Haunted by transformations past: 5 ways leaders can finally move on
Every organization has its ghosts. Instead of rattling chains or slamming doors, they lurk in quiet conference rooms, outdated systems and the collective side-eye that greets the phrase, “It’s time for a new transformation!” Such are the remnants of efforts that have overreached, underdelivered or simply wore people out. At IA, we often meet leaders gearing up for yet […]
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The power of intentionality
FROM MARK IA few days ago, I found myself in a familiar spot. As I crawled through the school pickup line (which, incidentally, is an unsanctioned Olympic sport), I rapidly muted and unmuted my phone during a leadership call, factually half-present in both places and fully grounded in neither. Barely avoiding a slow-motion accident due […]
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What if HR Tech wasn’t about tech at all?
FROM MARK In the days that have passed since the HR Technology Conference, I find myself reflecting on both the progress our industry has made and the challenges that perpetually remain. The show itself is always equal parts energizing and exhausting, but this year felt especially meaningful. Being back in the mix, sharing ideas on […]
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A sense of self in a time of uncertainty
FROM MARK Early in IA’s journey, I said yes to virtually any project that came our way, regardless of fit. And although I can try to retroactively justify the “why,” the reality was that fear played a disproportionate role in my early decision making. As many of you may be experiencing (out of necessity or […]
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Graduation in the Era of a 60-Year Work Life
FROM MARK There’s nothing quite like graduation season. Caps and gowns are out again. Pomp and Circumstance is playing across campuses nationwide. Proud parents are booking hotels and restaurants. But behind the smiles and celebrations, this year’s college graduates are facing some seriously tough realities, one of which is the startling realization that many will […]
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Knowing when to pull the plug on work
FROM MARK As we close out Q1 and look ahead to the rest of the year, I’ve been thinking a lot about a simple but powerful four-letter word: STOP. In our always-on, hyper-productive work culture, we’re conditioned to view stopping as failure. We celebrate the starters, the doers, the multitaskers who juggle seventeen priorities while somehow […]
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AI’s reckoning: confronting job loss in the Age of Intelligence
For all the excitement surrounding artificial intelligence – be it the streamlining, the scaling, the automation of everything from expense reports to entire supply chains – there’s a harsher truth that too many companies are sidestepping. AI is eliminating jobs. Not theoretically. Not someday. Now. The euphemisms such as “reallocation,” “upskilling” and “workforce optimization” have served […]
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Sick of the word ‘pivot’ yet? Why constant change is HR’s new normal
Let’s be honest: If we hear the word “pivot” one more time, we might collectively scream into the nearest ergonomic pillow. What started as a heroic badge of adaptability in 2020 has become a permanent fixture in every strategy slide, all-hands meeting and press release. Welcome to 2025: the year of the endless pivot. The economy? […]
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Your Needs, Our Evolution
FROM MARK Following last month’s IA retreat in the California desert, we cleared the sand from our eyes (and elsewhere) to focus on our 20th year of large-scale transformation. Having guided organizations through some of their most complex initiatives, we have been very intentional about not overstaying our welcome, instead focusing intently on knowledge transfer and […]
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4 steps to achieving transformative change in turbulent times
If you’re a senior leader, we fully acknowledge how difficult it is to do your job right now. You are navigating through extreme and unprecedented volatility and disruption. Shifting consumer behaviors, rapid technology changes, intense competition, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions have sadly become the new normal. The pace of change has only accelerated, with new […]
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