Blog Posts

You already know strategy matters. You’ve likely spent months—maybe years—crafting one that’s bold, clear, and built to win. But when progress stalls, the issue often isn’t the strategy itself—it’s whether the organization can move with it.

That’s where culture comes in.

The culture that once fueled your success may no longer be fit for what’s next. And even if things look fine on the surface, early signals might be telling a different story—signs your culture isn’t accelerating your strategy the way it used to.

Culture is what turns intent into impact. It’s not the values on the wall or the message at a town hall—it’s the unwritten rules that shape how people decide, collaborate, and lead. It’s how things really get done.

When those patterns align with your direction, momentum builds. When they don’t, even the best strategy struggles to stick.

→ Let’s chat about leveraging culture to manage change fatigue at your organization.

You see it in:

• The stories people tell about what gets rewarded
• The choices teams make under pressure
• The habits that show up when no one’s watching

And in the everyday:

• How decisions get made
• How people collaborate
• How accountability is managed
• How change is received

If your strategy has shifted but progress still feels stuck—or strained—it’s worth asking:

Is your culture still serving your business, or is it starting to slow you down?

A case in point

Two years ago, BTS partnered with a global organization that had just launched an ambitious growth strategy. Excitement was high—but results didn’t follow.

Leaders were frustrated by a lack of speed and ownership. Employees said they didn’t feel empowered. The word that kept surfacing? Bureaucracy.

That term became a catch-all for inefficiency, but no one could quite define it. So we helped them unpack what was really going on:

• Unclear decision rights
• Too many committees for too many decisions
• Outdated knowledge-sharing systems
• Manual processes slowing everything down

We visualized the findings in a “bureaucracy tree” to connect the dots. That clarity helped leaders prioritize where to focus first. And that’s when momentum returned.

The power of pivotal moments

The breakthrough didn’t start with a bold new initiative. It started with a shift in focus—from broad ideas to specific moments.

We worked with leaders to identify the everyday situations where culture is shaped and signaled: subtle, unscripted moments that reflect what’s truly expected and rewarded.

• A decision point with no obvious answer: do we act, or wait for perfection?
• A team member hesitates: do we jump in to solve, or create space for them to step up?

When leaders could name these moments, they could begin to shape them—making small, deliberate choices that sent a different signal. These weren’t one-time actions. They were repeatable patterns, practiced consistently.

And they’re just as available to you. Start by asking: where are the moments I tend to default to safety, silence, or control? And how could I begin to respond differently to shift the story?

Breaking old habits and building new ones

With these pivotal moments in mind, the leadership team reflected on their own patterns. How were they showing up? What were they reinforcing?

They focused on three shifts:

1. Stop reinforcing slow, complex decision-making
2. Start modeling clarity, ownership, and speed
3. Shift systems that quietly rewarded caution over empowerment

These weren’t abstract goals. They were grounded in real behaviors:

• How many people are involved in a decision?
• Are roles and responsibilities clear?
• Are our tools helping—or slowing us down?

By focusing on what people could see, track, and practice, change became tangible. It gave people something to act on—and believe in.

Scaling change through experimentation

The organization didn’t treat culture change as a campaign. They treated it as a learning process.

Top leaders ran small, coordinated experiments—turning abstract values into visible behaviors.

In one experiment, leaders committed to returning authority to managers who had “delegated decisions up” to them. In another, they redefined decision rights to cut through ambiguity and accelerate action.

These weren’t pilots. They were deliberate repetitions of new behaviors, designed to build muscle memory across the organization.

The results:

• Decisions moved faster
• Long-stalled initiatives were shut down
• A new product feature launched in half the usual time
• Employees reported feeling more empowered and accountable

If you’re wondering what this could look like for your organization, start here: What’s one behavior you could test out—or let go of—for a week? What’s one decision you could delegate? One moment you could coach instead of solve?

That’s how momentum builds—quietly, visibly, and fast.

Four common patterns to surface

Now that you’ve seen how small cultural habits shape (or stall) strategy, the next step is to spot where those habits are hiding in your organization. Here are four patterns we often see when momentum is missing—along with what they may be signaling.

Element of Culture What It Shapes What It Might Look Like Today Why It Might Be Time to Rethink Decision making Speed, ownership, and accountability Teams slow down not because the path is unclear, but because they’re unsure who’s empowered to choose it. Decisions stall in ambiguity—or escalate unnecessarily. Legacy approval structures often reflect yesterday’s risks. Today’s pace requires alignment over consensus, and trust in judgment at every level. Meeting norms Focus, decision velocity, and participation Meetings are packed with updates, but few decisions get made. Real conversations happen in sidebars—after the meeting ends. When meetings become status dumps, they signal that the real work happens elsewhere. Reclaim meetings for collaboration and visible decisions to shift how teams show up—and move with more speed. Leadership modeling Credibility and cultural integrity Leaders talk about agility or empowerment—but in high-stakes moments, default to control, caution, or top-down decisions. Culture isn’t shaped by slides—it’s shaped by what leaders do when it counts. If words and actions diverge, people follow the behavior. Find misalignments and try a new tack. Feedback Learning, adaptability, and momentum Leaders see something misaligned—but let it go to avoid discomfort or protect relationships. Feedback is delayed, diluted, or disappears. Without feedback, small misalignments calcify. Cultures that learn fast don’t wait—they normalize feedback as a lever for shared growth.

Which one shows up most in your team? That’s your next pivotal moment.

Shining a flashlight on your invisible “monsters”

When it comes to culture, the hardest part is often what you can’t see—or don’t know how to name.

Think back to childhood. Most of us, at some point, were convinced there was a monster in the closet or under the bed. In the dark, a pile of clothes becomes something menacing. A shadow turns into something to fear.

But then the light comes on. You see clearly. The fear fades. What once felt huge and scary becomes harmless—even a little silly.

That’s what culture can feel like inside an organization. Bureaucracy. Resistance. Complexity. These forces seem big and hard to define. They slow us down and sap momentum. But more often than not, they’re just old habits and assumptions lurking in the dark.

When leaders learn to spot the subtle, pivotal moments that shape behavior, they turn the light on. What felt intangible becomes specific. What felt impossible becomes actionable.

You don’t need a total reinvention. You need clarity—a way to see what’s really happening and where to shift, simply and deliberately.

When to bring in reinforcement

Not every culture challenge needs an outside partner. But some moments call for reinforcement—especially when change needs to stick at scale.

At BTS, we help organizations turn invisible cultural friction into visible forward motion. Whether you’re shaping a new strategy, integrating after a merger, or building a leadership culture that unlocks ownership—we help leaders shift from insight to impact.

Here are a few signs it might be time to partner:

• You’ve named the strategy—but execution keeps stalling.
• You see the issues—but can’t align on how to shift behaviors.
• Leaders are bought in intellectually, but behavior hasn’t changed.
• Teams say the right things—but culture feels stuck in old habits.

If you’re facing one of these moments, it’s not a failure—it’s a signal. The good news? You don’t have to tackle it alone.

Let’s talk about what it would take to move from insight to sustained culture change.

AI is reshaping how organizations think about go-to-market

Tools are smarter. Content is easier to produce. Execution feels faster than ever.

But for many teams, something’s still off.

Growth is sluggish. Sales cycles feel stuck. Content isn’t landing. Leaders keep asking for more—but what they really need is better.

Because that’s the trap: when performance plateaus, many companies start adding. More tools. More messaging. More campaigns. More enablement.

It feels like progress. But often, it’s just motion—without momentum.

The most effective GTM leaders are starting to realize that the answer isn’t more. It’s better execution of the right strategy—with the right people, at the right moments.

That simple shift in thinking changes everything.

The illusion of progress: When “more” feels like a solution

The allure of AI is that it removes friction. It gives teams the ability to move fast and produce at scale. That’s a gift—but also a risk.

When growth slows, it’s tempting to flood the system with content and activity. New talk tracks. New sequences. New assets. More volume, more reach, more automation.

But if the fundamentals aren’t sound, you’re just amplifying misalignment.

Without a clear GTM strategy at the center, that content doesn’t connect. Sellers don’t know how to use it. Customers don’t know what to do with it. And suddenly your teams are working harder—but not driving real results.

Better is about focus—not flash

The most mature GTM teams aren’t chasing complexity. They’re pursuing clarity.

They start by asking sharper questions:

• What do our top sellers already do well—and how do we scale that behavior?
• Where are we falling short in executing on our strategy?
• What’s the one thing we need to get right before we try to scale?

These questions drive focus. And that focus turns strategy from theory into traction.

When enablement and marketing efforts ladder up to a shared GTM playbook, capability building becomes a multiplier—not an afterthought. It’s not about equipping people with more—it’s about helping them execute what matters most.

AI doesn’t replace alignment—it accelerates it.

AI should enhance execution, not distract from it

Used well, it can help teams personalize outreach, generate insights, and build assets faster. But AI doesn’t tell you what to say, who to target, or why your message matters. That still requires a well-defined GTM strategy, strong customer understanding, and aligned messaging.

And most importantly, it requires talent that’s equipped to bring it all to life.

AI won’t fix a disconnected team or a fragmented customer experience. It will just help you scale the wrong things faster—unless your foundation is strong.

Don’t scale what you haven’t nailed

Before you double down on more, ask yourself: have we nailed the fundamentals?

• Do our sellers understand the buyer’s real problems?
• Is our messaging consistent, clear, and rooted in our value proposition?
• Are our commercial teams aligned around shared motions and moments?

If the answer is “not yet,” then adding more tools or content won’t move the needle. In fact, it might make things worse—by creating clutter, confusion, and competing signals in the field.

The real leverage comes when you pause and invest in better execution. That’s what makes strategy stick.

The risk of “more”

• Misalignment between strategy and execution
• Content that’s produced, but not used
• A GTM engine that’s busy, but not effective

The upside of “better”

• Teams focused on the right moments that matter
• Capability building that drives real business outcomes
• A GTM motion that feels clear, confident, and connected

Where to go from here

AI is not going away—and it shouldn’t. But it’s time to get intentional about how you use it. Not to create more noise, but to sharpen your signal.

That starts with strategy. With execution. With talent.

And most of all—with clarity.

Because in a world of infinite GTM choices, better is your competitive edge. It’s what separates teams that deliver impact from teams that deliver volume.

So don’t start with more. Start with better.

P R E S S R E L E A S E
Stockholm, May 5, 2025

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – BTS Group AB (publ), a leading global consultancy specializing in strategy execution, change, and people development, has agreed to acquire Nexo Pesquisa e Consultoria Ltda., Nexo, a boutique consulting firm headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil.

Nexo has been growing continuously since it was founded in 2017. With revenues of approximately 12 million Brazilian Reales (approx. 2.1 million USD) in 2024, and a highly capable team of 21 members, Nexo has built a strong reputation for delivering transformative projects in strategy, innovation, leadership, and culture.

Nexo collaborates with a great portfolio of clients across sectors such as financial services, consumer goods, and technology, assisting both local and global companies in navigating uncertainty, unlocking creativity, and activating strategy through people. Their work encompasses culture transformation, leadership development, employer value proposition, innovation culture, and vision alignment – supported by proprietary methodologies and frameworks.

BTS currently operates in Brazil servicing both local and multinational clients with a team of 13 employees. By acquiring Nexo, BTS not only increases the Group’s footprint in Brazil but also adds significant capabilities in culture and transformation services. Nexo’s client base has limited overlap with BTS, creating strong growth potential and synergy opportunities.

“Nexo is known for helping leaders and organizations tackle some of the most complex, human-centered challenges with creativity, empathy, and strategic clarity and the Nexo team is loved by their clients,” says Philios Andreou, Deputy CEO of BTS Group and President of the Other Markets Unit. “Their products and services complement and elevate our existing offerings, especially in culture transformation, and we are thrilled to welcome the Nexo team to BTS.”

“We’re excited to join BTS. We’ve long admired BTS’s approach and unique portfolio to support large organizations and leaders in connecting strategy with culture across the organization,” says Andreas Auerbach, co founder of Nexo. “Becoming part of BTS, allows us to scale our impact and bring more value to our clients while staying true to our values and culture,” adds Mariana Lage Andrade, co-founder of Nexo.

Upon completion of the transaction, Nexo’s business and organization will merge with BTS Brazil. Nexo’s founders will assume senior management roles in the joint operation.

The acquisition includes a limited initial cash consideration. Additional purchase price considerations will be paid between 2026 and 2028, provided Nexo meets specific performance targets. A limited portion of any such additional purchase price considerations will be paid in newly issued BTS shares. The transaction is effective immediately.

BTS’s acquisition strategy continues to focus on broadening our service portfolio, expanding our geographic reach, and enhancing our capabilities to support future organic growth in a fragmented market.

For more information, please contact:
Philios Andreou
Deputy CEO
BTS Group AB
philios.andreou@bts.com

Michael Wallin
Head of investor relations
BTS Group AB
michael.wallin@bts.com
+46-8-587 070 02
+46-708-78 80 19

‍

PRESS RELEASE

Stockholm, May 5, 2025

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN — BTS Group AB (publ), a leading global consultancy specializing in strategy execution, change, and people development, has agreed to acquire Nexo Pesquisa e Consultoria Ltda. (Nexo), a boutique consulting firm headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil.

Nexo has been growing continuously since it was founded in 2017. With revenues of approximately 12 million Brazilian Reales (about 2.1 million USD) in 2024, and a highly capable team of 21 members, Nexo has built a strong reputation for delivering transformative projects in strategy, innovation, leadership, and culture.

Nexo collaborates with a diverse portfolio of clients across sectors such as financial services, consumer goods, and technology, assisting both local and global companies in navigating uncertainty, unlocking creativity, and activating strategy through people. Their work encompasses culture transformation, leadership development, employer value proposition, innovation culture, and vision alignment—supported by proprietary methodologies and frameworks.

BTS currently operates in Brazil, servicing both local and multinational clients with a team of 13 employees. By acquiring Nexo, BTS not only increases the Group’s footprint in Brazil but also adds significant capabilities in culture and transformation services. Nexo’s client base has limited overlap with BTS, creating strong growth potential and synergy opportunities.

“Nexo is known for helping leaders and organizations tackle some of the most complex, human-centered challenges with creativity, empathy, and strategic clarity, and the Nexo team is loved by their clients,” says Philios Andreou, Deputy CEO of BTS Group and President of the Other Markets Unit. “Their products and services complement and elevate our existing offerings, especially in culture transformation, and we are thrilled to welcome the Nexo team to BTS.”

“We’re excited to join BTS. We’ve long admired BTS’s approach and unique portfolio to support large organizations and leaders in connecting strategy with culture across the organization,” says Andreas Auerbach, co-founder of Nexo. “Becoming part of BTS allows us to scale our impact and bring more value to our clients while staying true to our values and culture,” adds Mariana Lage Andrade, co-founder of Nexo.

Upon completion of the transaction, Nexo’s business and organization will merge with BTS Brazil. Nexo’s founders will assume senior management roles in the joint operation.

The acquisition includes a limited initial cash consideration. Additional purchase-price considerations will be paid between 2026 and 2028, provided Nexo meets specific performance targets. A limited portion of any such additional considerations will be paid in newly issued BTS shares. The transaction is effective immediately.

BTS’s acquisition strategy continues to focus on broadening its service portfolio, expanding geographic reach, and enhancing capabilities to support future organic growth in a fragmented market.

For more information, please contact:

Philios Andreou
Deputy CEO
BTS Group AB
philios.andreou@bts.com

Michael Wallin
Head of Investor Relations
BTS Group AB
michael.wallin@bts.com
+46-8-587 070 02
+46-708-78 80 19

In late 2023, we set out to answer a question we kept hearing from clients:

How do you prepare for what’s next—when “next” keeps changing?

That question has only become more urgent in 2025. Today’s leaders are navigating rapid shifts—from AI’s integration into nearly every role to volatile markets and a growing disconnect between employee expectations and organizational readiness. Planning feels harder than ever—because the future keeps accelerating while our tools and assumptions stay anchored in the past.

Too often, strategic planning is built on outdated logic: start with what’s already in motion, layer on incremental improvements, and forecast trends forward. But in today’s environment, that approach isn’t just ineffective—it’s risky. It reinforces legacy thinking. It prioritizes what’s easy over what’s essential. And it creates strategies built for a version of the world that no longer exists.

That’s why we took a different approach. We gathered a team of I/O psychologists, academics, and senior talent leaders—not to react to trends, but to reimagine what the future of talent, leadership, and learning might truly demand.

To guide the process, we used a method we often apply with clients: future-back thinking.

What is future-back thinking?

Future-back thinking flips traditional strategy. Rather than starting with today’s constraints, it begins with a bold vision of future success—and works backward to define what it will take to get there.

This approach helped us look past short-term pressures and surface deeper signals. It made the future feel more actionable—and more human.

It also reminded us why innovation is so rare: Most organizations are wired to protect what’s familiar. We prioritize feasibility, optimize what exists, and assume continuity. In uncertain times, we tweak around the edges instead of reimagining what’s possible.

Future-back thinking breaks that cycle. It turns ambiguity into alignment—and strategy into design.

It starts with a better question:

What will the future demand—and what will we wish we’d done sooner?

Because it’s not about being right. It’s about being ready.

Five bold predictions—and how they became reality

When we applied future-back thinking to the future of talent and learning, five provocative themes emerged. Each was grounded in signals we were already starting to see—but at the time, they felt ambitious.

We captured them in our original blog, Navigating the New Dawn of Talent Strategy—a look at what might shape how organizations attract, develop, and lead talent over the next 3–5 years.

Now, just two years later, those signals have become strategy. Here’s how the predictions stack up against today’s reality:

1. Skills × jobs (the remix)

Then: We predicted that rigid job architectures would give way to more fluid, capability-based models—ones that reflect how people actually grow and how business needs evolve.

Now: That shift is well underway. Many organizations have begun redesigning roles around transferable skills and capabilities, creating more dynamic paths for growth, mobility, and performance.

2. AI-powered learning

Then: We anticipated GenAI would unlock personalized, real-time learning at scale, integrated into the flow of work.

Now: GenAI is now embedded in many organizations’ learning ecosystems—powering smart coaching, adaptive learning paths, and knowledge retrieval in the flow of work.

3. Diversity as differentiation

Then: We forecasted a shift from DEI as a compliance mandate to DEI as a core driver of innovation, adaptability, and growth.

Now: High-performing organizations are building cognitive and cultural diversity into teams, treating it as a strategic advantage—not a checkbox.

4. AI as a leadership partner

Then: We imagined a future where AI would augment—not replace—leaders, supporting better decisions, planning, and communication.

Now: That’s exactly what’s happening. Leaders are using AI to model scenarios, synthesize insights, and communicate with more speed and clarity.

5. Decentralized, human-centric leadership

Then: We projected leadership would decentralize, moving closer to the front line and defined by mindset more than title.

Now: Leading organizations are scaling leadership behaviors across levels and embedding psychological safety, inclusion, and empowerment into day-to-day work.

These predictions weren’t about chasing trends. They were about imagining what the future might require—and preparing for it before it arrived.

That’s the power of future-back thinking: it doesn’t just forecast change. It helps leaders design for it.

Start thinking differently now

Most strategic plans start by looking around—at what exists, what’s already in motion, what feels feasible. But the brain doesn’t just collect data. It builds habits. It channels information into familiar paths. And it reinforces what it already knows.

That’s good for speed. But bad for imagination.

Future-back thinking challenges that. It deliberately disrupts those neural paths. Instead of adjusting today’s structures, it starts at the endpoint: a bold future state. Then it reverse-engineers the shifts required to get there.

This shift—from refining the familiar to reimagining what’s possible—is what organizations need now.

Here are three provocations to help you start:

1. What assumptions are we treating as facts? The most dangerous limits are the ones we no longer see.
2. What would someone from a completely different world do? (A customer, a child, Beyoncé?) Try role-storming to unlock new angles.
3. What if we had no legacy systems to maintain—what would we build from scratch? Imagine a blank slate.

These questions aren’t just creative warm-ups. They help you unstick your strategy from old grooves—and build what’s essential.

Because in a world that’s constantly changing, the biggest risk isn’t getting it wrong. It’s staying stuck.

How BTS helps leaders and teams think beyond today

Our brains—even at their most capable—get stuck in “rivers of thinking,” defaulting to what feels safe instead of what the future demands.

At BTS, we help organizations break that cycle.

Future-back thinking is more than a framework—it’s a provocation. A way to disrupt habitual planning, reframe challenges, and design from a place of possibility.

We work with leaders and teams to:

• Break from old patterns by surfacing the assumptions quietly guiding decisions
• Align around vivid, future-state scenarios that challenge status-quo thinking
• Role-storm bold ideas into strategic options that unlock creativity
• Simulate future decisions to build confidence and agility
• Build the mindsets and capabilities your strategy requires

Because the real risk isn’t change. It’s standing still.

Too often, organizations invest time and energy planning for a version of the world that no longer exists. They reinforce legacy mindsets, delay bold moves, and miss the moment.

Future-back thinking offers a way out. It gives leaders a structured way to reimagine what’s possible, align teams around the future, and start building toward it—now.

Let’s build what’s next—together. Learn how we help organizations prepare for the future.

Every now and then, a wave of disruption comes along that doesn’t just change how business gets done—it redefines the competitive landscape entirely. For sales organizations today, that wave is artificial intelligence.

AI is already transforming the way customers discover, evaluate, and engage with brands. It’s influencing how sellers interact with buyers, how leaders allocate resources, and how companies build their go-to-market (GTM) strategies.

And yet—despite its accelerating impact—many organizations are reacting like it’s a curiosity. A useful new tool. Something to keep an eye on. But we’ve been here before.

This isn’t a brand-new story. It’s a sequel.

In the early 2000s, eCommerce entered the scene. Most brands treated it like an experiment—a digital side hustle to support their brick-and-mortar core. The assumptions were:

• Customers will mostly still shop in-store.
• Online sales might grow, but not enough to upend our model.
• There’s time.

And then? Amazon scaled. Shopify democratized. Mobile-first experiences changed consumer expectations almost overnight. Suddenly, the store wasn’t the primary channel—the screen was. Brands that treated eCommerce as “just a tool” didn’t just lose market share. Some lost relevance entirely.

We’re seeing the same signals today with AI.

Like eCommerce in its early days, AI is being mischaracterized as incremental. Leaders are thinking in point solutions—an AI assistant here, a smarter dashboard there—when the shift is system-wide.

The danger is in treating AI like a feature, when in reality, it’s a forcing function. It’s not just about what you sell—it’s about how your entire commercial engine works.

Sales teams are already at the center of the shift

Sales organizations sit on the front lines of this transformation. They’re already seeing how AI can:

• Accelerate pipeline generation
• Sharpen targeting and forecasting
• Personalize engagement at scale

But while many are experimenting, few are reorganizing their GTM strategies around the new reality.

This is where forward-thinking leaders are getting ahead:

• They’re moving from enablement to reinvention.
• They’re embedding AI not as a feature, but as a capability that reshapes how teams compete and grow.

The real impact comes from connection, not addition

We’re seeing this play out in real time. The most effective sales transformations are happening not through standalone capability building, but through integrated change. As Jason Davis puts it, “The most valuable transformations aren’t about adding new capabilities in isolation—they happen when capability building is tied directly to go-to-market methodology and initiative execution.”

Said another way: It’s not about piling on new technologies—it’s about weaving AI into the core of how your commercial engine operates. When AI is embedded into the systems and processes that already drive performance—target setting, customer engagement, deal qualification, seller coaching—it becomes a force multiplier. It enables organizations to execute smarter, faster, and more consistently across the board.

Start small, learn fast, move forward

You don’t need to overhaul everything at once.

Just like the eCommerce shift didn’t happen in a quarter, becoming an AI-enabled sales organization is a journey. But it’s one that starts with momentum.

Teams that thrived during the last disruption didn’t wait for perfect clarity:

• They ran pilots.
• They iterated fast.
• They learned faster.

That same mindset applies today. Start by identifying friction points in your GTM system:

• Where could AI create lift?
• Where can you test, learn, and adapt?

Momentum matters more than perfection. The speed at which you learn and change will be a critical differentiator.

The cost of inaction is real

As AI becomes the new baseline for high-performance sales organizations, the cost of doing nothing will compound quickly. Teams that delay risk being left behind—not just by their competitors, but by their customers, whose expectations are already shifting.

Buyers are already experiencing what AI can deliver: greater personalization, faster responsiveness, and more intelligent solutions. Organizations that don’t evolve in parallel will increasingly feel out of step with the market.

Sales leaders who recognize this shift early—and who take deliberate steps to reimagine their GTM strategies through an AI lens—will stay competitive, and they’ll help define what great looks like in the next era of commercial excellence.

Feedback is one of the most powerful tools a leader has, shaping both individual and organizational culture. Yet, despite its value, it’s often met with apprehension—seen as judgment rather than an opportunity. Instead of fueling growth, it can create tension, leaving recipients feeling exposed and defensive.

This reaction is natural. Feedback touches on identity, competence, and self-worth. When framed as a verdict rather than an insight, it sparks defensiveness instead of openness. But what if feedback wasn’t about judgment? What if it was a tool for gathering better data—both for the recipient and the leader?

When leaders make feedback a habit, not a performance review, they gain sharper insights, model continuous improvement, and create a culture where learning thrives. The shift from evaluation to empowerment turns feedback into fuel for growth. And at the heart of this shift? Curiosity.

Leading in a MESSY world: Why feedback matters more than ever

Leaders today operate in constant disruption and complexity. They must move beyond assumptions and seek new perspectives. At BTS, we call this operating in a MESSY world:

• M – Making sense of the broader ecosystem
• E – Establishing emotional connections to build trust
• S – Seizing momentum to stay ahead
• S – Sensing the future amid uncertainty
• Y – Yielding ego to create space for others to grow

Feedback is critical in helping leaders navigate these challenges. It’s not just a tool for correction but a catalyst for innovation and collaboration. But without structure, feedback can fall flat. That’s where the AFIRM Model comes in.

Reframing feedback: From evaluation to exploration

Great feedback moves beyond transaction into mutual discovery. When leaders model effective feedback, they foster deeper connections and unlock insights that drive performance.

Curiosity plays a crucial role in this transformation. When leaders approach feedback with genuine curiosity—asking open-ended questions and actively listening—they shift conversations from critique to shared learning. Curiosity also provides leaders with better data on how they show up, helping them refine their approach and model the kind of feedback culture they want to create.

Balancing feedback with efficiency is essential. The AFIRM Model provides a structured approach that makes feedback actionable and constructive while keeping curiosity at the center.

Structure feedback for impact with the AFIRM model

AFIRM enables structured yet flexible conversations—ensuring feedback drives results. It provides a roadmap for leaders to create meaningful, productive discussions that foster growth and accountability. Here’s how it works:

A – Agenda

Set clear intentions. Define the purpose and desired outcomes upfront. A prepared conversation leads to honest, productive dialogue and signals that feedback is a shared responsibility rather than a one-sided critique.

F – Facts, Observations, Evidence

Keep it objective. Base feedback on data and observations to minimize bias. Stay neutral and constructive. Providing fact-based feedback ensures conversations remain focused and prevents emotional reactions that derail progress.

Curiosity fosters deeper dialogue—ask questions, seek perspectives, and pave the way for growth. Instead of assuming why something happened, ask “What led to this?” or “What challenges were you facing?” to create space for honest reflection.

I – Impact

Clarify effects. Who was affected? What were the consequences? Centering feedback on impact builds trust and accountability. Highlighting the broader implications helps individuals understand why feedback matters and how their actions contribute to team success.

R – Request

Co-create a path forward. Define actionable, SMART next steps (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound). Encourage collaboration by asking “How do you think we can move forward?” or “What support do you need?” Keeping the dialogue open ensures accountability while fostering autonomy.

M – Mutuality

Feedback is a partnership. Success requires shared ownership and commitment to growth. A strong feedback culture thrives when both parties see feedback as a two-way street—leaders should also invite input on how they can better support and enable success. Take time to ask “What feedback do you have for me?” to reinforce that feedback is a mutual learning process.

Creating feedback-driven growth

Imagine an organization where feedback fuels engagement and connection. When framed as a tool for growth rather than judgment, conversations shift from evaluation to exploration. Everyone is on the same team, with the same goals.

Great leaders don’t just give feedback—they seek it, reflect on it, and use it to sharpen their approach. By modeling curiosity and making feedback a daily habit, they foster a culture where feedback is normal, constructive, and empowering.

Feedback isn’t about fixing. It’s about discovering what’s possible. By approaching it as a shared learning opportunity, we move from judgment to collaboration, growth, and transformation.

What’s one question you could ask today to spark a meaningful feedback conversation?

In today’s fast-paced business world, developing leaders who can navigate complexity, inspire teams, and deliver results is more critical than ever. Yet, traditional training methods often fall short in addressing the scale, personalization, and immediacy required to create lasting change. AI-powered practice bots are emerging as a transformative solution, offering leaders unparalleled opportunities to practice, grow, and improve—faster and more effectively than ever before.

Feedback with precision and accessibility

Feedback is the cornerstone of leadership development. However, research from Gallup reveals that only 26% of employees strongly agree that the feedback they receive improves their performance. Feedback all too often misses the mark, because it is too vague, infrequent and not relevant to the job at hand. AI practice bots address this gap by providing instant, objective, and actionable feedback through simulated conversations. Well trained practice bots, armed with leading-edge, business-specific knowledge on the critical skills needed for leaders, offer the most valuable simulated conversations, and the most accurate feedback.These bots mimic real-world scenarios such as performance reviews, stakeholder negotiations, and high-stakes presentations. Leaders gain immediate insights into their communication style, areas for improvement, and actionable next steps—all without the need for scheduled coaching sessions.Moreover, AI expands access to high-quality feedback across all levels of leadership. No longer confined by time, geography, or resource constraints, organizations can now equip every leader with the tools they need to grow. This scalability ensures consistent, equitable development opportunities while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

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Limitless practice for deeper growth

Behavioral change is built through deliberate practice, yet many traditional training programs provide limited opportunities for leaders to apply what they’ve learned. A study from the American Psychological Association (APA) highlights that repetitive, focused practice is essential for mastering new skills.AI bots remove barriers to practice by offering leaders unlimited chances to rehearse critical conversations, test new approaches, and refine their strategies. Whether delivering constructive feedback, managing conflict, or influencing stakeholders, leaders can practice important conversations without fear of judgment or failure.Available 24/7, these bots integrate development into daily routines, accelerating skill acquisition and embedding new behaviors. The result is not only faster growth but also greater confidence and readiness to tackle complex challenges.

Amplifying human insight through AI

AI bots enhance leadership development not by replacing human expertise but by amplifying it. They excel at handling repetitive, data-driven tasks such as providing feedback and tracking performance trends. However, the role of human insight—through coaching, mentorship, and relationship building—remains irreplaceable.According to Deloitte, organizations that combine AI-powered tools with human-led learning experiences see a 33% increase in effectiveness. AI provides the structure and scalability to ensure consistent development, while human experts bring empathy, context, and nuance to guide leaders on their unique journeys.This synergy between technology and human insight accelerates individual growth while creating a ripple effect across organizations. Leaders not only develop the skills they need to excel but also inspire their teams and drive meaningful cultural change.

‍Transforming leadership development with AI practice bots

AI practice bots enhance leadership development by:

• Delivering precise, personalized feedback: Instant insights empower leaders to grow faster and with greater clarity.
• Offering unlimited opportunities to practice: Leaders can refine critical skills anytime, embedding growth into their daily routines.
• Providing data-driven insights: Bots analyze performance trends across leaders within an organization to inform targeted training strategies.
• Scaling impactful learning: Accessible to leaders across geographies and roles, AI ensures consistent and equitable development opportunities.

By enabling leaders to practice more, grow faster, and lead with confidence, AI-powered bots are transforming leadership development—one conversation at a time.Discover how AI practice bots can enhance your leadership strategy and deliver lasting results.

Explore the AI Practice Bot Offering Here

P R E S S  R E L E A S E

Stockholm, March 3, 2025

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – BTS Group AB (publ), a leading global consultancy specializing in strategy execution, change, and people development, has agreed to acquire Sounding Board, a technology-based leader in scalable, high-impact coaching solutions driving transformational leadership development.

“With this acquisition, BTS can leapfrog its current technology and operations with the integration of a team and platform that is considerably more productive and ready-to-scale globally than our current technology. The acquisition allows us to create and take to market a very differentiated offering and to faster expand BTS’ current USD 40 million coaching services, taking advantage of the growing USD 7 billion coaching market, and to increase our margins,” says Jessica Skon, CEO of BTS Group.

Founded by Christine Tao and Lori Mazan in 2016, Sounding Board is a silicon-valley based start-up with USD 7 million in scaled coaching revenue in 2024, delivered through the company’s proprietary technology platform. With over USD 45 million in capital invested in its technology, Sounding Board has pioneered a modern, proprietary platform to fully meet a company’s scaled coaching needs. The addition of Sounding Board’s coach network will create a combined BTS network of 700 credentialled coaches with global reach.

The acquisition is expected to have a slightly positive impact on EBITA in 2025 and a positive impact on both earnings and margins in 2026.

Sounding Board is differentiated in the market with a unified software platform for coaching that can be utilized for both external and internal coaching and mentoring programs. With a track record of high client retention, a global network of expert coaches, and a data-driven approach to leadership transformation, Sounding Board has been taking market share with its scalable coaching solution offerings. With future support from BTS global account managers and access to BTS’ global client base, the acquisition will be a pivotal moment for both firms to continue their mission together.

“Sounding Board’s innovative coaching platform, efficient and scalable operating model, combined with both firms’ global reach of world class, consistent top 5 percent coaches, is exactly what our clients have been asking for. They are tired of inconsistent coaching quality from competitors and platforms that don’t reinforce their organization’s unique strategy and culture,” concludes Katrin Mulford, BTS Partner and Global Head of Coaching.

"We are joining BTS to amplify and accelerate our impact,"

said Christine Tao, Co-founder and CEO of Sounding Board.

"BTS’s global reach, broader leader development solutions, industry-leading simulations, and AI-based coaching and practice for strategic plays and culture shifts, are exactly the additional tools clients are looking for to complement our coaching. Together, we will redefine how companies prepare their people, deliver ongoing change at scale, and develop leaders who drive transformation."

“Joining forces, we will simultaneously drive growth and win market share within coaching, fortifying our reputation in making strategy personal, while also driving automation and efficiencies for our clients and in our operations as we scale. By replacing our platform with theirs, the handling of all the steps in the coaching process will become significantly more effective, from scheduling to coaching to insights and billing. It will be easier, faster, and less resource intensive to manage large programs with tens of thousands of leaders. In addition, Sounding Board’s operating model will serve as an example inside BTS as a more tech-forward way of working,”

adds Jessica Skon.

The acquisition includes a limited initial cash consideration as well as additional purchase price considerations paid between 2025 and 2028, provided the acquired business meets specific targets during that period. The transaction is expected to close as soon as the completion procedures have been finalized, which are expected in March.

BTS's strategy for acquisitions aims to create a broader base for future organic growth while actively consolidating in a highly fragmented market. Through its acquisitions, BTS seeks to serve new and existing customers with innovative services.

‍For more information, please contact:

BTS Group AB
Jessica Skon, CEO
+1 (415) 203 1760

Michael Wallin, Head of investor relations
‍michael.wallin@bts.com
‍+46-8-58 70 70 02
+46-708-78 80 19

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In today’s rapidly changing world, leaders must foster environments where open dialogue, trust, and innovation thrive. But are "safe spaces" enough? In this article published in the Winter 2025 issue of Rotman Management, Andrew Atkins explores how leaders can move beyond comfort to create braver spaces—ones that encourage authenticity, diverse perspectives, and meaningful change.Discover the seven dimensions that define conversational spaces, the pitfalls of toxic and overly safe environments, and ten actionable strategies to cultivate braver conversations in your organization.

• Learn how braver conversations drive innovation and collaboration.
• Understand why "safe spaces" can limit growth and honest dialogue.
• Get practical tips to create a culture of trust, engagement, and psychological safety.

Ready to transform your team’s conversations? Download the full article now. (This article appears in Rotman Management Winter 2025.)

5 make-or-break moments that shape the success (or failure) of Mergers and Acquisitions

Analysts say 2025 will be the year that the multi-trillion-dollar Mergers and Acquisition floodgates will open once again.

For us at BTS, these key moments are an exciting opportunity to witness how strategy, culture and leadership play together. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) represent some of the highest-stakes decisions an organization can make. Analysts scrutinize billion-dollar deals, executives promise ambitious synergy targets, and employees at all levels must adapt to new realities that are often thrust upon them. The success of your integration doesn’t just depend on strategy—it hinges on the ability of thousands of individuals to embrace new teams, tools, structures, and ways of working.

The human side of integration is often underestimated, yet plays a crucial role in the success or failure of mergers and acquisitions.  

Recent research shows that 70% of successful M&A deals involved a proactive approach to managing cultural differences.  

Why? Beneath the surface, overlooked factors such as differing beliefs, cultural tensions, and a lack of real strategic alignment often derail even the best-laid plans. From years of guiding organizations through these transformations, we’ve identified five make-or-break moments that define whether an acquisition thrives—or falls short.

1. The “first impression” moment

When two companies come together, senior leaders often reduce first impressions to oversimplified assumptions: “They’re just like us” or “We share the same customer-first mentality.” While these statements may calm initial concerns, they often ignore deeper operational and cultural differences that can create friction later.  

• ‍An example: A communications company acquiring a company of similar size to expand their portfolio and reach. Both claimed to be “customer-centric,” but their definitions were fundamentally different. The organization being acquired prioritized the customer no matter the cost, while the acquiring company prioritized the customer within clear economic boundaries. This subtle but critical difference nearly derailed key decisions in customer crisis moments, where both organizations’ approaches clashed.

At BTS, we’ve seen success when organizations use a more thorough and objective culture diagnostic early in the M&A process to get ahead of possible differences like these, surfacing how work actually gets done, rather than providing a commentary on employee sentiment. Differences can then be worked through proactively before real customer value is on the line.  

2. The “communicating the deal rationale” moment

Acquisitions are ripe with uncertainty, especially for employees of the acquired company, who often fear layoffs or cultural upheaval. Without clear communication of the reasons behind the merger, mistrust can take root, damaging morale and productivity.  

• ‍An example: An oil and gas company learned this the hard way during its acquisition of a smaller regional competitor. Despite leadership's intent to streamline and grow operations in the region, employees of the acquired company assumed the deal was purely to squeeze out cost and sell it to the highest bidder. Distrust spread quickly, undermining cooperation and progress. ‍
• Another example: In contrast, a technology company that made a large acquisition took a radically transparent approach. Leaders engaged employees from both organizations early, co-creating a narrative that focused on shaping the future together and emphasizing shared innovation goals. By addressing concerns directly and collaboratively, they built buy-in and enthusiasm on both sides, setting the stage for a seamless transition.

3. The “bringing senior teams together” moment

Initial meetings between teams from merging companies are often fraught with tension. Often, the bias many leaders have towards action leads to a singular focus on tactical planning—hammering out integration checklists and deliverables—while overlooking the human dynamics in the room.

• ‍An example: In one case, two food and beverage companies merging to take advantage of their complementary product portfolios approached their first meeting with a different focus. Instead of diving straight into strategy, the leadership teams spent the first day exploring cultural alignment, discussing their values and histories, and building personal connections.
  
  This intentional shift paid dividends. As one CEO later remarked, “If we hadn’t started with the culture and leadership conversation, we never would have made so much progress on our strategy.” By fostering trust and understanding, the two teams created a foundation for productive collaboration and accelerated progress on their shared goals.

4. The “let’s activate new ways of working” moment

Senior leaders can align on a vision, but translating it into daily actions across thousands of employees is where integrations often stumble. Over-reliance on one-way communication—announcements and emails—leaves employees unclear on how to work together.

• ‍An example: A biopharma company that acquired a tech firm to enhance patient outcomes was clear about the rationale for the acquisition, but did not spend enough time working through what this combined organization would look like in execution. Two years later, both organizations were still operating as two separate units, unable to deliver on their shared vision. ‍
• Another example: In contrast, a global manufacturing company took a proactive approach during its acquisition. Leaders hosted cross-functional workshops, guiding employees through real-world collaboration scenarios. These sessions surfaced key operational gaps and helped teams align on practical ways to achieve their vision. As a result, integration accelerated, and the combined teams quickly launched a suite of new, co-developed products.

5. The “turning resistance into momentum” moment

As an integration progresses, some organizations try to quickly get to “business as usual”. Senior leaders, who typically have had more time to get ‘on the bus’ of the integration are often keen to move on from the integration. While this impulse is understandable, the challenge is that ceasing to pay attention to evolving dynamics and culture challenges can cause leaders to ignore small signals that can ultimately foreshadow bigger problems. Indeed, proactively seeking out and engaging with resistance can unlock new potential for growth.

• ‍An example: Consider a software company that acquired a cloud-services provider to expand its portfolio. Early friction arose as teams struggled to reconcile their differing approaches to customer support. Instead of letting the tension fester, the leadership teams paused, brought the issues to the surface, and co-created a new customer engagement model.
  
  By openly addressing challenges and aligning on shared practices, the companies not only resolved their differences but also built a stronger, unified approach. Without this intervention, the integration could have been frustrated by years of lingering inefficiencies and resentment.

Greater than the sum of parts: Achieving success beyond the merger

M&A deals are extraordinary opportunities to accelerate growth, redefine industries, and create lasting value. But the statistics don’t lie: up to 90% fail to meet expectations. The difference often comes down to overlooked intangibles—cultural alignment, trust, and the willingness to navigate tough conversations.  

‍The organizations that succeed understand this. They don’t just manage checklists; they embrace the human elements of integration. They foster trust, build alignment, and co-create a shared future.

The real value of M&A lies in these make-or-break moments. When leaders approach integration with intentionality and openness, they unlock the potential for their organizations to be truly greater than the sum of their parts—and deliver on the promise of the deal.

The landscape of leadership is evolving as newer generations challenge traditional hierarchies. Outdated practices, focused on a top-down power dynamic, have fostered an “us vs. them” mentality, stifling collaboration, slowing innovation, and hindering sustained growth.In response, Future Relevant Organizations are adopting "next practices" that recognize and celebrate contributions, influence, and impact of contributions at all levels of the organization. Central to this shift is the movement from “leading others” to “leading with others,” recognizing that leadership isn’t confined to those in senior positions.“Leading with others” encourages a more inclusive, collaborative approach by:

• Encouraging employees to lead and influence across boundaries.
• Inspiring shared purpose and accountability toward collective goals.
• Prioritizing well-being, fostering psychological safety, and enabling open idea-sharing.
• Viewing vulnerability as a strength, recognizing that no one has all the answers.
• Maintaining focus and thoughtful engagement amidst uncertainty.

A biopharma company with a historically top-down leadership structure offers a clear example of the transformative power of this shift. While the company had enjoyed impressive growth, it faced competitive and pricing pressures from disruptive innovation, regulatory challenges, and supply chain vulnerabilities, all of which called for a fresh approach to leadership. Innovation and expansion were crucial to sustaining success.Recognizing the need for change, the company embraced the idea that leadership and influence aren’t confined to those at the top. Here’s how this new approach reshaped their organization:

• Empowering all levels: Leadership became less about titles and more about fostering a culture where every employee felt valued and capable of contributing. Through well-crafted experiences, 5,000 employees enhanced their self-awareness, challenged established norms, and adopted a long-term perspective aimed at collective growth.
• Redefining leadership: Leadership shifted from micromanagement to empowering others to make meaningful contributions. Employees were given greater agency and ownership, leading to increased adaptability in a dynamic market.
• Building trust through vulnerability: The organization encouraged vulnerability, quickly building trust across teams in an evolving, loosely connected environment. This strengthened team dynamics and established a supportive community ready to face new challenges.

Next practices: Shared leadership responsibility

The shift toward “leading with others” is not simply a change in leadership style; it is a strategic imperative. By embracing diverse perspectives and treating leadership as a collective responsibility, organizations gain more valuable insights that drive better decision-making and innovation. Companies that adopt this approach are better prepared to adapt to change, seize new opportunities, and build a culture where everyone is engaged in shaping the future.

“Leading with”: A more inclusive path forward

Adopting a “leading with others” mindset requires more than just structural changes—it calls for a fundamental shift in how leadership is understood at all levels. Leaders must actively create environments where contributions from all employees are expected, not optional. This inclusive leadership approach fosters a deeper sense of ownership and accountability, empowering employees to align their actions with the organization’s long-term goals.As the business landscape continues to evolve, organizations that embrace this collective approach to leadership will be better positioned not only to navigate uncertainty but also to thrive in the future ensuring future relevance.

Meetings: a fundamental yet polarizing aspect of organizational life.

We've all experienced the exhilaration of a productive meeting—one that sparks innovation, fosters alignment, and energizes the team. But we've also endured the frustration of meetings that seem endless, lacking clear direction and purpose. This contrast reveals a critical truth: many meetings aren't living up to their potential.Why does this happen? Often, it's the ingrained habits and mindsets within an organization that perpetuate the cycle of ineffective meetings. Meetings, after all, are a microcosm of organizational culture. They reflect how people, time, and resources, are valued. When meetings lack clear agendas or run without purpose, they often signal deeper cultural or operational challenges.As Gruenert & Whitaker wisely note, "the culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate." Leaders set the tone. Their commitment to preparing and leading effective meetings can transform the entire organization's culture. By holding leaders accountable for the quality of meetings, we address a fundamental aspect of organizational health.

‍When effective meetings become the standard, they create a ripple effect of positive change throughout the organization.

Leaders, by embracing their responsibility, can turn meetings into catalysts for progress and innovation, aligning with and reinforcing the very culture they wish to cultivate.At BTS, we have seen that companies that treat culture as an accelerator of their strategy reach their goals faster than those that treat it as an afterthought. Your culture is the set of deeply held organizational mindsets that shape who you are and how you do things.

‍So, what do your meetings say about your culture and your leadership?

‍Leaders strive to plan and run effective meetings, but busy schedules can hinder even the best of intentions. Common meeting pitfalls like unclear objectives, poor communication, disengagement, weak collaboration, and lack of follow-up can make meetings feel inefficient or even like a waste of time. Holding a meeting just because "it's how we've always done it," or with minimal, half-hearted planning, has an impact long after employees leave the conference room or close their Zoom window.

‍The good news is that meetings can be transformed into efficient, productive, and even engaging experiences, greatly benefiting your company’s culture.

‍Addressing meetings directly can start turning the tide on culture. In other words, you can use meetings as one of your first steps in intentionally evolving your organization’s culture to deliver lasting impact and accelerate your strategic direction.

Before holding a meeting, your core considerations should always be:

1. Decide if the meeting should be virtual, face-to-face, or hybrid based on goals and attendee needs, not habit.
   • Consider if the meeting aims for creative discussion or information sharing and adjust for group size.
2. Use tools to visually share ideas and track discussions.
   • Whiteboards for in-person, digital equivalents for virtual. This honors contributions and keeps focus.
   • Ensure adequate space for in-person meetings, especially longer ones.
   • Test technology before remote or hybrid meetings to prevent issues.
3. Start and end strong.
   • Begin with clarity. Reading the purpose and objectives aloud focuses the group and encourages effective participation.
   • End with action. Ensure everyone understands and agrees on their assigned tasks.
4. Check progress.
   • Invite the group to assess how well the meeting met its target and discuss what helped or hindered progress.

Understanding how meetings reflect and shape your organizational culture is crucial because they are a direct manifestation of your values and priorities. Well-structured meetings foster accountability, collaboration, and innovation, driving overall success.In the next post of this series, we will explore the five most common meeting pitfalls and provide actionable solutions to transform meeting dynamics. By addressing these challenges, you can enhance your organizational culture and gain a competitive edge. Stay tuned to learn how to turn every meeting into a strategic tool for success.

Solutions to the five meeting pitfalls that reveal your organization’s culture

Picture this: one meeting buzzes with energy, ideas flowing freely as the team reaches new heights of innovation and alignment because everyone is clear on their goals and roles. Another meeting with the same people, however, feels like a slow trudge through mud—disjointed, aimless, and draining.. These starkly different experiences are not just isolated incidents; they are windows into the soul of your organization’s culture.

‍In the first post of this series, we explored the challenges of unproductive meetings and how they mirror deeper organizational culture. Leaders set the tone for meetings and are accountable for their quality. Today, we'll delve into the five most common meeting pitfalls and share actionable insights from our BTS client experiences to help you overcome these challenges. By addressing these issues head-on, you can lead meetings that both enhance your company’s culture and accelerate business results.Here's how you can start turning the tide on ineffective meetings and use them as a catalyst for positive change:

1. The pitfall: Meetings that have no clear purpose or plan.

The conversation meanders as employees watch the minutes tick by and wonder, “Why am I here?”‍

The solution: State the purpose before the meeting starts. Keep it short and make sure it is clear. A good meeting has a single, clearly defined purpose. Are we meeting to share information? To solve a problem? To generate ideas? The meeting may involve different types of discussions, but ultimately those discussions should align with the purpose. If people are clear on the purpose before they join, they will come better prepared and be more engaged. They will know what meetings they need to be there for, and when to politely say “no” or have a colleague represent them. And you as the leader will guide the conversation more effectively because everyone has prepared for the same purpose.

2. The pitfall: At the end of a meeting, nothing seems different, new or clear.

When participants leave with no new actionable information or insights, no decision to guide them, or no input to weigh for a future decision, it can lead to overwhelm and in the end – frustration as nothing new happens as an outcome of the meeting.‍

The solution: Set and share a meeting target at the beginning. Think of the target as the meeting’s conversational destination that everyone is driving toward together, which adds specificity to the meeting’s purpose. Aligning expectations on a target focuses the conversation. It gives you the opportunity to uncover other agendas that might be lurking ready to derail the progress. Finally, it allows everyone to assess the group’s progress toward the stated target at the end of the meeting, and what enabled or hindered it.

Consider these examples:

• Meeting purpose—Information sharing.
• Meeting target—Everyone will gain an understanding of the priorities of each department and can help or stay out of the way as needed.
• Meeting purpose—Problem solving.  Meeting target—Everyone will agree on an approach for handling delinquent accounts before the end of year.
• Meeting purpose – Connection and relationship building. Meeting target – Everyone will get a deeper understanding of each other, areas of work, priorities and other key beliefs, allowing us to work better together

3. The pitfall: Lopsided participation.

We've all endured meetings derailed by unhelpful tangents. Meanwhile, some participants remain silent, either because they are uncomfortable, feel unequipped to contribute, or don't see the meeting's value. Attempts to steer the conversation back on track may fail, especially with dominant personalities overpowering the discussion.‍

The solution: Active participation only. To counter lopsidedness, invite participants selectively. Ask yourself, "Who must be at this meeting to achieve the desired target?" Invite only those individuals. Break the habit of inviting people just because they've always attended. Observers often disrupt and distract. Meetings should be for active participants, not disengaged attendees or "spectators."

If essential participants tend to dominate conversations, address this privately. Share your expectations and coach them on the rules of engagement if necessary. The challenge lies in defying the unspoken social and political norms of your organization by inviting only those necessary to achieve the meeting's purpose. The larger the meeting with peripheral participants, the more it signals low organizational trust.

While limiting invitations might feel like a power move or a career risk, it's essential to clearly articulate your rationale for keeping the invite list focused. You can also seek advice from colleagues on who the essential participants might be. Understand that the first attempt to invite a smaller crew will be challenging, and subsequent efforts might be as well, but the benefits will be worth it.

Engaging the right participants allows the participants to feel buy-in, experience effective implementation, and co-author a future that aligns with your strategic goals.

4. The pitfall: the meeting ends with no defined next steps.

When no one knows what needs to be done, by whom, or by when, you can be sure of one thing: nothing will happen. If the only clear next step is to have another meeting on the same topic, you have failed.‍

The solution: outline topics and topic owners in advance. The purpose is the reason to move; the target is the destination; the topics are the stepping stones to get there. List the necessary topics to reach the target.

For each topic, define one outcome and assign an “owner” to lead the discussion and handle related action items. This owner drives the group to agree on the next steps before moving on. This approach not only ensures clarity but also shares accountability and balances participation.

Arrange the topics from most to least important, ensuring all are essential to the target. Cut any non-essential topics.

5. The pitfall: we’re always in meetings and never able to get things done.

Meetings often drag on to fill the allotted time, or worse, participants rush through important discussions before the clock runs out.‍

The solution: schedule realistically. Schedule meetings based on the actual time needed to achieve the target. Not every meeting requires an hour—some may only need 20 minutes, while others might warrant an entire afternoon. Consider a meeting’s duration as a contract with the group. Overrunning the time signals a shortage of respect for participants and their time. If this happens regularly, look into the cultural norm that tolerates this cycle of delay. If the agenda is packed and you’re concerned about time, assign a timekeeper to monitor progress against the plan. Alternatively, defer some topics to another meeting. It’s better to have thorough discussions on fewer items than to give only token consideration to important topics.

By examining your current meeting practices, you can uncover inefficiencies that reveal deeper cultural issues. Whether it’s lack of preparation, poor time management, or dominant voices, each clue helps you make intentional changes. Redefining culture doesn’t require sweeping changes; small, deliberate steps in how you lead meetings can make a big impact. Start by clarifying meeting purposes, ensuring active participation, setting clear next steps, and scheduling realistically. Every meeting is both a microcosm of your culture—and an opportunity to reinforce your organization’s values and goals.

Imagine the ripple effect: a team leaving each meeting energized and aligned, spreading a culture of accountability, collaboration, and innovation. Small meeting changes can lead to a profound culture transformation. Remember, every well-led meeting sets the tone for a winning culture.

A talent leader’s guide to critical role planning

To thrive amid massive changes from economic upheavals to AI transformation, today’s organizations must be able to adapt, recover, and grow stronger in the face of adversity – they must build resilience.

What truly makes an organization resilient? It’s not just strategic plans or operational efficiency; fundamentally, it’s about people. Resilient organizations are those that recognize the critical roles within their teams, nurture talent, and create a culture where adaptability and innovation are the norms.

At the recent Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Annual Conference in Chicago, BTSers Lynn Collins, Maia Whelan, and their esteemed panelists led a compelling discussion: Critical role strategy for organizational resilience. The session focused on how identifying and nurturing critical roles can help organizations build resilience in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. This blog explores actionable strategies from the panel discussion for talent leaders looking to redefine critical role planning and build organizational resilience.

What is a critical role?

A critical role isn’t confined to the executive level. Effective leadership and organizational success depend significantly on roles scattered throughout your organization.

Middle managers, for example, serve as essential bridges between strategy and operational execution: they ensure that the organization’s broader objectives are translated into actionable tasks that teams can understand and implement. Project leads are also at the helm of initiatives that can redefine the business landscape for a company. They deploy new technologies, spearhead market expansions, manage diverse teams, and maintain project coherence to drive transformation.

The challenge with critical role planning, therefore, lies in the fluid nature of what constitutes a ‘critical role’. Agility in reevaluating and recalibrating these roles allows organizations to respond dynamically to new challenges and opportunities. In the pharmaceutical industry, as companies increasingly shift their focus towards biologics, the roles responsible for managing these technologies become increasingly important. Similarly, in the financial sector, roles that steer digital transformations are pivotal.

Identifying and fortifying these critical roles is paramount. This involves not only recognizing the key positions, but nurturing the talent within through a thoughtfully crafted, future-focused talent development strategy.

Nurturing talent is the key for organizational resilience

Investing in talent goes beyond filling positions; it’s about preparing your organization to face future challenges while bolstering current capabilities. This investment significantly impacts turnover, retention, and promotion rates, contributing positively to both the individuals involved and the organizational culture at large.

At BTS, we see common themes with our clients across industries:  

• Talent strategy is essential for safeguarding organizational resilience. This includes adopting a digital mindset, not just externally by hiring new talents, but also internally upskilling existing employees to meet new challenges.  

• Enhancing emotional intelligence is equally vital in enabling the workforce to manage stress and adapt to changes effectively.

• Strengthening business acumen across all levels of the organization is also crucial for fostering resilience. Employees are better equipped to make informed decisions that align with strategic goals when they develop a keen understanding of business operations and market dynamics.  

This comprehensive approach—combining technological proficiency, emotional intelligence, and business insight—ensures that teams are not only competent but also agile and strategic in the face of ongoing challenges.

6 ways talent leaders should think differently about critical roles  

Here’s what you can do to think outside the box to enhance both individual and organizational performance through critical role strategy:

1. Broaden the definition of critical roles: Talent leaders should evaluate roles based on their actual impact on the organization, rather than focusing on organizational hierarchy.
2. Foster role flexibility: Encourage a culture of adaptability by regularly reassessing and recalibrating critical roles. This ensures roles can be defined to align with evolving strategic needs and current business priorities, keeping the organization agile and responsive to change.
3. Use data-driven role analysis: Use data to track the effectiveness of critical roles in real-time and adjust role criteria based on evidential data rather than intuition.  
4. Create a proactive talent acquisition strategy: Talent leaders should engage in continuous talent scouting, not just when a role becomes vacant. This involves understanding the talent landscape and building relationships with potential candidates before the need arises.  
5. Decentralize talent decisions: Empower local managers and teams to make critical talent decisions to ensure that those who are closest to the work have a say in who fills pivotal roles. This approach can lead to more informed and effective placement decisions. To maintain rigor and ensure consistency, establish clear guidelines and accountability frameworks. This helps maintain high standards across all decisions and strategically aligns talent management with broader organizational goals.
6. Enhance diversity in critical roles: Actively work to increase diversity within critical roles. This involves not only recruiting a diverse workforce, but also creating pathways for diverse talent to advance into these roles. Diverse perspectives can lead to more innovative solutions and resilience against market disruptions. Comprehensive mentorship initiatives, equitable advancement opportunities, and ongoing diversity trainings ensure that all talented individuals have the chance to significantly contribute to the organization.

These strategies are designed to help talent leaders transform their organizations into agile entities capable of anticipating and responding to rapid changes. This fosters a culture that not only values but thrives on adaptability, proactive talent development, and strategic foresight.  

Invest in your people

As a talent leader, your influence is pivotal in steering your organization towards greater resilience. By redefining and enriching critical roles and the talent that fills them, you’re not just preparing your organization to face future challenges but to excel amidst them.  

This requires a commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional talent management by:

• Taking innovative approaches to career development

• Using predictive analytics to better understand and deploy talent in critical roles

• Embedding continuous growth and feedback into your culture

Such efforts ensure that critical roles are not only filled with competent individuals but are also continuously evolving to meet the demands of a dynamic business environment. By doing so, you transform resilience into a powerful competitive advantage, ensuring your organization remains agile, forward-thinking, and robust.

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Believe the hype

If you have people you care about (clients, friends, family) who are stuck with the idea that “AI is just hype” or “Tech theater,” today is a good day to help them get unstuck. Before they fall behind.  The first half of this year has seen a huge rise in AI adoption around the world. According to at least one survey, corporate adoption will reach 72% in 2024 which is a significant increase from the previous year. AI usage has doubled, with 65% of companies—our clients among them--now integrating it into their operations. Key sectors like energy, technology, and media are leading the way.  Custom AI solutions are becoming more common as they address specific business needs.

Interestingly, while concerns about AI inaccuracies (“hallucinations”) persist, these concerns are not stopping organizations from leaning in and using it. Nor should they, if you have well defined and communicated “Golden Rules” in place to create guard rails, outline protocols, and set expectations. Fear is giving way to excitement and curiosity. Moreover, firms embedding AI report legitimate revenue boosts, especially in supply chain management. Is this my confirmation bias kicking in? This closely tracks what we’re hearing from our own BTS clients, directly.  

Use AI to get stuff done  

A lot of people are busy and feeling burned out. And if they (you?) are not using Generative AI, then they (you?) are missing an opportunity to improve things. It’s just a fact. The teams and leaders that we see leaning in and experimenting together are seeing real benefits from their collaborations. By way of example, see a recent feed from our own “AI for Admins” Slack Feed.

The tools are out there and easy to find

There are many tools available to use AI to do serious work with AI. Many companies – like ours – have set up a portfolio of resources – some proprietary, some not—for their internal teams to use, and also to share with clients. That is a great place to start. You will find there are an abundance of articles out there now with functional or industry-specific ways to tap into the available technologies like ChatGT, to provide you with even more insights to get started.  It’s easy to ramp up quickly to do serious work - get advice, discover insights, generate ideas, write, produce reports, fill out forms, discuss strategy, craft proposals, etc.….and the resources are available to you 24x7. The bottom line is that whatever you do at work, you can ask AI. Follow the Golden Rules, and you will do this safely.  

The resources keep getting better

If you are among those people tinkering, then you will have noticed AI can do a lot more today than the last time you looked. Like what? IT can connect to the internet, make images. do data analysis, watch video, read files, and work with documents. You can also create your own bespoke GPTs. The point is you can do it all on your own. You don’t need contractors. You don’t need digital experts. You can do it yourself, or with your team, today.  Of note…so can your competitors. They already are and getting great benefits. So consider that when you are next faced with the option to try it – or not—to help you get more work done, better, and more quickly.

Your AI is already obsolete

It’s worth noting that by the time you read this, the list of capabilities above might already be outdated. For sure the version of AI you are using today is the weakest version you will ever use in your lifetime. As good as AI is today, today is as bad as it will ever get. You are working today with the “Shoe Phone” of AI. And that’s being generous. The next round of AI models will be way more capable. And those with the mindset and skillset to use them will benefit exponentially more from those new capabilities. Those who don’t, won’t.  

So believe the hype. Help others get unstuck. And use your tools to learn, practice and master working with AI. For those who do, things will only get better, and more exciting, from here.

 
Want more inspiration about using AI in your business? Check out this post.

In the dynamic landscape of corporate culture, an engaged workforce isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a necessity for fostering growth and competitive advantage. According to Gallop research, companies with high engagement levels see 17% higher productivity, 20% higher sales, and 21% higher profitability compared to companies with low engagement levels. Towers Watson found that companies with high engagement levels enjoy a 6% higher net profit margin, and organizations with highly engaged employees experience a 3x increase in operating margins.

These compelling figures underscore a crucial insight: engagement isn't merely a metric; it's a powerful driver of business success. Understanding how engaged your employees are provides critical business information if you want to deliver revenue and growth impact. The challenge is getting that insight in a timely, accurate, and nuanced reflection of the flow of work.

Traditionally, annual engagement surveys have served as the bedrock for measuring employee sentiments and have become standard practice at many companies. But they have their limitations, and as the workplace evolves, so must the approach to measuring and analyzing this. This brings us to the next generation of employment engagement tools, which offer leaders robust and actionable insight into employee engagement.

Standard engagement surveys: a useful but limited perspective

Engagement surveys are typically conducted annually or bi-annually, offering a snapshot of employee sentiment at a single point in time. This is a useful check point, but it means that leaders miss insights from tapping into employee sentiment at multiple points throughout the year. This can delay the identification and resolution of issues that affect employee satisfaction and productivity.  
Annual engagement surveys also typically aggregate individual responses to gauge the team's temperature, potentially glossing over crucial differences among smaller teams and functions. For instance, a high score in one team might mask serious challenge in another, leading to misguided or ineffective interventions. Another drawback is the one-way nature of the insights. Employees fill out the survey, but don’t have an opportunity have a dialog about their experiences, and leaders can’t respond back, beyond a broad-brush plan to address the overall results.

A new era of employee engagement insights: continuous, real-time feedback

Modern tools for employee engagement represent a seismic shift in how companies connect with their workforce—and BTS is thrilled to introduce YUMI into the BTS portfolio. YUMI is a platform that empowers organizations to drive change at scale through real-time feedback. By continuously gathering data on employees' experiences and opinions, the platform consolidates this information and shares it back with both individuals and the organization. This enables everyone to adjust and explore new ways to support the adoption of new behaviors. YUMI provides a real-time, comprehensive view of employee sentiment and what is required to transform ways of working. It identifies issues as they arise and fosters a two-way flow of information, driving action. Unlike traditional surveys, YUMI collects data over an extended period (4-6 weeks), ensuring more reliable insights that reflect trends rather than isolated events.

What a better view of employee engagement gets you

Consider the value of these elements in improving your employee engagement:

• Uncovering points of leverage: One of the critical features of an engagement platform is social network analysis. This capability helps pinpoint where friction points and enablers within the organization lie and identify individuals who can either impede or drive change. Such insights are invaluable as they enable targeted interventions that can help foster a more cohesive and motivated workforce.

• Reaching every corner of the organization: Another significant advantage of modern engagement tools is their ability to connect with dispersed employees—those not typically reached by standard methods. It can be a challenge when you are trying to reach distributed workforces – like shop floors, retail stores, warehouses, delivery fleets, home offices, where employees might feel disconnected from the heart of the organization. Engagement platforms can bridge this gap, ensuring that every voice is heard, and every sentiment is accounted for, enhancing the inclusivity and effectiveness of engagement strategies. YUMI aggregates data that are useful for the users that generate them, making the data more reliable and actionable.

• Making change a social endeavor: An important outcome of the increased engagement and interaction enabled by a platform like this is that it serves to make change a social endeavor, shifting it from a transactional business activity to an individual and a team effort, helping to shape a more dynamic, responsive corporate culture. By providing each user with insights and recommendations based on the data collected, YUMI engages users in improving their own awareness and self-regulation. This transforms the act of tracking data into a collaborative effort of listening and acting together, reducing the need for final reports and disseminations.

Building on the best of both worlds

Integrating modern engagement tools with traditional surveys leverages the strengths of both approaches. There is still an important role for engagement surveys, whether it be to provide data to the Board or track overall trends, while adding depth and timeliness to the insights gathered. For example, a company could continue its traditional surveys to provide annual reporting requirements while implementing more frequent, targeted campaigns using a tool like YUMI to address specific issues or departments.

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The challenge for today's leaders is clear: to engage a diverse, often global workforce in meaningful ways that promote long-term organizational health and employee satisfaction. As we look forward, the integration of innovative engagement tools into the corporate strategy will be a pivotal leadership tool, enabling your organization to thrive amidst constant change.

Traditional employee engagement methods in large organizations often come with a host of challenges:

1. Infrequency of feedback: Traditional engagement surveys are typically conducted annually or bi-annually, which means they may miss changes in employee sentiment that occur throughout the year. This infrequency can delay the identification and resolution of issues that affect employee satisfaction and productivity.

1. Lack of nuanced insight: Annual surveys often provide a broad overview rather than detailed insights into specific issues or departments. This can lead to a one-size-fits-all approach in addressing problems that may not be effective across different parts of the organization.

1. Disengagement of non-office employees: Employees who are not based in corporate offices, such as those in retail, logistics, or on the factory floor, often receive less attention in traditional engagement strategies. This oversight can lead to significant gaps in understanding and managing their engagement levels.

1. Cultural stagnation: Relying solely on traditional surveys can prevent a company from adapting to new engagement practices that encourage a more dynamic, responsive, and thriving work culture.

1. Data timeliness and relevance: The data collected through annual surveys can quickly become outdated, failing to reflect current employee feelings or the immediate impact of recent changes within the company.

By integrating modern, real-time engagement tools with traditional surveys, you can transform the way you understand and improve employee engagement. This approach not only provides continuous, detailed feedback but also ensures that all employee groups, regardless of their location or role, are effectively reached and valued. As a result, you foster a culture of thriving and engagement that evolves with your workforce, promoting long-term organizational health and satisfaction. Embrace this new era of employee engagement and watch your organization flourish.Here are some prominent studies and findings that support the crucial role of employee engagement in organizational success:

1. Gallup's State of the American Workplace Report: Gallup has consistently found a strong correlation between high engagement levels and performance outcomes across different organizations. Their research indicates that companies with high engagement levels see 17% higher productivity, 20% higher sales, and 21% higher profitability compared to companies with low engagement levels.

1. Hay Group Study: According to a study by the Hay Group, offices with engaged employees are up to 43% more productive. This productivity is often attributed to engaged employees demonstrating a stronger alignment with the company’s objectives.

1. Harvard Business Review Analytic Services: A report by HBR Analytic Services found that 71% of respondents rank employee engagement as very important to achieving overall organizational success.

1. Towers Watson Global Workforce Study: This study suggests that companies with high engagement levels enjoy a 6% higher net profit margin. Towers Watson also found that organizations with highly engaged employees experience a 3x increase in operating margins.

1. The Engagement Institute: Research conducted by The Engagement Institute estimated that disengaged employees cost U.S. companies between $450 billion to $550 billion annually in lost productivity.

1. Bersin by Deloitte: Their research found that organizations with highly engaged employees had a 31% lower voluntary turnover than organizations with ineffective engagement strategies.

These studies underline the direct impact of employee engagement on key business outcomes, including productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction, and employee retention. Leaders who prioritize and actively manage employee engagement can secure a significant competitive advantage, driving their organizations towards greater success.

Thailand’s top organizational development and leadership business, complementing BTS' rapidly growing business in Southeast Asia

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STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – BTS GROUP AB (publ.), a leading global strategy implementation firm, has agreed to acquire the talent development and learning business and the related assets of Seasia Leadavation Company Ltd (SEAC), based in Bangkok, Thailand. SEAC is owned by the publicly listed AP (Thailand) PCL.

Founded originally as the APM Group in 1992, SEAC is a leading leadership and talent development company in Southeast Asia. In the past 32 years, SEAC has served over 1,500 organizations and 3 million leaders and learners on their mission to grow and empower people and organizations. APM was incorporated into the AP Thailand Group in 2017, operating under the SEAC brand.

With an office in Bangkok and operating in the Southeast Asia region, SEAC delivers world-class, impactful leadership and talent development solutions through their proprietary, innovative and smart learning processes and technology platforms. SEAC’s solutions help their clients transform their work models, build essential future capabilities, and drive powerful cultural changes to successfully execute their strategies.

With a highly experienced team of more than 50 consultants and specialists who will join BTS as part of the transaction, SEAC generated approximately USD 6.5 million in revenue in 2023 and is on track for solid growth in the current year.

The consideration, including assumed debt, amounts to USD 7.5 million, of which USD 6.0 million is due on completion. The remaining payments are due in the coming months, following certain milestones being met. The transaction is effective as soon as the completion procedures have been finalized, which is expected in the coming days.

The Southeast Asia operation is one of the fastest growing businesses in BTS and Thailand is a large and growing market with many prominent clients. With SEAC’s impressive portfolio of both local and global companies operating in the region, with only limited overlap with BTS, its learning experience platforms, an innovative portfolio of solutions and the proprietary 456 Smart Learning experience design and delivery processes, the acquisition of SEAC will significantly enhance BTS position in Thailand, strengthen its market presence in Southeast Asia and pave the way for additional strong growth in one of the fastest growing regions in the world.

“We are really excited to welcome the SEAC team to our family,” says Philios Andreou, Deputy CEO of the BTS Group. “Their focus on client results, the quality of their innovative learning methodologies, their entrepreneurial spirit, passion and great team will be a perfect fit with BTS’ organizational DNA and values. As the two business integrate, we see opportunities to increase profitability further over time.”

Following the integration into BTS, SEAC’s team will be able to accelerate their personal development and the company’s growth and expansion into new markets. “Since our early days at the APM Group, our passion has been to serve and grow organizations and people in Southeast Asia. Joining BTS will exponentially allow us to do more of this,” says Arinya Talerngsri, current Managing Director of SEAC.

“The combination of our skills will create a ’dream team’ to facilitate our client’s growth and success locally and globally,” says James R. Engel, SEAC’s Chief Learning Architect.

SEAC’s organization will be merged with BTS Thailand, part of BTS Southeast Asia but its solutions, methodologies and platforms will also be sold and leveraged throughout the entire BTS Group.

“The mix of people and assets that SEAC brings to BTS, combined with our current presence, will strengthen our leadership position in the region, enabling us to scale the impact on our clients’ businesses and reach a higher number of leaders. We are excited by the vast opportunities ahead as we join forces,” says Gianfranco Di Maira, partner and Head of BTS Southeast Asia.

BTS’s strategy for acquisitions aims to create a broader base for future organic growth while actively consolidating in a highly fragmented market. Through its acquisitions, BTS seeks to serve new and existing customers with innovative services.

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‍For more information, please contact:

Philios Andreou, Deputy CEO
BTS Group AB
‍philios.andreou@bts.com‍

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Michael Wallin, Head of Investor Relations
‍michael.wallin@bts.com
Direct: +46 8-587 070 02
Mobile: +46 708 78 80 19‍
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About BTS Group AB‍

BTS is a global professional services firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. BTS has about 1,100 professionals in 38 offices located on six continents. BTS competes in both talent and HR consulting as well as the traditional consulting markets. BTS’s services support a broad range of client challenges including top-to-bottom and on-demand leadership development, talent selection and readiness, strategy creation and strategy implementation, as well as culture and broad-scale change. For over 35 years, BTS has been focused on the people-side of change and on powering better performance using proprietary simulation, learning, coaching, and assessment methodologies. We partner with nearly 1,200 organizations, including over 40 of the world’s 100 largest global corporations.

BTS is a public company listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange and trades under the symbol BTS B.

For more information, please visit www.bts.com.

Each year we’ve hosted select non-profit leaders from around the NYC area to share some of what we know about effective leadership. These leaders range from global entities such as the World Bank Group, Global Business Coalition for Education, UNICEF and their Education Cannot Wait initiative. They come from key New York city departments such as the NYC Public Schools, and NYC School Health.

They lead regional organizations serving youth and children, such as Sandy Hook Promise, Center for Whole Child Education, and Year Up. And they are also leaders from smaller community and neighborhood focused organizations such as South Bronx United and NY Cares.

This type of giving back is key because it changes how the leaders view themselves. Many non-profit leaders are servant leaders – they give and serve others and rarely serve themselves. Indulging – as they frequently view it - in their own growth and development is often put off, or at best, continuously moved to the bottom of the list.

As a result, many leaders have an antiquated / more traditional / stereotypical view of how the leader should act and behave. It’s the old ‘the leader leads and the rest follow’ mentality. The leader is expected to be the all-knowing sage on the stage. And as such many leaders feel personally inadequate because they don’t have all the answers, when they assume they should. It is imposter syndrome built on a false interpretation of leadership.

Leaders who are curious, agile, trustworthy, and relationship driven tend to get better results and more harmonious teams. Those who ask questions and seek input, tend to be able to bolster growth and belonging to a cause or a mission. Leaders who bring their emotions, and their emotional intelligence, with them to the workplace, tend to develop stronger connections and networks.

What many of these non-profit leaders are learning is that their mission alone often isn’t enough to keep the organization moving forward. Even purpose-driven entities need great leaders and leadership.At the beginning of the day we asked people why they were here, and the most common refrain was:

‍"I never take time for myself. I’m always looking after others or other things. I was determined to make time for myself and my growth."

‍Great leaders work on their leadership. They understand that leadership takes thoughtful practice and they understand that they can always grow and improve. Too often though, leaders push this need to the back of the list. Duties and tasks take over. The competencies of the effective leader become swamped by the realities of managing the day-to-day.

Allowing these leaders to take a day for themselves and a day to learn how they can grow as a leader is a key way we give back to our communities. In doing so we are helping them, their teams, their organization, and all the many communities and community members that they serve.

‍"Thank you for a wonderful day of learning, self-reflection and connection! The content, facilitators, attendees and venue exceeded my expectations - especially for a professional development opportunity provided at no cost."

"Friday was wonderful!!! As I mentioned, the timing was perfect and the day was restorative and insightful. Thank you for the opportunity and hopefully more soon!"

"Thanks again for a wonderful day of learning and connecting! I truly enjoyed my time with both of you and all of the attendees."

"Thank you for an incredible day. Friday was enriching!"

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‍Join us we host a series of these NFP Day across the US and Canada.

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – BTS GROUP (publ.), a leading global strategy implementation firm, has agreed to acquire the business, operations, and assets, notably the intellectual property and technologies, of Wonderway GmbH. Wonderway is a pioneering early-stage startup specializing in AI-powered sales performance SaaS products headquartered in Berlin, Germany.

Wonderway’s flagship AI sales coach product turns every client sales meeting into practice. The AI sales coach uses its proprietary Sales-led Intelligence Coaching Engine (S.L.I.C.E) to automatically score sales calls, provide objective, targeted coaching in real-time, and deliver ongoing data-driven insights to sales executives. It helps organizations enhance their performance across sales teams and change behavior to align with the company’s critical sales plays. It also addresses key challenges such as wasted sales training due to poor real-time data on strengths and gaps of the sales teams and mediocre sales leader coaching.

“We are excited to welcome the Wonderway team to BTS,” said Jessica Skon, CEO of BTS Group AB. “Their cutting-edge sales AI tool, broader proprietary technology and strong team of experts in both AI & sales performance, strengthens our ability to deliver ongoing behavior change at scale for our clients. The product allows us to provide real-time data analytics and stay on top of the unique sales strengths and gaps of our clients, fueling an improved partnership model providing ongoing, continuous change and performance support. In addition, we see potential to use this technology across several of our other services over time. Together, we can then set new standards in the consulting and training industry.”

“Joining BTS is a significant milestone for Wonderway,” said Bowen Moody, CEO of Wonderway, who together with other key Wonderway employees have committed to stay with BTS at least for the coming four years. “We are transforming how companies improve the performance of their sales teams and combining our technology with BTS consulting and training services is exactly what our clients are asking for. They don’t just want the technology, and they don’t want old approaches to training that aren’t taking advantage of what’s possible with AI. This partnership will enable us to scale our solutions globally and provide even greater value to our clients.”

The acquisition includes a limited initial cash consideration. Additional purchase price considerations will be paid between 2024 and 2028 provided the acquired business meets specific targets during that period. The transaction is effective immediately.

BTS’s acquisition strategy focuses on creating a broader base for future organic growth while actively consolidating in a highly fragmented market. Through acquisitions, BTS aims to broaden its customer base, strengthen its geographical footprint, and expand its portfolio of service offerings.

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‍For more information, please contact:

‍Jessica Skon
CEO
BTS Group AB
‍jessica.skon@bts.com
‍+1 415 203 1760

Michael Wallin
Head of investor relations
‍michael.wallin@bts.com
‍+46-8-587 070 02+46-708-78 80 19

‍About BTS Group AB

‍BTS is a global professional services firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with about 1,100 professionals in 36 offices located on six continents. For over 30 years, we’ve been partnering with our clients to enable strategy execution. At BTS, we believe that success comes from people understanding how their daily work impacts business results, so we provide the skills, tools, and knowledge your people need to take the right action at the right moment.We are experts in behavior change and care deeply about both delivering results for our clients and ensuring that their people do the best work of their lives. Our engagements range from embedded multi-year transformation projects to brief, targeted capability development.It’s strategy made personal.Our primary practice areas include Change and transformation, Leadership development and Sales and marketing. In support of offerings from our primary practice areas, we have centers of excellence in Assessments for talent selection and development, Business acumen and innovation skill-building and Coaching as a practical tool to shift mindsets and turn strategy into action.We’ve partnered with over 1,200 organizations, including over 40 of the world’s 100 largest global corporations. Our major clients are some of the most respected names in business: Salesforce, SAP, Abbott, Tetra Pak, EY, Tencent, Vale, and BHP.BTS is a public company listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm and trades under the symbol BTS B.For more information, please visit www.bts.com.

In a landscape where big and small decisions can have meaningful impacts on an organization’s strategic and cultural direction, building intentional and healthy decision-making habits is essential.

What makes for “healthy” habits is determined by the company’s growth stage and current needs. For mid-size companies, the balance between rapid growth and operational efficiency can be particularly challenging. Changing roles, evolving leadership expectations, and shifting customer demands put pressure on the organization to work in new ways, while also maintaining focus on the top and bottom line. Many senior leaders in this stage of evolutionary growth start noticing decision-making paralysis that causes delays, frustration, and stalled progress.

The bottom line is, as organizations transition into new stages of maturity, decision-making norms also need to transition. Unlocking performance often requires a decision rewiring to address new points of friction caused by changes to the complexity of the business and the ecosystem.

Why decisions matter now more than ever

Mid-size organizations face unique pressures that complicate decision-making:

• Rapid technological advancements requiring timely adaptation
• Evolving customer needs demanding quick, effective responses
• Increased market competition due to lower barriers to entry
• The necessity of providing personalized, integrated solutions
• Increasingly interdependent business models requiring more flexible decision-making
• A growing reliance on diverse perspectives and collaborative decision-making

These factors are reshaping the stakes for businesses, making high-quality, swift decision-making not just advantageous but essential for staying competitive.

Five key steps to elevating decision-making in your organization:

Our research and experience have found that there are five key steps to moving the needle on making better, faster decisions, that will enable you to move beyond the friction.

1. Identify areas for change: Understand the current pain points and what’s at stake if nothing changes. This is about determining the scope and nature of the issue.
   • Scope-wise, are the decision-making challenges isolated to a certain team, level, or function? Or is this a broader, integrated issue spanning intersection points of the organization?
   • Regarding the nature of the issue, is there a knowledge/clarity gap that can be fixed with information or skill development? Or is it the challenge more nuanced and driven by patterns of behavior that have been engrained over time and now need to shift?
2. Assess your current decision-making landscape: Diagnose the root cause by examining what decision-making looks like in practice today, finding the specific sticking points and digging into the drivers of the behavior. For example, are there certain processes in the way that no longer work for the company? Is there misalignment around what tradeoffs are acceptable? Are cross-functional teams operating from different truths because of mismatching data? This foundational clarity is key to moving forward.
3. Define necessary shifts and tools: The findings of steps 1 and 2 lead to setting clear priorities on the few, targeted aspects of decision making that are most important to address now and then supporting the organization with tools to help make clear “how” to address them. For example, for a company with a matrix structure, this might mean moving from multiple decision-makers to a single, empowered decision sponsor.
4. Make it tangible and actionable: Bring the conceptual to the practical. Create simulations and working sessions to help your team practice new decision-making processes in a safe environment. Do focused skill-building in the areas leaders most need to make decisions in new ways, such as decision framing, constructive debate, and influencing.
5. Embed and reinforce new practices: Ensure that supporting processes and systems reinforce the behaviors you want to see. For example, review approval processes, accountability mechanisms, and after-action reviews and if needed, change them. Use regular feedback mechanisms to reinforce behaviors and adjust as necessary.

Decisions shape the future of your organization. And as a leader, you must recognize when the decision-making environment is out of alignment with the business direction or the culture that you want to create. From there, these steps need not be overly complex or burdensome. The key is to truly understand the core decision-making challenges - and what systemically needs to change given where the organization is now and where it’s going - before moving to solutions.

The steps you take today to improve decision-making will lead to a stronger, more resilient tomorrow for your organization.

It’s no secret to any organization or senior leadership team who has tried to drive transformation that getting change to happen – and stick – is harder than ever.

Change needs to happen faster, more frequently, and Boards and shareholders have less patience. When it comes to frustration about making change happen, the biggest thing we hear from our clients is that people are experiencing change fatigue. In fact, at this point, there is likely not a single organization that doesn't experience change fatigue. This makes the leaders’ job of engaging the organization in new behaviors and new ways of working harder than ever. Never mind trying to do it at scale. How do you include thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people in change in an organization?

Our research and experience show us that change is something that has to be inclusive in an organization. It can't be something that just happens to people or is passively received or forced upon them. The organization must be truly engaged with it, and people must feel a part of and like they're contributing to the larger transformation.  It’s the people side of change that moves the needle. Unfortunately, typical change efforts over focus on building new organizational structures, processes, and frameworks, and under focus on building the support for the people side. This is often limited to one-way push communications with no dialog or context, leaving leaders and their teams to figure it out on their own. It’s no wonder that people are tired!

So the question remains how to build that support and engagement effectively, at scale, when the organization – and the individuals – are so overwhelmed? As leaders, you need to be careful about how you engage with people so that it doesn't feel like something additional, burdensome, something that piles on more pressure to an already pressure-filled situation.

The power of meaningful work, autonomy, and connection

Interestingly, research indicates that people don't respond to carrots or sticks, which is why reward-based change programs or punitive ones aren’t effective. This is borne out by the experience of many leaders trying to get their teams back into the office after COVID – to their frustration, neither free pizza nor badge entry tracking linked to compensation get the desired result.

What the research shows actually drives behavior change in individuals is based on intrinsic motivators: when the work is meaningful, important, and a big source of energy. People respond to autonomy, empowerment, and connection to others – which in turn calls for a different kind of leadership to make that a reality.

How this translates into driving change is in the importance of making the daily connection with change, providing feedback and including it in the flow of work for every individual.

Making the daily connection, at scale

The good news is that this is possible. As part of our continuing efforts to innovate to help our clients solve this problem, we have partnered to enable organizations to create two-way engagement with change in the flow of daily work. Through an app called Yumi, organizations have the power to support individuals 1:1 with the on-the-job mindset and behavior shifts required to make the organizational transformation successful.

Built on the behavior change research mentioned earlier, Yumi is a simple and fun app used to support each person and team to adopt behaviors that are more effective and functional to support the strategic goals of the organization. At the same time, the app asks people for their experience and their opinions on it, which creates an empowering two way dialog. Individuals are able to share specifics on what’s working for them, what's not, and where they need more support. They can also provide insights into what they observe in their teams and in the organization and receive the same feedback from others. The app consolidates the data to share back to individuals and the organization, allowing both to make adjustments and try new ways to help enable the new behaviors. And because the app is reinforcing, social and energizing and takes only 3-5 minutes per day, it feels less burdensome and “extra.”

Some of the ways we have leveraged this tool to put change into action include:

• Culture activation and change
• Launching new values, behaviors, leadership principles
• Reinforcing/measuring new behaviors post-development programs
• Shift in ways of working that are largely behavioral – like decision making or agility
• Engaging lower levels of the organization in a change in strategy
• Building change ready habits

The bottom line is that the implementation and execution of anything in an organization happens from the small and large choices that individuals make thousands of times throughout the day, in terms of how they spend their time, how they interact with other people. Embracing the fact that people have autonomy and are able to make all these choices, and then taking the extra step to support them is what changes the game. Imagine the power of providing positive reinforcement in the moment on the critical things that are working, and specific and tips and suggestions on what your people could be doing to be even more successful with their teams and with the organization. And at the same time listening to them, empowering them and demonstrating how you’re using their input to evolve the change approach? What better way to turn change fatigue into new energy, new ideas and bottom-line impact?

To learn more about Yumi, and driving change at scale, listen to this podcast.

The road to strategy execution is paved with great intentions.

It typically starts with much fanfare. After you and your executive leaders have done the hard work to build a great strategy, and the board has approved it, the comms team prepares to launch and go live. Scripts are written, PowerPoints are built, numbers are double-checked, town halls are scheduled.

At first, these communication efforts spark energy. Conversations in the hall and at virtual meetings are sprinkled with references to the new strategy. People start using the right buzz words and adding slides from the road shows to their presentations. Some early experiments and initiatives begin to get traction and visibility. But, as time passes, people revert to their old ways of working. The effort to figure out what they should do differently – and how to make the shift -- feels hard and confusing. It’s easier to ignore the need to change or wait it out.  And renewed efforts to communicate and reinforce the strategy are met with further silence.

We often talk with leaders at this juncture. They are frustrated by the fact that no matter how many times they explain what people are supposed to do, people aren’t acting differently. And the reason for this is simple: a change in information doesn’t equate to a change in behavior. Humans need more than new slogans and mantras to act in new ways and make new choices. There are reams of research dedicated to understanding what we need to do to help people change their behaviors, highlighting approaches and tools to effectively move people in new directions. Yet this research is often cast aside when rolling out a new strategy.

3 principles to move beyond the stone wall

The good news is that people can willingly and happily change if the right conditions for success exist.  Applying the research-backed principles of human behavior and habit formation to strategy execution suggests 3 important principles

1. Purpose and identity matter, especially now.

In most companies, executives tend to focus on organizational goals and mandated cases for change, but metrics like shareholder value, profitability, and market share matter to a very small percentage of employees.

Goals are a less effective motivator for changing behavior than identity, so leaders must start by connecting individual purpose to organizational purpose. This is especially true now as the rapid series of disruptions of the last few years have left people feeling unmoored and craving something bigger than themselves. Given the increased pressure on leaders to return to high growth and peak performance, the opportunity to connect people to the enterprise purpose—–and understand how the strategy will reinforce that—matters now more than ever.

2. Addressing old organizational mindsets will clear the path for future change.

‍Organizational mindsets are often instinctual, second nature, and bigger than any one person in the company. Outdated mindsets left unaddressed will create inertia in your company that will keep you from achieving your aspirational goals. It’s key to identify and understand the new mindsets that are needed to execute a new direction. Here’s how one company made a switch.

A fast-growing pre-IPO software organization attributed its accelerated success to a laser focus on the customer as its North Star. In fact, that focus had become a mantra across the organization. Salespeople would automatically say yes to any request and engineering would build expensive singular design changes if a customer asked for it. When we engaged with them to set a new, more scalable direction, company leaders recognized that they needed to let go of their deeply engrained beliefs and give the organization a new definition. Their North Star would now be about what was best for all of the company’s customers—i.e., scalable platform-based changes. This disruptive provided significant clarity on how to behave differently and set the course for an eventual unicorn IPO offering.

3. Ways of working and structures must change, too.

‍One of the big stumbling blocks to change is the expectation that people will somehow operate differently in the same environment. Executing on new strategies often requires employees to collaborate with different people, use different technology, sell to different buyers or in a different way, and implement other big changes in how they do their work.

Yet the other structures that shape work—what meetings are held, how they are run, who connects with whom, what is recognized, what drives action in the organization—often haven’t changed. It’s close to impossible to move an organization in a new direction if the operating rhythms are sustaining old ways of working. Take this example.

An oil and gas client was undergoing a massive transformation and used quarterly business reviews as a critical measure of progress. The aspiration was to use these meetings to surface challenges and remove roadblocks to achieving strategic goals. Unfortunately, the executive team used them to pepper presenters with hard-hitting questions about performance until they found a weak spot. Preparation for this quarterly gauntlet had grown to consume entire departments, becoming a backward-looking time sink that was emblematic of the opposite of what the organization now wanted to be. So, leadership designed a new meeting that was forward-looking—focused on opportunities, co-creating solutions, and recognizing progress. The stark shift showed that the organization was serious about changing.

Actionable strategy is about engaging the organization, enabling people to change to make the organization ready for its changes, and creating the environment to assess and pivot along the way.

Our work and research have shown that people can and will change—happily—and it’s the role of leaders to provide the conditions for their success.To learn more about how to engage the organization and make strategy execution a success in your organization, check out this white paper.