Growth… whether personal or organizational, demands forward momentum. Yet so often, we find ourselves deeply attached to the past: past decisions, past failures, past perceptions. We constantly replay in our mind, what went wrong, dwell on what we could have been done differently, or resist letting go of self-identities shaped by our outdated stories.

Here is the simple truth- you cannot drive ahead with full zest if you are constantly looking backward in the rearview mirror. Reflection of the past is very valuable… but only if it fuels active learning from the situation, followed by a definite action. Such reflections, if not followed by concrete learning and action tend to slowly get us stuck in the past. This in turn, starts to weigh us down and drag our ability to vitally act/react to any current happenings.

This principle applies to both individual transformation and organizational change. Leaders who cling to "how we have always done things" limit innovation. Teams that define themselves by past setbacks often shrink their potential. And professionals who don’t update their own internal operating mechanisms- beliefs, behaviors, and mindset… eventually find themselves out of sync with the future they wish to accomplish.

Letting go of the past is not about denial. It is a conscious release- choosing to carry forward only the lessons of any situation, BUT not the emotional baggage. This principle is at the heart of true transformation, the real alchemy- be it at a personal level or at the level of organizational excellence. In alchemy, transformation is intrinsic. Organizational Alchemy is about taking responsibility for growth, staying attuned to the present, and moving with purpose towards what’s next. Organizational Excellence asks us to be awake, aware, and agile.

So, take a moment to reflect on…
-What story are you still holding onto that no longer serves your growth?
-What organizational norm is ready to be re-evaluated, not out of rebellion- but out of relevance?
-Where can you shift your focus from “what happened” to “what’s possible”?

Real excellence- whether in personal life or an organization, is never static. It is alive and pulsating with vibrance of the people, processes and systems that uphold it.

Make a commitment to keep learning… and moving, because the path to meaningful progress is not behind us- it is the one we are courageous enough to create ahead.

​IBM's recent decision to lay off approximately 8,000 employees, primarily from its Human Resources (HR) department, in favor of AI automation has sparked significant discussion in the business world. The company's AI platform, AskHR, now handles about 94% of routine HR tasks, such as payroll queries and leave approvals, leading to a reported $3.5 billion boost in productivity across more than 70 job roles globally.

While these efficiency gains are noteworthy, they prompt a deeper examination of the human-centric aspects of organizational excellence. The remaining 6% of HR tasks- those requiring empathy, nuanced judgment, and human interaction- could not be effectively managed by AI, leading IBM to quietly rehire personnel (as has been reported) to fill these gaps.

This scenario highlights a critical lesson… while AI can streamline operations, it cannot replace the intrinsic human elements that foster a thriving organizational culture. The human-centric approach to organizational excellence emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, ethical considerations, and personal engagement, all qualities that AI currently cannot replicate.

Traditional HR has too often been reduced to compliance, recruitment, and transactional management. It's no surprise then that in some organizations, HR is viewed as expendable. But true organizational excellence is not achieved by eliminating people- it is nurtured through deep awareness of human needs, emotions, motivations, and interconnectedness within systems.

IBM's experience illustrates the need for a balanced integration of AI, where technology augments human capabilities without eroding the human essence of organizational operations. By reinvesting savings from automation into roles that require human creativity and strategic thinking, IBM acknowledges the irreplaceable value of human contributions in areas like software development, sales, and marketing. These are invisible dynamics- yet they determine whether an organization truly thrives.

Managing the People-Process-Technology dynamics is still needed, possibly even more so, in today's fast evolving and AI included workforce.
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The pursuit of organizational excellence should not solely focus on efficiency metrics but also prioritize human awareness and a people-first culture. As AI continues to evolve, organizations must ensure that technological advancements enhance rather than diminish the human experience within the workplace. This is the reason- a human-centric approach to Organizational Excellence becomes indispensable.