Recent Articles
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‘Fail’ your way to the top in 2019
Fred Berns Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementMake 2019 the year you really get to know "no." Make it the year that you get turned down by more prospects, try and fail to "upsell" more clients, lose out on more bids, miss out on more opportunities, come up short on more proposals, and attempt unsuccessfully to close more deals than ever before. In short, make it the year that you "fail" more. Why? Because only when you put yourself out there more, can you fail more. And only when you put yourself out there more can you succeed more.
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Different visions dominate school safety debate
Michelle R. Matisons EducationThe school safety debate picked up steam almost one year ago on Valentine’s Day 2018. That day, a former student walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, school and fired on students and staff, killing 17 and injuring 17 more. This debate is ongoing and presents many possible solutions from diverse sectors. A recently released 400-page report details that many factors blended together to result in such a tragic outcome. Controversially, this report recommends that teachers and staff use Florida’s Guardian Program, allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons to protect students in the event of a mass shooting or similar threat.
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Improve the way your physicians use EHRs
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationElectronic health records (EHRs) can be an incredibly helpful tool in providing targeted patient care and reducing medical error. Yet many hospitals' EHR systems can be difficult to navigate for many doctors due to poor technology, confusing or time-consuming notation requirements, or a lack of understanding how to utilize EHRs to provide the best patient care. The solution? Take stock of your EHR system for efficiency — then use the following advice to make it easier for your doctors to work with, with life-saving, cost-saving results.
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It’s not too late to hunt deer in Texas
John McAdams Recreation & LeisureThe general whitetail deer season ended on Jan. 6 in over 200 counties in Texas, but interested hunters can still get outdoors and fill the freezer with venison during most of January and early February. Though they don’t get nearly as much publicity as the archery or general deer seasons, most counties in the state have some combination of a youth season, a special late season, or a muzzleloader deer season that provide a couple weeks of additional time afield for whitetail deer hunters.
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When to lesson plan for your music classes
Aileen Miracle EducationMy first few years of teaching, I sat down for hours at a time, on Saturday or Sunday, and planned all my lessons for the next week…by hand. Now, having kids at home, I really prefer for my weekends to be family time, and make sure to have time during the school day or right after the school day to write lessons. I realize that some music teachers have little to no planning during the day — as I’ve been there — so today, I’m writing a post with different options for when to lesson plan.
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Harassment or just being a jerk? Tips to help managers recognize, prevent,…
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhile workplace regulations — even post-#MeToo and in employee-friendly states like California — do a lot to protect employees, there are no regulations against being a jerk. It is frustrating, but there are steps we can take to safeguard our employees and our work environment. The first of which is understanding what behaviors are officially harassment and which are not. Here are a few ways to tell and some tips on what to do about it.
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How military justice is being adjusted in 2019
Kristin Brandenburg Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityThe Uniform Code of Military Justice has served as the governing body of laws for all branches of the military since it was enacted nearly 70 years ago. Over time, changes were made piecemeal as needed, but there hadn't been a holistic, overarching review of the existing laws that are on the books until recently. As of Jan. 1, a number of changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) are in effect — the result of an effort to modernize and standardize definitions and penalties as they relate to accusations and convictions of service members.
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Is your 401(k) plan good, bad or ugly?
Patrick Gleeson Business Management, Services & Risk Management401(k) savings plans are a great idea. Within limits, you get to decide how much you’ll contribute out of each paycheck. Regular contributions are relatively painless because they’re made for you by your employer. Better yet, many employers match whatever you put in. Best of all, the income taxes that would have been due on earnings in the account are deferred until retirement. But while the idea is great, not every plan’s execution of the idea is great, or even very good.
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Can an introvert be a good leader?
Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementDo you think of leaders as outgoing, sometimes larger-than-life individuals who command attention? If so, you may have a hard time seeing an introvert as a good leader. And those misconceptions may be stopping you from promoting some of your best and most talented employees. "It is sometimes incorrectly assumed that an introverted leader cannot be an inspiring public speaker, a strong facilitator, or a tough negotiator," according to Suzanne Vickberg, Ph.D., senior manager of Business Chemistry at The Deloitte Greenhouse Experience.
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Taming committee reports at board meetings
Bob Harris and Dana L. Saal Association ManagementCommittee reports can use up valuable time at board meetings. Directors sit through a litany of reports and updates; the average is 15 to 17 per meeting. Too often they start with, "Our committee didn’t really meet but I can give you an update on how we’re doing…" (There goes another 15 minutes!) Listening to or reading reports is not good governance. Below we have described three ways to tame committee reports at board meetings.