HBR IdeaCast

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How to Navigate Change at Any Career Stage May 21, 2024

Show notes

Disruption and transformation at the new normal in nearly every industry. So how do you stay ahead of the curve? Over the past four decades, Bonnie Hammer successfully adapted to massive changes in the media industry, rising from production assistant to leadership roles in broadcast, cable, and streaming. Now vice chair of NBCUniversal, she has advice on how to get noticed, acquire the right skillsets, make smart decisions, and adjust to shifting corporate and market dynamics. She's the author of the book 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work: ...and the Truth We Need to Succeed.

Tech at Work: How the End of Cookies Will Transform Digital Marketing May 16, 2024

Show notes

Google is planning to phase out third-party cookies by the end of 2025. Consumers may be cheering the improved privacy online, but what will this huge shift in advertising technology mean for digital advertising, online publishing, and the open Internet?

In this episode, researcher Garrett Johnson and executive Jamie Seltzer discuss the new technologies that are already being tested to replace cookies. They explain the trade-offs and how digital marketers are preparing for this change, as well as share how the online advertising and publishing industries may be affected.

Johnson is an associate professor of marketing at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.

Seltzer is global executive vice president at Havas Media Network, where she leads CSA, Havas Media’s global data and technology consulting group.

New episodes of Tech at Work publish in the HBR IdeaCast feed every other Thursday from May 2, after the regular Tuesday episode. Please let us know what you think of the series and which technology topics you want us to cover at ideacast@hbr.org.

Further reading:

The Hidden Burden of Long Covid and What Companies Can Do May 14, 2024

Show notes

Around 18 million adults in the U.S. alone suffer from long Covid, a chronic illness with a wide range of symptoms and severity. With approved therapies a long way off, workers with long Covid often struggle in silence. And most companies have neither a good understanding of the situation nor effective policies in place, say MIT research scientist Beth Pollack and Vanguard University professor Ludmila Praslova. They share the conditions associated with long Covid, what life is like for those workers, and the accommodations and flexibility they recommend HR leaders and organizations implement. Pollack and Praslova are coauthors with researcher Katie Bach of the HBR Big Idea article “Long Covid at Work: A Manager's Guide.”

Behind the Boom in Celebrity Brands May 07, 2024

Show notes

There was a time when consumer goods companies paid musicians, athletes, and actors for endorsements, or to license their name and likeness. But in recent years, there's been an explosion of celebrities getting into business directly, selling everything from shapewear to tequila. Ayelet Israeli, professor at Harvard Business School, says the growth of social media and online, direct-to-consumer retail accelerated this trend, but notes that not all celebrity brands are a success. She explains what works and doesn't, and outlines lessons for non-famous entrepreneurs and established companies. Israeli is coauthor of the HBR article "What Makes a Successful Celebrity Brand?"

Tech at Work: What GenAI Means for Companies Right Now May 02, 2024

Show notes

If you’re a senior leader, managing technology has never been more challenging—especially as organizations struggle to deploy generative artificial intelligence. Since ChatGPT burst into the mainstream a year and a half ago, everyone has been scrambling to make sense of how to use these tools, what they can and can’t do, and what they mean for our work and our teams.

Tech at Work is a four-part special series from HBR IdeaCast. Join senior tech editors Juan Martinez and Tom Stackpole for research, stories, and advice to make technology work for you and your team. New episodes publish in the IdeaCast feed every other Thursday starting May 2, after the regular Tuesday episode.

In this episode, Ethan Mollick, a management professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of the new book Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, discusses what he’s learned through direct experimentation with these tools, where he sees the most potential, and why organizations are struggling to create value with them.

And please let us know what you think of the series and which technology topics you want us to cover at ideacast@hbr.org.

Further reading:

How Bad Leaders Get Worse over Time Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

There's plenty of advice on how to grow into a better leader. And it takes effort to become more effective. But bad leadership gets worse almost effortlessly, says Barbara Kellerman, a Center for Public Leadership Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. She shares real examples from the public and private sectors of how bad leaders spiral downward, and how bad followership enables that negative trend. She gives her advice for recognizing and avoiding ineffective and unethical leaders. Kellerman is the author of the new book Leadership from Bad to Worse: What Happens When Bad Festers.

Special Series: Tech at Work Apr 25, 2024

Show notes

If you’re a senior leader, managing technology has never been more challenging.

You face hard decisions about how to incorporate technology into your organization. But how do you cut through the noise to understand what a tool—especially a brand-new technology like generative AI—could mean for your organization or your team?

HBR IdeaCast has a new special series for you: Tech at Work. Every other Thursday, join our senior tech editors Juan Martinez and Tom Stackpole for research, stories, and advice to make technology work for you and your team.

• How can we all get the most out of adopting generative AI?
• Is your team making the best use of collaboration technology?
• What does your company need to know about spatial computing?
• How will digital marketing evolve without third-party cookies?

You’ll get answers from expert researchers and experienced practitioners to help you lead effectively and stay ahead. Listen every other Thursday starting May 2 in the HBR IdeaCast feed, after the regular Tuesday episode.

And please let us know what you think of the series and what technology topics you want us to cover at ideacast@hbr.org.

Feeling Unmotivated? Here’s How to Get Out of the Rut Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

Worker disengagement is on the rise around the world. Even those of us who generally like our jobs sometimes find it hard to muster energy and focus. So what's the key to regaining motivation? Harvard Business School professor Boris Groysberg and research associate Robin Abrahams share a four part process to help you get your groove back: detachment, empathy, action and reframing. They offer simple tips like thinking in the third person, helping others, and gamification to help get back on track. Groysberg and Abrahams are the authors of the HBR article "Advice for the Unmotivated."

Are You Asking the Right Questions? Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

Few leaders have been trained to ask great questions. That might explain why they tend to be good at certain kinds of questions, and less effective at other kinds. Unfortunately, that hurts their ability to pursue strategic priorities. Arnaud Chevallier, strategy professor at IMD Business School, explains how leaders can break out of that rut and systematically ask five kinds of questions: investigative, speculative, productive, interpretive, and subjective. He shares real-life examples of how asking the right sort of question at a key time can unlock value and propel your organization. With his IMD colleagues Frédéric Dalsace and Jean-Louis Barsoux, Chevallier wrote the HBR article "The Art of Asking Smarter Questions."

A Roadmap for Today’s Entrepreneurs Apr 09, 2024

Show notes

Many people aspire to entrepreneurship but we all know it's a high-risk endeavor. Bill Aulet, the Ethernet Inventors Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, has for decades studied what it takes for start-ups to succeed and advises the next generation of founders on how to do it. He discusses the key trends and changes he's seen over the past few years, and outlines concrete steps anyone can take to get a new venture -- including those within larger organizations -- off the ground. Aulet is the author of the newly updated book Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup.

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