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 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.

Being a modern entrepreneur means ditching the desk, and building an online community. These are 10 women to follow on social media for inspiration.

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:

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? 

Surveilling software is booming thanks to Covid. And some employees have been tasked with monitoring their workmates’ productivity from home

If you’re a working parent interested in making a career move, it might not only be about finding a great professional opportunity. You may also want a more family-friendly employer. If that’s the case, it’s helpful to get a more complete picture of work life at the potential employer before you come on board. Learning how the company has supported other parents will help you understand if its actions and culture align with what you want and need.

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

The pandemic has uprooted lives on every corner of the globe, and women are being disproportionately affected in the workplace.

Many job losses are present in female-dominated industries, and with child care programs still closed in many states, working mothers are taking on a role as full-time parents and teachers, along with their career.

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. 

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.

One of the most compelling ways for anyone to engage with your business is through storytelling. If you think you need a rags-to-riches or wild once-in-a-lifetime story to do that, you don’t. You just need a story that your customers can relate to, says content creator Catherine Nikkel, founder of Mindful Media. 

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 times of crisis, much gets written about the importance of leaders not “losing their heads.” But, while remaining calm is a pre-requisite of almost all good decision-making, it is only a means to an end.

Success in business and in life depends on good decisions, and good decisions depend on two things. One, you need to know the facts. Two, you need to think about them intelligently. 

Most decision-making advice focuses on the second element - it gives you tips on how to weigh alternatives and frame possibilities in order to think more intelligently about choices. Facts, you might think, basically take care of themselves. You can rely on your eyes and your brain to tell you what you need to know. 

In the recent U.K. exam results fiasco, there has been finger-pointing in all directions. Gavin Williamson, Education Secretary, looked to blame Ofqual. The Chair of Ofqual demanded the Department of Education admit it was behind the grades U-turn. Then came high-level job losses, followed by Boris Johnson blaming a 'mutant algorithm'.

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

Curiosity is a critical skill for transformative growth and change. It is also a trait that many executives seem to undervalue or dismiss entirely.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the crisis caused by the response to it bring both enormous challenges and tremendous opportunities. Each business is unique, and the extent of the disruption of the Covid-19 response crisis is different. However, the process to plan and lead your company’s recovery strategy is rooted in fundamental business principles.

With audiences today being more digitally-savvy and more aware of marketing strategies than ever before, landing a sale is not as easy as it used to be. Potential customers know when they are being sold to and can easily detect if a brand is not honest and genuine.

This is why marketers should embrace authenticity first and foremost and avoid following any run-of-the-mill sales tactics in the hopes that something will stick. To help, these seven entrepreneurs share several unique and effective sales strategies and explain why they have proven to be so successful.

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.