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 […]
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How Masculinity Contests Undermine Organizations, and What to Do About It
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 […]
How Masculinity Contests Undermine Organizations, and What to Do About It
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 […]
Race Issues
How does race affect your workplace? In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Tina Opie, a management professor at Babson College. They talk through what to do when your company’s board is not diverse, promotions favor some people more than […]
Race Issues
How does race affect your workplace? In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Tina Opie, a management professor at Babson College. They talk through what to do when your company’s board is not diverse, promotions favor some people more than […]
We Need to Talk More About Mental Health at Work
Sabine Scheckel/Getty Images Alyssa Mastromonaco is no stranger to tough conversations: she served as White House deputy chief of staff for operations under President Obama, was an executive at Vice and A&E, and is Senior Advisor and spokesperson at NARAL Pro-Choice America. So when Mastromonaco switched to a new antidepressant, she decided to tell her […]
Sexual Harassment Is Rampant in Health Care. Here’s How to Stop It.
Carmen Martínez Torrón/Getty Images Many factors make an organization prone to sexual harassment: a hierarchical structure, a male-dominated environment, and a climate that tolerates transgressions — particularly when they are committed by those with power. Medicine has all three of these elements. And academic medicine, compared to other scientific fields, has the highest incidence of gender […]
5 Concepts That Will Help Your Team Be More Data-Driven
Koron/Getty Images I’ve spent my career helping companies address their data and data quality opportunities. Overall, I rate progress as “slower than hoped.” While there are many contributing factors, one of the most important is the sheer lack of analytic talent, up and down the organization chart. In turn, this lack of talent makes it […]
Women Act More Ethically Than Men When Representing Themselves — But Not When Representing Others
Alex and Laila/Getty Images Research tells us a lot about why people behave unethically. For example, there is evidence that people tend to be more dishonest later in the day, because they’re more fatigued, and when they’re anxious, because they’re more likely to look out for themselves. Many of these studies, however, only look at […]
Men Are More Likely to Act Unethically on Their Own Behalf, Women on Someone Else’s
Alex and Laila/Getty Images Research tells us a lot about why people behave unethically. For example, there is evidence that people tend to be more dishonest later in the day, because they’re more fatigued, and when they’re anxious, because they’re more likely to look out for themselves. Many of these studies, however, only look at […]
Men Are More Likely to Act Unethically on Their Own Behalf, Women on Someone Else’s
Alex and Laila/Getty Images Research tells us a lot about why people behave unethically. For example, there is evidence that people tend to be more dishonest later in the day, because they’re more fatigued, and when they’re anxious, because they’re more likely to look out for themselves. Many of these studies, however, only look at […]
Men Are More Likely to Act Unethically on Their Own Behalf, Women on Someone Else’s
Alex and Laila/Getty Images Research tells us a lot about why people behave unethically. For example, there is evidence that people tend to be more dishonest later in the day, because they’re more fatigued, and when they’re anxious, because they’re more likely to look out for themselves. Many of these studies, however, only look at […]
Men Are More Likely to Act Unethically on Their Own Behalf, Women on Someone Else’s
Alex and Laila/Getty Images Research tells us a lot about why people behave unethically. For example, there is evidence that people tend to be more dishonest later in the day, because they’re more fatigued, and when they’re anxious, because they’re more likely to look out for themselves. Many of these studies, however, only look at […]
How Bad is Airline Service, Really? And Other Customer Service Complaints
Youngme Moon and Mihir Desai welcome their colleague Ryan Buell to discuss whether airlines deserve their reputation for terrible customer service. They also share other customer service pet peeves, as well as their personal “Customer Experience Picks.” Download this podcast For interested listeners: • Ryan Buell in HBR: The Parts of Customer Service That Should […]
How Bad is Airline Service, Really? And Other Customer Service Complaints
Youngme Moon and Mihir Desai welcome their colleague Ryan Buell to discuss whether airlines deserve their reputation for terrible customer service. They also share other customer service pet peeves, as well as their personal “Customer Experience Picks.” Download this podcast For interested listeners: • Ryan Buell in HBR: The Parts of Customer Service That Should […]
How Bad is Airline Service, Really? And Other Customer Service Complaints
Youngme Moon and Mihir Desai welcome their colleague Ryan Buell to discuss whether airlines deserve their reputation for terrible customer service. They also share other customer service pet peeves, as well as their personal “Customer Experience Picks.” Download this podcast For interested listeners: • Ryan Buell in HBR: The Parts of Customer Service That Should […]
When CEOs Should Speak Up on Polarizing Issues
fotog/Getty Images CEO activism, the growing trend of top executives speaking out on sensitive social and political issues, has been labeled the “new normal.” But behind the scenes, executives do not feel in control. They are struggling to anticipate and respond to intensifying pressure from the public, investors, and — above all — their employees. […]
Better Ways to Communicate Hospital Data to Physicians
Dave King/Getty Images We recently conducted an in-depth study at Lumere to gain insight into physicians’ perceptions of clinical variation and the factors influencing their choices of drugs and devices. Based on a survey of 276 physicians, our study results show that it’s necessary to consistently and frequently share cost data and clinical evidence with physicians, regardless of whether they’re affiliated […]
4 Analytics Concepts Every Manager Should Understand
Jorg Greuel/Getty Images Like many professionals, my job doesn’t require expertise in data or analytics. I’m a writer and editor, so I deal with words, not numbers. Still, nearly every knowledge worker today needs to be a regular consumer of data analysis. For example, I need to understand whether and why articles on having a […]
To Combat Harassment, More Companies Should Try Bystander Training
ICHIRO/Getty Images As the wave of #MeToo stories have come to light over the past year, it’s become painfully clear that whatever organizations are doing to try to prevent sexual harassment isn’t working. Ninety-eight percent of companies say they have sexual harassment policies. Many provide anti-sexual harassment training. Some perpetrators have been fired or fallen […]
Research: When Getting Fired Is Good for Your Career
Blaise Hayward/Getty Images Most leaders are, deep down, afraid of failure. But our 10-year CEO Genome study of over 2,600 leaders showed almost half (45%) suffered at least one major career blow-up — like getting fired, messing up a major deal, or blowing an acquisition. Despite that, 78% of these executives eventually made it to the […]
How to Build Great Data Products
cintascotch/Getty Images Products fueled by data and machine learning can be a powerful way to solve users’ needs. They can also create a “data moat” that can help stave off the competition. Classic examples include Google search and Amazon product recommendations, both of which improve as more users engage. But the opportunity extends far beyond […]
Research: When Getting Fired Is Good for Your Career
Blaise Hayward/Getty Images Most leaders are, deep down, afraid of failure. But our 10-year CEO Genome study of over 2,600 leaders showed almost half (45%) suffered at least one major career blow-up — like getting fired, messing up a major deal, or blowing an acquisition. Despite that, 78% of these executives eventually made it to the […]
Research: When Getting Fired Is Good for Your Career
Blaise Hayward/Getty Images Most leaders are, deep down, afraid of failure. But our 10-year CEO Genome study of over 2,600 leaders showed almost half (45%) suffered at least one major career blow-up — like getting fired, messing up a major deal, or blowing an acquisition. Despite that, 78% of these executives eventually made it to the […]
Research: When Getting Fired Is Good for Your Career
Blaise Hayward/Getty Images Most leaders are, deep down, afraid of failure. But our 10-year CEO Genome study of over 2,600 leaders showed almost half (45%) suffered at least one major career blow-up — like getting fired, messing up a major deal, or blowing an acquisition. Despite that, 78% of these executives eventually made it to the […]
Research: When Getting Fired Is Good for Your Career
Blaise Hayward/Getty Images Most leaders are, deep down, afraid of failure. But our 10-year CEO Genome study of over 2,600 leaders showed almost half (45%) suffered at least one major career blow-up — like getting fired, messing up a major deal, or blowing an acquisition. Despite that, 78% of these executives eventually made it to the […]
Chinese Activists Are Using Blockchain to Document #MeToo Stories
carduus/Getty Images One of our main jobs when teaching and advising students who are thinking of founding blockchain companies is to get them to question whether or not their idea actually requires it. Data integrity is the main benefit conferred by blockchain technology, and a few questions can help determine whether that’s a particular problem […]
How One Hospital Improved Patient Safety in 10 Minutes a Day
Kelly Sillaste/Getty Images Most modern health care improvements seem to involve expensive technology and an uncomfortable amount of change management. But clinical and nonclinical staff at the Rotterdam Eye Hospital have improved patient care and raised staff morale at a very modest cost: 10 minutes a day and a special deck of cards. Members of […]
Stop Initiative Overload
Rose Hollister and Michael Watkins, consultants at Genesis Advisers, argue that many companies today are taking on too many initiatives. Each manager might have their own pet projects they want to focus on, but that trickles down to lower level workers dealing with more projects at a time that they can handle, or do well. […]
Power Sales Performance by Harnessing Analytics – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM TABLEAU
By Brian Selby, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales Operations, Tableau Software How often is your sales team making important decisions based on gut feel? Are you sure that deal will close this quarter and was it optimally priced? Are your sales resources allocated properly to drive growth? In my experience, when sales organizations make major […]
Myths of the Gig Economy, Corrected
Nattapol Poonpiriya/Getty Images Every day there are news stories about the so-called gig economy where workers contribute part or full-time labor — not as employees with benefits, but as independent contractors. Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber, the ride-sharing giant, proudly declared on September 10 that “very few brands become verbs”. The same week Upwork, […]
Your Team Doesn’t Need a Data Scientist for Simple Analytics
Westend61/Getty Images Arthur Nielsen, market research pioneer and founder of the Nielsen Corporation, once said, “The price of light is less than the cost of darkness.” As data proliferates across the enterprise, this observation by Nielsen is rendered even more relevant, because data represents the unlit fuel that has the potential to light the darkness, […]
4 Ways to Pressure-Test Strategic Decisions, Inspired by the U.S. Military
cnsphotography/Getty Images Every leader wants to avoid major strategic mistakes, but, in a complex world, it’s hard to anticipate all the forces that might impact your goal. It’s vital to find weaknesses in your strategies before you implement them — and developing a rigorous process to do so. The ability to poke holes in one’s […]
4 Ways to Pressure-Test Strategic Decisions, Inspired by the U.S. Military
cnsphotography/Getty Images Every leader wants to avoid major strategic mistakes, but, in a complex world, it’s hard to anticipate all the forces that might impact your goal. It’s vital to find weaknesses in your strategies before you implement them — and developing a rigorous process to do so. The ability to poke holes in one’s […]
4 Ways to Pressure-Test Strategic Decisions, Inspired by the U.S. Military
cnsphotography/Getty Images Every leader wants to avoid major strategic mistakes, but, in a complex world, it’s hard to anticipate all the forces that might impact your goal. It’s vital to find weaknesses in your strategies before you implement them — and developing a rigorous process to do so. The ability to poke holes in one’s […]
4 Ways to Pressure-Test Strategic Decisions, Inspired by the U.S. Military
cnsphotography/Getty Images Every leader wants to avoid major strategic mistakes, but, in a complex world, it’s hard to anticipate all the forces that might impact your goal. It’s vital to find weaknesses in your strategies before you implement them — and developing a rigorous process to do so. The ability to poke holes in one’s […]
4 Ways to Pressure-Test Strategic Decisions, Inspired by the U.S. Military
cnsphotography/Getty Images Every leader wants to avoid major strategic mistakes, but, in a complex world, it’s hard to anticipate all the forces that might impact your goal. It’s vital to find weaknesses in your strategies before you implement them — and developing a rigorous process to do so. The ability to poke holes in one’s […]
When Companies Should Invest in Training Their Employees — and When They Shouldn’t
Photodisc/Getty Images According to one industry report, U.S. companies spent over $90 billion dollars on training and development activities in 2017, a year-over-year increase of 32.5 %. While many experts emphasize the importance and benefits of employee development — a more competitive workforce, increased employee retention, and higher employee engagement — critics point to a painful […]
Using Bundled Payments to Improve the Patient Experience
Hero Images/Getty Images In 2013, The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation launched the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative, a program that proponents hoped could rein in health care costs by “bundling” payment for the full gamut of services that comprise an episode of care. The model certainly seemed like a good bet, […]
When We Make All (or Most of) the Money
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 Women are increasingly supporting our families financially. It can feel empowering to be the sole or primary earner, but many of […]
Higher Wages Aren’t Enough to Turn Mediocre Jobs into Good Ones
Image Source/Getty Images Facing a tight labor market as the holiday shopping season approaches, many retail companies will undoubtedly consider following the lead of Amazon, which recently announced that it is raising its minimum hourly wage for all of its U.S. employees, including those working at Whole Foods stores, to $15 — $7.75 above the […]
Working with a Colleague Who Feels That the World Is Against Them
Some people love to play the victim. Nothing is ever their fault and everyone around them is out to get them. Having a coworker like this can take a toll on you. So what’s the best way to protect yourself? How can you help your colleague change their mindset? And how do you handle the […]
Working with a Colleague Who Feels That the World Is Against Them
Some people love to play the victim. Nothing is ever their fault and everyone around them is out to get them. Having a coworker like this can take a toll on you. So what’s the best way to protect yourself? How can you help your colleague change their mindset? And how do you handle the […]
Working with a Colleague Who Feels That the World Is Against Them
Some people love to play the victim. Nothing is ever their fault and everyone around them is out to get them. Having a coworker like this can take a toll on you. So what’s the best way to protect yourself? How can you help your colleague change their mindset? And how do you handle the […]
Working with a Colleague Who Feels That the World Is Against Them
Some people love to play the victim. Nothing is ever their fault and everyone around them is out to get them. Having a coworker like this can take a toll on you. So what’s the best way to protect yourself? How can you help your colleague change their mindset? And how do you handle the […]
Working with a Colleague Who Feels That the World Is Against Them
Some people love to play the victim. Nothing is ever their fault and everyone around them is out to get them. Having a coworker like this can take a toll on you. So what’s the best way to protect yourself? How can you help your colleague change their mindset? And how do you handle the […]
A Way to Detect Major Medical Complications Sooner
Nick Veasey/Getty Images A study of surgical patients, across 168 hospitals, showed that 23% of patients experience a major complication during their stay. We like to think of complications as atypical events. However, the unfortunate truth is that they are quite common. While most medical complications are easily identified and are treated in a timely […]
Do People Trust Algorithms More Than Companies Realize?
Westend61/Getty Images Many companies have jumped on the “big data” bandwagon. They’re hiring data scientists, mining employee and customer data for insights, and creating algorithms to optimize their recommendations. Yet, these same companies often assume that customers are wary of their algorithms — and they go to great lengths to hide or humanize them. For […]
Research Shows Immigrants Help Businesses Grow. Here’s Why.
Fernando Trabanco Fotografía/Getty Images It has been well documented that immigrants contribute disproportionately to entrepreneurship. This is true both in the United States, where they represent 27.5% of all entrepreneurs but only 13% of the population, and in many other countries around the world. On average, immigrants contribute twice as much to U.S. entrepreneurship as […]
To Get Your Team to Use Data, Demystify It
MEHAU KULYK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images For some of your team members, the idea of using data to inform decision-making can feel intimidating. Maybe they don’t consider themselves to have strong analytical skills. Maybe they felt overwhelmed by their statistics course in college. Maybe they like to “go with their gut,” or simply dread the idea […]
The Role of a Manager Has to Change in 5 Key Ways
pchyburrs/Getty Images “First, let’s fire all the managers” said Gary Hamel almost seven years ago in Harvard Business Review. “Think of the countless hours that team leaders, department heads, and vice presidents devote to supervising the work of others.” Today, we believe that the problem in most organizations isn’t simply that management is inefficient, it’s […]
The Role of a Manager Has to Change in 5 Key Ways
pchyburrs/Getty Images “First, let’s fire all the managers” said Gary Hamel almost seven years ago in Harvard Business Review. “Think of the countless hours that team leaders, department heads, and vice presidents devote to supervising the work of others.” Today, we believe that the problem in most organizations isn’t simply that management is inefficient, it’s […]
The Role of a Manager Has to Change in 5 Key Ways
pchyburrs/Getty Images “First, let’s fire all the managers” said Gary Hamel almost seven years ago in Harvard Business Review. “Think of the countless hours that team leaders, department heads, and vice presidents devote to supervising the work of others.” Today, we believe that the problem in most organizations isn’t simply that management is inefficient, it’s […]
The Role of a Manager Has to Change in 5 Key Ways
pchyburrs/Getty Images “First, let’s fire all the managers” said Gary Hamel almost seven years ago in Harvard Business Review. “Think of the countless hours that team leaders, department heads, and vice presidents devote to supervising the work of others.” Today, we believe that the problem in most organizations isn’t simply that management is inefficient, it’s […]
The Role of a Manager Has to Change in 5 Key Ways
pchyburrs/Getty Images “First, let’s fire all the managers” said Gary Hamel almost seven years ago in Harvard Business Review. “Think of the countless hours that team leaders, department heads, and vice presidents devote to supervising the work of others.” Today, we believe that the problem in most organizations isn’t simply that management is inefficient, it’s […]
Why Leaders Don’t Embrace the Skills They’ll Need for the Future
amriphoto/Getty Images Innovative. Agile. Collaborative. Bold. Over the past year, we’ve been struck by how many times we’ve heard C-suite leaders use these words, or very similar ones, to describe the strengths they believe are critical to transforming their businesses, and to competing effectively in a disruptive era. What’s equally striking is how difficult organizations […]
HR Leaders Need Stronger Data Skills
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images An old saying sums up the data skills of most HR professionals: “The shoemaker’s children go barefoot.” In today’s tightening labor market, HR leaders must work relentlessly to develop and recruit people who advance digital transformation across their organizations. Yet most have struggled to advance their own digital competencies. This neglect has […]
How a Pharma Company Applied Machine Learning to Patient Data
Liyao Xie/Getty Images The growing availability of real-world data has generated tremendous excitement in health care. By some estimates, health data volumes are increasing by 48% annually, and the last decade has seen a boom in the collection and aggregation of this information. Among these data, electronic health records (EHRs) offer one of the biggest […]
What’s Driving Superstar Companies, Industries, and Cities
Apexphotos/Getty Images The debate about superstar firms and superstar effects has been intensifying, partly in response to the rapid growth of global US tech companies. However, scratch the surface and the superstar phenomenon may not be quite what it seems. Wider dynamics may be at play. In our recent research at the McKinsey Global Institute, […]
Research: How Cloud Computing Changed Venture Capital
Atomic Imagery/Getty Images How has technology changed which deals venture capitalists (VCs) fund and how they fund them? Venture capitalists essentially invest in startup ‘experiments’, and subsequently provide more funding to the experiments that work, so that they can run more experiments. This leads to many failures (roughly 55% of startups) and a few successes […]
Research: How Cloud Computing Changed Venture Capital
Atomic Imagery/Getty Images How has technology changed which deals venture capitalists (VCs) fund and how they fund them? Venture capitalists essentially invest in startup ‘experiments’, and subsequently provide more funding to the experiments that work, so that they can run more experiments. This leads to many failures (roughly 55% of startups) and a few successes […]
Research: How Cloud Computing Changed Venture Capital
Atomic Imagery/Getty Images How has technology changed which deals venture capitalists (VCs) fund and how they fund them? Venture capitalists essentially invest in startup ‘experiments’, and subsequently provide more funding to the experiments that work, so that they can run more experiments. This leads to many failures (roughly 55% of startups) and a few successes […]
Research: How Cloud Computing Changed Venture Capital
Atomic Imagery/Getty Images How has technology changed which deals venture capitalists (VCs) fund and how they fund them? Venture capitalists essentially invest in startup ‘experiments’, and subsequently provide more funding to the experiments that work, so that they can run more experiments. This leads to many failures (roughly 55% of startups) and a few successes […]
Research: How Cloud Computing Changed Venture Capital
Atomic Imagery/Getty Images How has technology changed which deals venture capitalists (VCs) fund and how they fund them? Venture capitalists essentially invest in startup ‘experiments’, and subsequently provide more funding to the experiments that work, so that they can run more experiments. This leads to many failures (roughly 55% of startups) and a few successes […]
Survey: Tell Us About Your Workplace Relationships
Richard Morrell/Getty Images Research has found that employees are more likely to flourish at work when they have high quality workplace relationships with people from diverse backgrounds. These relationships can contribute to greater trust, facilitate information sharing, and engender positive emotional connections. Taken together, this can lead to increased productivity and reduced turnover. There’s still […]
How to Make Sure You’re Not Using Data Just to Justify Decisions You’ve Already Made
Alicia Llop/Getty Images How can an organization tell whether it’s actually letting data inform its decision making — or if it’s merely using superficial analyses to retroactively justify decisions it has already made? Traditionally, organizations have used data analytics as a tool of retrospection, as a means of answering questions like, “Did this marketing campaign […]
The Motivating (and Demotivating) Effects of Learning Others’ Salaries
Dimitri Otis/Getty Images Pay inequality is common in most workplaces. You get paid significantly more than your subordinates, your boss gets paid more than you, and your boss’s boss gets even more. In many large organizations, some employees can take home paychecks tens or hundreds of times more than others. Whether you like it or […]
The Motivating (and Demotivating) Effects of Learning Others’ Salaries
Dimitri Otis/Getty Images Pay inequality is common in most workplaces. You get paid significantly more than your subordinates, your boss gets paid more than you, and your boss’s boss gets even more. In many large organizations, some employees can take home paychecks tens or hundreds of times more than others. Whether you like it or […]
The Motivating (and Demotivating) Effects of Learning Others’ Salaries
Dimitri Otis/Getty Images Pay inequality is common in most workplaces. You get paid significantly more than your subordinates, your boss gets paid more than you, and your boss’s boss gets even more. In many large organizations, some employees can take home paychecks tens or hundreds of times more than others. Whether you like it or […]
The Motivating (and Demotivating) Effects of Learning Others’ Salaries
Dimitri Otis/Getty Images Pay inequality is common in most workplaces. You get paid significantly more than your subordinates, your boss gets paid more than you, and your boss’s boss gets even more. In many large organizations, some employees can take home paychecks tens or hundreds of times more than others. Whether you like it or […]
The Motivating (and Demotivating) Effects of Learning Others’ Salaries
Dimitri Otis/Getty Images Pay inequality is common in most workplaces. You get paid significantly more than your subordinates, your boss gets paid more than you, and your boss’s boss gets even more. In many large organizations, some employees can take home paychecks tens or hundreds of times more than others. Whether you like it or […]
Is Retail Dying? Plus, How Are Companies Spending their Tax Cuts?
Youngme Moon, Mihir Desai, and Felix Oberholzer-Gee discuss whether the “retailpocalypse” is real, try to figure out how companies are spending their Trump tax cuts, debate whether share buybacks are a good thing or a bad thing, and offer their picks for the week. Download this podcast HBR Presents is a network of podcasts curated […]
How to Gracefully Exclude Coworkers from Meetings, Emails, and Projects
Here it is/Getty Images You and about 20 of your coworkers are sitting around a crowded conference room table, discussing the details of some project. Some people are fighting for attention, trying to get a word in. Others won’t stop talking. Others have tuned the meeting out, retreating to their laptops or phones. At the […]
Auditing Algorithms for Bias
Laurence Dutton/Getty Images In 1971, philosopher John Rawls proposed a thought experiment to understand the idea of fairness: the veil of ignorance. What if, he asked, we could erase our brains so we had no memory of who we were — our race, our income level, our profession, anything that may influence our opinion? Who would […]
End the Corporate Health Care Tax
Bjarte Rettedal/Getty Images Imagine if a single piece of legislation could effectively eliminate all U.S. corporate taxes, subsidize hundreds of millions of dollars in new corporate investment, increase the take-home pay of most U.S. employees, ease state and local budgets, and reduce the U.S. trade deficit — all without increasing the federal budget. It sounds completely […]
Managing a Data Science Team
Ragnar Schmuck/Getty Images Many managers of data science teams become managers because they were great individual contributors and not necessarily because they have the skills or training to lead a team. (I include myself in that group.) But management is a skill unto itself, and relying on your experience as a successful individual contributor is not […]
The 6 Fundamental Skills Every Leader Should Practice
Thomas J Peterson/Getty Images There’s an old story about a tourist who asks a New Yorker how to get to the storied concert venue Carnegie Hall and is told, “Practice, practice, practice.” Obviously, this is good advice if you want to become a world-class performer — but it’s also good advice if you want to become […]
The 6 Fundamental Skills Every Leader Should Practice
Thomas J Peterson/Getty Images There’s an old story about a tourist who asks a New Yorker how to get to the storied concert venue Carnegie Hall and is told, “Practice, practice, practice.” Obviously, this is good advice if you want to become a world-class performer — but it’s also good advice if you want to become […]
The 6 Fundamental Skills Every Leader Should Practice
Thomas J Peterson/Getty Images There’s an old story about a tourist who asks a New Yorker how to get to the storied concert venue Carnegie Hall and is told, “Practice, practice, practice.” Obviously, this is good advice if you want to become a world-class performer — but it’s also good advice if you want to become […]
The 6 Fundamental Skills Every Leader Should Practice
Thomas J Peterson/Getty Images There’s an old story about a tourist who asks a New Yorker how to get to the storied concert venue Carnegie Hall and is told, “Practice, practice, practice.” Obviously, this is good advice if you want to become a world-class performer — but it’s also good advice if you want to become […]
The 6 Fundamental Skills Every Leader Should Practice
Thomas J Peterson/Getty Images There’s an old story about a tourist who asks a New Yorker how to get to the storied concert venue Carnegie Hall and is told, “Practice, practice, practice.” Obviously, this is good advice if you want to become a world-class performer — but it’s also good advice if you want to become […]
How the U.S. Can Rebuild Its Capacity to Innovate
Jetta Productions/Getty Images Many U.S. firms have long had a simple mantra: “Invent here, manufacture there.” But, increasingly, those same companies are now choosing to invent as well as manufacture abroad. From automotive to semiconductors to pharma to clean energy, America’s innovation centers have shifted east, offering growing evidence that the U.S. has lost what […]
How Lilly Is Getting More Women into Leadership Positions
Jenner Image/Getty Images Much has been written about the troubling lack of women in leadership roles generally and in health care in particular. At Lilly, we have tackled this problem head-on. Our approaches, we think, can be helpful to other companies working to address this imbalance. In 2015, we conducted a workforce analysis that revealed […]
When Men Mentor Women
David Smith, associate professor of sociology at the U.S. Naval War College, and Brad Johnson, professor of psychology at the United States Naval Academy, argue that it is vital for more men to mentor women in the workplace. In the post-#MeToo world, some men have shied away from cross-gender relationships at work. But Smith and […]
Your Data Literacy Depends on Understanding the Types of Data and How They’re Captured
Marco Guidi/EyeEm/Getty Images The ability to understand and communicate about data is an increasingly important skill for the 21st-century citizen, for three reasons. First, data science and AI are affecting many industries globally, from healthcare and government to agriculture and finance. Second, much of the news is reported through the lenses of data and predictive […]
Why Privacy Regulations Don’t Always Do What They’re Meant To
Maartje Van Caspel/EyeEm/Getty Images First, California passed major privacy legislation in June. Then in late September, the Trump administration published official principles for a single national privacy standard. Not to be left out, House Democrats previewed their own Internet “Bill of Rights” earlier this month. Sweeping privacy regulations, in short, are likely coming to the United States. That should be […]
Why Privacy Regulations Don’t Always Do What They’re Meant To
Maartje Van Caspel/EyeEm/Getty Images First, California passed major privacy legislation in June. Then in late September, the Trump administration published official principles for a single national privacy standard. Not to be left out, House Democrats previewed their own Internet “Bill of Rights” earlier this month. Sweeping privacy regulations, in short, are likely coming to the United States. That should be […]
Why Privacy Regulations Don’t Always Do What They’re Meant To
Maartje Van Caspel/EyeEm/Getty Images First, California passed major privacy legislation in June. Then in late September, the Trump administration published official principles for a single national privacy standard. Not to be left out, House Democrats previewed their own Internet “Bill of Rights” earlier this month. Sweeping privacy regulations, in short, are likely coming to the United States. That should be […]
Why Privacy Regulations Don’t Always Do What They’re Meant To
Maartje Van Caspel/EyeEm/Getty Images First, California passed major privacy legislation in June. Then in late September, the Trump administration published official principles for a single national privacy standard. Not to be left out, House Democrats previewed their own Internet “Bill of Rights” earlier this month. Sweeping privacy regulations, in short, are likely coming to the United States. That should be […]
Why Privacy Regulations Don’t Always Do What They’re Meant To
Maartje Van Caspel/EyeEm/Getty Images First, California passed major privacy legislation in June. Then in late September, the Trump administration published official principles for a single national privacy standard. Not to be left out, House Democrats previewed their own Internet “Bill of Rights” earlier this month. Sweeping privacy regulations, in short, are likely coming to the United States. That should be […]
The Art of Claiming Credit
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 Have you ever offered up an idea in a meeting and been ignored — but then, 10 minutes later, a man […]
“We Had Gone Back 20 Years.” The Heads of Puerto Rico’s Largest Media Company on Life After Hurricane Maria
AFP Contributor/Getty Images When Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September 2017, it became one of the deadliest storms ever to hit the island. Nearly 3,000 people were killed and parts of the island are still recovering, lacking access to power and clean water more than a year later. For one of Puerto Rico’s largest […]
AI’s Potential to Diagnose and Treat Mental Illness
The United States faces a mental health epidemic. Nearly one in five American adults suffers from a form of mental illness. Suicide rates are at an all-time high, 115 people die daily from opioid abuse, and one in eight Americans over 12 years’ old take an antidepressant every day. The economic burden of depression alone […]
How Managers Can Make Casual Networking Events More Inclusive
Some years ago, at a former company, I began noticing a curious series of events. My manager and team practiced an egalitarian decision-making process in which we would meet, discuss everything from content marketing campaigns to social media tactics, and collectively come up with strategies to move forward with. However, often, I would return to […]
The Promise and Peril of a Star CEO
Star CEOs can be good for companies, providing social proof that their firm is a high quality place and making it easier to attract capital and talent. But they can also be dangerous. The recent cases of Tesla, Papa John’s, and CBS exemplify this: all three companies benefitted from the brightness of their star CEOs. […]
The Promise and Peril of a Star CEO
Star CEOs can be good for companies, providing social proof that their firm is a high quality place and making it easier to attract capital and talent. But they can also be dangerous. The recent cases of Tesla, Papa John’s, and CBS exemplify this: all three companies benefitted from the brightness of their star CEOs. […]
The Promise and Peril of a Star CEO
Star CEOs can be good for companies, providing social proof that their firm is a high quality place and making it easier to attract capital and talent. But they can also be dangerous. The recent cases of Tesla, Papa John’s, and CBS exemplify this: all three companies benefitted from the brightness of their star CEOs. […]
The Promise and Peril of a Star CEO
Star CEOs can be good for companies, providing social proof that their firm is a high quality place and making it easier to attract capital and talent. But they can also be dangerous. The recent cases of Tesla, Papa John’s, and CBS exemplify this: all three companies benefitted from the brightness of their star CEOs. […]
Why Climate Change and Other Global Problems Are Pushing Some Business Leaders to Embrace Regulation
Martin Barraud/Getty Images Global carbon emissions need to be reduced to net zero by 2050 to have a good chance of holding global average temperature rises to no more than 1.5oC, a level that would be disastrous, but not catastrophic for human civilization. So states a new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change […]
Lessons from Mayo Clinic’s Redesign of Stroke Care
David Pereiras/Getty Images Facing escalating costs of medications and technology, health care patients and providers in the United States continue to search for opportunities to reduce overall costs while maintaining and improving health care outcomes. At the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Stroke Center Practice, we conducted a project to design and deliver care more customized to […]
Research: Investors Punish Entrepreneurs for Stereotypically Feminine Behaviors
Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty Images “I would not be caught dead in a pink suit now,” says Susan Perry, the founder of SpeechMED, a startup that translates complex medical information into language patients can understand. Clothing is just one of the issues Perry has reconsidered when it comes to how she pitches her business. As a […]
7 Myths About Coming Out at Work
hh5800/Getty Images More and more big businesses are providing workplace protections for LGBTIQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer) people. It’s becoming clear that when workers can bring their authentic selves to work, they are more productive and engaged. Research shows that coming out increases job satisfaction, intention to stay, and emotional support from […]
Working with People Who Aren’t Self-Aware
Sven Krobot/EyeEm/Getty Images Even though self-awareness — knowing who we are and how we’re seen — is important for job performance, career success, and leadership effectiveness, it’s in remarkably short supply in today’s workplace. In our nearly five-year research program on the subject, we’ve discovered that although 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only 10 […]
Working with People Who Aren’t Self-Aware
Sven Krobot/EyeEm/Getty Images Even though self-awareness — knowing who we are and how we’re seen — is important for job performance, career success, and leadership effectiveness, it’s in remarkably short supply in today’s workplace. In our nearly five-year research program on the subject, we’ve discovered that although 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only 10 […]
Working with People Who Aren’t Self-Aware
Sven Krobot/EyeEm/Getty Images Even though self-awareness — knowing who we are and how we’re seen — is important for job performance, career success, and leadership effectiveness, it’s in remarkably short supply in today’s workplace. In our nearly five-year research program on the subject, we’ve discovered that although 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only 10 […]
Working with People Who Aren’t Self-Aware
Sven Krobot/EyeEm/Getty Images Even though self-awareness — knowing who we are and how we’re seen — is important for job performance, career success, and leadership effectiveness, it’s in remarkably short supply in today’s workplace. In our nearly five-year research program on the subject, we’ve discovered that although 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only 10 […]
Working with People Who Aren’t Self-Aware
Sven Krobot/EyeEm/Getty Images Even though self-awareness — knowing who we are and how we’re seen — is important for job performance, career success, and leadership effectiveness, it’s in remarkably short supply in today’s workplace. In our nearly five-year research program on the subject, we’ve discovered that although 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only 10 […]
How to Stop Delegating and Start Teaching
Creativ Studio HeinemannE/Getty Images As a college professor, I regularly train PhD students. In psychology and most fields of science, students are assigned to a project early on in their studies and learn key skills through an apprenticeship model. Many go onto to take on projects related to more specific research goals, and are eventually […]
Which Data Skills Do You Actually Need? This 2×2 Matrix Will Tell You.
Jorg Greuel/Getty Images Data skills — the skills to turn data into insight and action — are the driver of modern economies. According to the World Economic Forum, computing and mathematically-focused jobs are showing the strongest growth, at the expense of less quantitative roles. So whether it’s to maximize the part we play in […]
3 Steps for Engaging Health Care Providers in Organizational Change
Westend61/Getty Images One of the hardest things about introducing innovation or change in organizations is getting people on board. This is especially true in health care. As health care organizations are being pressured to cut costs, reduce medical errors, and adopt both standardized processes and new innovations, providers are being asked to give up established […]
The Trade War with China Could Accelerate 3-D Printing in the U.S.
SAUL LOEB/Getty Images Vice President Pence just made it all but official: The United States is in a cold war with China. Fed up with Beijing’s industrial espionage, market manipulation, and cyber attacks on the West, coupled with its bullying of neighbors and repression at home, the Trump administration announced a series of strong steps […]
What Can Big Businesses Learn About Innovation from Social Entrepreneurs? – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM QATAR FOUNDATION
Big businesses struggling in an era of rapid transformation can learn a lot from the experiences of social entrepreneurs finding and adapting innovative solutions in difficult contexts. In the 1990s, when Afghanistan was being ravaged by war, a bootstrapped initiative started by a former refugee was able to succeed where multi-million dollar projects funded by […]
Underpaid (Live)
Do you deserve a higher salary? In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions in a live taping with an audience of compensation experts. With the help of Susan Hollingshead, the chief people officer at Vendini, they talk through how to get more money when […]
Case Study: When Two Leaders on the Senior Team Hate Each Other
kuritafsheen/Getty Images The feedback in the 360-degree reviews was supposed to be anonymous. But it was crystal clear who’d made the negative comments in the assessment of one executive. Lance Best, the CEO of Barker Sports Apparel, was meeting with Nina Kelk, the company’s general counsel, who also oversaw human resources. It had been a […]
I Ran 4 Experiments to Break My Social Media Addiction. Here’s What Worked.
Barcroft/Getty Images Social media can connect us to new ideas, help us share our work, and allow previously unheard voices to influence culture. Yet it can also be a highly addictive time-sink if we’re not careful about our goals, purpose, and usage. Over the last two years, I conducted four different experiments to monitor my […]
I Ran 4 Experiments to Break My Social Media Addiction. Here’s What Worked.
Barcroft/Getty Images Social media can connect us to new ideas, help us share our work, and allow previously unheard voices to influence culture. Yet it can also be a highly addictive time-sink if we’re not careful about our goals, purpose, and usage. Over the last two years, I conducted four different experiments to monitor my […]
I Ran 4 Experiments to Break My Social Media Addiction. Here’s What Worked.
Barcroft/Getty Images Social media can connect us to new ideas, help us share our work, and allow previously unheard voices to influence culture. Yet it can also be a highly addictive time-sink if we’re not careful about our goals, purpose, and usage. Over the last two years, I conducted four different experiments to monitor my […]
I Ran 4 Experiments to Break My Social Media Addiction. Here’s What Worked.
Barcroft/Getty Images Social media can connect us to new ideas, help us share our work, and allow previously unheard voices to influence culture. Yet it can also be a highly addictive time-sink if we’re not careful about our goals, purpose, and usage. Over the last two years, I conducted four different experiments to monitor my […]
I Ran 4 Experiments to Break My Social Media Addiction. Here’s What Worked.
Barcroft/Getty Images Social media can connect us to new ideas, help us share our work, and allow previously unheard voices to influence culture. Yet it can also be a highly addictive time-sink if we’re not careful about our goals, purpose, and usage. Over the last two years, I conducted four different experiments to monitor my […]
To Land a Great Job, Talk About Why You Love Your Work
TOSHINORI TARUI When interviewing for your next job, how can you impress your recruiter and increase your chances of securing a job offer? Of course you may wish to emphasize your ambitions and goals you hope to achieve as a result of working at the company — your extrinsic motivation for the job. But to […]
Debating Minimum Wage, and Reflections on a Year of #MeToo
Youngme Moon, Mihir Desai, and Felix Oberholzer-Gee are back with Season 2 of After Hours! In this episode, they debate whether the federal minimum wage should be raised, offer their personal reflections on a year of the #MeToo movement, and share their picks for the week. Download this podcast For interested listeners: Early evidence on […]
Help Your Team Measure Customer Experience Data More Accurately
Tomekbudujedomek/Getty Images Customer experience (CX) goes beyond measuring the relationship between customers and companies; it is also about quantifying the hundreds of regular interactions and residual memories that influence future behavior. Specific tools like journey mapping and touchpoint management are keys that employees can use to unlock the code for many in-store and in-person experiences. […]
Help Your Team Measure Customer Experience Data More Accurately
Tomekbudujedomek/Getty Images Customer experience (CX) goes beyond measuring the relationship between customers and companies; it is also about quantifying the hundreds of regular interactions and residual memories that influence future behavior. Specific tools like journey mapping and touchpoint management are keys that employees can use to unlock the code for many in-store and in-person experiences. […]
Help Your Team Measure Customer Experience Data More Accurately
Tomekbudujedomek/Getty Images Customer experience (CX) goes beyond measuring the relationship between customers and companies; it is also about quantifying the hundreds of regular interactions and residual memories that influence future behavior. Specific tools like journey mapping and touchpoint management are keys that employees can use to unlock the code for many in-store and in-person experiences. […]
Help Your Team Measure Customer Experience Data More Accurately
Tomekbudujedomek/Getty Images Customer experience (CX) goes beyond measuring the relationship between customers and companies; it is also about quantifying the hundreds of regular interactions and residual memories that influence future behavior. Specific tools like journey mapping and touchpoint management are keys that employees can use to unlock the code for many in-store and in-person experiences. […]
Help Your Team Measure Customer Experience Data More Accurately
Tomekbudujedomek/Getty Images Customer experience (CX) goes beyond measuring the relationship between customers and companies; it is also about quantifying the hundreds of regular interactions and residual memories that influence future behavior. Specific tools like journey mapping and touchpoint management are keys that employees can use to unlock the code for many in-store and in-person experiences. […]
Why Doctors Need Leadership Training
STOCK4B-RF/Getty Images Medicine involves leadership. Nearly all physicians take on significant leadership responsibilities over the course of their career, but unlike any other occupation where management skills are important, physicians are neither taught how to lead nor are they typically rewarded for good leadership. Even though medical institutions have designated “leadership” as a core medical […]