- 05 Jul 2023
- What Do You Think?
How Are Middle Managers Falling Down Most Often on Employee Inclusion?
Companies are struggling to retain employees from underrepresented groups, many of whom don't feel heard in the workplace. What do managers need to do to build truly inclusive teams? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 28 Jun 2023
- Managing the Future of Work
Volvo Cars retools its talent strategy for an EV future
The shift to electric vehicle production means revamping jobs throughout the organization. Chief People Officer Hanna Fager explains the process, from lining up skills to maintaining an inclusive corporate culture.
- 26 Jun 2023
- Research & Ideas
Want to Leave a Lasting Impression on Customers? Don't Forget the (Proverbial) Fireworks
Some of the most successful customer experiences end with a bang. Julian De Freitas provides three tips to help businesses invest in the kind of memorable moments that will keep customers coming back.
- 23 Jun 2023
- HBS Case
This Company Lets Employees Take Charge—Even with Life and Death Decisions
Dutch home health care organization Buurtzorg avoids middle management positions and instead empowers its nurses to care for patients as they see fit. Tatiana Sandino and Ethan Bernstein explore how removing organizational layers and allowing employees to make decisions can boost performance.
- 21 Jun 2023
- Climate Rising
BCG Climate Vision 2050: Sustainability at 36,000 Feet
For the second episode in our series on corporate net zero programs, we’re sharing an episode on airline decarbonization from the Climate Vision 2050 podcast produced by the consulting firm Boston Consulting Group. This episode sets up a scenario in 2050 where the industry relies on liquid nitrogen, sustainable aviation fuels, electric aircraft, and blending-wing body planes, coupled with present-day experts who explain the changes. Link to original podcast: BCG Climate Vision 2050 (“Sustainability at 36,000 feet” episode) Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative
- 20 Jun 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover: Lessons in Strategic Change
In late October 2022, Elon Musk officially took Twitter private and became the company’s majority shareholder, finally ending a months-long acquisition saga. He appointed himself CEO and brought in his own team to clean house. Musk needed to take decisive steps to succeed against the major opposition to his leadership from both inside and outside the company. Twitter employees circulated an open letter protesting expected layoffs, advertising agencies advised their clients to pause spending on Twitter, and EU officials considered a broader Twitter ban. What short-term actions should Musk take to stabilize the situation, and how should he approach long-term strategy to turn around Twitter? Harvard Business School assistant professor Andy Wu and co-author Goran Calic, associate professor at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, discuss Twitter as a microcosm for the future of media and information in their case, “Twitter Turnaround and Elon Musk.”
- 20 Jun 2023
- Research & Ideas
Looking to Leave a Mark? Memorable Leaders Don't Just Spout Statistics, They Tell Stories
That killer fever chart in your slide deck might not be as impressive as you think. In fact, your audience might soon forget that critical data point. If you want them to remember your message, research by Thomas Graeber suggests that nothing sticks to the mind like a good story.
- 14 Jun 2023
- Managing the Future of Work
Harvard’s Project on Workforce: Charting college’s employment pathways
Professor David Deming of the Harvard Kennedy School, co-director of the Harvard Project on Workforce, breaks down the project's College-to-Jobs playbook and interactive map.
- 14 Jun 2023
- Op-Ed
Every Company Should Have These Leaders—or Develop Them if They Don't
Companies need T-shaped leaders, those who can share knowledge across the organization while focusing on their business units, but they should be a mix of visionaries and tacticians. Hise Gibson breaks down the nuances of each leader and how companies can cultivate this talent among their ranks.
- 14 Jun 2023
- Research & Ideas
Four Steps to Building the Psychological Safety That High-Performing Teams Need
Struggling to spark strategic risk-taking and creative thinking? In the post-pandemic workplace, teams need psychological safety more than ever, and a new analysis by Amy Edmondson highlights the best ways to nurture it.
- 07 Jun 2023
- Managing the Future of Work
Changing the skills narrative: Opportunity@Work’s Byron Auguste
Many public- and private sector employers are becoming more selective about which positions require college degrees, opening more good jobs to non-degree holders. What will it take to broaden the adoption of skills-based hiring? And will the trend survive economic uncertainty and developments like generative AI? Opportunity@Work CEO and Co-Founder, Byron Auguste joins Bill Kerr.
- 07 Jun 2023
- Climate Rising
Beyond Net Zero: How Seventh Generation Plans to Achieve Real Zero Carbon
In this first episode in a new series on companies setting and meeting net zero climate targets, Ashley Orgain, Chief Impact Officer at Seventh Generation, discusses why this home care products company decided to set a real zero climate goal instead of net zero, and how they plan to achieve it. She also describes how Seventh Generation is going beyond a carbon footprint to measure its carbon fingerprints that touch every aspect of their business, from banking to creative services. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guest: Ashley Orgain, Chief Impact Officer, Seventh Generation
- 07 Jun 2023
- HBS Case
3 Ways to Gain a Competitive Advantage Now: Lessons from Amazon, Chipotle, and Facebook
Remember the Sony Librie? Some people considered it superior to Amazon's Kindle, but it didn't end up the market leader. Rebecca Karp breaks down three methods that companies use to create more value than their rivals—an edge that can make all the difference.
- 06 Jun 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
The Opioid Crisis, CEO Pay, and Shareholder Activism
In 2020, AmerisourceBergen Corporation, a Fortune 50 company in the drug distribution industry, agreed to settle thousands of lawsuits filed nationwide against the company for its opioid distribution practices, which critics alleged had contributed to the opioid crisis in the US. The $6.6 billion global settlement caused a net loss larger than the cumulative net income earned during the tenure of the company’s CEO, which began in 2011. In addition, AmerisourceBergen’s legal and financial troubles were accompanied by shareholder demands aimed at driving corporate governance changes in companies in the opioid supply chain. Determined to hold the company’s leadership accountable, the shareholders launched a campaign in early 2021 to reject the pay packages of executives. Should the board reduce the executives’ pay, as of means of improving accountability? Or does punishing the AmerisourceBergen executives for paying the settlement ignore the larger issue of a business’s responsibility to society? Harvard Business School professor Suraj Srinivasan discusses executive compensation and shareholder activism in the context of the US opioid crisis in his case, “The Opioid Settlement and Controversy Over CEO Pay at AmerisourceBergen.”
- 05 Jun 2023
- What Do You Think?
Is the Anxious Achiever a Post-Pandemic Relic?
Achievement has been a salve for self-doubt for many generations. But many of the oldest members of Gen Z, who came of age amid COVID-19, think differently about the value of work. Will they forge a new leadership style? wonders James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Jun 2023
- HBS Case
A Nike Executive Hid His Criminal Past to Turn His Life Around. What If He Didn't Have To?
Larry Miller committed murder as a teenager, but earned a college degree while serving time and set out to start a new life. Still, he had to conceal his record to get a job that would ultimately take him to the heights of sports marketing. A case study by Francesca Gino, Hise Gibson, and Frances Frei shows the barriers that formerly incarcerated Black men are up against and the potential talent they could bring to business.
- 31 May 2023
- Managing the Future of Work
Assessing AI-boosted background checks; fair-chance hiring
Background checks are getting easier and faster to carry out, even as a continuous process. Is that a good thing? Checkr CEO & co-founder Daniel Yanisse on constructive, responsible screening and the case for second-chance employment.
- 31 May 2023
- Research & Ideas
With Predictive Analytics, Companies Can Tap the Ultimate Opportunity: Customers’ Routines
Armed with more data than ever, many companies know what key customers need. But how many know exactly when they need it? An analysis of 2,000 ridesharing commuters by Eva Ascarza and colleagues shows what's possible for companies that can anticipate a customer's routine.
- 31 May 2023
- HBS Case
Why Business Leaders Need to Hear Larry Miller's Story
VIDEO: Nike executive Larry Miller concealed his criminal past to get a job. What if more companies were willing to hire people with blemishes on their records? Hise Gibson explores why business leaders should give the formerly incarcerated a second chance.
What Kind of Leader Are You? How Three Action Orientations Can Help You Meet the Moment
Executives who confront new challenges with old formulas often fail. The best leaders tailor their approach, recalibrating their "action orientation" to address the problem at hand, says Ryan Raffaelli. He details three action orientations and how leaders can harness them.