CHANGE TALK

Believe – 2024: Drawing Inspiration from “Yes, Virginia” for Business and Change Leadership in the New Year.

Each Christmas season, Macy's iconic store in New York City adorns its façade with a single, powerful word: "Believe."

This tradition is inspired by the timeless message of the New York Sun’s 1897 editorial "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." A young girl named Virginia had written a letter to the newspaper wondering whether Santa Claus existed. She asked for confirmation from a credible source while her friends mocked her for what she believed to be true. The response she received from Francis Pharcellus Church became one of the most famous editorials in newspaper history. Its message is a timeless and heartwarming affirmation of the existence of Santa Claus, not as a person but as coming to life through our positive actions and embodiment of values such as hope and goodwill. The now-famous editorial symbolizes the powerful spirit of childhood wonder, hope, and joy. Transcending its original context, it is a rallying cry urging us to translate our beliefs and hopes into positive action.

At the beginning of 2023, McKinsey surveyed more than 2,500 business leaders around the world. The results went into the report on The State of the Organization 2023.

At the time, only half of the participating organizations said they were well prepared to anticipate and react to external shocks, and two-thirds saw their organization as overly complex and inefficient.

Tomorrow, we are celebrating a holiday in the U.S. that is uniquely anchored in gratitude and appreciation. When we express what we are thankful for, we typically refer to the wonderful things in our lives that we are enjoying right now.

The Organization Design Forum offered an insightful session on the of role AI in Organization Design last week.
 
The use of AI has become a central question in boardrooms and executive meetings. Evidently, companies must find ways of positioning themselves around AI as a new opportunity to innovate services and increase effectiveness. Why should the field of Organization Design, which typically assists companies in such efforts, be any different?

5 Steps for Creating Mindful & Adaptive “New Work” Strategies

For the last three years, companies have seen tremendous advantages in staying remote or hybrid. Cost benefits and increased flexibility for employees seemed to speak a clear language: Remote or hybrid work models pay off. However, over the last 6-12 months, many companies decided to return to the office oftentimes via a company-wide mandate. In 2022, merely 31% of US businesses functioned on-site. That included those unable to operate remotely due to the nature of their work (e.g., factories or retail). In 2023, this figure jumped to 50%.

A recent Forbes Counsel article discusses some of the biggest challenges tech leaders are currently facing and how they intend to tackle them. 4 out of 20 leaders thought that it was crucial to responsibly integrate AI in business or utilize it to optimize workflows. 2 thought that workforce planning and combatting burn-out were top on the list.

The remaining 12 answers circled – one way or another – around team process and effectiveness, especially in light of the consistently changing work circumstances.