Category Archives: Culture
Hiring and Acquiring – Two Sides of the Same Coin?
It is hard to imagine two organisational activities that result in more high profile, costly failures and reputational damage than corporate acquisitions and senior level recruitment (although culture change probably comes close). Situations where high hopes and strong rationale underpinning an acquisition or senior level hire can quickly give way to the realisation that a big mistake has been made are all too common. At first glance they may not seem to be too similar; yet both activities share some of the same fundamental problems and issues. Given that failure in these activities is hugely damaging to businesses, isn’t it time businesses changed their approach to hiring and acquiring? Continue reading
HR and Big Data; Jumping the Gun?
Big Data is unlikely to lead to the breakthroughs in understanding of what makes success unless organisations start to take into account the key intangibles such as relationships and culture. To understand performance or lack thereof, we need to look far beyond the capabilities, characteristics or behaviour of individuals. Instead, relationships, culture, other intangibles and contextual factors play a larger role in understanding performance. Continue reading
Rethinking the War for Talent
Despite advances in technology, selection methods and years of cumulative experience; organisations continue to struggle squaring the recruitment and talent puzzle. Arguably, with all the tools currently available to them, businesses are no better at recruiting than they were 20 years ago. Whilst new technologies and social media have widened the net, there is little evidence to suggest that decision making is improving or that organisations are better at understanding what makes a successful hire. Maybe it is time that we re-frame the talent question and look at recruitment decisions through a different set of filters? Continue reading
3 Barriers to Adaptability and Change
There are 3 core barriers to adaptability and change. 1. Prioritising Short Term Profits 2. Short Term Thinking 3. An Addiction to Core Revenue Streams. By applying these 3 barriers to Nokia, Blackberry, Blockbuster, Kodak and others, it’s possible to see how each organisation struggled to meet oncoming changes and competitive threats to their businesses. Continue reading
The Complex Drivers of Performance
A recent post by Om Malik (here) sets about dissecting the recent departure of JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson after only two years in the job. Formerly the head of retail for Apple; clearly it was expected that he would … Continue reading
A Physics of People and The 5 Criteria to Transform Business
The idea of a Physics of People is both valuable and represents something potentially unique. Given that the idea has the potential to transform business, the following sets out the five criteria that a ‘Physics of People’ would need to have in order to have the best chance at achieving such a transformation. Continue reading
Socialogy and a Scientifically-Grounded Understanding of People
A scientifically-grounded understanding of people, such as 4G, has the potential to change business in hugely profound ways, perhaps on a scale comparable to the industrial revolution, the introduction of the PC or the rise of the internet. Such a statement is naturally loaded with many assumptions and implications, so it’s worth exploring both in further detail… Continue reading
The Truth About Innovation
Over at HBR (here), Bill Taylor hits the nail on the head regarding the current obsession with innovation. Much like the focus on engagement a couple of years ago, innovation is the current area of focus. Business leaders have co-opted … Continue reading
Culture and Fit
A great post by Fred Wilson (here) looks at the role culture and fit play in growing companies. Rather than the quality of the products or services a company provides being the arbiter of performance, Wilson argues that it is … Continue reading
Greatest Assets?
A provocatively titled blog over at HBR (here) by Anthony J. Bradley and Mark P. McDonald questions the much used adage, “people are our greatest asset” (PAOGA from now on). The article raises some interesting points, bringing together ideas around … Continue reading
