Posts by Gena Cox
People and talent analytics + financial and operational metrics: A complete picture to power enterprise performance
Many people use the terms “people analytics” and “talent analytics” interchangeably, but they mean slightly different things. People analytics focuses on workforce metrics (e.g., work schedules, productivity, attrition, sales). In comparison, “talent analytics” is more about employees’ experiences moving through an organization’s talent processes (e.g., recruiting metrics, employee engagement, career development, career mobility, etc.). Either…
Read MoreI regularly get asked these two questions about DEI leadership. Here’s what I say in response
“How important is it for business leaders to take action to address racial justice and equity issues? Do you think businesses have gone far enough to address these issues? Why or why not?” “What advice do you have for business leaders about whether and how they should address racial justice and equity issues?” The answers…
Read MoreToxic people make workplaces toxic!
A toxic work culture is dangerous for companies and for employees. The first consequence is that leaders drive with blinders on: They lose transparency about what is happening in the business and only get to hear what their lieutenants deem “worthy.” So they miss a lot of critical intelligence that should inform their decision-making. Sometimes…
Read More5 Strategies to Infuse D&I into Your Organization
There’s widespread agreement on the need to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace. But it’s not easy to deliver on the promises made. It’s time to adopt a more systematic, coherent approach to D&I. The authors offer five strategies for making more progress and creating a more representative, fair, and high-performing workforce. First, ensure the CEO positions themselves as the top champion for D&I efforts. Second, center D&I in your business strategy. Third, hold executive leaders accountable for D&I outcomes. Fourth, mitigate implicit bias at the systemic level. Finally, pivot from diversity training to leadership development coaching. (Excerpt written by Harvard Business Review)
Read MoreI am an LGBTQIA Ally.
Today’s news headlines have revealed a fierce backlash against LGBTQIA folk. Each time they move one step forward, there is a vicious effort to push them two steps back. A great LGBTQIA ally nowadays needs to be up-to-date on the national news. The forces against those who identify as LGBTQIA continue to marshal political power…
Read MoreIs your workplace inclusive? Ask these 10 questions to find out.
The 10 questions below can function like a “reality check” to help you accurately assess employee experience in your organization.
Read More“Burnout” is real; managers can nip it in the bud!
What is employee burnout? According to research from Maslach and others, “burnout is “a state of exhaustion in which one is cynical about the value of one’s occupation and doubtful of one’s capacity to perform.” When a person is experiencing burnout, she feels an additional emotional burden, over and above other emotional burdens one might…
Read MoreProfit and Common Good: The new CEO workforce diversity focus
For a long time, business leaders have known that workforce diversity positively affects many outcomes they value, including profits and innovation and decision-making. Nevertheless, that “business case for diversity” has not been sufficient to cause a rush to demographic diversification in corporations. Despite its current omnipresence in the media, workplace diversity is not treated as…
Read MoreThe Business Case for Diversity Does Not Work: Here’s Why
Business leaders often ask, “what is the business case for workplace diversity?” But, is that the right question to ask when discussing the human experience in the workplace? The business case model works well when making mundane decisions like “should we upgrade the computer monitors?” But, this approach seems uncaring when used as a primary…
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