Consultancy Matters

Recent analysis shows some employees are experiencing higher levels of work intensity, leading to less sustainable work.
Results also show that task uncertainty and certain human resource practices seem to be strong positive predictors of work intensity.
HR managers and those in leadership roles need to implement policies and practices that discourage work intensity.

The past two years have forced companies that previously preferred to watch and wait to companies that are now focused on accelerating their digital transformation efforts. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned from this stepped-up pace, it’s that getting good results is not a plug-and-play proposition.

International evidence is clear that having women at the decision-making table improves environmental outcomes. A study of the European Parliament showed that women elected to Parliaments around the world are more likely to support environmental legislation than men. But women make up only 31% of the House of Representatives and 33% of our federal Cabinet. The upcoming federal election is a chance to reflect on who should be representing and leading our nation at this crucial time. 

Some situations at work urgently require a confrontation. Maybe it’s a gripe you have with your coworker, your boss, your neighbor, or even your spouse.

But instead of confronting the problem, you ignore it. You rationalize away having the conversation by saying, “it’s not that big of a deal,”or “the confrontation will make it worse,” or “it’ll work itself out.”

There's one question I try to ask every professional athlete I interview: "Which drives you more: Loving to win, or hating to lose?"

The answer requires a little self-reflection. A little thought. Even, sometimes, a little harmless self-disclosure.

In December 2020, I had the opportunity and privilege of delivering a keynote address to an audience of healthcare professionals, organized by one of our clients in the pharmaceutical sector. Under normal circumstances, this in of itself is not exactly newsworthy! So why am I writing about it? 

Having great company culture is no longer just an option. Today’s workers consider it as much as they consider salary and benefits. In fact, fantastic company culture is almost expected along with other traditional benefits.

While the culture that works for one company might not work for another, you can learn a lot from companies who are doing it right, and get started on company culture hacks of your own.

What I Learned About Myself In a C-Suite Job
Nothing illuminates strengths and weaknesses like a high-pressure role

Did the hard sell ever really work? We’ve all heard the stories of people unable to leave meetings until they signed up to buy a time share – or new double glazing. But did that sort of relentless pursuit ever really lead to happy customers and lasting customer loyalty?

As the ongoing public health crisis has metastasized into an economic slowdown, it’s difficult for many corporations to retain and reward their people. Many firms aren’t in the position to give their employees large annual bonuses. As the former CEO of CitiMortgage and now the CEO of Caliber Home Loans, I have seen how spot bonuses can be an effective alternative: We recently paid spot bonuses to almost all our employees to reward them for their diligent work in a tumultuous year. Indeed, companies can use a spot bonus like a scalpel to stimulate feelings of satisfaction among employees, incentivize group behaviors, and build a stronger sense of solidarity.

This is a very effective, highly sought after customer service training programme about turning customer complaints into business opportunities; regaining the trust of unhappy customers and keeping them as customers.

Do you know how many customers you lost last quarter? Do you know why? Do you know if complaints were handled satisfactorily? Do you know what you’ll need to do to retain your existing customers and to attract more customers?

A Complaint Is a Gift is not only a practical “how-to” customer service programme that takes participants into the world of customer relationships, but also provokes and inspires changes in related thinking, attitudes and habits.

How Corporate Cultures Differ Around the World

The leadership qualities that propelled countless startups to billion dollar valuations in the last decade have now become outmoded relics of a bygone bull market. In the 2010s, many successful entrepreneurs were defined by their ability to fundraise by applying innovative technologies to antiquated markets and processes. Success was defined by company valuation, and valuation often keyed off revenue growth and market potential.

A recent survey indicates that while 94 percent of managers schedule one-on-one meetings with direct reports, fewer than half of employees say they have monthly one-on-ones, and only about 20 percent of those meetings are deemed effective. The take away here is that no more than 10 percent of employees are happy with their one-on-one meetings.

Becoming a manager for the first time is an exciting yet nerve-wracking career milestone. First, a celebration is in order. Next, the work begins. Managing a team requires trial and error, and there is nothing quite like learning through practice. You’re going to need to embrace a whole new set of habits to go with your new role.

The 2018 Grant Thornton-Oxford Economics study found that what executives perceive to be most important to employees does not always align with what employees think is most important. For example, 57% of executives in the study believed a pleasing workplace environment was critical to employee loyalty, whereas only 36% of employees said the same.

Good negotiators are more likely to secure a pay rise, get the house or job they want, and keep the peace at home. No end of psychological studies have explored which attitudes, behaviours, and settings will help a negotiation go your way. Here, we take a look at some of the key findings:

Need to boost your sales? This surprising new research will help.

By allowing all stakeholders a view into the decision-making process, leaders can offer a stronger sense of purpose and belonging to their workforce. The key ingredient? Communication.

10 Leadership Lessons With Blue Apron CEO Linda Findley Kozlowski
What she learned in roles at Etsy, Evernote, Alibaba and now Blue Apron.

In customer service, empathy is the ability to have meaningful interactions with your customers (or employees) – to connect with their feelings (even if you are unable to resolve their problem).

Being empathetic towards someone doesn’t mean that you always have to agree with them - it also means being able to say 'no', or to take actions that you know they may dislike, but to do so with as much compassion as possible. To be humane.

The CEO role has been evolving for several years; and, that shift continues to accelerate amidst the pandemic and mounting urgency to combat systemic injustice. 2020 demands a new form of leadership, centered on having a purpose beyond profit. 

Recognizing this, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Accenture recently developed a responsible leadership framework and shared best practices at WEF's Young Global Leaders Summit this week. Here are five tenets of responsible leadership and thoughts on how you can put them into action. 

Great leaders don’t simply tell their team what to do; they lead by example and “walk the walk.” Staff members are much more willing to listen to instructions and respect leadership if their boss is doing the same. 

Use these six steps as reference points for how to master the art of selling.