ChangeThis

ChangeThis is our weekly series of essays, extended book excerpts, and original articles from authors, experts, and leaders.



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"HR has been trying to get the proverbial seat at the table for eons, and it doesn't seem that there has been much progress and... there's a credibility gap between HR and the 'C' suite that gets wider every day. The C-Suite still doesn't see or value the role HR can and should play, because we are still mired in the morass of compliance and administration. I have spent my career as one of those HR professionals who have to cajole arrogant operational leaders into doing 'HR work.' I've fought the resistance, and I've learned a lot along the way. I've learned that this can't be 'HR work'—it's leadership, plain and simple."
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"In today's complex, fast-paced, always-on business environment, speed matters. As leaders, you need to be able to rapidly sift through an overload of information and multiple distractions to make the best decisions for your organization. Time is of the essence. Everything is urgent. The most common words for many leaders are 'more' and 'now.' What if you could enhance your focus and clarity, improve your effectiveness, have more time and less stress? [...] The underlying challenge is that our mind can have a mind of its own making it difficult to manage our attention. Recent scientific studies suggest that our ability to pay attention is getting less and less. If managing attention is key to realizing results, this is a significant issue for all of us not only in terms of ourselves as leaders but also in how we manage and support our teams, colleagues and clients. [...] If managing our attention is at the root of the problem, then training the attentional muscle is the key to addressing it."
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"With customer experience, companies don’t simply fulfill functions or execute transactions— they cultivate feelings around their products, services, and brands. As such, customer experiences should resonate emotionally, appealing to the five human senses and expressing a unique brand personality."
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"Much has been written about the 'graying of America.' According to a recent CNBC.com article, nearly a third of America's workers are now over 50, and employees over age 65 outnumber teenage workers for the first time since 1948. We are an aging population with all of the implications that brings for our society: Greater demand for health care workers, more senior housing, etc. But what does this development mean for our successful leaders, many of whom are also aging and, in many cases, reluctantly approaching retirement? Every day, men and women who have achieved great things both personally and professionally and reached the very top of the ladder are being put out to pasture to rarely, if ever again, use the significant gifts and talents that helped them for the first 50 or so years of their lives. I would suggest that it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, I would posit that the next part of their lives could cement their legacy and in many ways be their most important years with perhaps their greatest contribution."
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