Mastodawn

See how Ame Igharo, senior director of sustainability strategy at Ulta Beauty is guiding her company through environmental, social and governance issues, attracting customers who want to buy sustainable products. #ThoughtsAndObservations on #Sustainability on Substack at https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-232565713

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

Update on Sustainability: At a recent GreenBiz conference, Sustainability executives discussed “how persistent, data-driven communication and aligning sustainability with business drivers helped them secure regular engagement with top executives.” … “For cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty, environment, social and governance issues are also critical drivers of consumer engagement. Even though sustainability technically reports into the legal function, the merchandising team is an important ally in advancing strategy. ‘Our customers want to know that the products they’re buying are sustainable, and we essentially work with our brand partners to highlight the work that they’re doing, which helps bring customers in our door and drive sales,’ said Ame Igharo, senior director of sustainability strategy at Ulta Beauty. … When Igharo joined Ulta four years ago, she spent her first few months meeting with executives from across the retailer, getting up to speed on their accountabilities and asking leaders how they envisioned being involved in the work of developing its science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, eventually validated in 2023. ‘From the very beginning, it was about co-creation versus me coming in and defining what it was going to be,’ Igharo said. ‘We weren’t going to actually be able to drive something forward unless we were on the same page of what this could be and what we wanted it to be for the organization.’ When it came to communicating about Ulta’s science-based targets, the messaging came from the chief merchandising officer rather than the sustainability team, because they were the partners in that work. The entire merchandising organization received training on how to discuss the goals, because they would have to convince the companies behind the brands Ulta sells that this is something to prioritize. ‘Having these internal advocates bringing it into their day-to-day relationships and meetings with brand partners really helped us make significant progress,’ Igharo said. … (Furthermore internally in the company a line of respected communication is crucial.) ‘Someone’s direct report generally has more trust with them than I will ever be able to build with an occasional face to face,’ Igharo said. ‘They can really be both your champions and your advocates for pushing things forward.’” From the article “3 ways to win sustainability allies in the C-suite” posted on March 16, 2026, on Trellis (formerly Green Biz) by Heather Clancy – U.S. journalist specializing in transformative technology and innovation and from the article “How to gain C-suite support for sustainability” posted March 16, 2026, on SmartBrief on Sustainability by Lindsey Feth – U.S. journalist. For more Thoughts And Observations about Sustainability go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/prioritizing-sustainability-environmental-social-mike-temkin/?trackingId=%2FleXDYBBQ%2BSkKTn1NxMnRw%3D%3D

Substack

Mike Temkin Feb 17

Power, Fear, Intimidation and Silence = A Unproductive Formula For Failure. See #ThoughtsAndObservations about #Intimidation at substack.com/profile/2323...https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-215839192

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

Power, Fear, Intimidation and Silence: A Unproductive Formula For Failure “Authority - when abused through micromanagement, intimidation, or verbal or nonverbal threats - makes people shut down & productivity ceases.” John Stoker – U.S. business consultant, specializing in organizational development, President of DialogueWORKS. “Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation.” William Arthur Ward – U.S. motivational writer. “It's our tendency to approach every problem as if it were a fight between two sides. We see it in headlines that are always using metaphors for war. It's a general atmosphere of animosity and contention that has taken over our public discourse.” Deborah Tannen – U.S. author, professor of linguistics at Georgetown University. “A culture of intimidation has no justification in any administration.” John Barrasso – U.S. physician, politician, member of the Republican Party, currently senior U.S. senator from Wyoming, previously in the Wyoming State Senate from 2003 to 2007. “Whoever has experienced the power and the unrestrained ability to humiliate another human being automatically loses his own sensations. Tyranny is a habit, it has its own organic life, it develops finally into a disease. The habit can kill and coarsen the very best man or woman to the level of a beast. Blood and power intoxicate ... the return of the human dignity, repentance and regeneration becomes almost impossible.” From “The House of the Dead” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – Russian novelist. “But the greatest menace to our civilization today is the conflict between giant organized systems of self-righteousness - each system only too delighted to find that the other is wicked - each only too glad that the sins give it the pretext for still deeper hatred and animosity.” Herbert Butterfield – U.K. historian, philosopher of history, was Regius Professor of Modern History and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. For more Thoughts And Observations about Intimidation go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thoughts-observations-intimidation-mike-temkin/

Substack

Mike Temkin Jan 27

Data from Gallup indicates that engaged employees are 18% more productive and 23% more profitable. See more #ThoughtsAndObservations about #EmployeeEngagement at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/recruiting-retaining-minds-hearts-employees-mike-temkin

Recruiting and Retaining the Minds and Hearts of Employees

Thoughts and Observations about Employee Engagement: “Employee engagement is the art and science of engaging people in authentic and recognized connections to strategy, roles, performance, organization, community, relationship, customers, development, energy, and happiness to leverage, sustain, and

Mike Temkin Oct 14

Three Change Management strategies from MIT:

1) build coalitions based on problem expertise, not solution support;
2) identify problem’s origin story rather than just selling a vision;
3) assume that the organizational culture must transform.

See more #ThoughtsAndObservations about Change Management at
https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-166283850

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

Advice on Change Management from the MIT Sloan School Of Management: “Many leaders of growing organizations bemoan employee resistance to change. … The amount of change coming at leaders right now may feel unprecedented, given today’s political and technical landscape. But amid significant disruptions, such as artificial intelligence tools, deep-tech innovations, novel fintech platforms, and geopolitical shifts, an organization’s capacity to grow depends on its capacity to change constantly. Success also depends on your capability to lead that constant change. New processes need to be designed. New departments need to be formed. New products need to be developed. New markets need to be entered. Then, as you scale the organization, these new processes, departments, products, and markets need to be revised, restructured, and revisited: Wash, rinse, repeat. Within our exponentially volatile world, organizational growth is a constant challenge and, in turn, leading change is a critical leadership competency to answer this challenge. However, too many change efforts still fail. … Many leaders blame employee pushback when change efforts fail — but they may need to look in the mirror. When leaders try to play the hero, they often stop listening and take criticism of proposed solutions personally. Three change management strategies can help leaders avoid the hero trap: 1) building coalitions based on problem expertise, not solution support; 2) telling the problem’s origin story rather than just selling a vision; 3) and not assuming that the organizational culture must transform.” From an October 1, 2025 posting on the MIT Sloan Management Review by David M. Sluss – French academic, a professor of management and the Leading@Scale Chaired Professor at ESSEC Business School in Paris. For more Thoughts And Observations about Change Management go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/well-managed-change-can-transformational-michael-temkin-xquzc/

Substack

Mike Temkin Aug 21, 2025

"The integration of behavioral health services ... is becoming standard practice in workers’ compensation programs. Despite the complexities associated with mental health claims, such as the need to establish a direct link between the condition and work-related factors, the trend indicates a growing recognition of psychological injuries as legitimate workplace hazards." From Insurnace Business. For more #ThoughtsAndObservations on #MentalHealth go to https://miketemkin.substack.com/p/on-mental-health-and-the-workplace

On Mental Health and the Workplace

“Mental health is rapidly becoming a focal point in workers’ compensation, driven by evolving legal frameworks, shifting workplace dynamics, and heightened awareness of psychological well-being.

Mike’s Substack

Mike Temkin Aug 19, 2025

Never Lose Your Get Up And Go!!! See #ThoughtsAndObservations about #fortitude at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/never-lose-your-get-up-go-michael-temkin-qw7ac/

#determination #tenacity #courage #persistence #resilency

Never Lose Your Get Up And Go

Thoughts And Observations about Fortitude: “Fortitude. .

Mike Temkin Aug 14, 2025

“Gallup data for 2025 indicates a significant decline in employee engagement, with only 21% of workers and 27% of managers feeling fully engaged. Major sources of employee worries include artificial intelligence and job stability." See more #ThoughtsAndObservations at https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-145393461

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

On Employee Engagement: “Gallup data for 2025 indicate a significant decline in employee engagement, with only 21% of workers and 27% of managers feeling fully engaged. Major sources of employee worries include artificial intelligence and job stability, with 86% of workers regularly expressing fear at work.” Posted August 13, 2025, on Smart Brief On Workforce by Kanoe Namahoe – U.S. journalist, director of content for SmartBrief Education and Business Services. For more Thoughts And Observations about Employee Engagement go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/recruiting-retaining-minds-hearts-employees-mike-temkin/

Substack

Mike Temkin Aug 12, 2025

"We are moving from the hybrid workplace, with the flexibility to work where & when you want, to the hybrid workforce, where humans & AI agents work together." per Jeanne C. Meister-U.S. workplace strategist. See more #ThoughtsAndObservations on #AI & the #Workforce on https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-144621745

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

On AI and the Workforce: “We are moving from the hybrid workplace, with the flexibility to work where and when you want, to the hybrid workforce, where humans and AI agents work together. For knowledge workers, the rise of the hybrid workforce addresses a key workplace concern: the increasing amount of time spent on repetitive tasks during their workday. Asana reports 54% of knowledge workers’ time is spent on busy work—repetitive administrative tasks that AI agents can automate. But beyond efficiency, AI agents can autonomously execute tasks and personalize the employee experience. Marco Argenti, CIO of Goldman Sachs, predicts that companies will eventually ‘employ’ and train AI agents to be part of hybrid teams comprised of humans and machines. HR and business leaders will expand their role not only dealing with the implications of hybrid workplaces on company culture and performance, but also deploying, orienting, training, and managing a hybrid workforce.” From a February 15, 2025 posting on Forbes by Jeanne Meister – U.S. workplace strategist, consultant, author. For more Thoughts And Observations about AI and the Workforce go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gen-ai-current-future-shifts-employment-training-michael-temkin-bngdc/

Substack

Mike Temkin Jul 31, 2025

"Many companies are increasingly using AI as a key driver behind recent layoffs. …. cutting roles in content, operations, customer service, and HR — functions where generative AI and agentic tools are increasingly capable...Despite strong financial performance, firms are quietly implementing automation and AI-powered tools that eliminate jobs, often without explicitly attributing cuts to AI." From CNBC.
More #ThoughtsAndObservations about #AI and #Layoffs at https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-140894393

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

On AI and Layoffs: “Many companies are increasingly using AI as a key driver behind recent layoffs. …. cutting roles in content, operations, customer service, and HR — functions where generative AI and agentic tools are increasingly capable — while messaging the corporate decisions as “efficiency” moves. … Despite strong financial performance, firms are quietly implementing automation and AI-powered tools that eliminate jobs, often without explicitly attributing cuts to AI. Experts note that most organizations use ambiguous language to avoid linking layoffs to technological displacement, and workforce restructuring is likely to accelerate as AI capabilities expand. …. Christina Inga, an instructor of professional and executive development at Harvard University believes while AI can do a lot, it can’t replace a whole human, yet. She says ‘AI can do a lot of things 90%. AI writes better ad copy, but human judgment is still required. That 10% where human judgment is needed, we are not going to see that replaced in the near term. Some companies are getting rid of 100% of it, but it will come back to bite them.’ … According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs report, 41% of employers worldwide intend to reduce their workforce in the next five years due to AI automation.” From a report posted July 20, 2025, on CNBC by Kevin Williams – U.S. journalist. For more Thoughts And Observations about AI and the Workforce go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gen-ai-current-future-shifts-employment-training-michael-temkin-bngdc/

Substack

Mike Temkin Jul 30, 2025

“An AI agent is essentially just a piece of code. … It may not have the same understanding, empathy, awareness of the politics of your organization, of the fears or concerns or ambitions of the people around that it is serving. So managers have to be aware that the agent is only as good as how you've trained it." Jarah Euston – U.S. tech entrepreneur, CEO and Co-Founder of AI-powered labor platform WorkWhile.

For more #ThoughtsAndObservations about #AgenticAI go to https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-140372939

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

About Agentic AI: “An AI agent is essentially just a piece of code. … It may not have the same understanding, empathy, awareness of the politics of your organization, of the fears or concerns or ambitions of the people around that it is serving. So managers have to be aware that the agent is only as good as how you've trained it. I don't think we're close yet to having agents that can operate without any human oversight. As a manager, you want to leverage the AI to make you and your team more productive, but you constantly have to be checking, iterating and training your tools to get the most out of them. … If the tool isn't effective, people will stop using it, so the biggest risk is the potential loss of productivity because your organization no longer trusts or believes in the agent or the AI. You also have to be patient. And you have to keep changing, experimenting, testing and iterating." Jarah Euston – U.S. tech entrepreneur, CEO and Co-Founder of AI-powered labor platform WorkWhile, which connects frontline workers to shifts. For more Thoughts And Observations about Agentic AI go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/more-ai-potential-third-wave-michael-temkin-zsugc/

Substack