The following is an excerpt from a UNC Executive Development white paper written by Program Director Donna Rhode. Mark Dollins, a partner at the research firm Future Workplace, forecasts that the 2020 workplace will be multigenerational, increasingly global and highly interconnected with social media. These trends will profoundly affect how learning and development (L&D) is delivered in organizations. To remain competitive, employers must think strategically, anticipate their organizations’ future talent needs, and design and deliver L&D opportunities in ways that will satisfy their employees’ desire for flexibility while still delivering quality programs cost effectively. New technologies like computer-supported collaborative learning, mobile learning and informal learning through social media will be incorporated into organizations’ L&D platforms and strategies. Business leaders should plan Read More
Category Archives: Management
Bloomberg chair and alum Grauer on keys to effective leadership
For Peter Grauer (AB ’68), chairman of Bloomberg LP parent company Bloomberg Inc., strong leadership revolves around duality. The most effective leaders at the media and technology giant share the ability to combine apparently contradictory attributes, what Grauer described as the “and factor” during a recent talk at UNC Kenan-Flagler. Its most effective leaders, he noted, can inspire people to follow them with their strategic vision, but then also dig in at the tactical level. They often are noted for giving strong direction, while also being open to challenges. They empower employees by trusting them to work independently, but can be equally hands-on with the situation requires it. “For me it has always been critical to start with the most Read More
Industry insider interview: How to build talent faster than the competition
Listen to UNC Executive Development’s podcast interview of Corey Seitz or read the interview below. Seitz is President of Seitz Talent Consulting, LLC, is a recognized leader in global talent management. A trusted advisor and coach to executives, he specializes in aligning the growth of individuals and organizations. Corey brings extensive experience at Fortune 500 corporations having served as the Global Head of Talent Management for Switzerland-based Novartis International, Johnson and Johnson and EMC. Patrick Cahill: How can companies build talent faster and better than the competition? Corey Seitz: Well Patrick, thanks for spending some time with me today. I am excited about the opportunity to share a little bit of my knowledge with you and others on talent management. Read More
How to build talent faster and better than the competition
Listen to UNC Executive Development’s podcast interview of Jim Shanley or read the interview below. Shanley, partner of The Shanley Group and one of the most recognized global talent Management Practitioners, had a 20 year career with Bank of America where he led a team of over 1,500 professionals. Under Jim’s leadership, Bank of America earned a reputation as a benchmark company for their leadership development and talent management programs and processes. Many of Jim’s former teammates are now chief talent officers in large global companies. Patrick Cahill: Alright let’s jump into the first question here, Jim. How can companies build talent faster and better than the competition? Jim Shanley: Great! Thanks for having me. I have been looking forward Read More
The New Business Imperative: Recruiting and Retaining Women in the Workplace
The following is a guest blog post from Mindy Storrie, director of leadership development at UNC Kenan-Flagler. Women comprise 61 percent of today’s labor force, are attaining college-level degrees at a faster rate than men, and are the world’s largest group in terms of purchasing decisions comprising between 80 and 85 percent of the U.S. consumer market. They are a powerful economic force, yet real and perceived gaps persist between men and women in the workforce in terms of pay, career path, and leadership development. Companies that foster the development of female leaders reap the rewards. One study found that employers who lead in breaking the glass ceiling tend to have share prices that outperform their competitors. Another study found Read More
Maximizing Millennials in the Workplace
Editor’s note. This is an executive summary from the Maximizing Millenials in the Workplace white paper from UNC Executive Development. They are known as Millennials, Gen Y, Gen Next, Echo Boomers, the Baby-on-Board Generation, Screenagers, Facebookers and the MySpace Generation, to name just a few. They are the nearly 80 million young adults born between 1976 and 2001 who have already joined or are preparing to join the workforce. By 2014, 36 percent of the U.S. workforce will be comprised of this generation and by 2020, nearly half (46 percent) of all U.S. workers will be Millennials. The sheer number of Millennials combined with the increasing retirement of Baby Boomers means that employers will be facing leadership gaps and they Read More
How to influence others and sell your ideas
(Editor’s Note: In today’s post, UNC Kenan-Flagler professor Dave Roberts shares his insight on identifying influence in the workplace and pushing forward new ideas with those who matter.) Ditch the formal org chart and find the real influencers in your own company so that you can successfully sell your ideas If you have a great idea but you can’t persuade and influence the right people about its merits, your idea is very likely to languish. Knowing how to sell your ideas can help you persuade others at your company to implement initiatives that you create, or better guarantee a successful outcome with an external customer. You can take several concrete steps to improve your skills of persuasion and communicate in Read More
Flying lessons: Action-based learning at UNC Kenan-Flagler
Students may not have the clout of a business owner, but sometimes that can be an advantage. A North Carolina sawmill asked Lily Nguyen (MBA ’09) and her UNC Kenan-Flagler STAR (Student Teams Achieving Results) Global consulting team to make connections to sell lumber directly to lumber vendors in China. The students reached out to lumber associations and furniture manufacturers in China and set up in-person meetings. They asked questions and got answers, which they brought back to their client, along with business cards of every contact, photos of the operations and a PowerPoint of all they had learned, including a plan for what to do next. “We weren’t afraid to ask questions,” Nguyen said. “The businesspeople we met in Read More
Being the strong, silent type: Surprising insights into the strengths of introverts
While the press and recent research have popularized the idea that the most effective leaders are assertive extraverts like Virgin’s Richard Branson and Oracle Corp.’s Larry Ellison, new UNC Kenan-Flagler research finds that this is not always true. In a study that may be a boon for those who tend to be a little less extraverted, David Hofmann, Hugh L. McColl Scholar in Leadership and area chair of organizational behavior, found that certain types of groups perform better working for less extraverted leaders. Hofmann’s work found that employees who are very proactive and who take steps to improve work processes and practices perform better when working for leaders who were less extraverted. On the other hand, more passive Read More
How to grow the bottom line by building trust in your company
The following is an executive summary of a white paper by Chris Hitch, program director at UNC Executive Development. Leadership and organizational studies pioneer Warren Bennis once said that “trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work.” Organizations with high levels of trust have more productive workforces, better employee morale and lower employee turnover. They also perform better financially than their industry peers. Dr. Duane C. Tway, Jr. offered an excellent definition of trust as “the state of readiness for unguarded interaction with someone or something.” Warren Buffet put it another way. “Trust,” said Buffet “is like the air we breathe. When it’s present, nobody really notices. But when it’s absent, everybody notices.” We know Read More