Performance management is the process of setting objectives for employees, measuring progress towards those goals, and providing feedback to optimize employee performance.

Mergers and acquisitions are a common growth strategy for companies looking to expand their operations and market share. While M&A can offer many benefits, it’s important to keep in mind that the integration process can be complex and challenging.

As we approach the fourth quarter of the year, it is time to look towards 2023. Companies are posed with two major questions, "What did the business achieve this year?" and "How do we grow our business?". These two questions are vital for strategic planning for the new year.

An EPMO works directly with your Executive Leadership team and offers guidance at the top level of an organization. Unlike a typical PMO, EPMOs are specialized in working with strategy, portfolio management, and program management.

It’s no secret that the employee experience has become a hot topic as many companies have been affected by what is known as “the great resignation”. As companies put a magnifying glass up to the employee experience, it’s common that the customer experience slips from their grip. In order to avoid this and find the perfect balance between the needs of everyone, a new concept has emerged in strategic thinking and planning, known as the Total Experience (TX).

If your business is looking to adopt a Design Thinking methodology – congratulations! Design thinking is one of the most valuable methodologies an organization can adopt to help efficiently and effectively create products, solutions, and user-experiences that your customers will love. However, initiating a Design Thinking approach can be overwhelming. Where do you start?

Does this scenario sound familiar? You bring your team together to come up with a creative solution to a problem your customers are facing. But everyone has their own opinions about what to do, and the team can’t even agree on what the problem is you’re trying to solve. So, you keep having meetings and endless discussions trying to build a consensus, and in the end, everyone agrees to a less-than-stellar compromise just to move the project along.

Many organizations are actively looking to implement Design Thinking and opt to use a facilitator to expedite the process. A facilitator is an extension of the team and can significantly decrease the time needed to learn and adopt the framework. When adding a Design Thinking facilitator to your team, make sure to look for more than just an understanding of the process and tools used in practice. 

Over the past year, many CEOs have commented that they are experiencing a period of rapidly increasing demand for their goods and services. Although this is the problem that most companies wish for, a collection of headwinds have successfully kept corporate growth rates within reasonable spectrums. The great resignation, supply chain & transportation issues, and increasing inflation are all making it hard to maintain margin while increasing market share.

The development of a winning business strategy can be challenging. It is the basis for aligning people, resources, and profitability - but the skills necessary to create the strategy can be elusive. Award-winning strategists need to be one part leader, one part analyst, and one part futurist. At Stonehill, we always admire individuals in our profession that do great work. Here are a few of the top strategy consultants that you may want to follow on LinkedIn.

As you may already know, the only constant in running a business is that of change. Many of the strategies and tactics that we discuss provide insight to that change and give an operator the ability to react and manage the outcomes. Although this is an active process, once a year it is important to slow down and do some strategic planning.

A great culture doesn’t just happen; it must be planned, taught, nurtured, and encouraged. Your culture is formed by how people work together, connect, interact, and socialize. You can unlock passion and potential when you enable real bonds among your team, and build a culture of positivity, trust, kindness, and respect. Here are seven ideas to help you establish and develop a great culture.

John Staten is the President and Chief Operations Officer of Holiday Inn Club Vacations. Recently, Stonehill spoke with John Staten, President and COO of Holiday Inn Club Vacations, as part of our Voyagers and Visionaries interview series. We interview leaders from various industries to get both professional and personal insights during this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An onboarding playbook focuses acutely on organizational realignment, process and systems integration, synergy tracking, and product/service and customer realignment. Stonehill has adapted the traditional onboarding playbook by utilizing Design Thinking to create a unique approach to an effective post-merger integration (PMI) plan. And to no surprise, it all starts with empathy.

As part of our Voyagers and Visionaries interview series, Stonehill recently spoke with Paul Reilly about his professional and personal insights on the Future of Work, innovation in the financial services industry, and adjustments in his style of management due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul Reilly is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Raymond James Financial. 

Corey Neil serves as President and Chief Operating Officer at The Bank of Tampa. In this interview, Mr. Neil discusses his views on the future of work, the state of banking, and pragmatic business decisions every leader should evaluate, both in times of uncertainty and stability.

Dr. Christopher R. Shafer is the Director of Program Management with Quest Diagnostics, a Fortune 500 Company, and leader in the laboratory and medical diagnostics space. In this interview, Dr. Shafer discusses his views on the future of work, the state of public health, and pragmatic business decisions every leader should evaluate, both in times of uncertainty and of stability.

As we look to the future one thing is certain – the economy will continue and we will adapt to the new surroundings. Impacts to businesses are becoming clear and leaders are starting to identify initiatives to ensure profitability. Regardless of the industry, it is obvious that the future of work is more than just having people work from home and collaborating online.

Generally following a crisis, our fellow human beings have a lot of patience and empathy when things do not operate as smoothly as they once did. If you own or operate a business, the following are just a few of the questions you should expect to address in the coming weeks and months to prepare to return to delivering great customer experience (CX) and employee engagement (EE).

Design Thinking is a formal process that allows for the creation of practical, innovative, and cost-effective resolutions that enhance the customer experience. Many change management, technology, and transformation professionals have been adopting Design Thinking concepts to accelerate change in large organizations. Here are a few Design Thinking thought leaders that you should follow on LinkedIn.