Yorlene Goff’s Post

This is really important data about the business case for retaining DEI leadership, even in shaky economic, political, and cultural times. And, as the article itself points out, there is also still a moral reason to "treat people fairly," which is, of course, at the heart of DEI. I hope evidence like this is helpful to leaders who know their companies need DEI leadership but have to make the case to others who are skeptical. Also of note is that the higher the DEI leader, the greater the gains. It's somewhat intuitive that a C-suite DEI executive will be able to make a bigger impact than a mid-level person tucked in the marketing department, but it's great to have data that confirms that. “The findings were unambiguous. The 512 firms that have someone in an explicit DEI role scored, on average, significantly higher in nearly all of the elements of our rankings than the 190 companies lacking such a position.”

As organizations strive for excellence, those with dedicated executives for diversity, equity, and inclusion often stand out as the best-managed. Yet, even with the presence of DEI leaders, the efficacy of DEI training remains a topic of discussion. It's vital for companies to not just have DEI roles but to also ensure their initiatives are genuinely impactful. #DEILeadership #EffectiveTraining #CorporateExcellence

Companies are constantly looking for ways to improve their retention rates. We know that high turnover leads to a lot of headaches for companies with both losing institutional knowledge and having to train new hires up. It's a waste of money. So if you can avoid losing people, usually it's best to. Go figure that this study from the The Wall Street Journal shows that companies that are devoted to DEI tend to rank higher in lists of best-managed companies. And great management helps keep employees around. Plus, the reputation helps bring on the best of the best when you are taking applicants! It's interesting that after the surge of DEI hires in 2020, we've seen the decline in them when studies have shown that commitment to DEI is better for a company's overall health. Maybe when companies see the real ROI from DEI, they'll think again about sidelining diversity initiatives on the budget. #DEI #diversity #leadership #retention #management #WomenLeadership https://lnkd.in/eBUjts66

Ursula Burns, the former CEO of Xerox, is a good example of a leader who needed empowerment from others. When Burns took over as CEO in 2009, Xerox was struggling. The company was losing relevance in the changing tech landscape. Burns knew she had to transform Xerox, but she couldn't do it alone. She needed her team, the board, and Xerox's partners to support her vision. Burns worked to get everyone on board. She empowered her employees to innovate. She rebuilt relationships with Xerox's customers and suppliers. Crucially, the Xerox board gave Burns the time and freedom to execute her long-term plan, even when there were short-term setbacks. With this support and empowerment from others, Burns was able to successfully turn Xerox around. The company became more innovative and competitive again. This shows that even experienced leaders like Burns need to be empowered by the people around them their team, board, and partners. Their own leadership is not enough, they also need others to believe in and support their vision.

How did Jensen Huang manage the storms at NVIDIA? What's the miracle at NVIDIA? Is there a playbook to it? What's the core idea of problem-solving as the purpose of the organization? What's the philosophy around team organization and its purpose? Here is a documentation of his candidly powerful talk on the same. In the truest of all terms, a genuine Asian Tiger in Silicon Valley. 🥅 A clear No to Formal Planning: No 1-Year Plan No 5-Year Plans On Feet reflection based on changing business requirements and the winds in the market. Always focused on core business value delivery. 🥅 Participation is Key: no one's a Pleb, as simple as that: Not a High Tea Culture lover or promoter, An important meet up: Anyone may join with one requirement - A willingness to contribute. The Strategy needs to reach as many people as possible without hierarchy coming in its way. Unpleasant opinions are said publicly, the general lot is expected to take it in stride and reach out to better the same. Thinking out loud is practiced. 🥅 Not a Status Report lover Status Reports are slow in terms of pace. They reflect more on what the upper management folks may wish to believe or otherwise. They do not present the de facto reality of the ground floor. Anyone in the firm from an Intern to a VP can reach out to him directly to their Prime 5s. He receives a really good number and he does read it all on his table, each morning without fail. 🥅 No 1:1 Talks, Direct repertoire: Faith in building a real flat hierarchy to build power equity for all. The support includes the top-tier folks and their general behavior. Groups/ Huddles are the essence of the tribe's voice, with no segregated talk for elevated folks. The job doesn't entail career advice in any way, large or small. Link to Interview: https://lnkd.in/dfEE_43g

Fireside Chat Highlights: The Future of 5G Leadership   Hello Friends and Colleagues. I recently watched an interesting fireside chat hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, titled Spectrum Slump: Exploring the FCC’s Challenges in 5G Leadership. The session featured insights from FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and Former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, discussing the critical spectrum challenges the U.S. faces in maintaining global leadership in 5G technology. Key Highlights: * Spectrum and Geopolitics: Commissioner Carr underscored the impacts of America's spectrum allocation and raised concerns about the U.S. potentially falling behind other countries. * 5G Fast Plan & Spectrum Pipeline: Mr. Pai illuminated the challenges of wireless innovation in the U.S., stressing the need for a transparent FCC auction calendar. * Spectrum Authority & Global Harmonization: The importance of FCC authority and the need for global harmonization of spectrum bands were key points emphasized by Commissioner Carr. * Collaboration & Challenges: Discussions revolved around the need for collaboration with federal agencies and the crucial role of Congress in reauthorizing the FCC’s spectrum auction authority. This conversation is not only pivotal for professionals in the telecommunications industry but also for every American reliant on wireless devices. Sharing this to highlight the importance of staying informed and forming our own perspectives on these vital issues. #telecommunications #5g #spectrum https://lnkd.in/gQqcypjh

High-end chip maker NVIDIA is an outrageously successful business, recently achieving a value of over $1 trillion. Having researched and helped many companies with their operating models and management systems, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s approach stands out, has a lot of appeal, and will have many taking note. Here’s some of the tidbits from this great interview with Joel Hellermark. *Flat Organizational Structures: Huang believes in a flat organizational structure allowing quick information flow, transparency, and unfiltered ideas that are often hampered by layers of management. He has 40 direct reports as a result! *Transparency is Key: Strategic directions are shared with everyone. Meetings at Nvidia are not restricted by rank or position. Everyone, from VPs to entry-level employees, has access to all information and can join any meeting. Huang seeks input from those closest to the work – “Why limit the information to a select few?” *Strategy and Planning: The company does not have periodic planning or five-year plans. Planning is continuous. Huang believes long-term plans can be restrictive and is constantly re-evaluating strategies based on the ever-evolving business and market conditions, noting “the world is a living, breathing thing. So, we just plan continuously; there is no five-year plan, there is no one-year plan, there is no plan — there is just what we are doing." *Information Flow: They employ a "Top 5 Things" email system where employees can share their priorities or observations. These are not status reports but more like snapshots of what's most important to individuals. *Talent Advantage: Attract the best talent in the industry by offering an opportunity to work on “their life’s work” and empower through transparency, sharing information, and making everyone feel like they can contribute. #orgdesign #operatingmodel #leadership #management

Diving into how Jensen Huang leads Nvidia, a big tech giant: - He has 40 people reporting to him directly and doesn't do one-on-one meetings. - Instead of regular updates, he reads "top 5 things" emails from any employee. He checks about 100 of these daily. - All meetings are open to everyone, and he shares his thoughts openly. - There's no set yearly or 5-year plan; they adjust based on what's happening now. In short, Nvidia's goal is be a "lean company" which brings in great people, have a focused team, and share information fast. Thoughts? Video: https://lnkd.in/dxvPsUzJ

Back in the day at IBM, someone told me that to get noticed, fix a critical issue. And if one didn't exist, make one. I've never bought into that mindset. I like to prevent issues before they become a major issue. At my time at TSMC Washington (formerly WaferTech), I've developed a relatively simple way for the engineering module to detect defect issues long before they become a big problem. Does it get noticed? Well, the module notices it. I'm not sure if anyone else has caught on that the module has had few major issues in the past several years, compared to the other modules. Regardless of what anyone tells you, do what you can to take preventative measures before things get to critical levels. It may not get noticed by everyone, but those who know, will see the difference. Stay boring, my friends. (more to come...)

Learn more about the hot topics and priorities discussed among top business executives and global leaders at this year's World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. https://bit.ly/49vPbNx #AnnualMeeting #Davos #NTTDATAGroup #WEF #sustainability