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Department of 1: The good, the bad and the ugly
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementMore than 95 percent of businesses have fewer than 100 employees. Within those companies, it is inevitable that many employees will wear many hats. We looked at the issue from the employee perspective last week and will focus on those of you who manage departments of one this week.
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The role of the middle manager
Betty Boyd Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementMiddle managers are the mainstay of an organization and are the glue that binds an organization together. However, middle managers are often overlooked when there are promotions within a company. So how can the middle manager be supportive, and still get ahead in this competitive environment? The middle manager has to be creative.
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Business buzzwords: When buzzwords are fuzz words
Paul Zukowski CommunicationsYou are about to use a popular business buzzword in your report when you realize you don’t really know what it means. Or where it comes from. So you begin to get nervous that someone might dare you to define the expression. When this happens, my best advice is to skip the fuzzy buzzword and say what you have to say in plain English. But if you are stubborn and like the way the buzzword sounds, here are some crib notes that might help you sound more plausible than your challenger.
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What happens when success is your only option
Michelle LaBrosse Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhen you run a small business — as small as even just yourself — does failure ever really occur? I hear often in the media about this or that business being "too big to fail," but isn't "too small to fail" more realistic? I ask this question of myself, more rhetorically than anything. I've been running a small business in one form or another for almost 30 years now. Yes, I've stopped offering some services and stopped making some products. At one point, I took a job with a paycheck — but even then I still had a small business going on the side.
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Keep your best people happy with these unique pay strategies
Mel Kleiman Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIn the midst of an ever-tightening labor market, employee retention is a hot topic once again. Here are three ideas about how you can boost employee morale and retention with just a few tweaks to your existing pay policies. Let's face it, those policies were probably written years ago and have nothing to do with today's economics or workforce realities anyway.
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How to eliminate your micromanaging behavior
Kelly Sharp Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe core components of any business are a stellar leader and team. Leaders have the ability to step into any situation and evoke change. In the workforce, they are competent, trustworthy and capable of inspiring those around them to reach their greatest heights. The most important factor is determining the correct technique with which to lead.
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What’s trending in business technology for 2016?
Paul Zukowski Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementI just came across some business technology predictions I made in 2008. Let's see how I did eight years later and highlight what else is trending today. My first prediction back in '08 was that Google would succeed in stealing away some corporate IT market share from Microsoft. I said Gmail would take the place of Microsoft's Exchange in many businesses.
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Department of 1: Vigilante or superhero?
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementHow do you stay organized, current and compliant while handling administrative, tactical and strategic issues when you are the only one in your department? Over 95 percent of businesses have fewer than 100 employees. Within those companies, it is inevitable that many employees will wear many hats. In this miniseries, we will look at this challenge from both the employee and the manager perspective.
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Risk landscapes and international development
Dr. David Hillson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWe all have our own "risk landscape," representing a set of opportunities from which we can benefit, along with challenges that can limit us or threaten our development. The risk landscape differs for each of us as individuals. Different communities, professional associations, social or ethnic groups also have their own risk landscape.
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Integrity builds the foundation of who you are
Michael S. Haro, Ph.D. Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe basic ingredients for growth and development are food, water and rest. These elements fuel, nourish and propel your physical needs. Proper amounts of each contribute to physical development and support mental functioning.
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