Today's Management Consulting Pulse
KPMG partners with Anthropic to embed Claude AI across its global workforce
KPMG has formed a global alliance with Anthropic to integrate the Claude large‑language model into its Digital Gateway platform. The rollout will give employees in 138 countries direct access to the AI tool, positioning KPMG as Anthropic’s preferred consulting partner for private‑equity firms and marking the most extensive AI commitment among the Big Four.
Leaders, Consider Pausing Before Acting on Employee Feedback
Recent research in the Academy of Management Journal shows that the speed of a leader’s response to employee feedback shapes perceptions of authenticity. Rapid behavioral changes are often judged as insincere, while gradual adjustments are seen as genuine growth. The effect varies by change type: quick, easy fixes are accepted, but swift, difficult changes trigger skepticism. Leaders are advised to pace reforms, communicate rationale, and use transparent processes to maintain trust.
Design Wins When You Redesign the Entire Service
I once worked with a company that sold frozen ready meals to elderly customers. They wanted better website conversion rates. Straightforward brief, right? We did user research and found the real problems had nothing to do with the website: - Customers were...
Organizational Readiness, Not Employee Resistance to Change, Is the Biggest Barrier to AI Success
New research from Qualtrics and Celonis shows that employee resistance is no longer the primary obstacle to AI adoption; instead, organizational readiness is. While 52% of workers regularly use AI and 89% of leaders view AI as a competitive opportunity,...
How the Right Communication Skills Help Leaders Restore Productivity and Resolve Team Conflict
The latest Let\'s Grow Leaders podcast episode shows how leaders can convert petty team conflicts into measurable productivity by mastering the right communication techniques. It introduces simple, empathy‑driven phrases and three diagnostic questions that help identify whether a teammate needs...
How to Choose the Right KPIs, Manage Change, and Understand Customer Value (Lean Coffee Talk Ep. 7)
In episode 7 of Lean Coffee Talk, hosts Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh discuss how to select meaningful KPIs, blend change management with Lean, and extract customer‑value lessons from a Starbucks cup stopper. They compare immersion versus percolation coffee brewing to...
How AI Could Kill the Return to Office
Executives are pushing return‑to‑office (RTO) mandates even as they pour billions into AI initiatives that automate tasks traditionally done on‑site. Recent research shows RTO does not improve productivity, innovation, or team cohesion, but it does erode morale and increase turnover....
Reputation Grows From Action, Not Self‑Promotion
Reputation isn’t built through narration; it’s built through contribution. What you say about yourself expires quickly. What you do for others compounds quietly. In complex systems, trust travels peer-to-peer, not top-down. Service is not charity, it’s strategy. It creates advocates...
The Multifamily Operations Tip of the Day: Why Change Management Is the Real Work
The Multifamily Collective’s daily tip highlights that most operational initiatives falter because employees don’t adopt new tools, not because the tools are flawed. Effective change management begins by clearly communicating the rationale behind each change and involving staff early in...
Change Agents: Internal Audit’s Role in Organizational Transformation
Internal audit has evolved from a compliance watchdog to a strategic partner driving organizational transformation. Auditors now embed in steering committees, use real‑time risk mapping, and apply AI‑powered tools to ensure changes align with long‑term goals. Modern audit platforms automate...
AI Will Render Traditional Apps Obsolete Within 18 Months
The SaaS market, the App Store, even enterprise suites, as a set of discrete “apps” that we choose from is an increasingly outdated concept. Soon, it will be a profoundly irrelevant concept. AI will relentlessly dissolve apps into capabilities. Sure, 20-30% of them...
AI Darwinism Can Unleash New Potential of Energy Workforce – Enlit Magazine
Brian Solis, Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, urged energy executives at the Baker Hughes Annual Meeting to view artificial intelligence as a tool for workforce augmentation rather than mere automation. He introduced the concept of “AI Darwinism,” arguing that...
How to Drive Change Management During M&A Integration
Mergers and acquisitions are fundamentally change initiatives, yet many firms neglect dedicated change management. Appointing a specialized change manager transforms integration from ad‑hoc tasks into a value‑creation engine, especially after the deal closes. A proven methodology—interviews, surveys, reporting, action plans,...
AI Personas Turn UX Research Into Organizational Superpower
Most UX teams have a bottleneck problem. You've done the research. You know what users need. But every time someone across the organization has a question about users, they have to come to you. You become the gatekeeper. Not by choice. Just...
When Excellent Technology Architecture Fails to Deliver Business Results
Large enterprises now standardize clean, cloud‑first technology architectures, yet many digital transformations still miss their business targets. The piece explains that the failure stems not from technical flaws but from architecture being sidelined during day‑to‑day decision making, where cost, risk...
Embedding AI Requires Culture, Process, Not Just Pilots
From isolated experimentation to embedded capability, culture, process, and incentives as the true transformation levers In boardrooms across industries, the same slide appears with reassuring regularity: a grid of successful AI pilots. A fraud model that lifted detection rates. A...
How AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Consulting
AI is fundamentally reshaping consulting by replacing lengthy analysis and PowerPoint‑heavy engagements with faster, outcome‑focused projects. Firms are leveraging in‑house and public AI tools to accelerate insight generation, while clients increasingly use the same technology, shifting value from “what is”...
Cyber Risk Management In Remote-First Environments
Executive-led cyber risk management has shifted from traditional IT‑centric frameworks to a leadership‑first model that aligns digital hygiene with corporate governance. In remote‑first environments, the loss of a centralized perimeter expands the attack surface, making every executive login a potential...
Leadership Is Forged on the Shop Floor, Not in Classrooms
My MBA gave me tools; the shop floor gave me wisdom. 🛠️ Classrooms teach strategy. Real leadership? That’s forged in the world. Leadership happens when you: • Manage uncertainty without a case study. • Lead people who don’t speak in slides. • Decide with incomplete...
Discomfort Shapes Cohesion and Filters True Commitment
We romanticize comfort and pathologize discomfort. Yet shared hardship is often the forge of cohesion. The point isn’t to chase suffering for its own sake—it’s to understand what it produces: clarity of intent, removal of trivialities, alignment under pressure. In...
From Pilot Purgatory to Productive Failure: Fixing AI's Broken Learning Loop
AI pilots frequently stall between proof‑of‑concept and production, often due to outdated quarterly KPIs, governance vacuums, and slow feedback loops. Executives argue that linear metrics clash with AI’s dynamic nature, causing drift and delayed corrective action. To close the gap,...
AI Agents Trigger Enterprise Platform Reset by 2026
My latest research: The Great CIO Platform Reset: Why Agentic AI Is Forcing a 2026 Reckoning https://t.co/5nUzVNyJb8 Bottom line: AI agents are reshaping enterprise platform strategy.
CIOs Must Choose Cloud Strategy and Rebuild Capabilities
#CIOChat Q4: Endgame: Is the future cloud-first, cloud-smart, or cloud-selective? What does your next-gen operating model look like across on-prem, edge, sovereign cloud, hyperscale? What strategic capability must CIOs rebuild, refactor, or pay down tech debt to make it work? https://t.co/eKYQWD41ZW
Why Most Projects Fail—And How to Achieve Better Outcomes
In this episode, Antonio Nieto‑Rodriguez explains why roughly two‑thirds of projects fail and outlines how organizations can improve outcomes. He emphasizes framing projects as strategic investments, aligning structures and incentives around a project‑centric model, and avoiding common pitfalls such as...
Sovereign Stacks: Balancing Scale, Regulation, and Control
#CIOChat Q3: Data residency, sovereignty mandates, and geopolitical risk are rapidly reshaping architectural decisions right now. Are we entering a “sovereign stack” era? How are you balancing hyperscaler scale with regulatory exposure and enterprise control? https://t.co/VK5lLC7gA0
CIOs Reevaluate Cloud‑First Doctrine Amid Rising Risks
#CIOChat Q1: For a decade, “cloud-first” was treated as doctrine. With the “public” prefix unsaid. Are CIOs now quietly reassessing that orthodoxy? What signals (cost volatility, lock-in, latency, resilience, or control) made you question assumptions we once considered settled? https://t.co/Eecmzn4rTh
The 10-25 Unit Playbook: Scale Without Chaos
SynergySuite released an eBook titled “The 10‑25 Unit Playbook: Scale Without Chaos,” targeting restaurant groups expanding from ten to twenty‑five locations. The guide outlines practical frameworks, real‑world data, and a unified technology stack to eliminate inventory bleed, improve labor forecasting,...
Outthink Disruption: Leaders Build Tomorrow's Innovations
I’m excited to keynote at @xRedThreadx on March 14, 2PM at the LINE Hotel. I’ll share how leaders can outthink disruption—and build what’s next. Looking forward to connecting with fellow Outthinkers and innovators. #RedThreadX #Innovation #Strategy #Leadership #Outthinker https://t.co/FwYxqch81L
AI's Rapid Diffusion Outpaces Our Adaptation Capacity
AI is eating industries and jobs. For sure. But new ones will be created. However, we’ve never seen tech diffuse this rapidly. It’s the speed of digestion that we are struggling with the most. https://t.co/KApUVISD5g
How to Buy Consulting in the Age of AI
In this inaugural episode, Elaine Lafitte explains why AI will not replace consulting procurement but can serve as a powerful sparring partner that structures information, surfaces hidden assumptions, and forces disciplined questioning. She highlights that buying consulting is fundamentally a...
Risk Assessments Are Performative; Focus on Impact, Not Count
🔥🔥🔥 This hits on something that has bothered me for most of my career... Much of what orgs do to "assess risk" is largely performative, and has very little do with actual risk. Impact is what matters. Your AI Pentester Found...
Sweden Unveils Fully Automated Convenience Store Prototype
#WhosNext? Convenience store clerks? This is what a fully automated convenience store in Sweden looks like. (World Economic Forum) #RetailTech #Automation https://t.co/ONbpQuHUr0
Leading Digital Innovation
MIT Center for Information Systems Research reports that digital innovation succeeds when organizations deploy three complementary leader types—initiative, shared‑resource, and portfolio leaders—rather than relying on a single heroic executive or centralized unit. The briefing explains how each role contributes to...
Zoho's OS of Intelligence Unifies Data, Ensures Sovereignty
Zoho’s @rajuv just finished a great presentation describing @Zoho’s systems philosophy, summing up to following 3 key outcomes at #ZohoDay 2026 in Austin. - Operating System of Intelligence - Unified Business Context with live data - Sovereignty by design https://t.co/y6UWOmv1dv
Customer Obsession Turned $6M Into $5B
Coach went from $6M to $5B because Lew Frankfort focused on one thing: Customer obsession. Function. Difference. Emotion. That’s brand power. #Branding #Leadership https://t.co/dSE0pXRsTs
North Star Organizational Transformation
The article outlines a North Star‑driven digital transformation framework, beginning with a concise, inspirational mission statement that positions the company as customer‑first, data‑powered, and agile. It defines four strategic pillars—Customer Experience, Data & Insights, Agile Platforms, and People & Culture—and...
CIOs Overrun SAP Migration; ERP Must Accelerate for AI
The 7 biggest S/4HANA migration hurdles — and how to overcome them https://t.co/6u9sHnY6rG My take: Many CIOs I speak w/ are accumulating SAP instances faster than they can combine/rationalize them. ERP industry needs to adapt to AI speed if it doesn’t want to...
Retainers Free You From Weekly Price Negotiations
Hourly pricing makes you negotiate your value every week. Retainers let you deliver and move on.
MindBridge Announces Global Partnership with Genpact to Elevate Audit Analytics and Risk Consulting
MindBridge, an AI‑powered financial intelligence firm, announced a global partnership with Genpact to embed its analytics platform into Genpact’s Enterprise Risk Consulting engagements. The collaboration will allow Genpact to deliver full‑population risk scoring, anomaly detection, and continuous controls monitoring for...
Plan Ahead to Avoid Vendor Lock‑In Barriers
Vendor lock-in makes switching harder later. Businesses and software evolve differently, creating a gap over time. Plan for future digital transformations. #VendorLockIn #DigitalTransformation #BusinessStrategy https://t.co/SEjhkOsbRr
A Minute with Alan® — Character
Alan Weiss published a new installment of his "A Minute with Alan®" series titled "Character" on February 17, 2026. The brief entry emphasizes the role of personal character in consulting and leadership. Although the post contains minimal narrative, it is...
What “Bridge. Streamline. Flow.” Means for Knowledge and Process Management Today
APQC Connect 2026 will focus on the theme “Bridge. Streamline. Flow.” as leaders from education, health, finance, and technology share how breaking silos, embedding knowledge and process management, and achieving seamless information flow drive organizational performance. Speakers highlighted concrete actions such as linking...
Five Essential Principles For Sustaining Growth Through Innovation
Lorraine H. Marchand’s new book *No Fear, No Failure* presents a practical framework—the 5 Cs (Customer First, Culture, Collaboration, Change, Chance)—to embed innovation into large, traditionally risk‑averse organizations. Drawing on 120+ executive interviews and real‑world case studies, the author offers step‑by‑step...
Michael Kassan’s 3CV Made $50M in Its First 15 Months in Business
Michael Kassan’s 3C Ventures (3CV) posted $50 million in revenue within its first 15 months, surpassing early targets. About 35% of that income stems from multi‑stage, seven‑figure transformation projects for Fortune 500 clients such as Delta, JPMorgan Chase, AutoNation and Qualcomm. The firm...
HDR Selected to Lead Program Management Services for Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport
HDR has been chosen by the Lexington‑Fayette Urban County Airport Board to provide program management services for Blue Grass Airport’s next decade of capital projects. The multiyear effort will advance terminal expansion, landside access, general‑aviation growth, and airfield safety upgrades....
Embedding Strategic Foresight Into Strategic Planning: A Conversation with Professor Bert George.
In this episode, host Michael J. Keegan talks with Professor Bert George about the fundamentals of strategic foresight and how it can be woven into an organization’s strategic planning and management processes. George explains the core concepts of foresight, the...
AI Wins, Workforce Burns: Address Fear Separately
You can “win” your AI rollout and still lose your workforce. A recent study of 430 manufacturing employees found that even successful AI transformations increase emotional exhaustion. Translation? Your KPIs can trend up, 📈 while motivation trends down. 📉 The...
How Do We Test Our Winning Logic?
The article introduces the "Value Stick" as a pragmatic framework for testing a company’s winning logic, blending operational excellence (OpEx/Lean) with digital growth methods. It focuses on four levers—Willingness to Pay, Price, Cost, and Quantity—to assess whether a strategy can...
UMass Memorial Health Transformation Journey
In 2013 Dr. Eric Dickson took the helm of UMass Memorial Health as the system teetered on the brink of default and faced declining patient and caregiver satisfaction. He introduced a CEO‑driven lean management system that standardized nine core processes and...
From Pain Points to Progress: Medtronic’s Procurement Evolution
Medtronic is revamping its indirect procurement model to become a strategic, business‑focused function. By segmenting its supplier base, the company concentrates resources on high‑risk, high‑spend vendors while using digital pathways for low‑complexity suppliers. Leadership emphasizes speaking the language of EBITDA...
The Multifamily Tip of the Day: Complaints Are Gold Mines
Mike Brewer’s latest Multifamily tip frames resident complaints as a strategic asset rather than a nuisance. By aggregating complaints into thematic patterns, property managers can uncover systemic weaknesses that individual tickets miss. Addressing root causes instead of symptoms turns free...