Here’s a number that should stop you cold: 43% of employees spend more than ten hours per week on “productivity theater” — visible busy-work that signals effort but produces no meaningful outcomes. That’s not laziness. That’s a rational response to a system where accountability is unclear. When people don’t know what “done” looks like, they optimize for what’s visible. They […]
Every organization I’ve worked with in the past decade has talked about breaking down silos. It’s on strategic plans. It’s in leadership charters. It’s in values statements. And by every available measure, silos are getting worse. Ninety-seven percent of employees and executives say silos negatively impact their organization’s performance. Fortune 500 companies lose an estimated $31.5 billion annually to silo-driven […]
Let me share a statistic that should keep every leader awake at night. PwC’s 2025 Customer Experience Survey found that 9 out of 10 executives believe customer loyalty has grown over the past year. Only 4 in 10 customers agree. That is not a gap. That is a chasm. And organizations are making decisions — strategic decisions, investment decisions, staffing […]
This one is going to be uncomfortable. U.S. employee engagement has dropped from 36% in 2020 to 31% today. Globally, it sits at 21% — a decline that matches what happened during COVID-19 lockdowns. The cost? An estimated $438 billion in lost productivity worldwide. (See also: The Four P’s of Engagement.) Organizations have responded by investing in engagement surveys, wellness […]
