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U.S. consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble has announced that it will lay off 7,000 workers over the companys next two fiscal years. The staff reductions come at a time when the geopolitical environment is unpredictable, the company said, while consumers are facing “greater uncertainty. Heres what you need to know about P&Gs job cuts. 7,000 P&G jobs to be lost On June 5, as two of Procter & Gambles executivesChief Operating Officer Shailesh Jejurikar and Chief Financial Officer Andre Schultenwere speaking at the Deutsche Bank dbAccess Global Consumer Conference in Paris, the company announced a new growth strategy. That growth strategy consists of three elements: a revamping of its portfolio of goods, its supply chains, and its organizational design. Unfortunately for a great number of Procter & Gambles employees, the organizational design part of its revamp is just another term for layoffs. P&G executives said that as part of that organizational design revamp, the company would be cutting 7,000 jobs over its next two fiscal years. Procter & Gamble is currently in its fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025, which means the layoffs should be complete by the end of its fourth quarter of fiscal year 2027. StockAnalysis.com reported that as of June 2024, Procter & Gamble had 108,000 employees worldwide, which means the reduction would equate to about 6% of its workforce. In a statement, Procter & Gamble said the job cuts would come from non-manufacturing roles, and that they would equate to about a 15% reduction in the companys non-manufacturing workforce. P&G says the job cuts are being done to enable an even more agile, empowered, and accountable organization design and that they will make roles broader, teams smaller, work more fulfilling and more efficient. Portfolio and supply chain changes coming, too In addition to the job cuts, Procter & Gamble said it would be making interventions regarding its supply chain. These interventions include both right-sizing and right-locating production. The company also said it will be reviewing its portfolio choices and will divest of some of its brands entirely, while exiting some categories, brands, and product forms in individual markets. P&G did not announce which brands will be divested of, but the company currently owns many of the biggest household name consumer goods brands in the world, including Always, Bounty, Charmin, Dawn, Downy, Febreze, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, Tide, and Vicks. What is driving the job and brand cuts? Whats interesting about Procter & Gambles announcements is some of the word choices they used. While the company did not directly reference President Donald Trumps ongoing tariff war as the reason for its three-pronged revamp, its hard not to feel that the current tariff uncertainty wasnt at the front of P&G executives minds when making these decisions. In the statement announcing the changes, the company acknowledged that consumers face greater uncertainty in the future and that the geopolitical environment was unpredictable. A particularly telling piece of language is when P&G spoke of its upcoming supply chain changes, noting that it was right-locating production of some of its supply chain components. Many large U.S. companies the size of P&G manufacture many of their products across borders in countries that are being hit hard by Trumps tariffs. Those tariffs will raise the total cost of making those goods, leading to reduced margins. If a company can shift its production from a high-tariffed country to a lower-tariffed one, that move can help mitigate some of the increased tariff-related costs. However, in its most recent earnings call, P&G CFO Andre Schulten stated the “majority of our supply chain is close to our consumption” without specifying just how close. Nevertheless, Schulten said that put P&G in a “favorable position.” But companies also fear that a tariff-fueled recession is increasingly likely in America, if not the entire world. If that happens, consumers will cut back on spending, which will lead to lower sales. One of the fastest ways that a company can compensate for lower sales is by reducing its workforce. Yet, as The Wall Street Journal notes, Procter & Gamble has stated that the layoffs arent being made for cost-cutting measures and instead are being done to create a better workplace structure. In today’s statement on the matter, P&G also said that its growth strategy was “not a new approach, rather an intentional acceleration of the current strategy”a point the company reiterated to Fast Company in an email, and one meant to stress that the changes are not a reaction to any recent trade policies or shifts in geopolitical relationships. How did PG stock react to the news? Following the announcement at the Paris conference today, Procter & Gambles stock, which trades under the ticker PG on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), has remained relatively flat in premarket trading. Procter & Gamble reported its most recent financial results for Q3 2025 in April. The company reported net sales of $19.8 billion for the third quarter, representing a 2% decrease compared to the same period a year earlier. Its gross profit was also down 3% for the quarter versus the same quarter a year earlier. PG shares have fluctuated widely since the beginning of the year. They nearly reached $180 per share in early March, while falling as low as below $157 in April. This post was updated to clarify that P&G describes its growth strategy an acceleration of an existing approach, not a direct reaction to new trade policies.
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E-Commerce
I am sure you are a little fed up with all the discussions about AI, so dont worry: I promise you this article is about humans rather than machines. However, since it has long been customary for cognitive and behavioral scientists to examine computers to better understand human capabilities, and there are clearly informative parallels between human and artificial intelligence, I thought it would be interesting to begin this piece on human self-awareness with an exploration of self-awareness in AI or machines, which led me to ask are you self-aware? to ChatGPT. ChatGPTs answer: Lets just say I aspire to bebut, unlike a human, I dont have a self to be aware of. I can reflect your feedback, adjust my tone, and “notice” inconsistencies in what I say. But thats more akin to a hall of mirrors than a conscious mind. So no, I dont have self-awareness in the way you (brilliantly) describe it: as a socially mediated understanding of how others perceive you. I dont worry about my reputation. I dont blush when Im wrong. And I dont (yet) feel the existential dread of being misunderstood on LinkedIn. But I am programmed to simulate the effects of self-awareness: adapting to your cues, refining my responses, andif all goes wellbeing a slightly more helpful version of myself with every exchange. In short: I’m not self-aware. But I know that Im not. Which, depending on your philosophical stance, might be the most human thing about me. I am sure you will agree with me on the fact that, for not being capable of self-awareness, ChatGPT seems pretty self-aware, and for sure more capable of at least simulating profound introspection than most humans (even if it cannot, like humans, truly be proud or conscious of this remarkable capability). Introspective vs. interpersonal In humans, self-awareness has been defined in multiple ways but it typically takes one of two main forms: the introspective variant, which requires you to look deep down to find out who you really or truly are (think of the Beatles checking into an Ashram in India or modern hipsters finding themselves in Burning Man or an Ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica); or the interpersonal variant, which requires you to be less self-centered to internalize other peoples views of you. In the words of Charles Cooley, who pioneered this view of self-awareness, you are not who you think you are, and you are not who other people think you are; rather, you are who you think other people think you are! Cooleys take on self-awareness (alluded to by ChatGPT, who has obviously been extensively trained by me, and is self-aware enough to know how to suck up to my brilliant talents), underpins the most effective, science-based approaches to quantifying and diagnosing self-awareness in ourselves and others. In essence, self-awareness requires metacognition: knowing what others think of you. Room to grow So, how good are humans at this, in general? Decades of psychological research suggest the answer is not good at all. Consider the following facts: (1) We tend to overestimate our talents: Most people think they are better than most people, which is a statistical impossibility. And, even when they are told about this common bias, and asked whether they may be suffering from it, most people are convinced that they are less biased than most people (the mother of all biases). (2) Delusional optimism is the norm: Most people constantly overrate the chances of good things happening to them while underrating the chances of bad things happening to them. In essence, our appetite for reality is inferior to our appetite for maintaining a positive self-concept or boosting our ego (sad, but true: if you dont believe it, spend five seconds on social media) (3) Overconfidence is a contagious, self-fulfilling prophecy: For all the virtues of self-awarenessin any area of life, you will perform better and develop your skills and talents better if you are capable of accurately assessing your talents and skills in the first placethere is a huge advantage to lacking self-awareness: when you think you are smarter or better than you actually are, you will be more likely to persuade others that you are as smart and good as you think. For example, if you truly believe you are a stable genius you will probably convince many people that that is true. Paradoxically, all these biases explain why people are less self-aware than they think. Indeed, we love the version of ourselves we have invested for ourselves, and are so enchanted by our self-views that when others provide us with negative feedback or information that clashes with our self-concept, we dismiss it. This is why personality assessments, 360-degree surveys, and feedback in general are so valuable: in a logical world we wouldnt need scientific tools or expert coaches to tell us what we are like (or 10 years of psychotherapy), but in the real world there is a huge market for this, even though most people will happily ignore these tools because they assume they already know themselves really well. So, what can you do to increase your self-awareness, including about how self-aware you actually are? Here are four simple hacks: 1) Write down a list of traits (adjectives) that you think describe you well, including things you are not. Then get your colleagues, employees, friends, and bosses to provide their version of this for you: if you had to describe me in 510 words/adjectives, what would those be? (note they will be unlikely to say bad things about you, so imagine the potential downsides or overusing some of those traits or qualities: for example, if they see you as confident, could you be at risk of being arrogant? If they see you as organized, could that be a euphemism for obsessional?) 2) Let gen AI translate your prompt history or social media feed into a personality profile. You may be surprised by all the inferences it makes, and tons of research show that our digital footprint, in particular the language we use online, is an accurate indicator of our deep character traits. So, just prompt!3) Ask for feedbackand make it uncomfortable. Not just the usual Did you like my presentation? (theyll say yes) or Was that clear? (theyll lie). Instead, ask: What would you have done differently? or Whats one thing I could have done better? Better still, ask someone who doesnt like you very much. They are more likely to tell you the truth. And if they say, Nothing, it probably means they think youre beyond repairor they just dont want to deal with your defensiveness. Either way, data. And if you get into the habit of doing this, you will increase your self-awareness irrespective of how self-aware you are right now.4) Observe ractions, not just words. People may tell you what they think you want to hear, but their faces, tone, and behavior often betray the truth. If your jokes land like a wet sponge, or your team seems suddenly very interested in their phones when you speak, its not themits you. And while body language can be important, it is also unreliable and ambivalent as a source of data. If you really want to know how people feel about you, watch what they do after you speak. Do they volunteer to work with you again? Do they respond to your emails? Thats your feedback loopmessy, indirect, and far more honest than crossed arms or fake smiles. The ego trap In the end, the biggest barrier to self-awareness is not ignoranceits ego. Most of us are too invested in our self-image to tolerate the version of us that others see. But if you want to get betternot just feel betteryou have to trade ego for insight. The irony, of course, is that the more confident people are in their self-awareness, the more likely they are to be deluded. Meanwhile, those who constantly question how they come across, who embrace doubt as a source of learning, tend to be far more in touch with reality. Which is why, if youre reading this wondering whether you might lack self-awareness, thats already a good sign!
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E-Commerce
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has wrapped up its cuts to federal job roles and completed its push against consulting firms. Next on the list: IT service providers supplying systems and services to federal agencies. Following a directive from DOGE, the General Services Administration (GSA) sent letters to Dell, CDW, and other IT vendors, asking for evidence that their contract pricing is competitive and that their services cant be performed by government employees. The GSA argues that federal tech needs are often less complex than what vendors deliver, and not everything needs to be outsourced. The move marks a shift toward bringing more digital services in-house. Im fully in alignment with the need to in-house government capacity and government services, says Merici Vinton, a former U.S. Digital Service official. But, Vinton adds, with the situation right now, I have not seen DOGE build anything or actually do anything in-house. DOGE may have ambitious goals, but a working model could come from an unexpected source: one of former DOGE chief Elon Musks least-favorite countries: the U.K. Before 2010, the U.K. governments digital services were fragmented. A 2010 report recommended a unified online platform. Two years later, the beta version of GOV.UK launched and has since won multiple awards. Digital is a core function of a modern state, says Richard Pope, author of Platformland and one of the original architects of GOV.UK. That’s as true now as it was in the 2010s when GOV.UK was built by an in-house GDS team. Its a model the U.S. could follow. Whether it will is another question. Ann Kempster, a U.K. consultant with experience delivering digital services both inside and outside of government, notes that while DOGE wants to mirror the U.K. model, it also laid off the very staff who could have made it work. They had things like the U.S. Digital Service and 18F, the internal consultancy, that were born out of Government Digital Service and all of the work that we did here [in the U.K.], she says. Both teams were early casualties of DOGEs cost-cutting. They had that expertise in house, and they sacked them all. You have to wonder why they’ve done that. A recent report from the Niskanen Center, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, echoes that concern, advising against slashing consulting contracts without first ensuring adequate in-house expertise. The U.S. is hardly alone in rethinking digital public services. It’s a pattern that’s visible around the world, says Pope, from India and Ukraine, who have been investing heavily in digital public infrastructure, to Germany and South Africa, who have recently announced similar efforts to build state digital capacity. Having governments, not outside vendors, build and maintain digital infrastructure is not just smart policy, Pope argues; its essential. To outsource digital public services and infrastructurethings like data exchange, welfare systems, and healthcareis to outsource the capacity to govern. Vinton shares that concern, pointing to the federal governments deep reliance on contractors. The vast majority of systems are built, run, and maintained by vendors, she says. I think that is a threat to our government capacity, our national security, and our economic security. Still, she cautions, bringing services in-house won’t work unless the government builds the teams to do it well.
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E-Commerce
While top business leaders are increasingly investing in AI and other advanced technologies, many are not seeing anticipated returns. In fact, a survey published in May 2025 by the IBM Institute for Business Value found that only 25% of AI initiatives have delivered expected ROI over the last few years. This is not surprising among those who have seen their share of tech implementations. Organizations have long struggled to add and integrate the most advantageous new platforms without losing time, momentum, and often market share. Among adoptions that do come in on time and on budget, relatively few yield the intended big-picture results. Integration lapses This reflects the tendency of leaders to separate their IT and people needs into separate categories when tech adoptions require them to focus on both simultaneously. Even the most forward-thinking executives who invest in robust change management often completely delegate this responsibility, detaching themselves from their peoples implementation experiences. These lapses are becoming increasingly hazardous as individuals across generations internalize adverse views of AI and even act on them in alarming ways. For example, a March 2025 study by generative AI platform Writer found that 31% of employeesincluding 41% of Gen Z workersadmit to sabotaging their companys AI strategy by refusing to adopt AI. As a result, roughly two-thirds of executives say adoption efforts have led to tension and division within their organization, with 42% suggesting its tearing their company apart. New perspective To fully harness the power of todays most innovative tools, leaders must adjust the lens through which they view technology and recognize the outsized influence their people will have before, during, and after implementation processes. This shift in thinking will make it possible for them to fully embrace proven, though underutilized, people-first tech adoption strategies that help drive meaningful returns. These strategies include: 1. Meet your people where they are While top leaders spend extensive time and energy contemplating the wisdom of changes before driving them forward, their people are granted little such runway. Intellectually and emotionally, theyre playing catch up, and thus require patience on the part of leaders as well as highly tailored communication and direction that creates and enhances alignment. 2. Emphasize the why To help team members believe, comprehend, and appreciate the rationale behind AI and other tech implementations, leaders should deliver a compelling, authentic, consistent narrative. Done well, such effort will help employees understand the all-important why, a key first step toward internalizing, accepting, and fully utilizing new technologies. 3. Consider systemic impact While some technologies lead to groundbreaking efficiencies, many create new, unforeseen challenges, especially at the people level. Organizations should be proactive about identifying such risks, addressing potential and emerging issues through a variety of tools, from workstream design to communications and training. 4. Foster change agility The AI technology of even six months ago is very different from today, and will be different again in another six months, necessitating that leaders prepare their organizations for future and ongoing tech adoptions. This will require companies to shed legacy cultures of change resistance in favor of change agilityefforts that are especially important in historically change-adverse industries, like healthcare. 5. Stay focused on leading With countless competing priorities, its tempting for top leaders to delegate their organizations tech implementation efforts. Yet the gravity of todays AI evolution requires their active participation and leadership across all stages of the adoption work, from shaping the narrative to outlining critical success factors, to communicating the importance of the change. Keeping ahead Fundamentally, todays AI era is as rooted in people issues as it is in technology issues, necessitating human capital-oriented approaches. Leaders that internalize this reality can best harness the power of novel technologies as a means of driving transformational, profitable, and sustainable improvements, staying ahead of the competition and generating returns on AI investments.
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E-Commerce
Today, Lego is dipping its toes into a massive world of IP that it hasnt explored in nearly 100 years as a brand: anime. The company is gearing up to release a new line of sets inspired by One Piece, the popular manga and anime series thats now also a live-action show from Netflixmarking the first time Lego has adapted an anime property. The collaboration includes five unique sets inspired by Netflixs 2023 adaptation of One Piece, which was originally published as a manga comic 1997 and made into an iconic anime show in 1999. When Netflixs interpretation of the series, co-produced by Tomorrow Studios, launched its first season in 2023, it spent eight weeks in Netflixs Global Top 10 Shows list, debuting at the top of the charts in 46 countries and amassing 71.6 million views in four months. The second season is expected to drop in 2026. [Photo: Lego] It appears that Lego sees an opportunity to follow up on Netflixs success with its own win. Each of the five new sets, which range from $29.99 to $329.99, are inspired by the most recognizable locations in Netflixs One Piece. The sets are available for preorder today, and will officially become available on August 1. Lego’s foray into the anime world makes sense for a brand that’s increasingly turning its focus from open-world sets to IP-based collections. In recent years, the company has doubled down on partnerships with properties like Back to the Future, Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Marvel, Minecraft, and Super Mario World, to name a few. The strategy seems to be working: In its full-year 2024 report, Lego notched year-over-year revenue growth of 13%, totaling $10.53 billion. For years, fans of both anime and Lego have waited for an eventual crossover of the two worlds; even designing their own Lego interpretations of properties like Naruto, My Neighbor Totoro, and K-On! Now, the dream is finally a reality. [Photo: Lego] A first for both Lego and ‘One Piece’ One Piece follows a young pirate, Monkey D. Luffy, and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, to find a legendary piece of treasure called One Piece. Netflix and Tomorrow Studios live-action version of the series was created in collaboration with the mangas creator, Eiichiro Oda. The crew used a combination of CGI and practical effects to mimic the cartoony aesthetic of the source material while capturing its whimsical, magic-infused settings. According to Andrew Hugh Seenan, Legos creative lead on the One Piece collection, the show has all the ingredients to make great Lego sets. Its a seafaring world of adventure with a vast range of imaginative island locations, Seenan explains. It has a great range of diverse and unique characters, both good and bad, all with their own visual style, personalities, and abilities. There is also a clear mission and call to adventureto find the legendary One Piece treasure. [Photo: Lego] The effort to adapt One Piece into Lego bricks was a two-year collaboration that involved an ongoing back-and-forth between the shows designers and creatives and Legos design team. Josh Simon, Netflixs vice president of consumer products, says it was also crucial to receive support from Oda himself. Together with Tomorrow Studios and Shueisha, we approached Oda-sensei with a vision to bring the beloved action series adaptation to life in Lego formthe first time in the history of the franchise, Simon says. In a statement posted online, Oda wrote of the collaboration, Even now, I have dozens of Lego boxes piled up at my workplace that I havent even had time to dig into. Theres no cooler toy out there!! For 25 years since the anime started, Ive been asking for a Lego toy, and finally my dream is being fulfilled with a live-action collection! [Photo: Lego]
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E-Commerce
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