Kathleen Garza Edwards

The Gartner four-scenario framework shows how AI reshapes roles across industries. Even if you plan for one scenario — like reducing headcount as an example — ripple effects often trigger the need to support all four. Learn how to prepare for multiple outcomes at once: https://gtnr.it/4hFdcH5 #ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #AI

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In E2E M&A, establishing PROCESS STANDARDS is crucial. The M&A reference model serves as the foundation and repository for these outcomes. Reference model is published: https://lnkd.in/eg925DXZ

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In E2E M&A, establishing PROCESS STANDARDS is crucial. The M&A reference model serves as the foundation and repository for these outcomes. Reference model is published: https://lnkd.in/eg925DXZ

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Create an MRR framework to help product leaders decide when to maintain, refresh, or retire underperforming products—removing bias for objective, value-driven decisions across your organization. Discover how: https://gtnr.it/41mfgfp #GartnerHT #ProductLifeCycle #ProductManagement

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Process automation isn’t just about technology—it’s about aligning every action with your business’s mission. Discover how the ADOPT principle can help you build a unified, scalable automation architecture that drives results: https://gtnr.it/3AIi8K7 Gartner for IT | #GartnerIT #Enterprise #Automation

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With so much money invested on predicting customer behaviour and social media interactions, its no surprise that Marketing and skills analysis are ranking high on “Likely wins” in Gartner charts.

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Software engineering teams are most effective when using modern platforms and architectures. But leaders looking to modernize often face obstacles. Understand these key challenges and how to work through them to ensure your teams drive digital business: https://gtnr.it/3C397Ms #GartnerIT #SoftwareEngineering #Technology

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🚀 Maximize Your Strategic Workforce Planning Impact! 📊 Pair these two powerful #HCI resources to move from big-picture strategy to focused execution: 🎓 Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) certification: https://lnkd.in/e6zKmXDh - Build a workforce plan aligned to business goals using HCI’s proven SWP framework. 📘 Role Segmentation Worksheet: https://lnkd.in/euPfynM5 For a limited time, access this practical worksheet, normally only available to Premium and Corporate Members, to help you cut through the noise and pinpoint the roles that matter most. 🤝 Together, they help you: • Align talent decisions with business strategy • Focus on high-impact, high-value roles • Strengthen workforce readiness for what’s next 👉 For 1 week only

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How can CEOs think about leveraging AI in their GTM Strategy? The 4-Stage Maturity Model: A Strategic Roadmap for CEOs talking to their investors Here is a four-stage maturity model that charts the course from basic automation to AI GTM native. This framework serves as a strategic roadmap for investment, organizational design, and value realization. 1) Task Automation: The entry point, focused on improving individual productivity with siloed AI tools. While offering efficiency gains, this stage presents a "productivity paradox" where individual activity doesn't translate to bottom-line growth. 2) Process Augmentation: A significant leap where AI is integrated into core systems (like the CRM) to enhance entire processes. This stage delivers measurable ROI in win rates and sales cycle velocity but is constrained by its "human-in-the-loop" model. 3) System Orchestration: The dawn of true agentic AI, where multiple AI agents collaborate across functions to execute complex GTM "plays" autonomously and with human-in-the-loop. This stage structurally resolves alignment issues (for example, sales and marketing alignment) and unlocks systemic efficiency. 4) The Autonomous GTM Engine: The AI-native paradigm. Here, AI 𝘪𝘴 the business, not just a tool. It drives compounding intelligence, exponential ROI, and creates insurmountable competitive moats by decoupling revenue growth from operational costs. Need for guidance, just sent me a note or comment below

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In this weeks article, we look at how #subsidAI can create value for R&D companies when compared to traditional consultancy. https://lnkd.in/eu4XupjG #WBSO

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Board presentations can make or break IT’s strategic influence. CIOs must link IT investments to shareholder value and communicate with impact: https://gtnr.it/4rffZKU Watch Gartner’s on-demand webinar for proven strategies to streamline board prep and boost effectiveness. #GartnerIT #CIO #BoardCommunication #ShareholderValue

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In 2025, the CEO role inside AI-native companies operates on a different foundation. Leadership is evaluated by the ability to build alignment between model architecture, product timing, and capital structure. Boards expect hands-on engagement with system design and ongoing visibility into operational mechanics. Enterprise investment patterns reinforce this expectation. Global spending on generative #AI is projected to reach $644 billion in 2025, according to Gartner. Only 7% of large language model budgets remain within innovation teams. The rest have moved into line-of-business and infrastructure portfolios. Investor pressure has accelerated as well. KPMG reports that 90% of public-company boards are now expected to articulate a generative AI position, compared to 68% in late 2024. Within boardrooms, expectations have aligned around five behaviors observed in effective CEOs: 🔹 Direct contribution to system design CEOs are expected to influence how retrieval logic, agent workflows, and model interfaces are built. These structural decisions impact unit economics and customer throughput. 🔹 Routine engagement with AI performance data Boards prioritize leaders who track inference costs, latency thresholds, and model behavior across production pipelines. Many teams operate with weekly reporting structures built around token usage and prompt variance. 🔹 Organizational structure mapped to the model scope Hiring frameworks are evaluated based on their alignment with the architecture. CEOs who allocate teams based on compute intensity, automation potential, and output ownership are increasingly favored. 🔹 Sequencing decisions that reflect GTM constraints Inference timing, model reliability, and API availability are now primary inputs for product delivery. CEOs are expected to pace market entry based on system readiness, not on sales objectives. 🔹 Clarity in financial reporting is tied to model architecture Boards seek precision in how CEOs explain model retraining costs, context length decisions, and capacity planning. The ability to translate technical constraints into financial structure is considered a core leadership skill. AI leadership in this context requires more than technical awareness. Boards assess the degree to which architecture, throughput, and capital planning are treated as connected systems. CEOs are selected based on direct fluency in these decisions and the consistency with which they influence outcomes.

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🎁 FREE PLAYBOOK: From a McKinsey alum in the Umbrex Sales Operations Practices comes the B2B Sales Operations Playbook, full of checklists, templates, and step-by-step guides, designed for practitioners. If you'd like access, please let me know 👇 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Purpose and Intended Audience 1.2 How to Use This Playbook for Rapid Impact 1.3 Scope, Terminology, and Key Definitions Chapter 2: What Is Sales Operations? 2.1 Historical Evolution of the Discipline 2.2 Core Mandate: Strategic vs. Tactical Responsibilities 2.3 Value Creation Levers in B2B Contexts 2.4 Sales Operations vs. Revenue Operations: Critical Distinctions Chapter 3: Operating Model and Governance 3.1 Principles of Effective Governance 3.2 Global, Regional, and Local Operating Structures 3.3 Decision Rights, RACI, and Escalation Paths 3.4 Budgeting and Resource Allocation Chapter 4: Cross‑Functional Alignment 4.1 Collaboration with Sales Leadership 4.2 Interfaces with Marketing (Demand Gen, ABM, Content) 4.3 Partnership with Finance (Quota, Compensation, Forecast Accuracy) 4.4 Integration with IT & Data Teams (Systems, Architecture) 4.5 Coordination with Product, Legal, and HR Chapter 5: Territory & Account Segmentation 5.1 Data‑Driven Market Sizing and TAM Analysis 5.2 Segmentation Criteria and Methodologies 5.3 Territory Carve‑Out and Balancing Techniques 5.4 Annual Refresh Cadence and Governance Chapter 6: Quota Design & Incentive Compensation 6.1 Bottom‑Up vs. Top‑Down Quota Models 6.2 Compensation Plan Structures and Mechanics 6.3 Accelerators, Kickers, and Caps: When and How to Use 6.4 Governance, Modelling Tools, and Approval Workflows Chapter 7: Pipeline Management & Sales Forecasting [abridged due to character limit] Chapter 8: CRM & Data Architecture Chapter 9: Lead, Opportunity & Deal Workflow Chapter 10: Sales Enablement & Training Chapter 11: Cold Outreach Enablement Chapter 12: Systematic Warm Contact Check‑Ins Chapter 13: Customer Retention & Expansion Chapter 14: Performance Management & Analytics Chapter 15: Technology Stack & Automation Chapter 16: Organization Design & Talent Management Chapter 17: Implementation Roadmap Chapter 18: Change Management & Adoption Chapter 19: Continuous Improvement & Maturity Assessment Chapter 20: Templates, Checklists, and Toolkits Library Chapter 21: Future Trends and Innovations ✂️————————————————- ✍️ Let me know if you'd like access 🏷️ Tag a friend who might find this valuable 🔔 Tap the bell on my profile to see my future posts ➕ Join 100,000+ who follow me, Will Bachman, for free consulting resources ♻️ Repost to help others discover this resource 🙌 Need a hand on an upcoming project? Umbrex is the fastest way to find the right independent consultant.

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DOPAMINE OPTIMIZATION TIMELINE: THE NINE-MONTH TRANSFORMATION CYCLE Organizations expecting quick motivation fixes fail. Real dopamine optimization requires commitment to a neuroscience-backed timeline. Rather than hoping willpower changes behavior, this approach restructures how your team's brains release and regulate dopamine—creating lasting motivation grounded in neurochemistry. — THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGE — Teams typically experience motivation collapse: — Month one shows initial enthusiasm then adaptation — Months two through four hit resistance as dopamine receptors recalibrate — Motivation becomes inconsistent without understanding the timeline — Leadership often abandons approaches before neurochemical changes solidify — Teams experience repeated "motivation failures" creating learned helplessness The underlying reality: sustainable dopamine optimization follows five distinct phases that unfold across nine to twelve months. Jumping ship early means the brain never completes rewiring. — THE FIVE-PHASE TIMELINE — ✅ Phase 1 (Weeks 1-4): Awareness and mapping dopamine triggers ✅ Phase 2 (Weeks 5-8): Regulation and reset, reducing overstimulation ✅ Phase 3 (Weeks 9-16): Rewiring motivation pathways, sustained focus emerges ✅ Phase 4 (Months 5-8): Identity restructuring, motivation becomes intrinsic ✅ Phase 5 (Months 9-12): Long-term integration, dopamine optimization becomes permanent Teams that complete this full cycle experience 40% increase in sustained motivation, measurable focus improvements, and dramatic reduction in burnout compared to teams relying on temporary motivation tactics. — STRUCTURING ORGANIZATIONAL DOPAMINE OPTIMIZATION — MindLAB Neuroscience guides leadership teams through the complete dopamine optimization timeline, ensuring consistency during uncomfortable phases and measurable progress through each stage. Rather than quick fixes, this approach builds dopamine-optimized cultures where motivation flows naturally. Is your organization committed to real transformation? Or are you still cycling through temporary motivation strategies that never stick? #DopamineOptimization #OrganizationalChange #NeuroLeadership

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