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Why board size matters
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementThe board table was set for 30. At each director's place there was a board packet and name tent card. When the meeting convened, there were 12 empty seats. Nearly half of the directors did not show up. They addressed the problem by reducing the size of a quorum from 50 to 40 percent, or only 12 people. In a different scenario, an association rented a convention center for the board meeting. The directors numbered more than 200. The things that matter the most about board size are governance efficiency and producing desired results.
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7 common mistakes business owners make and how to avoid them
Roberta Matuson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementI've been in business for over 20 years and have seen my share of mistakes made by business owners — many that certainly could have been avoided. Here’s my list of common mistakes business owners make, along with advice on how to avoid following suit. For example, think about a job that you worked in that didn't work out. Was it because you didn't have the skills to do the job, or was it because your values did not align with the organization's?
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How HR can help with board diversity
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhen employees sitting around the table come from different backgrounds, generations and gender, opinions and approaches tend to vary. Those differences can spur creative conversations, unique solutions and lead to a competitive advantage. However, it is often difficult for any company to create more diversity when they have not actively pursued it in the past. HR can help address this need from the front line up to the boardroom — here's how.
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4 inexpensive ways to motivate your team through a long project
Deborah Ike Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhen you're on a long project, it's easy to get lost in the drudgery of a seemingly never-ending to-do list. Celebrating the completion of the project might be a year away. If you're not diligent to avoid it, your team may soon become weary of the project. This impacts team morale and can derail productivity. One way to keep the team motivated is to celebrate milestones completed along the way. Whether it's finishing a tough Agile sprint or writing the last of the test scripts, a little celebration is in order.
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Saying no when you think you should say yes
Roberta Matuson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementI was on vacation last week and reluctantly dragged myself through a museum because others told me that this was something I couldn't miss. If you've ever attended an event because you were told you must go to or ate at a particular restaurant because everyone else was going, then you know exactly how it feels to do something out of obligation. Of course, no one was holding a gun to my head. I could have chosen to spend my time elsewhere. I see the same type of behavior with clients that I work with.
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Women leaders: Helpful steps to getting your first board seat
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementGetting on a board is a boon for any leader. It helps propel professional growth, provides insight and perspective for companies, and advances the interests of the organization of the board on which they serve. It has been proven to increase the likelihood they will be promoted and that they will benefit economically as well. Everyone wins. Yet the percentage of women on boards is woefully low. While specialty organizations and recruiting firms are trying to address these needs, there are a few helpful steps women leaders can take right now to help themselves.
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Check the boxes on director evaluations
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementDirectors know if they are fulfilling their governance responsibilities. Given a board self-evaluation form, how would they check off the boxes? Every director starts their term intending to do a good job. For success, they need access to information and orientation. Board training is recommended annually, even for directors continuing their terms. It is an opportunity to "refresh and blend" the team.
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4 ways you are apologizing wrong
Stacey Hanke Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementApologies are something we love to receive and hate to give. They are especially tough as a leader. They require a great deal of humility, which challenge your pride and ego. They are an open admission of failure and wrongdoing, but when delivered with sincerity, they hold power with your team. Unfortunately, too many leaders give superficial apologies loaded with excuses and blame. Here are four ways you are apologizing wrong and how to make sure you don’t make these mistakes in your next, "I’m sorry."
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Are you being served? What about your customers?
Linda Popky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWho do you know who would purposely understaff an airport rental car location at a major resort locale so customers are kept waiting for two hours for pre-reserved, prepaid rental cars? When would you set up an interactive voice-response system so confusing that customers are forced to spend long periods of time to navigate their way into the right queue — only to then be disconnected? Not many of us would ever want those things to happen to the customers of our businesses. And yet, much too often, they do.
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The real truth about learning
Roberta Matuson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementI was recently asked to coach an executive who was having a difficult time assimilating into her new leadership role, even though her company had invested a ton of money sending her to an executive leadership program. She confided in me that she could barely recall what she had learned six months ago. I'm not surprised. I'm going to let you in on a secret that will save your organization millions of dollars a year. Real learning takes place in real time. Think about it. You can't learn how to ride a bike by reading a book or attending a two-day session on the theory of bike riding
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