CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel

In today's episode: Deloitte is cutting benefits like parental leave, especially for the internal roles that are most vulnerable. Is this call worth the bad press? During turbulent times, people are often too distracted to notice some of the more egregious moves by companies. The model of consulting itself has been fundamentally changed by AI. The new question is: what unique value can consultants...

In today's episode: We're seeing layoffs like we've never seen before, as artificial intelligence is built to replace jobs. It's changing the way we make decisions about the future. We don't kno what the economy will demand in 5, 10, or 20 years. As economies mature, they run out of certain growth opportunities; it becomes a matter of profitability rather than revenue. But that system can't hold f...

In today's episode: How often are you "surface acting" -- heightening and feigning expected emotions to meet work demands? It's a survival strategy in the workplace, but it costs us in exhaustion and reduced performance. Surface acting is different from compartmentalizing; it sacrifices authenticity. Do we have relationships that are strong enough to handle the truth? CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jess...

In today's episode from Jessica's appearance on Refocus with Angela Stephens: Leaders today still struggle with the new model of change management. It's more than moving from A to B; now, we need to be constantly adaptable. Fear-based leadership can lead to micromanaging and control -- but it's worth extending a little grace to people operating in a competitive, winner-take all system. CEO Daily B...

In today's episode: We're in the age of huge data; there's more of it than we know what to do with. So how do we turn it into insights? Operating in silos has been the standard in business for a long time. But breaking down information barriers is key to success in the future. AI can be used to add structure to unstructured data; it allows you to have a high-level view of everything going on withi...

In today's episode: Only about half of workers believe their organization is investing in the right solutions to problems in the workplace. Companies have individually well-funded components that aren't necessarily working well together. Workplace experience strategy needs to be managed alongside other strategies like real estate, people, and even IT. Workplace experience should align with a compa...

In today's episode: What happens to a company when the CEO becomes a story? That's the topic of a recent story in the Harvard Business Review When Elon Musk became the polarizing face of the Tesla brand, demand bifurcated; left-leaning consumers bough less, right-leaning consumers bought more. When Tesla started making improvements to the cars, demand overall increased. Even when people don't love...

In today's episode from Jessica's appearance on the Virtual Campfire Podcast: Usually, layoffs are conducted with a long, secretive process by executives and lasting trauma for the company. By dealing with the situation differently -- being transparent with employees about the upcoming layoffs -- things played out for the better. Some people left on their own terms; others became even more loyal t...

In today's episode: You can give people responsiblity, but they are the ones who take accountability. KKR's model of employee ownership embodies this concept: it gives employees direct stake in the value-creation of companies, aligning incentives so everybody benefits. The playbook to developing an ownership mindset among employees: share information with everyone as if they're owners, give them t...

In today's episode: The amount of information out there is causing real safety risks; distraction is literally causing people to get hurt in risky situations. When something dangerous is happening, it's almost always better to stay out of the way until it's run its course, then pick up the pieces. Great leaders are able to make the choice that prioritizes long-term safety over short-term results....

In today's episode: Often, organizations are measuring outputs rather than outcomes. They're measuring busy-ness rather than effectiveness. Fixing this requires a change in leadership approach. Organizations need to create psychological safety and allow appropriate time to achieve goals. At the same time, we shouldn't turn outcomes themselves into measurable objectives. When mission, vision, and v...

In today's episode: Organizations define productivity through output, utilization, and efficiency. But employees define it through their experience and the experience of customers. Employees are leading with their hearts; leaders are leading with metrics. Solving this divide requires a change in how organizations organize themselves. We tend to put skilled people into boxes and don't let them out;...

In today's episode: Employee engagement is at 20%. Meanwhile, 85% of workers report experiencing stress in the workplace. But people are 4 times less likely to report stress if their manager communicates effectively with them. Leaders are being measured on short-term productivity, not long-term health and culture-related metrics. Engagment is a bad measurement; what's more important for your abili...

In today's episode: Unemployment remains low, AI is coming for our jobs, and labor participation is at its lowest rate since the 1960s. Is this all in perfect balance? Labor participation has been steadily decreasing over the decades; the balance feels good right now, but it's going to hurt in a few years. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmati...

In today's episode: Sports partnerships are about building relationships -- but before relationship comes strategy and analysis. That's where AI can be leveraged: sorting through vast amounts of industry data to find the underdogs and underrepresented brands that can become opportunities for a business relationship. AI can also be a force multiplier in all aspects for small startups: web design, C...

In today's episode: UKG is on the cutting edge of innovation and technology--but customers aren't seeing the same level of value. What's going on? The problem is the customer. Companies buy technology and hope it's a painless adoption process, but they fail to adapt the company to leverage new technology to the fullest. Frontline workers aren't adopting new technologies because it feels like added...

In today's episode: CEOs at Walmart and Coca-Cola recently stepped down, citing AI as the reason for their departures. The reality is that it's probably one of many reasons. AI is both a serious force and a great scapegoat for layoffs and organizational changes. Whether it's an excuse or reality, AI as a job-replacer is going to become a more common story in coming years. CEO Daily Brief with Dr....

In today's episode: The field of HR is not long for this world; it's either being eliminated by AI, DEI cuts, or being moved into more relevant departments like analytics. But the right answer isn't to cut the workforce--it's more people in front of other people, shaping attitudes, values, and culture. In fields like nursing, it's these basic human interactions that provide real meaning in the wor...

In today's episode: Twenty years ago, it became common wisdom that STEM was the path of the future--now, it's about the critical thinking skills that come from a liberal arts education. A broad understanding how people think and how the world works is necessary for staying on top of an AI-driven job market. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmat...

In today's episode: Basware CEO Jason Kurtz explains how his SaaS company successfully adopted AI across the organization: An "AI Czar" whose only job is to research the latest in AI and bring ideas that could function across the company. Identifying the different function within the company, and tasking leaders to constantly optimize for that specific function. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kr...

In today's episode: There's talk that agentic AI will replace the SaaS model. But Basware CEO Jason Kurtz says he's not seeing it. He argues that executives are tired of experimenting with AI and seeing little returns; meanwhile, SaaS providers' share of the pie is growing. Customers would rather have an expert with a domain-specific AI, rather than a generalist "hyperscaler" who doesn't understan...

In today's episode: New Gallup research shows that women in the workplace are more engaged than men, but experience higher burnout. Measing employee engagement is be the wrong method for really understanding the workforce--it emphasizes focus, rather than satisfaction or autonomy. Your ability to activate change within a company is more predictive than engagement when it comes to driving outcomes....

In today's episode: Young folks aren't reading as much as they used to. For kids, reading builds critical thinking and analytical skills. In a digital world where content, news, and misinformation can all blend together, these skills are crucial for success in life. Some advice for parents: physical books, rather than e-books or audiobooks, allow you to model reading for your kids, which makes it...

In today's episode: Americans are in another debt crisis and suffering the effects of inflation over the last few years. To an extent, this is a spiritual question about how spending relates to fatigiue and a lack of meaning in our lives. The bottom line: we're in worse trouble than we were in a few years ago. What are we going to do about it? CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute...

In today's episode: There's a new evolution in job interviews--people are being asked to have ChatGPT describe them based on their chat histories. While there are questions about privacy, using AI could help reflect on your own behavior, like asking about your blindspots. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Today's co-h...