MarketingMuses

Paper Boat Creative/Getty Images The moment a hyped-up new technology garners mainstream attention, many businesses will scramble to incorporate it into their enterprise. The majority of these trends will splutter and die out by Q4. Artificial intelligence (AI) is unlikely to be one of them. AI is a transformative series of tools that can accelerate […]

Ricardo Lima/Getty Images Many people believe that being a good manager only requires common sense, and that it is therefore easy to be one. If this were true, good managers would be commonplace at all levels of more organizations, and as a result, employee engagement and retention would be high. However, only 13% of workers […]

Ricardo Lima/Getty Images Many people believe that being a good manager only requires common sense, and that it is therefore easy to be one. If this were true, good managers would be commonplace at all levels of more organizations, and as a result, employee engagement and retention would be high. However, only 13% of workers […]

Ricardo Lima/Getty Images Many people believe that being a good manager only requires common sense, and that it is therefore easy to be one. If this were true, good managers would be commonplace at all levels of more organizations, and as a result, employee engagement and retention would be high. However, only 13% of workers […]

Ricardo Lima/Getty Images Many people believe that being a good manager only requires common sense, and that it is therefore easy to be one. If this were true, good managers would be commonplace at all levels of more organizations, and as a result, employee engagement and retention would be high. However, only 13% of workers […]

Danae Diaz/Getty Images Benjamin Franklin knew he was smart — smarter than most of his peers — but he was also intelligent enough to understand that he couldn’t be right about everything. That’s why he said that whenever he was about to make an argument, he would open with something along the lines of, “I […]

Herminia Ibarra, a professor at the London Business School, argues that job transitions — even exciting ones that you’ve chosen — can come with all kinds of unexpected emotions. Going from a job that is known and helped define your identity to a new position brings all kinds of challenges. Ibarra says that it’s important […]

Mark Wilson/Getty Images The ability to collect and exploit consumers’ personal data has long been a source of competitive advantage in the digital economy. It is their control and use of this data that has enabled the likes of Google, Amazon, Alibaba, and Facebook to dominate online markets. But consumers are increasingly concerned about the […]

clu/Getty Images I’ve been using the sales funnel for 28 years, my whole career. This year, I retired the funnel — threw it a party, gave it a gold watch, and congratulated it on its move to a condo in Florida. It was the right thing to do. For one thing, in an era when trust […]

clu/Getty Images I’ve been using the sales funnel for 28 years, my whole career. This year, I retired the funnel — threw it a party, gave it a gold watch, and congratulated it on its move to a condo in Florida. It was the right thing to do. For one thing, in an era when trust […]

clu/Getty Images I’ve been using the sales funnel for 28 years, my whole career. This year, I retired the funnel — threw it a party, gave it a gold watch, and congratulated it on its move to a condo in Florida. It was the right thing to do. For one thing, in an era when trust […]

clu/Getty Images I’ve been using the sales funnel for 28 years, my whole career. This year, I retired the funnel — threw it a party, gave it a gold watch, and congratulated it on its move to a condo in Florida. It was the right thing to do. For one thing, in an era when trust […]

clu/Getty Images I’ve been using the sales funnel for 28 years, my whole career. This year, I retired the funnel — threw it a party, gave it a gold watch, and congratulated it on its move to a condo in Florida. It was the right thing to do. For one thing, in an era when trust […]

“To be wise you must arrange your experiences on a lattice of models.”  — Charlie Munger Organizations are awash in data — from geocoded transactional data to real-time website traffic to semantic quantifications of corporate annual reports. All these data and data sources only add value if put to use. And that typically means that […]

Andrew Brookes/Getty Images Throughout the global economy, big companies are getting bigger. They’re more productive, more profitable, more innovative, and they pay better. The people lucky enough to work at these companies are doing relatively well. Those who work for the competition aren’t. Policymakers have noticed. Antitrust and competition policy are seeing renewed interest, including […]

JUSTIN TALLIS/Getty Images In 2008, I was designing advertising products at Google. For the first time in my young career, I was going to lots of meetings, and my job had become as much about convincing, cajoling, and coordinating as it was about designing. My manager told me about a team that was working on […]

Carol Yepes/Getty Images Sure, everyone wants to be happy. But what kind of happiness do people want? Is it happiness experienced moment-to-moment? Or is it being able to look back and remember a time as happy? Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman described this distinction as “being happy in your life” versus “being happy about your […]

From the Women at Work podcast: Listen and subscribe to our podcast via Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS Download the discussion guide for this episode Join our online community Download this podcast It takes time and care to develop trusting relationships with the women we work with, particularly women who are different from […]

The devastating opioid epidemic in the U.S. is a crisis that was created, in part, by healthcare itself as prescriptions for pain-relieving medications rapidly increased in the 2000s. Now, healthcare is at the forefront in trying to fix the problem. At Geisinger, a healthcare system serving more than 1.5 million patients in Pennsylvania and New […]

The devastating opioid epidemic in the U.S. is a crisis that was created, in part, by healthcare itself as prescriptions for pain-relieving medications rapidly increased in the 2000s. Now, healthcare is at the forefront in trying to fix the problem. At Geisinger, a healthcare system serving more than 1.5 million patients in Pennsylvania and New […]

The devastating opioid epidemic in the U.S. is a crisis that was created, in part, by healthcare itself as prescriptions for pain-relieving medications rapidly increased in the 2000s. Now, healthcare is at the forefront in trying to fix the problem. At Geisinger, a healthcare system serving more than 1.5 million patients in Pennsylvania and New […]

The devastating opioid epidemic in the U.S. is a crisis that was created, in part, by healthcare itself as prescriptions for pain-relieving medications rapidly increased in the 2000s. Now, healthcare is at the forefront in trying to fix the problem. At Geisinger, a healthcare system serving more than 1.5 million patients in Pennsylvania and New […]

The devastating opioid epidemic in the U.S. is a crisis that was created, in part, by healthcare itself as prescriptions for pain-relieving medications rapidly increased in the 2000s. Now, healthcare is at the forefront in trying to fix the problem. At Geisinger, a healthcare system serving more than 1.5 million patients in Pennsylvania and New […]

MirageC/Getty Images Corporate bribery—that is, the practice of companies paying government officials for preferential treatment—is not only illegal  in dozens of countries. Studies show that it’s also counterproductive resulting in lower profit margins, return on equity, and employee morale; costly delays as players haggle over the size of the kickback; and poverty and poor governance […]

Daniel Viñé Garcia/Getty Images While on an investor tour in Europe, I ended a busy day by joining my boss at a nice restaurant. After he said something funny, I responded in my typical style — throwing back my head and letting out hearty, unabashed laughter. People were taken aback. They turned to stare at me. […]

John Rizzo/Getty Images Discounts and promotions are at an all-time high, often comprising the single-biggest cost within many retailers’ P&Ls. Yet despite these high stakes, and the growing adoption of sophisticated analytics, many retailers continue to take a broad-brush approach to running promotions that results in missed sales and profits. The most common explanation for […]

IAN HOOTON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images You walk down the hall, head spinning — unsure of how to stabilize yourself. You went into your one-on-one thinking you had clarity on your current priorities. You just left it wondering how in the world you would squeeze in the five new ideas your boss just dreamed up. You […]

IAN HOOTON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images You walk down the hall, head spinning — unsure of how to stabilize yourself. You went into your one-on-one thinking you had clarity on your current priorities. You just left it wondering how in the world you would squeeze in the five new ideas your boss just dreamed up. You […]

IAN HOOTON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images You walk down the hall, head spinning — unsure of how to stabilize yourself. You went into your one-on-one thinking you had clarity on your current priorities. You just left it wondering how in the world you would squeeze in the five new ideas your boss just dreamed up. You […]

IAN HOOTON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images You walk down the hall, head spinning — unsure of how to stabilize yourself. You went into your one-on-one thinking you had clarity on your current priorities. You just left it wondering how in the world you would squeeze in the five new ideas your boss just dreamed up. You […]

IAN HOOTON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images You walk down the hall, head spinning — unsure of how to stabilize yourself. You went into your one-on-one thinking you had clarity on your current priorities. You just left it wondering how in the world you would squeeze in the five new ideas your boss just dreamed up. You […]

PM Images/Getty Images A recent Navigant survey found that U.S. hospitals and health systems experienced an average 39% reduction in their operating margins from 2015 to 2017. This was because their expenses grew faster than their revenues, despite cost-cutting initiatives. As I speak with industry executives, a common refrain is “I’ve done all the easy […]

In a recent article, The Guardian newspaper called for the National Health Service to turn to universities as a key resource, arguing that the research ecosystem in the UK is fragmented and more partnerships that align expertise with the goal of improving public health are needed. The recommendation was echoed in a recent U.S. research […]

Is your teamwork not working? In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School and the author of The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. They talk […]

Andrea Comi/Getty Images Employees around the world yearn for freedom and flexibility. The most common form of flexibility that companies offer is the ability to work remote. In a new study by my firm and Virgin Pulse, we found that a third of employees globally work remote always or very often. Compared to a decade […]

Eduardo da Costa/Getty Images Maybe you fell head over heels. Maybe your feelings grew over time. All you know is that you have what everyone is looking for, but few seem to get: A job you love. And you are about to leave it. How do you even start explaining? The work is great. So […]

Eduardo da Costa/Getty Images Maybe you fell head over heels. Maybe your feelings grew over time. All you know is that you have what everyone is looking for, but few seem to get: A job you love. And you are about to leave it. How do you even start explaining? The work is great. So […]

Eduardo da Costa/Getty Images Maybe you fell head over heels. Maybe your feelings grew over time. All you know is that you have what everyone is looking for, but few seem to get: A job you love. And you are about to leave it. How do you even start explaining? The work is great. So […]

Eduardo da Costa/Getty Images Maybe you fell head over heels. Maybe your feelings grew over time. All you know is that you have what everyone is looking for, but few seem to get: A job you love. And you are about to leave it. How do you even start explaining? The work is great. So […]

Eduardo da Costa/Getty Images Maybe you fell head over heels. Maybe your feelings grew over time. All you know is that you have what everyone is looking for, but few seem to get: A job you love. And you are about to leave it. How do you even start explaining? The work is great. So […]

YASUYOSHI CHIBA/Getty Images “When are you thinking of retiring?” I am used to this question by now.  It usually comes up an hour into a meeting with a client prospect for our investment company, often after a shuffling of papers and downward glances. “And what is your plan for succession at the company?” At first, […]

Caspar Benson/Getty Images It has been a year since the #MeToo movement went viral. Since then, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has experienced a 13.6% increase in the number of sexual harassment charges it has received. The EEOC’s counterpart state agencies have seen even greater increases. While some business leaders have seized this moment […]

Youngme Moon, Mihir Desai, and Felix Oberholzer-Gee discuss how much Uber is worth as it prepares to go public, before debating China’s controversial Social Credit system. They also share their After Hours picks for the week. Download this podcast You can email your comments and ideas for future episodes to: harvardafterhours@gmail.com. HBR Presents is a […]

Mark Edward Harris/Getty Images What working parent hasn’t felt guilty about missing soccer games and piano recitals? When there are last-minute schedule changes at work or required travel to a client site, it’s normal to worry that you’re somehow permanently scarring your little one. But how does our work affect our children’s lives?  About two […]

Barbara Chase/Getty Images Some of the worst corporate disasters of the past two decades were heralded by whistleblowers: Sherron Watkins raised the red flag internally at Enron, Cynthia Cooper let management know of major accounting problems at WorldCom, and Matthew Lee brought problems to his management team at Lehman Brothers. The whistleblowers weren’t able to […]

Barbara Chase/Getty Images Some of the worst corporate disasters of the past two decades were heralded by whistleblowers: Sherron Watkins raised the red flag internally at Enron, Cynthia Cooper let management know of major accounting problems at WorldCom, and Matthew Lee brought problems to his management team at Lehman Brothers. The whistleblowers weren’t able to […]

Barbara Chase/Getty Images Some of the worst corporate disasters of the past two decades were heralded by whistleblowers: Sherron Watkins raised the red flag internally at Enron, Cynthia Cooper let management know of major accounting problems at WorldCom, and Matthew Lee brought problems to his management team at Lehman Brothers. The whistleblowers weren’t able to […]

Barbara Chase/Getty Images Some of the worst corporate disasters of the past two decades were heralded by whistleblowers: Sherron Watkins raised the red flag internally at Enron, Cynthia Cooper let management know of major accounting problems at WorldCom, and Matthew Lee brought problems to his management team at Lehman Brothers. The whistleblowers weren’t able to […]

Barbara Chase/Getty Images Some of the worst corporate disasters of the past two decades were heralded by whistleblowers: Sherron Watkins raised the red flag internally at Enron, Cynthia Cooper let management know of major accounting problems at WorldCom, and Matthew Lee brought problems to his management team at Lehman Brothers. The whistleblowers weren’t able to […]

Robert Hanson/Getty Images Why is it easier to see the best solution to other people’s dilemmas than our own? Whether it’s about someone deciding to pursue a new job, or ask for a raise, or someone simply mulling over which ice cream flavor to choose, we seem to see the best solution with a clarity […]

Kim Kulish/Contributor/Getty Images Stan Lee hated to see an idle artist. The renowned comic book writer and publisher, who died this week at 95, thought idle talent was bored talent, and bored talent was easy to lose to the competition. It also personally bothered him that the people in his employ might be scrambling to […]

Caitlin Rosenthal, assistant professor of history at UC Berkeley, argues there are strong parallels between the accounting practices used by slaveholders and modern business practices. While we know slavery’s economic impact on the United States, Rosenthal says we need to look closer at the details — down to accounting ledgers – to truly understand what […]

Caitlin Rosenthal, assistant professor of history at UC Berkeley, argues there are strong parallels between the accounting practices used by slaveholders and modern business practices. While we know slavery’s economic impact on the United States, Rosenthal says we need to look closer at the details — down to accounting ledgers – to truly understand what […]

Kim Kulish/Contributor/Getty Images Stan Lee hated to see an idle artist. The renowned comic book writer and publisher, who died this week at 95, thought idle talent was bored talent, and bored talent was easy to lose to the competition. It also personally bothered him that the people in his employ might be scrambling to […]

Robert Hanson/Getty Images Why is it easier to see the best solution to other people’s dilemmas than our own? Whether it’s about someone deciding to pursue a new job, or ask for a raise, or someone simply mulling over which ice cream flavor to choose, we seem to see the best solution with a clarity […]

JOHN WESSELS/Contributor/Getty Images Last month, a rebel attack in Beni, the epicenter of the ongoing Ebola outbreak near the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), once again halted the efforts of response teams working to contain the virus. With over 10 major episodes of violence since the outbreak was declared in August, […]

Bull’s Eye/Getty Images A small percentage of U.S. companies — including PwC, Fidelity, and Aetna — have stepped up to help their employees cope with the education loans weighing them down by offering them cash to help them reduce their debts. While I applaud them, one downside of their approach is simply giving their workers cash raises […]

Shana Novak/Getty Images Mark was always one of the smartest kids in his class. He’s done well in his career, but when he checks Facebook, he sees people he outperformed at school who have now achieved more. Likewise, there are colleagues at his firm who have leapfrogged him. Sometimes he wonders, “What am I doing […]

We bring you three stories about parental leave, from listeners whose experiences with it changed them, for better or for worse. They talk about having to fight for more time off, go back to work before they were ready, care for sick babies, and try to hide their exhaustion and stress. Ultimately, they’re stories about […]

We bring you three stories about parental leave, from listeners whose experiences with it changed them, for better or for worse. They talk about having to fight for more time off, go back to work before they were ready, care for sick babies, and try to hide their exhaustion and stress. Ultimately, they’re stories about […]

We bring you three stories about parental leave, from listeners whose experiences with it changed them, for better or for worse. They talk about having to fight for more time off, go back to work before they were ready, care for sick babies, and try to hide their exhaustion and stress. Ultimately, they’re stories about […]

We bring you three stories about parental leave, from listeners whose experiences with it changed them, for better or for worse. They talk about having to fight for more time off, go back to work before they were ready, care for sick babies, and try to hide their exhaustion and stress. Ultimately, they’re stories about […]

We bring you three stories about parental leave, from listeners whose experiences with it changed them, for better or for worse. They talk about having to fight for more time off, go back to work before they were ready, care for sick babies, and try to hide their exhaustion and stress. Ultimately, they’re stories about […]

Patrizia Savarese/Getty Images The challenge of running a sustainable enterprise has taken center stage among shareholders. Last year, for example, Russell 3000 companies received 144 shareholder proposals requesting action on social and environmental issues. Meanwhile, in a survey of 89 institutional investors by Callan, 43% of respondents said they incorporate sustainability factors into their investment […]

Yuji Karaki/Getty Images In any team or organization, some individuals are consistently more likely to come up with ideas that are both novel and useful. These ideas are the seeds of innovation: the intellectual foundation for any new products and services that enable some organizations to gain a competitive advantage over others. However, organizations are […]

TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images When the FDA issued its first approval for a gene therapy for an inherited disease nearly a year ago—a cure for a type of blindness—it was heralded as breakthrough, a moment decades in the making. With dozens of other genetically engineered therapies moving through clinical trials, the long-promised era of […]

Ariel Skelley/Getty Images It finally happened: You got the buy-in to launch a (much-needed!) working parents’ network in your organization. You’ve sent out the blast announcement and secured a small budget. The kickoff cocktail party drew a crowd of parents eager for advice — and curious about this new resource. You’ve done everything needed to […]

Julien Fourniol/Baloulumix/Getty Images A new study out by Spencer Stuart shows an insane number of chief marketing officers who’ve been fired during 2018. But frankly, it’s not a surprise. I served as CMO for Deloitte Consulting and then Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and when I have coached executive teams through transformations, I’ve seen many teams […]

Julien Fourniol/Baloulumix/Getty Images A new study out by Spencer Stuart shows an insane number of chief marketing officers who’ve been fired during 2018. But frankly, it’s not a surprise. I served as CMO for Deloitte Consulting and then Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and when I have coached executive teams through transformations, I’ve seen many teams […]

Julien Fourniol/Baloulumix/Getty Images A new study out by Spencer Stuart shows an insane number of chief marketing officers who’ve been fired during 2018. But frankly, it’s not a surprise. I served as CMO for Deloitte Consulting and then Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and when I have coached executive teams through transformations, I’ve seen many teams […]

Julien Fourniol/Baloulumix/Getty Images A new study out by Spencer Stuart shows an insane number of chief marketing officers who’ve been fired during 2018. But frankly, it’s not a surprise. I served as CMO for Deloitte Consulting and then Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and when I have coached executive teams through transformations, I’ve seen many teams […]

Julien Fourniol/Baloulumix/Getty Images A new study out by Spencer Stuart shows an insane number of chief marketing officers who’ve been fired during 2018. But frankly, it’s not a surprise. I served as CMO for Deloitte Consulting and then Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and when I have coached executive teams through transformations, I’ve seen many teams […]

Mike Hewitt /Getty Images It was the last race of the ski season. My son Daniel, 10 years old, was at the starting gate in his speed suit, helmet and goggles, waiting for the signal. “3… 2… 1…” The gate keeper called out and he was gone in a flash, pushing off his ski poles […]

Blend Images/ERproductions Ltd Creative/Getty Images In health care today, the conversation around transparency centers on the consumer. The consumer is empowered to ask for treatment options and costs, potential treatment risks, realistic outcomes, and much more. Health care providers must respond with as much information as possible to ensure appropriate care is delivered, quality and […]

Andy Roberts/Getty Images An all-star team is making headway with a new initiative that could alter the future of the organization. Spirits are optimistic and the team is successfully maneuvering through new, yet very promising, territory. Then, the results begin taking longer than anticipated to prove, and after too much time spent outside of their […]

PM Images/Getty Images On November 12, the United States, European Union, and Japan will submit a package of proposals to the World Trade Organization’s Council on Trade in Goods that would significantly help curb China’s practices of heavily subsidizing its state-owned enterprises. They are also discussing ways to prevent China from forcing Western companies to transfer technology […]

June Buck/Getty Images A CEO whom we’ll call Melissa was exasperated. Having delivered seven years of breakthrough performance and nearing retirement, she was eager to select and prepare her successor. Members of her executive team were strong in their current roles but none was quite right for the top job. As we considered a broader […]

June Buck/Getty Images A CEO whom we’ll call Melissa was exasperated. Having delivered seven years of breakthrough performance and nearing retirement, she was eager to select and prepare her successor. Members of her executive team were strong in their current roles but none was quite right for the top job. As we considered a broader […]

June Buck/Getty Images A CEO whom we’ll call Melissa was exasperated. Having delivered seven years of breakthrough performance and nearing retirement, she was eager to select and prepare her successor. Members of her executive team were strong in their current roles but none was quite right for the top job. As we considered a broader […]

June Buck/Getty Images A CEO whom we’ll call Melissa was exasperated. Having delivered seven years of breakthrough performance and nearing retirement, she was eager to select and prepare her successor. Members of her executive team were strong in their current roles but none was quite right for the top job. As we considered a broader […]

June Buck/Getty Images A CEO whom we’ll call Melissa was exasperated. Having delivered seven years of breakthrough performance and nearing retirement, she was eager to select and prepare her successor. Members of her executive team were strong in their current roles but none was quite right for the top job. As we considered a broader […]

Chalermphon Kumchai/EyeEm/Getty Images Micromanagement gets most of the attention, but under-management may be just as big a problem. This is the term I’ve given to a constellation of behaviors that I’ve seen occurring together often during my 24 years in management: weak performance management, a tendency to avoid conflicts with employees, and generally lackluster accountability. […]

t_kimura/Getty Images After a public outcry over privacy and their inability — or unwillingness — to address misleading content, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms finally appear to be making a real effort to take on fake news. But manipulative posts from perpetrators in Russia or elsewhere may soon be the least of our problems. […]

gremlin/Getty Images Many companies struggle to deliver a consistent and easy buying experience for their customers. Consider the following scenario: A manager wants to purchase some computer software for her business. She asks an analyst on her team to do an online search for information. The analyst recommends a particular software company’s solution. The manager […]

Tara Moore/Getty Images When your team wants to learn a new skill, where do they turn first? Google? YouTube? Their corporate training programs? No. According to a study conducted by our company, Degreed, more workers first turn to their peers (55%)—second only to asking their bosses. Peer-to-peer learning can be a powerful development tool that […]

gremlin/Getty Images Physician discontent over deteriorating working conditions and growing risks to patient care has risen to alarming levels in European hospitals. To understand physicians’ evolving reality, Bain’s biennial Europe Front Line of Health Care Survey tracks European practitioners’ attitudes, priorities and decision-making power. The findings are based on input from 1,156 physicians across nine […]

Tara Moore/Getty Images When your team wants to learn a new skill, where do they turn first? Google? YouTube? Their corporate training programs? No. According to a study conducted by our company, Degreed, more workers first turn to their peers (55%)—second only to asking their bosses. Peer-to-peer learning can be a powerful development tool that […]

Tara Moore/Getty Images When your team wants to learn a new skill, where do they turn first? Google? YouTube? Their corporate training programs? No. According to a study conducted by our company, Degreed, more workers first turn to their peers (55%)—second only to asking their bosses. Peer-to-peer learning can be a powerful development tool that […]

Tara Moore/Getty Images When your team wants to learn a new skill, where do they turn first? Google? YouTube? Their corporate training programs? No. According to a study conducted by our company, Degreed, more workers first turn to their peers (55%)—second only to asking their bosses. Peer-to-peer learning can be a powerful development tool that […]

Tara Moore/Getty Images When your team wants to learn a new skill, where do they turn first? Google? YouTube? Their corporate training programs? No. According to a study conducted by our company, Degreed, more workers first turn to their peers (55%)—second only to asking their bosses. Peer-to-peer learning can be a powerful development tool that […]

Gary S Chapman/Getty Images Recently the Chief HR Officer for a healthcare firm asked us to identify the best new framework for leadership that she could use to train and develop a cadre of high potentials. The challenge, she said, was that these managers were highly proficient in their own disciplines such as finance, marketing, research, […]

Hero Images/Getty Images The potential for improving the quality of healthcare has never been greater. Advances in data analytics give us the ability to look at large populations and precisely segment their needs and new technologies such as tele-medicine give us the capabilities to deliver customized experiences at scale. But the most powerful drivers of […]

Monty Rakusen/Getty Images In 2012, HBR dubbed data scientist “the sexiest job of the 21st century”. It is also, arguably, the vaguest. To hire the right people for the right roles, it’s important to distinguish between different types of data scientist. There are plenty of different distinctions that one can draw, of course, and any […]

Renee Comet/Getty Images In recent years, much has been written about how the Blockchain is poised to transform traditional industries such as banking, real estate, and healthcare. More recently, it has gained attention as a way to finance new ventures, through what is known as an Initial Coin Offering (ICO). Less noticed, though, is ICOs […]

Youngme Moon, Mihir Desai, and Felix Oberholzer-Gee debate whether Netflix’s success is sustainable, before trying to wrap their heads around the unthinkably high murder rate in Latin America. They also share their After Hours picks for the week. Download this podcast For interested listeners: Latin America is the Murder Capital of the World (Wall Street […]

MirageC/Getty Images Large-scale, government-directed discrimination against a group of people is extremely damaging to those being targeted. It also permeates every aspect of society, including business. For example, talented people are often excluded from leadership positions if they belong to the group that faces discrimination. What are the costs of this, beyond stifling or ending the […]

Caiaimage/Martin Barraud/Getty Images Fearless public speaking is about more than combating nerves. It’s about knowing the technique, the art, and the business of public speaking. In my two years working as a TedX producer, and my 27 years working in film, television, theater, and events production, I have worked with hundreds of speakers, and with […]

Caiaimage/Martin Barraud/Getty Images Fearless public speaking is about more than combating nerves. It’s about knowing the technique, the art, and the business of public speaking. In my two years working as a TedX producer, and my 27 years working in film, television, theater, and events production, I have worked with hundreds of speakers, and with […]

Caiaimage/Martin Barraud/Getty Images Fearless public speaking is about more than combating nerves. It’s about knowing the technique, the art, and the business of public speaking. In my two years working as a TedX producer, and my 27 years working in film, television, theater, and events production, I have worked with hundreds of speakers, and with […]

Caiaimage/Martin Barraud/Getty Images Fearless public speaking is about more than combating nerves. It’s about knowing the technique, the art, and the business of public speaking. In my two years working as a TedX producer, and my 27 years working in film, television, theater, and events production, I have worked with hundreds of speakers, and with […]

Caiaimage/Martin Barraud/Getty Images Fearless public speaking is about more than combating nerves. It’s about knowing the technique, the art, and the business of public speaking. In my two years working as a TedX producer, and my 27 years working in film, television, theater, and events production, I have worked with hundreds of speakers, and with […]

Nick Morgan, a communications expert and speaking coach, says that while email, texting, and Slack might seem like they make communication easier, they actually make things less efficient. When we are bombarded with too many messages a day, he argues, humans are likely to fill in the gaps with negative information or assume the worst […]

Nick Morgan, a communications expert and speaking coach, says that while email, texting, and Slack might seem like they make communication easier, they actually make things less efficient. When we are bombarded with too many messages a day, he argues, humans are likely to fill in the gaps with negative information or assume the worst […]

Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty Images On his first day as CEO of the Carlsberg Group, a global brewery and beverage company, Cees ‘t Hart was given a key card by his assistant. The card locked out all the other floors for the elevator so that he could go directly to his corner office on the 20th […]

The service sector is a large and growing part of our economy. But a lot of service businesses are managed according to old ideas imported from more traditional industries, says Ryan Buell, UPS Foundation Associate Professor of Service Management at Harvard Business School (HBS). In today’s rapidly changing service sector, a new set of frameworks […]

Shana Novak/Getty Images Most people at one time or another have struggled to navigate the complexities of the U.S. health care system. Many have received unpleasant surprises, such as a medical bill they expected to be covered by their health insurance or an unexpectedly expensive bill for a simple service. This type of confusion results […]

Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images The global digital economy crossed an important milestone recently: the number of internet users in two countries — China, with just over 800 million users, and India, with 500 million users  – surpassed the aggregate number of internet users across 37 OECD countries combined. In both countries, users spend more time on […]

PM Images/Getty Images Companies benefit when employees speak up. When employees feel comfortable candidly voicing their opinions, suggestions, or concerns, organizations become better at handling threats as well as opportunities. But employees often remain silent with their opinions, concerns or ideas. There are generally two viewpoints on why: One is the personality perspective, which suggests […]

bulentgultek/Getty Images In his introduction to Working, the landmark 1974 oral history of work, Studs Terkel positioned meaning as an equal counterpart to financial compensation in motivating the American worker. “[Work] is about a search…for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor,” he wrote. […]

From the Women at Work podcast: Listen and subscribe to our podcast via Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS Download the discussion guide for this episode Join our online community Download this podcast The glass ceiling is the classic symbol of the barrier women bump into as we go through our careers. But for […]

From the Women at Work podcast: Listen and subscribe to our podcast via Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS Download the discussion guide for this episode Join our online community Download this podcast The glass ceiling is the classic symbol of the barrier women bump into as we go through our careers. But for […]

From the Women at Work podcast: Listen and subscribe to our podcast via Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS Download the discussion guide for this episode Join our online community Download this podcast The glass ceiling is the classic symbol of the barrier women bump into as we go through our careers. But for […]

From the Women at Work podcast: Listen and subscribe to our podcast via Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS Download the discussion guide for this episode Join our online community Download this podcast The glass ceiling is the classic symbol of the barrier women bump into as we go through our careers. But for […]

From the Women at Work podcast: Listen and subscribe to our podcast via Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS Download the discussion guide for this episode Join our online community Download this podcast The glass ceiling is the classic symbol of the barrier women bump into as we go through our careers. But for […]

Fuse/Getty Images When innovations threaten to disrupt an industry by replacing an old business model with a new one, incumbents need to invest in that model in order to survive. That’s the conventional wisdom, and it’s given rise to popular mantra “Disrupt or Be Disrupted.” If you’re dealing with innovations that have led to a […]

Westend61/Getty Images Productivity in the United States’ health care industry is declining — and has been ever since World War II. As the cost of treating patients continues to rise, life expectancy in America is beginning to fall. But there is mounting evidence that artificial intelligence (AI) can reverse the downward spiral in productivity by automating […]

Martyn Goddard/Getty Images More than ever before, managers are using large-scale randomized controlled trials (i.e., experiments) to guide decisions. This has led to impressive gains for organizations ranging from Amazon to the UK government. We are excited about the rise of experiments in organizations and have spent much of the past few years thinking about […]

Martyn Goddard/Getty Images More than ever before, managers are using large-scale randomized controlled trials (i.e., experiments) to guide decisions. This has led to impressive gains for organizations ranging from Amazon to the UK government. We are excited about the rise of experiments in organizations and have spent much of the past few years thinking about […]

Martyn Goddard/Getty Images More than ever before, managers are using large-scale randomized controlled trials (i.e., experiments) to guide decisions. This has led to impressive gains for organizations ranging from Amazon to the UK government. We are excited about the rise of experiments in organizations and have spent much of the past few years thinking about […]

Martyn Goddard/Getty Images More than ever before, managers are using large-scale randomized controlled trials (i.e., experiments) to guide decisions. This has led to impressive gains for organizations ranging from Amazon to the UK government. We are excited about the rise of experiments in organizations and have spent much of the past few years thinking about […]

Martyn Goddard/Getty Images More than ever before, managers are using large-scale randomized controlled trials (i.e., experiments) to guide decisions. This has led to impressive gains for organizations ranging from Amazon to the UK government. We are excited about the rise of experiments in organizations and have spent much of the past few years thinking about […]

beastfromeast/Getty Images Sometimes a simple story is all it takes to capture complex issues, or so it seems. Take this one. A few years ago, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg lost a game of Scrabble to a friend’s teenage daughter. “Before they played a second game, he wrote a simple computer program that would look up […]

Deanna Kelly/Getty Images Despite recent efforts to increase diversity in tech, the hiring and retention rates of underrepresented groups in the industry remain abysmal. Even Facebook, with billions in cash, has only been able to increase their number of women employees from 31% to 36% over the last five years. At Treehouse, an online school […]

PM Images/Getty Images Over the past few years, most businesses have come to recognize that the ability to collect and analyze the data they generate has become a key source of competitive advantage. ZF, a global automotive supplier based in Germany, was no exception. Digital startups had begun producing virtual products that ZF did not […]

Tim Robberts/Getty Images When it comes to health care costs, America’s employers are at a crossroads. Competing for scarce labor in a tight market, they will have trouble continuing to shift medical bills onto employees as they have for several decades. That means that to control costs going forward, employers may have to confront the […]

Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images From Uber to Nike to CBS, recent exposés have revealed seemingly dysfunctional workplaces rife with misconduct, bullying, and sexual harassment. For example, Susan Fowler’s 2017 blog about Uber detailed not only her recollections of being repeatedly harassed, but what she described as a “game-of-thrones” environment, in which managers sought to one-up and […]

Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images From Uber to Nike to CBS, recent exposés have revealed seemingly dysfunctional workplaces rife with misconduct, bullying, and sexual harassment. For example, Susan Fowler’s 2017 blog about Uber detailed not only her recollections of being repeatedly harassed, but what she described as a “game-of-thrones” environment, in which managers sought to one-up and […]