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Do leaders have moral obligations to their employees?

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

When I ask this question to clients, their employees, and my business ethics students, they all answer very clearly yes or no. When it comes to questions about morals and obligations, to have such definitive answers is pretty rare. In ethics, HR, and leadership, we are used to gray areas. So why is it that the answers I receive to this question are so black and white? Whether you answered yes or no, here are a few things to consider when it comes to the moral obligations leaders have to their employees.

10 tips for retaining employees in a hot jobs market

D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The U.S. currently has more than 6 million unfilled jobs, an all-time record high. In such a hot labor market, employers need to focus on retaining current employees as much or more than attempting to find brand-new ones. This article outlines some of the most important ways that employers can do a better job retaining employees.

Don’t let your business survey be one-and-done

Simma Lieberman Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Some days it feels like it's raining surveys and certifications. That's when my inbox is flooded with solicitations to get certified in yet another survey methodology. For over 25 years, I have been helping to create organizations where employees love to do their best work and customers love to do business. I use surveys and other methods to measure diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizational cultures. While surveys are useful, they can also be misused and create problems.

It’s not me; it’s you

Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk Management

We are frequently encouraged to focus on our strengths and "work on," that is, tamp down, our less sterling personality traits. But just who gets to determine what your strength is and what your character flaws are? Other people? Has anyone told you you’re obstinate? Or too blunt without any discretion? These "well-meaning" critics point out these damning personality flaws in the hopes that you’ll change and make their lives easier in getting along with you. But frequently, the so-called flaw is simply an exaggeration of an asset.

Your company’s biggest cybersecurity risks: People

Terri Williams Science & Technology

As it relates to cybersecurity, most leaders are aware of threats from malicious hackers, and some companies also face threats from nation-states and organized crime. However, non-malicious or unintentional threats also pose cybersecurity dangers to organizations. Whether malicious or not, security professionals believe that people represent the biggest risk to cybersecurity, according to the 2019 State of OT/ICS Cybersecurity Survey by SANS, which provides cybersecurity training.

What the rest of us can learn from Deutsche Bank’s massive restructure

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Few of us or our companies share anything obvious in common with Deutsche Bank’s woes or the massive restructure its leadership has initiated. However, we can glean several lessons from the company’s slide and this transformational change on which it is embarking. Regardless of size, industry, or life-cycle stage, the rest of us can take away several practical lessons from Deutsche Bank.

Practical ways to think about culture

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

As leaders, we have found ways to identify our workplace culture in everything from our performance reviews and handbooks to our total rewards packages and exit interviews. We can see evidence of it everywhere and it is clear it can affect or be affected by almost every aspect of our leadership. Yet, with the pervasive nature of culture, it can be challenging to understand how to prioritize our actions in order to successfully implement our culture vision. Here are a few practical ways to think about culture to ensure we focus on what is most impactful.

Why should you keep committee minutes?

Robert C. Harris Association Management

Committees work under the authority of a board of directors. The bylaws prescribe their appointment; policies detail their operations. The volunteer groups (committees, task forces, councils, special interest groups, etc.) are intended to supplement the work of the board and staff. Cynically it has been said that "committees keep minutes and waste hours." Keeping minutes is a smart practice. It’s a record of what the group did at a specific meeting, who attended and any needs or recommendations. Minutes inform the board and staff.

Going the distance in business

Roberta Matuson Business Management, Services & Risk Management

A few years ago, I rode my new bicycle 21 miles on Martha's Vineyard. For some of you, that may not be a big deal, but for me this was an event. I'll admit, there were times that I watched the local bus go by with bike racks and thought to myself, "I should be on that bus." But instead, I kept peddling. I know a lot of businesses who have decided to take the bus with the hopes that they will ultimately reach their destination faster and in better condition than if they had slowed down a bit and gotten into fighting shape. Here are some best practices from my most successful clients who are in tip-top shape.

Why a ‘culture of nice’ may be a bad thing for business

Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk Management

We can all agree that being nice is a desirable human trait. In the workplace in particular, companies want employees to be pleasant, agreeable, and polite — not just to customers and clients, but also to each other. But when is niceness more of a hindrance than an asset? New research by Fierce Conversations reveals that 63% of employees aren’t sharing honest opinions and concerns because they want to continue being viewed in a positive light. These responses cut across gender and seniority level.

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