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Help your senior workers master new technology with confidence

Lisa Mulcahy Business Management, Services & Risk Management

As a manager, you no doubt greatly value the experience, talent and wisdom your senior team members bring to your organization. Yet you're probably aware that many workers in their 60s and older aren't as comfortable, or as proficient, with new technology as they might like to be. No worries, though: there are a number of simple and supportive steps that you can employ to help your senior workers learn what they need to know about using fresh technology on the job.

The positive spiral of operationalizing curiosity

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Why can’t we? This is a natural first question along the path of becoming a curious company. Once we start asking, we inevitably start answering. When those efforts are positively reinforced by beneficial results, we start incorporating inquiry into our approach. Then, when we get comfortable enough asking questions as part of the routine, we begin to realize we can ask better questions in a better way. Here are a few ways to incorporate curiosity into our approach and the potential impact it can create.

Building community, fostering creativity: A collaborative workspace for…

Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

Collaborative or co-working spaces provide a supportive environment where self-employed individuals can gather with other professionals and have access to the amenities of a commercial office setting. They have been a part of tech culture for some years now, but have not really caught on as yet with the A&D community. That may change with the launch of a new collaborative design studio for designers and architects, hosted by a Chicago design-build firm.

Negotiating commercial leases: Don’t forget the parking

Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield Retail

For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While an entrepreneur focuses on marketing and managing, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized salespeople. Their job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate. Whether you are leasing a new location for the first time or negotiating a lease renewal for your business, here are two money-saving tips.

When it’s time for an employee to go

Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk Management

An old Buffy Sainte-Marie love song crooned about staying until it’s time to go. That applies to the work world, too, when a longtime, valued employee, seemingly out of the blue, announces he’s quitting because, "it’s time to go and move on." Why, you ask, stunned? Because it’s just time, is the vague answer. When is it time to go, and is there a way to delay that time, and should you even try?

What to know about distributing your products in North America

Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

North America, and the United States in particular, is one of the largest markets for selling just about everything, particularly home furnishing products. And while the rewards can be great, the cost of entry is also great. The problem is directly related to the size of both the U.S. and Canada, as well as the diversity within each country in terms of regions and their buying needs. If you are a manufacturer considering entering the marketplace, there are a few considerations to know. Additionally, this article is going to focus on the modes of distribution in the design trade community.

Want to hire the right people? AI can help

Linchi Kwok Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machines can now perform many jobs traditionally done by human beings. Even in the restaurant business, where many believe only real human beings can accomplish most tasks, some entrepreneurs have already begun using machines to cook and serve customers. According to a recent CNBC update, AI can help businesses manage their human capital, too. For example, AI can help companies pick the best candidates, and more.

Replacing NAFTA: A better 3-country pact ahead?

Seth Sandronsky Civil & Government

Canada and the U.S. have renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which took effect Jan. 1, 1994. President Trump, who called NAFTA "the worst trade deal ever," praised its successor, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). "Promise made, promise kept," the president said on Twitter, of his campaign pledge to renegotiate NAFTA to improve trade fairness for American businesses, consumers and workers. That stance resonated with voters, especially in Rust Belt states where blue-collar employment has plummeted.

Beyond prototyping: Scaling up to additive manufacturing for production

Charlie Wood Manufacturing

Most are well-acquainted with additive manufacturing (AM) — as a rapid prototyping tool, at least. And while many companies believe and perpetuate the myth that AM is only a prototyping tool, innovators in a range of markets (e.g., aerospace, healthcare, consumer goods and more) are already using AM for production-grade manufacturing when design, performance and cost factors align. This article will help organizations considering switching to additive manufacturing for a part or product.

The impact employees have on your business

Roberta Matuson Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The other day, we took a friend for drinks and appetizers at a restaurant called Stephanie’s on Newbury Street in Boston. In the middle of taking our order, our waitress said, "Excuse me," and dashed away to retrieve an empty glass of water from a patron. We sat there in disbelief. I compare this to my recent experience at the Capital Grill in Providence, Rhode Island.

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