There is no doubt that things are confusing in 2021 as we move through the next phase of the pandemic. Some people work at home, others are back in the office, still others are splitting their time between the two. As a result of the upheaval, we have heard three issues repeated among our clients. … Read More
Perspective and Proximity in an Advice Culture: When Opposing Ideas Combine to Create Better Decisions
We use Proximity to describe the reality that people closest to the situation have more accurate information — and Perspective to describe the reality that people who perceive a situation from a distance can see how everything fits together. But those with the advantage of proximity struggle to see the unintended consequences of their choices … Read More
You Cannot Win in 2021 with a 1947 Hierarchical Organizational Structure
Elegant and Efficient In 1947 on the heels of the Allies’ victory, organizational theorists adopted Max Weber’s bureaucracy ideas from the 1920’s and gave birth to the modern hierarchical organizational structure. Inspired by the military, this paradigm would lead the United States and other capitalist countries into an age of productivity that the world had … Read More
Selecting the Right Organizational Consulting Partner
Years ago, as a senior consultant in a blue chip consultancy, I witnessed one of the most revealing conversations between my firm’s senior partner and our client, the SVP of HR for a high profile aerospace manufacturer. My firm was billing the client roughly $11M a year. The client was in complete disarray, with a … Read More
Will Your Response to the 2020 Crisis Fail?
While on a scrum call, one of our sales people posed this question: Does the 50-70% failure rate of change programs reported by McKinsey apply to change efforts in response to the pandemic? Although it may be too early to tell if the failure rate will be similar, we did a little deductive reasoning to … Read More
Leadership Teams: When Less is More
While this is not a new concept, our clients are showing a renewed interest in becoming leaner in response to the pandemic. While some organizations may be reactive in reducing their staff, others are trying to apply the lessons learned from the “work from home” experiment of 2020. In the case of the latter, their … Read More
How Do I Know My Organization is Toxic?
A few toxic employees can start a movement that, if left unchecked, can derail your organization. The toxic behavior of a few employees can poison the culture; their numbers can swell and shift the focus of conversation from performance to cohesion. Ultimately, it marginalizes the true performers, causing them to question themselves and their own judgment. How … Read More