Mark Mortensen

In recent years, three trends have made it more difficult to successfully manage and direct teams to complete projects:

1. More virtuality as teams often no longer inhabit a single office, working globally and through technology
2. The rise of “multi-teaming” in which people are assigned to multiple teams working on different projects at the same time
3. Increased fluidity where people move on and off projects as needed – particularly the case in knowledge-intensive and highly specialized work

These factors can make it harder for managers to build camaraderie and trust, and inhibit progress toward a shared goal – and yet, they are unavoidable in an increasingly fast-paced, globalized and digitalized business landscape. In this presentation, Mark Mortensen offers a framework for navigating these challenges and ensuring teams are productive, cohesive and developmental, even when operating separately or engaged in projects that compete for their attention. Though Mortensen’s recommendations require time and effort, they will benefit organizations in the long term as they increase cross-team and cross-functional collaboration.

What type of company do you lead or work for? Many leaders expend time and energy predicting what kind of organization will succeed in the future, and then working to make their companies fit that description – an admirable goal, but one that assumes we are better at predicting what the future brings than we actually are. Consider that more than half of the companies in the wildly popular book “Built to Last” haven’t. In this presentation, Mark Mortensen offers a different perspective for thinking about your company’s “organizational fit,” and provides a framework to align what you are (an organization), what you do (your strategy) and where you are (your environment). Mortensen’s core message, derived from his research and consulting work, is that there really is no permanent organizational fit and the key to surviving in the future is building adaptability. Mortensen shows you how to constantly revisit and reimagine the “fit framework” – as well as your organizational design, power dynamics, networks, routines and culture – to build and maintain an adaptable organization. This presentation has cross-industry applicability and can be tailored to any audience.

For decades, the relationship between organizations and their employees was one of mutual security: the latter worked exclusively for one company while the former guaranteed job security and lifelong benefits. Technology has fundamentally transformed that relationship due to the advent of the “gig economy” and the subsequent shift away from lifetime employment. But while popular discourse focuses on the insecurity experienced by workers, Mark Mortensen reminds business leaders that they too face heightened risk. Employees can now work for multiple companies simultaneously or leave at a moment’s notice to pursue their own endeavors. It also means that personal relationships within organizations have become less common, which could potentially corrode employees’ ability to work together in groups or with members of different teams. Consequently, organizations in the 21^st century must rethink how they manage human resources, collaboration and their relationship with employees. Though companies should embrace flexibility, they must also ensure teams can effectively build bonds that enable them to work together on important projects. Relationships will become more important than ever in the future, and managers must find ways to sustain the cohesiveness of organizations in a more fluid world.