Too many employees are stuck in an endless rut of meetings and memos, accomplishing less and moving slower. In a more volatile and rapidly changing world, this is exactly the opposite of what every organization needs to do. To create highly functional organizations at scale, leaders must first understand the five most common root causes of organizational dysfunction: 1. The world is more volatile 2. Companies are not built for volatility 3. Scaling without skilling 4. Mismatched time horizons 5. The nature of work itself is completely changing

Most companies are managing the wrong things when it comes to accountability. For people to hold themselves accountable, give them the proper tools and metrics to engage in and learn from their work. To create a culture of accountability in your organization, there are three critical steps: motivation has to come first, focus on behaviors and habits, and create a chain of accountability.

Nobody likes a praise sandwich. So why do leaders keep giving it? Instead, organizations should make on-the-job learning on motivating skills a part of every day. The 5 steps to building apprenticeship cultures: Step 1: Start with a skill catalog. Step 2: Colleagues initiate the process. Step 3: Leaders and colleagues create on-the-job learning plans. Step 4: Leaders and colleagues work together to practice. Step 5: Colleagues seek endorsement.

Data shows that people do their best thinking alone, not in meetings. So why do so many organizations still rely on meetings? Here's what you should do instead. At a high level, it comes down to two commitments: Reduce meetings down to the minimum effective dose, and invest in asynchronous collaboration.

Wellbeing programs are increasingly common in the corporate world. But what if they don't actually help? To solve for wellbeing, invest more in addressing the root causes of bad performance cultures. In other words, don't blame the player. Blame the game. Here are four ways you can sustainably improve wellbeing at work. - Manage a strategy-based operating model - Teach your whole organization how to collaboratively solve problems and manage problem solving inclusively, transparently, and within structure. - Build high-accountability apprenticeship cultures. - Articulate expectations for leadership, and keep them accountable

The typical annual goal-setting process results in three major issues: gamesmanship, siloing, and demotivation. This year, what if you tried something different? We're not suggesting that you abandon your goals. Having a motivating alignment mechanism makes a lot of sense. Instead, follow this simple five-step process: 1. Understand the basic constraints. 2. Start with strategy. 3. Make prioritization the first part of your weekly rhythm. 4. Make problem solving the second part of your weekly rhythm. 5. Deep dive or delegate.