When I started in business, computers were giant boxes that lived in air conditioned rooms and were guarded by a priesthood called Management Information Systems (MIS). We used our computers to do the same accounting things we’d always done, only faster.
The Promise of Analytics in Leadership Development
Those days came flooding back when I read Michael Schrage’s HBR blog, “Why Your Analytics are Failing You.” Here’s the money quote.
“Companies with mediocre to moderate outcomes use big data and analytics for decision support; successful ROA—Return on Analytics—firms use them to effect and support behavior change. Better data-driven analyses aren’t simply “plugged-in†to existing processes and reviews, they’re used to invent and encourage different kinds of conversations and interactions.”
The promise of technology doesn’t lie in doing the things we’ve always done only faster. The big payoff is when we invent knew things that deliver results we never dreamed were possible.
The Big Technology Breakthrough
You would think a firm like Google would be at the forefront of this, and you’d be right. Three years ago, Adam Bryant told the story of “Google’s Quest to Build a Better Boss.” Dr. John Sullivan told us about “How Google Is Using People Analytics to Completely Reinvent HR.”
But you’re not Google. So how can you come up with one of those breakthroughs in leadership development?
Stalking the Big Breakthrough
The good news is that Laszlo Bock (no relation) has laid it out for you in “Google’s Scientific Approach to Work-Life Balance (and Much More).” Don’t worry about being overwhelmed by technology. Bock shares four simple steps you can follow, even if you still do your accounting on cuneiform tablets. So don’t worry about not being Google. Take steps today to transform your leadership development.
