People Strategy Playbook

Timely insights and actionable people strategies for growth equity firms and the leaders of their portfolio companies.

 
 
Howard Cleveland Howard Cleveland

Navigating the Leadership Maze: Tips for Struggling Middle Managers

We Over the past two years, I have seen a dramatic rise in the number of middle managers seeking coaching because they are overwhelmed and uncertain of how to effectively manage their teams. They are putting pressure on themselves, but they are also feeling dissatisfaction from their team and their senior leaders.

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Howard Cleveland Howard Cleveland

Lost in Translation: A Leadership Communication Conundrum

We all remember that old game of “Telephone” or “Pass It Down.” You whisper a phrase to the person next to you, they pass it on, and by the time it reaches the end of the line, “Three Blind Mice” has transformed into “Freeze, Pine, Rice.” The changes are amusing. Now imagine playing that game with your team’s goals and objectives. It’s not nearly as amusing, and could cost you both significant time and money.

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Meg Crosby Meg Crosby

Sharpen Focus: OKRs vs. EOS

As companies grow and scale, injecting accountability structures into the culture becomes critical. As Peter Drucker famously said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Currently, two of the most popular goal setting frameworks are John Doerr’s Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) method and Gino Wickman’s Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).

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Meg Crosby Meg Crosby

What’s the Status of Remote Work in 2023?

One of the hot topics of 2023 in boardrooms and around leadership tables continues to be remote work. The pandemic is over, but companies are still struggling to attract their talent back to the office full time. I am often asked about the state of remote work and when this trend will end. (Spoiler alert: it will not.)

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Howard Cleveland Howard Cleveland

Why Do So Many Leadership Development Programs Not Get Results?

Hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of hours are spent worldwide on leadership development. Yet, study after study shows that most leadership programs don’t result in any meaningful improvement long term.

Where’s the disconnect?

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Howard Cleveland Howard Cleveland

Performance Management is Evolving: The New Paradigm

The necessity of developing talent is at an all-time high; yet, prehistoric performance reviews roam free – devouring hours of productivity and lowering morale without having any meaningful impact on organizational performance.

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