I have just returned from the NOAH17 Conference. During the two-day conference at Berlin’s Tempodrom, hundreds of CEOs and founders from established champions and emerging disruptors across industries shared tips and trends in their respective digital initiatives. I am grateful to Justus Lumpe and Marco Rodzynek for inviting me to speak on the topic of data management and for organizing such… More
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“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it,” business management icon Peter Drucker is quoted as saying. Identifying, developing and measuring vital business metrics are the starting point and foundation business improvement processes. All of this is no less true in human resources, where functions have only become more complex. Human resources executives are… More
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By Yo-Jud Cheng Doctoral Student at Harvard Business School, and Boris Groysberg Professor at Harvard Business School. Print or Download Board directorships provide an intellectual challenge for directors and an opportunity to not only share expertise but to also gain new insights. For many high-potential executives, a board directorship marks the next frontier of career advancement… More
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Large companies throughout the world are increasingly focused on developing their brand not just with prospective customers, but also with existing employees. To develop and communicate an “employer brand”, corporate human resources executives are leveraging many of the tools traditionally managed by marketing departments–social media, internal communications and advertising. Because human resources departments may lack the… More
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Business to business (BtoB) customers typically search the web before contacting a potential supplier. One would think that this would accelerate the BtoB selling cycle, but experience shows that just the opposite is happening. Why is this? When some steps in the selling process are shortened, others are lengthened because customers are assessing their options… More
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There is perhaps no greater opportunity for a business than reaching the right person with the right message at the right time. But how do we know when the sales stars are aligned? When events are unfolding with prospects, experienced sales people know that their prospects are more likely to quickly place an order. Such… More
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In our ongoing conversations with hundreds of senior executives around the world, we can’t help but notice the obvious: Big, sweeping changes are underway in the global economy—and they are impacting the human resources profession in an equally big way. We see at least twenty prominent trends impacting hiring, engagement, talent management and organization… More
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How can boards function more effectively? And what role can board members play in supporting the strategic objectives of the firms they oversee? Harvard Business School Professor Boris Groysberg and doctoral student Jocelin Yo-Jud Cheng along several research partners (listed below) are conducting a survey that will help us answer these very questions. Their preliminary analyses… More
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Nearly three months into 2016, there is every reason to believe this will be a critical year for the executive recruitment industry. The industry is rapidly adjusting to new realities in the world’s evolving economic realities and leveraging emerging opportunities in technology and social media. At least seven trends are driving change in executive recruiting:… More
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One of the hottest ongoing debates in the field of executive recruiting is whether recruiting efforts are better handled by inside recruiters or whether it’s preferable to outsource the function to executive search firms, which maintain singular focus and expertise on the recruiting function. The survey concludes that executive search firms are favored by the… More
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In the United States alone, there are 1.5 million non-profit organizations, and most of them have this one thing in common: They seek and need the input of competent board of directors’ members to help manage, oversee and guide their efforts. While not all non-profit organizations maintain governing boards, most do. But how can a… More
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It’s a hot afternoon and that tight piece of silk or microfiber around your neck is feeling pretty uncomfortable. It’s the obligatory necktie, and you would not be alone in asking: How precisely did we end up wearing these things? It all began with 17th century warfare. During the Thirty Years War (1618 to 1648)… More
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The French, we have a proverb that, translated to English, goes like this: It’s better to address God than His Saints. In no profession is it more applicable than sales, where the difference between success and failure is reaching the right person with the right message at the right time. But who is the… More
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The social media site Twitter is now utilized by over 300 million people worldwide. Its vital role as a component of a company’s corporate brand and messaging is beyond dispute. There are plenty of indications the influence and users of Twitter will continue growing substantially in years to come. While most corporate Twitter presence to… More
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Prior to the 2002 passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that tightened the finance and governance regulations of U.S.-based public companies, service on a publicly-traded company’s board of directors was globally considered by some to be something of a cushy professional affiliation. Board members were compensated well and usually met only four times annually (sometimes… More
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In recent weeks, we have highlighted trends likely to impact the executive recruiting and management consulting industries in the year to come. We conclude with a look at one of the most vital functions of any company: business development. There is every good reason to believe the year to come offers a continuation of some… More
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Management consultants have good reason for cheer. Their industry segment in the US only has grown over 4% every year since 2009, reaching $165 billion in 2014 (IbisWorld). Their revenue is poised to keep growing in the year to come. 2015 also presents new realities and challenges in an industry that is ever-evolving and that is impacted by… More
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Executive Summary With the New Year and the finalization of 2015 business budgets, many corporations will soon begin executive searches for existing openings and new positions. Many companies will launch these searches in-house, typically with inside Human Resources personnel. Many others will turn to executive search firms to find their candidates. As they proceed with… More
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The cold call. To many, the very phrase has that unsettling sound of nails down a chalkboard, invoking imagery of a task involving countless wasted hours and days on a phone calling potential contacts or customers who ultimately don’t want to be bothered. To these skeptics, the cold call is an intimidating function, simultaneously tedious, repetitious… More
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Good news: Never before has so much information—data, advice, research, news—been available to the business executive. Not so good news: No executive could ever get through even a fraction of even the best of the information age’s materials, so deciding what to read and for what purpose now becomes a hugely incredibly important decision. In… More
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