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How leaders can make meetings more effective by building resilience
Lisa J. Koss Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe breadth of change for leaders and their teams during the global pandemic has been dramatic: what we’re doing, how we’re working, when, and of course, where. During my hundreds of hours of coaching this past year, I’ve watched executives adopt significantly new and different routines and gain confidence over time. Broadly speaking, many challenges have been met. But I’ve also found that success in adapting as team leaders in these times has much to do with the leaders’ ability to shore up their own and their teams’ emotional and psychological reserves — to build resiliency.
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Execution after the planning retreat
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementA planning retreat is scheduled about every three years. Holding a yearly retreat socializes the board to think only 12 months at a time. For greatest impact, a board should be setting goals for three to five years. The plan is intended to be a road map for successive boards. It should deter incoming officers from changing priorities each year. A plan is not a wish list or staff to-do list. A good plan communicates value to members and prospects. This article clarifies responsibilities for executing the plan after the retreat.
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These are the non-insurance perks that workers want
Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementNext to salary, insurance is probably the most important perk to workers. In fact, for some employees, health insurance is more important than pay. But workers also want other, non-insurance perks as well. Some companies boast that they offer ping-pong tables and pet-friendly offices, but these benefits aren’t really that popular. So, what do workers really want? Well, it tends to vary by generation.
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Meeting your employees’ mental health concerns and needs
Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe year 2020 brought anxiety and depression to many workers. The CDC reported that three times as many adults said they felt anxiety and four times as many adults said they felt depressed in the summer of 2020 compared to the summer of 2019. According to a survey commissioned by Spring Health and conducted online by The Harris Poll, 49% of American workers sought mental healthcare in 2020; 38% of those who sought care say they were driven by a desire to manage emotions related to the coronavirus pandemic; and 43% said the mental health benefits in their employer-sponsored health plan did not meet their mental healthcare needs.
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Extending the life of committees
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementCommittees begin the year with enthusiasm. They receive assignments from the board and authority from the bylaws. An orientation and policies point them in the right direction. Volunteer groups supplement the work of the board, vet ideas, engage members, and develop future leaders. They can tackle tough issues, create new programs and generate income. They have a variety of names, each with similar purpose. Others disband when their assignment is completed.
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It’s time to take charge of your own brand
Hank Boyer Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementHere’s an easy way to think about your brand: you are who others think you are. Who someone thinks you are is behind every visceral reaction he or she has whenever you come to mind. That is a profound statement, but undeniably true. You do it. I do it. The person three doors down from where you work does it. Every single person with whom you’ve come in contact begins to build a list of descriptors to define what they believe is true about your brand. Because you live in your own skin, you’ve built a perception of your own brand that is what you want it to be. More often than not, it differs from what others believe it to be.
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Move from employee engagement to organizational alignment for increased…
Art Johnson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementEmployee engagement has become the standard for understanding how employees feel about working at your organization. Organizational alignment is the next step in evolution beyond engagement. Organizational alignment and employee engagement both have their place, but if you want to see increases in performance and metrics, you want to look at measures that are organizationally focused, not employee focused.
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Determining your company’s value: The problem with business valuation…
Chris Younger Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThere are numerous business valuation tools and calculators out there that claim to be the best and most accurate way to determine your company’s worth. However, these calculators are not the answer for business owners looking to sell and can be dangerous if used without careful consideration. In this article, we will discuss the pitfalls of business valuation calculators and why owners should explore other methods for determining the value of their business.
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How to govern more efficiently
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementIn a regional webinar on good governance the chief elected president said, "Bob taught us these practices years ago. We adopted them and now have a more efficient board." When meeting with boards I ask how the governance routines came about. The common answer, "We’ve always done it this way." For example: Why does the board meet every month? Who designed the agenda with more than a dozen reports and updates? How did the board grow to be 28 directors and officers? I thought about the president’s comments about board efficiency. Try these practices to improve governance.
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When I’m elected president, I’m going to ‘fix’…
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementMost elected leaders know their role is to advance the mission and serve the membership. Others have their own approach. The best question from an incoming president is, “Where is the strategic plan? My job is to advance the existing plan.” A strategic plan is a multiyear roadmap for successive officers and boards. The document helps stay the course. An incoming president wreaks havoc by ignoring the plan in favor of a personal agenda. I have seen presidents unpack a suitcase full of personal priorities. They have given little thought as to how their interests fit within the existing plan.
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