Alec Levenson: Future Proofing People Analytics

Copyright © 2022 USC Marshall Center for Effective Organizations All rights reserved.
Future Proofing People Analytics
Alec Levenson
People Analytics Conference
9 December 2022

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University of Southern California
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Rigorous research.
Reliable results.

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Alec Levenson, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Center for Effective Organizations
Marshall School of Business,
LinkedIn: /alec-levenson-8915475
Twitter: @alec_levenson
Email Address: levenson@marshall.usc.edu

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Six 3-hour sessions
spread over 3 weeks
(two sessions per week)
Featuring:
• Alec Levenson, USC Marshall
Center for Effective
Organizations
• Maura Stevenson, CHRO,
MedVet
• Paul Taffinder, CEO, Taffinder
Consulting
https://ceo.usc.edu/event/2023-
people-analytics-and-change-
masterclass/

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Current challenge for People Analytics
• How durable is People Analytics?
• Do our leaders see and know the full value
of what we are doing?
• Are we protected against cutbacks when
revenue falls and budgets are cut?
“Is the sky about to fall on People Analytics?”
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sky-fall-people-
analytics-alec-levenson/

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What should People Analytics be focusing on?
• Address systematically important questions
• Narrow, inwardly-focused HR and people questions
are endless and can provide employment for life … if
you are never asked to show a business impact
• If you can’t show business impact, it’s like the tree
falling in the forest that no one hears
• So, ask the right questions, and zoom out to
address the more systemic, org-level challenges
• What is holding back business success?
• What is keeping your leaders up at night?

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Human capital analytics
Step #3: Diagnostics at the role,
individual and/or HR process levels
Business process analytics
Step #2: Diagnostics at the business process and
team levels
Competitive advantage analytics
Step #1: Identify organization capability strengths
& weaknesses, and gaps in strategy execution
Start with the business results to be achieved

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Human capital analytics
Step #3: Diagnostics at the role,
individual and/or HR process levels
Business process analytics
Step #2: Diagnostics at the business process and
team levels
Competitive advantage analytics
Step #1: Identify organization capability strengths
& weaknesses, and gaps in strategy execution
Start with the business results to be achieved

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What types of expertise are needed to diagnose fully?
• Competitive advantage analytics
• Areas of expertise: Economics, finance, marketing, engineering
• Objectives:
• Financial returns, cash flow, etc.
• Strategic goals/market opportunities: innovation, market share, margins, etc.
• What organizational capabilities do we need to succeed?
• Business process & human capital analytics
• Areas of expertise: IO psychology and organizational behavior
• Objectives:
• Productivity, motivation and engagement
• Leadership decision making and behaviors
• Team and group dynamics
• What team and individual capabilities do we need to succeed?

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Causal Model of Business Unit Performance
Job Design
Individual
Capability
Individual
Attitudes /
Motivation
Team /
Group
Design
Team
Capability
Team
Attitudes /
Motivation
Role / Job
Task
Execution
Team / Group
Task
Execution
Business Unit
Performance
Job Performance Team Performance Business Unit Performance
Business
Unit
Design
Business
Unit
Capability
Culture

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Causal Model of Business Unit Performance
Job Design
Individual
Capability
Individual
Attitudes /
Motivation
Team /
Group
Design
Team
Capability
Team
Attitudes /
Motivation
Role / Job
Task
Execution
Team / Group
Task
Execution
Business Unit
Performance
Job Performance Team Performance Business Unit Performance
Business
Unit
Design
Business
Unit
Capability
Culture

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HR, OD and People Analytics
HR function key strategic roles
• Organizational development (OD)
• People analytics (PA)
• HR business partner (HRBP)
HRBP
PA
OD

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What is each group’s area of expertise?
• Org Development
• Strategy, org design, operating model, change
• People Analytics
• Data-based (quantitative) diagnostics, testing relationships among things
• HRBPs
• The business context, competitive landscape, the ins and outs of the key players
(stakeholders) in the business
This is where each group excels … when they are operating at the forefront of what they should
be doing
PA needs to integrate and learn from OD and HRBPs, not just rely on them to lead …
especially if OD & HRBPs have gaps in what’s needed for effective diagnosis and change

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Analytics vs. OD
Data and
logic
People and
process
Analytics competencies vs.
OD competencies?
Left
brain
Right
brain
versus

Copyright © 2022 USC Marshall Centerfor EffectiveOrganizations All rights reserved. 15
Analytics vs. OD
• People sort themselves into virtually non-overlapping
groups: you’re aligned with analytics, or with OD, but
almost never both
• Analytics is associated with competencies around
quantitative data, statistics and logic (low ambiguity)
• OD is associated with competencies around qualitative
data, interpersonal dynamics, culture, and emotional
responses to change (high ambiguity)
Analytics and org development (OD) appear to be very different
The principles and ideal processes of analytics vs. OD are actually quite similar

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https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/analytics-
od-twins-separated-birth-alec-levenson/
“Analytics and OD:
Twins Separated at Birth?
Chapter 1: Are OD and Analytics Twins Separated
at Birth? Toward an Integrated Framework, by
Alec Levenson, Maura Stevenson, Alexis Fink

End to end rigorous process: OD + Analytics
• Identify strategic
context for the
issue
• Identify & engage
key stakeholders
early on
• Identify needed vs.
feasible change
options
• Identify likely
causal factors
(hypotheses to test)
• Identify right
method to answer
the questions
• Locate or generate
the data needed
• Effectively analyze
the data
• Develop insights
based on the
analysis (feedback)
• Take actions based
on the insights,
including:
• Planning strategy /
develop the change
strategy
• Intervention /
implement the
change strategy
• Team building
• Measure results to
determine if action
was effective
• Evaluate the
measurements
• Feedback and
sense making with
stakeholders
• Adjust the actions
or change path
depending on the
data & feedback
Org diagnosis Analysis Action Evaluation

Incorporating OD into Analytics
Analytics current state Analytics future state
Org diagnosis /
strategic context
Can I show a business impact via my analysis?
Will the stakeholders be happy with
demonstrated ROI?
What are the most important business
issues to be addressed, even if ROI is
hard to measure?
How to focus the analysis
(hypotheses to be tested)
What can be measured easily and effectively
(individual differences)?
What needs to be addressed, even if
measurement isn’t easy (team, group
dynamics; culture)?
Identify method to answer
the questions
What are the range of quantitative
approaches I can use?
What is the right mix of quantitative
and qualitative analysis?
Disseminate the insights
Provide feedback to key stakeholders, and rely
on others in HR to drive change
Directly integrate the insights and
feedback into change processes
Degree of ambiguity
Very low: reduce ambiguity as much as
possible to avoid uncertainty
Very high: embrace the ambiguity and
learn how to thrive within it

How to improve stakeholder engagement?

Lewin

Prosci ADKAR

Knoster

Why Do Change Efforts Fail?
Vision Skills WIIFM? Resources Action Plan =
Vision Skills WIIFM? Resources Action Plan = Confusion
Vision Skills WIIFM? Resources Action Plan = Anxiety
Vision Skills WIIFM? Resources Action Plan = Resistance
Vision Skills WIIFM? Resources Action Plan = Frustration
Vision Skills WIIFM? Resources Action Plan = False Start

LEADERSHIP FOUNDATIONS | Leading Change 24
Successful Change occurs when leaders effectively communicate a
“Change Story” that explains…
WHAT is
changing?
HOW will the change
affect the team?
How will we
SUPPORT THE TEAM?
WHY are we
changing?

Integrated OD and analytics diagnostics

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Team Performance Model

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Team performance diagnostic

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Interdependence

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When is qualitative analysis the only
way to diagnose actionable answers?

Quantitative methods Qualitative methods
Role / job level
Team / group level
Business process /
business unit level
Organizational level

Role / job level
• Interviews with incumbents, peers, managers &
stakeholders: exploratory & diagnostic
• Focus groups with incumbents: exploratory &
diagnostic
Team / group level
• Interviews with team members, and the people
they work with: exploratory & diagnostic
• Data from team-based interventions: ongoing
performance assessments, post-action reviews,
etc. (exploratory & diagnostic)
Business process /
business unit level
• Interviews with people at all levels: exploratory
& diagnostic
• Case study analysis: assess system alignment,
cross-functional issues (diagnostic)
& diagnostic

Role / job level
• Archival data on performance, demographics of
the people: exploratory only
• Surveys to differentiate among people in the
roles: exploratory & diagnostic
• Interviews with incumbents, peers, managers &
stakeholders: exploratory & diagnostic
• Focus groups with incumbents: exploratory &
diagnostic
Team / group level
• Archival data on performance, demographics of
the group members: exploratory only
• Surveys to differentiate between groups &
teams: exploratory & diagnostic
• Surveys to measure within-team issues:
exploratory & diagnostic
• Interviews with team members, and the people
they work with: exploratory & diagnostic
• Data from team-based interventions: ongoing
performance assessments, post-action reviews,
etc. (exploratory & diagnostic)
Business process /
business unit level
• Surveys to gauge individual sentiment:
exploratory only
& diagnostic
• Surveys to gauge individual sentiment:
exploratory only
& diagnostic

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… and collecting the right mix of qualitative and
quantitative data and information means deploying
the best capabilities of PA, OD and HRBPs

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Six 3-hour sessions
spread over 3 weeks
(two sessions per week)
Featuring:
• Alec Levenson, USC Marshall
Center for Effective
Organizations
• Maura Stevenson, CHRO,
MedVet
• Paul Taffinder, CEO, Taffinder
Consulting
https://ceo.usc.edu/event/2023-
people-analytics-and-change-
masterclass/

Alec Levenson: Future Proofing People Analytics

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