader — is Chapter 8: Shut Up and Listen. (more…)
by Gianpiero Petriglieri
Clarity often visits unexpectedly, and it seldom stays for long. Especially when it concerns who we really are.
One morning last winter I was holding on to a ski lift absentmindedly, half enjoying watching Jen and our children being dragged up the mountain ahead of me, and half worrying about a sentence that I kept reshuffling in my mind.
I had gotten up early after a late night writing to meet a looming deadline, and neither hot coffee nor cold sunshine had yet managed to wake me up entirely.
The realization aptly found me there. Attached to my family, to my work, and to a cable pulled slowly upwards by a tired engine. It hit me with absolute certainty. The feeling that this restless, quiet, groggy, loving, worried, sporty bag of being was me.
My true self, I mean. Who I really am. (more…)
