s+b Blogs
December 18, 2018
Would You Walk through Fire for Your Company?
The science behind how intense experiences could help build better teams.
More Organizations & people
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December 11, 2018Long Live the Human Network Effect
Scaled-up, spontaneous networks can help solve tough problems when people come together.
November 28, 2018Leaders Should Focus on Human Dignity at Work
Conflict resolution expert Donna Hicks explores the poorly understood and underutilized power of dignity.
November 20, 2018How to Fail the Right Way
Improvising in a structured manner will help ensure big bumps in the road don’t throw you completely off course. For more insight, read “How to Fail Successfully.”
s+b BlogsNovember 20, 2018How to Fail Successfully
When problem solving breaks down and you have to wing your way forward, you might think you’ve failed. But a disciplined response can get you back on track. See also “How to Fail the Right Way.”
s+b BlogsNovember 19, 2018Closing the Skills Gap Could Be as Simple as ABC
More collaboration between businesses and schools is vital to ensure that the next generation of workers is “future-fit.”
s+b BlogsNovember 16, 2018Why gendered risk management is a risky business
Research shows that men and women have similar tolerances for taking chances.
s+b BlogsNovember 15, 2018Try a New Hiring Framework to Attract Knowledge Stars
Traditional HR practices won’t suffice when firms seek to attract the sometimes quirky, and always necessary, idea people.
November 14, 2018How fearless organizations succeed
Amy Edmondson describes three steps leaders can take to create psychological safety, the prerequisite for greater innovation and growth.
November 13, 2018Managing Change in the Face of Skepticism
In companies with analytical cultures, employees are prone to rejecting change initiatives as “too squishy.” Tweaking the action plan can lead to success.
November 12, 2018When Cultural Values Lead to Groupthink, the Company Loses
As a business shapes its public reputation, hidden conflicts can undermine its effectiveness.
November 8, 2018Human Creativity in the Age of Smart Machines
The story of how one organization helped the chronically homeless demonstrates the inherent value of observation, empathy, and perseverance.
s+b BlogsNovember 8, 2018How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Us Better at Being Human
The surprising ways machine learning can pick up when we fail.
November 5, 2018Best Business Books 2018: Management
Revising the Managerial Playbook. See also Top Shelf Picks: Best Business Books 2018.
s+b BlogsNovember 2, 2018The Four Things Startups Need Their Lawyers to Know
Make sure the attorneys you bring on board will be able to meet your company’s unique needs.
s+b BlogsNovember 1, 2018London’s Tech Allure Is Being Challenged by Brexit
But recruiting talent from beyond the European Union may be a solution.
s+b BlogsOctober 31, 2018Good Leaders Don’t Disappear
By recognizing the counterproductive thoughts and behaviors that cause you to silence yourself, you can stay visible to your team and give your people more reasons to follow you.
October 29, 2018Leading a Bionic Transformation
Three new kinds of capital give companies a new source of leverage and power.
October 26, 2018A Guide for Designing a Successful Corporate Transformation
Four building blocks that are essential to every major change effort. For more insights, visit pwc.com/transformation.
s+b BlogsOctober 25, 2018What happens when the salary-secrecy taboo is broken?
Employees who know what their bosses earn work harder, but the opposite is true if their colleague’s paycheck is bigger.
October 24, 2018Banish These Words from the Business Lexicon
They’re outdated, inaccurate, misleading, or simply eye-roll inducing. For more insight, read “How the Right Business Language Can Catalyze Change.”
October 24, 2018It’s Time to Vote Majority Rule Off the Company Board
Listen to the specialists on your board and adopt “qualified consensus” for decision making.
s+b BlogsOctober 23, 2018How the Right Business Language Can Catalyze Change
Leaders need to use great care when choosing the words that shape companies, industries, and societies. See also “Banish These Words from the Business Lexicon.”
October 22, 2018The four building blocks of transformation
How to lead the disruption of your own enterprise. See also “A Guide for Designing a Successful Corporate Transformation.”
October 19, 2018How to Deal with “Difficult People”
Three ways to work across deep divisions. For more insight, read “There’s No Such Thing as Difficult People.”
s+b BlogsOctober 19, 2018There’s no such thing as difficult people
A shift in mind-set can enable us to improve our working relationships with those we struggle with. See also “How to Deal with ‘Difficult People’.”
October 5, 2018Be prepared for disruption: Thinking the new unthinkables
Having a purpose that engages the next generation is a key challenge for leaders today.
October 3, 2018Changing the game for women
Increasing the number of women at every level of an organization is possible if its leaders are ready to use practical solutions.
September 28, 2018Why corporate wellness programs fall short
They focus on the individual, not the system.
s+b BlogsSeptember 27, 2018No Person Left Behind
What can be done when business and society marginalize those with cognitive decline?
September 20, 2018The Flywheel Philosophy
Companies are embracing stakeholder value to produce results.
s+b BlogsSeptember 14, 2018Progress Doesn’t Always Follow a Straight Line
Contentious pipeline projects all over the world offer examples of how complex problems require complicated solutions.
September 12, 2018Five Smart Behaviors That Helped France Win the 2018 World Cup Can Help Businesses, Too
Lessons from this year's champions on how to find, motivate, and make the most of your talent pool.
September 11, 2018The four X factors of exceptional leaders
Understanding what differentiates a great leader from a good leader will help companies make the right choices for the top jobs.
September 6, 2018Financial Services Need Not Be Such a Tough Industry for Women
A new survey finds women in FS face more challenges at work than their counterparts in other industries.
September 5, 2018Your Company’s Purpose Isn’t to Save the World
Many companies confuse purpose programs with corporate responsibility. Here’s how to craft an authentic and effective purpose statement.
s+b BlogsAugust 30, 2018Making Change Is Not a Matter of Willpower
Research emphasizes the need to uncover old habits that are blocking transformation.
s+b BlogsAugust 28, 2018Leadership lessons of the tango
What the Argentine dance can teach high-performance teams.
August 27, 2018Using Neuroscience to Make Feedback Work and Feel Better
Research shows that using feedback is how organisms — and organizations — stay alive. Here’s how leaders can make the most of the anxiety-producing process.
s+b BlogsAugust 21, 2018A Practical Plan to Become a More Agile Learner
To gain experience and build your transformation readiness, turn these learning accelerators into habits. Take our quiz to find out if you are seeking opportunities to grow: Are You Increasing Your Learning Agility — Or Are You Missing Out?
s+b BlogsAugust 20, 2018Workplace perks: Wasteful indulgence or powerful profit driver?
A study of firms in 43 countries finds that treating employees well pays off.
August 20, 2018The Case for Competition
When team members face off, it’s the whole organization that wins.
August 15, 2018Four Ways to Deal with Problematic Situations
How to resolve issues without compromising your values. For more insight, read “Collaborating Isn’t the Only Option.”
s+b BlogsAugust 15, 2018Collaborating Isn’t the Only Option
Working with diverse others doesn’t have to mean compromising your values. But if you just can’t do it, there are other ways to solve difficult problems. See also “Four Ways to Deal with Problematic Situations.”
s+b BlogsAugust 7, 2018How Transformation-Ready Leaders Learn
Take the time and effort to look for new ways of doing things, and turn away from old habits that block that process. Take our quiz, “Are You Increasing Your Learning Agility — Or Are You Missing Out?”, to find out if you are seeking opportunities to grow.
s+b BlogsAugust 2, 2018Why wandering works wonders for managers
There are lots of whimsical ways to stay grounded, but simply walking around the workplace is still the best.
s+b BlogsJuly 23, 2018The Leadership Maker Movement
Four ways to catalyze high achievement amid turbulence and rapid change.
July 20, 2018Digital Nomads
A quick look at the challenges faced by location-independent freelancers, and the opportunities they present for organizations. For more insight, read “Designing a Future for the Untethered Workforce.”
s+b BlogsJuly 19, 2018Chaos Is Not a Viable Leadership Style
Sowing seeds of confusion and discord is no way to run an organization.
July 18, 2018Designing a future for the untethered workforce
The gig economy — and the growing group of digital nomads within it — requires a wider variety of new products and services than businesses and governments are currently prepared to deliver. See also “Digital Nomads."
July 17, 2018How Can You Make Your Company’s Culture Go Viral?
By carefully selecting the change-driving behaviors that are right for your organization, and the mechanisms to spread them, you can drive cultural evolution. For further insights, read “Make Your Company’s Culture Go Viral.”
July 17, 2018Make your company’s culture go viral
How to spread the critical few behaviors that drive strategy forward. See also “How Can You Make Your Company’s Culture Go Viral?”
s+b BlogsJuly 11, 2018When Your Team’s Path Forward Isn’t Clear, Carve It
Disagreement can make solutions to our most difficult problems hard to see. But with practical tools and a shift in mind-set, diverse groups can create new realities.
July 10, 2018The Enthusiasms of Tom Peters
In his exuberant new book, the management guru sums up 50 years of experience with exhortations to pursue excellence.
July 9, 2018Why You Need to Keep Your Customers Close
Subscription models can bring a steady revenue stream for companies that understand the customer life cycle.
s+b BlogsJuly 2, 2018The Unfunny Side of Wisecracking Bosses
Although supervisors’ humor can boost workplace morale, too many jokes or the wrong sort can leave employees feeling disengaged and more apt to break the rules.
June 25, 2018Virtually alone: Real ways to connect remote teams
As workplaces increasingly embrace the telecommuting model, leaders can take several steps to bridge cultural and interpersonal gaps.
June 20, 2018Danny Meyer’s Recipe for Success
How the restaurant mogul behind Union Square Cafe, Shake Shack, and many other dining destinations uses culture to drive scale. See also “Building a Culture of Hospitality: Danny Meyer’s Team Prepares for Service.”
June 20, 2018Hospitality in Action: Danny Meyer Sets the Table at Union Square Cafe
Scenes from Union Square Cafe as the staff gets ready to open for the day show the company’s culture of “enlightened hospitality” in action. For more insight, read “Danny Meyer’s Recipe for Success.”
s+b BlogsJune 19, 2018Is the World Becoming Safer for Whistle-Blowers?
In recent years, a host of legal changes have afforded more protection for people who call out wrongdoing in their organizations.
s+b BlogsJune 14, 2018Abby Wambach’s Speech Is a Rallying Cry for Women in the Workplace
The U.S. soccer star’s exhilarating commencement address at Barnard College puts the lessons she’s learned on the field into perspective for women trying to get ahead in the business world.
s+b BlogsJune 12, 2018Seven Tips for Managing Procrastinators
It’s not your job to cure procrastinators. Your job is to get them to do their jobs.
June 7, 2018Approaching diversity with the brain in mind
Leaders may think awareness programs are suitable for quelling unconscious bias, but they are just the start.
s+b BlogsJune 6, 2018Desperately Seeking Workers
With roughly equal numbers of open jobs and unemployed people, companies are scrapping their talent plans and looking for workers wherever they can find them.
s+b BlogsMay 31, 2018The balancing act of corporate social responsibility programs
Employees often take a pay cut to participate in CSR programs, but many do so to gain career skills.
May 30, 2018Why Teams Should Argue
Strong teams include diverse perspectives, and healthy working relationships and successful outcomes hinge on honest communication. But there are ways to make sure you “fight right.” See also “How to Fight in a Productive Way.”
May 29, 2018Why AI Will Create Jobs
Even in a world of robots, continuous education can keep people employed.
s+b BlogsMay 24, 2018Using Improv to Transform How You Lead
By embracing the concept of “yes, and,” managers can improve how they communicate. See also “Three Questions to Help You Become a ‘Yes, And’ Leader.”
May 24, 2018Art Is Good for Business
Supporting the arts can help companies address many modern concerns.
May 24, 2018Three Questions to Help You Become a “Yes, And” Leader
Approach every conversation as an opportunity to improvise. For more insight, read “Using Improv to Transform How You Lead.”
May 23, 2018How innovation happens
Innovation is like a garden — you need to create an environment where it can flourish.
May 23, 2018Don’t Fight Regulation. Reprogram It
Business and government should regard the rules as an operating system: a platform, updated collaboratively, that encourages innovation and the common good.
s+b BlogsMay 22, 2018Build your leadership resilience. It’s an act of defiance.
To develop the skills you’ll need to respond to adversity with strength, follow these three steps.
May 15, 2018How Journaling Can Help Leaders Achieve Their Goals
Tips for clarifying your thoughts and testing new ideas. For more insight, read “Journaling Can Boost Your Leadership Skills.”
s+b BlogsMay 15, 2018Journaling Can Boost Your Leadership Skills
Stepping away from the screen and putting pen to paper allows the brain to reflect, process, and find patterns. See also “How Journaling Can Help Leaders Achieve Their Goals.”
May 11, 2018An Ode to the Thief of Time
In his new book, Andrew Santella explores procrastination, and why it is that whenever there is a job to do, you can count on someone putting it off. See also “Summer Reading: 8 Business Books – in Pictures”
April 30, 2018How Strategic Leaders Reframe Deceptive Messages
Four steps that can help you lead your organization past its self-defeating limits. For further insights, read “Conversations That Kill Your Culture.”
April 26, 2018Changing the conversations that kill your culture
Deceptive messages can undermine your enterprise from within. Relabel and reframe them to develop positive narratives. See also “How Strategic Leaders Reframe Deceptive Messages.”
s+b Blogs
April 17, 2018You’ve Reached a Career Milestone. Now What?
If you want to advance in your job and find meaning in your day-to-day work, consider these strategies. For further insights, read “What to Do When Success Leaves You Empty.”
s+b BlogsApril 16, 2018What to Do When Success Leaves You Empty
When we are caught up in achieving a goal, we can forget to enjoy the process. Here’s how to change that. See also “You’ve Reached a Career Milestone. Now What?”
April 12, 2018Are American Workers Dying for their Paychecks?
Management guru Jeffrey Pfeffer argues that modern management practices are making employees sick.
April 3, 2018How to collaborate when you don’t have consensus
Three “stretch” strategies can help teams move forward when members can’t agree and don’t like or trust one another.
s+b Blogs
March 30, 201812 Illustrations about Management Thinking
A look at the artwork from the recent pages of strategy+business, on themes including overcoming bias at work, competitiveness in the age of digitization, and the ethics of CEOs.
March 28, 2018The Habits that Slow Down Women’s Careers
Marshall Goldsmith and Sally Helgesen on how female professionals can change self-limiting behaviors. For related insights, read “How Women Can Succeed by Rethinking Old Habits.”
March 28, 2018How Women Can Succeed by Rethinking Old Habits
Female professionals looking to their next promotion or job should identify the self-limiting behaviors that may stand in their way. See also “The Habits that Slow Down Women’s Careers.”
March 26, 2018Minding the Gender Gap
In her book on gender disparity in the workplace, journalist Joanne Lipman challenges men and women to overcome unconscious bias. See also “Summer Reading: 8 Business Books – in Pictures”
s+b BlogsMarch 21, 2018Ask Not What Your City Can Do for New Jobs
Towns in the U.S. are scrambling to attract Amazon’s second headquarters, but there are more effective ways to put people to work. Fill the vacant jobs in your area.
March 21, 2018Can more flexible workforces solve society’s problems?
Yasuyuki Nambu, CEO of Japan’s Pasona Group, is reframing short-term employment as a means of social benefit.
s+b BlogsMarch 19, 2018Three Keys for Leaders Who Want to Solve Healthcare
The Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase announcement shows that new action is possible.
s+b BlogsMarch 15, 2018Strategy talk: Can strategy be decisive and flexible?
Clear choices can provide stability for your organization while also enhancing your strategic options and ability to adapt.
s+b BlogsMarch 13, 2018Getting the Autocratic Leaders We Deserve
We want our leaders to be decisive, proactive, and undaunted — but only to a point.
s+b BlogsMarch 8, 2018What Women Want in the Workplace
To close the gender gap, companies must develop transparency on career progress.
March 5, 2018Why Our Brains Fall for False Expertise, and How to Stop It
Once we are aware of the shortcuts our minds take when deciding who to listen to, we can take steps to block those shortcuts.
February 21, 2018How to Get Time on Your Side
Best-selling author Daniel Pink analyzes more than 700 studies to reveal the science of perfect timing. See also “Summer Reading: 8 Business Books – in Pictures”
February 19, 2018The Tax-Savvy Company Restructuring
Most structural changes will have tax implications. Thoughtful planning can help leaders convert tax traps into enhanced reorganization returns.
s+b BlogsFebruary 14, 2018The need for digital know-how starts at the top
Your entire organization needs the right skills to make the most of the digital future and its emerging technologies — and that begins with your senior leaders.
February 13, 2018How to Innovate by Stretching Yourself Mentally
The greatest learning often takes place when we step outside our comfort zones.
For further insights, read “Two Simple Concepts to Free Up Innovation.”
s+b BlogsFebruary 13, 2018Two simple concepts to free up innovation
Step into your “yikes zone,” then break anxiety-producing and overwhelming tasks into small, doable pieces. See also “How to Innovate by Stretching Yourself Mentally.”
February 7, 2018How Emotional Energy Drives Employees to Excel
It’s a self-reinforcing cycle that starts with pride. For more insight, read “How to Harness Employees’ Emotional Energy.”
February 7, 2018How to Harness Employees’ Emotional Energy
Fuel success by linking a company’s strategic goals to the reasons people are proud to work there. See also “How Emotional Energy Drives Employees to Excel.”
s+b Blogs
January 29, 2018How Your Hiring Process Could Predict Unethical Behavior
Carnegie Mellon professor Taya Cohen explains the connection between moral character and workplace performance.
January 23, 2018When a Japanese Company Adopted English as a First Language
In her new book, Harvard Business School Professor Tsedal Neeley examines the challenge of establishing a lingua franca in global companies.
s+b BlogsJanuary 18, 2018Can Workaholism Be Good for You?
For people who put in long hours but love their jobs, a sense of fulfillment seems to offset unhealthy stress.
s+b BlogsJanuary 16, 2018Starting a Transformation? Don’t Change Everything!
Three conversations that can mobilize your team during a reorganization.
January 8, 2018How Medicare Advantage Insurers Can Turn the Compliance Function into a Competitive Edge
To thrive in the growing MA market, a culture of regulatory compliance is key.
s+b BlogsJanuary 2, 2018Strategy Talk: Can the Latest Organizational Innovations Really Help Us?
Evaluate new management approaches, such as holacracy and agile, based on how they can improve clarity and collaboration at your company.
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