by Annette Franz | Mar 25, 2026 | culture, employee experience, employees, leadership, people-centric, Uncategorized
I recently poked around LinkedIn job postings – forever curious about what roles are being filled, titles, and requirements. One caught my eye: a VP of People. “Yay!” I thought. “This is the role that should champion culture, employees, and the employee...
by Annette Franz | Jan 21, 2026 | culture, customer-centric, customer-centric culture, employee-centric, golden thread, leadership, people-centric, profitability, Uncategorized
In 2018, I challenged organizations to ask: Are you genuinely people‑centric or just profit‑centric in disguise? That tension hasn’t faded; as a matter of fact, it has intensified. Let’s stop pretending. Too many companies still talk about being “people-centric” while...
by Annette Franz | Dec 10, 2025 | business outcomes, culture, customer experience, customer-centric, employee experience, employee-centric, leadership, outcomes, people-centric, profitability, Uncategorized
In my work with executives and boards, I often hear the same story: “We care about customers and employees, but we have to hit the numbers first.” It’s a familiar tension, and one that reveals a deeper truth: most organizations are still profit-first at their core,...
by Annette Franz | Nov 26, 2025 | culture, employee experience, leadership, people-centric, Uncategorized, workplace
Stress in the workplace is inevitable. Burnout is not. Yet far too many companies don’t take stress seriously until it shows up in the form of disengaged employees, poor performance, or regrettable turnover. By then, the damage is done – and it’s costly. If your goal...
by Annette Franz | Sep 17, 2025 | culture, employee experience, exit interviews, leadership, people-centric, stay interviews, Uncategorized
Back in 2012, I argued that exit interviews alone were a missed opportunity. At the time, the conversation around retention was simple: ask people why they left and maybe you’d learn something for next time. Fast-forward to 2025, and that mindset is a liability....
by Annette Franz | Sep 10, 2025 | culture, customer experience, employee experience, executives, leadership, outcomes, people-centric, priorities, ROI, Uncategorized
I’ve seen and heard it countless times over the years: a People and Culture leader or a CX professional comes to the executive table asking for investment in employee experience (EX) or customer experience (CX), respectively, only to hear the same old tired line:...
