Not only was Oscar de la Renta a progressive fashion designer, he was also an insightful leader who recognized the importance of creating a succession plan.  Too many creatives allow their egos and sense of self worth stand in the way of creating an organization that can carry on in their absence.  Oscar de la Renta was unique in this regard.  We can all learn a lesson about just how fashionable succession planning can be from Oscar.

A paradox exists in most large companies.  The larger the organization the more risk averse it becomes.  This makes little sense, but it is commonplace.

5 interview questions regarding generational diversity that were posed to Brian Formato, CEO of Groove Management.

Workplace culture is like a living organism constantly evolving. The introduction of a new employee or the departure of an employee can change the dynamic of an office culture. Too often the leadership of companies overlooks the importance of culture to organizational performance. Work styles and personal preferences have been studied for ages. 

By providing a daily visual, the leaders could see that they were being measured against their colleagues.  This graphical view of response rates translated into a 97% response rate for one business unit and helped push the enterprise response rate over 90%.  

A new approach to talent management.  Forwardfill.

An interview with Brian Formato from Groove Management about the changing requirements for success in the Human Resources field.

According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary Deadline is defined as “a date or time before which something must be done”.  While this is the dictionary definition, our company culture has made a slight but important edit to the interpretation of the definition.  We have swapped the word “by” for “before”. 

Keeping employees informed will go a long way towards keeping them engaged. Too much silence leads to rumor and speculation. Better to be transparent and tell it like it is, just keep the message focused on the positive and the future. Your employees will reward you by working harder and getting your organization through these tough times if you keep them focused on creating a brighter future.

With the hunter now the hunted, it is time to adopt a new strategy for success in the digital age.  Those that embrace the opportunities will flourish and the companies that drag their feet and stay married to their traditional sales channels will pay the price in the long run.  This is an exciting time for both new and old companies; most importantly it is a great time to be a consumer because the access to products, services and data has never been so great.  Be digital or be gone!