Books on leadership proliferate. As does research and speculation on the characteristics or traits one requires to be a great leader The Range of Traits The problem is, which set of traits predicts leadership success? One book advises humility and compassion; another strength and decisiveness; another courage and directiveness; another empowerment. The list of traits … Read More
Revealing Deeper Truths
The Case for Discovering “Deeper Truths” It almost goes without saying that hiring the right person for the right job makes a huge difference to the success of an organization. Removing people from roles for which they are not suited has an equal if not greater value. But it is not always easy at first … Read More
The Catch 22 of a Mid-Level Sales Manager
One of the fascinating aspects of corporate psychology is knowing that an attribute that makes someone great at one job can impair them in another. For example, at Psynet Group we are proud to be associated with a healthcare company that is so efficient that they deliver great services at lower costs while still providing … Read More
The Who and How to Operate in a Post Pandemic World
On May 15, McKinsey & Company published an article, “Reimagining the post-pandemic organization.” Widely regarded as a global thought leader, and somewhat guiding light for consulting firms in general, many organizations eagerly waited for a strategic announcement from them regarding what to do next. About a month earlier, on April 17, Psynet Group discussed its … Read More
Can Smaller Recruiting Firms Compete?
Larger recruiting firms have pivoted away from a primary focus on staffing Heidrick and Struggles announced in their April 28th press release that they had matched their record 2019 revenue targets. They did this not by maintaining their search revenue, but through a 20% increase in consulting revenue. This follows the trend towards offering solutions … Read More
Death of a Salesman? I Sure Hope Not
In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, the main character Willy Loman struggles to understand who he is in a new society and reality. He is a 63-year-old salesman who just lost his job and quite frankly, doesn’t know who he is anymore. Sales were his life, all he ever knew, actually. So when … Read More
How People Are Reacting to Fear of Job Loss – What Leaders Should Do
New research from Glassdoor published by HR Grapevine found that over half (53%) of employees are afraid of losing their jobs in the near future due to Covid-19. According to the research, 56% would rather take a lower salary, 68% would rather forgo a pay rise, and 71% would rather skip a bonus compared to … Read More
Forget the New Normal, Understand Your Organization’s Systemic Connections Instead
When Andrew Winston spoke about COVID-19, Climate, and the Clean Economy during his MIT Sloan webinar last week, his intention was to provide “observations on this moment and what business and people should potentially be thinking about.” Observably, the world is changing. At the same time, collective businesses and individual leaders across the country are … Read More
2020 (And the Death of Organizational Goal Setting)
Believe it or not, there was a time when the economy was predictable. Now it’s more of a distant relic than a familiar memory. Market crashes and corrections were the exceptions at the time, while repetition of tried-and-true business theories was the norm (think Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule). As a result, strategic planning and … Read More