When I think about accountability, I am reminded of a comedy sketch from the 90s HBO program Mr. Show—Coupon: the Movie. The Coupon – The Movie with the following: “This is the biggest failure in movie history! Coupon: The Movie has made zero money! You people are responsible . . …
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Technology has changed our capacity for just about everything, but the deeper truth is that our culture is changing as well—including our behaviors and expectations as leaders and our purpose in work. Those who have figured out how to channel all this energy and appetite have access to a “new …
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The problems associated with low employee engagement has spawned a myriad of content, all filled with best practices and initiatives to increase motivation and productivity. But much like the reactiveness of our healthcare system that treats mostly symptoms instead of truly focusing on wellness, so too are our treatments of …
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For Volkswagen, only a crisis of epic proportions could get them to confront its deep flaws in its rigid, hierarchical structure. But as Vivienne Walt points out in the August issue of Fortune Magazine in an article titled Volkswagen Races to Put ‘Dieselgate’ in the Rear Mirror, the irony is that …
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Read the Issue » As more organizations are embracing agile methodology as an operating system, very few are able to implement it throughout the entire organization. But it probably doesn’t have to. Agile is not necessary for every function, including those that are straightforward and task-driven functions of the business. …
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If you’re trying to create a culture of success to ensure that your organization runs in the most effective manner possible, you’ll inevitably have to look at your system of accountability. In a matrix (any organization of 50+ people that must operate cross-functionally to succeed), accountability requires a commitment to …
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Doing more with fewer resources has become the corporate mantra, especially in the decade since the Great Recession. In response to this do-more-with-less mandate, many training programs have popped up to help increase individual productivity. But what if I told you that increasing the productivity of your organization actually has …
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In 2004, the Joint Special Operations Task Force—a collection of the best special operations units in the world—found itself consistently outmaneuvered by Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). Despite a 40-year track record of amazing achievements, superior training and funding, the Task Force could not compete against a scattered, local insurgency. …
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It’s no secret that companies sometimes do crazy things. Shows like The Office and the comic strip Dilbert have become cult classics because they reflect corporate dysfunction with horrifying and hilarious accuracy.
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In 2016, U.S. corporations spent nearly $162 billion on employee training and education. However, this investment rarely improves organizational performance, a reality experienced by many companies and explored in the Harvard Business Review article “Why Leadership Training Fails—and What to Do About It.”
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