Insight Memberships
Insight is a 12-month, membership-based program designed to support original research on important issues related to the challenges organizations face today, while working closely with you to disseminate and apply new ideas within your organization. This unique program leverages a cost-effective research consortium with personalized delivery from some of the world’s premiere thought leaders and executive advisors.
We have an exciting and practical research agenda planned for this year, continuing our ground-breaking work on the influence of new technology and shifting workforce values on the changing organization – with a strong focus on the practical steps you can take to help your organization respond and prepare.
Our major research projects for 2013 tackle the issues facing business from three perspectives: the organization, the management practices, and the workforce itself. We help you challenge century-old assumptions about design, talent, and the relationship between workers and corporations – and offer practical suggestions for moving ahead.
21st Century Organization
- Can Radical Transparency Work for Your Organization? – Over the past year we’ve been looking at various organizational assumptions that drive internal business processes. We’ve looked at what’s changed and what’s still relevant. In this research project we will explore the idea of “radical transparency.” Is organizational secrecy dead? In what ways can transparency drive organizational performance? How will radical transparency change the role of the leader in your organization? What new competencies will leaders need? How do you prepare the organization to become more transparent?
- The Impact of Mobility on the Organization and the Way We Work – Over the last two years, our research has explored a number of issues associated with the growth of mobile technology, including the impact on technology architecture, employee engagement and customer interactions. This year, our research will pull the perspectives together to create a vision for the shape of the organization, the design of key processes, and the role of leadership. What expectations will employees have for technology inside the organization? How should corporations use mobile within the corporation? What’s on the horizon that organizations need to monitor? And where should you begin to make the changes that will position you for tomorrow’s technology-enhanced work environment?
- Cracking the Culture Barrier – Do you feel your organization’s culture is suffering? Our research reveals that many companies are frustrated with the challenge of translating the findings of today’s numerous internal surveys into practical change to strengthen the work environment. How do you create a great environment for employees in the “new normal?” How do you make sure your organization is a great place to work?
Talent Management for Tomorrow
- Managing the “In and Out” Process – A new report by DDI reveals that most new employees hired in 2012 are already disillusioned about their jobs. Of those surveyed, 51% said they already have “buyer’s remorse.” And a Right Management survey from November 2012 showed that only 5% of the employees surveyed intend to stay in their current jobs in the next year. Employees are most vulnerable during the first three to six months in a new job, so what can organizations do to negate any new employee “buyer’s remorse?” In what ways are organizations effectively engaging employees from the start? What on-boarding techniques can you leverage to accelerate productivity? And if valued employees leave, in what ways can the organization effectively manage the “off-boarding” process in order to retain critical knowledge or re-recruit them at a later time? What are innovative organizations doing to manage the “in’s and out’s?”
- Taking Wellness in a New Direction – A recent MetLife report shared, “chronic disease and lifestyle-related health issues are on the rise globally, raising potentially disruptive implications for workforce planning and development. In order to plan for sustainable workforces, employers are now compelled to refine business strategies with employee well-being in mind.” Moreover, mental health issues and employee stress are an increasing reality, particularly among younger employees. The American Psychological Association and Harris Interactive recently found that individuals between the ages of 18 to 33 reported stress levels significantly above those considered healthy. In this research we’ll explore how companies motivated by a genuine desire to positively impact their employee’s well-being as well as driven by business goals are creating “cultures of health.” What is a “culture of health” and in what ways are employers changing their approach to wellness? How can these innovative programs influence employee productivity, engagement and retention?
Changing Workforce – Managing a Diverse Workforce
- What If No One Wants to Lead? – A recent World of Work report revealed that a growing number of organizations find themselves with a declining pool of trained managers. In the survey, 49% of workers reported that they want nothing to do with climbing the corporate ladder to management. To retain the talent they have and head off a potential shortage of future talent, organizations need to re-think how they define and develop managers. What’s behind the lack of interest in managerial roles? In what ways are organizations re-building their managerial pipelines? What innovative approaches can your organization leverage when “no one wants to lead?”
- Building and Supporting Ethnic Diversity – A truly great place to work attracts a broad base of talent – but how do you help people from a wide variety of backgrounds create a critical sense of community? This research will challenge you to take a fresh look at core practices – from the interviewing process to feedback, from expectations for social networks to views on tenure. Discover new approaches to supporting a diverse workforce.
- The Implications of the Re-Generation – This year we will continue to drill down on the implications of our research on Re-Gen’s as they now formally enter the workforce. How will their significantly different mental models and habits influence their behavior both as consumers and employees? How do they use technology, particularly mobile? How will today’s changing educational patterns and practices influence their expectations of the workforce? With crowdsourcing as a core behavior, how are they likely to influence a new work environment? What are the key requirements for attracting and engaging this new cohort?
