Recent Articles
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Solving the top 3 social media marketing problems
Emma Fitzpatrick MarketingNearly a quarter of all social media marketers worry their social strategy is ineffective, according to the 2019 Sprout Social Index. If that’s just one of your concerns, you’re likely also dealing with these top three challenges. Read on to learn tactics to overcome them and feel more confident with your company’s social media marketing tactics.
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Can partnerships between public schools, universities help address the…
Bambi Majumdar EducationThe Economic Policy Institute’s (EPI) recent paper on teacher shortages states that the crisis is growing worse than ever in America. The real magnitude of the teacher shortage is even scarier when one considers the scarcity of credentialed teachers, more so in rural and low-income areas. One ray of hope comes from new school-university partnerships that aim to prepare future teachers by giving them real-life experience and, in the process, help fill funding gaps. One such example is the partnership between Ohio University and some of the state's school districts.
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The thrills and spills of e-scooters create a safety debate
Ryan Clark Transportation Technology & AutomotiveMy co-worker and I stood staring transfixed at the Bird e-scooter. It had been decided that if I were to write about the safety of these things, I’d have to at least ride one. I wanted to do it, but I didn’t want to do it. Images of my broken and balled up body weighed heavy on my mind. I remember asking, "Are these things even safe?" And as if answered by the universe, a young woman, wearing sun shades and earbuds — stone deaf and blind to the world — floated down the street in front of us on an e-scooter. Travelling at the speed of “whatever dude” she coasted by at 10 mph, in the middle of the street, with a caravan of irritated drivers honking their horns behind her.
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5 simple steps to keep church policies and procedures current
Deborah Ike Religious CommunityTackling policies and procedures aren't exactly tasks people are excited to handle. However, having documented and up-to-date policies and procedures can save a church time, money, and even legal issues. What happens way too often is a committee approves a set of policies, then those documents are filed away somewhere never to be seen again. Instead of letting these documents become dust collectors, it’s best to allocate time throughout the year to review and update each one. Here’s how to get started.
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Steer clear of these delusional hiring practices
Roberta Matuson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementI don't know about you, but I'm growing tired of hearing leaders complain that they can't fill jobs. When asked, they can come up with a dozen reasons why this is so. Are you guilty of this as well? Imagine a VP of sales telling her CEO that she is unable to bring in deals. Do you think she'd be told, "That's okay; everyone else is having a tough time selling." No, of course not! Too many organizations are delusional when it comes to their hiring practices. They have a system in place and continue to use it, regardless of the dismal results. Here are some of the more common delusional hiring practices that I see.
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What’s your office’s air pollution level?
Lisa Mulcahy Facilities & GroundsYou probably figure you don't need to worry about air pollution unless you're sitting in traffic. Think again — the way you go about daily tasks in your office can actually create unhealthy levels of harmful air, putting you and your team at risk for respiratory diseases and other health issues. What can you do to stop the problem?
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Cochise County: A beautiful little corner of Arizona
Steve and Diane Owens Recreation & LeisureIt's a beautiful morning in the San Pedro Valley as I sit on my patio and gaze out among the desert landscape. Patches of sunlight brighten the shaded areas of the cacti. Arizona is a beautiful and diverse state. Where we live in Cochise County, the desert is in full bloom of marvelous colors. Following the trail along the San Pedro River, we admire the tall, green cottonwoods and the cool, mossy riverbank where we stop from time to time among the flowering cacti and mesquite to take in a deep breath of clean-scented air.
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Do ‘zero-tolerance’ policies in education really work?
Patrick Gleeson EducationIn principle, zero-tolerance policies in U.S. schools are obvious and almost indisputable. Some kinds of student behavior cannot be tolerated and must result in disciplinary responses that include expulsion. Students can't bring guns to school, for example; can’t attack teachers, or sell drugs on campus. In practice, however zero-tolerance policies have become fraught and widely disputed. Here's an overview of zero-tolerance policies in U.S. schools along with a sampling of opinion about their usefulness.
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Communicating meeting ground rules
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementRecently, I worked in a country where board members seldom disagree. Their meetings are purposely harmonious. No voices raised or fingers pointed. They prefer courtesy over confrontation. In the U.S., association boards embrace a different model. Debate and deliberation are expected at meetings. The chairman is likely to ask, "Have we fully vetted all aspects of this proposal?" Directors are urged to delve into an issue before voting on motions.
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Infographic: How to make your life easier with automation
Safiyyah Bazemore Science & TechnologyWith limited time and a seemingly endless list of things to do, how can we hope to get everything done without losing our minds in the process? That’s where automation comes in. Automation, which allows you to "set and forget" a process or technology to get tasks done for you, can free up precious time by handling mundane activities that still have to get done. For example, you can automate your finances to pay down debt, make shopping a breeze by signing up for automatic grocery delivery, and set up auto-responders to keep your inbox free of clutter.