Foreword

This edition of Snapshots has been created by the team keeping two principles in mind. I will come to the principles shortly. The coverage or themes cut across three broad areas. These areas are built up from conversations with clients over the last year. Each year we pick up the themes based on what we believe are top of the minds issues of our customers, and therefore the conversations.

The first theme around Succession Planning tries to capture different perspectives and practices. My personal view continues to be that leaders must evaluate the opportunity cost to business and the talent risk by not getting succession right. Both the risk and the loss of opportunity increasingly figure directly in succession discussions at the senior-most levels, although not yet in monetary terms, and maybe they should. 

The theme of Emerging Talent Priorities goes deep into specific areas and encourages concrete action by organizations. Talent in Manufacturing is critical for India and for broadening employment opportunities among other things. Getting sales talent initiatives right is another priority for companies. These conversations come at a time when AI, IoT, and automation are increasingly playing a larger role. The fundamental nature of jobs and work is changing. Many of our customers have doubled down on investing in some of these areas.

There has been much discussion around diversity and inclusion, our third theme this year. Maybe a step backward has been taken by global corporations recently. Our view is that these areas need a much wider understanding of the subject itself, or else we will keep going back and forth on initiatives. The core objectives of DEI programs must encompass a direct impact on an organization’s good health, well-being, and prosperity at a societal level.

Coming back to where I started, the two principles underlying this edition of Snapshots.