Bill Schaninger, Ph.D.

The term “middle manager” often evokes a bygone industrial era in which managers functioned like cogs in a vast machine and bureaucracy ruled. In recent decades, midlevel managers—underappreciated and often considered a superfluous layer of the organization—have become a favorite target for the chopping block. This view has become so widespread that it has seeped into the very identity of the managers themselves.

Not only does this outdated perspective need to change, but the future also… Show more

The term “middle manager” often evokes a bygone industrial era in which managers functioned like cogs in a vast machine and bureaucracy ruled. In recent decades, midlevel managers—underappreciated and often considered a superfluous layer of the organization—have become a favorite target for the chopping block. This view has become so widespread that it has seeped into the very identity of the managers themselves.

Not only does this outdated perspective need to change, but the future also demands it. In Power to the Middle, McKinsey thought leaders Emily Field, Bryan Hancock, and Bill Schaninger call for a profound reimagining of what middle managers can and must do. They explain how middle managers act as key players in an organization’s competition for talent, how they possess the granular knowledge and perspective necessary to lead the realignments resulting from digital disruption, and why good managers must be given higher-value compensation instead of being promoted out of their jobs.

With rich stories and cutting-edge research, Power to the Middle offers a new model for companies to radically alter the way they hire, train, and reward their most valuable asset: managers, the true center of the organization.

#PowerToTheMiddleBook Show less

Stop thinking of middle management as a way station. Instead, make it a destination.

In lean times they can help you thrive—if you reimagine their roles.

A chatbot may not take your job—but it will almost certainly change it. Here’s how to start thinking about putting gen AI to work for you.

Three McKinsey partners discuss the untapped value in middle managers that most companies leave on the table.

Three steps can foster an experience that benefits frontline workers and middle managers—and their organizations.

Our latest analysis of talent trends suggests that employees of all ages seem to want the same things from their work experience—with a few important caveats.

In the modern workplace, middle managers face many challenges. A new survey finds three areas where organizations can better support their managers and help them accomplish more.

A dual focus on developing people and managing them well gives a select group of companies a long-term performance edge.

The right rituals can revitalize meaning at work—and help employees move beyond “me” to “we.”

High turnover, shrinking pipelines, inflation—the talent market remains in flux. Here’s what you should be doing differently.

Even after implementation, a company’s hard work is not finished. To preserve the long-term value of business transformation, sustaining substantial changes to business-as-usual structures, processes, and systems is a must.

Churn is up. Engagement is down. And year-end reviews are here. Are you worried that giving feedback will make workers feel worse?

Frontline employees are struggling to build and maintain their networks at work. Leaders who support them are likely to see an impact on retention.

People’s professional networks have shrunk since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, while companies’ attrition and hiring challenges are growing. To help reverse these trends, people and organizations will need to manage workplace interactions more intentionally. Here’s how.

Revisiting your talent strategy for a hybrid world? Think hard about the purpose and design of your office space.

McKinsey’s report on human capital highlights the importance of internal mobility in organizations. Here’s how to encourage your employees to try more new things.

People keep quitting at record levels, yet companies are still trying to attract and retain them the same old ways. New research identifies five types of workers that employers can reach to fill jobs.

When the Great Attrition was gathering steam, some business owners deflected by insisting that “nobody wants to work anymore.” By now, this version of events has been thoroughly debunked. People haven’t been leaving their pre-pandemic jobs because they lack drive. It’s precisely the opposite: Millions have left because they’re in search of jobs that offer not only higher pay but also better chances of advancement.

Our latest transformation research shows that the largest share of value loss happens during implementation. What can leaders do to prevent it?

Human capital represents two-thirds of wealth for the average individual—and work experience contributes almost half of that value.

Is your best talent hiding in plain sight? An internal talent marketplace helps match existing employees to open roles—in novel and sometimes unexpected ways.

Three days a week. Four days a week. Don’t come in at all. Whatever. I just don’t know. That just about covers what business leaders are thinking about the return to work of their office-based employees. It’s a muddle.

Quitting is up, and so are wages. As the Great Attrition persists, employer–employee dynamics appear to be changing. But who actually benefits—and how durably?

Nearly half of the employees who voluntarily left the workforce during the pandemic aren’t coming back on their own. Employers must go and get them. Here’s how to start.

Rising resignations. Hybrid work. The diversity imperative. Leaders are navigating a talent market in flux. Here’s how people analytics can help.

Many transformations lose significant value in the target setting and planning phases. Leaders can take three actions to prevent value leakage from day one.

Our Great Attrition research found that 31 percent of employees who left their job in the past six months did so to start a new business. What can organizations do to engage and retain these employees?

These McKinsey Organization Blog posts, focused on the future of work, have proven helpful for readers and their organizations.

Our readers seeking leadership guidance have found these McKinsey Organization Blog posts most helpful.

These blog posts, all published in 2021, proved especially helpful for organizations during the second year of the pandemic.

In the Great Attrition, specific drivers of attrition vary by sector. Employers must address their industry’s unique circumstances to turn attrition into attraction.

To keep top talent in the fold, managers must actively change their leadership styles—focusing less on controls and more on culture and connections.

While there is no singular right way to communicate return-to-office announcements, there are many wrong ways. We’ve seen five strategies work effectively.

Good bosses are essential for employee satisfaction and retention. These four practices can help strengthen that leadership muscle.

These nine best practices will help ensure the successful design and implementation of a holistic reskilling program.

Organizations can create immense value by helping tomorrow’s leaders develop crucial skills to become better bosses.

A record number of employees are quitting or thinking about doing so. Organizations that take the time to learn why—and act thoughtfully—will have an edge in attracting and retaining talent.

Knowing about the five sources of meaning is a great start, but the real magic occurs when leaders begin to embed them into how the work gets done.

The COVID-19 crisis forced organizations around the world to reevaluate many aspects of their work, workforce, and workplace, while also presenting new risks and opportunities. For instance, new business start-ups nearly doubled in the United States compared to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, larger organizations experienced an “unfreezing” moment in which the status quo of how things were done was disrupted.

Many companies face large, and growing, skills deficits. A few companies approach skill building in a more integrated way—and are quietly gaining an edge on rivals.

With the gradual reopening of nations around the world, organizations have been evaluating post-pandemic working models and the physical return to work. The COVID-19 crisis forced many organizations, particularly those largely composed of knowledge workers, to shift to a remote model. Although there is much excitement over restoring some level of in-person interaction in the workplace, 68 percent of organizations do not yet have a clearly articulated vision or plan in place. As organizations… Show more

With the gradual reopening of nations around the world, organizations have been evaluating post-pandemic working models and the physical return to work. The COVID-19 crisis forced many organizations, particularly those largely composed of knowledge workers, to shift to a remote model. Although there is much excitement over restoring some level of in-person interaction in the workplace, 68 percent of organizations do not yet have a clearly articulated vision or plan in place. As organizations adopt remote hybrid work, we see three risk areas that deserve careful attention. Show less

Amid a social reckoning over the past year, we’ve seen a meaningful shift in organizations’ attention to racial justice and equity, including real commitments and investments in doing better. Leaders are asking both tough and important questions for the future of work, including whether their organization is genuinely accepting of all people and if their company ensures equal access to opportunities throughout the talent lifecycle.

How to take action to support LGBTQ+ employees—not just during Pride Month, but year-round.

COVID-19 has changed the workplace as we have known it. While the physical space still exists, the overall idea of what a workplace is and what it is for needs to be reimagined. Organizations must deliberately address the changes wrought by the pandemic and the rapid pace of technological investment to enable remote and flexible work. In particular, organizations must take three key actions.

COVID-19 has changed the workplace as we have known it. While the physical space still exists, the overall idea of what a workplace is and what it is for needs to be reimagined. Organizations must deliberately address the changes wrought by the pandemic and the rapid pace of technological investment to enable remote and flexible work. In particular, organizations must take three key actions.

Hybrid work is happening. Your culture will need to catch up—fast.

The workforce emerging from the pandemic is different than the one that entered it. While the composition of workforces may have changed, the most significant shifts are occurring in how organizations approach the talent they have, the talent they need, and the expectations their talent has of them.

To say that chief human resources officers (CHROs) have been busy in the COVID-19 era would be an understatement. Now, more than ever, they are central to how companies reimagine their personnel practices to build organizational resilience and drive value.

COVID-19 has accelerated changes to the nature of work. It is important, however, to recognize that the two major questions organizations must articulate remain the same as before the pandemic: “How do we make money?” and “How is the work done?” What has changed are the ways in which organizations can and should answer these questions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped existing workforce trends and catalyzed new ones. Here’s the latest on what’s next—and what to do about it.

This is a Golden Age for employee surveys. The assessment industry is dramatically growing, creating more options than ever, while new tech-enabled assets and increased accessibility make surveys easier than ever to deploy. This comes on top of a shift towards prioritizing employee listening—particularly in light of COVID-19.

People have struggled to predict the future of work since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Concerns that machines would replace humans in time became worries about robots and artificial intelligence (AI). But until the pandemic, few companies had effectively considered the issue in depth. Doing so now promises to open up a slew of opportunities for organizations to better deliver on their value proposition to all stakeholders, build competitive talent competencies, and adapt to the… Show more

People have struggled to predict the future of work since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Concerns that machines would replace humans in time became worries about robots and artificial intelligence (AI). But until the pandemic, few companies had effectively considered the issue in depth. Doing so now promises to open up a slew of opportunities for organizations to better deliver on their value proposition to all stakeholders, build competitive talent competencies, and adapt to the shifting nature of work. Show less

A new survey shows that skill building is becoming common practice, social and emotional skills are in demand, and there’s a recipe for successful skill transformations.

People have had to navigate an all-new emotional landscape amid the COVID-19 crisis. As we look with hope to the post-pandemic recovery, leaders must continue to address complex and uncomfortable topics such as grief, loss, and burnout that many employees will still experience for a long time to come. In extracts from a McKinsey Talks Talent podcast episode—“Grief, loss, burnout: Talking about complex feelings at work”—Bryan Hancock and Bill Schaninger discuss what they are hearing from leaders… Show more

People have had to navigate an all-new emotional landscape amid the COVID-19 crisis. As we look with hope to the post-pandemic recovery, leaders must continue to address complex and uncomfortable topics such as grief, loss, and burnout that many employees will still experience for a long time to come. In extracts from a McKinsey Talks Talent podcast episode—“Grief, loss, burnout: Talking about complex feelings at work”—Bryan Hancock and Bill Schaninger discuss what they are hearing from leaders around the world and how they can improve their approach to organizational health. Show less

Employees expect their jobs to bring a significant sense of purpose to their lives. Employers need to help meet this need, or be prepared to lose talent to companies that will.

Recent and urgent reckonings about race and sexual harassment have brought diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) front of mind for employers. Organizations that implement DE&I assessments and strategies enable high-performance cultures, protect themselves from reputational risk, and concretely demonstrate commitment to organizational values, which all positively impact business performance. Perhaps most importantly, though, is that organizations are recognizing that pursuing DE&I is the right… Show more

Recent and urgent reckonings about race and sexual harassment have brought diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) front of mind for employers. Organizations that implement DE&I assessments and strategies enable high-performance cultures, protect themselves from reputational risk, and concretely demonstrate commitment to organizational values, which all positively impact business performance. Perhaps most importantly, though, is that organizations are recognizing that pursuing DE&I is the right thing to do for society. Show less

In the wake of the pandemic, you’ve committed to fast action on diversity. The first step is a new, more inclusive lens on talent management—straight through the life cycle.

The pandemic underscores the urgency for a more dynamic talent and work model. Human-resources leaders can help by focusing on identity, agility, and scalability.

The events of 2020 raised the bar for a company’s role in society. Stakeholder expectations have risen as the COVID-19 pandemic and racial justice movement brought heightened attention to deep-rooted inequalities in health and economic opportunities globally.

We created the McKinsey Talks Talent Podcast to help leaders navigate this fast-changing landscape and prepare for the future of work by making talent a competitive advantage. Our conversations have addressed many of the most pressing talent issues faced by leaders and their organizations. Here are three recent discussions that have centered on challenges that have only grown during the pandemic.

Research overwhelmingly supports the same conclusion: Companies must aspire to have a diverse workforce. Over a decade of empirical research shows that more diverse companies outperform less diverse companies (2015; 2018; 2020). Coupled with increasingly stronger norms around social justice, more and more companies feel compelled to focus on recruiting and promoting a workforce composed of individuals from differing backgrounds, experiences, and identities.

Flatter. Faster. Leaner. The COVID-19 crisis has once again trained a spotlight on the value of middle management. What happens after the pandemic ends?

Have you ever wondered how organizations can have beautiful visions and values statements on their walls, but walking through their hallways leaves you with a different impression? It often feels like two different worlds—what is said and what is real.

We’ve long known that the key to driving sustainable long-term performance is to place an equal emphasis on how the organization makes money (performance) and how leaders run the place (health). Companies that do so outperform their peers threefold. More recently, we’ve found that leaders can capture even more value when they go one step further and focus on performance and health at both the organization and individual levels.

From shaping your organization’s purpose, to re-imagining decision making, to unlocking the potential of people, this year has accelerated many of the trends that drive major organizational change.

Our Organizing for the Future thinking explores new principles, such as anti-fragility and experimentation, that are becoming increasingly critical for today’s organizations as they build more creative, adaptable, and human systems.

We launched the McKinsey Organization Blog hopeful that our weekly insights on leadership and organization could serve as a one-stop shop for impactful, fact-based, and pragmatic advice—in 600 words or less.

In this most unusual year, distinguished by its uncharacteristic degree of change, we remain hopeful that we have and will continue to help organizations through the crisis and into recovery.

COVID-19 has forced companies to rapidly adapt to changing talent needs. More than 70 million U.S. workers filed for unemployment insurance from March through December. Now, more organizations are converting what were furloughs early in the pandemic to permanent job losses.

Leaders have always navigated emotional dynamics in the workplace—but not at the scale and intensity unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s how to map this shifting terrain.

We all know the pace of change isn’t slowing down any time soon. However, we’re finding that organizations that endure and thrive in this environment are those with a clear and shared understanding of where they’re headed—that is, they have a clear sense of identity.

To build an identity that is lived, breathed, and—most importantly—shared by all, leaders need to make four shifts in how they run their organizations:

In the COVID-19 era, chief HR officers (CHROs) are playing a central role in how companies reimagine personnel practices to build organizational resilience and drive value. There is no shortage of new responsibilities, from fostering connectivity early in the pandemic to developing and implementing plans for the return to offices.

Additionally, the COVID-19 crisis is now accelerating preexisting talent management trends in the CHRO playbook. By acting in five such areas, CHROs can craft… Show more

In the COVID-19 era, chief HR officers (CHROs) are playing a central role in how companies reimagine personnel practices to build organizational resilience and drive value. There is no shortage of new responsibilities, from fostering connectivity early in the pandemic to developing and implementing plans for the return to offices.

Additionally, the COVID-19 crisis is now accelerating preexisting talent management trends in the CHRO playbook. By acting in five such areas, CHROs can craft a strong and durable talent strategy for the post-pandemic world. Show less

Automation will leave few roles untouched—and not everyone will be reskilled or redeployed successfully. Here’s what leaders can do now to give their talent, and their organizations, the best opportunity to thrive in an uncertain future.

Successfully transforming an organization continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing leaders, as it requires changing the behaviors and underlying mindsets of a critical mass of people. Behavioral-science research shows that there are four levers to driving change: role modeling, fostering understanding and conviction, reinforcing with formal mechanisms, and building confidence and skills. Together, these are known as the influence model. A change-management plan that uses all four… Show more

Successfully transforming an organization continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing leaders, as it requires changing the behaviors and underlying mindsets of a critical mass of people. Behavioral-science research shows that there are four levers to driving change: role modeling, fostering understanding and conviction, reinforcing with formal mechanisms, and building confidence and skills. Together, these are known as the influence model. A change-management plan that uses all four levers increases the likelihood of success threefold. Show less

In stressful times, it’s understandable to fixate on hard-nosed business priorities at the expense of more intangible considerations. But getting your people to contemplate their “purpose in life” is crucial.

The more you can connect purpose to recruiting, onboarding, and performance management, the more likely the benefits will build upon one another.

Today’s leaders have never been under so much pressure. Even as they navigate the evolving COVID-19 crisis—keeping their customers and employees safe and their businesses viable—expectations are sky-high. Shareholders are calling for foresight, bold strategies, agility, and resilience, while governments and communities increasingly expect businesses to support broader goals, such as sustainability and social justice.

Businesses looking to make an external social contribution should… Show more

Today’s leaders have never been under so much pressure. Even as they navigate the evolving COVID-19 crisis—keeping their customers and employees safe and their businesses viable—expectations are sky-high. Shareholders are calling for foresight, bold strategies, agility, and resilience, while governments and communities increasingly expect businesses to support broader goals, such as sustainability and social justice.

Businesses looking to make an external social contribution should, paradoxically, look inside: improving workers’ job satisfaction could be the single most important thing they do. Show less

How does organizational health translate to the financial performance of the world’s most sophisticated public investment funds?

A strong mission and excellent talent management make for healthy institutions—and better investment performance.

In these stressful, surreal times, it’s understandable for CEOs to fixate on urgent corporate priorities at the expense of more intangible, personal considerations. How important is getting your people to think about their “purpose in life” right now when you’re worried about their well-being—not to mention corporate survival?

Creating strong links to an individual purpose benefits individuals and companies alike—and could be vital in managing the postpandemic uncertainties that lie… Show more

In these stressful, surreal times, it’s understandable for CEOs to fixate on urgent corporate priorities at the expense of more intangible, personal considerations. How important is getting your people to think about their “purpose in life” right now when you’re worried about their well-being—not to mention corporate survival?

Creating strong links to an individual purpose benefits individuals and companies alike—and could be vital in managing the postpandemic uncertainties that lie ahead. Show less

To say that chief HR officers (CHROs) are busy in the COVID-19 era would be an understatement. Now, more than ever, they are central to how companies are reimagining their personnel practices to build organizational resilience and drive value.

Five talent-management practices can help steer organizations through new ways of working and into the post-COVID-19 era.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many forces already in play over the last decade. One of the most significant shifts being the move to remote and distributed work. In this context, a frequent question we hear from leaders is: How do we promote healthy and performance-driving habits across our front-line teams, many of whom are more decentralized than ever before?

Two renowned scholars and two McKinsey experts illuminate the leadership imperatives of our time: bringing people together, energizing forward progress, and reimagining normalcy.

Here’s how technology, data, and human insight are transforming the way we enact change. Fast.

In this episode of the McKinsey Podcast, Simon London spoke with McKinsey partner Alexander DiLeonardo and I about organizational change.

It’s no secret that during times of change, getting people on board and involved with the transformation drastically increases the likelihood of success. As a result—and rightly so—creating stakeholder engagement plans is considered a staple to change management efforts.

By segmenting the workforce using voice and value, an organization is able to tailor their change management efforts and increase the likelihood that employees are involved, engaged and supportive.

The choice to act has the potential to shape leaders’ and organizations’ identities well after a crisis has ended. Those with a carefully honed sense of purpose will find the necessary resources to guide critical and decisive action. For others, this moment may represent the first steps toward deliberately defining their corporate purpose.

Executives are uniquely poised to bring corporate power, guided by social purpose, to make an indelible mark during a time of crisis.

Change is a journey, and few journeys go according to plan. Leaders who follow the transformation methodology explained in our new book, Beyond Performance 2.0, take companies through what we call the five stages of performance and health.

This article focuses on the fourth: act. To ensure that plans developed in the previous stage (architect) stay on track and evolve when necessary, leaders must give employees a sense of ownership in the process, as well as the energy needed to change.… Show more

Change is a journey, and few journeys go according to plan. Leaders who follow the transformation methodology explained in our new book, Beyond Performance 2.0, take companies through what we call the five stages of performance and health.

This article focuses on the fourth: act. To ensure that plans developed in the previous stage (architect) stay on track and evolve when necessary, leaders must give employees a sense of ownership in the process, as well as the energy needed to change. This article shows how. Show less

Only 7 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs believe their companies should “mainly focus on making profits and not be distracted by social goals.” And with good reason. While shareholder capitalism has catalyzed enormous progress, it also has struggled to address deeply vexing issues such as climate change and income inequality—or, looking forward, the employment implications of artificial intelligence.

What is your company’s core reason for being, and where can you have a unique, positive impact… Show more

Only 7 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs believe their companies should “mainly focus on making profits and not be distracted by social goals.” And with good reason. While shareholder capitalism has catalyzed enormous progress, it also has struggled to address deeply vexing issues such as climate change and income inequality—or, looking forward, the employment implications of artificial intelligence.

What is your company’s core reason for being, and where can you have a unique, positive impact on society? Now more than ever, you need good answers to these questions. Show less

Companies will define what they do in the crucible of COVID-19 response—or be defined by it.

What should a company’s purpose be when the purpose of so many, right now, is survival? For years, enlightened executives have sought the sweet spot between their responsibility to maximize profits on behalf of shareholders and their desire to find a purpose across environment, social, and governance (ESG) themes on behalf of a broad range of stakeholders, including customers, employees, and… Show more

Companies will define what they do in the crucible of COVID-19 response—or be defined by it.

What should a company’s purpose be when the purpose of so many, right now, is survival? For years, enlightened executives have sought the sweet spot between their responsibility to maximize profits on behalf of shareholders and their desire to find a purpose across environment, social, and governance (ESG) themes on behalf of a broad range of stakeholders, including customers, employees, and communities. Then COVID-19 came. As businesses large and small shut their doors, and millions retreat to enforced isolation, the magnitude of the coronavirus crisis confronts corporate leaders with the economic challenge of a lifetime. It also demands of them a moment of existential introspection: What defines their company’s purpose—its core reason for being and its impact on the world? Show less

Through emerging tech such as digitization, automation and artificial intelligence, the future is certainly bright; productivity gains, speed and convenience, and a movement away from menial and dangerous jobs are all considered positive.

Though if you ask many CEOs and HR leaders, they may say they feel blindsided by the downsides of these disruptive technologies. As these innovations are transforming the nature of work, millions will continue to be challenged to learn new skills and… Show more

Through emerging tech such as digitization, automation and artificial intelligence, the future is certainly bright; productivity gains, speed and convenience, and a movement away from menial and dangerous jobs are all considered positive.

Though if you ask many CEOs and HR leaders, they may say they feel blindsided by the downsides of these disruptive technologies. As these innovations are transforming the nature of work, millions will continue to be challenged to learn new skills and switch occupational categories if they are to fully participate in the new economy. Show less

We’ve long known that the key to unlocking sustainable performance is not just to focus on results. Rather, lasting impact occurs when companies apply equal rigor and resources both to how they make money and how they run the place – something we refer to as performance and health. Companies with this dual focus outperform their peers on almost every financial indicator we’ve seen.

How the right data-driven approach can bolster sales-force performance—and help HR draw a direct line from talent to revenues in conversations with the CEO.

With such a fine line between a nudge and a nag, it’s important to acknowledge and understand the subtle differences between the two.

In recent years, nudging has been hailed as the latest trend in HR and a novel, new scientific management approach. And for good reason: using nudges has improved everything from customer retention and employee safety to organizational commitment and innovation. When nudges are executed with care, they have remarkable results. However, in many cases there… Show more

With such a fine line between a nudge and a nag, it’s important to acknowledge and understand the subtle differences between the two.

In recent years, nudging has been hailed as the latest trend in HR and a novel, new scientific management approach. And for good reason: using nudges has improved everything from customer retention and employee safety to organizational commitment and innovation. When nudges are executed with care, they have remarkable results. However, in many cases there is a misconception about what a nudge actually is – organizations often launch initiatives that either miss the mark or are just reminders in disguise. When that happens, the nudge is actually a nag, and it risks losing its impact and becoming downright annoying. What can you do to ensure you’re using nudges and not nags? Show less

When we launched the McKinsey Organization Blog two years ago, our goal was to share concise insights from our experienced partners at the forefront of today’s organizational trends.

To date, we have published over 100 blog posts aimed to address leaders’ needs related to the topics of talent management, organizational design, agility, culture, change management, leadership, merger management and more.

To mark this milestone, we’re looking back at 10 of the most popular posts of… Show more

When we launched the McKinsey Organization Blog two years ago, our goal was to share concise insights from our experienced partners at the forefront of today’s organizational trends.

To date, we have published over 100 blog posts aimed to address leaders’ needs related to the topics of talent management, organizational design, agility, culture, change management, leadership, merger management and more.

To mark this milestone, we’re looking back at 10 of the most popular posts of all time on the McKinsey Organization Blog. Below is the must-read list. Show less

Getting the right people into the right roles is more vital than ever. Here’s how to deliver returns on talent faster—and help more women rise to the C-suite at the same time.

Leaders at all levels understand you achieve success when you manage for both performance and health. But, how to do you change your organization to achieve that success? Kevin is joined by Bill Schaninger, co-author of Beyond Performance 2.0: A Proven Approach to Leading Large Scale Change and a Senior Partner at McKinsey. Bill and his colleagues found that the companies struggling focused on quarterly earnings. To succeed organizations should place equal emphasis on not only making money but… Show more

Leaders at all levels understand you achieve success when you manage for both performance and health. But, how to do you change your organization to achieve that success? Kevin is joined by Bill Schaninger, co-author of Beyond Performance 2.0: A Proven Approach to Leading Large Scale Change and a Senior Partner at McKinsey. Bill and his colleagues found that the companies struggling focused on quarterly earnings. To succeed organizations should place equal emphasis on not only making money but how they make it. The change management strategies Bill shares are based on more than 5 million data points drawn from 2,000 companies globally over 15 years. He recognizes that you need people inside to change, so effective change leaders first create a clear and compelling change story. Show less

Companies and careers can both follow very different paths depending on the factors that motivate them. But according to Bill Schaninger, co-author of Beyond Performance 2.0, if all we track are short-term performance wins, we’re not setting ourselves up for sustainable health, and he has decades of research to back that up. In this episode of Hack the Process, Bill will tell us why it’s essential to start with aspirations instead of fears when driving cultural change, what differentiates… Show more

Companies and careers can both follow very different paths depending on the factors that motivate them. But according to Bill Schaninger, co-author of Beyond Performance 2.0, if all we track are short-term performance wins, we’re not setting ourselves up for sustainable health, and he has decades of research to back that up. In this episode of Hack the Process, Bill will tell us why it’s essential to start with aspirations instead of fears when driving cultural change, what differentiates companies that achieve sustainable success, and how his own unconventional background and education helped him thrive at McKinsey for almost two decades. Show less

Meet Bill Schaninger, Senior Partner at McKinsey and a global leader of their Organization Practice (based in Philadelphia). Bill focuses on driving large-scale organizational and cultural change for clients across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. An expert on the role of culture, values, talent and leadership in improving business outcomes, he helps executives enhance management effectiveness. Bill has published extensively in practitioner and academic journals, on organizational… Show more

Meet Bill Schaninger, Senior Partner at McKinsey and a global leader of their Organization Practice (based in Philadelphia). Bill focuses on driving large-scale organizational and cultural change for clients across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. An expert on the role of culture, values, talent and leadership in improving business outcomes, he helps executives enhance management effectiveness. Bill has published extensively in practitioner and academic journals, on organizational topics. Show less

McKinsey Senior Partner, Bill Schaninger joins Moe Abdou to explore an organizational change model that not only measures business excellence, but that prioritizes organizational health as its leading indicator.

This week on DisrupTV, we interviewed Bill Schaninger, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and Author of "Beyond Performance 2.0," and Doug Henschen, VP & Principal Analyst at Constellation Research.

Bill Schaninger is an expert on the role of culture, values, and leadership in improving business outcomes, he has helped CEOs, government ministers, and other top executives assess organizational health and lead initiatives to improve it. He also brings strong experience in strategic human resources, helping organizations understand how to create world-class talent systems and winning workforce dynamics. Since joining McKinsey in 2000, Bill has focused his work on driving large-scale… Show more

Bill Schaninger is an expert on the role of culture, values, and leadership in improving business outcomes, he has helped CEOs, government ministers, and other top executives assess organizational health and lead initiatives to improve it. He also brings strong experience in strategic human resources, helping organizations understand how to create world-class talent systems and winning workforce dynamics. Since joining McKinsey in 2000, Bill has focused his work on driving large-scale organizational and cultural change for diverse clients across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Show less

In Beyond Performance 2.0: A Proven Approach to Leading Large-scale Change, McKinsey senior partners Scott Keller and Bill Schaninger draw on their 40-plus years of combined experience, and on the most comprehensive research effort of its kind, to provide a practical and proven how-to guide for executives managing corporate transformations.

“A better way to lead large-scale change,” the first article based on the book, provides an overview of the authors’ approach and explains why it… Show more

In Beyond Performance 2.0: A Proven Approach to Leading Large-scale Change, McKinsey senior partners Scott Keller and Bill Schaninger draw on their 40-plus years of combined experience, and on the most comprehensive research effort of its kind, to provide a practical and proven how-to guide for executives managing corporate transformations.

“A better way to lead large-scale change,” the first article based on the book, provides an overview of the authors’ approach and explains why it works. This second article, based on the book’s fourth chapter, provides an in-depth look into the most often neglected stage of the change process. A future article will discuss how to create the ownership and energy needed for success. Show less

Martin Zwilling: A refrain I often hear from technology entrepreneurs to investors is that their product or solution is so innovative that it will cause a “paradigm shift” in the industry. Their assumption is that customers and investors will be wowed by this into buying, ignoring the evidence that large-scale change takes a long time, most often fails, and scares away customers and investors alike.

Bill Schaninger, Senior Partner at McKinsey and Company, joins hosts Anne Greenhaulgh and Mike Useem on Leadership in Action.

A surefire way to shoot yourself in the foot when you’re leading a large-scale change effort is to ignore what’s on the minds of your employees. In research we conducted for our recently published book, Beyond Performance 2.0, we found that executives at exactly zero companies that disregarded an analysis of employee mind-sets during a change program rated the transformation as “extremely successful.” Conversely, executives at companies that took the time and trouble to address mind-sets were… Show more

A surefire way to shoot yourself in the foot when you’re leading a large-scale change effort is to ignore what’s on the minds of your employees. In research we conducted for our recently published book, Beyond Performance 2.0, we found that executives at exactly zero companies that disregarded an analysis of employee mind-sets during a change program rated the transformation as “extremely successful.” Conversely, executives at companies that took the time and trouble to address mind-sets were four times more likely than those that didn’t to rate their change programs as at least “successful.” Show less

Large-scale organizational change is more likely to stick if executives apply equal discipline and rigor to the hard and soft elements that matter.

In this episode of the McKinsey Podcast, Simon London speaks with senior partners Scott Keller and Bill Schaninger about the ways in which executives can boost their odds of leading successful, sustainable organizational change.

In Beyond Performance 2.0, McKinsey senior partners Scott Keller and Bill Schaninger draw on their 40-plus years of combined experience, and on the most comprehensive research effort of its kind, to provide a practical and proven “how to” guide for leading successful large-scale change. This article, drawn from the book’s opening chapter, provides an overview of this approach and explains why it works.

Beyond Performance 2.0 more than doubles your odds of successfully leading significant, sustainable change by applying equal levels of insight and rigor to the “hard” and “soft” elements that matter.

Leaders aren’t short on access to change management advice, but the jury has long been out as to which approach is the best one to follow. With the publication of Beyond Performance 2.0, the verdict is well and truly in. By applying the approach detailed by Scott Keller and Bill Schaninger… Show more

Beyond Performance 2.0 more than doubles your odds of successfully leading significant, sustainable change by applying equal levels of insight and rigor to the “hard” and “soft” elements that matter.

Leaders aren’t short on access to change management advice, but the jury has long been out as to which approach is the best one to follow. With the publication of Beyond Performance 2.0, the verdict is well and truly in. By applying the approach detailed by Scott Keller and Bill Schaninger, the evidence shows that leaders can more than double their odds of success—from merely thirty percent to almost eighty. If you are a leader looking for a proven approach to leading large-scale change from a trusted source, look no further. Show less

Senior McKinsey Partner Bill Schaninger is interviewed by Oliver Renick on Morning Trade Live, outlining five stages to large-scale change.

Research on 5 million people from 2,000 companies reveal the 5 steps for transformational change.

Driving and sustaining organizational change is one of the biggest business priorities. That's why innovation, culture, and disruption are hot leadership topics. For the past two decades, the success rates of change efforts have been dismal. In 1996, Harvard Business School professor John Kotter reported that only 30 percent of all change programs succeed. Fast forward almost twenty years… Show more

Research on 5 million people from 2,000 companies reveal the 5 steps for transformational change.

Driving and sustaining organizational change is one of the biggest business priorities. That's why innovation, culture, and disruption are hot leadership topics. For the past two decades, the success rates of change efforts have been dismal. In 1996, Harvard Business School professor John Kotter reported that only 30 percent of all change programs succeed. Fast forward almost twenty years, and multiple studies have shown that the odds of leading a successful change program remained largely unchanged. What’s going on here?
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A new podcast featuring McKinsey leaders and talent experts Bryan Hancock and Bill Schaninger. In this second episode, Bryan and Bill speak with McKinsey Publishing’s Lucia Rahilly about novel ways to spur sales performance, as well as HR’s untapped opportunity to link talent to value in discussions with the CEO.

Leadership development interventions often lack strategic rigor, and the results show—only 10 percent of CEOs strongly believe their leadership development initiatives have a clear business impact. For leadership development interventions to have real impact, they must be grounded in a rigorous analysis of the context and the leadership behaviors that truly matter. Here are four key steps to identify and embed the leadership behaviors that propel performance.

McKinsey research shows that the majority of CEOs don’t find the performance management process helpful in identifying top performers. Over half of individuals surveyed think their managers don’t get the performance review right. When neither of these parties finds the process beneficial, it’s no wonder some organizations have done away with annual performance ratings altogether.

Humans like knowing how they’re doing, and that means reinstituting performance reviews. The key, however… Show more

McKinsey research shows that the majority of CEOs don’t find the performance management process helpful in identifying top performers. Over half of individuals surveyed think their managers don’t get the performance review right. When neither of these parties finds the process beneficial, it’s no wonder some organizations have done away with annual performance ratings altogether.

Humans like knowing how they’re doing, and that means reinstituting performance reviews. The key, however, is to ensure these reviews are perceived as fair and objective. Show less

In this episode of the McKinsey Podcast, Simon London speaks with McKinsey partner Bryan Hancock and senior partner Bill Schaninger about why people analytics matters even more in a world awash with data and more advanced computing and analytics capabilities.

CEOs and HR leaders worried about the viability of their talent strategy may be excused an occasional sleepless night. After all, there’s a closetful of bogeymen to pick from as disruptive technologies such as digitization, automation, and artificial intelligence combine with demographic forces to continue transforming the nature of work, how it gets done, and by whom. The resulting job displacement could be massive—think Industrial Revolution massive—affecting as many as 800 million people… Show more

CEOs and HR leaders worried about the viability of their talent strategy may be excused an occasional sleepless night. After all, there’s a closetful of bogeymen to pick from as disruptive technologies such as digitization, automation, and artificial intelligence combine with demographic forces to continue transforming the nature of work, how it gets done, and by whom. The resulting job displacement could be massive—think Industrial Revolution massive—affecting as many as 800 million people globally by 2030 and requiring up to 375 million of them to switch occupational categories and learn new skills.

By looking at their supply of skills and talent in a new light today, organizations can take actions that better prepare their companies for tomorrow’s challenges. Show less

A healthcare organization going through a massive transformation had to assess and consider more than 2,000 high-potential employees for more than 100 critical positions. By identifying the 45 most critical value-adding roles and defining markers for success supported by people analytics, it was able to build a unique competency model tailored toward its values.

By taking a methodical, visual and data-supported approach to making human capital decisions at scale, the benefits abound for… Show more

A healthcare organization going through a massive transformation had to assess and consider more than 2,000 high-potential employees for more than 100 critical positions. By identifying the 45 most critical value-adding roles and defining markers for success supported by people analytics, it was able to build a unique competency model tailored toward its values.

By taking a methodical, visual and data-supported approach to making human capital decisions at scale, the benefits abound for large organizations. Show less

Managing employee performance successfully requires real support for managers and a process that is recognized as fair.

In this episode of the McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Publishing’s Lucia Rahilly speaks with McKinsey partner Bryan Hancock and senior partner Bill Schaninger about the role managers can and should play in coaching their employees on a regular basis, designing fair compensation systems, and knowing how to handle good—and challenging—conversations.

Corporations are under immense pressure to adapt to work-transforming automation and artificial intelligence technologies. These innovations are having a profound effect on the workforce in every industry, as relevant skills are in short supply.

Every organization needs to track where it is along the path toward developing its future workforce. These steps can help companies act quickly and correctly.

The fourth Industrial Revolution, as some call it, has the potential to disrupt entire industries and trigger massive job loss through technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and 3D printing. Just consider the impact of driverless cars on the taxi and ride-sharing industry.

Building a competitive workforce of the future requires “right-skilling.” Organizations need to have a strategic plan for talent to make the shift.

Our understanding of the unconscious mind has come a long way since Sigmund Freud, grounded in decades of research into what drives ordinary, everyday human behavior. Today’s behavioral scientists like to say that we are predictably irrational. And what can be predicted can be managed, at least to some degree.

By using techniques such as “nudging,” it’s possible to change people’s behavior without limiting what they can do.

hese days, performance management is a source of dissatisfaction at many organizations. Large shares of respondents to a recent McKinsey Global Survey on the topic say their organizations’ current systems and practices have no effect—or even a negative one—on company performance.1 Moreover, they do not see positive returns on investment for the time spent on performance management. Yet the results also show that when executed well, performance management has a positive impact on employees’… Show more

hese days, performance management is a source of dissatisfaction at many organizations. Large shares of respondents to a recent McKinsey Global Survey on the topic say their organizations’ current systems and practices have no effect—or even a negative one—on company performance.1 Moreover, they do not see positive returns on investment for the time spent on performance management. Yet the results also show that when executed well, performance management has a positive impact on employees’ performance and the organization’s performance overall.

Done well, three key practices of effective performance management can unlock positive outcomes for employees and the business, a new survey finds. Show less

The performance-management process at many companies continues to struggle, but not for lack of efforts to make things better. Of the respondents we surveyed recently, two-thirds made at least one major change to their performance-management systems over the 18 months prior to our survey. With growing frequency, human-resources departments are dispensing with unpopular “forced curve” ranking systems, rejiggering relatively undifferentiated compensation regimes, and digging deeply into employee… Show more

The performance-management process at many companies continues to struggle, but not for lack of efforts to make things better. Of the respondents we surveyed recently, two-thirds made at least one major change to their performance-management systems over the 18 months prior to our survey. With growing frequency, human-resources departments are dispensing with unpopular “forced curve” ranking systems, rejiggering relatively undifferentiated compensation regimes, and digging deeply into employee data for clues to what really drives motivation and performance.

Many systems are under stress because employees harbor doubts that the core elements are equitable. This blog outlines the practical steps that can change that. Show less

The 1999 sci fi action classic “The Matrix” telescoped the future of tech in talent when Keanu Reeves’ character Neo exclaims, “I know kung fu,” shortly after a computer in his skull uploads the martial art into his intellect.

We’re not yet personalizing our brains with such instant knowledge, but the continual march of technology is bringing us closer to changing the game.

Adaptive programming, networking tools and other employee-related tech advances help organizations enhance… Show more

The 1999 sci fi action classic “The Matrix” telescoped the future of tech in talent when Keanu Reeves’ character Neo exclaims, “I know kung fu,” shortly after a computer in his skull uploads the martial art into his intellect.

We’re not yet personalizing our brains with such instant knowledge, but the continual march of technology is bringing us closer to changing the game.

Adaptive programming, networking tools and other employee-related tech advances help organizations enhance their performance. This is TalentTech. Show less

Recruitment is one of the most difficult things a company does, but doing it well can pay off. Consider that in highly complex jobs—those that are information- and interaction-intensive, such as managers, software developers and project managers—high performers are an astounding 800 percent more productive than average performers.

In many ways, organizing a successful business isn’t much different than hosting a family barbecue. Thinking through the tasks and family members at home, you know that your partner can operate the lawn mower well, your son is best at washing dishes and you know what to buy for the barbecue. Assigning each family member to their optimal role, everything comes together, and the barbecue is a tremendous success. On Monday, as you reflect at work, you wonder if the same dynamics aren’t at play in… Show more

In many ways, organizing a successful business isn’t much different than hosting a family barbecue. Thinking through the tasks and family members at home, you know that your partner can operate the lawn mower well, your son is best at washing dishes and you know what to buy for the barbecue. Assigning each family member to their optimal role, everything comes together, and the barbecue is a tremendous success. On Monday, as you reflect at work, you wonder if the same dynamics aren’t at play in the office. Show less

Over the past decade, big data analytics has been revolutionizing the way many companies do business. More sophisticated analyses of big data are helping companies identify, recruit, and reward the best personnel. The results can run counter to common wisdom.

Great leaders complicate leadership development—a notion that may seem paradoxical until you stop and consider just how much has been written about Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Golda Meir, Ernest Shackleton, and countless other celebrated leaders. The sheer volume is overwhelming, and the lessons that emerge from one leader’s experience may be completely inapplicable to another’s.

For people seeking to lead companies effectively and for organizations seeking to… Show more

Great leaders complicate leadership development—a notion that may seem paradoxical until you stop and consider just how much has been written about Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Golda Meir, Ernest Shackleton, and countless other celebrated leaders. The sheer volume is overwhelming, and the lessons that emerge from one leader’s experience may be completely inapplicable to another’s.

For people seeking to lead companies effectively and for organizations seeking to develop managers who can deploy different kinds of leadership behavior when appropriate, recognizing and responding to a company’s health is far more important than following scripts written by or about great leaders. And that’s true even of great leaders whose circumstances might, on the surface, seem relevant under a given set of conditions.

Organizational health matters more than you might expect.
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The psychological contract that traditionally bound employees to their employers has been fraying. Many of today’s workers, having experienced the pain of the economic downturn and large-scale layoffs, no longer feel as much loyalty and commitment to their organizations as they did even a decade ago. Job hopping has been described as the “new normal,” and millennials are expected to hold 15 to 20 positions over the course of their working lives.

Leaders must consider new ways to change… Show more

The psychological contract that traditionally bound employees to their employers has been fraying. Many of today’s workers, having experienced the pain of the economic downturn and large-scale layoffs, no longer feel as much loyalty and commitment to their organizations as they did even a decade ago. Job hopping has been described as the “new normal,” and millennials are expected to hold 15 to 20 positions over the course of their working lives.

Leaders must consider new ways to change the attitudes and behavior of employees. Show less

Great leaders complicate leadership development—a notion that may seem paradoxical until you stop and consider just how much has been written about Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Golda Meir, Ernest Shackleton, and countless other celebrated leaders. The sheer volume is overwhelming, and the lessons that emerge from one leader’s experience may be completely inapplicable to another’s.

he best way to organize corporations—it’s a perennial debate. But the discussion is becoming more urgent as digital technology begins to penetrate the labor force. Although consumers have largely gone digital, the digitization of jobs, and of the tasks and activities within them, is still in the early stages, according to a recent study by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). Even companies and industries at the forefront of digital spending and usage have yet to digitize the workforce… Show more

he best way to organize corporations—it’s a perennial debate. But the discussion is becoming more urgent as digital technology begins to penetrate the labor force. Although consumers have largely gone digital, the digitization of jobs, and of the tasks and activities within them, is still in the early stages, according to a recent study by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). Even companies and industries at the forefront of digital spending and usage have yet to digitize the workforce fully.

Platform-based talent markets help put the emphasis in human-capital management back where it belongs—on humans. Show less

The latest data and analytics buzz comes from the field of advanced HR analytics, where the application of new techniques and new thinking to talent management is becoming more mainstream. The implications are dramatic because talent management in many businesses has traditionally revolved around personal relationships or decision making based on experience—not to mention risk avoidance and legal compliance—rather than deep analysis. Advanced analytics provides a unique opportunity for… Show more

The latest data and analytics buzz comes from the field of advanced HR analytics, where the application of new techniques and new thinking to talent management is becoming more mainstream. The implications are dramatic because talent management in many businesses has traditionally revolved around personal relationships or decision making based on experience—not to mention risk avoidance and legal compliance—rather than deep analysis. Advanced analytics provides a unique opportunity for human-capital and human-resources professionals to position themselves as fact-based strategic partners of the executive board, using state-of-the-art techniques to recruit and retain the great managers and great innovators who so often drive superior value in companies. Show less

Traditionally, leaders have been encouraged to dynamically reallocate capital to the most pressing and attractive opportunities. This focus remains today, but many companies face a challenge: human capital is now the scarcer of the two main capitals. Companies that manage talent the same way they do financial capital can gain a competitive advantage.

The term “middle manager” often evokes a bygone industrial era in which managers functioned like cogs in a vast machine and bureaucracy ruled. In recent decades, midlevel managers—underappreciated and often considered a superfluous layer of the organization—have become a favorite target for the chopping block. This view has become so widespread that it has seeped into the very identity of the managers themselves.

Large-scale organizational change has always been difficult, and there’s no shortage of research showing that a majority of transformations continue to fail. Today’s dynamic environment adds an extra level of urgency and complexity. Companies must increasingly react to sudden shifts in the marketplace, to other external shocks, and to the imperatives of new business models. The stakes are higher than ever.

Four key actions influence employee mind-sets and behavior. Here’s why they matter.