Laura Close’s Post

Enhanced data practices shouldn't remove the human input in organizational culture, but encourage a more collaborative approach from everyone. Half of the journey to efficiency is analytics, and the other half relies on overall participation. Starting with leadership and continuing with consistent communication with teams, data should inspire a more aligned vision of growth rather than a siloed one! #Data #DataCulture #Analytics #Leadership

In today's technology-driven world, companies are having to rely more on data and analytics to make strategic decisions and continue to grow. This is why obtaining employee buy-in for data-driven initiatives is so critical. Without it, businesses remain at a standstill. MIT Sloan School of Management's Kara Baskin highlights six things leaders should consider when guiding employees through technological changes. One that stood out to me most was "Remember that emotions are contagious." Change is often destabilizing for people and has a lot of fear and intimidation attached to it. However. as leaders, we can model positive emotions for our teams, helping them to feel the same optimism and view the changes differently. #EmployeeBuyIn #ChangeManagement #LeadershipStrategy

A Call to Action: Preparing Organizations for a Changing World A recent survey by McKinsey People & Organizational Performance revealed a concerning trend: only half of the 2,500 business leaders surveyed worldwide believe their organizations are equipped to handle the challenges and opportunities of the future. This begs the question: how can leaders navigate their organizations through this period of significant change and unlock new avenues for growth? The McKinsey report, titled "The State of Organizations," delves into the ten most critical shifts currently impacting businesses. It goes beyond simply identifying these trends; it offers practical solutions for leaders and their teams to tackle them head-on. 1. The Rise of Automation & AI: How can leaders leverage automation to streamline processes while ensuring human workers possess the skills needed to thrive alongside intelligent machines? Reskilling and upskilling initiatives become crucial. 2. The Evolving Nature of Work: As remote and hybrid work models become increasingly normalized, leaders need to adapt their management styles and cultivate strong virtual team dynamics to maintain productivity and employee satisfaction. 3. The Growing Importance of Purpose: Today's workforce seeks meaning and purpose beyond just a paycheck. Leaders can create a strong company culture with a clear mission and social responsibility initiatives to attract and retain talent. 4. The Acceleration of Technological Change: The pace of technological innovation is faster than ever. Leaders must foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation within their organizations to stay ahead of the curve. 5. The Evolving Customer Landscape: Customer expectations are constantly shifting. Leaders need to prioritize customer-centricity by gathering real-time feedback and adapting offerings to meet evolving needs. 6. The Geopolitical Landscape: Global trade tensions and political instability can disrupt supply chains and market access. Leaders can diversify their operations and build resilience to navigate these uncertainties. 7. The Growing Focus on Sustainability: Environmental and social responsibility are no longer afterthoughts. Leaders must implement sustainable practices throughout their operations to meet growing consumer and investor expectations. 8. The Need for Agility: The business environment is more dynamic than ever. Leaders need to empower their teams to make quick decisions and adapt to changing circumstances. 9. The Importance of Data-Driven Decision-Making: Data is king! Leaders need to leverage data analytics to gain insights, optimize operations, and make informed strategic decisions. 10. The War for Talent: The competition for skilled workers is fierce. Leaders need to invest in attracting, developing, and retaining top talent by offering competitive compensation packages and fostering a positive work environment. #StateOfOrganizations #FutureOfWork #Talent

From Lab Rats to Leaders: 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 '𝗡𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲' 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 🔍 A decade ago, a revealing study at Princeton University with four volunteers and 19 lab rats demonstrated how information quality impacts decision-making While handling logical data was straightforward for the participants, external "noise" proved disruptive, leading to errors In our roles as business leaders, we encounter similar challenges. Amidst a sea of data and distractions, it’s crucial to focus on the core metrics that drive decision-making How do we achieve this? The solution often lies in the effective use of specialized 𝗱𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 📊 Dashboards serve as a centralized data hub, essential for leaders to quickly gauge organizational health and make informed decisions For example, I regularly use our #dataops tool, FLIP's Dashboard, to access key business metrics...here are a few numbers that has caught my attention in the last few days 🚨 Average resolution time for security incidents: 9 days  🎯 A 68% gap in hiring targets  🏢 A robust 95% employee satisfaction rate Impressive, yes. But, to be truly effective, this executive dashboard must drill down. To enable decisions, any dashboard must offer three critical views: 🏢 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄: 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 🚹 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄: 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 🚻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄: 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 These comprehensive perspectives ensure that leaders like me, CFOs, COOs, and any executive can pinpoint essential areas, dive deep into more details, and take swift action based on accurate, up-to-date information. 🚀 Does your dashboard encompass these three views? What challenges are you currently facing in data tracking and monitoring? #Leadership #BusinessIntelligence #DecisionMaking #CorporateLeadership #Innovation 

Hard data and soft data for effective leadership. Each type of data plays a vital role in decision-making and team dynamics. Hard Data: This refers to quantitative metrics—KPIs, financial reports, and performance statistics. Leaders can use hard data to identify trends, set benchmarks, and make informed strategic decisions. It provides a solid foundation for evaluating progress and performance, ensuring that every decision is backed by facts. Soft Data: On the flip side, soft data encompasses qualitative insights—employee feedback, team morale, and customer sentiments. It captures the emotional and cultural aspects of the workplace that hard data alone cannot. By paying attention to soft data, leaders can understand team dynamics, foster a positive culture, and enhance employee engagement. To be effective, we need to understand that relying on one type of data alone is not enough. By integrating hard and soft data, we can make holistic decisions that consider both performance metrics and the human elements that drive success. Here are a few practical steps: • Combine Metrics with Feedback: Regularly assess performance metrics alongside employee and customer feedback to gain a comprehensive view of your organization’s health. • Encourage Open Communication: Enable an environment where team members feel safe sharing their insights and experiences, which can provide invaluable context to the hard data. • Adapt and Evolve: Use insights from both data types to refine strategies, adapt to changes, and enhance overall team performance. #Leadership #DataDriven #HardData #SoftData #EffectiveLeadership #TeamSuccess

💥 5 Trends for People Leaders 💥 In the past 30 days, leaders from Team Slate have met with and listened to hundreds of HR leaders on their 2024 plans. Here are 5 top trends we spotted that cut across industry and geography: 1️⃣ Talent Development Focuses on Business Impact People Leaders are hunting for solutions that directly support business performance and top priority strategic initiatives. Leaders like Rebecca Cantieri reinforced this at #Transform2024 with comments like "You should not have an agenda that is separate from the needs of the business." Talent Development ESPECIALLY is reinventing itself around themes of efficiency, focus, and data to meet today’s demands. 2️⃣ Debate Rages about Remote Work At the opening panel for Transform, Liz (Schiffman) Dente, dropped a buzzy sound bite that captures the tension and uncertainty at an individual and organizational level around #hybridwork: “You can do your job from home, but you can’t do your whole career from home.” In-person is back in fashion with return-to-office (and conferences!). At the same time, most organizations care about maintaining agility and meeting employee demand for flexibility. There is broad consensus that the future is some kind of "hybrid"… but what that looks like exactly is an open question. 3️⃣ Generative AI Changes How We Work    Everywhere we turn, People Leaders are talking about #AI. As it transforms markets, strategies, and jobs, it creates new processes to measure AND new ways to extract insights about performance. Leading organizations are treating AI disruption as an opportunity to experiment, learn, and iterate... and investing in #PeopleAnalytics to do so intelligently. 4️⃣ The Future of DEI is Integrated into the Business While DEI has faced increased scrutiny as a function, People Leaders remain highly committed to creating the conditions for all team members to flourish. The next generation of programs will be more tightly integrated into the business and BU leaders will take on more responsibility to see it through. Businesses with real commitment to DEI will benefit from higher #EmployeeEngagement and org performance, and will generate new evidence that good #DEI practices matter. 5️⃣ Organizations Need Trust that is Rooted in Values From AI adoption to workforce restructuring to M&A, People Leaders know that they can only keep employees motivated and engaged if they have #trust. Nancy Hauge, shared that demonstrating consistent values is important when adopting AI, and that "trust is currency." Similarly, Bryan Power discussed the need to be clear on org values when approaching layoff conversations, and recognize that ”trust is about truth…the honest truth, even when it's hard.” Organizations that live out their values and maintain trust will keep their teams united and drive sustained performance. Which of the trends above are you seeing getting the most attention? Drop a comment and let's discuss! ⬇

The McKinsey infographic outlines ten critical challenges facing organizations today: 1. **Resilience**: Resilient companies generate shareholder returns 50% higher than their less resilient peers. 2. **Efficiency**: 40% of leaders cite complex organizational structures as a cause of inefficiency. 3. **Mental Health**: Employees facing mental health challenges are 4 times more likely to consider leaving. 4. **Diversity**: Only 47% of companies have the infrastructure to realize their DEI aspirations. 5. **Leadership**: 25% of respondents see their leaders as engaged, passionate, and inspiring. 6. **Talent Management**: High performers are 8 times more productive than average performers in the same role. 7. **Hybrid Work**: Over 80% of employees in hybrid models want to retain them. 8. **AI Integration**: Organizations used an average of 3.8 AI capabilities in 2022. 9. **Employee Retention**: 39% of workers are planning to leave their jobs in the near term. 10. **Capability Building**: Only 59% of leaders say their organizations have the capabilities they need. These statistics highlight the urgency for organizations to address these challenges effectively to drive growth, improve employee satisfaction, and stay competitive in today's dynamic business landscape.

Building a robust talent pipeline is a pressing concern for leaders today. The crux of the matter lies in developing the right talent at the right time and equipping them with the right capabilities to meet changing needs. Here are three insightful strategies: 1. Assess present and future business capacity and capabilities: Start by visualizing the end goal. What is your business outcome for the next 12-36 months? Gauge the current capacity and capability of your team. Then, identify what future requirements look like. 2. Personalize development solutions: Each employee is unique - in skills, background, and career aspirations. With remote and flexible work arrangements, individual schedules vary widely. The key takeaway is that one size does not fit all when it comes to people development. 3. Let data tell the story: Data analytics is an important driver for decision-making. Leaders can use data to identify trends, monitor progress, and make informed decisions about talent development. With the right data, leaders can adapt their talent development strategies in real time to align with the changing needs of the business. Read about these strategies in more detail here: https://lnkd.in/giJG36fS #Leadership #TalentDevelopment #BusinessGrowth

How CHROs can lead the Future of Work? Here I am at the recent BRICS conference in Moscow sharing my insights and client work with 15,000 Leaders. As work transforms at an unprecedented pace, HR Leaders hold the key to shaping what’s next. A recent study by IBM reveals 90% of CEOs believe HR should drive the future of work strategy, but only 20% of #CHROs currently lead this effort. This gap is a defining opportunity for HR to revolutionize workplaces, particularly as #GenAI and automation reshape industries. Visionary organizations already embracing this change report 35% higher profitability, thanks to comprehensive planning, clear employee impact forecasts, and transparent communication. McKinsey & Company research underscores this advantage, noting that organizations aligning talent strategy with business plans are twice as likely to outperform competitors. CHROs can lead this revolution by focusing on five critical areas: ✴️ AI-driven talent management: Leverage advanced analytics for smarter succession planning and skills democratization. ✴️ Elevated employee experience: Prioritize engagement, driving up to 31% higher revenue growth. ✴️ Technology integration: Collaborate with IT to embed AI seamlessly and ethically. ✴️ Culture Transformation: Foster trust and guide cultural shifts for human-centred AI adoption. ✴️ Skill development: Build continuous learning environments to prepare teams for future roles. With AI investment expected to grow 46% annually, CHROs must act now. McKinsey highlights that successful organizations reallocate talent dynamically—an essential strategy as AI augments roles rather than replaces them. HR’s expertise in culture, skills, and change management positions it to lead this revolution. By championing innovation and embracing human-machine collaboration, CHROs can create workplaces where people and technology thrive together. The future of work isn’t just about adaptation—it’s about leadership. The time for CHROs to lead boldly is now. Curious to see one of my phenomenal tools, the Future of Work 2026 'Strategy on a Page', connect with me today. #FutureOfWork #HRLeadership #AIInnovation #McKinsey #WorkforceTransformation

Establishing a data-driven culture is critical for organizations looking to stay competitive and innovative in today's digital era. A data-driven culture encourages decision-making based on data analysis and interpretation rather than intuition or experience alone. Here's how to build this culture within your organization: Start with Leadership: For a data-driven culture to take root, leadership must set the tone. Leaders should consistently advocate for data-driven decision-making and demonstrate its value by using data insights in their strategic planning and daily operations. Invest in the Right Tools and Technologies: Equip your organization with advanced analytics tools, data management systems, and user-friendly #dashboards. This enables employees at all levels to access, analyze, and leverage #data in their work. Promote Data Literacy: A data-driven culture depends on employees who understand how to interpret and use data. Offer training programs and #workshops to enhance data literacy across the organization, ensuring everyone is comfortable working with data. Ensure Data Accessibility and Transparency: Break down data silos and make relevant data easily accessible to all departments. Transparency in data sharing encourages collaboration and helps teams align their efforts toward common goals. Encourage Data-Driven Decision Making: Foster an environment where decisions are made based on data rather than gut feelings. Celebrate successes that result from data-driven approaches to reinforce the value of this culture. Monitor and Refine: Continuously assess the effectiveness of your data-driven initiatives. Use feedback to refine your approach and keep the momentum going. Building a data-driven culture is not an overnight process, but with the right leadership, tools, and mindset, it can transform your organization, driving better decisions, efficiency, and innovation. #DataDriven #DataCulture #Leadership #DataStrategy #BusinessIntelligence #DigitalTransformation #OrganizationalDevelopment #thedevmasters #data