speaking topics
AnalyticsBusiness Intelligence
Decision Making
Innovation & Integration
Leadership
Talent Management
Technology Management
Learn more about Bob at:
Connect on LinkedIn
praise for Robert Morison
“From the rich dialog and intense interest in Big Data and Analytics, it was evident that his expertise and insights were of great value to our council members.”
“At the conclusion of our meeting, many highlighted key takeaways for immediate action – and referenced content from the discussion led by Bob…”
“His comments and book will continue to be a go-to resource for our clients and for future discussions.”
Bob’s current roles include Lead Faculty at the International Institute for Analytics and senior advisor at Age Wave. He has held innovation leadership positions with The Concours Group, CSC Index and General Electric Information Services Company. He has also been a commentator on workforce issues on Nightly Business Report on PBS.
Bob has been leading breakthrough research at the intersection of business, technology, and human asset management for 25 years. He has worked with over 300 major organizations and written or edited more than 200 research reports and management guides on topics ranging from workforce management and business innovation to business process reengineering, collaborative business models, and business analytics. His work combines insight, innovation, and pragmatic attention to how organizations work and change.
An engaging speaker and discussion leader, Bob’s talks are always interactive, thought-provoking, action-oriented, witty – and focused on the ways in which organizations can grow, innovate, collaborate and maximize employee engagement.
An award-winning author, his books and publications include:
- Analytics at Work: Smarter Decisions, Better Results (with Tom Davenport and Jeanne Harris), Harvard Business Press, 2010
- Teaming Up to Crack Innovation and Enterprise Integration (with James Cash and Michael Earl), Harvard Business Review, 2008
- Workforce Crisis: How to Beat the Coming Shortage of Skills and Talent (with Ken Dychtwald and Tamara Erickson), Harvard Business Press, 2006
- It’s Time to Retire Retirement (with Ken Dychtwald and Tamara Erickson), Harvard Business Review, 2004. Winner of the McKinsey Award as best HBR article of 2004.
Bob holds an A.B. from Dartmouth College and an M.A. from Boston University.
Analytics and Strategy
“Analytics” meets “Strategy” in three fundamental ways:
- Strategy with Analytics – How does the enterprise deploy analytics to improve performance and competitiveness?
- Strategy for Analytics – How does the enterprise grow its analytical capabilities.
- Strategy through Analytics – How does the enterprise use analytics in its strategy development process?
Bob discusses success factors and evaluation methods for all three.
Do You Need an Analytics Officer?
As the power and pervasiveness of big data analytics continue to grow, more enterprises are appointing Chief Analytics Officers, Chief Data Officers, and sometimes both. What do these roles entail? And when are they most needed? Drawing on recent research with the International Institute for Analytics, Bob explores the evolution of analytics leadership roles, the challenges they face, and what it takes to excel at them.
Multigenerational Magic
As the workforce becomes more multigenerational and the technologically savvy come to dominate, employers face new challenges in driving both productivity and learning. In the near term, they can turn the Baby Boom retirement wave into learning opportunities. In the longer term, they must rewrite the employee deal to accommodate rising generations. Drawing on over a decade of research and work with major corporations, Bob will discuss specific methods – from teaching and mentoring to knowledge exchanges and employee networks – for generational connection, and how to deploy them with clear business purpose.
Roles Analysts Play
Bob gives a lively tour of six roles that analysts can play to raise the analytical capabilities of their business colleagues and organizations at large. From Data Demon to Personal Trainer to Community Organizer, today’s business-oriented analyst can make a difference in many ways. The roles aren’t in today’s analyst job descriptions and performance expectations – but they should be.
Briefing – Trends in Corporate Leadership Structure
How to structure the leadership of large corporations remains an active and often controversial question. Should the Chairman and CEO roles be split or combined? What role should an Independent Lead Director play? What are the right and wrong times to change leadership structure? Under pressure from activist shareholders and corporate governance monitors, Boards of Directors must regularly reconsider leadership structure and rationalize the chosen structure. This briefing uses new research on the F100 to draw the leadership landscape – issues, trends, pitfalls and success factors.
Workshop – Building Your Analytical Talent
In a full-day, four-part workshop, Bob equips leaders of analyst groups and analytical enterprises with tools and techniques for assessing and raising the capabilities of both technical and business staff. Each of the sections
Analytics Supply and Demand
Analyst Employment Life Cycle
Leading an Analytical Organization
Action Plans
incorporates management methods, best-practice examples, and exercises that aggregate into action plans for improving analytical talent supply. While on site for the day, Bob is happy to conduct an additional management briefing on analytical talent.
