Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 17, 2015

Consider the example of a CFO we worked with who had his heart set on landing the CEO job when his boss retired. ” The CFO was deeply embarrassed and vowed to change. Like the ill-fated CFO, many of us are “coached,” but few of us are changed by the experience. But, he didn’t.

CFO 8

CFO Motivation Incentives Resistance 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 29, 2016

Success was measured quantitatively by the firm’s performance (profit and growth) vs. that of its competitors, and also qualitatively by interviews with senior executives who were involved, but not deeply invested, in the efforts (typically the CFO). Discovering and creating the future requires many eyes and total collaboration.

CFO 9

CFO Competitive Advantage Budgeting CEO 9

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 5, 2018

Deliberately slowing down allows you to clarify what the people around you want most, the effects of your behavior, sources of resistance, and the ramifications of your decisions. Managers grumbled, and the CEO wasn’t as enthusiastic as he should have been, but Greg assumed these were consequences of the inevitable resistance to change.

Supply Chain 11

Supply Chain CEO Kahneman Self-aware 11

Harvard Business Review

JULY 21, 2016

This vulnerability frequently compels traditionalists to resist analytics. Finally, the CEO must identify the executives most vested in the status quo and proactively manage their resistance — up to and including weeding out the obstinate ones. CEOs must anticipate this reaction. Choose the right analytics leader.

CEO 8

CEO Competitive Advantage ROI CFO 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 26, 2016

In that case, taking a financial management class before you leave your day job, or recruiting a top-quality CFO, would simultaneously assuage their fears and make your startup more likely to succeed. Yet you’re far more likely to face occasional resistance from those who genuinely believe they have your best interests at heart.

Career 8

Career Hedge CFO Advice 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 23, 2012

Just ask Gene Morphis, ex-CFO of clothing retailer Francesca's. You can resist, but your competitors and customers are moving ahead.". These hurdles aren't unique to financial services — insurance, pharmaceuticals, health care and government all face regulation, to name a few examples. The risks and penalties are real.

Compliance 15

Compliance Media Compliance Officer Policies 15

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 7, 2012

In 1992 the company was in cost-cutting mode, and, as former CFO Orry Fiume told me, it was consequently offering an early retirement package designed to reduce headcount. But most CEOs will strenuously resist making a qualified job guarantee like Art Byrne. Protect the Downside — Demonstrate a Commitment to Continued Employment.

Attrition 15

Attrition CFO Deming Outsourcing 15

Harvard Business Review

JULY 21, 2016

Thus, for example, CEOs who are financial specialists should be careful if their main confidant is the CFO. At the least, CEOS with large executive teams should resist the temptation of adding members unless absolutely necessary. The current pressure on organizations to name a Chief Digital Officer is only the latest test.

Execution 8

Execution Team Committee COO 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 7, 2012

In 1992 the company was in cost-cutting mode, and, as former CFO Orry Fiume told me, it was consequently offering an early retirement package designed to reduce headcount. But most CEOs will strenuously resist making a qualified job guarantee like Art Byrne. Protect the Downside — Demonstrate a Commitment to Continued Employment.

Attrition 12

Attrition CFO Deming Outsourcing 12

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 15, 2013

They resist getting their hands dirty alongside the CIO, even though many of them will readily get down into the mud of a balance sheet with the CFO or strategize the details of global brand issues with the CMO. And they hesitate to create strong, progressive IT positions all the time. In fact, CEOs avoid IT like the plague.

CEO 8

CEO CIO Technology CFO 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 21, 2016

Too much transparency can spark resistance. If your employees have this impression, they will be motivated to show resistance to the existing system, resulting in less citizenship behavior. One year, the CFO noticed that there was a miscalculation that resulted in a shortage of a few million euros.

How To 8

How To Ethics Supply Chain Learning-by-Doing 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 24, 2016

We measure how quickly leaders can implement and overcome resistance to change. For example, we assess whether leaders are able to generate compliance with or genuine commitment to their plans.

Influence 8

Influence Six Sigma Open-book Diversity 8

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 15, 2016

As a starting point, both leaders had to address their resistance to moving forward. He also saw how Sheila, his CFO, was going to be a critical expert for the group in a year where costs and budgets were coming to the forefront. They each had to get into the right mindset, define what they needed, and align the right people.

Safe Harbor 8

Safe Harbor Goal Class Self-aware 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 18, 2013

By identifying opportunities to fundamentally change how administrative services were delivered, the senior executives led by example and communicated a willingness to do their part in cutting costs by focusing on their own departments first – a messaging that helped dampen organizational resistance to change.

Cost 8

Cost Health Care Six Sigma Insourcing 8

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 30, 2012

Sutton notes that we all have a tendency to look for confirmation of our own opinions, but we should also resist it. Harry*, the CFO from one of the companies was particularly challenging; he had a caustic style, often spoke in a pejorative way, and even withheld critical information from Bruno and others.

Goleman 18

Goleman How To Emotional Intelligence Self-aware 18

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

” Resist the urge to say something like “It’s not up to me” or “I can’t decide that,” which undermines your authority. “Don’t look angry, resistant, or irritated, even if you feel that way,” adds Dillon. He could see right away that Sheryl was indeed underpaid.

How To 8

How To COO Report Follow-up 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 1, 2017

Several groups resisted and pushed back against the robo-adviser team’s requests for information and cooperation. The robo-adviser recommender became an opportunity to facilitate cross-functional collaboration between product groups and IT managers who literally had never communicated before.

Engineering 8

Engineering Company White Paper Cooper 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 7, 2015

At the very least, the team should include the CEO, CFO, IRO, Board Members and General Counsel. Activists do share a common universal behavioral trait with the rest of us – they prefer the path of least resistance.

How To 8

How To Due Diligence Strategy Proposal 8