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Is there something you’re meant to do?
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhether it is the cold weather sweeping across the country, the shorter daylight hours or the end of the year, many of my clients and colleagues have recently wondered aloud whether they are in the right place or doing the right thing. While questioning our professional purpose can be disconcerting, it can also be a healthy exercise. Here are a few tips for facing the big question of whether we are doing what we are meant to do.
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Sabotaging the consent agenda
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementThe board chair said, "To save time we will use a consent agenda. We will be distributing routine reports in advance. I'm asking you to prepare for meetings by doing the reading." A consent agenda is an efficient board practice. It allows the board to focus on the substantive issues such as mission and its core competencies. About a week before the meeting, when the agenda is distributed, the routine reports are provided to directors. At the board meeting, the package of reports and updates by committees, officers and staff can be handled with a single motion.
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Infographic: How to secure your data from mobile apps
Brian Wallace Science & TechnologyHow do apps steal your personal information? It turns out they're not really stealing at all, because in the fine print they tell you what data they are taking and what they plan to do with it — it's just that no one reads the fine print. Additionally, user data is very valuable: more than $100 per user for most platforms. Learn more about how apps compromise privacy with this infographic.
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Strategies for surviving the next recession
Lloyd Princeton Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWill we or won't we? The verdict is still out on whether the U.S. economy is headed into recession sometime next year. More worrisome at the moment is the number of other leading economies that are teetering on the brink of recession, such as Germany, Italy and, of late, Hong Kong. Growth is slowing in China and other BRIC countries. And who knows what impact Brexit will have on the European Union economies. Directly or indirectly, any of these eventualities could impede our industry. While there is no cause for alarm at the moment, it’s always wise to be prepared for any eventuality.
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Don’t dig a deeper hole for yourself
Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementHere's the quandary: you've allowed an employee's unacceptable behavior to continue long term without serious repercussions. Now what? You personally like this employee. When she's at work, she does a good job. Co-workers and customers like her. The problem is her chronic absenteeism or tardiness, for example. You tried talking with this person months ago, which resulted in a lot of tears that only made you somehow feel guilty for hurting her feelings. She promised to improve, and for a couple of days, she did.
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A leader’s guide to collaboration
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management"Great, we can collab!" That was what one of my colleagues said to me a few weeks back, which, being the geek that I am, inspired me to read about collaboration (as well as think about whether I could ever utter the word collab and not sound like an idiot). Fortunately for me, a lot has been written quite recently about the science behind collaborative work environments. Here are a few tips for leaders to create an environment that encourages sustained, successful collaboration.
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How to end the divide between generations in the workplace
Simma Lieberman Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementFor over 10 years, I’ve been facilitating cross-generational dialogues. I started them because I was tired of one-dimensional conversations filled with bias and wrong assumptions about people who were older or younger. After the first three sessions, it was clear to me that we have a lot to learn from each other. Cross-generational mentoring became an integral part of my inclusive leadership coaching process. Here are some of the generalizations that are permeating the mainstream media and examples of assumptions and stereotypes based on age that I find irritating.
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How to assess the association’s DNA
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementDNA strands are the building blocks of the body. Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions for the development and function of living things. Unless you've invested in a DNA kit to check your family tree or health prospects, you probably don't give it much thought. Theoretically, it could apply to organizations. DNA lies below the surface. We focus on delivering value for members. The volunteers focus on the governance and committee responsibilities. Staff get their jobs done each day.
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Companies loosen job requirements, but are they going too far?
Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementUnemployment is at historically low rates, which is great for employees and the economy. However, when the job market is at — or past — full employment, companies struggle to recruit workers. "In short, companies cannot hire and keep the talent they need," explains Ian Cook, Vice President of People Solutions at Visier. In fact, according to a new survey by Adecco USA, 37% of companies have loosened job requirements to hire in a tight labor market.
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New Year’s resolution: Hire someone different than you
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementProcess provides perspective in lieu of panic. When we face challenges, we can rely on process to get us through difficulty one reliable, tested step at a time. Any leader who has faced a potentially devastating situation and worked through it, relying on methods instead of in-the-moment emotional reactions, understands the value of process. Yet for some reason when we hire, we often miss an important aspect of process in judging candidates: differences.
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