Case study on the staff engagement scheme.

http://www.nhsemployers.org/case-studies-and-resources/2015/04/leeds-teaching-hospitals-nhs-trust-the-leeds-way

The strategy leader of McKinsey Digital discusses the strategic implications of digital disruptions.

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/how_digital_is_changing_strategy

One of the most powerful forms of influence, according to psychologist Robert Cialdini’s famous analysis, is authority — often derived from perceived expertise. When a doctor advises us to exercise more, or a Nobel Laureate raises questions about a certain economic policy, we’re likely to pay much more attention than if a random person offered the same counsel. In our professional lives, this principle can be a boon: if you have a Ph.D. in a subject, or have worked in the industry for 20 years, or are seen to be an expert because you write for a certain publication, you have an increased ability to influence others.

But what if you don’t have those credentials?

https://hbr.org/2015/05/get-people-to-listen-to-you-when-youre-not-seen-as-an-expert

If you read what Peter Drucker had to say about competition back in the late ’50s and early ‘60s, he really only talked about one thing: competition on price. He was hardly alone — that was evidently how most economists thought about competition, too.

It was this received opinion Michael Porter was questioning when, in 1979, he mapped out four additional competitive forces in “How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy.” “Price competition can’t be all there is to it,” he explained to me, when during the course of updating that seminal piece in 2008, I asked him about the origins of the five forces model.

https://hbr.org/2015/05/what-is-strategy-again

Practicing empathy can be difficult, because you have to step outside your comfort zone to understand someone else’s point of view. But it’s essential to exercising influence.

It’s how method actors move us to feel, think, or act differently — they deeply immerse themselves in their characters, trying on new ways of being and behaving. Sometimes their identity experiments are even part of the story line, as in Being John Malkovich, Avatar, and Tootsie.

https://hbr.org/2015/05/to-win-people-over-speak-to-their-wants-and-needs

Symbols tell us what’s really important in an organization. One leader I knew dictated a spending freeze in every fourth quarter in order to make the numbers, but continued to fly around in the company jet – often for personal reasons. This sent a very strong symbol to his employees that executive privilege trumped delivering on financial commitments. Not surprisingly, this organization continually struggled to hit its numbers and the CEO was eventually fired.

In a contrasting example, the 6 foot 7 inch CEO of a multinational IT company sent a very different symbol to employees when he chose to fly economy on a budget airline.  Not only did this CEO sacrifice his own comfort for the benefit of the organisation, he also sent a very clear message that he was on the journey with his employees.

http://www.peterfuda.com/2015/05/14/leveraging-the-power-of-symbols-to-encourage-positive-change/

Have you ever had a problem that refused to go away? No matter what you did, sooner or later it would return, perhaps in another form.

Stubborn and recurrent problems are often symptoms of deeper issues. A “quick fix” may seem convenient, but it’s really just a temporary solution and it may solve only part of the problem.

To solve it properly, you need to drill down through the symptoms to the underlying cause. This article looks at Sakichi Toyoda’s 5 Whys technique – a simple but powerful tool for quickly uncovering the root of a problem, so that you can deal with it once and for all.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_5W.htm

Successful leaders understand that if their organization is to grow in the long term, they can’t stick with a “business as usual” mindset, even when things are going well. They need to find new ways to increase profits and reach new customers.

There are numerous options available, such as developing new products or opening up new markets, but how do you know which one will work best for your organization?

This is where you can use an approach like the Ansoff Matrix to think about the potential risks of each option, and to help you devise the most suitable plan for your situation.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_90.htm

When we think of caregiving, we might picture mothers and their young children, but that’s quite a narrow view.

Today’s workers are turning into the “Sandwich Generation” because they are caught in the middle, caring for the needs of both their elders and their children or grandchildren. Women and almost as many men are juggling the ride to school for Junior with the hospital appointment for Mom and the project for the boss.

In this article, you’ll learn why it’s important to consider the needs of the caregivers on your team, and how their multiple roles might impact their and their co-workers’ work, both positively and negatively. We’ll also give you some practical tips for making your workplace more inclusive and productive.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/managing-caregivers.htm

Article discussing ways to cope with networking when you are uncomfortable meeting new people.

https://hbr.org/2015/05/networking-when-you-hate-talking-to-strangers&cm_sp=Article-_-Links-_-Top%20of%20Page%20Recirculation