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Balancing compassion and performance in a pandemic world

Courtney Lynch Business Management, Services & Risk Management

When I served in the Marines, we had a saying: Mission first, people always. Everything about leading Marines came down to achieving results in times of challenge, chaos, and uncertainty while taking care of your people. Now, as an executive coach, as I’ve helped my clients navigate pandemic times, often I’ve been guiding them in demonstrating service-based leadership. Leading with service is about acting selflessly on behalf of others to ensure their success. It’s about the simple actions you take to support others so they can thrive. The great news for leaders is that service can be demonstrated in the simplest ways.

How to avoid analysis paralysis

Bob Harris and Quinn Green Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Have you sat in a meeting knowing a decision had to be made while you watched the clock tick? So many ideas and objections are presented that the likelihood of reaching consensus dwindles. The situation is described as "analysis paralysis." The phrase describes individuals or groups that overanalyze and overthink a situation. Decision-making becomes "paralyzed," with individuals unable to reach consensus or recommend a course of action. The syndrome causes frustration, failure to complete a task, misunderstanding, wasted time and resignation.

Infographic: How to set work boundaries to avoid burnout

Pia De Los Reyes Mental Healthcare

With remote work being the new professional normal, it can be especially challenging to stay productive and separate job stress from our personal lives. When stress is high and maintained over a period of time, it can lead to burnout or a type of work-related stress that can have a myriad of negative effects on your health and productivity. Those experiencing burnout can suffer from fatigue and mental exhaustion, and it can also lower work performance and cause job dissatisfaction. Over time, burnout can increase your vulnerability to disease and even potentially cost you lost income because of unpaid sick leave or a missed promotion.

With succession planning, avoid the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ syndrome

Donald F. White Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Do you remember Alice, the little girl who fell down a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland? As Alice wandered about Wonderland, she came upon a Cheshire Cat with a distinctive, mischievous grin. Too many people are on their way to somewhere, with little to no idea what or where somewhere is. They assure themselves that someday they’ll know what and where somewhere is because, well, aren’t they on their way there? Sadly, when it comes to business continuity and succession planning, most business owners are like Alice — on their way to somewhere, yet with little to no idea what or where somewhere is.

Besides higher wages, what else can businesses do to address labor shortages?

Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

When everyone in hospitality is hiring to meet growing demand and prepare for the summer, many are struggling to fill job openings. How bad is the current labor shortage situation? A restaurant owner in New York City, for instance, posted a job listing for a host/hostess position at $30 an hour but received no response for two weeks. A year ago, the same restaurant would have received "hundreds and hundreds of resumes" already for the same position paying $20 an hour. When every company is offering a higher wage and even sign-on bonuses to new hires, businesses must do more to respond to the labor shortage challenge.

National Scenic Byways get a boost from Congress

Dave G. Houser Recreation & Leisure

Just in time for an expected onrush of road trips this summer, the Federal Highway Administration has unveiled 34 new National Scenic Byways (NSB) and 15 new All-American Roads (AAR) across 28 states — bringing the total number of byways to 184 in 48 states. The flurry of new byway designations came in February, following passage by Congress of the Reviving America’s Scenic Byways Act, aimed at bringing new jobs, tourism, and other benefits to communities along these scenic routes, many of which are well off the beaten path and in serious need of additional resources.

Global tourism recovery gets boost from industry leaders at WTTC 2021

Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

The world's tourism leaders gathered for the 2021 World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) summit on April 26 to get a shared perspective on how to handle the ongoing crisis in world tourism numbers — a global condition of the 2020 pandemic that has seen the disappearance of more than 60 million jobs. "The impact of Covid in the travel and tourism sector had an impact 18 times stronger than the impact of the global financial crisis that occurred in 2008. This is why the event is so important, because it is the global platform for recovery," said Gloria Guevara Manzo, CEO and president of the WTTC.

On the roads again: Transit after COVID-19

Jeremy Zuker Transportation Technology & Automotive

During the pandemic, many workplaces have switched to telecommuting, schools tried online learning, and theaters, parks, and beaches stood empty while restaurants had to survive on takeout-only transactions. Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) dropped by 16.3% nationwide in July 2020. Now, with vaccination rates growing, entire states have begun lifting emergency measures. As social distancing and mask mandates become a thing of the past, a whole world of cooped-up people will burst back out onto the streets. However, various factors will influence just how transit looks in the post-coronavirus world.

Will the lodging industry’s supply growth outpace demand?

Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

The COVID-19 vaccination rate is climbing steadily in the U.S. At its current rate, three in four people, or 75% of eligible residents, will be vaccinated by June. Businesses are reopening. The U.S. economy is now operating at 88% of its pre-pandemic level, with hope for continuous improvement. According to STR, a world-leading provider for data benchmarking, analytics, and marketplace insights for hotels, the U.S. lodging industry reported the highest demand and occupancy levels since the pandemic began for the week ending April 10. Furthermore, the U.S. opened 220 properties, or 26,057 rooms, in the first quarter of 2021.

What’s the BIG Idea? Episode 2: Steve Jurash on leading through crisis

Hank Boyer Business Management, Services & Risk Management

In this video, Hank Boyer visits with Steve Jurash, president of the 5,000-plus member Manufacturing Alliance of Philadelphia (MAP). MAP represents several hundred thousand manufacturing employees. In March 2020, Jurash led MAP through an incredibly challenging period of dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, an event that brought manufacturing everywhere to a sudden halt. With several hundred thousand employees' lives affected by his decision-making, Jurash faced one of his most challenging periods of leadership. He shares more than 20 best practices effective leaders use to navigate during periods of crisis.

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