15 Comments

The only asset which can reverse a company’s downhill slide is another CEO, another board member or another executive. The Board may define a new strategy but it wants a new executive to champion it. The same thinking needs to be applied to the rank and file. If profits are tanking, how about looking at investing in the people as a long term approach?

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A new Boeing's CEO has just started. We'll see what he'll be able to do.

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A very deep and well-thought-out article. Look at Google. Some companies may fare well for a while, basically exploiting their people (looking at you, Amazon), but the end result could potentially be the Boeing of today. This was a delight to read. The deeply insightful thinking was a treat. Congrats on a great article!

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Many thanks for your support, Thomas! I do my best to deliver a lot of value to my readers in my articles.

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Nov 3Liked by Svyatoslav Biryulin

The promotion of DEI by the prior CEO was unmentioned. This did not help make a profitable corporate culture.

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DEI itself is not a solution. And even if it is a solution, it is a solution to another problem.

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Nov 1Liked by Svyatoslav Biryulin

This will happen for as long as management considers its people "human resources." The implied employment contract says," pay me this in exchange for a slice of my knowledge, expertise, sweat and attention." The employer can only assume how big a slice they get, and the slice diminishes in line with employee dissatisfaction.

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As long as companies only treat their employees as resources, all they can get in return is hours of attendance.

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Your story deeply resonated with me as this topic is part of my leadership research. You covered nuances clearly, vividly, and succinctly. We can’t measure these immeasurable multidimensional aspects with flat rulers. While studying the cognitive/emotional patterns of leaders and followers I was amazed by the complexity of patterns which do not fit in the boxes we create in our primitive information management processes. Your story inspired me to enhance and extend it. Thank you for this exceptional piece illuminating business leaders.

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Many thanks for the support! Boeing's story is a case that will be taught in business schools for decades. But to me is a reason to rethink some strategic basics.

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Oct 29Liked by Svyatoslav Biryulin

So many companies started with a passion for their product or customer and became bean counters and lost their way.

Profit is important. So are shareholders. But if you’re not providing value to customers things will go downhill.

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There are six stakeholder groups, and they are all important.

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Nov 1Liked by Svyatoslav Biryulin

In varying degrees, yes. But their expectations of the organisation (WIIFM?) rarely align unless they're brought down to some common (eg monetary) value.

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Their expectations (WIIFM) are very different, moreover, they almost always conflicting. That's way CEO's get paid so much:)) In my book, I offer a concept of balancing their interests.

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