At the law firm Allen & Overy, the idea of replacing traditional, annual performance appraisals with a technology-enabled continuous feedback system did not come from human resources. It came from a leader within the practice. Wanting something that encouraged more-frequent conversations between associates and partners, the senior lawyer read about what companies like Adobe were doing, and then asked his …
Work pressure demands more downtime than a fleeting week off
Sabbaticals are one sign of a need for respite but even they can be too busy, writes Herminia Ibarra The month of August, that hallowed time when Latin Europe grinds to a sunny halt, concludes with September’s good intentions to sustain the summer’s healthier habits. Rapidly we revert to form. Finnish researcher Jessica de Bloom’s analysis shows the feelings of …
Freedom or identity crisis? The portfolio career mystery
Taking on a variety of roles is not easy, especially when young, writes Herminia Ibarra “My friends tell me I’m too young to have a portfolio career,” confessed one of my former MBA students when I asked what he was up to. Recently, he had left a lifetime career in finance to pursue a mix of things: some private investments, …
Why Companies Are So Bad at Treating Employees Like People
Few disagree that the time is ripe for reimagining complex organizations so that they are more human and more agile. But existing models for how to make the shift seem to offer a choice between a rock and a hard place. Take the thorny problem of developing people. Anachronistic annual performance appraisal systems, everyone agrees, must give way to more …
Between a rock and a hard place
Few disagree that the time is ripe for reimagining complex organizations so that they are more human and more agile. But, existing models for how to make the shift seem to offer a choice between a “rock and a hard place.” Take the thorny problem of developing people. Anachronistic annual performance appraisal systems, everyone agrees, must give way to more …
How HR should reinvent leadership development
HR professionals rely too much on formal training for leadership development. More strategic ways of learning and experiences outside the norm will help create future leaders. While study after study shows that increasing leadership capacity remains at the top of most firms’ strategic priorities, the same reports find that most companies’ leadership development efforts fail to deliver on expectations. HR …
Tech tools to measure performance can fall short
Benjamin Franklin could be considered a pioneer of the modern “quantified self” approach to personal improvement. In the late 18th century, he famously used a chart to monitor his behaviour, including acts of virtue, and reviewed his record of daily activities every night. In the Fitbit era, companies have a dizzying array of tech tools for setting and tracking work …
Self-awareness in leadership development is sound, but insufficient
Increasing leadership capacity is an increasingly important part of a company’s business strategy. Unfortunately, formal leadership development efforts often fall short of expectations. At best, managers gain valuable personal insights but fail to learn how they can apply them to create value for their organization. As managers step into bigger leadership roles, there are pitfalls to popular, self-awareness-centered approaches to …
The Key to Becoming a Strategy-Minded Executive
Some executives believe that if they set aside a few hours each week for uninterrupted thinking, they will have more and better strategic ideas. This is not only wishful thinking, it’s backward thinking. We are much more likely to act our way into strategic thinking than we are to think our way into strategic action. Many executives who want to …
Tips on career rebounds for French socialists and CEOs alike
Herminia Ibarra of Insead on Arnaud Montebourg’s business school reinvention and other comebacks. Teaching at France’s Insead business school, I’ve had a ringside seat this term for an intriguing career U-turn. One of my pupils on the advanced management programme was Arnaud Montebourg, the former French economy minister who was this year ousted from President François Hollande’s cabinet. Mr Montebourg, …
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