Every year, HBR produces tons of videos that cover a wide range of business and work topics, from research-based business theory, to wisdom from top performers in their fields, to tactics that not good enough to survive a day in the imperfect world of work. We took a look at our 10 most popular videos made in 2022, and noticed a few themes emerging. Number one is that the audience is looking for clarity about the strategy: What is it? What is this? And how can I fix it? Some popular videos cover how to be a better listener, a better leader, and insights from leaders at the top of their game.
What exactly? is the strategy, again? How do I handle difficult conversations with difficult coworkers? What can a very successful Formula One team leader teach me about management?
This is a cross section of questions answered by some of the 10 most popular HBR videos produced in 2022. By design, our videos cover a little bit of everything HBR has to offer, from business theory research-based, to wisdom from the top performers in their field, to hackneyed tactics to survive another day in the imperfect world of work. This year, our 10 most popular videos fit into these three categories: What is…?, How do I…?, and How do they…?
“What the …?”
Four of 2022’s top 10 videos answer elemental questions about the business world. The first two answer the same question, “What is the strategy?” from different angles.
In “A Plan Is Not a Strategy,” Roger Martin, former dean of the Rotman School of Management, warns that “strategic planning” is an illusion: You plan or strategize, but only one “puts you on the playing field. as you choose the way you win.” If you are busy planning where to put your next factory or which departments to grow, without a strict theoretical framework, your competitor is undoubtedly doing a more difficult job of strategizing one way to defeat you.
In “What is a Strategy? It’s Much Simpler Than You Think,” Felix Oberholzer-Gee of Harvard Business School encourages companies to focus on two drivers of value: customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. By aligning these strategic initiatives alone, leaders make their workforce’s jobs less complex and improve customer experiences. The video includes a very useful visual tool – the value stick – to see how these drivers interact.
Some “What is …?” The top 10 videos come from HBS’s Linda Hill, who offers a fresh, up-to-date take on “What Makes a Great Leader?” (now less about getting people to follow you into the future, more about getting them to work together to create that future with you); and a short animated narrator, “What is Web3?” (what is Web3, in other words, other than a lot of hype?).
“How can I…?”
Four more top videos deal with everyday problems that almost anyone can face in the workplace. HBR contributing editor Amy Gallo anchors our “HBR Guides” series, which distills her and others’ advice for dealing with difficult situations (or difficult ones human). The most popular is “The Art of Active Listening.” It turns out that lots of nodding and mumbling “mmm-hmm” are not signs of good listening. A better approach starts with recognizing that good listening is “an active, non-competitive, two-way interaction.”
Others in this category include videos of myth-busting common advice around switching jobs (Are you real must stay in a job for two years? Lateral movements often bad?); controlling emotions during a difficult conversation (Identifying and labeling your feelings is a good start); and working with someone you can’t stand (yes, there are better ways than just arguing or ignoring a bully).
How can they…?
Viewers also appreciate insights from practitioners, in various fields, who perform at the top of their game – literally, in the case of our number three video, “F1 Legend Toto Wolff on Winning, Losing , and Leadership of Two.” After one of the greatest winning streaks in all of sports, the team principal for Mercedes-AMG Petronas – arguably the most impressive team in F1 racing history – finally had a losing season. He shared what he learned, what changed in his leadership style, and what didn’t. It’s especially dangerous, he said, for teams that get used to not finishing first.
And finally, viewers were deeply engaged with an episode of our weekly LinkedIn Live series, “The New World of Work,” where HBR Editor Adi Ignatius spoke with top-tier executives about how they see the future and how their companies are trying. themselves for success. In her conversation with Julie Sweet, CEO of professional services giant Accenture, they discussed the number one skill that employers are looking for these days: “One of the most important things we look for, no matter who you are, is your learning ability: learning agility. Because we know that even if we can get you for a certain set of skills, the rate of change in demand for those skills is very fast. “
Looking ahead, we are already wearing some tough questions to try to answer in 2023. Will a recession last, and if so, what can businesses and individuals do to cope with it? What technologies will shape the way we work together? (We’re currently working on a video about devices that can scan brainwaves to learn what you’re paying attention to.) Who will emerge as the new thought leaders, and what can we learn? first from their views? No matter what the new year brings, we’ll do our best to help you make sense of it.
