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Rita McGrath

Author. Speaker. Consultant.

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May 6, 2024

Thought Sparks Wrap Up — April 2024

Is 2024 going to be remembered as the year CHRO’s got a seat at the table? 

In the way that things seem to work post-pandemic, it’s wild to remember that just a month ago the “totality” eclipse captured our imaginations and the Columbia campus was occupied by nothing more threatening than sky watchers (with the astronomy department glorying in the moment by handing out free eclipse observation classes). How things can change in such a short period of time.   

Idea exchange was a big theme in April and now coming into May. I went to New Haven, to visit colleagues for a Purpose and Values Academic Camp to grapple with the meaning of purpose to the modern corporation. While some speakers gave it a lot of credit as a galvanizing force that gives meaning to work, others questioned whether it was just another corporate ploy to get people engaged without fair compensation. Corporate visits included a keynote at Citi and a day with people running major energy companies in New Zealand. Then, we had the Think Bigger Innovation Summit featuring Board members, faculty and innovators talking about the big, and interconnected, issues that are having an impact on company’s innovation agendas.   

And though it was technically held in May, one of the highest impact days for me was the “Human Future of Work” conference that I co-chaired with my colleague Hitendra Wadhwa under the sponsorship of Emeritus, our education partners. The event gathered over 50 CHRO’s from major companies, each of whom expressed a commitment to figuring out how work in the future will become more, not less, human and how the people doing the work can fulfill their potential. I am very hopeful, as a recent Fortune article observes, that the senior-most leaders entrusted with the valuable asset that is the workforce are finally taking the role of power players among their “C” suite colleagues.

 

 

Events – In Case You Missed It 

The Think Bigger Innovation and Technology Summit at Columbia Business School brought together academics, nonprofit leaders, journalists, bureaucrats, and executives. To give you a sense of their cumulative expertise, here are just a few of the topics that were on the agenda: the future of broadcast journalism, how generative AI can streamline decision-making, and multidisciplinary approaches to heart disease prevention. 

My Friday Fireside Chats this month featured fascinating guests. I sat down with Steve Wunker, author of “The Innovative Leader” and discussed the “easy come, easy go” nature of some innovation efforts.  Barron Witherspoon, author of “The Black Exec: and the 7 Myths”, and I talked about the value of historically black colleges and universities. 

 

 

Ideas – Thought Sparks 

Introducing Valize’s new software, SparcHub Sage – 8 years since Valize’s founding, and 4 generations of software later, we’re proud to present a new way to manage your innovation efforts, that creates transparency, tracks your learning and gives you an easy way to implement the proven principles of discovery driven growth.  

“Purpose” is having its moment in the sun, with companies leaning into their purpose when going through a transition, and purpose presented as a possible antidote to shareholder-centric capitalism. More reflections from the Yale School of Management’s Purpose and Values Academic Camp. 

Internet advertising is staring down the barrel of an inflection point: with $740.3 billion projected to be spent on digital advertising in 2024, while imprecise micro-targeting and pervasive ad blockers bring the entire premise of Internet advertising into question. 

Welcome to the dead Internet, where bots are stuck talking to each other in endless loops, the user experience is getting progressively worse, and paywalls are blocking more and more valuable information.  

Press – In the News 

We talked “Disruptive Innovation” on the HBR Strategy podcast, including what my friend Clay Christensen meant when he first introduced the term 30 years ago, and how that meaning has evolved today.  

The 2015 Kraft Heinz merger had all the trappings to be a huge success — two iconic companies with widespread brand recognition? What could go wrong? Turns out, a great deal. I sat down with CNBC to walk through 3G Capital’s missteps.  

Snow melts from the edges, which is why you need to position yourself to heed warnings from the edges of your organization: this and other observations from my spot on the World’s Greatest Business Thinkers Podcast.  

“The Entrepreneurial Mindset”, which I coauthored with Ian MacMillan 24 years ago, still rings true. Aiden McCullen and I discussed the continued cyclicality of corporate innovation efforts, with demands for near-instant ROI and slashed budgets.  

 

Tools – Tool of the Month: SparcHub Sage 

Last week at Valize, we launched our new software, SparcHub Sage! It helps teams and individuals you keep track of ideas, manage your opportunity portfolio, and capture what your team is learning — all on one unified platform, all based on the principles of discovery driven growth.  

This has been years in the making, and we’ve loved hearing feedback from our first users. If you’re interested, please be in touch with our team!  

 

Upcoming Events 

On May 8, tune into a live webinar about the Impact Network, the newest venture from Ron Boire and myself. We’ve heard from executives all over that they need development, support, camaraderie, and feedback, and the Impact Network is a peer-to-peer support network designed to fill those gaps. Join us at 10 am EST or 7 pm EST on May 8 to learn more! 

On May 14, I’ll be recognized as one of the Innovate 100 by Innovate New Jersey. I’m very honored by this accolade and encourage you to join in for a night of celebration and community! 

From June 10-14, I will be teaching my Columbia Executive Education course, Leading Strategic Growth and Change. If you’re looking to drive strategic change in your organization, even amid our world’s seemingly permanent state of uncertainty, then this is the course for you. Be sure to reserve your place in the conversation! 

Filed Under: Articles, Business Start Ups / Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy, Innovation, Insights and ideas, Leadership, Seeing Around Corners, Thought Sparks

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