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“The increasing popularity of 360-degree assessments seems to rely on a rock-solid stream of logic. Leaders’ behaviors are important to the organization because well-behaved leaders balance what gets done with how things get done. This balance increases their own effectiveness and their team’s engagement and performance, which translates into superior financial results. So, if we […]

Two of our most popular articles have nothing to do with HR or talent processes but with how HR works with itself. “It’s Not the Bricks, It’s the Mortar” directs HR’s attention to how work really gets done in HR not on the boxes and lines of the organization chart. Our article “HR vs. HR” […]

There’s something for everyone to dislike about how companies develop talent today. Employers are frustrated that expensive learning investments yield questionable results. Managers are frustrated that complex development processes deliver little value. Employees are frustrated that companies provide them with few practical insights about how to grow their capabilities. These frustrations play out against a […]

Despite changing workplace demands and debates about how work gets done, one thing remains true: Employers love high performers. Employers love those who are willing to work harder, produce more, behave well and lead courageously. They know that high performers produce anywhere from 50% – 900% more than their average performing peers.1 Employers’ demand for […]

Acme Motors CEO sat down at the conference table across from VP of Production Brad Smith. Brad was responsible to design and operate the production line for Acme’s proposed XL1000 sedan. The XL’s success was critical to the company’s future profitability and the CEO had questions about how it would be produced.  “Brad,” the CEO […]

There’s a yawning gap between the concept of employee development and its execution at most companies.  Despite spending billions of dollars on development activities, companies have few tangible benefits to show from their investment. Our talent practices audits of companies globally show that development planning is the least effective talent practice by a considerable margin. […]

It’s a simple but powerful truth: companies change faster than leaders do. Companies evolve as they respond to market opportunities, economic cycles, regulatory changes and assorted strategic challenges. Their evolutionary pace has accelerated as globalization brings more competitors and technology disrupts traditional service models. Leaders . . . well, leaders try very hard and have […]

“A bad carpenter blames his tools”   The talent review is a well-accepted and increasingly common element of how organizations manage talent. They see the value in understanding an individual’s potential to advance and using that information to better plan for succession. Which tool should guide that discussion, however, is increasingly under debate. The classic […]

It’s unfortunately still fashionable to sell companies bias training to help their leaders reduce bias in performance management. While the intentions of these efforts are admirable, the research is clear that anti-bias training rarely has a lasting effect. Science shows that it doesn’t provoke a long-term change in racial bias and in other cases it […]