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The case for complexity

Anne Rose Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Go easy. Take it easy. Easy does it. Nice and easy. We are constantly exhorted to do things the easy way. But is the easy way the best way? When designing your next client itinerary, why not consider the harder, more complex and more comprehensive path? There are multiple benefits to this approach as a travel agent, despite being more time-intensive.

Embracing change in business

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Regardless of industry or title, the one thing we all have to understand is the nature of change. In government, defense and law enforcement, sometimes it feels that change happens too slowly and we blame the bureaucracy and red tape. Oddly though, if something big happens externally, somehow our previously bureaucratic organizations seem to be able to respond quickly with new initiatives. Conversely, in the private sector, waves of words like entrepreneurial and innovation have inspired our CEOs to want organizational cultures that support and even create change. What skills and characteristics can we learn or embrace to be ready of the many faces of change?

Machines serving people: A continuous debate

Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Every time when a machine replaced labors in an assembly line, we gave a big round of applause. Now, when machines are replacing the service staff in hotels, shall we make a big toast to celebrate a new revolution? Or shall we mark it the beginning of "the end of humanized service" in the hospitality industry? As customers, we probably have had enough negative experience with those automatic services provided by machines, such as calling the cable or telephone companies. Now that Starwood is introducing a "Botlr," or robotic butler to the Aloft Hotels, will the hospitality industry follow the same path of other businesses, offering more "cold" automatic services?

Are you at the wrong end of the value chain?

Adrian Davis Business Management, Services & Risk Management

In the past, the secret to success was economies of scale. This is no longer true. We see large companies collapse. No one is safe. Every organization — no matter how large — began as an idea. Then, organizations go through five stages of maturity.

Putting a value on values

Michael J. Berens Business Management, Services & Risk Management

As individuals and organizations we cannot function without trust. It is the glue that holds relationships together. That's why in times like these it is crucial that you are vigilant in preserving and protecting your organization's integrity.

Decisiveness drives success for companies

Greg Witz Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Some people really struggle with making decisions. Some people just can't make up their minds. Neither can some companies. But if they knew what their indecision was costing them, would they change how they operate?

Should you pay your employees for overtime?

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Managers, executives and owners often want to work around the overtime laws so they classify employees as exempt without making more than a cursory effort to determine if the job duties really require an exemption. This is simply a huge mistake with the potential to cost the organization a lot of money and likely even more of a headache of time and resources spent remedying the situation.

Top 4 myths of landing a civilian job

Catherine Iste Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

Previously, we discussed some of the keys to landing a civilian job with some great insight provided by my recruiting colleagues. However, I have checked in with CEOs at companies that consider themselves veteran-friendly and asked them to describe the employees who have been most impressive in their transition from the military to positions in their organizations.

Using multiple entities in your corporate asset protection planning

David B. Mandell and Jason M. O'Dell Business Management, Services & Risk Management

You may understand that it is a significant liability risk to put all of a business's "eggs" into one basket. But what's the solution? For your business, it may be as simple as using multiple baskets. In fact, using multiple entities to run a business is quite common in many types of business.

Break the ice with these team-building lessons from the ALS Ice Bucket…

Brie Ragland Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Unless you've recently been living under a rock — meaning you don't participate in social media or watch any kind of news program — you've probably been inundated with videos of people completing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. At first glance, it may seem as though this type of challenge does not fit with your business model or coincide with your business plan.

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