The Gartner Talent Angle

In their pursuit of heightened productivity, organizations are leaving little room for failure. However, failures are an inevitable part of the innovation process and often serve as a precursor to breakthroughs. By solely focusing on productivity, organizations may be missing out on valuable opportunities for innovation that could propel them forward. In the worst-case scenarios, a failure-adverse climate can lead employees to hide concerns or problems, which can lead to potentially catastrophic issues. Amy Edmondson, the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School and author of "Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well," shares her expertise on the Talent Angle podcast, offering insights on how organizations should shift their mindset toward failure and embrace it as a catalyst for growth and improvement. Amy C. Edmondson, the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, is a management scholar best known for her research on psychological safety and team learning. She has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011 and was ranked No. 1 in 2021 and 2023. She is the author of eight books, including her most recent book, Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, and more than 100 academic articles. Jessica Knight is a vice president of research in the Gartner HR practice. She leads research teams to identify best practices and new opportunities to address HR executives’ most urgent challenges. Her areas of focus include employee experience, organizational culture, change management and the future of work.

Netta Jenkins, author of “The Inclusive Organization,” suggests that while organizations have made advances in DEI in recent years, political polarization and economic uncertainty have threatened to undo that progress. Jenkins joins the Gartner Talent Angle to share her advice on the current state of the DEI movement, and she charts a path forward for HR leaders. She unpacks her three “P” framework — people, practices and products — detailing how each “P” is essential to moving DEI forward within organizations. During the conversation, Jenkins also describes the often unrealistically high expectations put on DEI leaders to transform the organization, despite limited funding and staffing. Netta Jenkins is a doctoral student and author of “The Inclusive Organization,” listed by Forbes as one of the Top 4 DEI books to read. She is CEO of AeroDEI, a DEI tool that helps organizations measure and quantify the impact of their DEI initiatives through gamifying the experience for employees. Jenkins has been advising corporations and audiences of all kinds for years on the most effective strategies to address inequitable gaps that led to a 300k+ LinkedIn audience and played a key factor in Forbes naming her as one of the Top 7 anti-racism consultants in the world. She has also given a ground-breaking TEDx talk, “Reimagining the Workplace.” Peter Aykens is chief of research in Gartner’s human resources practice. Peter is responsible for defining research coverage within the practice and building and leading research teams in addressing clients’ key initiatives. In prior roles at the firm, Aykens spent over 25 years leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channel marketing, customer experience and product issues in financial services. He holds a B.A. in political science from St. Olaf College; an MSc. (Econ) degree in international politics from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth; and an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Brown University.

Patrick McLaughlin, PepsiCo Foods North America CHRO, joined the Talent Angle at Evanta’s 2023 Dallas CHRO Executive Summit in June to reflect on what he refers to as “the inversion of the labor market.” For the first time, there are more jobs than people to fill them. HR leaders are charged with retaining and engaging the frontline workforce amid changing employee expectations and a competitive talent landscape. Patrick offers his perspective on current workforce trends, reflects on lessons learned in recent years and identifies opportunities for organizations to improve the employee experience for frontline workers.   Patrick McLaughlin is senior vice president and chief HR officer for PepsiCo Foods North America, an operating division of PepsiCo. He is a 27-year veteran of PepsiCo with a broad range of leadership experience in beverages and foods. Before joining PepsiCo, Patrick worked for Exxon USA based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Patrick holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organizational communication from Purdue University. Patrick also serves on the board of the Sabra Dipping Company, a joint venture of PepsiCo and the Strauss Group. He is an avid football fan and enjoys travel, gardening and cooking; he and his husband, David Talley, are active in the Dallas and New Orleans communities.   Peter Aykens is the chief of research for Gartner’s HR practice. He is responsible for building and leading research teams within the practice to address clients’ key initiatives. Before his current role, he spent over 25 years at Gartner leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channels, marketing, customer experience and product challenges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Olaf College; a master’s degree in international politics from Aberystwyth University (formerly known as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth); and a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Brown University.

Mid-level managers are sandwiched between pressure from business leaders to retain employees and rising employee expectations for personalized support and communication. In this Talent Angle episode, former Kimberly-Clark CHRO and member of Gartner’s CHRO Global Leadership Board Liz Gottung encourages organizations to rethink their expectations for mid-level managers or risk losing these critical managers to burnout and fatigue. She suggests organizations use technology and rethink role design to free manager capacity for more high-impact work.   After a 35-year career with Kimberly-Clark, Lizanne (Liz) Gottung retired as senior vice president and chief HR officer in 2017. At the time, Kimberly-Clark was a $20 billion global company with nearly 45,000 employees in more than 63 countries. Under her leadership, Kimberly-Clark’s talent strategies were widely recognized for excellence and innovation in HR management, winning multiple global awards for diversity, equity and inclusion; succession and development practices; and Kimberly-Clark’s employer brand. Liz has been a member of the board of directors of the Louisiana Pacific Corporation since 2006 and is chair of the governance and corporate responsibility committee. She joined the board of Sylvamo Corporation in 2021 and chairs the management development and compensation committee. Liz works with a number of non-profit organizations in the Atlanta area, where she lives. She is also a member of Gartner’s CHRO Global Leadership Board.   Peter Aykens is Chief of Research in Gartner's Human Resources practice. Mr. Aykens is responsible for defining research coverage within the practice and building and leading research teams addressing client's key initiatives. In prior roles at the firm, he spent over 25 years leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channel, marketing, customer experience and product issues in financial services. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from St. Olaf College; a MSc.(Econ) degree in International Politics from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth; and a MA and Ph.D. in Political Science from Brown University.

Conflict management is an increasingly essential skill for individuals in leadership positions. However, it is a topic that often makes people — especially leaders and managers — feel uneasy. As leaders are responsible for handling conflicts between their employees, teams, and peers, it is crucial for them to have effective strategies for conflict management. Amy Gallo, the author of “Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)," joins the Talent Angle podcast to provide valuable insights and strategies on how to effectively manage conflicts and transform them into productive dialogues within your organization. Amy Gallo is a workplace expert who writes and speaks about gender, interpersonal dynamics, and difficult conversations. She’s the best-selling author of “Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)” and the “HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict,” as well as hundreds of articles for Harvard Business Review. For the past five years, Amy has co-hosted HBR’s popular Women at Work podcast, which examines the struggles and successes of women in the workplace. Her advice has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, BBC, and NPR. Caroline Walsh is a managing vice president in Gartner’s HR practice. Her teams help HR leaders build and execute talent, diversity, rewards, and learning strategies and programs. Caroline has also led Gartner research teams on commercial banking strategy and leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in East Asian studies from Columbia University, and a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University.  

HR leaders are still experimenting with ways to support collaboration, connectivity and performance in response to a transforming global work environment. Martha Delehanty, Chief People Officer at Commvault, joins the Talent Angle and shares insights on how to equip employees for ongoing success to help leaders sustain high performance across the organization. She identifies the opportunities and challenges brought on by shifts in the nature of knowledge work. Martha explains how one-size-fits-all approaches can fail to unlock true capacity expansion and discusses habits HR leaders can adopt to declutter work at their organization. Martha Delehanty is the Chief People Officer of Commvault. Martha uses her decades of human resources experience at Verizon Operations and Verizon Wireless to guide and coach Commvault team members to build fantastic, life-changing careers — all while helping ensure that Commvault is a naturally relevant contributor to customers’ value chain. Martha earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mount Holyoke College and master’s degree in business from the University of Texas. Peter Aykens is the chief of research for Gartner’s HR practice. He is responsible for building and leading research teams within the practice to address clients’ key initiatives. Before his current role, he spent over 25 years at Gartner leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channels, marketing, customer experience and product challenges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Olaf College; a master’s degree in international politics from Aberystwyth University (formerly known as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth); and a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Brown University.

From the emergence of GenerativeAI to widespread adoption of hybrid work, HR leaders are increasingly called upon to lead their organizations through uncertainty. Authors Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr join the Talent Angle to explain why uncertainty should be associated with opportunity, not anxiety. They detail how organizations can navigate uncertainty to drive transformation and innovation, and offer tools to help HR leaders develop the “uncertainty ability” in leaders and managers. Nathan Furr is a Professor of Strategy at INSEAD, where he teaches innovation and technology strategy. Nathan earned his PhD from the Stanford Technology Ventures Program at Stanford University and has written five books and over seventy articles on innovation, technology, and transformation. Susannah Harmon Furr is a designer and art historian and founded a women's clothing line inspired by her research. She is currently creating a hope accelerator in Normandy, France to teach regenerative ecosystems and transformation for individuals and families. Nathan and Susannah are coauthors of The Upside of Uncertainty (HBR Press July 2022). Jessica Knight is a vice president of research in the Gartner HR practice. She leads research teams to identify best practices and new opportunities to address HR executives’ most urgent challenges. Her areas of focus include employee experience, organizational culture, change management and the future of work.

Organizations today are grappling with how to manage the merging of peoples’ work and personal lives. With many organizational processes and structures not fully accounting for the human impact they have on their employees’ lives, organizations are now looking for a better approach to the way we work. Peter Aykens and Sari Wilde, two leaders of the Gartner HR practice, offer a new, human-centric, approach that they argue will foster creativity and engagement among employees, ultimately delivering the best results for their organization. Peter Aykens is the chief of research for Gartner’s HR practice. Peter is responsible for building and leading research teams within the practice to address clients’ key initiatives. Before his current role, he spent over 25 years at Gartner leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channels, marketing, customer experience and product challenges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Olaf College, a master’s degree in international politics from Aberystwyth University (formerly known as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth) and a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Brown University. Sari J Wilde oversees peer and practitioner research in the HR practice. She holds a bachelor's degree from Barnard College, Columbia University and a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from New York University. Caroline Walsh is a managing vice president in Gartner’s HR practice. Her teams help HR leaders build and execute talent, diversity, rewards, and learning strategies and programs. Caroline has also led Gartner research teams on commercial banking strategy and leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in East Asian studies from Columbia University, and a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University.

The mandate for and position of HR have evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and these trends are only accelerated by continually shifting employee expectations. Lynanne Kunkel, chief HR officer (CHRO) of Vail Resorts and member of Gartner’s CHRO Global Leadership Board, shares her vision for how the HR function can strive for excellence while facing ongoing pressures in this new environment. She urges HR functions to develop capabilities like change leadership and human-centered experience design. She also discusses how HR can engage with other business leaders to become more integrated and aligned to strategic business outcomes. Lynanne Kunkel is the CHRO for Vail Resorts. Prior to joining Vail Resorts in 2017, Lynanne served in various executive positions for Whirlpool, most recently as senior vice president of global HR. Throughout her career, she has led all aspects of HR to deliver enhanced business performance in areas that include business HR, talent acquisition, talent management, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, diversity and inclusion, and talent analytics. Peter Aykens is the chief of research for Gartner’s HR practice. He is responsible for building and leading research teams within the practice to address clients’ key initiatives. Before his current role, he spent over 25 years at Gartner leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channels, marketing, customer experience and product challenges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Olaf College; a master’s degree in international politics from Aberystwyth University (formerly known as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth); and a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Brown University.

There are three key changes impacting today’s labor market – a changing workforce composition, evolving attitudes towards work, and new tools and technologies to empower employees and candidates. HR leaders must understand the implications of these changes as they set talent strategies and build out capabilities for their organizations. Gad Levanon, Chief Economist of the Burning Glass Institute, joins the Talent Angle to discuss evolving dynamics in the labor market and offer practical recommendations to HR leaders. He explains how organizations must pull a variety of levers, from technology to rewards and learning programs, at the same time to gain an edge in the talent market. Gad Levanon is Chief Economist of The Burning Glass Institute. Previously, Gad was with The Conference Board where he was founder of the Labor Market Institute and led the Help Wanted OnLine© program. His research focuses on trends in US and global labor markets, the US economy, and their impact on employers. Prior to The Conference Board, he worked at the Israeli Central Bank. He received his PhD in economics from Princeton University and holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from Tel Aviv University. Dion Love is a vice president of research and advisory services at Gartner. He’s a labor market expert, focusing on global labor market trends and what they mean for organizations’ talent and business strategies, as well as broader social and economic issues. In his work at Gartner, Dion advises clients on key aspects of talent acquisition, including talent acquisition function planning and management, talent needs definition and internal recruiting, employment branding and recruitment marketing, and talent sourcing and selection. He has co-authored more than 12 strategic research studies at Gartner. His work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and industry publications, as well as Gartner HR Leaders Monthly and Smarter With Gartner.