Charter

22/07/2024

With worker engagement and motivation flagging—what Gallup has termed “the great detachment”—many leaders are looking for new strategies to hold their teams together.

For Vijay Pendakur, author of the upcoming book The Alchemy of Talent, the secret has to do with preparing teams to navigate a dizzying rate of change with a combination of trust, connection, and belonging.

Some tips he shared with Charter:

👉 Name the unknowns. "In periods of change, your team will have a lot of questions that you don't have the answers to," he says. "What you want to do is to name the unknowns and name that you don't have the answers... You actually have to speak into that uncertainty in order to keep people from filling the void with their own stories."

👉 Meet conflict with curiosity. "You don't have to be a consensus builder. This isn't about making everybody feel good, but you can double down on the conflict by using your superpower of curiosity," he explains. He gives an example of what a skillful leader might say: "'Michelle, I see that you're having a strong disagreement with Eric over the product strategy. Tell me more about where your perspectives come from.’ Now all of a sudden, Michelle feels seen and supported to actually go deeper and explain why she may be having this really passionate push for product strategy A over Eric advocating for product strategy B."

👉 Inquire and affirm. Pendakur also offers a four-step model for addressing conflict aimed directly at you. He encourages leaders, when criticized, to first take a breath, then lead with curiosity, actually listen, then affirm. " It's not about affirming the content of the feedback," he notes. "As a team leader, you do not have to agree with the feedback being given to you. I listened to Michelle, and I can say, ‘Michelle, first of all, I want to thank you for giving me this feedback. This is exactly the kind of behavior I want from my team. I need some time to think about what you're sharing. Can I come back to you later today or tomorrow morning with a more thoughtful response?’"

Read our full interview with Pendakur for more from The Alchemy of Talent, or read an excerpt of our conversation in yesterday's Charter Briefing newsletter. Links in the comments.

17/07/2024

Have you signed up yet for the 2024 Charter Workplace Summit?

Join us on October 8 as we ask and answer two questions about the year ahead: Where should we be going? And how do we get there?

Here's what a past year's attendee had to say about our programming: “The panels and networking opportunities were so valuable, and the entire event was so well-run (plus, the space was absolutely beautiful). Kudos to the entire team for what seemed like a successful conference.”

Sign up to attend virtually for free or request an in-person invitation here: https://buff.ly/3RNajIm

15/07/2024

What even is work like in the summer anymore?

Charter journalist Michelle Peng rounds up the latest data on office attendance, vacation days, travel volume, and hybrid-work arrangements for a portrait of summer schedules in a world where flexible work has become the norm.

Plus, for Charter Pro members, a toolkit of policies, templates, and resources to shape your flexible-work and vacation policies.

Our guide to new data on summer work trends. Plus: the policies and practices to make work work during the summertime.

15/07/2024

What's the role of the office in spurring collaboration, productivity, and connection?

On July 29, Kevin Delaney, Charter's editor-in-chief, will lead a webinar with Robin’s CEO, Micah Remley, and Dana Luther, senior director of product management, on the data that can measure the impact of in-person interactions and how to build a work environment that thrives on flexibility.

They'll cover the connection between collaboration and productivity, the effects your office setup has, and how to use office data to get strategic insights.

Sign up here:

Studies show that 90% of office interaction happens at desks, and those sitting near high performers can experience a 15% boost in productivity. This means that strategic office layouts can translate to substantial gains for companies. Curious if your hybrid model works? Join Robin’s CEO, Micah Re...

12/07/2024

Have you signed up yet for the 2024 Charter Workplace Summit?

Join us on October 8 as we ask and answer two questions about the year ahead: Where should we be going? And how do we get there?

Here's what a past year's attendee had to say about our programming: "I am so glad I was able to attend. I was really energized and walked away with new perspectives and 'homework'. It was such a high quality event with quality speakers who were thought leaders, excellent topics and information."

Sign up to attend virtually for free or request an in-person invitation here: https://buff.ly/3RNajIm

12/07/2024

As the 2024 election inches closer, does your organization have policies and practices in place to unsure that any workplace discussions about politics remain thoughtful, productive, and respectful?

For yesterday's Charter Pro Digest, we gathered advice from experts and practitioners Greg Berhman (NationSwell), Karan Singh (Headspace), and Amy Mosher (isolved) on the best ways to help employees navigate political discussion at work.

Read our recommendations here:

Policies and practices for respectful engagement—and even disagreement.

09/07/2024

Earlier today, Charter editor-in-chief Kevin Delaney hosted our quarterly Executive Strategy Workshop for Charter Pro members. He presented all the top trends and updates leaders need to inform their strategy for the next quarter, including a recent survey Charter conducted with Agenda, a publication of The Financial Times.

For more on our latest research and insights on talent, AI, leadership, and organizational effectiveness, become a Charter Pro member to watch the full briefing: https://buff.ly/3RYnuWY

08/07/2024

Two-thirds of employers wouldn't hire a candidate without AI skills, but as Charter journalist Jacob Clemente asks in today's Charter Pro Digest, "What exactly are 'AI skills'?"

Clemente on the most important skills in AI workplaces, from AI fluency and prompt engineering to critical thinking and learning agility:

Two-thirds of business leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills, and an even greater share say they would rather hire a less experienced candidate with those skills than a more experienced candidate without them, according to a recent Microsoft and LinkedIn report. Ever since we sa...

08/07/2024

At the end of June, the Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo overturned the longstanding Chevron doctrine, which gave federal agencies broad latitude to interpret statutes in implementation and enforcement.

But what does that mean for employers?

We reached out to G. Roger King, senior labor and employment counsel at the HR Policy Association, to find out. He named a number of policies that may change in the near future, depending on this November's election results and future court cases, including:

👉 The Federal Trade Commission’s recent ban on most non-compete agreements between employers and workers (already partially blocked by a judge)
👉 A new Department of Labor overtime rule
👉 A National Labor Relations Board decision related to union recognition

For more details and insights, read our interview with King: https://buff.ly/3Wflc8o

01/07/2024

What's behind the gender gap in AI adoption, and how can leaders close it?

In today's Charter Pro Digest, journalist Jacob Clemente shares examples of policies and practices teams can implement to help all workers build confidence in AI tools, based on a recent conversation with Anders Humlum, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business:

1. Dedicate 15 minutes to experimentation every day for two months. Create a daily 15-minute calendar entry, dedicated to using genAI tools to help you accomplish some of the tasks you have to do that day.

2. Make it a rule that everyone on your team has to use their favorite chatbot a certain number of times per week. “They have to consult the tool just to build the habit,” explains Humlum.

3. Set two daily reminders to use the tool. When you see each reminder, try using your favorite chatbot to finish whatever task you’re working on.

4. Bookmark your favorite chatbot in your browser. This removes some of the friction of searching for it, and it serves a constant visual reminder to use it.

Join Charter Pro to read more of Humlum's insights on the AI adoption gender gap and more practices to try:

Research reveals a significant gender gap in AI adoption, with women being significantly less likely to use ChatGPT. The findings highlight the need for training to bridge this divide.

01/07/2024

Recent research shows that feeling bored during a work assignment doesn't just affect your performance on the boring task — it can also cause your mind to wander even in subsequent, less boring tasks.

According to Shimul Melwani, an associate professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and co-author of the research paper, there's a way to interrupt that lagging effect: finding meaning in your work. When workers were given a task they found meaningful or impactful after a boring one, the meaningful tasks "were really reorienting, they were replenishing. As a result, it broke that path between the suppression of boredom and the desire to mind wander," she explains.

For more insights from Melwani about how boredom at work works, and how to combat its effects, read excerpts of our conversation in yesterday's Charter Briefing newsletter:

Research on how to avoid paying a boredom tax in your workday. Is it ok to use genAI tools in a job interview? The ‘podwalk’ as a team exercise.

27/06/2024

“You can catch your breath, but then be prepared for the next wave of tightness,” Anu Madgavkar, partner at the McKinsey Global Institute, told Charter editor-in-chief Kevin Delaney.

According to a recent report from Madgavkar and her McKinsey colleagues, the US labor market will tighten again in years to come. Researchers predict more labor shortages and wage inflation in future years, driven by lower birth rates and reduced immigration, as well as steady demand for knowledge workers and manual work in spite of AI and automation.

More insights from our conversation with Madgavkar: https://buff.ly/3RLb7h2

27/06/2024

Register for the 2024 Charter Workplace Summit before prices increase July 9th!

This year's event, co-chaired by Edith Cooper (co-founder at Medley, board member at PepsiCo and Amazon) and Katy George (McKinsey & Company's chief people officer), will focus on developing a new leadership playbook to help you answer two crucial questions: Where should our organization be going? And how do we get there?

Join CEOs, CHROs, CPOs, COOs, and other executives as we bring together the most advanced research, the best business minds, and forward-thinking practitioners to help you navigate the thorniest challenges for the year ahead.

The summit will take place on October 8, 2024, and is FREE to attend virtually. For those interested in attending in person, there's an early bird discount available through July 8th.

Learn more and register here:

“The New Leadership Playbook” is the theme of the 4th annual Charter Workplace Summit on Oct 8 '24. Co-chaired by McKinsey's Katy George & Medley's Edith Cooper and held in NYC and online—features the latest issues CHROs and CEOs are navigating, including AI & work, flexible working, inclusion...

25/06/2024

As the potential for AI in workplace learning becomes clearer, how are L&D leaders and managers responding? Charter and Valence's new playbook "The AI Educator: Using artificial intelligence to transform manager development" reveals insights from an April 2024 survey of L&D leaders and managers:

👉 47% of respondents ranked AI-powered coaching among the top two types of learning that would make the most meaningful difference to their work quality.
👉Some 28% are already using AI-powered learning experiences at their organization, 29% are actively evaluating options, and 22% plan to explore AI learning tools in 2024.
👉Managers' top barrier to learning new skills was "no available time." AI-powered learning can help close the manager skills gap with personalized, contextual learning that fits into the flow of work.

The playbook provides a research-backed guide for embedding AI in L&D, with best practices for workplace learning, a framework for AI applications, and a roadmap for rollout with a product mindset. Download here: https://buff.ly/3VvEJkM

21/06/2024

"There are no easy answers" when it comes to it comes to generative AI, writes Charter editor-in chief Kevin Delaney in TIME.

Delaney on the latest on workplace generative AI tools and their effects on both organizations and individual workers for TIME:

Many businesses are throwing themselves into using new generative AI tools. Some are already seeing benefits.

18/06/2024

Tomorrow is Juneteenth. Ahead of the holiday, we spoke with journalists Ebony Reed and Louise Story about their new book, Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap.

"..the more people learn the statistic and understand that a typical Black family has 15 cents in wealth for every $1 a typical white family has, it will shape and impact conversations that people are having in their communities about affordable housing, about student-loan debt, about education, about so many things," Reed told us.

Read our full conversation about what organizational leaders should do to address the shocking gap in wealth between Black and white Americans:

The shocking gap in wealth between Black and white Americans is the subject of 'Fifteen Cents on the Dollar' by Ebony Reed and Louise Story. They describe what you can do.

18/06/2024

What does it look like when companies leverage AI to enhance workplace learning? In Charter’s new playbook, "The AI Educator: Using artificial intelligence to transform manager development,” we identified a few key areas ripe for AI adoption: curriculum development, skills practice, AI tutors and content enhancement, mentorship and connection, and skills assessment.

Each of these areas allow workers to boost their learning through one or more of the components of cognitive apprenticeship, a learning model that drives skill development in the workplace.

For case studies, best practices, and original research related to AI in your L&D initiatives, download the full playbook: https://buff.ly/3VvEJkM

Thank you to Valence, the sponsor of this playbook, for making this work possible.

17/06/2024

A liberal arts degree might be becoming more valuable in the age of AI, Valerie Capers Workman, chief talent engagement officer of Handshake, told Charter. "...[Y]ou're seeing English or some kind of liberal arts—history, philosophy—actually being written into tech job roles for new entry-level roles. We've never seen that," she said.

Read an excerpt of our interview with Capers Workman for more on how AI has affected demand for young workers and what Gen Z wants out of their careers:

Whither the entry-level job. How remote work impacts women differently by seniority. The crackdown on “mouse jigglers.”

14/06/2024

Where is the labor market heading in the second half of 2024?

For yesterday's Charter Pro Digest, reporter Jacob Clemente spoke with Kory Kantenga, LinkedIn’s head of economics, Americas, to find out. Join Charter Pro to access Kangenga's insights on the current state of the labor market, as well as trends we should keep an eye on during the second half of the year.

H2 predictions from Kory Kantenga, LinkedIn’s head of economics.

13/06/2024

Join thought leaders from Deloitte in conversation with Charter's Kevin Delaney on June 18, 1:30-2:30pm ET. They'll discuss best practices amidst the shifts in the nature of work and management wrought by artificial intelligence.

Deloitte’s experts, Nicole Scoble-Williams, (Global Future of Work Leader), Kim Eberbach (Experience Director, CHRO Program), and John Forsythe (Partner/Managing Director), will share real-world examples of workplace trends and how the mindset of boundaryless HR continues to break down barriers between business leaders and employees.

Register here: https://buff.ly/4cqsRq3

12/06/2024

Charter Work Tech tested seven different AI-powered note-taking tools. Our picks were Circleback, Krisp, and Granola. Here's why:

Circleback, Krisp, and Granola are our picks for generating AI notes, summaries, and action items for your meetings.

12/06/2024

Calling all leaders who influence their organization's talent agenda!

Registration for the 2024 Charter Workplace Summit is now open. This year's event, co-chaired by Edith Cooper \(co-founder at Medley, board member at PepsiCo and Amazon\) and Katy George \(McKinsey's chief people officer\), will focus on developing a new leadership playbook to help you answer two crucial questions: Where should our organization be going? And how do we get there?

Join CEOs, CHROs, CPOs, COOs, and other executives as we bring together the most advanced research, the best business minds, and forward-thinking practitioners to help you navigate the thorniest challenges for the year ahead.

The summit will take place on October 8, 2024, and is FREE to attend virtually. For those interested in attending in person, there's an early bird discount available through July 8th.

Learn more and register here: https://buff.ly/3KxFByV

“The New Leadership Playbook” is the theme of the 4th annual Charter Workplace Summit on Oct 8 '24. Co-chaired by McKinsey's Katy George & Medley's Edith Cooper and held in NYC and online—features the latest issues CHROs and CEOs are navigating, including AI & work, flexible working, inclusion...

10/06/2024

"Taking someone through this process of mastering a skill hasn't really scaled into large-scale learning and development. Now with generative AI, you don't have to do that on a small scale. The models can perform some of that coaching towards mastery because they have so much access to so much knowledge, because you can prompt them in real time to take on different roles." - Helen Edwards, co-founder of Artificiality

AI has the potential to make personalized, mastery-based learning accessible to more workers. Charter's new playbook, "The AI Educator: Using artificial intelligence to transform manager development," provides a blueprint for integrating AI into L&D strategies, including best practices for workplace learning, a menu of AI applications, and a roadmap for rollout.

Thank you to Valence, the sponsor of this playbook, for making this work possible.

Download it here: https://buff.ly/3VvEJkM

07/06/2024

As generative AI reshapes the way work gets done, learning agility has become an essential skill for both organizations and individuals, especially managers. Today, Charter released a new guide, "The AI Educator: Using artificial intelligence to transform manager development."

This playbook provides case studies, frameworks, and actionable strategies for integrating AI into learning and development, focusing on the cognitive apprenticeship model and its application to manager development.

Thank you to Valence, the sponsor of this playbook, for making this work possible.

Download the full playbook here: https://buff.ly/3VvEJkM

04/06/2024

For today's Charter newsletter, Charter COO Erin Grau spoke with General David Petraeus, who shared his four-part framework for change management. His tips include:
👉 Give “preemptive praise,” which fosters commitment by acknowledging efforts even before they are fully realized, ensuring someone both understands and buys into the strategy. Petraeus would regularly express his enthusiasm for initiatives before higher ups could share hesitation or reject the initiative altogether. He would add preemptive praise of other key stakeholders, too, effectively compelling them to follow through.
👉 Develop a "battle rhythm"—the detailed schedule of recurring meetings and activities, essentially how he spent his time—which can be a useful tool for leaders to ensure their time aligns with their priorities and strategic goals.
👉 Assess whether decisions are "biodegradable" or "non-biodegradable." Leaders must discern which risks are acceptable and which decisions could have lasting negative impacts. Petraeus refers to decisions where there are other permanent repercussions as “non-biodegradable” decisions.

Read the full piece for Petraeus's full four-part framework, as well as more actionable ideas:

General David Petraeus’ four-part framework for complex organizational change

29/05/2024

Calling all leaders who influence their organization's talent agenda!

Registration for the 2024 Charter Workplace Summit is now open. This year's event, co-chaired by Edith Cooper (co-founder at Medley, board member at PepsiCo and Amazon) and Katy George (McKinsey's chief people officer), will focus on developing a new leadership playbook to help you answer two crucial questions: Where should our organization be going? And how do we get there?

Join CEOs, CHROs, CPOs, COOs, and other executives as we bring together the most advanced research, the best business minds, and forward-thinking practitioners to help you navigate the thorniest challenges for the year ahead.

The summit will take place on October 8, 2024, and is FREE to attend virtually. For those interested in attending in person, there's an early bird discount available through July 8th.

Learn more and register here:

“The New Leadership Playbook” is the theme of the 4th annual Charter Workplace Summit on Oct 8 '24. Co-chaired by McKinsey's Katy George & Medley's Edith Cooper and held in NYC and online—features the latest issues CHROs and CEOs are navigating, including AI & work, flexible working, inclusion...

23/05/2024

With recent high-profile employee protests related to the war in Gaza, ongoing backlash against DEI and ESG programs, and the upcoming 2024 election, many leaders are wondering how to approach social and political issues.

For Dave Leichtman, director of Microsoft's civic engagement efforts, there's a clear imperative for employers to invest in programs that encourage individual employees to vote, advocate for causes they care about, and even run for office. "The fundamentals of democracy actually help us make money,” he says. “The freedom of ideas and a stable regulatory environment, all the things that come along with democracy, are good for business.”

In today's Charter Pro, we took a deep dive into Microsoft's civic engagement efforts, including:
👉 Maintaining a civic engagement hub, a "one-stop shop for civic engagement."
👉Putting on regular civic engagement events.
👉Connecting with employees on voting at key transition moments.
👉Supporting an internal civic engagement volunteer team.
👉Going beyond time off for voting to encourage volunteering.
👉Partnering with employee resource groups (ERGs) for programming and volunteer opportunities.
👉Weighing in on select social and political issues, when appropriate.

For more on each of these programs, as well as how the company got here and how it's going, read our full piece in Charter Pro:

How Microsoft encourages employees to vote, volunteer, and even run for office.

22/05/2024

For today's Charter Work Tech, reporter Jacob Clemente tested seven different AI-powered search tools, evaluating their ability to recommend products, to reference timely news, and to synthesize research.

His recommendations were Google, Perplexity, and Microsoft AI Copilot. Here's why:

Our picks to find answers to your questions.

21/05/2024

From Helen Lee Kupp and Nichole Sterling, founders of Women Defining AI, five practical workplace use cases for generative AI. Check out their column, including expert tips and prompt templates, about these five strategies:

👉 AI as a friendly colleague: Practice tough conversations with AI voice.
👉 AI as a thought partner: Let AI interview you to unblock work challenges.
👉 AI as an editor: Streamline presentation scripts with AI.
👉 AI as a perspective taker: Gain multi-stakeholder feedback to find blind spots.
👉 AI as an expert data scientist: Quickly analyze data and create visuals.

Tips and prompts for using AI tools to unlock solutions in your everyday work and life from the founders of Women Defining AI, Helen Lee Kupp and Nicole Sterling.