Each year at Zeno Group, The Human Project examines the cultural and societal shifts that impact human behavior and how the economic, political and social landscape influences the values and behaviors of stakeholders important to companies and brands.  

In simpler times, businesses and brands could concentrate on the products and services they sold, and consumers based their buying decisions on quality and price. Consumers expected businesses to sell products, not save the world. Fast forward to today, where no matter what a business actually sells, considering the world around us and trying to make a positive and meaningful difference in it must be a part of every company's business strategy.

For more than a decade, we’ve witnessed the continued evolution of the influencer industry. At its inception, brands could activate bloggers with a mere product exchange. Sponsored content then infiltrated social media, birthing contractual agreements and the Instagram influencer as we know it. And today, we bear witness to another industry shift and talent rebrand. 

We have all read (and experienced) the pressures in today’s workplace – a confluence of rising expectations from four generations in the workforce, harsh economic realities, global crises and demanding business environments. Building the business now goes hand in hand with building company culture. And keeping employees informed and engaged is challenging. Enter middle managers, the unsupported and unsung heroes who could also be a company’s hidden engine to drive communications and change. Yet, companies and senior leaders are failing middle managers – and they don’t even know it.