Monthly Archives: December 2021

During the epidemic, the cost of businesses changing their minds was high. Even so, it may be difficult to avoid it in the future.

“In August, the conference will be held in the city.”

“In fact, the conference will be held online in September.”

“On the 15th, our office will reopen!”

“We’ve decided to put off our return to the office indefinitely.”

“Vaccines aren’t necessary.”

“If you don’t get vaccinated by August 17th, we’ll have to consider dismissing you.

” Experts are concerned that employees will not believe leadership announcements after numerous pandemic waves and now the delta version”

Organization executives have had to switch strategies on their staffs for more than a year and a half as one epidemic wave after another hit. Now, with the virus’s delta variation reshuffling the deck once more—just when a “new normal” appeared to be on the horizon—a rising number of specialists are concerned that leadership legitimacy is eroding.

Whiplash leadership, defined as a leader’s quick series of decisions that often send entry-level employees, senior executives, institutional shareholders, die-hard consumers, and every other type of stakeholder fleeing, has a moniker in consulting circles. Of course, much of this was sparked by a once-in-a-century pandemic. The C-suite had no choice but to act rapidly, and managers had no choice but to improvise on the spot. No one, not even the most brilliant medical brains, could foresee the speed with which illnesses spread or the emergence of new variations. Despite this, some scientists believe it’s becoming clear that the whiplash witnessed since early 2020 isn’t entirely due to a virus.

The Challange:

The Pandemic is unlikely to put an end to the rash of decisions made by leaders and then reversed a short time later.

Why does it Matter?:

Leaders risk losing their credibility and the trust of their stakeholders with each course correction.

The Way Out:

Slow down the decision-making process and explain why each choice was chosen. Even if it’s only for a short time.

“What’s at stake is the company’s entire reputation, trust in corporate leadership, and, as a result, the brand.”

Indeed, whether in response to a local crisis, a new competition, agitated activist investors, or some other tragedy, CEOs were already being pressured to speed up their decision-making. Senior leaders have ingrained the belief that they must act, even if it contradicts a recent decision. The problem is that such decision-making has already had a negative impact on business operations, staff morale, and leadership credibility. Experts suggest that when the pandemic passes, leaders will have to reassess how they make and communicate their most important decisions.”Waffling” is defined as “changing your mind all the time,” according to Al Pittampalli, author of Persuadable: How Great Leaders Change Their Minds to Change the World.

Some think that in a startup atmosphere, whiplash leadership is important. Leaders must be ready to change plans quickly—sometimes entire business models—or risk missing out on opportunities and running out of cash. These experts argue that this isn’t flip-flopping, but rather great leadership.

“Despite the fact that leadership is a human undertaking, the speed is inhuman.”

Leaders are sometimes forced to reverse a decision. Early in the pandemic, Discover Financial Services leaders pledged to make judgments based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations, according to Todd Podell, Discover’s chief procurement and corporate services officer. However, as the guidelines changed, Discover’s decisions altered as well, even if it meant the company had to shift course.” There were several instances when we thought, ‘Maybe we should go this route or that way,'” says Podell.

“However, if you don’t base your judgments on those north stars, it might be more difficult for employees.” What’s more, plenty of evidence shows that leaders must be willing to change their minds. For instance, according to Korn Ferry research, agility and flexibility are among the most important characteristics leaders must have to succeed now and in the future. It’s how executives make and convey their decisions that could use a review. Experts suggest, however, that there are often ways for executives to avoid whiplash leadership

“I find that when leaders change their ideas too rapidly, it’s not because the world has changed; it’s because they didn’t make the right decisions in the first place,” Pattampalli

When assessing options, leaders must retain an open mind, actively listen to counterarguments, and stress tests their ideas. Leaders must be elevated based on beliefs and purpose, not ego, according to Cashman. According to Andersson’s research, if this form of decision-making is done regularly, it will create credibility among stakeholders. As a result, even if a manager has to reverse an earlier choice, their credibility and image can be preserved.

Cashman argues that admitting that a previous decision was a mistake or explaining why it is no longer relevant might help stakeholders get over their first shock.

Importantly, even in difficult, fast-paced situations, leaders should take their time making decisions. That may seem contradictory, but pausing to think, reflect, ponder, and deliberate before acting might help a leader avoid making a judgement they’ll regret later

“Elite athletes can slow the game down and play quietly, even when everything is on the line,” Cashman says.

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At Auxano Consulting we coach and train you to be a leader who is authentic, inclusive, and aware.

Reach out to us today for your queries to  linnet@auxano-consulting.com

(Research & Sources: https://harveychimoff.com/2015/02/24/whiplash-movie-is-case-study-for-terrible-leaders/;https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-whiplash-effect-lesso_b_6732864; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiplash_(2014_film); https://medium.com/@antoniam/is-whiplash-a-film-about-organisational-culture-e329d35f2fea; https://www.kornferry.com/insights/this-week-in-leadership/welcome-to-whiplash-leadership; https://www.kornferry.com/insights/briefings-magazine/issue52/whiplashleadership;https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgebradt/2015/02/23/the-jk-simmons-whiplash-school-of-leadership-development/?sh=3de9c1ff1d10; https://unknownbuddhist.com/2015/06/01/whiplash-whats-your-leadership-style/;https://medium.com/@antoniam/is-whiplash-a-film-about-organisational-culture-e329d35f2fea)

Research has shown that firms with more women in senior positions are more profitable, more socially responsible, and provide safer, higher-quality customer experiences — among many other benefits

S&P companies led by female CEOs had a 20% higher stock price on average – S&P Global, When Women Lead, Firms Win…

However, when it comes to explaining why having more female executives is associated with better business outcomes, and what specific mechanisms cause those positive changes, existing research is much more limited.

As per HBR, April’21, specifically, there are three distinct trends around shifts in firms’ strategic thinking following the appointment of female executives:

1. Organizations became Low risk-seeking and open to change

A linguistic analysis was conducted shows that the frequency of the terms in firm Communications indicated a propensity for risk-taking decreased by 14%, while the frequency of terms suggesting openness to change increased by 10% after women joined C-suite which indicated that that female executives don’t just offer specific new ideas to the team; their presence actually makes the TMT collectively more open to change and less comfortable with risk-taking. . In other words, these organizations increasingly embraced transformation while seeking to reduce the risks associated with it.

2. More Focus on R&D

When women were appointed to senior positions and firms began to exhibit higher levels of both openness to change and aversion to risk, firms reported an average 1.1% increase in R&D investments — and the average total R&D investment of the companies in our sample was $6,538 million, so a 1.1% increase is substantial. Hence there is a gradual shift from a knowledge-buying strategy focused on M&As — which could be described as a more traditionally masculine, proactive approach — towards a knowledge-building strategy focused on internal R&D, which could be described as a more traditionally feminine, collaborative approach.

3. Better integration of top women executives with the top executes team creates a great impact

Whether she’s the only woman or Whether she’s one of many new appointees, adding female executives to the top management team changed C-suite thinking when the new female executives were part of a smaller cohort of new appointees.

What Impact a Woman in the C-Suite creates for a firm?

• It makes Top Management Teams more focused on balancing innovation with risk mitigation as more women join their ranks

• Research suggests that female executives are likely to care less about tradition and are more open to challenging the status quo than their male counterparts

•  Women executive joining in Top Management team is a direct result of increasing diversity in that team and  Research suggests that having more diverse perspectives to weigh in on key decisions can make a group more open to change, and more likely to see change as feasible

Conclusion: It’s well known that firms with greater gender diversity among senior leadership perform better. The addition of female executives shifts companies’ strategic approach to innovation. After women join the top management team, firms become more open to change and less open to risk, and they tend to shift from an M&A-focused strategy to more investment into internal R&D. In other words, when women join the C-suite, they don’t just bring new perspectives — they actually shift how the C-suite thinks about innovation, ultimately enabling these firms to consider a wider variety of strategies for creating value

(Sources: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/women-and-leadership.htm; https://hbr.org/2020/04/7-leadership-lessons-men-can-learn-from-women; https://www.replicon.com/blog/17-reasons-women-make-great-leaders/;https://www.ddiworld.com/solutions/women-in-leadership; https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace; https://www.tutorialspoint.com/women_in_leadership/women_in_leadership_introduction.htm; https://hbr.org/2021/04/research-adding-women-to-the-c-suite-changes-how-companies-think; https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-promote-women-in-leadership-roles-1918609; https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/more-women-in-leadership-shouldnt-matter-but-it-really-does/;https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-management/;https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/financial-services/women-in-the-c-suite.html; https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:326289/FULLTEXT01.pdf> https://womendeliver.org/womensleadership/;https://www.naturalhr.com/2021/03/23/10-reasons-why-the-world-needs-more-women-in-leadership-roles/)

An organization is only as good as the people it employs; those that want to survive and thrive in 2022 will need to respond to the new power dynamic.

As per Korn Ferry, there are new and increasing pressures on the workforce: remote working, increased collaboration, digital transformation, and more. To stay ahead, most businesses will need to transform their workforce to meet these demands.

However, no single solution fits every company and every situation. The only certainty is that we will need to do different work differently. But we can learn from the lessons learned and take inspiration from those organizations seizing the moment.

Let’s look at some facts (from Korn Ferry research) which have never changed:

The future of work is human..

Many see technology as the key to future success. But new research from the Korn Ferry Institute demonstrates:

• Human capital is 2.33 times more valuable than physical capital globally
• Human capital is valued at $1,215 trillion; physical assets are valued at $521 trillion
• For every $1 invested in people, $11.39 is added to the global economy

(source: https://focus.kornferry.com/report-the-future-of-work-is-human/)

Why In a WFH culture the excitement and enthusiasm for talent management turn to apathy?

organizations and leaders, with great positive intent, end up going through the motions of a process that delivers little in terms of results or fulfillment. In search of a solution, companies tweak what is already flawed and outdated and force it on the employees, who go through lots of challenges working from home, and for most of them is not a treat

So, What should Talent Management Function do?

Well, there are many ways to Dash Apathy and create a performance-based culture as below:

• Lead by Example. One should never underestimate the power that a manager or leader has to lead. If you’re in charge, leading by example is an important aspect of inspiring people to reach new goals while working virtually
• Foster a healthy work-life balance. Fostering a healthy work-life balance can yield happier and more productive employees. You can accomplish this important task by providing workers with personal time and encouraging them to use it
• Learning Opportunities. It’s important for companies to inspire workers to learn new skills. Providing the right environment for learning can inspire employees to abandon stagnation in favor of growth and discovery
• Do not focus on the number of hrs. Disrupting talent management means rethinking the fundamental purpose of HR and talent functions through the lens of business and workforce value. So, focus on deliverables’ not the login hours
• Employees Personal Health & Safety There’s always been a social contract between employer and employee, but COVID put the focus in new and unexpected ways on our most basic rights i.e. personal health and safety. As the personal and professional become more intertwined than ever, organizations can engage and motivate their people by creating experiences that connect individuals to

Conclusion: No company has truly figured out how to completely empathize and foster an environment that creates a culture of performance and loyalty both. However, it is certain that yesterday’s talent practices won’t hold up in today’s dynamic business environment It is only possible when companies adopt a more person-centric approach to drive their talent and business strategies, they will drive better results. And by putting individual purpose at the heart of the talent process, organizations will gain the competitive advantage needed to succeed in the new economy

An Accurate assessment improves your sales and marketing performance towards accelerating growth

How much time in the last week, month, or year, have you used to strategically view the overall health of your organization?

When is the last time you took a deep dive into the data, analyzed the metrics, and evaluated your long-term goals for success?

How long do you work in a week managing salespeople and client issues?

The answers to these questions above help you decide if the Sales Diagnostic is right for your organization.

However, Companies have difficulty objectively assessing the capabilities and performance of their marketing and sales organization to determine areas in which the function is falling behind.

And often, they are not able to answer these questions

Which value levers to pull?

 How to measure impact? and

How to sustain the change over time?

Sales Growth Diagnostics solutions help companies accurately assess and improve their sales and marketing performance, concentrating their efforts on the areas that drive the fastest growth.

It goes, beyond the sales department to look at the whole company. Sales-driven organizations need every department working in the same direction, and when issues arise outside the sales team, diagnostics can identify hard-to-find issues and correct them.

It helps organization to see the big picture, measure current strategies, and evaluate new opportunities after looking at the operations from all sides so Sales Heads can identify bottlenecks and keep revenue climbing.

Companies need accurate data on best practices and top performers to benchmark their sales and marketing performance, both internally and externally, and identify areas for improvement.

STEP 1 is to identify the gaps and opportunities for commercial improvement

STEP 2 is to create a comprehensive solution that identifies high-priority improvement areas, embeds performance measures into business processes, and helps determine the capabilities needed for sustainable competitive advantage.

Diagnostics require more than just a casual review, however. To execute effective diagnostics, teams must understand what they want to accomplish and the established best practices to do so.

The Key Elements of an Effective Sales Diagnostics:

• THE NUMBERS LOGIC :

Revenue Goals by territory, right categories or industries, Average order size, Key Account Level

• YOUR BUSINESS PROCES :

Your Performance review process, Sales Structure, Job Roles, Ideal Prospect Profile, Decision-Making Process, Valid Business Reasons, Sales Process, Key Sales Collateral

• YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE PRICING:

Standard pricing, Negotiating elements, discounting stage

• YOUR PERFORMANCE METRICS :

Performance Measures, Lead Indicators, Lag Indicators, Compensation Plans

• THE BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY :

Core Values, Mission, Visison,Problems You Solve, Common Objections, Reason for Being, Elevator Speech, Top competitors & how you compare

• YOUR SERVICE CAPABILITY:

Service team, On boarding a new client etc.

Once you follow these, the critical part is “KEEPING IS ACTIONALBLE” everyday

Sales Diagnostics like this creates an efficiency and effectiveness in the sales process which separates good sales teams from great ones.

Diagnostics help the CXOs to identify issues and make corrections, ensuring the sales department makes the most of its opportunities and keeps driving revenue.

Contact us (info@auxano-consulting.com, +91 9820668179) to learn more about the Sales Diagnostic and how we can transform your sales and marketing performance and give it an accelerate growth!!