Reading List » Jessica Burshell

HBS Elevator Pitch Builder

Jessica Burshell — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:22:50 +0000

You probably know how challenging it can be to concisely and persuasively articulate who you are, what you do and why (either personally or organizationally) in under a minute. There’s a handy (and fun) tool available online from Harvard Business School to make elevator pitch writing easier by focusing on the questions that matter most.

Check out the HBS Elevator Pitch Builder.

Hat Tip to Drew McManus at Adaptistration

How leadership matters: The effects of leaders’ alignment on strategy implementation

Jessica Burshell — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:54:04 +0000

A short research publication about how leaders influence the implementation of strategic initiatives and the value of alignment between multiple layers of leaders.

Research has confirmed that leader behavior influences group and organizational behavior, but we know less about how senior leaders ensure that group and organizational members implement their decisions. Most organizations have multiple layers of leaders, implying that any single leader does not lead in isolation. We focused on how the consistency of leadership effectiveness across hierarchical levels influenced the implementation of a strategic initiative in a large health care system. We found that it was only when leaders’ effectiveness at different levels was considered in the aggregate that significant performance improvement occurred. We discuss the implications of these findings for leadership research, specifically, that leaders at various levels should be considered collectively to understand how leadership influences employee performance.

How Leadership Matters (pdf).

To Curate

Jessica Burshell — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:25:23 +0000

An interesting reflection on the growing use – and importance – of the word “curate” in a time when people are increasingly overwhelmed by information. How does your organization help people cut through the noise and enable conversations and relations?

To Curate | THE WORLD QUESTION CENTER 2011.

Ditch Performance Reviews? How About Learn to do Them Well?

Jessica Burshell — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:18:45 +0000

This article highlights some of the challenges to productive performance reviews as well as suggestions for how to overcome them. Do these map onto your experiences with performance reviews? Do you have other suggestions for how to make them less frustrating and more valuable?

Ditch Performance Reviews? How About Learn to do Them Well? – Harvard Business Review.

We Make Do: More Time Is Better, But Budget Is King

Jessica Burshell — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:40:17 +0000

Space is a critical resource for many artists and arts organizations. Given the challenges facing both those who have facilities and those who want access to facilities, are there opportunities for communities to work together to overcome these challenges? This report examines the needs and availability of dance rehearsal space in New York, but includes valuable insights for anyone interested in community-wide solutions to infrastructure challenges.

We Make Do: More Time Is Better, But Budget Is King — The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Creating a Customer-Centric Business

Jessica Burshell — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:36:10 +0000

Professor Ranjay Gulati of Harvard Business School discusses how organizations can become more customer (or audience)-centric and why this is a critical time for them to do so.

YouTube – Creating a Customer-Centric Business.

Principles Workbook: Steering Your Board Toward Good Governance and Ethical Practice

Jessica Burshell — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:32:34 +0000

This workbook is designed to help organizations assess and strengthen their governance practices. It outlines 33 principles of good governance, providing an overview of each principle, key questions to guide discussions, the legal implications for each principle, and additional resources that might be helpful. There are also worksheets included to help you record and prioritize any follow-up actions that are identified through the use of the workbook. I’m curious to hear from anyone who uses this tool – did you find the conversations with your board helpful? Were you able to use the conversations to help refine your board practices or more clearly articulate the practices you have?

Principles Workbook | Independent Sector (The download is free, but they require registration)

Mapping Business Models

Jessica Burshell — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:28:14 +0000

This post introduces an interesting, knowledge-game approach to understanding and developing an organization’s strategic direction. It includes a mapping tool and suggestions for how to create a team session which can be focused in any number of ways – “at the very least the game leads to a refined and shared understanding of an organization’s business model. At its best it helps players develop strategic directions for the future by outlining new and/or improved business models for the organization.”

We’ve used similar mapping tools for our model development, but not with the game-based approach. If any organizations do try it out, I’m curious to hear what you think about it.

Mapping Business Models.

Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

Jessica Burshell — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:08:27 +0000

A fascinating animated talk by Daniel Pink about the surprising things that do (and don’t) motivate people. What have you observed or experienced? How do you motivate your colleagues?

Watch “Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us”

Video: Diane Ragsdale on Surviving the Cultural Change (Version 4.0)

Jessica Burshell — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:06:48 +0000

This video is of Diane Ragsdale’s keynote “Surviving the Cultural Change (Version 4.0)” at the Arts Alliance Illinois Members’ Meeting on June 21, 2010. In this speech she challenges arts organizations to adapt to the cultural changes that have been taking place. Which of Diane’s suggestions resonate with you? What are you doing (or going to do) to adapt to the cultural changes taking place?

Watch Diane Ragsdale on Surviving the Cultural Change (Version 4.0).