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‘Lean’ into office productivity the right way
Sean Fields and Dr. Michael Sanders Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAlthough lean is generally considered a way to streamline manufacturing, it’s also useful for tackling inefficiencies in the office. By upgrading the front end, lean also prevents downstream problems that are a result of mistakes in the office. Given this, one might think that substantial gains would be a lead-pipe cinch when lean practices are introduced to an office. However, when these efforts get underway, disappointment often follows. The good news is that attacking the causes for the letdowns makes a remedy possible.
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Managing executive sessions
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementJust before adjourning, the elected president said, "I'm going to ask everyone except board members to leave so we can meet in executive session." An executive session is a closed-door meeting when guests and staff are excused. The intent is to give the board space to handle sensitive or confidential issues. In Canada it is referenced as an in-camera meeting. The similarity of the phrases executive session and executive committee often creates volunteer confusion.
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10 holiday gift ideas for busy executives
Terri Williams RetailFor most busy executives, work hasn’t slowed during the pandemic, in fact, it’s likely to have increased. A study by Bupa Global, an international health insurer, found that 8 out of 10 business executives have experienced fatigue, disturbed sleep, and a host of other pressures as a result of COVID-19. So, when considering holiday gifts for these busy execs, consider items that can make their work — and lives — easier.
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Keep your distance, but maintain personal relationships
Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesJust when it looked like remote working had hit its peak, employers are again facing the possibility of workplace closures as cases of the coronavirus surge throughout the country. Many businesses, though, including interior design, depend on teamwork and close personal interaction with customers for their success. While health and safety have to be a priority, they also need to have a strategy and protocols for meeting in person.
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Believe it or not, 2020 had its good points
Bob Kowalski Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWe can all agree that 2020 will go down as one of the worst years of our lives. Or, at least we’re hoping that’s the case. Many people can herald personal accomplishments, such as marriages, babies, career advancement, or even something like buying a new car or adding a pet to the family. But collectively and in the grand scope, 2020 has plenty of pitfalls. I come here not to bury 2020, but to praise it. Believe it or not, we can find some good points about a forgettable year that we won’t easily forget.
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Survey: Firms fight to operate during COVID-19
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe breadth and depth of the pandemic’s effects on private businesses has surfaced in new government data collected from July 20 through Sept. 30, 2020. In these numbers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conveys how businesses big and small operated. Spoiler alert: the BLS data on employment, wages, job openings and terminations, employer-provided benefits, and safety and health paints a tough picture of firms fighting to stay afloat. Nationally, 52% of surveyed businesses, or 4.4 million, told their workers to avoid work (paid or not) for some time.
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Hindsight is 2020: Putting the year in perspective
Linda Popky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAdmit it. If two years ago someone had walked into your office with a movie script containing half of the things that happened in 2020, you would have laughed them out of there. Or perhaps suggested they needed psychological help. None of us saw this coming. Yes, the infectious disease experts warned we should be on the lookout for a viral pandemic, but they couldn’t tell us how or when this would arrive or the impact it would have on our society. Now that we’re getting close to the end of this tumultuous year, what learning can we take forward for the future?
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How to create an effective training video for your employees
Sunny Dhami Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementVideo has long been a critical part of educating employees. This term might remind some of grainy 1990s VHS videos, but actually, 76% of employees today believe video is an effective learning method. Nowadays, though, there are more advanced ways to make great training videos for your workforce, helping you educate your workforce and boost employee satisfaction using your education program. You can deliver these videos in person or remotely. In this article, we’ll give some advice on how you can make those videos most effectively.
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Outlook for remodeling industry in 2021 still fuzzy
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesAs previous indicators predicted, demand for professional remodeling services rebounded in the third quarter of the year. After experiencing negative growth in the first half of the year, the industry is now poised to end the year in the black with a modest increase in growth over last year. Whether it can sustain that positive growth next year, however, is at present uncertain. Remodelers are optimistic but are facing headwinds that could cause demand to slow.
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Approaches to board orientation
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementWhen you suggest board orientation you may hear, "You told us that last year, why should we sit through it again?" Board orientation has many purposes. Besides familiarizing volunteer leaders with the organization, they are informed of their responsibilities. The desired outcome is a team working as a high-performing board. Protecting the organization is another reason. Orientation should address finances and safeguards, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and advise compliance with state and federal laws. Select the idea approach to orientation. What do you want to emphasize?
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