Cedar on Unlocking Human Capital

Cedar Management Consulting International

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Cedar on Unlocking Human Capital examines how organizations can maximize the value of their people in an era of rapid change. This channel explores workforce strategy, leadership, culture, talent transformation, and performance management—connecting human capital decisions to enterprise strategy and results. Conversations focus on building agile, aligned, and future-ready organizations.

20 feb

Escaping the CEO Trap: Restoring Strategic HR Functionality

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I outline the critical HR priorities that I believe every CEO must personally lead. First, organisational structure must be aligned to strategy — it cannot be delegated blindly to HR. Structure is a strategic decision. On compensation, I emphasise the growing importance of performance-linked variable pay to meet market realities. I also discuss succession planning through what I call the “hit-by-the-bus list,” ensuring immediate backups for every critical role. Culture, in my view, is not defined by posters but by behaviour at the top. CEOs must model and reward what they expect. Finally, I highlight the importance of direct communication — particularly regular town halls — to build trust, alignment and leadership credibility across the organisation.

13 min.
20 feb

Strategic Alignment and the Architecture of Modern Management

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I speak about how organisational structure can quietly become an obstacle to performance. I often describe it as “structure and musical chairs” — where roles are designed around personalities and egos rather than business strategy. Structure must always reflect strategy, never accommodate individuals. I also discuss span of control. In my experience, a CEO should ideally have 8 to 10 direct reports. Beyond that, decision-making slows and the CEO becomes a bottleneck. I emphasise giving strategic business units real authority and caution against overly complex matrix reporting structures that create confusion. Stability in structure builds clarity and accountability. If an organisation is constantly restructuring, it is often a symptom of deeper strategic uncertainty — not a solution in itself.

15 min.
20 feb

The Architect’s Guide to Surgical Restructuring

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I describe corporate restructuring as the equivalent of open-heart surgery for a business — high stakes, precise and unforgiving. The first principle I stress is simple: structure must always follow strategy, never individual egos or internal politics. I explain why restructuring must be decisive and swift. Once the strategic direction is clear, design should be tightly held, execution rapid, and new roles assigned immediate performance targets. Prolonged transitions only create anxiety and resistance. I also caution that restructuring without layoffs is very different from restructuring with job cuts — the latter requires a far more sensitive and deliberate approach. Ultimately, restructuring is not about moving boxes on an organisation chart. It is about realigning the business to its strategy to ensure long-term survival and competitiveness.

17 min.
20 feb

The CEO's Strategic Guide to Organizational Leadership

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I share five critical pillars that I believe every CEO must personally lead when shaping their organisation’s people strategy. First, I discuss why organisational structure must be designed around business strategy, not individual personalities. Second, I explain how compensation frameworks should reward strategic performance through meaningful variable pay. Third, I introduce what I call the “hit by the bus list” ensuring immediate successors are ready for every critical leadership role. I also speak about culture, not as a set of values on paper, but as behaviour demonstrated daily by leadership. Finally, I emphasise the importance of direct, unfiltered communication with employees through forums such as monthly town halls, which I see as essential to building trust and alignment. These five pillars are, in my view, fundamental to building a resilient, high-performing organisation.

17 min.
20 feb

The Executive Compass, Mastering the Work-Life Equilibrium

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I speak candidly about the challenge of work–life balance for senior executives. Over the years, I have seen many leaders express regret about not spending enough time with their families. Success at work should not come at the cost of personal fulfilment. I share practical disciplines I believe in — working smart by prioritising what truly matters, delegating effectively, and limiting distractions such as unnecessary emails. Leaders must make conscious choices: get home on time, protect weekends, and take full holiday entitlement. For those who travel frequently, plan schedules to maximise family time and disconnect when you can. Most importantly, do not let devices control your life. Leadership is not only about serving shareholders — it is also about honouring the moments that truly matter.

17 min.
20 feb

The Board’s Mandate in Human Capital Management

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I speak about the evolving role of Boards of Directors in human capital management. In my view, boards can no longer remain distant from people strategy. Their most critical decision is the selection of the CEO — and that choice must reflect the organisation’s immediate need, whether transformation, stabilisation or growth. I also caution against allowing incoming CEOs to bring an entire “mafia” of loyalists, as this can destabilise culture and dilute institutional continuity. Compensation structures, including meaningful variable pay and ESOPs, must be designed to drive strategic performance, not entitlement. Ultimately, culture begins at the board level. As organisations across Asia and the Middle East mature, boards will play an increasingly active role in HR governance and long-term leadership alignment.

18 min.
10 feb

Competing in a New World

The COVID-19 crisis has forced organizations to rethink talent decisions, highlighting a critical question: what if employees stay but are not upskilled? Survival in a disrupted world depends on employees’ ability to adapt, making competency development essential rather than optional. Many organizations focus on outcomes instead of the foundational behaviors that drive them. A Competency Assessment Framework helps define, measure and develop the behaviours required for success across roles and levels, guiding recruitment, promotion and learning. Cedar’s framework groups competencies into Strategic, Operational and Organizational clusters, each measured on proficiency scales tailored to management levels. Post-pandemic priorities include adaptability, critical thinking, data-driven decision making, virtual leadership, digital skills and empathy. Operational excellence must align with evolving business models, while organizational competencies such as collaboration and change management remain vital. Ultimately, adaptability and resilience—built through deliberate competency development—will determine whether organizations survive and thrive or risk extinction.

11 min.
10 feb

Comprehension Is Harder Than Execution Three Levels

The article explores how organizations can effectively manage change by first understanding its nature and impact. Change typically occurs at three levels: unit-level, business-unit-level, and enterprise-level. Unit-level changes are short-term, focused, and quicker to implement, such as sales or customer-focus initiatives. Business-unit changes span functions like operations or finance, take longer, and require more effort to address specific pain points. Enterprise-level changes, such as ERP implementations, are infrequent but high-impact, affecting the entire organization and demanding significant investment and management attention. As change scope increases, complexity and resistance also grow, making enterprise-level changes especially risky if poorly executed. Based on extensive consulting experience, four key principles help maximize change success: clearly communicating benefits to reduce resistance; increasing participation to drive ownership, especially among skeptics; celebrating successes to build momentum and institutionalize improvements; and driving change from the top, as leadership commitment is critical for adoption. Ultimately, successful change depends on clearly comprehending both its purpose and its impact across the organization.

9 min.

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Cedar on Unlocking Human Capital examines how organizations can maximize the value of their people in an era of rapid change. This channel explores workforce strategy, leadership, culture, talent transformation, and performance management—connecting human capital decisions to enterprise strategy and results. Conversations focus on building agile, aligned, and future-ready organizations.

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