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Hindsight is 2020: Putting the year in perspective
Linda Popky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAdmit it. If two years ago someone had walked into your office with a movie script containing half of the things that happened in 2020, you would have laughed them out of there. Or perhaps suggested they needed psychological help. None of us saw this coming. Yes, the infectious disease experts warned we should be on the lookout for a viral pandemic, but they couldn’t tell us how or when this would arrive or the impact it would have on our society. Now that we’re getting close to the end of this tumultuous year, what learning can we take forward for the future?
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How to create an effective training video for your employees
Sunny Dhami Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementVideo has long been a critical part of educating employees. This term might remind some of grainy 1990s VHS videos, but actually, 76% of employees today believe video is an effective learning method. Nowadays, though, there are more advanced ways to make great training videos for your workforce, helping you educate your workforce and boost employee satisfaction using your education program. You can deliver these videos in person or remotely. In this article, we’ll give some advice on how you can make those videos most effectively.
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Approaches to board orientation
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementWhen you suggest board orientation you may hear, "You told us that last year, why should we sit through it again?" Board orientation has many purposes. Besides familiarizing volunteer leaders with the organization, they are informed of their responsibilities. The desired outcome is a team working as a high-performing board. Protecting the organization is another reason. Orientation should address finances and safeguards, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and advise compliance with state and federal laws. Select the idea approach to orientation. What do you want to emphasize?
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Why traditional marketing is broken (and 5 ways to fix it)
Jim Ewel MarketingThis should be the golden age of marketing. We have more tools at our disposal to implement and measure marketing, and, until the pandemic hit, advertising budgets were at record levels. Even with the pandemic, budgets are only down by roughly 5%. But ask any CEO whether he or she feels that marketing is delivering record levels of business and customer value, and, for most business leaders, the answer is a resounding no! So, what’s wrong?
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Utilizing principles from ‘The Art of War’ in your business
Victoria Fann Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementBeing a business owner in 2020 has been extremely challenging. Many businesses have not survived. Others have pivoted. Still, others are hanging on by a thread. Perhaps it’s time for some advice from an ancient master of strategy, Sun Tzu, the author of the 5th century BC book, "The Art of War." What does war have to do with business? In times like these, everything. Many of the rules businesses have lived by and depended on have disappeared, having been replaced by the constantly shifting sands of mandates handed down by government officials. What advice would Sun Tzu give us all these centuries later? Here are some principles from his timeless book that may be helpful.
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The cure for pandemic fatigue in your organization
Linda Popky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementCOVID-19 cases are surging across the U.S. and in many other parts of the world. Even as the prospect of effective vaccines gets closer and closer, hospital ICUs are overfilling, leading to round after round of restrictions and shutdowns in many locations. One thing is for certain: We’re tired of all of this. We want to be able to move freely — to eat in restaurants, gather at sporting events, and celebrate holidays with families. But to quote the Rolling Stones, you can’t always get what you want — unfortunately. From a business perspective, we need to keep our organizations focused and on track. As we approach the end of the year, here are a few considerations to keep in mind.
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But I’m just a volunteer
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementNothing is more deflating than to hear a member of the board say, "You don’t understand, I’m just a volunteer." Volunteers are afforded opportunities to make a lasting impact. Through their passion and ingenuity, they can affect standards of excellence, quality of life, and the success of people, businesses, and communities. Sen. John McCain described the importance of volunteering, "Nothing in life is more liberating than to fight for a cause larger than yourself, something that encompasses you but is not defined by your existence alone."
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Locating yourself in the places of greatest opportunity
Hank Boyer Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAre you being intentional about locating yourself in the place of greatest opportunity, or do you just let things happen to you? People who make things happen weren’t born that way, and they aren’t simply lucky. For the most part, people in this group are quite intentional in that they purposely locate themselves in the places of greatest opportunity so that they can capitalize when opportunity presents itself. Dig into the life of anyone who started in humble beginnings, became successful, and then sustained that success, and you’ll find someone who has learned the secret of hanging out in the places of greatest opportunity.
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US economy gains 245,000 jobs; unemployment rate drops to 6.7%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementU.S. employers added 245,000 nonfarm jobs in November after 638,000 new hires in October and 661,000 in September, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. November’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.7% from October’s 6.9% and September’s 7.9%. The November federal jobs report reflects an easing of COVID-19 restrictions to slow coronavirus transmission, which have been unsuccessful as local and state governments resume restraints on gatherings of businesses and public places. November’s national nonfarm jobless rate has decreased 8.0 percentage points from an April high. However, November’s rate is 3.2 percentage points higher than February’s figure.
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Optimizing your business’ ability to pivot
Indiana Lee Business Management, Services & Risk Management2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, businesses and individuals alike. What makes it so unusual is that the impact has been universal. Every nation around the world has been impacted by COVID-19 and the economic uncertainty that followed. What has become clear is that companies need to be more agile and flexible than ever. You never know what challenges will come, and a business’s ability to pivot can mean the difference between success and failure. How do you optimize your company’s ability to stay competitive in challenging situations? Here are some tips you can use.
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