Lynda Gratton
World class expert in human resource strategy
Dr Lynda Gratton is Associate Professor of Management Practice at London Business School where she directs the school’s executive programme, “Human Resource Strategy in Transforming Organisations”.
Lynda’s latest book Hot Spots: Why Some Companies Buzz with Energy and Innovation - and Others Don't explains when Hot Spots arise in and between companies, they provide energy for exploiting and applying knowledge that is already known and genuinely exploring what was previously unknown. As a consequence, Hot Spots are marvelous creators of value for organizations and wonderful, life-enhancing phenomena for each of us.
Her case on BP was awarded the ECCH best strategy case of 2005. Lynda Gratton is acknowledged as one of the world's most influential thinkers in HR Strategy.
Over the last decade Lynda has led The Leading Edge Research Consortium, a major research initiative involving companies such as Hewlett Packard and Citibank. The initial results from the research were published by Oxford University Press in 2000 in the book “Strategic Human Resource Management: Corporate Rhetoric and Human Reality”. She has recently launched a second research consortium , The Cooperative Research Initiative.
In “Living Strategy: Putting People at the Heart of Corporate Purpose”, published by FT/Prentice Hall in 2000, Lynda called for a more strategic approach to people management. The book has been translated into ten languages and was voted one of the 20 most influential books by American CEOs.
More recently she has addressed the issue of organisational purpose in, “The Democratic Enterprise: Liberating Your Business with Freedom, Flexibility and Commitment”, published by FT/Prentice Hall in 2004.
Lynda is currently working on a book provisionally titled ‘Cooperating on Purpose: How organizations create value more successfully when people collaborate more skilfully’ Her current research , ‘The Collaborative Research Initiative’ was launched in October 2005 and involves 20 large companies in the USA and Europe.
Lynda has written for managers and academics. Her article ‘Integrating the Enterprise’ was awarded the Sloan Management Review’s best article of 2003, and her case on BP was recently awarded the ECCH best strategy case of 2005.
Lynda is acknowledged as one of the world’s most influential thinkers in HR Strategy. She serves on the advisory boards of Exult and the Concours Group and consults to a wide range of multinational companies including Shell, Unilever, Royal Bank of Scotland and HP.
In 2004 Lynda was appointed a Research Fellow of the Advanced Institute of Management in the UK and is a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Human Resource Strategy at Michigan Business School.
A trained psychologist, Lynda Gratton worked for British Airways for several years as an occupational chief psychologist. Prior to joining London Business School she was director of HR strategy at PA Consulting.
Lynda is acknowledged as one of the world's most influential thinkers in HR Strategy. She serves on the advisory boards of Exult and the Concours Group and consults to a wide range of multinational companies including Shell, Unilever, Royal Bank of Scotland and HP.
Human resource strategy, especially helping senior executives consider the people implications of business strategy and how to overcome the barriers to cooperation and organizational learning
Research interest
Long range planning, person-job interaction, corporate culture, human resource management strategy, organisational change, strategic management, organisational learning.
Long range planning, person-job interaction, corporate culture, human resource management strategy, organisational change, strategic management, organisational learning.
Lessons
Finding The Flowers Amongst The Weeds
Leaders must focus on the few things that will really make a difference to their organization. Lynda Gratton encourages leaders to make sure their priorities are landmark priorities that are tightly aligned to their objectives and then find ways to filter these ideas down, as they are hugely important to the future of the company
Beyond Business As Usual
Large, powerful organizations have a responsibility to play an important role in society. Lynda Gratton explains how leaders should take responsibility for this and be a force for good by engaging employees in how to be collectively greater than just being defined by the financial returns of ‘business as usual’.
Cooperation vs. Competition
In a competitive industry it can be difficult to be cooperative. But organizations based on trust are better places to work than those with a competitive atmosphere as cooperation can be extremely powerful, and lasting value can be created when people work together.
The Power Of Good Conversation
Executives who are prepared to have meaningful, purposeful conversations become powerful role models to people around them about what’s valued in the workplace.