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Recent IT employment reports deliver mixed messages

Shawn Smajstrla Science & Technology

What’s the status of information technology (IT) jobs in the U.S.? It’s improving. Or, it’s getting worse. It depends on who you ask and depends on exactly what you ask. A handful of recent reports paint varying pictures of IT employment across the country. A report from the TechServe Alliance reported the number of IT jobs crept up 0.04 percent in June, totaling more than 5.3 million. On the other hand, a CompTIA report cited a drop of 90,000 IT jobs in June. It’s one thing to look at what happened in June, but what, if anything, can we extrapolate about where employment in the sector is headed?

Yes, you can be confrontational

Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The word "confront" has acquired such a negative connotation. When someone is described as confrontational, you think of an argumentative person, or a critical, whiny person. Someone who enjoys "picking a fight," or is a bully that enjoys beating others down. It doesn’t need to be that way. Confront only means to face head-on, directly, and unequivocally. This is often healthier than passive-aggressive actions that some managers take to avoid confronting unacceptable behavior.

A strategic plan implementation survey for the board

Robert C. Harris Association Management

So, your board retreat was fun. A crescendo of good ideas were offered. The team got better acquainted. A three-year strategic plan was drafted. But come Monday morning, when daily routines set in, the retreat participants soon forget what was decided or the priorities to which they agreed. Before the retreat ends the most important question is, "What’s next?" What can be expected?

Before you burst through the $27.5 million size standard

Brenda Crist Civil & Government

Government has two definitions of a company’s size: large or small. MACs use North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes to classify business size standards. One of the most popular size standards is $27.5 million of revenue, on average, for the past three years. If you are a successful small business, chances are you will burst through the MAC’s size standard midway through the contract.

The latest research on ROI from social media

Emma Fitzpatrick Marketing

It’s easy to tell if people like your content on social. All you need to do is watch the likes pour in and see the number of shares continue to climb. But how confident are you when it comes to measuring the return on investment (ROI) of your social media activities? 56 percent of social media marketers are either uncertain or unable to measure the return on investment, according to the 2018 Social Media Marketing Industry report. In fact, if you’re like most, it’s probably your top concern.

Strategic differentiation with a customer focus

Maryann Lesnick Civil & Government

I recently worked on a proposal that required — not an executive summary — but an introduction that called out the vendor’s differentiators. Perhaps one of the hardest aspects of our industry is coming up with real differentiators to cite in our proposals. In his book, "Collapse of Distinction. Stand out and move up while your competition fails," Scott McKain suggests we spend too much time trying to duplicate and outdo our competitors.

2 major ways female leaders fail ourselves — and how to stop

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Sometimes, it is the most obvious advice we fail to follow. After all, when we hear things over and again it can be difficult to listen with an open mind. Yet, if we step back and reconsider advice that may seem trite as a tried and true fundamental, we can shift our perspective and start to focus on nailing the basics. Here are two major ways leaders, particularly women leaders, tend to fail ourselves and how we can stop doing them.

How to provide a more heart-healthy workplace for employees

Lisa Mulcahy Business Management, Services & Risk Management

You appreciate how conscientious and loyal your employees are, and you want to keep them with your organization for many years to come. Letting them know by words and actions that you care about their health and well-being is a first step in making this goal happen — and letting your staff know their great value to you. Creating a more heart-healthy workplace is an effective and easy way to make this happen, according to multiple studies.

Restaurant predictions: More positive for QSRs than casual dining chains?

Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

This year, a new record of 46.9 million Americans were predicted to travel 50 miles or farther from home during the July 4th holiday, the highest number since AAA began tracking the statistics in 2000. When more Americans are on the road, more patrons can be expected in hotels and restaurants. For the restaurant industry, then, is the record-breaking number of travelers during the July 4th holiday a good indication of a prosperous second half of 2018?

Presenting the association operating system

Robert C. Harris Association Management

There is no single prescribed way to operate an association. With more than 150,000 in the U.S., the management and governance styles are diverse. The book "Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business" describes an "entrepreneurial operating system" (EOS) with six key components. For associations, let’s call the concept the AOS — the association operating system. Each component of the system should connect with best practices and documentation to support high-performing organizations.

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