The grand experiment The Covid pandemic triggered a spontaneous and global management experiment to explore the management implications of operating a largely remote workforce. How would it impact productivity? How would managers cope with not being able to hover over their subordinates? What’s in it for me? During the pandemic a new generation of people entered the workplace. They had never known what it was like to commute, be nice to people they didn’t necessarily like or

Are you sitting comfortably? Imagine a world where giraffes are known for their ability to create start-ups. They love the buzz, and their height allows them to spot trends before others. Deep down they fantasise about one day becoming a unicorn. However, their entrepreneurial energy becomes a little counterproductive as the organisation starts to mature. Elephants on the other hand are great at process thanks to their great memories, often making excellent accountants. It ma

The problem CxOs have always been told that strategy is the key to success—that a well-thought-out plan underpins organisational success. But what happens when the future refuses to be predictable? A 5-year plan becomes obsolete in 6 months. A single disruption (AI, regulation, geopolitical shift) derails an entire roadmap. The pace of change is faster than your ability to adjust. 📉 The result? Leaders get caught in decision paralysis—afraid to commit, but equally afraid to

The problem Most talent management systems are built for a stable world—linear career paths, rigid roles, and annual performance reviews. But we no longer live in that world. High performers are disengaging. Quiet quitting is rising. The ' Great Resignation ' was just a warm-up act. The real problem? Organisations are still managing their talent like inventory, rather than as dynamic, intelligent team players. ⚠ If your talent model can’t adapt in real-time, neither can your

Order order The industrial era organisational approach, ie Taylorism, is an approach that many if not all organisational leaders are looking to emulate. The modern business classic,   E-Myth Enterprise book   by Michael E. Gerber encourages readers to work on their business and not in it. Build a sausage machine and simply work out how to turn the handle faster and with less effort. The underlying assumption is that you can ‘process-ise’ people such that they operate like a w

AiRMs race Here’s a quick acid-test to establish whether your AI investment to date is likely to yield value for your ecosystem: Do you have a Chief Information Officer in your leadership team? Does your CIO focus mainly on eliciting value from data or just on technology management? The answer to both needs to be ‘yes.’ Many organisations do not have a CIO in the top team, and even where they do, the CIO is often focused on tech matters. This is a problem. Firstly technology

Out of office? Imagine a world where your ‘digital self’ clocks on for work. At that exact moment you head out to hike a trail, master a...

If you have read this far, congratulations! To explore a piece with such an abstract title suggests that you score high on curiosity, an...

Careers are a social construct. They were created for the convenience of the organisation. Over time they became useful to both sectors...

When you spend your time focusing on your career there is a risk that you are not picking up on the signals that indicate that the very...

The rise of AI and automation is reshaping the world of work at a pace few of us expected. For many, this brings excitement and...

Moral or intelligent? is a post written by Ade McCormack.

The calculators are coming The dominant narrative around AI in the workplace often boils down to a gladiatorial match: humans on one...

Balancing act - The traditional concept of work-life balance, where work and personal life exist in separate domains, is increasingly...

Same as it never was There was a time when employment meant a clear, structured career path within a single organisation. Japan and South...

Which path are you taking? Five ways to engage with disruption is the title of my recent LinkedIn newsletter. The newsletter has a...

Who’s calling the shots? In a perfect world, one where classical economic theory applies, there would always be an even balance between...

Learn then earn Reality and the notion of a career are at war. It appears that reality is winning. The learn – work – retire model is...

Introduction Today is a cause for celebration. As a result of the exponential advancements in technology, today we are witnessing the swiftest rate of growth ever recorded. But on the other hand, it is the slowest day we will witness again. Businesses and governments cannot keep up with how technology, and topically AI, will likely transform the nature of work and society. Keep in mind that technology is only one of several macroenvironmental forces that are both compounding